Differences Between Bethesda and McLean girls

[Anonymous]

I have a u14 girls that is interested in playing elite soccer in HS. We live in MoCo but McClean is feasible. Bethesda or McLean are best options logistically. The MRM Rush 06 team is also strong but the feedback I have received is that ECNL/DA is the path for college and the fact that the 05 team bolted for Bethesda is support.

My question is what is the difference between Bethesda and McLean. They both seem to send kids to the top schools and both have had players invited to USGNT camps. I know that Bethesda lost its girls director recently. I also have noticed that McLean gets knocked on this board often but that seems to be sour grapes. Based on JeffCup placement, Bethesda seems to have the stronger team.


Please provide insights if you have any.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a u14 girls that is interested in playing elite soccer in HS. We live in MoCo but McClean is feasible. Bethesda or McLean are best options logistically. The MRM Rush 06 team is also strong but the feedback I have received is that ECNL/DA is the path for college and the fact that the 05 team bolted for Bethesda is support.

My question is what is the difference between Bethesda and McLean. They both seem to send kids to the top schools and both have had players invited to USGNT camps. I know that Bethesda lost its girls director recently. I also have noticed that McLean gets knocked on this board often but that seems to be sour grapes. Based on JeffCup placement, Bethesda seems to have the stronger team.


Please provide insights if you have any.

McLean 06 is terrible. The club does not care about that team and it shows with roster decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a u14 girls that is interested in playing elite soccer in HS. We live in MoCo but McClean is feasible. Bethesda or McLean are best options logistically. The MRM Rush 06 team is also strong but the feedback I have received is that ECNL/DA is the path for college and the fact that the 05 team bolted for Bethesda is support.

My question is what is the difference between Bethesda and McLean. They both seem to send kids to the top schools and both have had players invited to USGNT camps. I know that Bethesda lost its girls director recently. I also have noticed that McLean gets knocked on this board often but that seems to be sour grapes. Based on JeffCup placement, Bethesda seems to have the stronger team.


Please provide insights if you have any.

Pros and cons from this board have to be taken with a grain of salt for sure. My recommendation would be to contact both coaches for DD's age group and ask to come to practice and be evaluated. You will also be evaluating the club. Try to get a feel for all the ECNL coaches, not just the ones for your age group because ideally you want a multi-year solution. Talk to parents and get a feel for the club/team. This is really the only way of determining the best fit. I don't know if I would give current team strength much weight since this can change drastically through the years. In particular, Jeff Cup placements are sometimes political and not always the best indicators. Club strength across all years, and placement history are good indicators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a u14 girls that is interested in playing elite soccer in HS. We live in MoCo but McClean is feasible. Bethesda or McLean are best options logistically. The MRM Rush 06 team is also strong but the feedback I have received is that ECNL/DA is the path for college and the fact that the 05 team bolted for Bethesda is support.

My question is what is the difference between Bethesda and McLean. They both seem to send kids to the top schools and both have had players invited to USGNT camps. I know that Bethesda lost its girls director recently. I also have noticed that McLean gets knocked on this board often but that seems to be sour grapes. Based on JeffCup placement, Bethesda seems to have the stronger team.


Please provide insights if you have any.

Pros and cons from this board have to be taken with a grain of salt for sure. My recommendation would be to contact both coaches for DD's age group and ask to come to practice and be evaluated. You will also be evaluating the club. Try to get a feel for all the ECNL coaches, not just the ones for your age group because ideally you want a multi-year solution. Talk to parents and get a feel for the club/team. This is really the only way of determining the best fit. I don't know if I would give current team strength much weight since this can change drastically through the years. In particular, Jeff Cup placements are sometimes political and not always the best indicators. Club strength across all years, and placement history are good indicators.

This is great advice. Based on ECNL standings, BSC 06 seems to be the significantly better team, but McLean traditionally has better teams across age groups. Not sure what is going on with their 06 team. It is the outlier when you look at other McLean teams in ECNL standings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a u14 girls that is interested in playing elite soccer in HS. We live in MoCo but McClean is feasible. Bethesda or McLean are best options logistically. The MRM Rush 06 team is also strong but the feedback I have received is that ECNL/DA is the path for college and the fact that the 05 team bolted for Bethesda is support.

My question is what is the difference between Bethesda and McLean. They both seem to send kids to the top schools and both have had players invited to USGNT camps. I know that Bethesda lost its girls director recently. I also have noticed that McLean gets knocked on this board often but that seems to be sour grapes. Based on JeffCup placement, Bethesda seems to have the stronger team.


Please provide insights if you have any.

McLean 06 is terrible. The club does not care about that team and it shows with roster decisions.

McLean 2006 team is on their 4th coach in 3 years. Not sure if parents are angry that the team is so terrible so they keep trying new coaches or if the coaches can’t handle taking such a bad team. If your DD wants to win a single game ever I don’t recommend that team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a u14 girls that is interested in playing elite soccer in HS. We live in MoCo but McClean is feasible. Bethesda or McLean are best options logistically. The MRM Rush 06 team is also strong but the feedback I have received is that ECNL/DA is the path for college and the fact that the 05 team bolted for Bethesda is support.

My question is what is the difference between Bethesda and McLean. They both seem to send kids to the top schools and both have had players invited to USGNT camps. I know that Bethesda lost its girls director recently. I also have noticed that McLean gets knocked on this board often but that seems to be sour grapes. Based on JeffCup placement, Bethesda seems to have the stronger team.


Please provide insights if you have any.

If your DD wants to play HS and you live in MD you need to do ECNL in MD. Bethesda and McLean ECNL are opposite seasons. McLean will be doing their intense ECNL season in fall when MD schools have HS soccer

[Anonymous]

Different Hs seasons

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a u14 girls that is interested in playing elite soccer in HS. We live in MoCo but McClean is feasible. Bethesda or McLean are best options logistically. The MRM Rush 06 team is also strong but the feedback I have received is that ECNL/DA is the path for college and the fact that the 05 team bolted for Bethesda is support.

My question is what is the difference between Bethesda and McLean. They both seem to send kids to the top schools and both have had players invited to USGNT camps. I know that Bethesda lost its girls director recently. I also have noticed that McLean gets knocked on this board often but that seems to be sour grapes. Based on JeffCup placement, Bethesda seems to have the stronger team.


Please provide insights if you have any.

McLean 06 is terrible. The club does not care about that team and it shows with roster decisions.

McLean 2006 team is on their 4th coach in 3 years. Not sure if parents are angry that the team is so terrible so they keep trying new coaches or if the coaches can’t handle taking such a bad team. If your DD wants to win a single game ever I don’t recommend that team.

Hopefully this is the year the 06 team gets revamped-they need a dedicated goalie, which has been an ongoing problem, as well as strikers. Maybe Clyde will take them over and start to recruit. 05 and 07 ECNL are strong teams for McLean.

[Anonymous]

Mclean 2006 will be fine

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Mclean 2006 will be fine

[b]

Wow-what an informative post! Do tell!

[Anonymous]

If you daughter is u14 and not on ECNl or DA yet it is just about impossible to get on at this point. Both Bethesda and Mclean have good teams other than ECNL though and I would pick what is closer. I also think your daughter can play in college without being on an ECNL or DA. She can participate in showcases as she gets older.

[Anonymous]

Look at where they play away league games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you daughter is u14 and not on ECNl or DA yet it is just about impossible to get on at this point. Both Bethesda and Mclean have good teams other than ECNL though and I would pick what is closer. I also think your daughter can play in college without being on an ECNL or DA. She can participate in showcases as she gets older.

It is not impossible. At that age, there are basically a half dozen strong players. The rest are solid but any star from a non-ECNL team can beat them out. Notice that MRM Rush took its top 6+ players to Bethesda ECNL and those players all start.

[Anonymous]

If your kids wants to play HS and you live in MoCo, then play for BSC because the ECNL team in MD will back load their schedule for the spring to not conflict with the fall MD HS schedules (and vice versa in VA where HS soccer is in the spring). That way she can play both ECNL and HS soccer.

[Anonymous]

I believe the ECNL Division that McLean is in has more local VA teams hence they have more local/closer away games compared to BSC’s away games since they have NJ, PA, etc teams in their division. It’s consideration if your DD lives in MoCo but don’t plan to play HS.

It would be great if BSC is able to join the same division as McLean.