Anonymous wrote:Curious on how Valor tryouts are for a new potential players? are selections for top teams heavily favored to existing players (e.g. Loudoun) or is everyone given a fair shot?

I think it depends on the age group. But, this year may be different since so many players are leaving and they have spots to fill.

My son’s age group (top team) has added new players from outside and from the team below literally every year.

My ds tried out and was offered a spot on their weakest team, plays in the lowest division and loses there. He went right around the corner to FC Dulles (a really small club) and was offered a spot on their team which plays in the first division, several levels higher than the white team he was rejected for. Doesn't really make sense from a soccer POV. (And, he had two great tryouts so it wasn't like they just didn't see anything out of him).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious on how Valor tryouts are for a new potential players? are selections for top teams heavily favored to existing players (e.g. Loudoun) or is everyone given a fair shot?

When my child tried out for Valor, it seem liked they already had their rosters set and only a select few made the upper teams and everyone got an offer for the lower teams. Even if your child was better than current roster players. We didn't take the offer and tried out at a few other clubs and got offer for their top teams.

The community org travel teams (Burke, FPYC, Herndon) that aren't business/soccer factories seem to have much fairer tryouts processes.

Anonymous wrote:Curious on how Valor tryouts are for a new potential players? are selections for top teams heavily favored to existing players (e.g. Loudoun) or is everyone given a fair shot?

When my child tried out for Valor, it seem liked they already had their rosters set and only a select few made the upper teams and everyone got an offer for the lower teams. Even if your child was better than current roster players. We didn't take the offer and tried out at a few other clubs and got offer for their top teams.

Anonymous wrote:Curious on how Valor tryouts are for a new potential players? are selections for top teams heavily favored to existing players (e.g. Loudoun) or is everyone given a fair shot?

It's a business. They are trying to get as many paying widgets as they can and they don't care if kids end up on the right team, as long as they get as many paying customers in the door as possible while retaining as many paying customers as they can.

So think of their decisions from a business/money making perspective and plan accordingly.

Anonymous wrote:This thread is kind of wild! Is Herndon better than Valor? It seems like neighbors' kids are evenly split between CYA/Valor and Herndon. Thinking ahead to next year when my son might want to try out for travel...

If this soccer board accurately portrays the VOC then Herndon is much better. Hardly ever read complaints on here about Herndon.

Anonymous wrote:Curious on how Valor tryouts are for a new potential players? are selections for top teams heavily favored to existing players (e.g. Loudoun) or is everyone given a fair shot?

I'll summarize the thread for you. The consensus seems to be that they don't want to move current paying customers down OR up. New potential customers might get offered one of the few open spots on a higher team, but are much more likely to be slotted into a lower team beneath their ability as the 3rd, 4th, 5th trams have 80-90% turnover from season to season. The lower teams are universally not good experiences with the weakest coaches and less skilled teammates and lots of Ls and you should not take an offer less than the second team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The posts about SA are either people paying him privately coaching where he butters them up but still doesn't play their kid - or himself posting.
I heard he got fired/let go from returning GFR but no way to verify this other than I see he's not there anymore.
He lost a lot of families who left GFR because of his lack of communication & abusive coaching practices last year and was friends with the former gfr TD who also allegedly got fired.

This is completely opposite from what others have said about this coach. So who is telling the truth and who isn't??

Current GFR parent. DC had SA as a coach a couple of years back. He is polarizing because of his direct coaching style. This is great for some kids and not so great for others depending on what motivates them. Never found SA abusive, but certainly direct.

Curious on how Valor tryouts are for a new potential players? are selections for top teams heavily favored to existing players (e.g. Loudoun) or is everyone given a fair shot?

Anonymous wrote:The posts about SA are either people paying him privately coaching where he butters them up but still doesn't play their kid - or himself posting.
I heard he got fired/let go from returning GFR but no way to verify this other than I see he's not there anymore.
He lost a lot of families who left GFR because of his lack of communication & abusive coaching practices last year and was friends with the former gfr TD who also allegedly got fired.

This is completely opposite from what others have said about this coach. So who is telling the truth and who isn't??

The posts about SA are either people paying him privately coaching where he butters them up but still doesn't play their kid - or himself posting.
I heard he got fired/let go from returning GFR but no way to verify this other than I see he's not there anymore.
He lost a lot of families who left GFR because of his lack of communication & abusive coaching practices last year and was friends with the former gfr TD who also allegedly got fired.

This thread is kind of wild! Is Herndon better than Valor? It seems like neighbors' kids are evenly split between CYA/Valor and Herndon. Thinking ahead to next year when my son might want to try out for travel...

Most clubs rotate coaches after 2 or 3 years with a team.

I saw at least 8 new coaches on there. Coaches tend to stay in age bands, there are some who enjoy the younger ones and others who like the older kids. Sometimes players need a new voice too.