Bethesda Soccer On Way Down

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

I ask these questions because I'm trying to explore the best options.

But can anyone share an actual club that is developing these young kids?

I'm talking about a club that for years has had a good reputation for development in the DMV?

You’re not going to get a helpful answer on this forum. If someone posts their club, someone will bash it.

I think you need to think of development as not tied to or led by any club.

In the younger ages, just let them play freely, learn to love to play and compete. Maybe make sure they are doing basic tech training on their own like dribbling, juggling, etc.

When they get older, find a club that has productive practices, meaning high intensity, all players giving 100% and are disciplined, and no dead time.

You will also need a club that allows u to use all the skills the player has in games and against other competitive teams.

If your kid wants to be the best, hours and hours on the ball outside of club is essential.

I'm a former soccer player so I have all that on lockdown...I even played for Bethesda back in the day...but it appears when I played it was different...I'm just re entering a world that I took part in 35 years ago LOL so I'm gathering info....I appreciate your response though

If that’s the case, have your kid practice with the MLSNext and ECNL teams (the top teams) and see if that’s the sort of training you want for your kid.

We did that and picked a club based on how their practices were run, whether the kids were high level players and welcoming to my kid but also competitive and disciplined (although u will likely find the latter to be present in most top teams), style of play, and the likelihood that my kid would get plenty of playing time.

Smaller clubs may have the sort of training you need but there just won’t be as many highly skilled or serious kids or access to better competition.

In other words, ur going to need to shop around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to succeed a bethesda just make sure you stay quite, donate as much money as you can to keep JC happy, spend all the money you can in outside training (to make sure your kid doesn’t fell behind, but do it secretely. They don’t like it), defend the club in this forum and make sure you let JC knows you’re one of his trolls. And invite the bros to some rounds of golf too. If you follow these steps your kid might stay in the first team.

Is your kid on the first team? Do you do all this if so? 😂

He is. And yes. I follow this steps. Sad but true. Not proud of it though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to succeed a bethesda just make sure you stay quite, donate as much money as you can to keep JC happy, spend all the money you can in outside training (to make sure your kid doesn’t fell behind, but do it secretely. They don’t like it), defend the club in this forum and make sure you let JC knows you’re one of his trolls. And invite the bros to some rounds of golf too. If you follow these steps your kid might stay in the first team.

Is your kid on the first team? Do you do all this if so? 😂

He is. And yes. I follow this steps. Sad but true. Not proud of it though

So how do you KNOW you have to do these things to keep his spot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to succeed a bethesda just make sure you stay quite, donate as much money as you can to keep JC happy, spend all the money you can in outside training (to make sure your kid doesn’t fell behind, but do it secretely. They don’t like it), defend the club in this forum and make sure you let JC knows you’re one of his trolls. And invite the bros to some rounds of golf too. If you follow these steps your kid might stay in the first team.

Is your kid on the first team? Do you do all this if so? 😂

He is. And yes. I follow this steps. Sad but true. Not proud of it though

So how do you KNOW you have to do these things to keep his spot?

If your kid is a bubble player, I guess u need to do this to stay on the first team. But if ur kid is a star or clearly better than all the other players, none of this stuff is necessary at BSC or any club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to succeed a bethesda just make sure you stay quite, donate as much money as you can to keep JC happy, spend all the money you can in outside training (to make sure your kid doesn’t fell behind, but do it secretely. They don’t like it), defend the club in this forum and make sure you let JC knows you’re one of his trolls. And invite the bros to some rounds of golf too. If you follow these steps your kid might stay in the first team.

Funny but true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

I ask these questions because I'm trying to explore the best options.

But can anyone share an actual club that is developing these young kids?

I'm talking about a club that for years has had a good reputation for development in the DMV?

You’re not going to get a helpful answer on this forum. If someone posts their club, someone will bash it.

I think you need to think of development as not tied to or led by any club.

In the younger ages, just let them play freely, learn to love to play and compete. Maybe make sure they are doing basic tech training on their own like dribbling, juggling, etc.

When they get older, find a club that has productive practices, meaning high intensity, all players giving 100% and are disciplined, and no dead time.

You will also need a club that allows u to use all the skills the player has in games and against other competitive teams.

If your kid wants to be the best, hours and hours on the ball outside of club is essential.

I'm a former soccer player so I have all that on lockdown...I even played for Bethesda back in the day...but it appears when I played it was different...I'm just re entering a world that I took part in 35 years ago LOL so I'm gathering info....I appreciate your response though

If that’s the case, have your kid practice with the MLSNext and ECNL teams (the top teams) and see if that’s the sort of training you want for your kid.

We did that and picked a club based on how their practices were run, whether the kids were high level players and welcoming to my kid but also competitive and disciplined (although u will likely find the latter to be present in most top teams), style of play, and the likelihood that my kid would get plenty of playing time.

Smaller clubs may have the sort of training you need but there just won’t be as many highly skilled or serious kids or access to better competition.

In other words, ur going to need to shop around.

So where did you land? We are at a local club that has gone downhill and only values winning, not development. They have a set starting 9 at U 12 and my son plays very little and shines when he does. I need him somewhere fun, disciplined and competitive but where he can grow. He is a player of great potential, listens to his coaches and has a fire in him. Where in potomac/Rockville/g’burg does this boy go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

I ask these questions because I'm trying to explore the best options.

But can anyone share an actual club that is developing these young kids?

I'm talking about a club that for years has had a good reputation for development in the DMV?

You’re not going to get a helpful answer on this forum. If someone posts their club, someone will bash it.

I think you need to think of development as not tied to or led by any club.

In the younger ages, just let them play freely, learn to love to play and compete. Maybe make sure they are doing basic tech training on their own like dribbling, juggling, etc.

When they get older, find a club that has productive practices, meaning high intensity, all players giving 100% and are disciplined, and no dead time.

You will also need a club that allows u to use all the skills the player has in games and against other competitive teams.

If your kid wants to be the best, hours and hours on the ball outside of club is essential.

I'm a former soccer player so I have all that on lockdown...I even played for Bethesda back in the day...but it appears when I played it was different...I'm just re entering a world that I took part in 35 years ago LOL so I'm gathering info....I appreciate your response though

If that’s the case, have your kid practice with the MLSNext and ECNL teams (the top teams) and see if that’s the sort of training you want for your kid.

We did that and picked a club based on how their practices were run, whether the kids were high level players and welcoming to my kid but also competitive and disciplined (although u will likely find the latter to be present in most top teams), style of play, and the likelihood that my kid would get plenty of playing time.

Smaller clubs may have the sort of training you need but there just won’t be as many highly skilled or serious kids or access to better competition.

In other words, ur going to need to shop around.

So where did you land? We are at a local club that has gone downhill and only values winning, not development. They have a set starting 9 at U 12 and my son plays very little and shines when he does. I need him somewhere fun, disciplined and competitive but where he can grow. He is a player of great potential, listens to his coaches and has a fire in him. Where in potomac/Rockville/g’burg does this boy go?

NVA in Virginia. Worth the ride

[Anonymous]

“As for development, if it’s just “kids getting better”, then I’m sure that is met. You keep avoiding being specific on the development topic and pivoting to emotions and subjective observations. What specifically do you want them to do as coaches / as a club for your kid? What are they not doing that they should be? ”

I want the coach to show my kid how to execute the skills correctly or take them to the next level. Don’t just put out cones and scrimmage. Gaslighting parents about that expectation is wild.

This whole thread is people talking about the training they get outside the club. Kids are not lazy. Parents are not out of touch. We know that extra training is necessary outside of practice. But to exclusively rely on outside training to get some technical instruction and feedback is not / should be the norm.

If I ask a BSC coach, why should my young kid go to BSC instead of another club. Does she have a better chance at getting to the top level if she’s developed at a smaller club with knowledgeable coaches or at BSC? What would the answer be? BSC defenders on here - WHY choose BSC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

I ask these questions because I'm trying to explore the best options.

But can anyone share an actual club that is developing these young kids?

I'm talking about a club that for years has had a good reputation for development in the DMV?

You’re not going to get a helpful answer on this forum. If someone posts their club, someone will bash it.

I think you need to think of development as not tied to or led by any club.

In the younger ages, just let them play freely, learn to love to play and compete. Maybe make sure they are doing basic tech training on their own like dribbling, juggling, etc.

When they get older, find a club that has productive practices, meaning high intensity, all players giving 100% and are disciplined, and no dead time.

You will also need a club that allows u to use all the skills the player has in games and against other competitive teams.

If your kid wants to be the best, hours and hours on the ball outside of club is essential.

I'm a former soccer player so I have all that on lockdown...I even played for Bethesda back in the day...but it appears when I played it was different...I'm just re entering a world that I took part in 35 years ago LOL so I'm gathering info....I appreciate your response though

If that’s the case, have your kid practice with the MLSNext and ECNL teams (the top teams) and see if that’s the sort of training you want for your kid.

We did that and picked a club based on how their practices were run, whether the kids were high level players and welcoming to my kid but also competitive and disciplined (although u will likely find the latter to be present in most top teams), style of play, and the likelihood that my kid would get plenty of playing time.

Smaller clubs may have the sort of training you need but there just won’t be as many highly skilled or serious kids or access to better competition.

In other words, ur going to need to shop around.

So where did you land? We are at a local club that has gone downhill and only values winning, not development. They have a set starting 9 at U 12 and my son plays very little and shines when he does. I need him somewhere fun, disciplined and competitive but where he can grow. He is a player of great potential, listens to his coaches and has a fire in him. Where in potomac/Rockville/g’burg does this boy go?

NVA in Virginia. Worth the ride

That’s the impression I’m getting.

So far the most impressive team I have watched has been the Springfield U9 at some Dulles tournament. I don’t think that was even the top team either lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

I ask these questions because I'm trying to explore the best options.

But can anyone share an actual club that is developing these young kids?

I'm talking about a club that for years has had a good reputation for development in the DMV?

You’re not going to get a helpful answer on this forum. If someone posts their club, someone will bash it.

I think you need to think of development as not tied to or led by any club.

In the younger ages, just let them play freely, learn to love to play and compete. Maybe make sure they are doing basic tech training on their own like dribbling, juggling, etc.

When they get older, find a club that has productive practices, meaning high intensity, all players giving 100% and are disciplined, and no dead time.

You will also need a club that allows u to use all the skills the player has in games and against other competitive teams.

If your kid wants to be the best, hours and hours on the ball outside of club is essential.

I'm a former soccer player so I have all that on lockdown...I even played for Bethesda back in the day...but it appears when I played it was different...I'm just re entering a world that I took part in 35 years ago LOL so I'm gathering info....I appreciate your response though

If that’s the case, have your kid practice with the MLSNext and ECNL teams (the top teams) and see if that’s the sort of training you want for your kid.

We did that and picked a club based on how their practices were run, whether the kids were high level players and welcoming to my kid but also competitive and disciplined (although u will likely find the latter to be present in most top teams), style of play, and the likelihood that my kid would get plenty of playing time.

Smaller clubs may have the sort of training you need but there just won’t be as many highly skilled or serious kids or access to better competition.

In other words, ur going to need to shop around.

So where did you land? We are at a local club that has gone downhill and only values winning, not development. They have a set starting 9 at U 12 and my son plays very little and shines when he does. I need him somewhere fun, disciplined and competitive but where he can grow. He is a player of great potential, listens to his coaches and has a fire in him. Where in potomac/Rockville/g’burg does this boy go?

You go to Juventus. We are not there but I know many who are—it’s an awesome club, esp for boys that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

I ask these questions because I'm trying to explore the best options.

But can anyone share an actual club that is developing these young kids?

I'm talking about a club that for years has had a good reputation for development in the DMV?

You’re not going to get a helpful answer on this forum. If someone posts their club, someone will bash it.

I think you need to think of development as not tied to or led by any club.

In the younger ages, just let them play freely, learn to love to play and compete. Maybe make sure they are doing basic tech training on their own like dribbling, juggling, etc.

When they get older, find a club that has productive practices, meaning high intensity, all players giving 100% and are disciplined, and no dead time.

You will also need a club that allows u to use all the skills the player has in games and against other competitive teams.

If your kid wants to be the best, hours and hours on the ball outside of club is essential.

I'm a former soccer player so I have all that on lockdown...I even played for Bethesda back in the day...but it appears when I played it was different...I'm just re entering a world that I took part in 35 years ago LOL so I'm gathering info....I appreciate your response though

If that’s the case, have your kid practice with the MLSNext and ECNL teams (the top teams) and see if that’s the sort of training you want for your kid.

We did that and picked a club based on how their practices were run, whether the kids were high level players and welcoming to my kid but also competitive and disciplined (although u will likely find the latter to be present in most top teams), style of play, and the likelihood that my kid would get plenty of playing time.

Smaller clubs may have the sort of training you need but there just won’t be as many highly skilled or serious kids or access to better competition.

In other words, ur going to need to shop around.

So where did you land? We are at a local club that has gone downhill and only values winning, not development. They have a set starting 9 at U 12 and my son plays very little and shines when he does. I need him somewhere fun, disciplined and competitive but where he can grow. He is a player of great potential, listens to his coaches and has a fire in him. Where in potomac/Rockville/g’burg does this boy go?

You go to Juventus. We are not there but I know many who are—it’s an awesome club, esp for boys that age.

Ugh we have played against them. I’ve seen so much toxic behavior. Really terrible parents. It may just be my experience. I will check it out again.
I can’t go to NVA either. Between getting home from work barely in time for practices it would be too much. There’s got to be something here!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“As for development, if it’s just “kids getting better”, then I’m sure that is met. You keep avoiding being specific on the development topic and pivoting to emotions and subjective observations. What specifically do you want them to do as coaches / as a club for your kid? What are they not doing that they should be? ”

I want the coach to show my kid how to execute the skills correctly or take them to the next level. Don’t just put out cones and scrimmage. Gaslighting parents about that expectation is wild.

This whole thread is people talking about the training they get outside the club. Kids are not lazy. Parents are not out of touch. We know that extra training is necessary outside of practice. But to exclusively rely on outside training to get some technical instruction and feedback is not / should be the norm.

If I ask a BSC coach, why should my young kid go to BSC instead of another club. Does she have a better chance at getting to the top level if she’s developed at a smaller club with knowledgeable coaches or at BSC? What would the answer be? BSC defenders on here - WHY choose BSC?

_______________________________

Thank you for saying this. The number of posters acting like parents are nuts for thinking BSC practices should be high quality is baffling. OF COURSE outside training is necessary to really compete and get to the next level. But acting like it’s fine for BSC coaches to just convene kids a few times a week and do nothing meaningful at those practices is a bizarre hill to die on.

Your question about defenders shows me that you know the club well! The one coach who shines in this area is Coach Jason. Otherwise, the club’s defenders will need to hone their skills elsewhere. As to your question about whether to send your young player to BSC, I would go to the club where you feel the coaches are strongest and development is prioritized. If your child wants to play for BSC later, they love replacing current players with outside players rather than promoting from within, so if your child can show well at a tryout they will always have a good chance of making it. BSC is also quite good at dismantling successful teams because they spot something they like in an outside player (usually speed). I’ve seen it time and again.

[Anonymous]

Quick question for the Bethesda Soccer Club: Are coaches required to pass background checks before working with the kids? Just curious about the safety protocols in place for youth players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to succeed a bethesda just make sure you stay quite, donate as much money as you can to keep JC happy, spend all the money you can in outside training (to make sure your kid doesn’t fell behind, but do it secretely. They don’t like it), defend the club in this forum and make sure you let JC knows you’re one of his trolls. And invite the bros to some rounds of golf too. If you follow these steps your kid might stay in the first team.

Yikes! Sound like a Culture of Manipulation, Oppression, and Abuse of power

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

I ask these questions because I'm trying to explore the best options.

But can anyone share an actual club that is developing these young kids?

I'm talking about a club that for years has had a good reputation for development in the DMV?

You’re not going to get a helpful answer on this forum. If someone posts their club, someone will bash it.

I think you need to think of development as not tied to or led by any club.

In the younger ages, just let them play freely, learn to love to play and compete. Maybe make sure they are doing basic tech training on their own like dribbling, juggling, etc.

When they get older, find a club that has productive practices, meaning high intensity, all players giving 100% and are disciplined, and no dead time.

You will also need a club that allows u to use all the skills the player has in games and against other competitive teams.

If your kid wants to be the best, hours and hours on the ball outside of club is essential.

I'm a former soccer player so I have all that on lockdown...I even played for Bethesda back in the day...but it appears when I played it was different...I'm just re entering a world that I took part in 35 years ago LOL so I'm gathering info....I appreciate your response though

If that’s the case, have your kid practice with the MLSNext and ECNL teams (the top teams) and see if that’s the sort of training you want for your kid.

We did that and picked a club based on how their practices were run, whether the kids were high level players and welcoming to my kid but also competitive and disciplined (although u will likely find the latter to be present in most top teams), style of play, and the likelihood that my kid would get plenty of playing time.

Smaller clubs may have the sort of training you need but there just won’t be as many highly skilled or serious kids or access to better competition.

In other words, ur going to need to shop around.

So where did you land? We are at a local club that has gone downhill and only values winning, not development. They have a set starting 9 at U 12 and my son plays very little and shines when he does. I need him somewhere fun, disciplined and competitive but where he can grow. He is a player of great potential, listens to his coaches and has a fire in him. Where in potomac/Rockville/g’burg does this boy go?

He is on an MLSNext team now. But came from a small club.

No idea if the following are near you:

TouchKings Football Club
NextLevel Soccer Academy
NPC Futbol & Futsal

It doesn’t seem as if your kid is a starter or plays much at their current club. I would recommend trying to go to a smaller club (just one or two teams at each age group) that will allow your kid to develop technical skills and play a lot more.

Then assuming ECNL/MLSNext is a goal, try at U12 or U13 to see if you can get on those teams.

If you want to know how ur kid will measure up against kids on those teams, many of those kids go to club neutral trainings like NextStar, FalseEight, Futbol lab, etc. so check out one of their sessions.

Good luck!