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Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss
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Anonymous
I wouldn't be surprised if it's one or two Joga parents and assistants (certain lawyers maybe) who cross the line and sometimes give the club a bad name, rather than Kephern Fuller. But he needs to recognize that others are making him and his inspiring vision look bumbling and silly. By the way, I really, really wish my son's team could someday play like Joga. Implementing street soccer and any even half-baked idea that just lets the kids explore and be creative would be a serious godsend -- am that desperate. |
Anonymous
Re giving the club a bad name, that's all in the eye of the beholder. Fuller is on twitter a lot, and I find all his talk about "haters" to be silly and self-serving. He is obviously not trying to lure in the suburban soccer mom demographic with his twitter persona though, and I'm sure there are others who find the schtick more appealing than I. With respect to playing like Joga, why don't you check them out and see if your son could practice with them some or attend clinics if they have any. Another thought is to check out youth games at the various area leagues and see which teams have a style you like. Bethesda has some very skillful/fun to watch young boys teams, and I've been impressed by some of the teams from Arlington and McLean as well (I'm sure there are others who want to teach the right way too). All these groups will offer camps, clinics, and often, the opportunity to join a couple of practices to get a sense of the team and coaching. |
Anonymous
What I am saying is that a club sending multiple teams each year to the state finals at U13-U18 is powerful evidence of a strong player development philopsophy and good coaching. I assume Joga is teaching a good style of play -- so are many other clubs in the area. Until Joga has shown that it has a record of excellent player development into and throughout the U13 - U18 age groups, as evidenced by multiple teams reaching the state finals, I would spend my precious dollars on having my child play with a club with a track record through the older ages. Maybe Joga will get there someday ... but maybe not. I do believe that playing 80 tournament games a year at U9-U10 is idiotic. If that continues into U12/U13/U14 the Joga kids are going to experience over-use injuries due to lack of propery recovery time. |
Anonymous
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Joga was founded in 2010 and so hasn't had time to establish a record at the higher age groups. Time will tell, I guess.
And I agree 80 tourney games a year is a lot, though I think you're exaggerating. But overuse injuries from playing, versus practice? Come on. These kids in South America are playing hours every day. |
Anonymous
Having had a child suffer at U13/U14 from a painful overuse injury (hip flexor tear) as a result of too many soccer practices/games, I can tell you that it is a very real concern -- and one that is taken very seriously by responsible coaches/clubs. |
Anonymous
| The South American kids must sometimes leave the beach soccer game to jump in the ocean and swim. Voila: multi-sport sampling. |
Anonymous
I don't disagree with you on any of your points (and I certainly agree that the number of tournament games seems excessive if the numbers are being accurately reported), but it's not clear to me that the only options for a family with a serious soccer player are either a Joga type upstart group or an established club with a good development record. If you have both options near you, I'd say check them out, and do some of both if you can. As your kid gets older, he'll need to figure out what his goals are for soccer, and if they involve being on a college recruitment track, then certainly an established club offers a clearer path. But when the kids are little and learning (hopefully) their skills and their approach to the game? That seems like the time to go out and investigate everything the local scene has to offer. |
Anonymous
Well- watch yourself there, Buddy!! The message worked on this Urban Soccer mom that won a National Championship title! I played D-1 and travel competitively in this area. My siblings and I were coached individually by a Dutch coach that was a former teammate of Johann Cryuff. He could not stress the concept of street soccer enought We also played for many club teams in the area. The Suburban soccer mom you are mocking--might be a helluva lot knowledgeable than you (and a better player  ).
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Anonymous
| I'm not the poster you're responding to, but I do think that the Dutch street soccer idea is just one aspect of the Joga flavor of travel team, and that some of the other elements (like Twitter flame wars) might put some parents off. Congrats on your national championship . . . |
Anonymous
Yes, I am the poster to whom champion PP is responding, and have stated that I like much of what Joga seems intent on accomplishing. I think there is a lot of value in the grassroots effort the 3four3 guys started, and I find their videos to be very inspiring. I am glad that Fuller wants to do his part to bring international quality soccer to the DC area. I just find his Twitter histrionics offputting. |
Anonymous
Champ here . I whole-heartedly support street soccer with/a good Travel club. I am talking about supplementation. My former coach's philosophy (and I don't think it differs from any of the Big Club coaches I've encountered) is that just be touching a ball as much as possible is how a player grows. They should be encouraged to try new things and, of course, it should all be fun. The drive needs to come from the kid, not the parents. Our Big Club does host many camps with a street soccer emphasis. They hold 3V3 camps in such as well and the Rec Club hosts drop-in events. It's doing a good job. It's easy to forget how much harder it is for Clubs nowadays when there are often 4-5 teams in an age bracket when there used to be just 1-2. I know I get overly critical at times and have not been afraid to voice my opinion--but the coaches are doing a great job. They are all very knowledgeable and the kids really look up to them. My biggest issue has been the way they mark kids at 7-8 and they give the kids a rep/rank and it's a long road uphill from there. However, I am fundamentally torn on this issue for the younger ages because I'd rather have my kid get to play the role of the leader, play the position he's best at and build his confidence at the young age vs. sitting on the bench, getting less playing time and being uncomfortable to try new things/moves on the field for fear of failure. Playing on the lower team has really been good for him and he's had so many coaches from other clubs ask where he learned to play.
I see too many soccer parents around here that didn't play soccer as kids themselves--that push, push, push their kids and the kid looks like he's about to crack before a game at 9. That's wrong in any sport. The barometer for our kids---they play until they decide they don't want it anymore. Truthfully, I'm fascinated by lacrosse since my local HS in this area did not have it in the 80s. I have unsuccessfully been able to steer my kids in that direction ---I tell them 1 sport per season each and they get to choose. I see too many over-taxed, over-stressed out kids going from one game to the next. If your kid is a good athlete at 9--he/she will most likely excel at other sports too. Our baseball coach was very upset to lose his star hitter and our basketball coach really pushed for us to go the travel route. I just think that is way too much for one family--but families in this area love to over-schedule.
I do get seriously peeved that in 2015 people assume the moms can't have knowledge in this sport or have had very successful soccer careers themselves. I have more insight into the local scene and the history of clubs than many of the transplants that came here later. I find the boy coaches defer to the dad's for communication as if they will know more than the mothers. Christ--my husband grew up in the Midwest and was a wrestler. What does he know?? |
Anonymous
| Only fifty-year-old British guys who talk in that funny British way can expect to be treated with common courtesy and occasional deference in the world of NoVa travel soccer. |
Anonymous
| Reading those Twitter feeds was like watching a car crash - awful but you really can't look away. You'd think that head's of clubs would behave better, even in the face of attacks. The reputation of some clubs around here is in the toilet because of adults' behavior like this (if you spend any time in travel soccer you know exactly which clubs they are), yet parents still sign their kids up knowing that, so I guess it really doesn't matter in the end to some parents if they are teaching kids good sportsmanship and fair play. I'd rather my player develop and love the game and be a respectful person than be a superstar with some of the awful attitudes that I saw on Twitter from club heads! |
Anonymous
| It's not as black and white. After child spends heck of a lot more time with family at home. Sportsmanship, attitude, etc. Is born at home and cultivated by coach. But a coach is not the only one where this belongs, its all over the society. |
Anonymous
| Can anyone share info about BRYC Elite Academy for the younger ages? |