Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New to the DA thing--grew up with just the State Team model. I'm confused about the non-MLS DA clubs in the area. So--they go up to only U14 (Arl/Loudoun) for the boys. For a boy with a Fall birthday--the last year they can play DA at one of these Clubs would be 8th Grade. Do they typically drop back down to the A team in their Club? Just trying to figure out why it would be worth it to move to a DA team for 1-2 years and sit in traffic 4 nights per week if you had to find a new team before 9th grade starts anyways because the DA ends at that time for these Club teams. This is assuming the DA isn't in their home Club to begin with. Am I missing something?

I mean 7th grade. My Fall 2005 kid will be U-14 in 7th grade. So now he would have to find a new team before he starts 8th grade. We are trying to decide (given the traffic as well) if this is worth it.

I don't have a son, but aren't all these non-MLS DA clubs affiliated with DC United? I think the goal is to get picked up by the DC United academy after U14. If he doesn't continue on that path, he would have to find a team for the years after he ages out of the academy.

Okay. Yea. You would think the DC United DA team by U-15 would be mostly the players already playing U14 and below with them. And, then, there are 52 players between just Loudoun and Arlington (we were told they take 26 players for their U-13 team)---not to mention Bethesda kids so most likely we would have to find a new team.

There will be a big trickle down effect in the age groups for those rising 8th and 9th grade players in those clubs as those 26 players age out of DA and move back down into the player pool again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
ECNL/DA/CCL/NCSL/NPL...regardless of what team your kid is on, if they are not reaching out to coaches on their own it does not matter how many coaches are in attendance at any given "showcase". Coaches have itineraries they follow and are there to see the kids that have reached out to them not random games to see your kid who has never reached out to them. Unless your kid is a Messi or Hamm and are lighting it up on the field, it really is pointless to brag about how many coaches watch this or that showcase.
To go a step further, you want your kid to be on a team where he or she is playing at least half a game or more and preferably starting if you want coaches to notice you (after you have reached out to them)...Being on a DA or ECNL team and only getting 10-20 mins/game (if any minutes at all)...does nothing for you...sure you may be on this team but being a utility player will never get you noticed and will probably hurt your chances later on. It boggles my mind when I hear about rosters of 20+ and the players #15 on up have limited playing time during games and pretty much ride the pine, but they still think they will be a D1 player because they are on this highly ranked team.


Could not have said it better!! This is exactly what college coaches will tell you if you ever get a chance to speak to them.


This is good advice if your kid is only planning on being scouted at showcases. However, another well known route to catching the eye of a college coach is to attend the ID camp at the colleges your kid is interested in. My daughter was a "utility" player on a top team in this area but was still recruited by a number of colleges by way of her attendance at college ID camps.

True, but most coaches who like what they see at the ID sessions will then go watch the player play on their club team...if they are not playing..then the top colleges will pass on them...this info was shared by several coaches at ID camps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
ECNL/DA/CCL/NCSL/NPL...regardless of what team your kid is on, if they are not reaching out to coaches on their own it does not matter how many coaches are in attendance at any given "showcase". Coaches have itineraries they follow and are there to see the kids that have reached out to them not random games to see your kid who has never reached out to them. Unless your kid is a Messi or Hamm and are lighting it up on the field, it really is pointless to brag about how many coaches watch this or that showcase.
To go a step further, you want your kid to be on a team where he or she is playing at least half a game or more and preferably starting if you want coaches to notice you (after you have reached out to them)...Being on a DA or ECNL team and only getting 10-20 mins/game (if any minutes at all)...does nothing for you...sure you may be on this team but being a utility player will never get you noticed and will probably hurt your chances later on. It boggles my mind when I hear about rosters of 20+ and the players #15 on up have limited playing time during games and pretty much ride the pine, but they still think they will be a D1 player because they are on this highly ranked team.


Could not have said it better!! This is exactly what college coaches will tell you if you ever get a chance to speak to them.


This is good advice if your kid is only planning on being scouted at showcases. However, another well known route to catching the eye of a college coach is to attend the ID camp at the colleges your kid is interested in. My daughter was a "utility" player on a top team in this area but was still recruited by a number of colleges by way of her attendance at college ID camps.

True, but most coaches who like what they see at the ID sessions will then go watch the player play on their club team...if they are not playing..then the top colleges will pass on them...this info was shared by several coaches at ID camps.

In other words, if you're kid is usually benched for most of the game, then it won't matter how many college coaches attend the game...better to be on a team where they'll actually get playing time. Top 8 of 15, not bottom 20 of 30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
ECNL/DA/CCL/NCSL/NPL...regardless of what team your kid is on, if they are not reaching out to coaches on their own it does not matter how many coaches are in attendance at any given "showcase". Coaches have itineraries they follow and are there to see the kids that have reached out to them not random games to see your kid who has never reached out to them. Unless your kid is a Messi or Hamm and are lighting it up on the field, it really is pointless to brag about how many coaches watch this or that showcase.
To go a step further, you want your kid to be on a team where he or she is playing at least half a game or more and preferably starting if you want coaches to notice you (after you have reached out to them)...Being on a DA or ECNL team and only getting 10-20 mins/game (if any minutes at all)...does nothing for you...sure you may be on this team but being a utility player will never get you noticed and will probably hurt your chances later on. It boggles my mind when I hear about rosters of 20+ and the players #15 on up have limited playing time during games and pretty much ride the pine, but they still think they will be a D1 player because they are on this highly ranked team.


Could not have said it better!! This is exactly what college coaches will tell you if you ever get a chance to speak to them.


This is good advice if your kid is only planning on being scouted at showcases. However, another well known route to catching the eye of a college coach is to attend the ID camp at the colleges your kid is interested in. My daughter was a "utility" player on a top team in this area but was still recruited by a number of colleges by way of her attendance at college ID camps.

True, but most coaches who like what they see at the ID sessions will then go watch the player play on their club team...if they are not playing..then the top colleges will pass on them...this info was shared by several coaches at ID camps.

In other words, if you're kid is usually benched for most of the game, then it won't matter how many college coaches attend the game...better to be on a team where they'll actually get playing time. Top 8 of 15, not bottom 20 of 30.

Yes the "top colleges" for women soccer will "pass" on someone who does not play much on their elite club team. But there are 959 college women soccer programs in Div. 1, 2, and 3. Coaches at many colleges well down from the "top" of the spectrum are very happy to recruit non-starters from top ECNL or National League teams.

[Anonymous]

The DA tracts playing time for every single kid in the DA. I can go online to any DA team, click on a player, and see exactly how much playing time they get.

So yeah...better to be on a DA team where they can play...because the numbers don't lie and you can't hide them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The DA tracts playing time for every single kid in the DA. I can go online to any DA team, click on a player, and see exactly how much playing time they get.

So yeah...better to be on a DA team where they can play...because the numbers don't lie and you can't hide them

One can always drop down to a team and gain the playing time and leave DA if it is truly an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New to the DA thing--grew up with just the State Team model. I'm confused about the non-MLS DA clubs in the area. So--they go up to only U14 (Arl/Loudoun) for the boys. For a boy with a Fall birthday--the last year they can play DA at one of these Clubs would be 8th Grade. Do they typically drop back down to the A team in their Club? Just trying to figure out why it would be worth it to move to a DA team for 1-2 years and sit in traffic 4 nights per week if you had to find a new team before 9th grade starts anyways because the DA ends at that time for these Club teams. This is assuming the DA isn't in their home Club to begin with. Am I missing something?

I mean 7th grade. My Fall 2005 kid will be U-14 in 7th grade. So now he would have to find a new team before he starts 8th grade. We are trying to decide (given the traffic as well) if this is worth it.

I don't have a son, but aren't all these non-MLS DA clubs affiliated with DC United? I think the goal is to get picked up by the DC United academy after U14. If he doesn't continue on that path, he would have to find a team for the years after he ages out of the academy.

Okay. Yea. You would think the DC United DA team by U-15 would be mostly the players already playing U14 and below with them. And, then, there are 52 players between just Loudoun and Arlington (we were told they take 26 players for their U-13 team)---not to mention Bethesda kids so most likely we would have to find a new team.

DC United has a large amount of player turnover most years prior to U16, and they are less likely to promote from within their own ranks than many other DAs. Standout players will make their older teams regardless of where they started out, so you don't need to worry at all about whether you are playing for a club or program that is "affiliated" with DC United.

In terms of whether it's worth it to go to a DA program that tops out at U14, I think you have to consider how talented (hard to know and project) and serious your child is about soccer. Playing with and against top competition does help players develop, and unless your local program is top notch or you have other great training resources available to you, the closest DA is likely your best bet in most cases. Also, most of the scouting for US training centers and virtually all of the scouting for youth national team happens at DAs. These factors probably don't outweigh the logistical ones for most families, but you should keep them in mind if your kid seems to be unusually good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DA tracts playing time for every single kid in the DA. I can go online to any DA team, click on a player, and see exactly how much playing time they get.

So yeah...better to be on a DA team where they can play...because the numbers don't lie and you can't hide them

One can always drop down to a team and gain the playing time and leave DA if it is truly an issue.

Thanks Captian obvious

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DA tracts playing time for every single kid in the DA. I can go online to any DA team, click on a player, and see exactly how much playing time they get.

So yeah...better to be on a DA team where they can play...because the numbers don't lie and you can't hide them

One can always drop down to a team and gain the playing time and leave DA if it is truly an issue.

Thanks Captian obvious

There is nothing wrong with it being mentioned because folks tend to be all or nothing that dropping down a level can be to humbling for folks to consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DA tracts playing time for every single kid in the DA. I can go online to any DA team, click on a player, and see exactly how much playing time they get.

So yeah...better to be on a DA team where they can play...because the numbers don't lie and you can't hide them

One can always drop down to a team and gain the playing time and leave DA if it is truly an issue.

Thanks Captian obvious

There is nothing wrong with it being mentioned because folks tend to be all or nothing that dropping down a level can be to humbling for folks to consider.

You talking from your own personal experience with your kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DA tracts playing time for every single kid in the DA. I can go online to any DA team, click on a player, and see exactly how much playing time they get.

So yeah...better to be on a DA team where they can play...because the numbers don't lie and you can't hide them

One can always drop down to a team and gain the playing time and leave DA if it is truly an issue.

Thanks Captian obvious

There is nothing wrong with it being mentioned because folks tend to be all or nothing that dropping down a level can be to humbling for folks to consider.

You talking from your own personal experience with your kid?

Such hostility...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DA tracts playing time for every single kid in the DA. I can go online to any DA team, click on a player, and see exactly how much playing time they get.

So yeah...better to be on a DA team where they can play...because the numbers don't lie and you can't hide them

One can always drop down to a team and gain the playing time and leave DA if it is truly an issue.

Thanks Captian obvious

There is nothing wrong with it being mentioned because folks tend to be all or nothing that dropping down a level can be to humbling for folks to consider.

You talking from your own personal experience with your kid?

Such hostility...

Nope. Just proving that people can hand out criticism but not take it. Much like a coach. Thanks for your participation.

[Anonymous]

Let me clarify. If a coach says that you are not good enough to be rostered on a team AND you believe that you are then YOU should not humble yourself and go to the 2nd team. That's surrender due to one person's opinion and I have seen coaches get talent selection wrong time after time after time. If your kid can't break one DA lineup maybe he/she can break another DA lineup under another coach.

Don't believe me? I've seen B teams eat A teams? How did that happen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let me clarify. If a coach says that you are not good enough to be rostered on a team AND you believe that you are then YOU should not humble yourself and go to the 2nd team. That's surrender due to one person's opinion and I have seen coaches get talent selection wrong time after time after time. If your kid can't break one DA lineup maybe he/she can break another DA lineup under another coach.

Don't believe me? I've seen B teams eat A teams? How did that happen?

Awesome typo!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DA tracts playing time for every single kid in the DA. I can go online to any DA team, click on a player, and see exactly how much playing time they get.

So yeah...better to be on a DA team where they can play...because the numbers don't lie and you can't hide them

One can always drop down to a team and gain the playing time and leave DA if it is truly an issue.

Thanks Captian obvious

There is nothing wrong with it being mentioned because folks tend to be all or nothing that dropping down a level can be to humbling for folks to consider.

You talking from your own personal experience with your kid?

Such hostility...

Best just to ignore that tool ... she surfaces now and then.