Criteria. Weight each based on your importance, then score each. Multiply weights by score and total. Option with highest score is the winner. Be honest with the weightings and adjust if your gut disagrees.

Criteria:
Cost (club fees, team fees, other fees)
Commute time practice
Commute time games
Coach’s knowledge and ability
Coach’s loyalty to players / caring to teach
Coach’s connections
Teammate quality
Teammate fit / friends
League / Competition
Club size

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Moving to a new part of the DMV and DS tried out for three teams but am not sure how to compare. None of them are for the top team. Two are for B teams, another one for C. Commute is best for the C team. Don't know much about the coaches but all supposed to be okay based on talking to other parents. U12 boys if it matters. Advice?

Hesitant to name the clubs as one of them is smaller but if it helps

Big club - B
Big club - B (roster size is 2 more than other teams)
Medium club - C (commute the best but not that different from other two)

Medium club's C team is likely to be much weaker than B teams at big clubs. They clearly don't value your DS, given that he got offers for B teams from other, presumably stronger clubs. I would take an offer from one of the big clubs.

Anonymous wrote:Moving to a new part of the DMV and DS tried out for three teams but am not sure how to compare. None of them are for the top team. Two are for B teams, another one for C. Commute is best for the C team. Don't know much about the coaches but all supposed to be okay based on talking to other parents. U12 boys if it matters. Advice?

Hesitant to name the clubs as one of them is smaller but if it helps

Big club - B
Big club - B (roster size is 2 more than other teams)
Medium club - C (commute the best but not that different from other two)

it's more about the team and the coach than the club. Do you care what the structure of the U8 girls program is?

Which 3 clubs? We can help you if you tell us!

Anonymous wrote:Unless both B teams were ABGC and Villareal and the C was LMVSC

I get your point, but don't agree with your example. I'd pick Villareal's B team over LMVSC's C team. Not sure why you even mentioned LMVSC. Maybe Arlington or Alexandria's C team would be a good example.

Unless both B teams were ABGC and Villareal and the C was LMVSC

If your DS' goal is to make the A team the next year, go with a B team. It will be much harder to make an A team coming from a C team, whether or not at the same club.

All other things being equal, go with the clubs that offered a spot on a B team. If your DS does well, he will get moved to the A team, when the rosters expand next year.

Anonymous wrote:Moving to a new part of the DMV and DS tried out for three teams but am not sure how to compare. None of them are for the top team. Two are for B teams, another one for C. Commute is best for the C team. Don't know much about the coaches but all supposed to be okay based on talking to other parents. U12 boys if it matters. Advice?

You could compare based on what league they play in.

Is your nearby club a better club overall than the other two? If so than C team might not be so bad?

Do the players from lower teams ever get to practice with players from other teams in these clubs?

Any idea how large rosters are on these teams? It is always more fun to play than to sit on the bench.

Moving to a new part of the DMV and DS tried out for three teams but am not sure how to compare. None of them are for the top team. Two are for B teams, another one for C. Commute is best for the C team. Don't know much about the coaches but all supposed to be okay based on talking to other parents. U12 boys if it matters. Advice?