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Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
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Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen people say you don’t want to be on team 5 or 6. Can someone give me more details on why? How does the experience on the last team compare to ADP, for example?
The lower Arlington teams are a huge step up from ADP. Our daughter has also had an excellent experience on these teams - great coach, fun team, good and dedicated families. She has also moved up a team each year, so you are not stuck on these teams like people say.
I agree with this. My DC is on Arlington’s top team but has a classmate on one of the lower teams. That kid is very skilled, and I’m really impressed with their development and foundation as a player even without all the outside work and training. It ultimately comes down to objectives. If you’re looking for a solid platform to support middle and high school soccer down the road, Arlington’s lower teams can serve that purpose well, but you do need to be prepared to navigate some of the potential pitfalls others have already mentioned.
Do boys from the lower Arlington teams even make JV at the public schools, though?
A kid on the 4th level Arlington team at U9 absolutely has the possibility to improve, end up playing on a top team (ECNL / GA / MLSN) by U13, and eventually easily make varsity at even the largest public high schools, if they want. But they need to put in the work every day, and/or just have a blast playing a lot of soccer outside regular training.
Meanwhile, a kid on the top Arlington team at U9 can only go to practice, never train on their own, never do any outside futsal / summer league, etc., and end up quitting soccer before U13. Or worse, keep playing but being pushed down to lower teams, get demoralized, and never even make a school team.
(Also, puberty/size/speed, injuries/health, friends, parent attitudes, and other activities also play a factor, not just their training.)