Valor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once coaches know they are leaving they totally phone it in. That's probably where all the complaints about combined practices and practices that are just scrimmages come from.

Haha no we have had a shitty experience this entire year not just during spring tryout season.

We are signed up for tryouts but will probably bail on them.

Talked to a couple parents at our kids last game and it seems like many are talking about leaving but after doing this for a while plans fall through and kids end up staying. We will see what actually happens but this time of year is always like this. Part of the business.

This. Inertia is real. Some people actually do move to Canada to dodge the draft. Most people end up staying after all despite all the complaining. Some people secretly just want you to leave so they think they can move up. That’s how Valor and other clubs stay afloat in spite of crap management.

No games this spring, that’s weird. According to the NCSL, you have a full season ahead and we saw your boys play last weekend. See the schedule below. Perhaps you are just on the wrong Teamsnap, there is tech support for that.

DIV GAME# Date Time Home Away Location
April 2024
NB09DM 21559 Sun Apr 7 2:30 pm VALR 2015B Gold vs LOUD 2015B City Sully Highlands 2A
NB09DM 21569 Sun Apr 14 2:00 pm GFR 15 Napoli vs VALR 2015B Gold South Lakes HS Upper Field #1B (Langston Hughes MS)
NB09DM 21549 Sat Apr 20 4:00 pm VALR 2015B Gold vs STAF Revolution 15B Blue Sully Highlands 1A
NB09DM 21601 Sun Apr 28 3:30 pm VRSC 15B Black vs VALR 2015B Gold RavenTek Park at VA Revolution #3B
May 2024
NB09DM 21611 Sun May 5 12:00 pm ABGC RED 2015 vs VALR 2015B Gold Pine Ridge Park #4 B
NB09DM 21625 Sun May 12 12:00 pm BETH Academy III 15 vs VALR 2015B Gold Bretton Woods Recreation Center Upper Field A (closest to tennis court)
NB09DM 21639 Sat May 18 4:00 pm VALR 2015B Gold vs OBGC Rangers Blue Sully Highlands 1A
June 2024
NB09DM 21649 Sun Jun 2 1:00 pm VALR 2015B Gold vs POT Premier I 15 Sully Highlands 1A

[Anonymous]

Wow, you are dumb. She's talking about a U15 player. The extra context clue for you was she is talking about high school NEXT YEAR. She isn't talking about some insignificant U-little team.

[Anonymous]

Why wouldn't a 2009 (U15) team be playing in a league this season for regular games? That's still many 8 th graders who wouldn't be playing high school yet, and 9th graders who may not have made the high school team.

[Anonymous]

Also, do they charge full price for a season without any games or team practices? I would be requesting a half-year refund.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once coaches know they are leaving they totally phone it in. That's probably where all the complaints about combined practices and practices that are just scrimmages come from.

Haha no we have had a shitty experience this entire year not just during spring tryout season.

We are signed up for tryouts but will probably bail on them.

Talked to a couple parents at our kids last game and it seems like many are talking about leaving but after doing this for a while plans fall through and kids end up staying. We will see what actually happens but this time of year is always like this. Part of the business.

This. Inertia is real. Some people actually do move to Canada to dodge the draft. Most people end up staying after all despite all the complaining. Some people secretly just want you to leave so they think they can move up. That’s how Valor and other clubs stay afloat in spite of crap management.

No games this spring, that’s weird. According to the NCSL, you have a full season ahead and we saw your boys play last weekend. See the schedule below. Perhaps you are just on the wrong Teamsnap, there is tech support for that.

DIV GAME# Date Time Home Away Location
April 2024
NB09DM 21559 Sun Apr 7 2:30 pm VALR 2015B Gold vs LOUD 2015B City Sully Highlands 2A
NB09DM 21569 Sun Apr 14 2:00 pm GFR 15 Napoli vs VALR 2015B Gold South Lakes HS Upper Field #1B (Langston Hughes MS)
NB09DM 21549 Sat Apr 20 4:00 pm VALR 2015B Gold vs STAF Revolution 15B Blue Sully Highlands 1A
NB09DM 21601 Sun Apr 28 3:30 pm VRSC 15B Black vs VALR 2015B Gold RavenTek Park at VA Revolution #3B
May 2024
NB09DM 21611 Sun May 5 12:00 pm ABGC RED 2015 vs VALR 2015B Gold Pine Ridge Park #4 B
NB09DM 21625 Sun May 12 12:00 pm BETH Academy III 15 vs VALR 2015B Gold Bretton Woods Recreation Center Upper Field A (closest to tennis court)
NB09DM 21639 Sat May 18 4:00 pm VALR 2015B Gold vs OBGC Rangers Blue Sully Highlands 1A
June 2024
NB09DM 21649 Sun Jun 2 1:00 pm VALR 2015B Gold vs POT Premier I 15 Sully Highlands 1A

Previous poster is talking about the U15 age group, not the 2015 birth year. It seems like things are more of a mess at the older ages, as well as the lower level teams at the younger ages. I have not heard too many complaints from parents first and second team in the younger age groups. At least not on the boys side. The coaches are almost always there leading their own teams and doing various kinds of drills.

We have also thought about GFR, but wondering if they are a mess too with all the changes recently. Are kids there looking to jump ship?

Agree that inertia is real, especially when the practice fields are in a convenient location. It’s hard to sign up for a longer drive without knowing if the grass is really greener elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, do they charge full price for a season without any games or team practices? I would be requesting a half-year refund.

+1. No games all season? No team practices? You got half a year of soccer. You should be refunded half a year fees.

[Anonymous]

I was assuming the boys gold teams were assigned the best coaches but sounds like its not true for the older age groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once coaches know they are leaving they totally phone it in. That's probably where all the complaints about combined practices and practices that are just scrimmages come from.

Haha no we have had a shitty experience this entire year not just during spring tryout season.

We are signed up for tryouts but will probably bail on them.

Talked to a couple parents at our kids last game and it seems like many are talking about leaving but after doing this for a while plans fall through and kids end up staying. We will see what actually happens but this time of year is always like this. Part of the business.

This. Inertia is real. Some people actually do move to Canada to dodge the draft. Most people end up staying after all despite all the complaining. Some people secretly just want you to leave so they think they can move up. That’s how Valor and other clubs stay afloat in spite of crap management.

Agreed. We've tried out for other clubs and seriosuly looked at going to GFR last season. The season may have been better in the FAll but then the coach got ousted after only being with the team that year and there's been so much mess there this spring.

Our kids have been told (not the parents yet) that we have a new-to-the-team (but not new to Valor) coach coming in for next season so YAY! We played Jeff Cup but have no other games this spring (U15B Gold) and just combined practices with the lower teams in the age group a couple of times a week. Been a depressing spring but it's like, why move now? My kid isn't going to play in college -- heck he may not even be able to make the high school team next year so why uproot now. The Devil you know...

A GFR coach was fired mid-season? Why? Sounds interesting.

[Anonymous]

I thought the u15 B coach was one of the main guys "DS"? If you get phoning it in coaching, no team practices, an no games from one of the head honchos....how bad are the rest of the teams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought the u15 B coach was one of the main guys "DS"? If you get phoning it in coaching, no team practices, an no games from one of the head honchos....how bad are the rest of the teams?

He is a full time employee of CYA Soccer and also double-dips with employment from Valor so he is being well compensated. No excuse for not coaching his team.

[Anonymous]

PP here -- YES - I am FULLY AWARE of how TeamSnap works. Heck - I even served years as a TM so I probably know more than your average user. We use it a ton b/c my kid has been asked to guest from time to time on the White and Black Teams, so we are even on their TeamSnaps -- we can see all three U15 2009B teams.

Gold HAS NO GAMES. White has games. Black has games. And yes, about half the team is in 9th and half in 8th.

Oh and we were supposed to have combined practices Gold, White, and Black three days a week but Coaches each sent out a message last Monday that there was a scheduling conflict so no fields on Mondays but there would be film study and streching techniques and such taught as the offices on Mondays - Gold Coach indicated that there was more info to come. White and Black got a plan together and had that opportunity to meet starting yesterday. Gold? Nada.

Coach DS has been discussed ad naseum on dcurbanmom -- to the point that awhile back Jeff has had to delete some posts that were rude and inappropriate (maybe in part why we had to log in to this board for awhile). DS has been known to frequent this board as well. All I'll say is that DS is a nice person. That's all I got. Any more I've already said to him directly and certainly to others at Valor, and yet, here we still are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know Valor staff looks at this so let me be clear. YOU HAVE TO ANNOUNCE THE COACHES. I don't care about the club name, we decided on where we go based on who the coach is.

+100

They are going to lose good players if they don’t announce soon. Uncertainty leads to people looking around. No one wants to left behind if a team falls apart because of a question mark with coaching.

Agree...If it were me, just saying, I'd have my kid training with other clubs' best teams now before tryouts let out, scouting potential or even better, more reasonable offers early instead of waiting for valor to determine your children's future performance progression. No reason to wait for bread crumbs or for them to dangle that carrot for a low-level team.

We already have two offers from other teams. We are not sitting around to find out what if anything valor is going to do. We have been unhappy and just hoping it will get better and now we are out.
Wish I could somehow rescind my kids valor tryout registration because we have no intentions of going.

I know three other families on my kids team also bailing this year. Valor is a sinking ship.

Oh no! You paid for a full spring season. If Valor knows you aren't planning on returning, your kid will sit the bench and not be treated kindly by the coaches. You have to play their game and pretend you are coming back next year.

How would they know and why would you tell them??

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why Gold wouldn't have regular season league games but white and black would. Definitely sounds like a ball was dropped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know Valor staff looks at this so let me be clear. YOU HAVE TO ANNOUNCE THE COACHES. I don't care about the club name, we decided on where we go based on who the coach is.

+100

They are going to lose good players if they don’t announce soon. Uncertainty leads to people looking around. No one wants to left behind if a team falls apart because of a question mark with coaching.

Agree...If it were me, just saying, I'd have my kid training with other clubs' best teams now before tryouts let out, scouting potential or even better, more reasonable offers early instead of waiting for valor to determine your children's future performance progression. No reason to wait for bread crumbs or for them to dangle that carrot for a low-level team.

We already have two offers from other teams. We are not sitting around to find out what if anything valor is going to do. We have been unhappy and just hoping it will get better and now we are out.
Wish I could somehow rescind my kids valor tryout registration because we have no intentions of going.

I know three other families on my kids team also bailing this year. Valor is a sinking ship.

Oh no! You paid for a full spring season. If Valor knows you aren't planning on returning, your kid will sit the bench and not be treated kindly by the coaches. You have to play their game and pretend you are coming back next year.

How would they know and why would you tell them??

They send out offers before, during and after tryouts which are beginning of May. So by the second week of May they know if you are leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Are you happy with that team? It seems like the low level teams have the most unhappy
parents.

I'm curious as well. And did any of the third team players get moved up to the second team last year? Or 2nd team players moved down to 3rd?

No, I have not been happy with this team. The first year our roster wasn't large enough and we had to beg for guest players each week to not forfeit every game. The coach was new and he never knew what was going on. Ex: The combined academy practice was canceled once for non-weather reasons but our team didn't find out so we all showed up to an empty field. I was hopeful we'd get a new coach for this year but that didn't happen. He's leaving Valor after this year, but so are we. DS has decided to focus on his other sport.

I was never upset with DS's placement on the black team, that's where he should have been. There were definitely 3-4 kids on our team that were good enough for white (or gold in one case) though and I don't know why their parents kept them with Valor after not being moved up after the first year. This particular team was newly formed last year while the gold and white had been together longer, so I assume the white coach had "his team" and wasn't really looking to make changes. One kid did move down from white this year, but none were moved up even though they went to the larger 11v11 roster. They filled the spots with all new kids. They also filled one of "our" black roster spots with a new kid that plays for the gold team. We were all annoyed with that because we had a kid at tryouts who wanted to play goalie (which we desperately needed) but no roster spot available for him, yet we have to carry this kid who doesn't play with us.

A relative's son tried out for that team (2011 boys). He is a good player but the dad felt no one paid attention to him at the tryouts, said there was a field just for kids in valor shirts who were scrimmaging each other with the head coach and then a field for everyone else-weaker players with valor shirts and all the non Valor kids who just showed up. His son was offered a spot on the black team but they felt he was stronger than most of the "white" team players and he ended up playing for a division 2 team when the white team was in a lower division, so I guess they were right. Reaffirms that their team placements are based on keeping paying customers and not actually who the strongest players are at tryouts.

Agree with everything you mentioned. They want paying customers. It is a business, however they will not promote and maintain the best players or win games. Unclear what they are so afraid of. They would still have a better player and a paying customer.