VYS Soccer - better or worse?

[Anonymous]

If anyone is attempting to learn something about VYS from reading this thread, please note that very few VYS parents actually post here.

One person pretends to be several different people (and does a bad job of managing the various personae), and generates the vast majority of the posts, but there is no indication that he has any knowledge of VYS.

The perception this thread creates about VYS is a fever dream ineptly stirred up by one or two deeply dishonest trolls. VYS Travel is a club like any other travel club, with roughly the same amount of good and bad, and that's all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Raise your hand if your kid didn't even get offered a spot on VYS travel this year. Sigh.

Were they previously on the travel team, or just starting out?

Heard a lot of kids did not. What age group? Some had a significant amount of kids trying out.

Yikes, but I hear this is happening all over. Maybe some new clubs will come out of it.

The switch to birth-year age groups will create a lot of chaos this year.

Let's say your club has four U9 teams and four U10 teams -- 11 players per team, 44 players total.

Now let's say the U9s are mostly 2006 birthdates -- maybe 33 of the 44 players.

And let's say the U10s have a more even split between 2005 and 2006 -- 22/22.

So from these two age groups, you'll have:
11 2007s (lots of openings at U10 for current crop of older U8s)
55 2006s (overload at U11)

Another club might have slightly different age demographics, and perhaps they'll actually have openings at U11 but not much at U10 or U12.

Yeah that's just how the cookie crumbles this year. Coaches and technical staff have a tougher job this year figuring out how to allocate team selections. Not everyone is going to get what they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Man how I wish people would identify themselves on here and have honest real conversations without the bullshit.
Vys is not the best club, it is not the worst. I don't know why someone not affiliated with the club would have any reason to engage in this.

I'm not affiliated with the club. I read and contribute to this and the other VYS heavy thread because I'm deeply interested in the youth soccer scene, and this is one of the only places I know of to have honest conversations about the many things I have witnessed as a travel soccer parent at a variety of clubs through the years. I also care a lot about the goal of improving US youth soccer generally, separate from any issues that may immediately affect my family.

Most of the issues raised here are ones that pertain to every single youth soccer club. As an example, the guy who wrote the long rant? Happens not only at all clubs, but on most teams at some point (though usually the rant is not so well-written or so broadly disseminated). That stuff's really interesting if you are an amateur psychologist, as many of us who post on internet forums are. Everyone who keeps an open mind can learn things from this discussion, even if they never set foot in Vienna.

[Anonymous]

Well you don't appear to be the person telling people to "STFU" and bashing folks for their opinions. Intelligent discussions are certainly welcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Raise your hand if your kid didn't even get offered a spot on VYS travel this year. Sigh.

I'm confused, Did you think that your kid was guaranteed a spot just because s/he tried out? That's not how travel works. Even at larger clubs like VYS that have multiple travel teams in an age group, at some point there are kids that are deemed not ready for travel and are not offered a position. Now if s/he was on a travel team last year, the coach should have the decency to let you know that your kid might not have a position so you have time to check out other clubs - something that McLean has not taught all of their coaches.

Tell your kid to keep working hard and if they're interested, take advantage of the many training outside opportunities in the area and try again next year. I know of players who didn't make VYS travel one year that have gone on to make the A team or even win a State Cup at another club.

Don't be too discouraged, but be realistic.

Happens quite frequently. It's called the "fresh set of eyes syndrome".

Players will mesh with different atmosphere, different styles. Clubs cannot hold it against kids when they decide to move on. Be an adult. Sometimes an environment is just not good for a kid and nobody should take it as a personal affront to the club if they want to try a new place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well you don't appear to be the person telling people to "STFU" and bashing folks for their opinions. Intelligent discussions are certainly welcome.

Yeah, I wouldn't ever bash anyone or curse, but wanted to make it clear that I, and from what I can tell, others find this thread valuable despite the over the top posts about the club and various people within in. I would hate to see it go away, as some have urged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well you don't appear to be the person telling people to "STFU" and bashing folks for their opinions. Intelligent discussions are certainly welcome.

Yeah, I wouldn't ever bash anyone or curse, but wanted to make it clear that I, and from what I can tell, others find this thread valuable despite the over the top posts about the club and various people within in. I would hate to see it go away, as some have urged.

It is my opinion that many of the opinions posted in this thread are overly negative and are directed at a club that is not really online to defend itself. Your comments speak to your clubs culture.

[Anonymous]

What I find strange is that no one complained when the conversation drifted to other clubs. At one point, I think the Travel Soccer thread was talking about VYS while this thread was talking about Arlington or PAC.

Maybe we should stop feeding the trolls. Or maybe the trolls should stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: (though usually the rant is not so well-written or so broadly disseminated).

Heh. As a complete outsider, that's the best/saddest thing I've read since the "rant" was posted.

I re-read it. It seems like the PP is actually telling VYS that the kid was offered too high a team for the coming year. How many "train wreck crazy" parents do that? None I've ever heard of.

Maybe it shouldn't have been posted here, but if I were VYS is really a quality organization, they'll reach out to the parents from the affected teams (the ones whose kids were staying, not the departing PP) and try to figure out what VYS could have done differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: (though usually the rant is not so well-written or so broadly disseminated).

Heh. As a complete outsider, that's the best/saddest thing I've read since the "rant" was posted.

I re-read it. It seems like the PP is actually telling VYS that the kid was offered too high a team for the coming year. How many "train wreck crazy" parents do that? None I've ever heard of.

Maybe it shouldn't have been posted here, but if I were VYS is really a quality organization, they'll reach out to the parents from the affected teams (the ones whose kids were staying, not the departing PP) and try to figure out what VYS could have done differently.

They do. Several surveys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: (though usually the rant is not so well-written or so broadly disseminated).

Heh. As a complete outsider, that's the best/saddest thing I've read since the "rant" was posted.

I re-read it. It seems like the PP is actually telling VYS that the kid was offered too high a team for the coming year. How many "train wreck crazy" parents do that? None I've ever heard of.

Maybe it shouldn't have been posted here, but if I were VYS is really a quality organization, they'll reach out to the parents from the affected teams (the ones whose kids were staying, not the departing PP) and try to figure out what VYS could have done differently.


they have a survey monkey for that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: (though usually the rant is not so well-written or so broadly disseminated).

Heh. As a complete outsider, that's the best/saddest thing I've read since the "rant" was posted.

I re-read it. It seems like the PP is actually telling VYS that the kid was offered too high a team for the coming year. How many "train wreck crazy" parents do that? None I've ever heard of.

Maybe it shouldn't have been posted here, but if I were VYS is really a quality organization, they'll reach out to the parents from the affected teams (the ones whose kids were staying, not the departing PP) and try to figure out what VYS could have done differently.

They do. Several surveys.

No, no. Like actual humans talking to actual parents. You know, like displaying some human involvement and genuine empathy.

<takes a heavy toke on the bong>

Yeah, you're right. What am I smoking? That'd never happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: (though usually the rant is not so well-written or so broadly disseminated).

Heh. As a complete outsider, that's the best/saddest thing I've read since the "rant" was posted.

I re-read it. It seems like the PP is actually telling VYS that the kid was offered too high a team for the coming year. How many "train wreck crazy" parents do that? None I've ever heard of.

Maybe it shouldn't have been posted here, but if I were VYS is really a quality organization, they'll reach out to the parents from the affected teams (the ones whose kids were staying, not the departing PP) and try to figure out what VYS could have done differently.

They do. Several surveys.

No, no. Like actual humans talking to actual parents. You know, like displaying some human involvement and genuine empathy.

<takes a heavy toke on the bong>

Yeah, you're right. What am I smoking? That'd never happen.

I *think* they've done that as well. Depends on the situation. I know board members have followed up in the past with current and former parents.

Not to say they couldn't do a better job of outreach in general. But I don't know that I'd say "never."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: (though usually the rant is not so well-written or so broadly disseminated).

Heh. As a complete outsider, that's the best/saddest thing I've read since the "rant" was posted.

I re-read it. It seems like the PP is actually telling VYS that the kid was offered too high a team for the coming year. How many "train wreck crazy" parents do that? None I've ever heard of.

Maybe it shouldn't have been posted here, but if I were VYS is really a quality organization, they'll reach out to the parents from the affected teams (the ones whose kids were staying, not the departing PP) and try to figure out what VYS could have done differently.

They do. Several surveys.

No, no. Like actual humans talking to actual parents. You know, like displaying some human involvement and genuine empathy.

<takes a heavy toke on the bong>

Yeah, you're right. What am I smoking? That'd never happen.

I *think* they've done that as well. Depends on the situation. I know board members have followed up in the past with current and former parents.

Not to say they couldn't do a better job of outreach in general. But I don't know that I'd say "never."

Maybe someone from the affected teams will post a follow up. For a while there it seemed like someone with direct knowledge of the situation was responding to the ranter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: No, no. Like actual humans talking to actual parents. You know, like displaying some human involvement and genuine empathy. <takes a heavy toke on the bong> Yeah, you're right. What am I smoking? That'd never happen.

VYS has something like 3,000 kids and over 1,300 playing travel. You're right, Cheech, I sure wish our TDs spent all their time talking to each and every one of those 1,000 parents about their anxieties and neuroses - and displaying real kumbaya empathy to disgruntled parents -- instead of focusing their time on providing the kids with quality training, which is what the rest of us normal people actually pay them to do.