C3PO wrote:My 14 year old son has had what seems to me an insane amount of injuries during soccer over the past year. He has broken a bone, got a concussion, fractured a growth plate, and had some horrible bruises. Is this just what soccer is? Or is something wrong? My sport growing up was baseball, so I don't really know.
dcummins wrote:Happy for my kid to move on from ECNL to MLSNext. The ECNL team was just toxic with too much parent involvement to the point where some players were only on the team because a parent and the coach played soccer in college together. This parent would recommend B/C players from other clubs to workout with the team and some were brought on. There was definitely lots of favoritism and double standards. For example, prior to this season, one kid was injured half the season and the coach moved him to the b team the next season. The same thing happened this season to one of the favored kids who was injured the 2nd half of the season. The coach kept him on the ECNL team for next season. Both boys were about the same skill level, but yet somehow the favored kid is still on the team. So glad to get my kid out of that environment and move on cause he regressed under this coach.
novasoccer15324 wrote:you don't go to ID clinics in order to get discovered. You send the coaches highlights in advance, if they take an interest, then you go. If no interest, don't expect much other than "a fun and competitive environment for each player to develop their technical skills and to apply those skills to game situations"
flower wrote:My son (age 11) has been playing rec soccer for years and would now like to be part of a team that is a little more advanced. His friends who are at a similar level are on or joining travel teams, but it unfortunately isn't going to work for our family to do the travel part of travel soccer. Any suggestions on how he could do soccer at a higher level than rec without having games that are far from DC and with practices in or near NW DC? Thank you!
C3PO wrote:My 14 year old son wanted to change clubs - he likes his coach where he currently is, but the location doesn't work well for him any more. He's only on a mid level team, and that is fine and where he belongs. However, his tryout at the club where he wanted to be (and where more friends from his current school play) resulted in a weaker offer than where he's currently at. He doesn't want to move backwards, so he's going to stick with his current club for next year. However, I was wondering if folks had suggestions on better ways to try out in the future. At the tryout for the club where he wanted to be, they had all the kids try out on a non-full sided field, and it was too crowded and not much playing time for anyone. Do people contact the clubs beforehand to ask to attend a practice, even if they are not on a top team or trying to get on one? Anything else a player who is just decent can try to do to promote himself going forward to get at least an equivalent spot to where he is at?
Lasso_FC_Girls wrote:I have a question and would love to know the answer. If one already accepted an offer and paid the 22/23 season dues, however after paying those dues, certain dynamics changed at said team and a family has decided the environment is no longer a good fit, do they lose the thousands of dollars??? Or is there some kind of rule or date they can get there money back?
Very curious if anyone has experienced this or if anyone knows someone that has.
MrNick wrote:Hey all, Wanted to get some parents thoughts regarding their soccer tryouts experience this year around the DMV. Our club is a MLSNext club with quite a few other travel teams in each age group. It looked like there were a lot of new faces trying out across the board in both MLSNext and regular tryouts (u14). I am guessing now that the pandemic is easing, people are more open to moving to other clubs. It also looks like MLSNext is taking off as their were quite a lot of kids trying out for that particular team. What is everyone else seeing?
SDC wrote:anonimouswon wrote:soccer_dc wrote:mdsoccerdad wrote:soccer_dc wrote:GloryHunter wrote:All the real tryouts are basically over. At least for the top teams.
This is true. Offers are already out for the top teams. Although there is always an extra spot or two if someone good enough shows up.
"top teams" from what clubs?
the maryland ECNL clubs havent even had tryouts yet
I have seen ID sessions posted throughout March and April from VA Union, VDA, FCV, Arlington.
One thing I never understood at the ECNL level how are kids from another ECNL team allowed to practice with another ECNL team during the season in these "ID" sessions before actual tryouts? I thought recruiting can't happen until May?
The ECNL rules changed this year for Virginia. The old May 1 date is now March 1 for all clubs in VA. Most other states still have May 1.