GFR or Herndon ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see there are a few disgruntled, possibly ex-employees, on this thread.

As a parent of multiple kids (up to U17) who has been a part of other clubs in the area I will say we are happy at Herndon. My children also play Varsity in HS so i've become more famililar with other clubs in the area from meeting other families from various clubs. The issue with clubs like AC Milan is they're basically franchises. Look at what happened with Barca. They left their players high and dry and scrambling to get into another club. I foresee the same thing happening with AC Milan. They're just not sustainable. As far as the Herndon girl's TD goes, I believe they had to let him go because of his record. Parents googled him and found a mugshot from as recent as a few weeks ago. I personally don't feel comfortable with someone coaching my daughter (or son) who has a record. At the end of the day, the kids and families are a priority and I appreciate Herndon looking out for us. But, they have a new plan in place and are bringing in some amazing new people.

Loudoun Soccer also isn't it. They are run like a typical business model and don't care about your kids or their growth unless you okay for NVA. That's where all of my kids started out. I also know many families that left GFR because they were unhappy and again, no growth with their kids. A few of them actually ended up coming to Herndon and are happy as well. Happy to answer any other questions anyone may have.

Actually AC Milan Academy isn't just a franchise like Bara or Villareal. Those clubs are European names on local clubs. AC Milan VA is actually a long-term strategic plan formulated by the parent company itself. It receives direction from HQ and has prioritized girls soccer. Certainly it received a boost from HYS's girls teams moving over but it was only a matter of time. From what i understand, HQ is sending over additional coaches to oversee the girls program. Worth taking a look.

Why would anyone spend all that $$$ just to get Herndon's worst coaches.

Because Herndon jacked up their prices by almost $900/year for 2024-25 (including $200-$300 more in club fees than last year, a new $400 "team fee" required for every player, and a new uniform deal with Capelli that doubled the cost of a uniform kit).

AC Milan is actually now cheaper than Herndon - and you don't have to deal with all of their nonsense.

I was referring to the awful coaches that left Herndon and were hired by AC Milan. The sentiment still stands if you have a daughter stay away from Herndon and AC Milan. So many other clubs to choose from.

[Anonymous]

What clubs do you suggest for these girls that are not a 30 min drive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What clubs do you suggest for these girls that are not a 30 min drive?

I don't know where the center of your 30 min drive radius is and I certainly don't know specifics on all the clubs and if you read this board everything is bad. But this area is so incredibly saturated with clubs.

The list I compiled and I'm sure I missed some.
*Herndon
*AC Milan
GFR
Sterling
Loudoun
FC Dulles
TSJ
VA revolution
Vienna
Braddock
Burke
Valor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see there are a few disgruntled, possibly ex-employees, on this thread.

As a parent of multiple kids (up to U17) who has been a part of other clubs in the area I will say we are happy at Herndon. My children also play Varsity in HS so i've become more famililar with other clubs in the area from meeting other families from various clubs. The issue with clubs like AC Milan is they're basically franchises. Look at what happened with Barca. They left their players high and dry and scrambling to get into another club. I foresee the same thing happening with AC Milan. They're just not sustainable. As far as the Herndon girl's TD goes, I believe they had to let him go because of his record. Parents googled him and found a mugshot from as recent as a few weeks ago. I personally don't feel comfortable with someone coaching my daughter (or son) who has a record. At the end of the day, the kids and families are a priority and I appreciate Herndon looking out for us. But, they have a new plan in place and are bringing in some amazing new people.

Loudoun Soccer also isn't it. They are run like a typical business model and don't care about your kids or their growth unless you okay for NVA. That's where all of my kids started out. I also know many families that left GFR because they were unhappy and again, no growth with their kids. A few of them actually ended up coming to Herndon and are happy as well. Happy to answer any other questions anyone may have.

Actually AC Milan Academy isn't just a franchise like Bara or Villareal. Those clubs are European names on local clubs. AC Milan VA is actually a long-term strategic plan formulated by the parent company itself. It receives direction from HQ and has prioritized girls soccer. Certainly it received a boost from HYS's girls teams moving over but it was only a matter of time. From what i understand, HQ is sending over additional coaches to oversee the girls program. Worth taking a look.

Why would anyone spend all that $$$ just to get Herndon's worst coaches.

Because Herndon jacked up their prices by almost $900/year for 2024-25 (including $200-$300 more in club fees than last year, a new $400 "team fee" required for every player, and a new uniform deal with Capelli that doubled the cost of a uniform kit).

AC Milan is actually now cheaper than Herndon - and you don't have to deal with all of their nonsense.

HYS raised their club fee by $100 - 200 and added a team fee to cover tournament costs and coaches' travel expenses. This change was implemented in response to concerns from players and parents who felt it was unfair when some team members opted out of paying these additional fees, leaving others to shoulder a larger financial burden. This new fee policy will foster a fairer financial environment for all participants.
Comparing prices:
AC Milan - $2150 - $2700 depends on level (does not include referee fees for EDP, tournaments/showcases, coaches travel expense, and does not mention State or Presidents Cup)
Herndon - $2050 - $2785 - depends on level (includes referee fees and team fees which include 4 tournaments/showcases, coaches travel expenses, and State or Presidents Cup)

So based on the pricing above, AC Milan is not cheaper than Herndon.

[Anonymous]

https://www.herndonvirginia.org/

[Anonymous]

Since joining the board, the children of two board members at HYS have jumped ship and moved to a different club, which speaks volumes.