Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:how does a defensive player get noticed in tryouts? what're the evaluate looking for in that position? this is for boys U12. thx![/quote


You need research the club your player is trying out for. Do they specialize at U12 in the club? During the mid to end of season contact clubs inquire about openings, ask about walk on practices and when tryouts are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
In fact, it's changing at some places. Vienna was often accused of having "show" tryouts in the past. This year, with a new technical staff in place, they've gone wildly in the other direction. People are dropping from a "C" or even a "B" team all the way out of travel. "Crossover" stalwarts are getting left out.

Now, is that *better*? Yes and no. Do you really want to base everything on tryouts? What if one kid just has a really good night and is actually uncoachable? What if one kid all the previous coaches loved just doesn't have things go his way at tryouts?

A large part of the turnover at Vienna is that they've scraped the VYS preference so a lot more outside players are getting offers. The second piece is that all of the kids are being judged objectively, and your relationship with the prior technical staff no longer gets your child an undeserved spot.

In my experience, VYS has always tried to accommodate military families moving to the area.

Guess it can be rough on a parent when a better player tryout.

[Anonymous]

For older BOYS which program is better?

SYA or VSA?

[Anonymous]

We saw a lot of Vienna kids trying out at McLean this year. Not sure where they'll end up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We saw a lot of Vienna kids trying out at McLean this year. Not sure where they'll end up.

There were a lot of McLean kids at Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We saw a lot of Vienna kids trying out at McLean this year. Not sure where they'll end up.

There were a lot of McLean kids at Arlington.

I think these 2 clubs have a lot of kids trying out at the other (while also trying out at their own) to see if they can get onto a higher level team. Probably because the clubs are comparable in quality and also close in proximity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We saw a lot of Vienna kids trying out at McLean this year. Not sure where they'll end up.

There were a lot of McLean kids at Arlington.

I think these 2 clubs have a lot of kids trying out at the other (while also trying out at their own) to see if they can get onto a higher level team. Probably because the clubs are comparable in quality and also close in proximity.

Are all boys U-10 tryouts over for the year? Anyone know of any clubs still holding tryouts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For older BOYS which program is better?

SYA or VSA?

I think SYA is objectively better. All the older SYA boys teams (u15 to u18) made at least the VA state cup quarterfinals. Only 1 VSA team (U17) did equally ad well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For older BOYS which program is better?

SYA or VSA?

I think SYA is objectively better. All the older SYA boys teams (u15 to u18) made at least the VA state cup quarterfinals. Only 1 VSA team (U17) did equally ad well.

With regards to travel time for practice and location to haymarket (Piedmont area) which club activities is closest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We saw a lot of Vienna kids trying out at McLean this year. Not sure where they'll end up.

There were a lot of McLean kids at Arlington.

I think these 2 clubs have a lot of kids trying out at the other (while also trying out at their own) to see if they can get onto a higher level team. Probably because the clubs are comparable in quality and also close in proximity.

Are all boys U-10 tryouts over for the year? Anyone know of any clubs still holding tryouts?

For rising U10, Vienna's tryouts keep getting rained out. You could still make it to the last two, though you'll be at a disadvantage after missing the first.

[Anonymous]

Anyone here familiar with DC United's pre-academy? like new U11. Will it provide better development than top local club for a 10 years boy? It will require significantly more commute time..

Thanks a lot for any suggestions or insights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone here familiar with DC United's pre-academy? like new U11. Will it provide better development than top local club for a 10 years boy? It will require significantly more commute time..

Thanks a lot for any suggestions or insights.

In my opinion, U11 is too young an age for parents to take on a significantly longer commute for what is unlikely to be a significantly better level of training and development than a U11 player can get at a top local club. The top local clubs around here are competitive with the top teams nationally. If in 2-3 years your son is still passionate about soccer and your top local club is not competing (at U13 or U14) at the level your son is capable of playing then you might consider a tryout with a Development Academy team like DC United.

[Anonymous]

Is it normal for a paid Travel Coach to have zero post-HS playing experience (and what they do have prior is limited) and no coaching license? This is at a big club. It seems problems keep arising for multiple players with the same coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone here familiar with DC United's pre-academy? like new U11. Will it provide better development than top local club for a 10 years boy? It will require significantly more commute time..

Thanks a lot for any suggestions or insights.

In my opinion, U11 is too young an age for parents to take on a significantly longer commute for what is unlikely to be a significantly better level of training and development than a U11 player can get at a top local club. The top local clubs around here are competitive with the top teams nationally. If in 2-3 years your son is still passionate about soccer and your top local club is not competing (at U13 or U14) at the level your son is capable of playing then you might consider a tryout with a Development Academy team like DC United.

My son is playing academy now after playing U13 pre-academy last year, and I completely agree with the above poster. DC United tends to have very large rosters at the U11 and U12 age groups, and you will almost certainly be able to find better and more focused training on a top team of a good club closer to you. DC United, Bethesda-Olney, and the other area Development Academy programs will take a very serious look at talented players who are interested in playing with them regardless of whether the player has prior experience with the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VYS is pretty deep -- their #3 or #4 teams often do really well in ODSL. But on the boys side, they often don't have that elite team. A big reason for that: Eddie is loathe to recruit outside Vienna. And most people are OK with that. It's a community club that produces some good teams and the occasional really good (Colonial League level) team.

For anyone considering VYS, this is what they have to brag about - how good some of their teams do in ODSL. And it's not that Vienna doesn't recruit, it's that they have nothing to sell, because good players don't go to a club that can only point to their ODSL prowess, and oh yeah, that one time they had a team make Colonial League. And that won't change, as VYS does not support its top teams. But if you're from Vienna, want a solid travel experience and maybe win a low-level tournament every couple of years, it's perfect.

Once upon a time not so long ago, a lot of very good players went to VYS travel because they lived in Vienna and wanted to play for their local league and their parents didn't want things to get completely out of control at age 8. I still think a lot of people, maybe even the majority feel this way. And frankly, except for a very small minority of players, this is just fine. Why get on the 495 and fight traffic with your third grader to drive to Arlington or Annandale or Braddock Road or Bethesda? What a slog! None of these kids are going to be hurt by the VYS Academy experience if they have talent. You can always move them to a more competitive league if you want to when they're older and it might matter or when they're actually recruited away because an actual coach (not the parent) thinks they can compete at a higher level.

I've had two kids play for Vienna. One is pre-Academy and has been on the same team since he was 8. The only kids who have left that team, have left soccer. A few of the kids could probably play somewhere more competitive, but they would rather stay with the team. And now they're actually pretty good. Given that most kids will never play soccer past high school, I think it sad that more kids can't have this experience. Perhaps I'm naïve, but it just seems that all this stressing and positioning and club-shopping and club-hopping is unnecessary and very parent driven. Would be nice to see more kids able to just play locally as opposed to being swapped around like a mini-Premier League.

And yes, to a PP's point, I think all this CCL, ECNL, elite league nonsense that's slicing and dicing the current leagues for supposed competitive reasons, is ridiculous too.

But ... but ... that means your kids may only be playing in NCSL Div 3! Don't you realize that if you drive 45 minutes each way three times a week, you can go to another club that might have a team in NCSL Div 2? Why would you short-change your kids that way?! If they're not playing at least NCSL Div 2, they will flunk out of college, never marry, live at home until they're 40 and contract Type I AND Type II diabetes?

In fact, what you should REALLY do is try out for at least six different clubs so you have a chance of squeaking onto an NCSL Div 1 team or maybe even a CCL team. That way, you can have road games in Richmond in which your team wins 8-1 while your son plays about 5 minutes. It's worth it because you'll be able to say you play in CCL!

Actually, if you REALLY cared about your kids, you'd move to California, where a lot of clubs play in elite leagues that send kids to nationals. If you're not playing at least six showcase tournaments a year, your kids will never amount to anything.

In fact, scratch all that. You HAVE to move to Europe and make sure your kid gets in the Academy of a pro club, so they can really focus on soccer. If they wash out of the Academy at age 14, just cast them aside and concentrate on your next kid.

My kids are only in ODSL right now, but that's just because the coaches are idiots who don't realize how much we've spent on private coaches. Next year, they'll be on Region I Premier League teams for sure, if not at D.C. United. If D.C. United won't take them by age 14, we'll just have them play for Barcelona.

And here you are, thinking you should just have a good experience playing soccer with the local team as part of a well-rounded childhood. You make me sick.

This is funny! I wonder what parents expect they are going to get out of soccer. What are they really expecting is going to be the outcome of their kids soccer career. Do they want them to be a coach, get a soccer scholarship. Are all the kids in VYS not improving...or just my kid and the few I compare him to? If all the kids were not improving, why are some kids being recruited to other area teams? Not all kids are physically and mentally capable of developing into a great soccer player. The club/organization is not want is keeping kids from improving.