OP here, just to be clear I know that we have lost 1st team players, quality kids to FCB. The reason why I asked was based off of curiosity, nothing more. It sounds like a good program, but because the approach is vastly different than the traditional style of US clubs we are debating the merits. I'm just happy to know there are alternatives, it's great for the market place.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a somewhat expensive training program where nobody is ever turned away as long as they have a positive attitude. Yay!

Exactly, a place that would turn away a guy like you for being a jerk. The sideline is much happier already.

From experience, it's the same sideline that you find at any other club in the DMV. Doesn't matter how good or bad the club organization is, you can't change the ingrained attitudes of parents in this area. Sure, a few are genuinely friendly & positive and some are ultra-competitive jerks who think they know more about the sport than anyone else, with the spectrum in between. Snickering and whispering about other parents' players, sucking up to the staff/club, snide comments, etc; it might be a disadvantage that the Spaniards are not as tuned in to the pettiness of parents in American youth sports, especially in a privileged area like this one. Kumbaya.

Anonymous wrote:It's a somewhat expensive training program where nobody is ever turned away as long as they have a positive attitude. Yay!

And that’s not true either, btw.

Anonymous wrote:It's a somewhat expensive training program where nobody is ever turned away as long as they have a positive attitude. Yay!

Exactly, a place that would turn away a guy like you for being a jerk. The sideline is much happier already.

It's a somewhat expensive training program where nobody is ever turned away as long as they have a positive attitude. Yay!

Sounds good to me - i wish they'd open an outpost in MD

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

No doubt -- Barca's style is terrific. Rondos are great teaching tools, no matter what a U.S. Soccer bureaucrat says. But keep expectations reasonable. A so-so athlete or someone with mediocre coordination can do 10,000 hours of rondos and still not be an effective soccer player.

U.S. Soccer is negative about Rondos? I had not heard that. Please give more background on this. I thought everyone had bought into Rondos and was surprised that they were not utilized much by our team this past year.

DC's own Charles Boehm has done a lot of reporting on this:

https://ussoccerplayers.com/2018/05/us-soccer-coaching-education-and-the-strange-case-of-the-war-on-rondos.html

https://www.soccerwire.com/news/other/coaching/soccerwire-qa-going-deep-on-coaching-ed-with-ussfs-tschan-russell/

The issue is that rondos are not "directional" and therefore aren't "reality-based."

I'm not an expert on coaching technique, but I think the USSF position flunks the "duh" test ...

1. Players need to develop a first touch and learn to receive passes. Duh. No coaching expertise needed to know that.

2. Effective passes may go backwards as well as forwards. Duh, again.

Wow. The US Soccer guys talk all around it but it does sound like they are anti-rondo. Shocking. Heck what do Cruyff and Guardiola know anyways. There are so many things that can be learned and taught in Rondos. To expand on your #1, I think Rondos help develop the good footwork required for the passing game better and faster than anything else. With good Rondos the players get such a high number of reps of passing and receiving under pressure in game like conditions. Yes at a certain point I suppose you can get carried away with it but it is such a valuable drill. I have heard that Man City still does some 5v2 Rondos in practice.

Anonymous wrote:What do you suppose is FCB's motivation for bringing their programs to the US? Is it to expand their horizons to find the next Pulisic.. or is it entirely revenue based ?

Escolas are definitely not intended to recruit players for their club. It is to spread their brand, sell more merchandise and interest in soccer and the Barca team

FCB parent here. I will give some examples of what makes it different from my experiences at other clubs. Note that all of this falls outside of the arguments about training styles tournaments results. Some of it will seem trivial or silly even but I have learned to appreciate the value

At the end of practices and games, players may not leave until the coach makes visible contact with the adult picking them up.

Players arrive early for practice and gather in a designated place (bleachers) so they can all enter the field together, as a team. When practice is over the team all helps with equipment pickup and exits the field together. During water breaks the team goes to the sideline together and returns together. Message: don’t leave anyone behind, a team sticks together. It’s great for kids who are less outgoing or new to the team.

Uniforms must be worn or no practice. No exceptions. Wrong color socks, sorry. Forgot your goalkeeper gloves, sit out and watch. Need a winter hat, better be the right color and never in a game. Attendance is recorded. Teaches responsibility

Before games the team lines up at the center of the field and applauds the spectators. Just like on TV! Kids love it.

The technical director and coaches seems to know every kid by name. Hundreds of kids, a dozen coaches.

Any discussion of players is done with the TD not the coaches.

Discipline, respect, hard work. It’s similar to how martial arts practice. But less formal and still fun for kids.

General manager works full time for FCB. No parent team managers playing favorites.

Regular parent surveys to get feedback and make improvements.

Twice a year written report card for each player on technical skills, concepts, progress

As I said these are maybe very small gestures but it is different than other clubs. The professionalism and organization has been wonderful. I only hope it continues as the club grows

I think that’s great. I think anyone that has doubts should not come out. No place is perfect.

Anyone that picks a Club sight unseen based solely on message boards and stats is not doing their homework.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My BS meter goes completely through the roof when I see these threads on FCBEscola. Post after post of how completely wonderful it is. It is the best at developing kids while parents all sing Kumbaya together in perfect harmony. Several people would join in a heartbeat if they lived closer. I don't know how you can say that unless you have seen them several times at practices and games. If you don't live close by, why are you watching so many of their games and practices??? They don't play against other clubs in league play and do very few tournaments (most teams have only done one), so people aren't seeing them that way. I think I have seen only one honest post in all these threads that gave both pros and cons. All the rest I'm guessing are either someone on the payroll or parents that burned their bridges at their old club and/or want to justify putting their kid in one of the most expensive programs in the area.

I don't understand why you would play a kid up an age group in a tournament if they are playing against other clubs C or D teams. I would rather my kid play their age group against A teams, then play up against C and D teams. Doesn't make sense. The tournaments they have won are low brackets and/or rec tournaments (Va beach). They really should be having their players play with their age group until they are versing other A teams. Then if a player is that great, have him play up an age group against other A teams.

And that works for you. Nobody is trying to convince you to come. I know I don't care. Stay where you are happy.

There are only two ways people react to threads about clubs on forums:

People praise the club
Immediate reaction: Posted by coaches at the club.

People bash the club:
Immediate reaction: Posted by bitter ex coaches or parents.

The enthusiasm on all threads FCB takes it to another level. 9 pages in two days of unquestionable praise and bashing of anyone with doubts is not typical, even for this website. To me, this enthusiasm makes me skeptical. I’m wondering how many different people are posting. Seems hard to believe that a club with 300 kids (according to a previous poster) and has been in existence for only a year would have more than a couple people posting on this website.

I forgot the third reaction:

Lots of praise
Immediate reaction: Must be one poster. (This one poster is usually accused of being a coach)

Not all FCB parents are as fanatical about the club as the few who post here. I saw a well written post here, in another thread, that outlined the pros and cons and I share some of the same concerns, as an FCB parent. The training is good, but it's not soccer nirvana. The PP is correct, the level of fervor here is not representative of reality, based on the discussions I've had with others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They may have great coaches there, but I know for a fact not all coaches there came from the prestigious Barcelona organizations.

That claim was never made. But about 5 of the coaches did come from Spain.

More than 5. Way more.

Anonymous wrote:They may have great coaches there, but I know for a fact not all coaches there came from the prestigious Barcelona organizations.

That claim was never made. But about 5 of the coaches did come from Spain.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My BS meter goes completely through the roof when I see these threads on FCBEscola. Post after post of how completely wonderful it is. It is the best at developing kids while parents all sing Kumbaya together in perfect harmony. Several people would join in a heartbeat if they lived closer. I don't know how you can say that unless you have seen them several times at practices and games. If you don't live close by, why are you watching so many of their games and practices??? They don't play against other clubs in league play and do very few tournaments (most teams have only done one), so people aren't seeing them that way. I think I have seen only one honest post in all these threads that gave both pros and cons. All the rest I'm guessing are either someone on the payroll or parents that burned their bridges at their old club and/or want to justify putting their kid in one of the most expensive programs in the area.

I don't understand why you would play a kid up an age group in a tournament if they are playing against other clubs C or D teams. I would rather my kid play their age group against A teams, then play up against C and D teams. Doesn't make sense. The tournaments they have won are low brackets and/or rec tournaments (Va beach). They really should be having their players play with their age group until they are versing other A teams. Then if a player is that great, have him play up an age group against other A teams.

And that works for you. Nobody is trying to convince you to come. I know I don't care. Stay where you are happy.

There are only two ways people react to threads about clubs on forums:

People praise the club
Immediate reaction: Posted by coaches at the club.

People bash the club:
Immediate reaction: Posted by bitter ex coaches or parents.

The enthusiasm on all threads FCB takes it to another level. 9 pages in two days of unquestionable praise and bashing of anyone with doubts is not typical, even for this website. To me, this enthusiasm makes me skeptical. I’m wondering how many different people are posting. Seems hard to believe that a club with 300 kids (according to a previous poster) and has been in existence for only a year would have more than a couple people posting on this website.

I forgot the third reaction:

Lots of praise
Immediate reaction: Must be one poster. (This one poster is usually accused of being a coach)

They may have great coaches there, but I know for a fact not all coaches there came from the prestigious Barcelona organizations.