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Trace is much more bang for the buck. Don't have a camera to lend, but if you want it filmed manually with a tower camera (much better video quality) - happy to do it for $50 per match.
You have to balance two things: Wanting to play at high level club soccer and wanting to also play for high school. So, automatically, MLS Next teams are out because that's against the rules. Do people skirt the rules? Sure, but you're spreading yourself too thing with 4 practices a week (as mandated by MLS Next league). So, your best bet really is to join a club that plays high level EDP (USYS National). Your best bets for that are Alexandria, Arlington, SYC, or Bethesda second teams. The second teams at these clubs are often very good, and several of the kids are good enough to play first team but want to play other sports or not spend 20 hours a week just on soccer. If your kid is a stand out, they will pull you aside and offer you a first team spot - at which point you will have to make a decision about what to do with high school soccer. You'll find that very few top players are doing high school soccer, which is unfortunately, but the nature of the current landscape. Good luck.
Nova2Euro wrote:SoccerSkeptic wrote:Nova2Euro wrote:SoccerSkeptic wrote:Nova2Euro wrote:Regardless of what kids' leagues they're in, NVU is doing something really important by introducing to the area a European-style club construct that previously only existed at DC United.
They have two adult teams (4th and 5th tier, IIRC) that their advanced teenagers can train with and even possibly get game minutes with. It's hard to overstate how valuable this is if you want to have a career playing soccer.
Isn't that what some people touted on here about Barca? Learn the Barca way! That didn't last long. The difference between NVU and DC United is DC United takes the best of the best from the area so when they are looking for someone for their pro team, they don't need to look farther than their own academy team. NVU is in EDP. Players from other clubs are most likely better so they would 100% consider them for their semi-pro team.
Did Barca (assuming you're talking about NV Barca at Evergreen) ever have a senior-level team to which they could promote their players?
I'm gonna disagree with your statement that DC United not needing to look beyond their own Academy for players. I think DCU would also disagree with you. But it's great that they have Loudoun United, a lower-level senior team where players can break into the seniors without the pressure that comes at the highest level. And that's exactly what I'm talking about NVU offering. The shame is that in the NOVA area (and much of the US) there simply isn't enough opportunity for senior-level exposure.
Regarding NVU, what they're offering is extremely valuable. I state without hesitation that for just about any 16-year-old, training with an adult team will help them develop better than training with any MLS Next/ECNL in their age group.
I guess that's not quite as valuable to players whose goal is to get shoveled into the manure truck that is NCAA soccer. If you want to make that 30-person college roster, then MLS Next/ECNL is probably the way to go.
You want to be a pro footballer--train with adults.
Your post just reminded me of the very enthusiastic Barca Academy parents from several years ago. This is totally different! Barca is going to be the destination club! No one else trains the Barca way! The problem with Barca, much like NVU, is a lack of talent. There is a lack of talent because its not in a top league. How often will players train with the pro team? I'm guessing not that often because the pro players won't get anything out of training with a bunch of kids. Its a marketing gimmick. And you fell for it hook line and sinker.
Kids in the area dream about playing for DC United. None of them dream to play for NVU. So to compare the two is really silly.
The coaches mostly came from BRYC, who were bottom of the barrel ECNL. So why would a kid from a good MLSNext or ECNL team go to NVU? I'd rather have my kid play with better teammates and against better opponents than occasionally training with semi-pro players.
But you do you, and I'll do me.
Maybe English isn't your native language?
I'm not sure what you're saying I fell for. I live in Europe. My 17-year-old son gets paid to play senior football. Most clubs invite their advanced U17s (sometimes younger) to train with their senior teams to acclimate them to the speed and physicality of the senior game. Pro players do train with kids (although not a "bunch," most 16-year-olds are pretty physically developed, and usually no more than 2 at a time). And the pros kick their asses and make them improve. This is from the first division down to the 8th. Your dream team, DC United, also does this. Arlington does not. Alexandria does not. Loudoun does not. Because they don't have senior teams.
NVU has implemented what appears to be a European model (which would make sense with their Scottish coaching staff). If Americans can get past their youth league branding sadness (which is more for the parents' egos, of course), they might see the value in this. Every MLS Next kid in the country would benefit from training with semi-pros. You're right, though, about one thing--if the clubs junior teams aren't providing quality game minutes, then occasional training with the senior team isn't worth it. It will be a slow process to build up to it, too.
You can have the best model in the world, but if you don't have kids who are in shape or have skills beyond U10, it's garbage in and garbage out. And that's what NVU has. Doubtful to change, as the leadership has no networking or social skills. You're basically advocating that kids play up against older, more elite competition. For the most part, that model exists in the US for kids who are truly advanced beyond their age group. Unfortunately, it often turns into the huge, early growth kids with mediocre skills being promoted to play up. In DC area, I'm confident that the cream of the crop are identified by DC United, Arlington, and Bethesda and thrown in with older competition when necessary. Also, your trashing college soccer in America while sitting in Europe is awfully rich considering that many of the scholarships in this country are going to European players. For 99.9% of kids, soccer is about the journey and not the possibility of making millions in a professional league. Not everyone wants the same thing that you "think" you do. Maybe trust the people who have actually seen NVU rather than just hearing that they have a Scottish director and assuming it's superior.
MadridFan wrote:Rountree wrote:MadridFan wrote:Rountree wrote:jason500 wrote:who were they before
....Third team talent playing in first team leagues.
EDP isn't a first team league, at least not at the older age groups.
It is a small step below MLS Next and fairly even with ECNL.
No it's not. It is well below MLS Next and ECNL. Maybe on par with ECNL Regional, but many clubs are entering their team below their ECNL Regional team into EDP.
The notion that ECNL is stronger across the board than ECNL-R and USYS National is not all that solid when you consider middle of the table ECNL-R teams move into ECNL with essentially the same roster (see BRAVE). There are teams in every league (yes, even NCSL) that can compete with several ECNL teams. Pipeline? No. But the other Maryland and some Nova teams, yes.
MadridFan wrote:Rountree wrote:jason500 wrote:who were they before
....Third team talent playing in first team leagues.
EDP isn't a first team league, at least not at the older age groups.
They are in USYS National League (top level EDP), which is a combination of first team for smaller clubs and second team for larger clubs. It is a small step below MLS Next and fairly even with ECNL. They will get butchered in that league.
jason500 wrote:who were they before
All the coaches spun out of BRYC. The standings were brutal for a few years. Likely to only get worse. Third team talent playing in first team leagues.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:For a boy, I'd say 2 miles under 11 minutes and a 5k under 18 minutes.
Wait. What? That a 5:30 mile. I can't imagine your average JV sophomore is running that fast. Or maybe so?
Our 12 year old soccer team has at least three boys running those times - 3 years younger than mentioned here. Times have changed - literally.
New name, same approach. Overselling themselves to sign up for a weekly beating.