St James Soccer Club

[Anonymous]

I read the St James is starting a club? They reference the DA showcases on the website. Will these teams be allowed to play in those showcases? Can anyone speak from experience or has anyone talked to their staff?

[Anonymous]

They did the same thing with volleyball this year. They got some good talent pretty quickly form other clubs and played at some of the highest levels in tournaments.

Great facilities

[Anonymous]

No one can answer the question about showcases because all of the programming is TBD over the next couple months. I think the league and tournaments will be based on the level of each team since it is starting from scratch. I do know they have big money backing the program and have the goal of being a top class destination for soccer development in the country within a few years. I think they will put a ton of resources into the training even if it runs in the red next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one can answer the question about showcases because all of the programming is TBD over the next couple months. I think the league and tournaments will be based on the level of each team since it is starting from scratch. I do know they have big money backing the program and have the goal of being a top class destination for soccer development in the country within a few years. I think they will put a ton of resources into the training even if it runs in the red next year.

Hopefully they add coaches...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one can answer the question about showcases because all of the programming is TBD over the next couple months. I think the league and tournaments will be based on the level of each team since it is starting from scratch. I do know they have big money backing the program and have the goal of being a top class destination for soccer development in the country within a few years. I think they will put a ton of resources into the training even if it runs in the red next year.

Hopefully they add coaches...

Bruce Murray is the main coaching attraction so far. Lots of money behind this one, so if they are smart they will hire away the top coaches from other relatively close clubs like SYC, Arlington, Alexandria, LMVSC, PWSI, etc. and the players that like those coaches will follow. Great facility, but will need more than one full sized field to support all the teams they propose to have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one can answer the question about showcases because all of the programming is TBD over the next couple months. I think the league and tournaments will be based on the level of each team since it is starting from scratch. I do know they have big money backing the program and have the goal of being a top class destination for soccer development in the country within a few years. I think they will put a ton of resources into the training even if it runs in the red next year.

Hopefully they add coaches...

Bruce Murray is the main coaching attraction so far. Lots of money behind this one, so if they are smart they will hire away the top coaches from other relatively close clubs like SYC, Arlington, Alexandria, LMVSC, PWSI, etc. and the players that like those coaches will follow. Great facility, but will need more than one full sized field to support all the teams they propose to have.

I get it in theory but does anyone think the top coaches from the top clubs are going to leave for a few extra bucks? I realize Murray was a great player but has he had any coaching success at all?

[Anonymous]

This is a money grab pure and simple. You aren't going to have one of the top programs in the DMV charging the kind of fees they are going to have to be charging unless a prominent part of your recruiting pitch is that you want the best players regardless, and no one will be turned away because of inability to pay (ala DC United).

The PP comment about Murray is spot on. He's been riding the reputation from his playing days, but those days are long gone. He's never been a good coach, and the game has moved on. He's a name that rich people will pay money for in order to have their kids in an "elite" program. "Elite" because the coaches say so, but they will not get those results on the field.

DA showcases? Not a chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one can answer the question about showcases because all of the programming is TBD over the next couple months. I think the league and tournaments will be based on the level of each team since it is starting from scratch. I do know they have big money backing the program and have the goal of being a top class destination for soccer development in the country within a few years. I think they will put a ton of resources into the training even if it runs in the red next year.

Hopefully they add coaches...

Bruce Murray is the main coaching attraction so far. Lots of money behind this one, so if they are smart they will hire away the top coaches from other relatively close clubs like SYC, Arlington, Alexandria, LMVSC, PWSI, etc. and the players that like those coaches will follow. Great facility, but will need more than one full sized field to support all the teams they propose to have.

They are only planning on 4 teams for boys and 4 for girls. 10/12/14/16

[Anonymous]

They will have snowflake teams

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one can answer the question about showcases because all of the programming is TBD over the next couple months. I think the league and tournaments will be based on the level of each team since it is starting from scratch. I do know they have big money backing the program and have the goal of being a top class destination for soccer development in the country within a few years. I think they will put a ton of resources into the training even if it runs in the red next year.

Hopefully they add coaches...

Bruce Murray is the main coaching attraction so far. Lots of money behind this one, so if they are smart they will hire away the top coaches from other relatively close clubs like SYC, Arlington, Alexandria, LMVSC, PWSI, etc. and the players that like those coaches will follow. Great facility, but will need more than one full sized field to support all the teams they propose to have.

I get it in theory but does anyone think the top coaches from the top clubs are going to leave for a few extra bucks? I realize Murray was a great player but has he had any coaching success at all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one can answer the question about showcases because all of the programming is TBD over the next couple months. I think the league and tournaments will be based on the level of each team since it is starting from scratch. I do know they have big money backing the program and have the goal of being a top class destination for soccer development in the country within a few years. I think they will put a ton of resources into the training even if it runs in the red next year.

Hopefully they add coaches...

Bruce Murray is the main coaching attraction so far. Lots of money behind this one, so if they are smart they will hire away the top coaches from other relatively close clubs like SYC, Arlington, Alexandria, LMVSC, PWSI, etc. and the players that like those coaches will follow. Great facility, but will need more than one full sized field to support all the teams they propose to have.

I get it in theory but does anyone think the top coaches from the top clubs are going to leave for a few extra bucks? I realize Murray was a great player but has he had any coaching success at all?

Clearly you don’t understand just how little these youth coaches are paid. The answer is yes, of course they will go for more pay. Coaches are as disloyal as parents and players are. As far as Murray, it does not matter if he’s a good coach. It only matters that he is known and played at high levels. Do you not understand business, at all? Perception is reality. Anyhow, we will shall see but all these desperate parents are always looking for something better. Dangle a carrot and they’ll come as will the coaches. Now, I am not saying that STJ will do this, only that they should if they want to be viable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one can answer the question about showcases because all of the programming is TBD over the next couple months. I think the league and tournaments will be based on the level of each team since it is starting from scratch. I do know they have big money backing the program and have the goal of being a top class destination for soccer development in the country within a few years. I think they will put a ton of resources into the training even if it runs in the red next year.

Hopefully they add coaches...

Bruce Murray is the main coaching attraction so far. Lots of money behind this one, so if they are smart they will hire away the top coaches from other relatively close clubs like SYC, Arlington, Alexandria, LMVSC, PWSI, etc. and the players that like those coaches will follow. Great facility, but will need more than one full sized field to support all the teams they propose to have.

I get it in theory but does anyone think the top coaches from the top clubs are going to leave for a few extra bucks? I realize Murray was a great player but has he had any coaching success at all?

Clearly you don’t understand just how little these youth coaches are paid. The answer is yes, of course they will go for more pay. Coaches are as disloyal as parents and players are. As far as Murray, it does not matter if he’s a good coach. It only matters that he is known and played at high levels. Do you not understand business, at all? Perception is reality. Anyhow, we will shall see but all these desperate parents are always looking for something better. Dangle a carrot and they’ll come as will the coaches. Now, I am not saying that STJ will do this, only that they should if they want to be viable.

This is going to be a circus. No top coach is leaving the clubs mentioned to coach a bunch of rich kids on a combined age team and work for a guy who got fired by McLean.

[Anonymous]

the kind of fees they are going to have to be charging unless a prominent part of your recruiting pitch is that you want the best players regardless, and no one will be turned away because of inability to pay (ala DC United).

While I like this idea and agree with it, at least at my son's league, it hasn't worked out. Because even if kids can be on the team for free, they have trouble getting to practices, tournaments etc. It could work out better for older kids, I bet, but an 11 year old can't get himself to practice, and if his mom won't even respond about whether I can offer him a ride to a tournament, there's not much he can do.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I would be interested in seeing what St James ends up offering if the younger ages. It is close to our house, the facilities are nice and we are not in love with our current club that is fairly close to St James. The ability to practice indoors when it is freezing or sweltering would be nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I would be interested in seeing what St James ends up offering if the younger ages. It is close to our house, the facilities are nice and we are not in love with our current club that is fairly close to St James. The ability to practice indoors when it is freezing or sweltering would be nice.

I feel the same way, if the fees are OK and the coaching is good, why not?