In case this is useful to you OP, a few other details to compare and see what's a better fit.

Here's Potomac:

Fall and Spring Practice Sessions: Two sessions per week
Winter Practice Sessions: One practice session per week and an indoor league or two practices per week (varies by age)
Leagues: EDP, CCL II, NCSL)
Events - vary by age group (College Showcases, Tournaments, Scrimmagefests, Festivals)
Free Play sessions for U8-U12, Creative player clinics, Goalkeeper Training, Striker Training, SAQ Training, Academy Night Training: club training for U13 and up

Here's MSI Academy:

Fall and Spring Season: Weekly Training sessions: 2 nights per week
League Play: NCSL (National Capitol Soccer League) games on Saturdays and/or Sundays
Tournaments: 2 per each of fall and spring seasons (4 total) (potential dates are late August, Labor Day weekend, Columbus Day weekend, mid-November, mid/late March, Memorial Day weekend, mid-June)
Winter Season: Weekly: 1 weeknight indoor training session (7 weeks), and 1 weekend outdoor training or game (10 weekends)

OP here. Thank you all. This is very helpful.

^^This. MSI is very different from Bethesda and Potomac. Bethesda and Potomac usually have a minimum of three teams per age group. MSI Academy usually has one.

I know less about Bethesda but Potomac has a lot of club events like Friday scrimmages, goalkeeper training, etc. They put on a big tournament each year as a club. I don't think MSI has those kinds of things.

MSI is also less centrally organized for travel. You try out with each individual coach. There's no big group tryout.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MSI is a not for profit that serves the entire community (tag line, a level of play for everyone - Rec, Classic, Travel and Special Needs). Potomac, Bethesda and the like are businesses pure and simple - out to make $$

What difference does it make if they are a non-profit or not? You buy an iPhone cause you think it brings value to you somehow.

As long as a club brings you some type of value you’re willing to buy, whether it’s bragging rights, good coach, friends, development or whatever.

Very true. Also, Bethesda and Potomac are both not-for-profits as well.

I'm a big fan of MSI and their mission, but you won't get the same training environment as you do at the big area clubs.

It’s almost impossible to get obtain soccer fields from MoCo Public School unless the club is a non-profit.

I don’t get it why people say that MSI Travel Program (Academy) is smaller than Potomac. MSI has the same or more travel teams than Potomac at least on the Girls side. I didn’t look up the boys side yet. But why does this matter anyhow? Key thing is that BSC, Potomac & MSI are all considered large clubs. And being large non-profit clubs, they are all financially stable, have access the many soccer fields and typically very organized.

How many total teams does MSC have for boys and girls? I'd be surprised if they have more than Potomac overall, and certainly they do not have anywhere near the number of teams that Bethesda does. I also don't think many people think of MSI as a traditional club. They are an organization with three separate components: a huge rec program, a moderately sized Classic program, and a small travel/academy program. MSC, the travel part of MSI is basically a loosely affiliated set of teams. There is no real "club" structure, and little, if any club-wide events or connections. They do have access to good fields, and some of the coaches are good, but since they generally don't attract the most serious players in the area, it is not really a destination for families looking for the best development for their kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MSI is a not for profit that serves the entire community (tag line, a level of play for everyone - Rec, Classic, Travel and Special Needs). Potomac, Bethesda and the like are businesses pure and simple - out to make $$

What difference does it make if they are a non-profit or not? You buy an iPhone cause you think it brings value to you somehow.

As long as a club brings you some type of value you’re willing to buy, whether it’s bragging rights, good coach, friends, development or whatever.

Very true. Also, Bethesda and Potomac are both not-for-profits as well.

I'm a big fan of MSI and their mission, but you won't get the same training environment as you do at the big area clubs.

It’s almost impossible to get obtain soccer fields from MoCo Public School unless the club is a non-profit.

I don’t get it why people say that MSI Travel Program (Academy) is smaller than Potomac. MSI has the same or more travel teams than Potomac at least on the Girls side. I didn’t look up the boys side yet. But why does this matter anyhow? Key thing is that BSC, Potomac & MSI are all considered large clubs. And being large non-profit clubs, they are all financially stable, have access the many soccer fields and typically very organized.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MSI is a not for profit that serves the entire community (tag line, a level of play for everyone - Rec, Classic, Travel and Special Needs). Potomac, Bethesda and the like are businesses pure and simple - out to make $$

What difference does it make if they are a non-profit or not? You buy an iPhone cause you think it brings value to you somehow.

As long as a club brings you some type of value you’re willing to buy, whether it’s bragging rights, good coach, friends, development or whatever.

Very true. Also, Bethesda and Potomac are both not-for-profits as well.

I'm a big fan of MSI and their mission, but you won't get the same training environment as you do at the big area clubs.

Anonymous wrote:MSI is a not for profit that serves the entire community (tag line, a level of play for everyone - Rec, Classic, Travel and Special Needs). Potomac, Bethesda and the like are businesses pure and simple - out to make $$

What difference does it make if they are a non-profit or not? You buy an iPhone cause you think it brings value to you somehow.

As long as a club brings you some type of value you’re willing to buy, whether it’s bragging rights, good coach, friends, development or whatever.

Potomac is a 501c3

MSI is a not for profit that serves the entire community (tag line, a level of play for everyone - Rec, Classic, Travel and Special Needs). Potomac, Bethesda and the like are businesses pure and simple - out to make $$

My son currently plays at Potomac and has a black team offer. The black team for 2008 has no assigned coach for fall because the current coach is leaving. We’ve been impressed with all the Potomac coaches so I have faith they will find someone good but I’m personally hesitant to commit until they identify that person.

Thanks for your thoughts. Since DS is currently on MSI classic, we are aware of that organization and have been happy there but with so few slots on their travel team are trying others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meet the coaches, see if you can join a practice, see if one or the other feels like a better fit to you.

Check out the practice locations for your kid's age and the next age-group or two up, and see what is more convenient.

Potomac would have the advantages and disadvantages of a bigger club: more resources and opportunities, but more of those resources and opportunities go to top players. Likewise, MSI would have the advantages and disadvantages of a smaller operation: more intimate, but maybe thinner on resources/opportunities.

Much will depend on the individual coaches and personalities involved, how sensitive you are to location of games and practices, and what your and your player's long-term goals are.

Do you realize that MSI is a much bigger club than Potomac? MSI has about 13,000 players vs about 6,000 players. Please don’t spread fake news.

I mean, if you count rec and classic players, sure. I was referring to the Academy only. They don't have nearly as many travel players as Potomac does.

But sure, if that's useful to OP, MSI has huge rec and classic operations, which account for the bulk of MSI's operations. You could argue that as much as many clubs focus only on top teams, MSI seems more focused on rec and classic. I haven't heard any complaints about this, but YMMV

Anonymous wrote:Meet the coaches, see if you can join a practice, see if one or the other feels like a better fit to you.

Check out the practice locations for your kid's age and the next age-group or two up, and see what is more convenient.

Potomac would have the advantages and disadvantages of a bigger club: more resources and opportunities, but more of those resources and opportunities go to top players. Likewise, MSI would have the advantages and disadvantages of a smaller operation: more intimate, but maybe thinner on resources/opportunities.

Much will depend on the individual coaches and personalities involved, how sensitive you are to location of games and practices, and what your and your player's long-term goals are.

Do you realize that MSI is a much bigger club than Potomac? MSI has about 13,000 players vs about 6,000 players. Please don’t spread fake news.

Meet the coaches, see if you can join a practice, see if one or the other feels like a better fit to you.

Check out the practice locations for your kid's age and the next age-group or two up, and see what is more convenient.

Potomac would have the advantages and disadvantages of a bigger club: more resources and opportunities, but more of those resources and opportunities go to top players. Likewise, MSI would have the advantages and disadvantages of a smaller operation: more intimate, but maybe thinner on resources/opportunities.

Much will depend on the individual coaches and personalities involved, how sensitive you are to location of games and practices, and what your and your player's long-term goals are.

My son (2007 & some kids are 2008)'s MSI classic team is disbanding next year and he and several of his teammates have been trying out at a few travel team clubs. These two team (MSI Academy vs. Potomac Soccer black) appear similar in terms of level of play, coaching. Does anyone have any insights? TIA!