Reply to My Gripe with Arlington Soccer Association (ASA)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I understand that this is how the game is played among all these clubs these days. I'm just saying it's ridiculous.

Arlington recruits players from elsewhere. So those players go elsewhere. Eventually, you may have an "Arlington" team that's 1/3rd Arlington, 2/3 everywhere else. The "McLean" team will be about 1/3 McLean, with a few players from Arlington and a few from elsewhere. Hey, maybe the Arlington players can still find a home at Annandale!

And the CCL, which has all these clubs' "top" teams, claims they're all about building up from within the club! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

If you're one of the 0.1 percent, by all means try ECNL, DA or a national title-contending club. Otherwise, you're just fooling yourself, spending time in your cars you could be spending on something productive, and robbing your kids of their childhoods.

Get ... a ... grip.[/quote]

I have a kid on an highly competitive upper-age Arlington team who has played for Arlington since U11. In that time, we have seen players come and go - and the core of the team is still made up of Arlington players, like my son. I don't disagree that there are many players from other surrounding areas (who pay 3x the field use fee that residents pay), but Arlington started to really invest in the club and put together a quality product 4-5 years ago, and it has definitely attracted better players. Talented kids want to play on the best teams they can, and want to try out for Arlington because overall, we have great teams and great coaches. No one is twisting their arms, paying them off, or robbing another team to get them. Well over a thousand kids show up for tryouts at all ages - and do so at Annandale, and McLean, and Bethesda, and other clubs. [b]How can coaches form competitive teams if the first consideration is where the players live? [/b]This is happening literally everywhere - Arlington is no worse, and is much better than some of its neighbors.[/quote]

Sure, and this thread has really evolved to where it's about more than just Arlington. It's all the CCL clubs (Arlington, Braddock Road, Annandale, Stoddert, McLean, SYA, Loudoun, Potomac, a couple more) and a few others.

And part of the issue is that CCL is built on a basic lie. They say it's about building from within rather than recruiting. That's obviously NOT true.

And part of it is the question I've put in bold. Unless, you're a really exceptional player, why is that the first priority? Why not just play for your local club and see how it does? And if you're a college or pro prospect, maybe supplement with ODP or a Super-Y team in the summer?

[quote]In case you haven't kept up, Arlington is already a national title-contending club.[/quote]

I do follow pretty closely, despite my reservations about some of these competitions, and I know they have a couple of elite boys teams. That's fine. But what does it really mean?[/quote]

Maybe you don't like the coach. Maybe you didn't gel with the kids. Maybe your club parents are obnoxious. Maybe you are a goalie but the goalie on your club team is better but you are still better than most.

It really means that kids are having fun, playing hard, working hard at something they love, with a coach they respect with kids they like and parents they are not embarrassing on the sidelines (for the most part, there is always that 1).  [/quote]

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