A third of youth soccer clubs will fold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe kids could just play soccer without the rigid structures. Sandlot style.

Kids do this in Cuba, South America and the poorer parts of Europe.

And you are stupid too.

Well we should reduce our economy to that point so we ca win a World Cup and develop world class players.

Well - that does seem to be the current plan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VDA is closing it’s doors. Announcement coming next week.

VDA will thrive in this situation. Closing is not happening.

Yeah. If DCU DA folds, VDA will be one of the top boys teams in the area. They will pick up a number of players.

MLS is splintering away from DA they are not dissolving. This will not help or hurt VDA.

You are assuming DC United can afford to keep funding youth soccer after this. It is entirely possible they have to shut down the youth program for a couple years just to stay in business as a club

Actually DC United is one of the few MLS clubs that charges players for the youth academy.

Not any more. That's changing next year - or at least that was the position a week ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VDA is closing it’s doors. Announcement coming next week.

VDA will thrive in this situation. Closing is not happening.

Yeah. If DCU DA folds, VDA will be one of the top boys teams in the area. They will pick up a number of players.

MLS is splintering away from DA they are not dissolving. This will not help or hurt VDA.

Might well hurt actually. A lot of VDA players travel from a wide area to play DA soccer. If that is no longer on offer, why would they travel?

VDA girls are ECNL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VDA is closing it’s doors. Announcement coming next week.

VDA will thrive in this situation. Closing is not happening.

Yeah. If DCU DA folds, VDA will be one of the top boys teams in the area. They will pick up a number of players.

MLS is splintering away from DA they are not dissolving. This will not help or hurt VDA.

Might well hurt actually. A lot of VDA players travel from a wide area to play DA soccer. If that is no longer on offer, why would they travel?

VDA girls are ECNL.

and now VDA boys are ECNL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would love to see soccer move away from expensive travel teams and return to neighborhood leagues and school teams.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think more than a third of current youth soccer players will quit the sport.

I agree.

I think kids mid-HS/HS might just bag it. With college on the mind and college soccer looking like it will not happen, many will find other things to do.

In the younger/mid age years, parents might realize what a sh*t show this sport is and kids might pick up a lacrosse stick, a baseball or a basketball.

It is really gross what has become of the sport in the US. It was a great grass-roots thing that egos took over and changed it forever. It hasn't been 'kid/player-minded' in decades.

There has been absolutely zero decision made because it would actually help the player.

I love soccer. My family has played for generations. I have been absolutely disgusted with the people in the sport and the way they treat kids and families.

+1 Sad but true. Well said!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think more than a third of current youth soccer players will quit the sport.

I agree.

I think kids mid-HS/HS might just bag it. With college on the mind and college soccer looking like it will not happen, many will find other things to do.

In the younger/mid age years, parents might realize what a sh*t show this sport is and kids might pick up a lacrosse stick, a baseball or a basketball.

It is really gross what has become of the sport in the US. It was a great grass-roots thing that egos took over and changed it forever. It hasn't been 'kid/player-minded' in decades.

There has been absolutely zero decision made because it would actually help the player.

I love soccer. My family has played for generations. I have been absolutely disgusted with the people in the sport and the way they treat kids and families.

+1 Sad but true. Well said!

+1000!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is with rec too many kids play as a babysitting method for parents. If your child wants to develop their game. It gets ruined by the kids who don't have their heart in it. Thats why travel is needed.

+1. While I'm not a huge fan of the club racket, this is true. Same with the coaches. I love rec coaches, volunteering their time, and they're amazing with the kids. But at a certain point, some kids need better coaching. And I say this as the wife of a rec coach.

You have it backwards.

They did away with Rec by having 7 teams per age group. There was no longer anyone that could chew gum and walk at the same time left in Rec. So--in order to have some reasonable competition and benefit for the kids that like the sport but maybe it's not their first sport or maybe they aren't very good---they now had to pay a few thousand dollars and travel just to get teammates that would actually show up for games and practices.

It was the travel monopoly that killed Rec.

It used to be hard to make any select/travel team. Now, anyone with a checkbook plays.

Maybe with people losing jobs and money, the Rec league can thrive again and kids can actually play with neighbors and classmates.

This. I would love to not have to pay $1500 a year for my son to play soccer at a decent level. I have no pretense that he will get oodles of college money - he won't. He doesn't even care to play at that level but he is shades better than our rec teams. There aren't a lot of options for a kid like mine out there unless you want to get on the travel team train....and after this shit show of a year, I am hopping off.