Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

Has anyone done an annual cost comparison between all of the local girls DA & ECNL teams?

I saw the recent posts about Spirit charging $5K/yr, but how does that compare to the costs at VDA, FCV, BRYC, McLean and Bethesda?

Aside from other costs (fields, training, kits) it does look like the DA clubs will have an advantage when it comes to keeping travel costs down, just because of the way the divisions are set up.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:So what happens with these elite teams that are short-handed? Can anyone just show up and play?

They aren't short handed, but there is always room for another strong player.

Some really are short-handed. I'd heard a Braddock Road team was down to 11 (for 11v11 games) because parents thought ECNL travel would be too much. But that was a few weeks ago -- I'd hope they're up to a reasonable number now.

BRYC is short handed because BRYC is no longer in CCL. On the girls side there is ECNL but the boys? There are other options that are better tested.

HUH ? I thought everyone hates CCL over U12. Are you saying enough would prefer CCL over ECNL that they leave the almighty BRYC ?

I'm saying that the boys DA is established as the top boys league and that the boys ECNL cost to much for what one would get out of it. If you can't make a DA team then CCL is money better spent than on an unproven and expensive boys ECNL. Either way your not in a top league so why spend money as if you are?

Completely agree with this. I'm not much of a fan of CCL, but at least the majority of the games are local. I cannot imagine that too many families are going to do more than one year of the boys ECNL in our area. The amount of travel (and hence increased costs) seem absurd for the level of play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what happens with these elite teams that are short-handed? Can anyone just show up and play?

They aren't short handed, but there is always room for another strong player.

Some really are short-handed. I'd heard a Braddock Road team was down to 11 (for 11v11 games) because parents thought ECNL travel would be too much. But that was a few weeks ago -- I'd hope they're up to a reasonable number now.

BRYC is short handed because BRYC is no longer in CCL. On the girls side there is ECNL but the boys? There are other options that are better tested.

HUH ? I thought everyone hates CCL over U12. Are you saying enough would prefer CCL over ECNL that they leave the almighty BRYC ?

I'm saying that the boys DA is established as the top boys league and that the boys ECNL cost to much for what one would get out of it. If you can't make a DA team then CCL is money better spent than on an unproven and expensive boys ECNL. Either way your not in a top league so why spend money as if you are?

Completely agree with this. I'm not much of a fan of CCL, but at least the majority of the games are local. I cannot imagine that too many families are going to do more than one year of the boys ECNL in our area. The amount of travel (and hence increased costs) seem absurd for the level of play.

What is it about CCL that has people like disliking it? Club V Club model is a great idea and the competition is on par or in some cases above with other leagues. Having been a player and now parent of several leagues I think CCL is actually a solid model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From the outside I thought CCL / State Cup was working fairly well for BRYC. Some of the teams competed nationally. Not sure for all the extra travel and expense whether ECNL adds much to that.

With Arlington, BRYC, and Loudoun, CCL offered some high level U15 - U18 teams. Enough to get some college attention - at least locally.

I am surprised BRYC did not get any DA teams (U12 - U14) like the other major northern VA clubs.

BRYC should have stayed in CCL but they canned it at the expense of the boys side. ECNL for boys in this area is non existent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the outside I thought CCL / State Cup was working fairly well for BRYC. Some of the teams competed nationally. Not sure for all the extra travel and expense whether ECNL adds much to that.

With Arlington, BRYC, and Loudoun, CCL offered some high level U15 - U18 teams. Enough to get some college attention - at least locally.

I am surprised BRYC did not get any DA teams (U12 - U14) like the other major northern VA clubs.

BRYC should have stayed in CCL but they canned it at the expense of the boys side. ECNL for boys in this area is non existent.

AGREED! We left BYRC this year and it's unfortunate because we liked our team. We looked at Vienna, FPYC, SYC, and eventually went with SYA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope the girls DA turns out nothing like the boys DA. What a disaster. You guys talk about Loudoun-Arlington-etc as if they have a boys DA...yet in actuality...they don't.

I'm sure US Soccer would appreciate you letting them know that. Apparently they made a mistake listing both as member clubs on the DA website: http://www.ussoccerda.com/all-clubs

There was a poster on here a while ago talking about how some clubs are only "pre-academy", while others are "full academy" or "real academy" or something like that, but that is just not how the DA is set up anymore. The DA starts at U12 for the boys and U14 for the girls. Some clubs have more age groups than others, but all are considered part of the Development Academy. US Soccer does not use the term "pre-academy".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope the girls DA turns out nothing like the boys DA. What a disaster. You guys talk about Loudoun-Arlington-etc as if they have a boys DA...yet in actuality...they don't.

I'm sure US Soccer would appreciate you letting them know that. Apparently they made a mistake listing both as member clubs on the DA website: http://www.ussoccerda.com/all-clubs

There was a poster on here a while ago talking about how some clubs are only "pre-academy", while others are "full academy" or "real academy" or something like that, but that is just not how the DA is set up anymore. The DA starts at U12 for the boys and U14 for the girls. Some clubs have more age groups than others, but all are considered part of the Development Academy. US Soccer does not use the term "pre-academy".

at our club the U12-u14 DA teams are just the bumped up A team. There are really no new players. If it were a true academy you would expect players from a wider reach---not just the A team of that club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope the girls DA turns out nothing like the boys DA. What a disaster. You guys talk about Loudoun-Arlington-etc as if they have a boys DA...yet in actuality...they don't.

I'm sure US Soccer would appreciate you letting them know that. Apparently they made a mistake listing both as member clubs on the DA website: http://www.ussoccerda.com/all-clubs

There was a poster on here a while ago talking about how some clubs are only "pre-academy", while others are "full academy" or "real academy" or something like that, but that is just not how the DA is set up anymore. The DA starts at U12 for the boys and U14 for the girls. Some clubs have more age groups than others, but all are considered part of the Development Academy. US Soccer does not use the term "pre-academy".

at our club the U12-u14 DA teams are just the bumped up A team. There are really no new players. If it were a true academy you would expect players from a wider reach---not just the A team of that club.

most don't go on to DA after u14 when it stops at the Club. They go back down to the club team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope the girls DA turns out nothing like the boys DA. What a disaster. You guys talk about Loudoun-Arlington-etc as if they have a boys DA...yet in actuality...they don't.

I'm sure US Soccer would appreciate you letting them know that. Apparently they made a mistake listing both as member clubs on the DA website: http://www.ussoccerda.com/all-clubs

There was a poster on here a while ago talking about how some clubs are only "pre-academy", while others are "full academy" or "real academy" or something like that, but that is just not how the DA is set up anymore. The DA starts at U12 for the boys and U14 for the girls. Some clubs have more age groups than others, but all are considered part of the Development Academy. US Soccer does not use the term "pre-academy".

at our club the U12-u14 DA teams are just the bumped up A team. There are really no new players. If it were a true academy you would expect players from a wider reach---not just the A team of that club.

most don't go on to DA after u14 when it stops at the Club. They go back down to the club team.

As a parent/player, you need to ask will U12 DA be the best for individual development? We didn't think so.

Goal until age 15 is the best individual development possible. The only real evaluation we've ever been given was a 6-page one from an Ajax coach. The level of detail in only having seen the player for less than a week was so much more than anything we've ever gotten from a US travel coach. Truthfully, most of the stuff in the evaluation coaches here don't notice and don't know to look for it.

[Anonymous]

What is NPL/VPL going to be like now? The same?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope the girls DA turns out nothing like the boys DA. What a disaster. You guys talk about Loudoun-Arlington-etc as if they have a boys DA...yet in actuality...they don't.

I'm sure US Soccer would appreciate you letting them know that. Apparently they made a mistake listing both as member clubs on the DA website: http://www.ussoccerda.com/all-clubs

There was a poster on here a while ago talking about how some clubs are only "pre-academy", while others are "full academy" or "real academy" or something like that, but that is just not how the DA is set up anymore. The DA starts at U12 for the boys and U14 for the girls. Some clubs have more age groups than others, but all are considered part of the Development Academy. US Soccer does not use the term "pre-academy".

at our club the U12-u14 DA teams are just the bumped up A team. There are really no new players. If it were a true academy you would expect players from a wider reach---not just the A team of that club.

What if all you want is your kid to play soccer and NOT on the rec team with the poor/unskilled kids. You want your kid to be slightly better than their average peers and don't care for taking him/her to extra training or different clubs that may be a bit more challenging. Just want him your kid to make friends on the team that he is placed on. In the area we are in, is this possible?

most don't go on to DA after u14 when it stops at the Club. They go back down to the club team.

As a parent/player, you need to ask will U12 DA be the best for individual development? We didn't think so.

Goal until age 15 is the best individual development possible. The only real evaluation we've ever been given was a 6-page one from an Ajax coach. The level of detail in only having seen the player for less than a week was so much more than anything we've ever gotten from a US travel coach. Truthfully, most of the stuff in the evaluation coaches here don't notice and don't know to look for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: What is NPL/VPL going to be like now? The same?

NPL will be a little weaker due to VSA, CYA and PWSI's players joining VDA on the Girls DA side. For many of the other clubs in NPL/VPL they were the B teams anyway if the club previously had ECNL and either still have ECNL or are a DA club.

[Anonymous]

Loudoun -Arlington is a ulittle partial DA affiliated with DC United and plays local teams....gtfoh...not DA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Heard that Bethesda South is looking for some boys 06 players.

Still? They already took some from Vienna.

Maybe they should rename the team Vienna East instead of Bethesda South!

You know, a Vienna-Bethesda partnership wouldn't be the silliest thing. But probably a little late at this point.

What could Vienna provide Bethesda-South that they don't already have?

Field Space

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun -Arlington is a ulittle partial DA affiliated with DC United and plays local teams....gtfoh...not DA.

and none of the players will go on to DA. This is just the A team of both clubs now being called 'da'.