Anonymous wrote:What part of Maryland? Seems we are forgetting about Maryland United and SAC.

If they're asking about Bethesda and Potomac, I'm guessing they're not going to be interested in those.

What part of Maryland? Seems we are forgetting about Maryland United and SAC.

MD fusion, MSI classic/academy

Agree with the PP that it would help if you list your son's birth year and general ability level (would you expect him to be on an A or B team at a big club, or probably not?). How serious of a player is he?

We have been at Bethesda for a number of years and think they have a very strong boys' program at the U8-U12 age group, though it can be hit or miss depending on the coach and level. We had one son play for Potomac, and think it's a fine club for learning skills, though it doesn't tend to have super-strong teams in the older age groups. In addition to other programs listed here, OBGC, based in Olney, has a pretty good boys' program and nice fields.

Those are the biggest clubs, yep!

If you're looking at other possibilities:

- PPA - Has rec/dev teams and academy, which play travel. Based in NWDC but lots of teams practice in Maryland
- MSI - Has rec/dev, select, and academy teams, which play travel
- MRM - Maryland Rush Montgomery - more upcountry, and, like Laurel, more of an umbrella org for teams than a "club"
- Achilles is a small NWDC club, which, based solely on my reading here, seems to have high-level coaching and self-absorption lol
- There's also Stoddert in DC.
- Other big clubs are further towards Baltimore, or in VA.

If you are looking for a team/coach instead of a big club, let us know the age / birth year, and where in Maryland, and I'll bet we can recommend a good coach near you.

(Someone should start a "find my kid a team" thread! Just so we can all nerd out on youth soccer lol and help all the dcurbanmom noobs)

Potomac and Bethesda are the big travel clubs. But they have a lot of new competition nipping at their heels. Many of these competitors are mostly in Classic now with a couple travel teams or their eyes on building to travel.

Juventus https://jacademy.juventus.com/en/academies/dc_metro/program/

AFA https://www.afasoccer.com/

Arrington, http://www.arringtontrainingdevelopment.com/join-a-team

Benfica

Maryland Fusion

and if you have a girl, the oft mentioned Bordeaux:
http://www.fcbordeauxusa.com/

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda is way bigger than Potomac.

Playing with friends is hard by the birth-year rule.

But it's still huge. Doesn't Potomac have 55 or more teams and Bethesda 70 teams or more?

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda is way bigger than Potomac.

Playing with friends is hard by the birth-year rule.

+1 All my child's friends play in the age group above hers.

Anonymous wrote:Pick one closer to your house and where your kid's friends are playing.

I disagree with this entirely. One of the most positive things about my kids' travel sports experiences has been being placed on teams
with no previous friends or classmates.

This became especially important in middle school. One of the best ways to thrive during the middle school years is to have
friends outside of your immediate middle school.

Bethesda is way bigger than Potomac.

Playing with friends is hard by the birth-year rule.

Anonymous wrote:Pick one closer to your house and where your kid's friends are playing.

Hard to predict where friends will end up playing even in the same club. In some age groups Bethesda has 6-8 teams.

Check out Laurel Lions soccer as well - much smaller than Bethesda and Potomac. The main coaches played at World Cup level.

At both these clubs, the coaching is very team-specific. Some teams have a great experience with a great coach, others not so much. And just because someone is the assigned coach to a team for the fall at the time of tryouts does not mean s/he'll be there when August rolls around. There are coaching changes over the summer as people find a better option. In general, you are more likely to get a better coach (skill, personality, etc.) who will stick around on a top team than on a lower team. But, basically, it is a crap shoot at the big clubs.

Pick one closer to your house and where your kid's friends are playing.

What are the big clubs nearby on the Maryland side other than Bethesda and Potomac? How do the two compare for boys? Which has better coaching for the younger kids?