Very few, if any, could make any team in town. Most teams there are lower level, based on results in tournament and league play so far. |
I think the term "developmental" teams rather than "recreational" is more appropriate. In my opinion, the term recreational team is a bit misleading because most local clubs have a separate recreational program offered at lower cost, but with lower quality and amount of training, and generally there is not much team movement between the rec and travel parts of the program within a club. Barca's goal is to teach the teams/players how to play the game and move them eventually to higher level of competition when they are ready. BRYC does the same thing with some of their girls teams, which is a smarter approach than placing a team in a travel league before the team is ready. |
I know for a fact that some of the teams have players who were on DA teams. Those players could have returned to their DA teams but for developmental reasons chose Barca. Is that the majority? No, but to say that few could make any team in town is a huge stretch. It varies widely based on team, age group, and gender. |
Challenge rec leagues are developmental too. No shame in calling it what it is, even if it is a bit more expensive than your typical challenge rec league. Nothing wrong with it and no reason to be defensive. |
| The Herndon tournament was for rec all stars. It doesn’t seem fair to pit normal once-a-week-practice-with Larlos-dad kids against what are really selective travel teams. Why not let the rec kids have one tournament to enjoy? |
Disagree. This is unfair to the real rec teams, which are a few players from each of all the U10 (for example) fall rec teams for a rec league. These rec all stars do not ever play together or practice together the whole year-just for this one tournament. They don’t have professional coaches. |
Based on the results, even with that disadvantage the Barca kids were at the right level. So nothing to be concerned about. Now if Loudoun's white or even silver (C or D) team shows up, I completely see your point. |
Really? Whose? My daughters all star team had 3 practices the week between regular season and the Herndon games. She didn’t know all the girls names on her team Saturday morning. I did not realize a recreational tournament would include non-rec players with “real” coaches. Live and learn! |
| Wouldn’t you prefer that? That your kid’s team plays against a professionally coached, organized team, that doesn’t have the talent to overwhelm the opposition? I’d much rather expose my rec player to opposition like that, rather than the kickball extravaganza you usually see. |
Did it give them an unfair advantage? Is being labeled a rec team about the level of the player or the type of program? |
| ^^Agree. Maybe they should call it the “developmental” tournament or something. I don’t love pitting curated teams with expensive coaches who play together all year against random gaggles of rec players coached by whatever parent the rec league scrounged up at the last minute. |
No, it feels unfair to me. Shrug. This is for fun. |
| Does it make it any less fun for the players? I mean really. Your feelings decide whether it’s fair or not? |
Well, to most rec parents....there is rec and there is travel. Rec all stars implies rec players from rec leagues. If the parents are paying more than $200 and the coach is hired...that’s not rec. |
Do you think it’s fair? Why? |