We are with Barca Academy. They did socially distance practices the end of May/first week in June. They gradually eased in scrimmaging to practices. By mid-June they had their internal scrimmage Saturday league up and running. But, they are very strict and kids line up for temperature checks coming in and hand sanitize before and after, distant during water breaks. One of my kids plays for another Club and they are still doing just social distance. Parents were kept to their cars. With Phase changes, they started to be allowed out.

I am okay with scrimmaging. My kids are at a morning camp this week which is doing scrimmaging at the end.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria is still social distancing until further notice.

They’re focused on selling people camps and extra training. No time to provide better service to those who have paid for the season (past and present). With Alexandria, expect to keep paying to more to get anything.

What service are you missing?

Instead of telling my kid to go to an additional evening camp to improve footskills, how about using all the money I’ve already paid in the spring and fall to actually teach the skills to my kid. I’m sold some BS about a style of play and when I ask about technical work, I’m told to buy an extra camp. I get this club is all about paying its ED ridiculous money, but you would think the basic soccer stuff would come with team fees. To make matters worse, I drive by the fields at times when my kid should be having practice and I see them filled with the Kids paying for the extra camp. It’s a club where only “the haves” seem to get training.

I sympathize with your complaints but have you compared it with similar big clubs around the area? I think Bethesda, McLean, Arlington and more all do the same thing. Instead of just starting training in mid-July or Aug 1 to get ready for the fall season, they delay the start of team training and offer "optional" pre-season camps, for an extra fee of course.

I'm not defending it, but in fairness I don't think it's accurate to suggest that Alexandria costs any more than most of the other big clubs in this area.

Not true of Arlington. They’ve been practicing 2x a week since the end of June - socially distanced, of course.

If my memory serves me correctly, I believe Arlington also does a dedicated technical day once per week as part of their team training. Not sure if that is still the case, but if it is the poster’s concerns about getting “basic soccer stuff” included in team fees would be addressed. Having to pay for an additional camp for this training would make Alexandria more expensive when you compare like to like services.

Umm, while I don't think Alexandria dedicates specific days of training either to fitness or drills, they definitely incorporate the latter into practices. But quite a few kids on their top teams (and at other clubs) do technical work outside of practice without paying for extra classes. That is why a lot of their practices focus on flow, positioning and tactics at earlier ages - the assumption (right or wrong) is that kids can and do improve their skills outside of practice. Their supplemental classes are useful but generally for kids who either cannot or will not work on this kind of stuff at home, or players who want more touches on the ball.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria is still social distancing until further notice.

They’re focused on selling people camps and extra training. No time to provide better service to those who have paid for the season (past and present). With Alexandria, expect to keep paying to more to get anything.

What service are you missing?

Instead of telling my kid to go to an additional evening camp to improve footskills, how about using all the money I’ve already paid in the spring and fall to actually teach the skills to my kid. I’m sold some BS about a style of play and when I ask about technical work, I’m told to buy an extra camp. I get this club is all about paying its ED ridiculous money, but you would think the basic soccer stuff would come with team fees. To make matters worse, I drive by the fields at times when my kid should be having practice and I see them filled with the Kids paying for the extra camp. It’s a club where only “the haves” seem to get training.

I sympathize with your complaints but have you compared it with similar big clubs around the area? I think Bethesda, McLean, Arlington and more all do the same thing. Instead of just starting training in mid-July or Aug 1 to get ready for the fall season, they delay the start of team training and offer "optional" pre-season camps, for an extra fee of course.

I'm not defending it, but in fairness I don't think it's accurate to suggest that Alexandria costs any more than most of the other big clubs in this area.

Not true of Arlington. They’ve been practicing 2x a week since the end of June - socially distanced, of course.

If my memory serves me correctly, I believe Arlington also does a dedicated technical day once per week as part of their team training. Not sure if that is still the case, but if it is the poster’s concerns about getting “basic soccer stuff” included in team fees would be addressed. Having to pay for an additional camp for this training would make Alexandria more expensive when you compare like to like services.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria is still social distancing until further notice.

They’re focused on selling people camps and extra training. No time to provide better service to those who have paid for the season (past and present). With Alexandria, expect to keep paying to more to get anything.

What service are you missing?

Instead of telling my kid to go to an additional evening camp to improve footskills, how about using all the money I’ve already paid in the spring and fall to actually teach the skills to my kid. I’m sold some BS about a style of play and when I ask about technical work, I’m told to buy an extra camp. I get this club is all about paying its ED ridiculous money, but you would think the basic soccer stuff would come with team fees. To make matters worse, I drive by the fields at times when my kid should be having practice and I see them filled with the Kids paying for the extra camp. It’s a club where only “the haves” seem to get training.

I sympathize with your complaints but have you compared it with similar big clubs around the area? I think Bethesda, McLean, Arlington and more all do the same thing. Instead of just starting training in mid-July or Aug 1 to get ready for the fall season, they delay the start of team training and offer "optional" pre-season camps, for an extra fee of course.

I'm not defending it, but in fairness I don't think it's accurate to suggest that Alexandria costs any more than most of the other big clubs in this area.

Not true of Arlington. They’ve been practicing 2x a week since the end of June - socially distanced, of course.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria is still social distancing until further notice.

They’re focused on selling people camps and extra training. No time to provide better service to those who have paid for the season (past and present). With Alexandria, expect to keep paying to more to get anything.

What service are you missing?

Instead of telling my kid to go to an additional evening camp to improve footskills, how about using all the money I’ve already paid in the spring and fall to actually teach the skills to my kid. I’m sold some BS about a style of play and when I ask about technical work, I’m told to buy an extra camp. I get this club is all about paying its ED ridiculous money, but you would think the basic soccer stuff would come with team fees. To make matters worse, I drive by the fields at times when my kid should be having practice and I see them filled with the Kids paying for the extra camp. It’s a club where only “the haves” seem to get training.

I sympathize with your complaints but have you compared it with similar big clubs around the area? I think Bethesda, McLean, Arlington and more all do the same thing. Instead of just starting training in mid-July or Aug 1 to get ready for the fall season, they delay the start of team training and offer "optional" pre-season camps, for an extra fee of course.

I'm not defending it, but in fairness I don't think it's accurate to suggest that Alexandria costs any more than most of the other big clubs in this area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria is still social distancing until further notice.

They’re focused on selling people camps and extra training. No time to provide better service to those who have paid for the season (past and present). With Alexandria, expect to keep paying to more to get anything.

What service are you missing?

Instead of telling my kid to go to an additional evening camp to improve footskills, how about using all the money I’ve already paid in the spring and fall to actually teach the skills to my kid. I’m sold some BS about a style of play and when I ask about technical work, I’m told to buy an extra camp. I get this club is all about paying its ED ridiculous money, but you would think the basic soccer stuff would come with team fees. To make matters worse, I drive by the fields at times when my kid should be having practice and I see them filled with the Kids paying for the extra camp. It’s a club where only “the haves” seem to get training.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria is still social distancing until further notice.

They’re focused on selling people camps and extra training. No time to provide better service to those who have paid for the season (past and present). With Alexandria, expect to keep paying to more to get anything.

What service are you missing?

Anonymous wrote:Alexandria is still social distancing until further notice.

They’re focused on selling people camps and extra training. No time to provide better service to those who have paid for the season (past and present). With Alexandria, expect to keep paying to more to get anything.

Alexandria is still social distancing until further notice.

Anonymous wrote:Arlington is doing Arlington v Arlington scrimmages but I heard many parents are opting out for now.

Very few opting out as far as I can see. Coach took a show of hands today for who will be playing on my DC's team, and all hands were raised.

Arlington is doing Arlington v Arlington scrimmages but I heard many parents are opting out for now.

Anonymous wrote:OK. Thank you.

I assume this is Arlington, not Alexandria. Alexandria is socially distanced and not scrimmaging.

OK. Thank you.

No. ASA practices were socially distanced up until about a week ago, but they are now full on. Scrimmages are starting up this weekend.

Heard they continued distanced practices past 7/1 (or whenever that switch to the next phase was). My daughter's club is full-on and I'm very uncomfortable. Wondering if I can still hold ASA up as an example? We have local grandparents, she's not going to school, she's not looking for a college placement, and - most importantly - I can't get around the fact that we have the privilege to make a tough decision to forgo a beloved hobby to slow the spread and protect our community. Am I really alone in thinking this?