Thanks everyone. This is the OP. My son chose Achilles and he is loving it. His improvement has been amazing with their technical training.
It seems not everyone here is a fan but our short experience with the club has been great.

My son is U10 at BSC and we've had a good experience. The coaches for the 3 top teams are all good, and they have good depth and opportunity to move up if warranted. Strong technical training, which is important at that age.

Achilles Football Club was a great experience. The technical traning was great and the intensity in the coaches. But the second team of Achilles have trouble with there games. But the only age group that seems more consistent is there 09 2 team.

BunchlineDC wrote:

realdmv wrote:

MomInNWDC wrote:Has anyone here had experience with Achilles, Bethesda or PPA Premier? We are looking at these 3 for our late elementary aged son who is very passionate about soccer and wants to take it to the next level. We have heard good things about other clubs but we are in NW DC and need to look at the places that are closest to us.

I am curious generally about peoples’ recent experiences with these clubs. Do they pretty much accept every kid but then the placement can vary? Or do they flat our deny kids?

More specific questions I have in case anyone with recent experience may be to help - where are each clubs’ practices held generally? Games? We are U10 if this matters.

Our child is really driving us on this and all of the info. out there is a little overwhelming - so any specific info. or advice is much appreciated.

find a coach that you like and go with that. Also, consider Potomac Soccer. They just got ECNL.

Both boys and girls? Their girls teams aren't particularly strong. At least not the years I have seen.

boys only.

realdmv wrote:

MomInNWDC wrote:Has anyone here had experience with Achilles, Bethesda or PPA Premier? We are looking at these 3 for our late elementary aged son who is very passionate about soccer and wants to take it to the next level. We have heard good things about other clubs but we are in NW DC and need to look at the places that are closest to us.

I am curious generally about peoples’ recent experiences with these clubs. Do they pretty much accept every kid but then the placement can vary? Or do they flat our deny kids?

More specific questions I have in case anyone with recent experience may be to help - where are each clubs’ practices held generally? Games? We are U10 if this matters.

Our child is really driving us on this and all of the info. out there is a little overwhelming - so any specific info. or advice is much appreciated.

find a coach that you like and go with that. Also, consider Potomac Soccer. They just got ECNL.

Both boys and girls? Their girls teams aren't particularly strong. At least not the years I have seen.

MomInNWDC wrote:Has anyone here had experience with Achilles, Bethesda or PPA Premier? We are looking at these 3 for our late elementary aged son who is very passionate about soccer and wants to take it to the next level. We have heard good things about other clubs but we are in NW DC and need to look at the places that are closest to us.

I am curious generally about peoples’ recent experiences with these clubs. Do they pretty much accept every kid but then the placement can vary? Or do they flat our deny kids?

More specific questions I have in case anyone with recent experience may be to help - where are each clubs’ practices held generally? Games? We are U10 if this matters.

Our child is really driving us on this and all of the info. out there is a little overwhelming - so any specific info. or advice is much appreciated.

find a coach that you like and go with that. Also, consider Potomac Soccer. They just got ECNL.

For Achilles, it’s been usually 2 out of 3 practices that is at SJC, at least for the academy teams. No idea whether that’s true for the second teams. The other locations used are in Silver Spring but convenient to DC (near downtown SS).

My friend says PPA practices in the Bethesda/Chevy Chase area and BSC does too.

If you are invited to Achilles’ second team and decide to take it, make sure you’re advocating for your child and asking for opportunities to practice with the first team.

As for extra training, if you or your child are motivated to scour YouTube for individual skills exercises and do them regularly, that is an option. I don’t know if most kids on the top teams do addl training but I know many do. A lot of coaches at clubs train on the side so just ask, and u can also find one on CoachUp.

I think all clubs with MLSNext and ECNL teams are cutthroat at least with their top teams. We have played against many of them and the kids and coaches are intense! Parents are too.

So def if your kid is ever in the position to be good enough to be considered for a top team, make sure you go to a few practices beforehand to see whether your kid is ok with the coaching style.

Thanks everyone. These responses are so helpful. We are going to attend a couple of respective practices.

I have another question due to comments here -- what exactly is meant by outside training? Do you hire soccer coaches to train 1:1 on top of the 3 practices per week? If so, how do you find this kind of coach and at what age do kids start doing that?

I would advice to look at training.

In older age group, is club "better" bc:
-- winning by recruiting outside, and lots of big kids on the field; or
-- technically better, and training is better, and perhaps not winning as much bc not doing first bullet point above.

Not sure "cut throat" can't be applied to some other clubs as well.

If on a second team, the bigger clubs might be better for providing opportunity to first team, but a kid can still move up in any club, if you put in time and effort (and probably on your own through training, which you would probably have to do in a bigger club as well, esp. as you get older.) Also, look at the coaching of the first team, ... is that the coaching you want at the highest level?

Transplant_1 wrote:Can't say how Achilles first team is vs. Bethesda's first team.

Not even close at most age groups. Bethesda's MLS Next teams are way better than Achilles, and Bethesda has WAY more depth...their second teams are far better than Achilles 2nd Teams, etc.
PPA doesn't have MLS Next, but they also have more depth than Achilles. As one of the PP said, don't bother with Achilles unless you're on the top team.
Achilles also recruits heavily outside the program at higher ages...so don't assume if you're on the second team, that you'll have a chance to move to the first.

Just a note to say that if your son isn't offered a spot on the top team at Achilles, stay away. The second teams are very much treated as third-class citizens, with very little attention paid to them- often sub par coaching, not enough players for games etc. For top players who thrive in a cutthroat environment, Achilles is fantastic. But if not, go with another club. PPA or Bethesda.

If your son loves soccer, and you want to start him off with great technical training as a young player (and U10 is not too young) that'll last him the logevity of his soccer career and give him an edge as he ages, and he's offered a spot on the Achilles first team, Achillees will offer you much better technical training than PPA. Can't say how Achilles first team is vs. Bethesda's first team. If he's not on Achilles' first team, research the coach / watch a training for whichever team he's placed on.

Thanks so much - this is very helpful!

Our child actually already attended a couple of tryouts and has received invitations to join.

Are Achilles practices almost always at Saint Johns College High School? That is really ideal for us if so.

They all seem like wonderful clubs. My impressions was, like you mention, the coaches and vibe at PPA Premier may tend towards being a tad more nurturing vs. the other two. I wasn’t sure but it did seem like Achilles and Bethesda were more more systematic and technical in their training - at least what I saw at the tryouts.

Achilles does most of their practices as St Johns College High School, so if you live near there, that would be hard to pass up.
Bethesda and PPA practice all over the place.
All three play games in similar locations.

You may have missed tryouts already, but that's not a big deal...check their websites and email the age group coordinator, and they'll let you kid train with a team and see where they might belong.

As a U10, you'll be fine with any of these teams...they all have good training. If your kid is good enough to be on a top team (he probably won't start there) the conversation gets a little more complicated.

I've found PPA coaches to be a little more nurturing and friendlier in general, but Bethesda and Achillies have higher ceiling teams...both have MLS Next.

Sal, who runs Achillies, is really cutthroat, which is great for some kids, and terrible for others. But again, you probably won't start on one of the top teams he'd be coaching.

Has anyone here had experience with Achilles, Bethesda or PPA Premier? We are looking at these 3 for our late elementary aged son who is very passionate about soccer and wants to take it to the next level. We have heard good things about other clubs but we are in NW DC and need to look at the places that are closest to us.

I am curious generally about peoples’ recent experiences with these clubs. Do they pretty much accept every kid but then the placement can vary? Or do they flat our deny kids?

More specific questions I have in case anyone with recent experience may be to help - where are each clubs’ practices held generally? Games? We are U10 if this matters.

Our child is really driving us on this and all of the info. out there is a little overwhelming - so any specific info. or advice is much appreciated.