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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Lots of kids are leaving Bethesda this spring/summer for other clubs due to dissatisfaction with subpar coaching and the power of pushy parents to get undeserved advantages for their kids, including playing time and team placements. Top teams in many age groups, including DA, are slipping in quality. Bethesda’s reputation is way out of step with its actual quality. The administration of the club is a mess and the club badly needs its own practice and game facilities.  Muldoons, in particular, is a disgrace. Send your kid to this club at your peril!

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Got some evidence for Bethesda DA "slipping"? In all three Boys DA age groups for which standings are kept, Bethesda's teams have finished the year in the top 4 in the highly competitive Atlantic division. U16/17 and U18/19 teams have qualified for the playoffs. U15s have not in spite of having an even better record than the older teams because DA this year decided to have only the top team in each division qualify for the playoffs (plus one wildcard for all divisions combined). For every age group, the Bethesda DA team has finished ahead of every other local DA team in the area, with the exceptions of Baltimore Armour (finshed ahead of Bethesda in U18/19) and DC United (U16/17). You can guess how much of a "slippage" that has been from previous years (not). There are not many non-MLS DAs in the country who have all their three higher age groups finishing in the top 4 of their DA divisions in a single year. In this region, PDA might be the only other one.
http://www.ussoccerda.com/sam/standings/league/standings.php?leagueId=MTA3Ng%3D%3D[/quote]

And the U14s have sent 3 players to the national team camp.

[b]Bethesda is a developing club more than a recruiting club.   Should be proud of that.[/b] [/quote]

I think I just threw up in my mouth.

Bethesda attracts some of the top talent but they aren't bringing kids up and making them better, rather taking good kids and letting them play with other good kids. Many of the DAs have more external imports than they do internal promotions every year. [/quote]

All top clubs attract top talent, you’re saying that none of the kids on Bethesda DA developed out of lower teams?[/quote]

At one of the tryouts one of the bros who runs the club told parents that the green team was for kids who played soccer as a second sport, took it less seriously and who would miss games for other events like family parties. This does not sound like a club that values the kids it supposedly wants to develop. [/quote]

How old is your son? I have kids ranging from college to middle school and have been involved in 3 travel and many recreational sports over the years. The reality is, at a big club like bethesda, the lowest team is frequently for kids who want to do multiple sports (or would like to go to a birthday party rather than their soccer game once in a while). It is also holding ground for players who are passionate about soccer, but don't have the athletic chops for higher teams. The benefit of taking these spots is having access to a large, professional coaching staff, multiple camps, and other specialized training opportunities that a small club can't offer. It may be worth it for your kid, it may not be. I think it is okay for a club to be up front to parents about their expectations for "development" of players on their lowest teams. You know and can assess year-to-year, what will be best for your child.

I guess I could just sum it up to say that your kid is probably not as athletically talented as you think. Consider whether focusing just on soccer, rather than other sports, academic activities, arts, family/friend time, etc., makes the most sense for your family.  [/quote]

Anyone care to comment on the girls U13 green/lowest/state cup team?  Acknowledging all of the above, does this team provide a better platform than other local teams' lower teams (think Potomac or Stoddert).  I get that it's the lowest team at BSC girls U13, but is it/could it be better than other clubs' lowest team?[/quote]

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