Anonymous wrote:Dilemma.

Club that is good with team play/concepts vs Club that does nothing about team play/passing/reading field but skills development. U10-U12.

And, trust me, no club in the area offers both. We've been all over the DMV.

Our U10 player has significantly dropped off in ball skill due to the type of training. The team takes up a significant amount of time so kid has had less and less time to work on these skills like he did in the past---on his own, at pick up and with trainer. The downturn has been significant. Player told he is incredibly smart at possession and very high soccer IQ, fast, etc.

I would really like to skip one of the 3 90 minute practices to spend on skills privately. Any club allow this?

DCYFC

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Anonymous wrote:There seems to be some bashing of CCL on these pages (not warranted imo) but what does it say to the state and level of VPL as another club leaves for CCL? Last year it was NVSC and now VA Rush. They seem to be growing their membership while VPL loses a solid club. In looking through their standings they appear to rank in 5/6th overall.

Again I understand that CCL is inferior to DA/ECNL but it's still a great next level of competition. Will VPL eventually fold? Maybe some of the Richmond teams in VPL should join CCL in order to create a North/South Division to limit the travel during the regular season that so many complain about and then have sort of tournament to determine champions etc.

All you have to do is look at the VYSA State Championships from CCL teams vs VPL teams since the leagues started......clearly in CCl's favor. As many have said, you have to have a level underneath the DA/ECNL level, and CCL clearly tops it in VA/MD. VPL has been hit hard by both ECNL (Kickers and Strikers) and the DA (VYS, PWSI, VSA, FCV) as the top teams for many VPL teams are at best depleted from U13/14 and up. The fact that the VPL started its own State Cup this year is even a further clue.

State Cup winners don’t answer either greatness or consistency questions and don’t tell you anything about U9-11 when people are initially selecting clubs. After u11, many great players have gone to DAs (which throws off any predictions about U9-11 top team and league competitiveness based on State Cup results of other team in your league who may be but are probably not part of your own club). But hey, if your league’s performance in State Cups makes you feel like your kid is getting the best development they canget, go for it. You can join the millions of SEC fans who think their team is great simply because Alabama wins national championships. There is no doubt that the SEC is a great Conference. There is also no doubt that there are a lot of good players and teams outside of it.

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be some bashing of CCL on these pages (not warranted imo) but what does it say to the state and level of VPL as another club leaves for CCL? Last year it was NVSC and now VA Rush. They seem to be growing their membership while VPL loses a solid club. In looking through their standings they appear to rank in 5/6th overall.

Again I understand that CCL is inferior to DA/ECNL but it's still a great next level of competition. Will VPL eventually fold? Maybe some of the Richmond teams in VPL should join CCL in order to create a North/South Division to limit the travel during the regular season that so many complain about and then have sort of tournament to determine champions etc.

All you have to do is look at the VYSA State Championships from CCL teams vs VPL teams since the leagues started......clearly in CCl's favor. As many have said, you have to have a level underneath the DA/ECNL level, and CCL clearly tops it in VA/MD. VPL has been hit hard by both ECNL (Kickers and Strikers) and the DA (VYS, PWSI, VSA, FCV) as the top teams for many VPL teams are at best depleted from U13/14 and up. The fact that the VPL started its own State Cup this year is even a further clue.

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Anonymous wrote:All of this is talk about CCL vs NCSL is preposterous based on my experience over the past three years as a parent of a U9 and u10 boy. With a few exceptions like Arlington Red, clubs vary immensely year over year (at least on the boys side ), including longer-standing members of the CCL, newer CCL members, VPL members and NCSL members whose top teams are usually in the first or second division). Individual teams change YOY, especially as stars leave for the DAs. I don’t see much value in these recurring discussions other than reminding me of how misguided some parents may be who think their children are not only joining a team but a club and league, as if the league makes your club, team or child a good player. And I have not really seen any persuasive points about intra league competitiveness. If you are a top team in either NCSL, CCL, or VPL, you won’t have much unless and until your child’s team plays the right bracket in the right tournament. And if you child is not on a top team, then being in any of these leagues is going to be fine for competitiveness. The most competitive league are in Maryland at the U8-11 range. We don’t have anything like those in NOVA

I don't think that it's about belonging to a specific league but to understand that their kid's team is in a league where they are going to find the best competition. I don't care which league they are in but that they can be in one that offers the most consistent competition. Not all the same teams/clubs are on the same level and agree that Arlington Red is consistently high quality. In my opinion there should be one VYSA league outside of DA broken up by districts with promotion/relegation so that all teams get comparable competition each week.

OK. There are two issues you identify: best competition and consistent competition. I think we I dealt with "best competition" in the post above. So, for example, I don't think Arlington Red boys in most age groups sees a difference between the quality of competition in CCL vs. VPL or NCSL Division 1 at most ages. Nor would PWSI's Nike Boys from 2008 see any differences between competition between NCSL and CCL. They beat pretty much everybody any time. And middling or lower tier CCL clubs would certainly not see material differences between the leagues, though the top one or two teams in CCL are likely to be better than top VPL teams in most years (not sure about NCSL Division 1). BRYC certainly looked at the landscape recently as a CCL team and left, despite or perhaps because of substantial success at the national level. (EDP and ENCL competition is obviously high and seems consistent). So what about the consistency of competition? Hard to measure, but arguably measurable. You'd look at spreads between lower and higher tier team records and goal differences across each of these leagues, and that would give you something of an answer. I am not sure it matters all that much. It is almost impossible to predict it for individual teams, particularly in Year Zero, but even in out years when you have more data about individual team performances. The teams themselves change rosters.

Came across this and thought it would be insightful t those parents who are rather new to travel soccer. Basically getting as much touches as possible is one of the main differences between youth systems here and Europe. Also practice with the club on its own is not enough to technically develop a youth player.

https://www.renegadesoccertraining.com/what-your-club-coach-wont-tell-you-ball-control-technical-development/

That makes way too much sense ever to be implemented! All kidding aside, I agree. That is indeed an excellent idea. But with only three years under my Soccer-parental belt, I don’t want to presume I am wrong about the irrelevance of leagues, and I don’t want to assume there is an easy or acceptable way to stop league proliferation.

For those of you that don't follow the player's tribune, you should.

Take a read at this article by Harry Kane... and for those of you that aren't aware, this past calendar year he scored more goals than Ronaldo or Messi. It has been a while since one of those two didn't have that accolade to their name.

Basically, classic story of grit and talent at the highest levels of football competition.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/harry-kane-tottenham-zero-to-100/

Anonymous wrote:All of this is talk about CCL vs NCSL is preposterous based on my experience over the past three years as a parent of a U9 and u10 boy. With a few exceptions like Arlington Red, clubs vary immensely year over year (at least on the boys side ), including longer-standing members of the CCL, newer CCL members, VPL members and NCSL members whose top teams are usually in the first or second division). Individual teams change YOY, especially as stars leave for the DAs. I don’t see much value in these recurring discussions other than reminding me of how misguided some parents may be who think their children are not only joining a team but a club and league, as if the league makes your club, team or child a good player. And I have not really seen any persuasive points about intra league competitiveness. If you are a top team in either NCSL, CCL, or VPL, you won’t have much unless and until your child’s team plays the right bracket in the right tournament. And if you child is not on a top team, then being in any of these leagues is going to be fine for competitiveness. The most competitive league are in Maryland at the U8-11 range. We don’t have anything like those in NOVA

I don't think that it's about belonging to a specific league but to understand that their kid's team is in a league where they are going to find the best competition. I don't care which league they are in but that they can be in one that offers the most consistent competition. Not all the same teams/clubs are on the same level and agree that Arlington Red is consistently high quality. In my opinion there should be one VYSA league outside of DA broken up by districts with promotion/relegation so that all teams get comparable competition each week.

EDP for one. They have stronger teams than CCL, at least at U12-14. Not sure either that an average CCL team would beat a NCSL 1 team.
Some of the leagues are just glorified rec, at a hefty price...

All of this is talk about CCL vs NCSL is preposterous based on my experience over the past three years as a parent of a U9 and u10 boy. With a few exceptions like Arlington Red, clubs vary immensely year over year (at least on the boys side ), including longer-standing members of the CCL, newer CCL members, VPL members and NCSL members whose top teams are usually in the first or second division). Individual teams change YOY, especially as stars leave for the DAs. I don’t see much value in these recurring discussions other than reminding me of how misguided some parents may be who think their children are not only joining a team but a club and league, as if the league makes your club, team or child a good player. And I have not really seen any persuasive points about intra league competitiveness. If you are a top team in either NCSL, CCL, or VPL, you won’t have much unless and until your child’s team plays the right bracket in the right tournament. And if you child is not on a top team, then being in any of these leagues is going to be fine for competitiveness. The most competitive league are in Maryland at the U8-11 range. We don’t have anything like those in NOVA

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beyond the useless amount of travel, the main problems with the CCL are the huge gap between the team levels and the lack of commitment of some of the players and coaches. With the expansion of DA, the CCL seems like a no man's land between rec and travel, at least until U14...

So what do you consider travel in this case? NCSL? Are you saying that the quality of NCSL teams is higher than CCL? If you are considering DA to be the only travel then ok but in this area only D1 teams in NCSL would be competitive with CCL and even some CCL II teams.

I agree, my DS plays CCL and besides a few clubs in D1 there isn't much left in NCSL. In NOVA it would be Herndon and maybe 3rd teams of clubs already in CCL. Alexandria's top team is in EDP and the travel can be far.

Anonymous wrote:Beyond the useless amount of travel, the main problems with the CCL are the huge gap between the team levels and the lack of commitment of some of the players and coaches. With the expansion of DA, the CCL seems like a no man's land between rec and travel, at least until U14...

So what do you consider travel in this case? NCSL? Are you saying that the quality of NCSL teams is higher than CCL? If you are considering DA to be the only travel then ok but in this area only D1 teams in NCSL would be competitive with CCL and even some CCL II teams.

As comparing with DA, I referred to U12-14. Also, I don't consider the high scoring punt-and-run team as the best ones. Scores apart, there is still plenty of heterogeneity in these age groups in CCL, with some very weak teams (considerably weaker than anything you would see in DA)...

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Anonymous wrote:How do Gunston and LMVSC compare? We are in the area and looking.

What age group? Boy or girl?

Boy 09

For a U9? FPYC could be a good fit.

where do they usually practice? thinking about rush hour commute?

Usually practice at Draper Park, Stafford Park, or Oak Marr Rec Center, all of which are within a 5 mile radius of Fairfax City and close to 66. The prices will be affordable and the club is connected with UK Elite at the younger levels.

Please do yourself a favor and stuck with LMVSC or Alexandria or anywhere else besides FPYC for your 2009. Please. It's not even worth investigating. Trust me!!!!!

I am not familiar with them at the younger age groups.

Everything is worth investigating! If you hate something, great that you know and will never have to look back. But it’s how you educate yourself about what’s out there and what will and won’t work. And do your own research- unless posters here can be clear what their issue is with a club and then you can evaluate based on your DC and your needs.

Generally speaking, yes, but not in this case. I don't want to write a book bashing it but, if you have a specific question, I may be able to answer it clearly.

Anonymous wrote:Beyond the useless amount of travel, the main problems with the CCL are the huge gap between the team levels and the lack of commitment of some of the players and coaches. With the expansion of DA, the CCL seems like a no man's land between rec and travel, at least until U14...

This is true everywhere with Ulittle soccer. Talent variance is not a CCL thing. Throw a couple of athletes and some organized play onto any U10 team and you will get a blowout. Get one or two teams who have a kid who will play a large amount of keeper and things get even worse.