Implications of DC United plan on Loudoun Soccer?
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Anonymous
| With DCU’s plan to build more fields and a stadium for training and a USL team at Bolen Park, what do you think the effect will be on Loudoun Soccer? All good, or will there be negative impact on the club itself? |
Anonymous
Other than a possible merger between the two clubs I see no possible positive outcome for Loudoun Soccer with this move. |
Anonymous
| Will DC United still have just one DA team per age group? If so, it will obviously make Loudoun's DA teams (currently U12, U13, and U14 boys) less competitive, but shouldn't have much of an impact on their massive youth program overall. The max number of kids on a DA team is 20-something, so we are not talking about huge numbers, and many of the kids who play for DC United will come from other areas of NoVa. |
Anonymous
It pretty much renders Loudoun's DA as almost pointless. That is not insignificant. That obviously is not the same as rendering Loudoun Soccer as pointless but for the effort of running a DA Loudoun Soccer will have to seriously reconsider whether it sticks with it or not. |
Anonymous
I'm not sure that's necessarily true. Bethesda and Baltimore Armour have teams that are more successful than DC United in some age groups many years, and the three programs are (theoretically) driving distance from each other. There are many kids who switch from one program to the other (some have played for all 3) due to team dynamics, style of play issues, or in search of a coach that they feel values them properly. I'd imagine it would be the same with Loudoun and DC United after the move, and again, it's not like all the kids who play for DC United will come from Loudoun county. Also, clubs love to have a DA program for marketing purposes, and there are a lot of benefits to playing DA even if you are on a less strong team, including better competition and more frequent training. I'd be surprised if Loudoun opted to withdraw. |
Anonymous
I don't think you are grasping the geography of the situation. The only thing that separates Loudoun Soccer Park from Bolen is a commuter parking lot. The two facilities are literally right next to each other. And on top of it, Bolen is used heavily by Loudoun Soccer. |
Anonymous
| Look at it this way. If DC United was already set up where they are currently looking to move and Loudoun did not already have a DA would they still be granted a DA if they were applying in two years? I seriously doubt it. |
Anonymous
DC United location being in your backyard will definitely make you want to be a part of DC United's DA team. The travel alone is worth the transfer. I think ultimately Loudoun will lose only it's most visibly talented and larger/faster kids trying out for DA. Most of their DA squad will still stay in Loudoun, and regardless at U17 either you move to VDA or DC United. It will hurt their earlier age groups. |
Anonymous
| To comment on the rest of your post OP, I think the non-DA related outcomes from DC United coming to Loudoun will be entirely positive. Think of a USL stadium being filled with youth players and other bystanders wanting a different activity than their suburban lifestyle, exiled by the 265 tolled highway, currently provides. Certainly no merge is happening, there is an active rec and other soccer related activities Loudoun puts on that have nothing to with their DA program, not to mention their successful travel program. |
Anonymous
I agree with the positive outcomes of the move in general. But, while not catastrophic, this is very bad news for Loudoun DA. No, it doesn't affect the rest of the club much at all but having DA in the club was certainly very good for retention of players. They will lose talent to a full professional DA no doubt. And with the new stadium the club will have a revenue stream that will allow them them to finally fully fund the DA. If DC United finally funds the DA that, along with being Loudoun's direct neighbor will shred their DA. |
Anonymous
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What is the timetable for this and is it a done deal? Will they keep the DC United Academy teams in Washington DC and now have two teams each age group under their moniker (a DC and a VA DC United)? I’m confused over the rationale with DCU being at the bottom of the standings in MLS.
It sounds like a grab at more revenue. The whole DA, pre-DA thing in this area is crap. |
Anonymous
All MLS clubs have DA programs, regardless of their perceived success in the 1st team action. Actually, that is how the academy system should work, the club can have good trainers and coaches that they develop, and if so choose to sell the player can receive compensation. In the US, we have yet to see the true labors of the MLS clubs, I think in another 5 years we will see those who were trained after the MLS clubs figured out the best practices of DA system how they turn out. It would be unfair to the MLS clubs to judge on some of the first graduating "classes" while they themselves were figuring out training for youth players. |
Anonymous
DC United needs new training facility, that is what this is about. Everyone would train at the new facility to include the first team, USL team, and academy teams. It would be in both their interest to merge if this deal goes through. |
Anonymous
So Loudoun becomes the training facility and the games are played in the new stadium in DC? |
Anonymous
Correct, except the USL (B Team) would play their games in the to be built stadium in Loudoun |