Bethesda (MLS Next) vs Achilles FC (MLS Next) vs Baltimore Armour vs Alexandria (MLS Next) vs SYC (MLS Next) experience

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wth is a Paragon?

still waiting

People around the DMV knows it is a soccer club - https://www.paragonfutbol.com/

The way you say "the DMV" tells me you moved here from somewhere else.

I have lived in DC/Northern VA all my life and have three kids who played soccer. Never heard of or had kids teams play "Paragon" AFAIK. It must be tiny.

The DMV is full of tiny clubs with ego problems like Paragon and XMD that formed by absconding with whole teams from well established clubs. Even the kids that didn’t want to go, had no choice because there were truly be no team left for them to play for or they would be in a complete rebuild. It’s one of the ugliest things coaches can do and so damaging to the kids in my opinion. It leaves so much unrest and disarray behind. Honestly if you are happy at a small club with connections in Europe like Lions or Luciano Emilio or Achilles that is great. If you are happy with MSI or Fusion or a fun rec option that is great. If you wanna join a big machine and grind and ball with a chance of a pathway, and you’re gonna have to take some hits and lumps along the way. It’s a tough road but if your kid loves it you gotta get behind it. Maryland side that means Bethesda-Potomac-Baltimore Armour- Coppermine and Pipeline. VA side it’s SYC Arlington McLean Alexandria Loudon. That’s it, that’s the whole show.

No company can come along and steal all your employees if you're treating them right

I don’t know one kid who followed a team stealing coach out the door who didn’t regret it. It’s a sh*t show. Parents know it.

You know every kid and parent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s simple

Alexandria - A decent club but will eventually lose the MLS Next badge. They have good coaches in the older age groups. My current son plays for the U16 MLS Next and we are happy where we are.

SYC - A must win club and zero philosophy. Whenever we play them they tend to bring 5-6 coaches for help. I get it they need to win otherwise the revenue stops. If you like to win and have 8 players on the bench then this is the club for you. Most of there players come from recruiting and making promises.

Achilles - another club I can see losing the MLS Next badge. They have players from DCU that end up not making the cut but even that’s not enough to help the club. Of all MLS Next teams we play against they by far have the nicest families. Who knows which players they actually developed or recruited.

BA- Very tactical whenever we play. They seem to be the most well taught in our age group. We would consider moving to the club if they weren’t so far.

NVA- They don’t have any players currently since they were still in ECNL I imagine the younger groups are good.

Ironically, Achilles just announced one of their kids will be moving to the Galatasaray academy, 2nd player in the last year to make it to Europe. Makai Wells trained under them before he left to avoid DCU and he has had USYNT call-ups and plays for NE Revs II. They are the most misunderstood club because they focus development vs wins and parents don't like the coaches temperament and their competitive environment. A-type attorneys and government officials just cannot wrap their heads around not being at top of the table. I would argue that if every club adopted their model and philosophy, we would compete with Philly and NJ for Mid-Atlantic supremacy. The goal is to get a kid into the academy. No reflection on the club if they don't stick.

I thought Makai Wells left Achilles years ago and joined Paragon when all the good players left Achilles to join Paragon as a new club?

Any club in the DC area with rich kids who have parents with European citizenship have kids who can get into some level of academy in Europe
It's not the dmv club so called sending them there

He’s not one of the two players from Achilles FC from this past year. Try again.

What’s a Paragon?

If you have to keep asking what's a paragon, you should not be on this board. Iykyk the history and legacy ( albeit short) of paragon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wth is a Paragon?

still waiting

People around the DMV knows it is a soccer club - https://www.paragonfutbol.com/

It is a club that was formed after a fallout at Achilles

Coaches left Achilles, formed Paragon and all the good players left Achilles and followed them to Paragon

Achilles has never been the same since

😂 That is not how they started.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wth is a Paragon?

still waiting

People around the DMV knows it is a soccer club - https://www.paragonfutbol.com/

The way you say "the DMV" tells me you moved here from somewhere else.

I have lived in DC/Northern VA all my life and have three kids who played soccer. Never heard of or had kids teams play "Paragon" AFAIK. It must be tiny.

It was a leading club for a couple years with top players, they used to with top bracket at major tournaments when they started.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wth is a Paragon?

still waiting

People around the DMV knows it is a soccer club - https://www.paragonfutbol.com/

The way you say "the DMV" tells me you moved here from somewhere else.

I have lived in DC/Northern VA all my life and have three kids who played soccer. Never heard of or had kids teams play "Paragon" AFAIK. It must be tiny.

It was a leading club for a couple years with top players, they used to with top bracket at major tournaments when they started.

they used to WIN top bracket at major tournaments when they started

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wth is a Paragon?

still waiting

People around the DMV knows it is a soccer club - https://www.paragonfutbol.com/

The way you say "the DMV" tells me you moved here from somewhere else.

I have lived in DC/Northern VA all my life and have three kids who played soccer. Never heard of or had kids teams play "Paragon" AFAIK. It must be tiny.

It was a leading club for a couple years with top players, they used to with top bracket at major tournaments when they started.

Then they went out of business? Or still round?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wth is a Paragon?

still waiting

People around the DMV knows it is a soccer club - https://www.paragonfutbol.com/

It is a club that was formed after a fallout at Achilles

Coaches left Achilles, formed Paragon and all the good players left Achilles and followed them to Paragon

Achilles has never been the same since

😂 That is not how they started.

You're right, they started with former Achilles coaches and players by pure coincidence

[Anonymous]

Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

There are no top level clubs or organizations in the world that condones Sal's behavior as a youth soccer coach

No youth sports coaching courses or seminars would condone Sal's behavior

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

First, have you experienced their coaching? I don't think you know what you are talking about and you don't have a clue what a quality coach is if you have. We are with Potomac because it is more convenient for us because, well, we live in Potomac. However, there aren't many coaches in the DMV with better coaches with actual high level playing experience.

Second, they are recruiting from 1/4 of the talent pool of Alexandria, Bethesda, SYC, etc. I think it would actually be embarrassing for the other entities with 2-3 decades head start and much large talent pools to choose from. They are nestled in DC and, no shade to DC players, there aren't alot of elite players coming up through DC Soccer.

Third, as the Achilles parent said, you default to wins and losses and it is sad that you simply aren't aware enough to learn about development to make an informed decision. It is okay to say that you don't want to join Achilles because of Sal's temperament. That's fine. But when you spew this winning nonsense over development, you expose why the DMV is considered soft and weak in the elite soccer circles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

First, have you experienced their coaching? I don't think you know what you are talking about and you don't have a clue what a quality coach is if you have. We are with Potomac because it is more convenient for us because, well, we live in Potomac. However, there aren't many coaches in the DMV with better coaches with actual high level playing experience.

Second, they are recruiting from 1/4 of the talent pool of Alexandria, Bethesda, SYC, etc. I think it would actually be embarrassing for the other entities with 2-3 decades head start and much large talent pools to choose from. They are nestled in DC and, no shade to DC players, there aren't alot of elite players coming up through DC Soccer.

Third, as the Achilles parent said, you default to wins and losses and it is sad that you simply aren't aware enough to learn about development to make an informed decision. It is okay to say that you don't want to join Achilles because of Sal's temperament. That's fine. But when you spew this winning nonsense over development, you expose why the DMV is considered soft and weak in the elite soccer circles.

The PP specifically stated consistent lopsided loses

Not wins vs loses

What's Sal's high level playing experience?

List the Division One international professional clubs he played for and his highest transfer value
State his number of World Cup appearances
What's his level of current active coaching license?

Achilles is basically a Next Star soccer training group but that focuses on primarily small sided midfielder futsal type skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

First, have you experienced their coaching? I don't think you know what you are talking about and you don't have a clue what a quality coach is if you have. We are with Potomac because it is more convenient for us because, well, we live in Potomac. However, there aren't many coaches in the DMV with better coaches with actual high level playing experience.

Second, they are recruiting from 1/4 of the talent pool of Alexandria, Bethesda, SYC, etc. I think it would actually be embarrassing for the other entities with 2-3 decades head start and much large talent pools to choose from. They are nestled in DC and, no shade to DC players, there aren't alot of elite players coming up through DC Soccer.

Third, as the Achilles parent said, you default to wins and losses and it is sad that you simply aren't aware enough to learn about development to make an informed decision. It is okay to say that you don't want to join Achilles because of Sal's temperament. That's fine. But when you spew this winning nonsense over development, you expose why the DMV is considered soft and weak in the elite soccer circles.

Never met anyone high in the US Soccer hierarchy that considers the DMV soft and weak with talent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

https://www.youtube.com/live/U_tpd9Bt1ig?feature=shared[url]

Here's a U16 match from this fall. If you care to take a look, you can hear the coaching from Sal and see the play. I didn't watch it all, but Achilles was fairly dominant in the portions I watched, played more consistently through the midfield, created better chances, and had the technically superior players. Maybe you think differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Achilles parent here and it is weird to read the comments about the club on this thread.

I truly believe that Achilles is simply a different thing from the other MLS Next clubs, with which I also have some experience with my other children. And that's why you get these very polarizing comments.

First, Achilles does not have a full set of teams in every age group (i.e., MLS Next, lower leagues, recreation, etc.). It mainly is focused on MLS Next.

Second, it is run by one person - Sal Caccavale. Either you buy into him and his philosophy of coaching or you don't and you are not at the club. I can say that in my experience the kids/parents love him and are extremely loyal. (That said, of course you are going to have players that are not playing, claims of favoritism, and all of the other emotional baggage that goes into youth soccer and people will leave unhappy.)

Third, the club has a lot of ex-DC United players because, in my opinion, they value the possession-based playing style, which lets them demonstrate the full range of their skills. That style leads to a lot of losses at the younger age groups, and then it pays off at the older levels. Take a look at the MLS Next Fest results from last week - Achilles U17 and U19 teams had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie.

Finally, like any youth soccer team, Achilles can be beat by sheer athleticism and drive. For example, it often, but not always, has trouble matching up with Bethesda (one of the best clubs in the country to be fair). But the question, as with all youth sports, is how much you value development versus results. That's not a knock on Bethesda, just an explanation as to why Achilles' best players do not leave just because Bethesda wins more games.

Anyway, that's more than my two cents, but I wanted to offer some real perspective here for any parents who are trying to sort through the various local clubs and land on this thread.

Every team beats Achilles in MLS Next
In lopsided fashion. Consistently

That tells you any development, if any, is small and shortsighted
It also tells you the players are not exposed to good coaching.
Maybe decent group training, but definitely not good box to box coaching

https://www.youtube.com/live/U_tpd9Bt1ig?feature=shared[url]

Here's a U16 match from this fall. If you care to take a look, you can hear the coaching from Sal and see the play. I didn't watch it all, but Achilles was fairly dominant in the portions I watched, played more consistently through the midfield, created better chances, and had the technically superior players. Maybe you think differently.

Sorry. U17.