Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ you seem to be an Arlington travel family, but clearly didn't get the memo from your own BOD and travel directors:. ATS is NOT tied to being a county resident. You are niave and misinformed. It is based on distance and proximity as measured to their office on Wilson. Get a reality check and stop spreading nonsense opinion?s. If you think your opinion is a good one, run for the board and change how ATS soccer works. In the meantime, start reading the ATS newsletters and get informed.

I was clear on the fact its not tied to being a county resident. No travel club in the area limits it to residents of their counties. What I did not know was that the team donor $ goes to scholarships for players that don't live in the County. I am not sure I saw that in any of the newsletters. Now that I know that I can have a better understanding of where some of my donation $ is going.

[Anonymous]

Dead horse. Arlington soccer doesn't care if the money being collected from it's travel players // who hail from Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax Co., etc.! // is being used to fund scholarships for children from Bailey's and 7 Corners who live outside the county.

It is based on ability and need. Not sure why this is not understood to this day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We apparently have a bunch of people in Fairfax and Loudoun counties picking on Arlington as being the rich, white place? Even when the definition of Arlington extends to Bailey's Crossroads?

Ever been to Culmore?

The definition of Arlington? As in the boundry lines established in 1618 by Lord Arlington or the definition of the boundry lines set forth in 2017 by the computer specialist from Pennsylvania.

Where the club is getting players. Which includes plenty of areas that aren't Clarendon.

Fairfax and Loudoun counties have long been among the richest counties in the country -- sometimes 1-2. And they still have some areas with plenty of people getting free or reduced lunches. Arlington has a higher percentage of people below the poverty line than Fairfax, and that doesn't even account for Falls Church-ish places that are in Fairfax County but send their kids to play soccer for Arlington.

What's is your point? Should they play for free? If so, then everyone should play for free.

Exactly! So Arlington County parents should pay the soccer tuition of Fairfax County kids in Falls Church? We already have gotten insane with the affordable housing initiatives.

There is nothing community-based about AC. It is a monster organization seeking to recruit players from all over the area. That's fine, but Arl parents should realize who they are subsidizing--other County's kids. And, I don't really get why. I know my young sons team was playing for players that lived as far away as Springfield. I mean, seriously, go to some of the pick up spots that are actually in the county and you'll find better players. I do not care if kids from outside the County come to the Club if they pay their own way---but if we are going to use our donor $$ to support players they should be from the County.

Sounds like Bernie Saunders of soccer clubs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dead horse. Arlington soccer doesn't care if the money being collected from it's travel players // who hail from Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax Co., etc.! // is being used to fund scholarships for children from Bailey's and 7 Corners who live outside the county.

It is based on ability and need. Not sure why this is not understood to this day.

I think because people come at it this way: if my kids attend Arlington County schools would I want my tax $ to go to Fairfax County schools? There are enough needy FARMs kids in this County so people wouldn't want ARl $ going to FFx students. But--now that you've made it clear the organization is not a 'community-based need' --ok. Curious--do they limit it geographically because we did have players that lived much farther than Baileys/7corners that were being sponsored.

[Anonymous]

Well then they better return that tax exempt money and county fields since they are not a community based organization

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well then they better return that tax exempt money and county fields since they are not a community based organization

They are tax exempt because they are a nonprofit. They are a soccer club that is based in a community they are not "community based" or supported. Your tax dollars do not support Arlington soccer, only the fields that they, as well as other clubs use.

[Anonymous]

Please let me summarize this conversation:

1. Parent says kids in Arlington's U8 training program don't always get top travel spots because kids who weren't in that program show up at tryouts, some of them from poorer neighborhoods where they may not make a financial priority of extra training at U8.

2. Some people denied the existence of poorer neighborhoods that send their kids to Arlington for soccer.

Then everyone jumped in here with a bunch of issues that were not relevant to the conversation.

It's Bernie SANDERS, by the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please let me summarize this conversation:

1. Parent says kids in Arlington's U8 training program don't always get top travel spots because kids who weren't in that program show up at tryouts, some of them from poorer neighborhoods where they may not make a financial priority of extra training at U8.

2. Some people denied the existence of poorer neighborhoods that send their kids to Arlington for soccer.

Then everyone jumped in here with a bunch of issues that were not relevant to the conversation.

It's Bernie SANDERS, by the way.

Regarding only your point 1.

Current 2nd Grade parent here. This Spring, Arlington Soccer has 2 programs for U8 players - Academy (Just Register and pay) and Advanced Academy (Invite Only and pay). By watching the tryouts this past weekend, participation in Academy or Advanced Academy was definitely not the silver-ticket to a top slot on the soccer field. Many great Academy and I'm guessing Advanced Academy players did not rise through the ranks as would be expected. Travel players who played up last year generally did pretty well during this tryout. It did seem like there was some pre-written script where certain "known" players stayed in the higher tiers without much movement. Bigger players did seem to end up higher than more skilled smaller players - but there were exceptions. But there were also some players who did successfuylly work their way up from the bottom towards the top. But there were also many situations where one just scratches their head and says "really?" to some of the Travel evaluator choices for leaving people behind and bringing others up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please let me summarize this conversation:

1. Parent says kids in Arlington's U8 training program don't always get top travel spots because kids who weren't in that program show up at tryouts, some of them from poorer neighborhoods where they may not make a financial priority of extra training at U8.

2. Some people denied the existence of poorer neighborhoods that send their kids to Arlington for soccer.

Then everyone jumped in here with a bunch of issues that were not relevant to the conversation.

It's Bernie SANDERS, by the way.

Regarding only your point 1.

Current 2nd Grade parent here. This Spring, Arlington Soccer has 2 programs for U8 players - Academy (Just Register and pay) and Advanced Academy (Invite Only and pay). By watching the tryouts this past weekend, participation in Academy or Advanced Academy was definitely not the silver-ticket to a top slot on the soccer field. Many great Academy and I'm guessing Advanced Academy players did not rise through the ranks as would be expected. Travel players who played up last year generally did pretty well during this tryout. It did seem like there was some pre-written script where certain "known" players stayed in the higher tiers without much movement. Bigger players did seem to end up higher than more skilled smaller players - but there were exceptions. But there were also some players who did successfuylly work their way up from the bottom towards the top. But there were also many situations where one just scratches their head and says "really?" to some of the Travel evaluator choices for leaving people behind and bringing others up.

where were the big strong players at U9 tryouts???
not on the fields near parents.
in fact, the overall size of boys was short and small (lots of speed though). aggression/tackling was weak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please let me summarize this conversation:

1. Parent says kids in Arlington's U8 training program don't always get top travel spots because kids who weren't in that program show up at tryouts, some of them from poorer neighborhoods where they may not make a financial priority of extra training at U8.

2. Some people denied the existence of poorer neighborhoods that send their kids to Arlington for soccer.

Then everyone jumped in here with a bunch of issues that were not relevant to the conversation.

It's Bernie SANDERS, by the way.

Feel the Burn Arlington. .....feel the burn

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please let me summarize this conversation:

1. Parent says kids in Arlington's U8 training program don't always get top travel spots because kids who weren't in that program show up at tryouts, some of them from poorer neighborhoods where they may not make a financial priority of extra training at U8.

2. Some people denied the existence of poorer neighborhoods that send their kids to Arlington for soccer.

Then everyone jumped in here with a bunch of issues that were not relevant to the conversation.

It's Bernie SANDERS, by the way.

Regarding only your point 1.

Current 2nd Grade parent here. This Spring, Arlington Soccer has 2 programs for U8 players - Academy (Just Register and pay) and Advanced Academy (Invite Only and pay). By watching the tryouts this past weekend, participation in Academy or Advanced Academy was definitely not the silver-ticket to a top slot on the soccer field. Many great Academy and I'm guessing Advanced Academy players did not rise through the ranks as would be expected. Travel players who played up last year generally did pretty well during this tryout. It did seem like there was some pre-written script where certain "known" players stayed in the higher tiers without much movement. Bigger players did seem to end up higher than more skilled smaller players - but there were exceptions. But there were also some players who did successfuylly work their way up from the bottom towards the top. But there were also many situations where one just scratches their head and says "really?" to some of the Travel evaluator choices for leaving people behind and bringing others up.

where were the big strong players at U9 tryouts???
not on the fields near parents.
in fact, the overall size of boys was short and small (lots of speed though). aggression/tackling was weak.

Mostly over by the corner of the Discovery playground/bathroom and the parking lot - probably the area with the fewest parents hanging out.

[Anonymous]

^^this was where the red/white fields last year. The two (back and front) closest to the building--not where I said all the parents were hanging out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please let me summarize this conversation:

1. Parent says kids in Arlington's U8 training program don't always get top travel spots because kids who weren't in that program show up at tryouts, some of them from poorer neighborhoods where they may not make a financial priority of extra training at U8.

2. Some people denied the existence of poorer neighborhoods that send their kids to Arlington for soccer.

Then everyone jumped in here with a bunch of issues that were not relevant to the conversation.

It's Bernie SANDERS, by the way.

Regarding only your point 1.

Current 2nd Grade parent here. This Spring, Arlington Soccer has 2 programs for U8 players - Academy (Just Register and pay) and Advanced Academy (Invite Only and pay). By watching the tryouts this past weekend, participation in Academy or Advanced Academy was definitely not the silver-ticket to a top slot on the soccer field. Many great Academy and I'm guessing Advanced Academy players did not rise through the ranks as would be expected. Travel players who played up last year generally did pretty well during this tryout. It did seem like there was some pre-written script where certain "known" players stayed in the higher tiers without much movement. Bigger players did seem to end up higher than more skilled smaller players - but there were exceptions. But there were also some players who did successfuylly work their way up from the bottom towards the top. But there were also many situations where one just scratches their head and says "really?" to some of the Travel evaluator choices for leaving people behind and bringing others up.

where were the big strong players at U9 tryouts???
not on the fields near parents.
in fact, the overall size of boys was short and small (lots of speed though). aggression/tackling was weak.

Mostly over by the corner of the Discovery playground/bathroom and the parking lot - probably the area with the fewest parents hanging out.

NP here, but thanks. We were at tryouts for the first time this weekend (we have a first grader with a late 2009 birthday), and it was hard for us to tell where the best players were. Of course, we were sitting on the opposite side of the fields, and couldn't see much happening on the fields closest to Discovery. The players on the fields closest to us were fine, but nothing special. We couldn't really tell how DS did. He was never on a field close to us. He was closer to the school side, but not on the fields closest to the schools. Perhaps that puts him middle of the pack, which is where we thought he would be. Perhpas we'll check out the stronger kids next Sunday, just to see how good they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please let me summarize this conversation:

1. Parent says kids in Arlington's U8 training program don't always get top travel spots because kids who weren't in that program show up at tryouts, some of them from poorer neighborhoods where they may not make a financial priority of extra training at U8.

2. Some people denied the existence of poorer neighborhoods that send their kids to Arlington for soccer.

Then everyone jumped in here with a bunch of issues that were not relevant to the conversation.

It's Bernie SANDERS, by the way.

Regarding only your point 1.

Current 2nd Grade parent here. This Spring, Arlington Soccer has 2 programs for U8 players - Academy (Just Register and pay) and Advanced Academy (Invite Only and pay). By watching the tryouts this past weekend, participation in Academy or Advanced Academy was definitely not the silver-ticket to a top slot on the soccer field. Many great Academy and I'm guessing Advanced Academy players did not rise through the ranks as would be expected. Travel players who played up last year generally did pretty well during this tryout. It did seem like there was some pre-written script where certain "known" players stayed in the higher tiers without much movement. Bigger players did seem to end up higher than more skilled smaller players - but there were exceptions. But there were also some players who did successfuylly work their way up from the bottom towards the top. But there were also many situations where one just scratches their head and says "really?" to some of the Travel evaluator choices for leaving people behind and bringing others up.

Couldn't you tell by the level of training whether your kid was going to be in the top 2 teams?

Separately I'd like to say as college educated Hispanic with a respacable career so far(you'll just have to believe me) the kind of dog-whistle racism being put on display here us disgusting. For the better part of their adolescent lives, your children will have acceaa to private tutors in case they fall behind while in participating in several travel sports, extra training so that also stay competitive with theor peers, stable home in a stable neighborhood that will come with friends from the same stable homes. There are numerous other advantages I will choose to not list. If there are Latino and black kids who can play at the same level as your children but due to their parent's decisions or lack of opportunities are not able to afford the price tag, what difference does it make where they live. They will obviously not live in your neighborhood. Kudos to the parents of these children that are able to understand the less time their children play out in the streets where they currently live, the better off their children will be.

On my phone, definitely some typos in post

[Anonymous]

Tryout newbie here (in Arlington). Why do get some kids get moved around a lot, and others stay put? For the kids that stay put, does it indicate that the coaches have pegged the appropriate level for them?