Anonymous
Post 07/06/2017 09:05     Subject: VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Please don't strain your back moving those goalposts.

You know the reason VYS has its own thread and McLean doesn't? It's because McLean parents are all busy driving erratically around McLean staring at their phones instead of the road.

(Yes, I've been driving through McLean a lot this week. Ugh.)
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2017 08:35     Subject: Re:VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:At no point has anyone said to leave VYS. I do not mean that I never said it. Please provide the quote of anyone saying such a thing.



http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1035/533272.page#11073663

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/945/533272.page#10999694

And plenty of comments suggesting a talent drain should be a no-brainer, even at U7:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1065/533272.page#11142723

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/825/533272.page#10587481

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/780/533272.page#9817818

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/600/533272.page#9106663

And spam:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/630/533272.page#9415427


No, you are being overly sensitive and ignoring the context of each of the comments but one. In several of the the threads the overall context was in relation to DA and in one it was in relation to VDA. One comment was being factual about "talent drain" and later clarified that with VDA at least the club "will lose players to an affiliate.

The following quote is a clarifying comment that really simply re-states the fact that there is a talent drain. This doesn't encourage people to leave just simply explains WHY people leave.:

"

Restating the point: There's no inherent reason why VYS would should be "better" than the clubs around it.

Regardless of how much driving people are willing to do to take kids to various A teams, that's maybe 5 percent of the soccer-playing population, and that's only after years of playing already. The overwhelming majority of kids will start playing soccer at their closest club.

So does Arlington have an advantage over Vienna? Yes. Does Loudoun have an advantage over Chantilly? Yes.

Braddock Road is the exception because of history. They're like the Green Bay Packers -- they joined up in the early days, had good management and stuck around. (And still, I worry a bit about their future now -- how long can they keep recruiting kids away from other clubs?)

If a lot of Vienna kids are leaving Vienna for elite clubs, that actually speaks well to the job Vienna does at the younger age groups, does it not? The goal now is to get those kids to go VDA."

If you can't accept that many people do in fact change clubs at least twice then you are naive. Just because people leave a club does not imply condemnation of the former club.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2017 23:36     Subject: Re:VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Anonymous wrote:At no point has anyone said to leave VYS. I do not mean that I never said it. Please provide the quote of anyone saying such a thing.



http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1035/533272.page#11073663

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/945/533272.page#10999694

And plenty of comments suggesting a talent drain should be a no-brainer, even at U7:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1065/533272.page#11142723

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/825/533272.page#10587481

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/780/533272.page#9817818

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/600/533272.page#9106663

And spam:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/630/533272.page#9415427
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2017 21:27     Subject: Re:VYS Soccer - better or worse?
At no point has anyone said to leave VYS. I do not mean that I never said it. Please provide the quote of anyone saying such a thing.

Anonymous
Post 07/05/2017 19:01     Subject: Re:VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, pointing out any shortcomings is viewed as simply trolling by bitter ex coaches or former parents. They fail
to understand that being self critical and accepting criticism is essential to improving.


"Any shortcomings," no. We've had good talks about various issues. We're having one now.

Here's what we view as trolling -- some recent, some longer ago:

1. The belief that everyone should leave VYS because some of the Red teams, which make up at most 5 percent of the VYS membership, aren't competitive in VPL.


Nobody said that families should leave VYS because of this. Nobody even said, hinted or suggested that families leave VYS period.


2. Accusations that the board, which has changed over almost entirely and more than once over the past three years, is maintaining a stranglehold on things so their kids can get preferential treatment.


This is a common bitch at EVERY club so who cares.


3. Taunting. "Oh, the U18 girls are only second-best in the state, but I guess that what passes for accomplishment in Vienna."

Nobody claimed or said that the U18 are "only second-best in the state". People simply stated that their defeat of PDA was simply not a "major upset". The argument was that they were very closely ranked in regional rankings. This is neither a dig nor inaccurate.


4. Anything having to do with Eddie Lima. He's a great coach. His business practice makes things difficult. He's been gone for more than two years. The technical staff they hired to replace him was a disaster. They're also gone.

Meh, but the optics of the forum bitching about it make the club look bad.

5. "Obviously, VYS sucks -- they have this whole thread about them." That's because a lot of people in the travel soccer thread were current or former VYS people, so nearly 18 months ago, we started a new thread. At the time, there really was a lot to talk about. More than half of the posts in this thread were in the first three months of its existence -- more than a year ago.


Not everyone no longer associated with the club likely gives the club a second thought and why would they? Do you go around bad mouthing your former employer?

And it should be noted, some Vienna people were able to piece together a few bits of info to figure out that an ex-coach was indeed coming on here and spouting off about board members and so forth. We're pretty sure he or she stopped. The most recent conversation doesn't seem like this ex-coach -- it just seems like a couple of people desperately trying to diminish any positive news about the club.

All that was demonstrated was one single metric about the club. Pointing it out does not diminish the club as it it true whether it is stated or not. A poor club VPL record does not just go away because it isn't mentioned.


If we weren't willing to talk about issues in the club, this thread would've died down long ago.


Just a couple of quick notes for you:

1. "I didn't say it" is not equal to "nobody said."

2. Sure, people always say the board or the team managers or whoever is getting special treatment. We've just had some hilarious conversations in this thread in which people have complained about "the board," and then it becomes obvious they're talking about people who are no longer on the board and sometimes haven't been on the board in years.

3. You only need to dig back a couple of pages to find people taking digs at the U18 girls team or coming in from the other side and claiming VYS was "favored" to beat PDA. Seriously -- do you read only your posts and the direct responses to them?

4. To a point, sure, but ...

5. ... no, seriously, we know at least one ex-coach and at least one former board member aired grievances and personal attacks in here. Some were actually reported and deleted. This was a while ago, though.

6. "All that was demonstrated" ... see point 1.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2017 18:42     Subject: Re:VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, pointing out any shortcomings is viewed as simply trolling by bitter ex coaches or former parents. They fail
to understand that being self critical and accepting criticism is essential to improving.


"Any shortcomings," no. We've had good talks about various issues. We're having one now.

Here's what we view as trolling -- some recent, some longer ago:

1. The belief that everyone should leave VYS because some of the Red teams, which make up at most 5 percent of the VYS membership, aren't competitive in VPL.


Nobody said that families should leave VYS because of this. Nobody even said, hinted or suggested that families leave VYS period.


2. Accusations that the board, which has changed over almost entirely and more than once over the past three years, is maintaining a stranglehold on things so their kids can get preferential treatment.


This is a common bitch at EVERY club so who cares.


3. Taunting. "Oh, the U18 girls are only second-best in the state, but I guess that what passes for accomplishment in Vienna."

Nobody claimed or said that the U18 are "only second-best in the state". People simply stated that their defeat of PDA was simply not a "major upset". The argument was that they were very closely ranked in regional rankings. This is neither a dig nor inaccurate.


4. Anything having to do with Eddie Lima. He's a great coach. His business practice makes things difficult. He's been gone for more than two years. The technical staff they hired to replace him was a disaster. They're also gone.

Meh, but the optics of the forum bitching about it make the club look bad.

5. "Obviously, VYS sucks -- they have this whole thread about them." That's because a lot of people in the travel soccer thread were current or former VYS people, so nearly 18 months ago, we started a new thread. At the time, there really was a lot to talk about. More than half of the posts in this thread were in the first three months of its existence -- more than a year ago.


Not everyone no longer associated with the club likely gives the club a second thought and why would they? Do you go around bad mouthing your former employer?

And it should be noted, some Vienna people were able to piece together a few bits of info to figure out that an ex-coach was indeed coming on here and spouting off about board members and so forth. We're pretty sure he or she stopped. The most recent conversation doesn't seem like this ex-coach -- it just seems like a couple of people desperately trying to diminish any positive news about the club.

All that was demonstrated was one single metric about the club. Pointing it out does not diminish the club as it it true whether it is stated or not. A poor club VPL record does not just go away because it isn't mentioned.


If we weren't willing to talk about issues in the club, this thread would've died down long ago.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2017 13:34     Subject: Re:VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, pointing out any shortcomings is viewed as simply trolling by bitter ex coaches or former parents. They fail
to understand that being self critical and accepting criticism is essential to improving.


"Any shortcomings," no. We've had good talks about various issues. We're having one now.

Here's what we view as trolling -- some recent, some longer ago:

1. The belief that everyone should leave VYS because some of the Red teams, which make up at most 5 percent of the VYS membership, aren't competitive in VPL.

2. Accusations that the board, which has changed over almost entirely and more than once over the past three years, is maintaining a stranglehold on things so their kids can get preferential treatment.

3. Taunting. "Oh, the U18 girls are only second-best in the state, but I guess that what passes for accomplishment in Vienna."

4. Anything having to do with Eddie Lima. He's a great coach. His business practice makes things difficult. He's been gone for more than two years. The technical staff they hired to replace him was a disaster. They're also gone.

5. "Obviously, VYS sucks -- they have this whole thread about them." That's because a lot of people in the travel soccer thread were current or former VYS people, so nearly 18 months ago, we started a new thread. At the time, there really was a lot to talk about. More than half of the posts in this thread were in the first three months of its existence -- more than a year ago.

And it should be noted, some Vienna people were able to piece together a few bits of info to figure out that an ex-coach was indeed coming on here and spouting off about board members and so forth. We're pretty sure he or she stopped. The most recent conversation doesn't seem like this ex-coach -- it just seems like a couple of people desperately trying to diminish any positive news about the club.

If we weren't willing to talk about issues in the club, this thread would've died down long ago.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2017 12:31     Subject: Re:VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Meanwhile, pointing out any shortcomings is viewed as simply trolling by bitter ex coaches or former parents. They fail
to understand that being self critical and accepting criticism is essential to improving.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2017 08:51     Subject: VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Anonymous wrote:Back to the boys' side for a second. I had two sons who played at VYS through U10 and then went elsewhere. I had a thought that a lot of families bitch about VYS teams not performing well, but I wonder how many of those who complain realize the level of commitment necessary to develop. It's easy to complain that VYS isn't getting the boys to the level they need to be, but maybe it has more to do with the kids and families not doing their part outside of the training that VYS provides. Do they think that two or three practices a week is going to get it done?

Are the kids spending hours of their own time with a ball on their foot? Are they going to supplemental training? Are they playing on select teams that play in tournaments locally or out of town? I know that a lot of VYS kids play baseball, LAX, etc. and that has something to do with it. In fact, one thing that makes VYS special is their willingness to work with kids who play other sports. But parents need to realize that you can't have it both ways. If your kid isn't going to be committed to soccer, you can't blame the club and coach for that. It's basically a rec mentality (with longer drives) and the families are just as accountable as the club.


All great points. And I know plenty of VYS families that never, ever watch soccer on TV or in person. Not going to learn much about how to play if you never see it.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2017 08:37     Subject: VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Anonymous wrote:Back to the boys' side for a second. I had two sons who played at VYS through U10 and then went elsewhere. I had a thought that a lot of families bitch about VYS teams not performing well, but I wonder how many of those who complain realize the level of commitment necessary to develop. It's easy to complain that VYS isn't getting the boys to the level they need to be, but maybe it has more to do with the kids and families not doing their part outside of the training that VYS provides. Do they think that two or three practices a week is going to get it done?

Are the kids spending hours of their own time with a ball on their foot? Are they going to supplemental training? Are they playing on select teams that play in tournaments locally or out of town? I know that a lot of VYS kids play baseball, LAX, etc. and that has something to do with it. In fact, one thing that makes VYS special is their willingness to work with kids who play other sports. But parents need to realize that you can't have it both ways. If your kid isn't going to be committed to soccer, you can't blame the club and coach for that. It's basically a rec mentality (with longer drives) and the families are just as accountable as the club.


I just stumbled on this thread, you bring up a great point. My sons stopped playing other sports at age 10 (their choice) and focused on soccer with technical training + club training during the season and doubled up on technical training in the winter and summer. They aren't playing like Messi but you can clearly tell their ball skills are much better than others on the field, most of the time. I do force them to play other sports casually, but they even gave up rec basketball. Most of the kids on the 1st team have done the same. I didn't one them to be one sport kids, but they love it so I'll support the best I can. I do try to keep them focused on the next game and not get lost in dreams of college or pro.
Anonymous
Post 07/04/2017 07:06     Subject: VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Back to the boys' side for a second. I had two sons who played at VYS through U10 and then went elsewhere. I had a thought that a lot of families bitch about VYS teams not performing well, but I wonder how many of those who complain realize the level of commitment necessary to develop. It's easy to complain that VYS isn't getting the boys to the level they need to be, but maybe it has more to do with the kids and families not doing their part outside of the training that VYS provides. Do they think that two or three practices a week is going to get it done?

Are the kids spending hours of their own time with a ball on their foot? Are they going to supplemental training? Are they playing on select teams that play in tournaments locally or out of town? I know that a lot of VYS kids play baseball, LAX, etc. and that has something to do with it. In fact, one thing that makes VYS special is their willingness to work with kids who play other sports. But parents need to realize that you can't have it both ways. If your kid isn't going to be committed to soccer, you can't blame the club and coach for that. It's basically a rec mentality (with longer drives) and the families are just as accountable as the club.
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2017 11:52     Subject: VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:***Trolls: Trying to pass along some news from the Google tubes, not start a debate.***

Wrapping up: At the Region 1 tournament VYS beat the number one and the number three teams in the State of New Jersey by a collective margin of 9-2, but lost 1-0 to the 6th ranked team in Region 1, so the Phoenix did not advance to today's "final four" round, which is dominated by teams from Pennsylvania. But finished second in the pool and performed well considering that they're all high-school kids while the teams they played consisted largely of rising D1 college players. Hank is to be congratulated, imho.


Congratulations for sure. Wondering if these players will start to receive offers. They should!


I know one's going to West Point and another's playing D3 ball. Not sure about others.

I'm the one who launched the thread about 13% of Madison students going on to play a sport in college. You'd have to think some of them would be playing for this team, but some are in other age groups and some play for other clubs.

I've told VYS they really should publicize the kids they have who go to college. It'll never be as many as a DA, ECNL, Loudoun or Arlington, but they should let people know you can indeed get to college soccer playing for your hometown club. (At least until U.S. Soccer mandates that every kid with a shred of talent plays in a year-round camp, being released on Christmas to have a family meal before returning to training. Because that'll help us win World Cups or something.)
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2017 10:48     Subject: Re:VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Maybe depends on the state and their school cutoff date.
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2017 10:28     Subject: VYS Soccer - better or worse?
I don't know, but the team that swept VYS's division has 17 players from the 2017 class out of 22 on the roster. Must be an outlier.
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2017 10:18     Subject: VYS Soccer - better or worse?
Anonymous wrote:I would assume the exposure will help. they are from the 2018, 2019, and 2020 classes. Teams they played were 2017s.


Teams of players graduating in 2017 would primarily be playing in the U19/20 group wouldn't they? The majority of the U18 group should be 2018 grad year.