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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Some kids want to travel while developing as players.  Some don’t want to play the same teams over and over in regional tournaments.  [/quote]
I feel like you are trying too hard and I start questioning your motives. Players who want to travel to some tournaments still have cheaper options in MD. If you really want to travel all over the region and barely play the same teams twice, you can sign up for RVA. Much better team and significantly cheaper. DMV is the club where players go when they don't have other options. It is not an established club to attract talent and it is way more expensive than much better clubs in MD. [/quote]

00:07, did your DD play for DMV?  Did they play for RVA?  Do you have direct experience with both clubs?  My "motive" is to let families looking for "lesser known clubs" know about our positive DMV experience.  My DD got offers from both and turned down RVA because she did not like the vibe at RVA.  The girls were mean, the club felt insular, even at pre-tryout clinics, where you'd think clubs would want to be welcoming to all players.  The tournaments RVA signed up for didn't all pan out, and the locations appeared to be mostly where the boys' teams traveled.  If you look at this year's list, they go to North Carolina, Richmond (2-3x), and Virginia Beach (2x).  By contrast, we liked the tournament locations where DMV went, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and only once to Richmond and Virginia Beach.  We didn't want to drive down I95 south 5-6 times in one season, and not all the way to North Carolina.

In any event, there are lots of factors to consider in choosing a club.  It doesn't always come down to cost or a team's record the year before.  Families make decisions based on different factors, and those who are choosing to try out at clubs other than the big-name ones will have more nuanced considerations besides those named by 00:07.[/quote]

NP: My family doesn’t have experience with either club, but based on this exchange I’d just tell any families considering both DMV & RVA to do some research:

1) Look at prices & first assess if you can afford either/both clubs if your DD was offered a spot.

2) Look up how the age group your DD is trying out for did in last season’s rankings at those and any other clubs you’re considering; and

3) go to a clinic at each if possible.

Then feel it out from there.

My gut from this exchange tells me [b]I’d probably like RVA better than DMV[/b], but I’d do those steps cuz getting in the club’s space is way more reliable a vibe-check than a few posts here.[/quote]

Don't get me wrong - I was not advertising for RVA, even though they rank much better than DMV. I can agree with the DMV poster about the RVA vibe - we didn't like it either. It was mostly because of an anecdotal incident: one of the players at the tryouts was complaining about being grounded because her mom discovered her e-cigarette. My DD was not sure whether the girl was upset about being grounded or she was bragging about smoking. It is entirely possible that the player in question did not make the team, but my DD didn't want that kind of company (potentially). You could tell that the two clubs target two completely different populations in terms of socio-economic status. The players trying out for RVA were more diverse, even though the majority were Hispanic. [/quote]

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