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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Hey, thanks for posting that. It puts the VYS soap opera in context.

Hmmm. I notice that Arlington parents are melting down on an another thread right now. Guess it's catching.[/quote]

Ditto Stoddert parents, Bethesda parents... Someone should start a thread about which clubs are least complained about! Reston, Herndon, Great Falls? [/quote]

I'm guessing there is no such thing as a complaint-free travel soccer club.  The various clubs our kids have played for all have room for improvement, but [b]I'd estimate that at least 75% of the complaints I've heard have more to do with parent's unrealistic expectations or ignorance about soccer than they do with a failure by the club.[/b][/quote]

Spot-on, friend. I also think DMV parents are more susceptible than most to the allure of the big elite clubs. Then once they get there, they realize it's all BS anyway. [/quote]

Yet many of us played at a D1 level, some even professionally, and the horse hit these Clubs get away with is unbelievable.

Nobody is asking for an A team spot or saying their kid deserves it, there's 6 fucking teams of such different levels/leagues/coaching a family needs to know where the kid will be before blindly accepting an offer.

That's not even a true fucking offer.  Here you go--you are one of 63 kids--no we don't know your coach or your league--give us $3k.

Those of us with experience are the ones that know this is horseshit.  Those without are walking around gloating little Sally or Johnny made Arlington---even when in the girls side every girl on the field got a spot.[/quote]

I wanted to clarify that my comment above with the 75% estimate wasn't referring to the Arlington tryout situation or any of the VYS contentions, but rather is based on my experience with 6 clubs (2 local) in different parts of the country.  Some of these clubs are big "elite" ones, and others are smaller and claim to be more focused on "development." It's striking how often parents raise the same issues.

With respect to your rant above, I don't know anything about Arlington's management other than what I've read on these threads, but I don't think it's uncommon at lower age groups for  clubs to inform families that their kids will be offered a spot and ask for a commitment without identifying the team.  This is not a best practice for the reasons you and the other unhappy posters have identified, but it's not hard to understand why clubs with multiple teams do this.  There are a lot of moving parts, and until they have an idea of the total pool of kids that plans to commit, it's hard to divvy up the teams. They don't want to tell you your kid is on the D or E team, and then, after more top kids than expected accepted offers elsewhere, have to come back and give you the news that your kid will be on a different one.

As long as the club doesn't actually tell you your child's spot is relinquished unless you pay the full year or fall season cost before team assignments are made, it's all manageable.  If you think you plan to have your kid play for the club barring placement on a team with a coach you hate, you commit, and then you send in your deposit or payment once they tell you which team it is.  If your kid gets assigned to a team that you know from first-hand experience (not conjecture) will not work for your child, you tell the club sorry.  They will not come after you for the money.  At U9 at a big club, it is highly unlikely you will be blackballed.  Even if you pay a deposit, most clubs will refund your money if you have a legit reason for not wanting a spot on the team.  I'll also add that most big clubs take a top down approach to these things starting with whatever age they get serious about sorting kids by ability (could be U9 for some clubs, or up to U11 or U12 at others).  If they consider your child A (or B, if it's a strong age group) team material, the coach or TD or someone will make that clear to you, though not likely in writing.  Below that level, they are just waiting to see how acceptances for the top teams shake out before firming things up.

At U9, it shouldn't matter too much whether your kid is on the C vs. E team, as long as the coach and training are decent.  If you are holding off on accepting until you can be sure you have a composition of classmates and other kids you think will make your child happiest, then travel soccer at a big club is likely not going to be a good fit for you. [/quote]

Disagree on the E/F team--when every game is a 12/17-0 blowout.  When you never see the same coach. When you don't train in practice against any competition.  When you are traveling long distances for this.  From a developmental standpoint, a developmental league and pick up is more beneficial and probably a better means to keep the love of the sport alive.  Throw in a few training sessions and camps too.  Fear is what has most DMV parents grabbing these ridiculous F team spots at a young age.  They are continually told if their kid doesn't grab a spot at 7/8, she/he won't be able to break into a club later.  It shouldn't be that way.[/quote]

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