Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a shame that all the clubs feel like they need to chase the pathway thing. I have one kid who wants to play as high level as they can, and another for whom low level NCSL is perfect. Smaller community based clubs are having a hard time competing with the big ones in terms of resources and positioning. At the same time it sucks to be on the 5th or 6th team at a large club. Feels like my two kids may need to be at two different clubs to get what we need do one and not overpay/be totally ignored for the other.

Coming from someone with one kid at Sterling and one kid who has left, I disagree with the previous pp who said they're doing it for the money. I think you're right that they're trying to stay relevant. They're great for the smaller kids, but they have a hard time keeping their talent and forming teams at the older age groups when many of those kids want a pathway. With every club in the area now getting MLSN2/GA Aspire/etc. they're having an identity crisis trying to figure out what their next step is.

It seems like Herndon and Sterling should just fully merge at this point and either be ECNL RL or apply for MLSN2/Aspire together. The latter would probably make more sense. Other travel clubs popping up in the area have really eaten into their player pool. I know Herndon has lost some older boys to VRSC for example. Being a "feeder" into FVU doesn't seem to serve Herndon well at all. I don't think Herndon coaches communicate or advocate for their players with FVU coaches (talking about boys side) the way other coaches do. Sterling being partnered with West Virginia for boys doesn't make sense either -- too far away.

Lmvsc is a similar situation. Doesn't really seem like it's about the money. They aren't attracting any outside talent due to RL, just like Herndon is not, but the club is totally down with the sheep to the slaughter approach.

We have not had a good experience and most of our team is leaving, older boys first team. Disagree with pp, this year was not fun.

Apparently, the teams coached by NA get special perks and treatment but I have also heard he's not a good coach.

Anonymous wrote:Back to the topic of this thread, which is Herndon. We have two younger boys, one of whom is more serious about soccer. Is this a stable club? What do parents of older boys think at this point? I thought Herndon had a good reputation for boys a few years ago. Is this no longer the case? Is this a club people are trying to join, or one more people are trying to leave?

All depends on the age group. If you’re looking to have fun, you’ll be fine. If you’re looking to get what you’ll be promised you have to make sure you’re on one of the director’s teams, but don’t expect him to coach the team, he has minions do that for him. He won girls competitive coach of the year somehow when he doesn’t coach girls teams. He’s the current t coach of the top 2015 and 2016 boys which are boys who were developed by the last coach.

Other than that it’s a great place to be if you don’t might shots fired at practice and police being called from time to time to get people off the field

Back to the topic of this thread, which is Herndon. We have two younger boys, one of whom is more serious about soccer. Is this a stable club? What do parents of older boys think at this point? I thought Herndon had a good reputation for boys a few years ago. Is this no longer the case? Is this a club people are trying to join, or one more people are trying to leave?

They only have a few teams. How have they grown a lot?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Running a community soccer club that just plays in NCSL doesn't bring in the $$$ and cu$tomer$ like being able to advertise for the higher leagues. The people who run the soccer clubs are greedy.

I think people would be drawn to a club that's not chasing that. Sterling could've kept that niche. Look how much ODFC has grown. This is why. There are no options for kids who what to do travel, but are just fine with NCSL level of competition and distance.

Where do ODFC train and play matches?

Ashburn

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Running a community soccer club that just plays in NCSL doesn't bring in the $$$ and cu$tomer$ like being able to advertise for the higher leagues. The people who run the soccer clubs are greedy.

I think people would be drawn to a club that's not chasing that. Sterling could've kept that niche. Look how much ODFC has grown. This is why. There are no options for kids who what to do travel, but are just fine with NCSL level of competition and distance.

Where do ODFC train and play matches?

Anonymous wrote:Running a community soccer club that just plays in NCSL doesn't bring in the $$$ and cu$tomer$ like being able to advertise for the higher leagues. The people who run the soccer clubs are greedy.

I think people would be drawn to a club that's not chasing that. Sterling could've kept that niche. Look how much ODFC has grown. This is why. There are no options for kids who what to do travel, but are just fine with NCSL level of competition and distance.

right but each one of those clubs is paying for a full time soccer director/admin. Combining would eliminate many of their jobs so there is no impetus.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a shame that all the clubs feel like they need to chase the pathway thing. I have one kid who wants to play as high level as they can, and another for whom low level NCSL is perfect. Smaller community based clubs are having a hard time competing with the big ones in terms of resources and positioning. At the same time it sucks to be on the 5th or 6th team at a large club. Feels like my two kids may need to be at two different clubs to get what we need do one and not overpay/be totally ignored for the other.

Coming from someone with one kid at Sterling and one kid who has left, I disagree with the previous pp who said they're doing it for the money. I think you're right that they're trying to stay relevant. They're great for the smaller kids, but they have a hard time keeping their talent and forming teams at the older age groups when many of those kids want a pathway. With every club in the area now getting MLSN2/GA Aspire/etc. they're having an identity crisis trying to figure out what their next step is.

It seems like Herndon and Sterling should just fully merge at this point and either be ECNL RL or apply for MLSN2/Aspire together. The latter would probably make more sense. Other travel clubs popping up in the area have really eaten into their player pool. I know Herndon has lost some older boys to VRSC for example. Being a "feeder" into FVU doesn't seem to serve Herndon well at all. I don't think Herndon coaches communicate or advocate for their players with FVU coaches (talking about boys side) the way other coaches do. Sterling being partnered with West Virginia for boys doesn't make sense either -- too far away.

See that makes way too much sense but the people in charge of Sterling say they’re the only ones that train and develop the right way, only they do it “the right way”
For Sterling not to be part of Loudoun is dumb so now instead they’re “Sterling” but play under HYS for girls and West VA for boys. So they’re nothing really but a rec club.
If people could just stop the BS and clubs popping up every neighborhood, it would help.
In reality, Sterling, Loudoun East, Riverbend, HYS are just surviving instead of getting together and creating a real travel club.

Too many directors, too many pathways, too many “right ways to develop”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a shame that all the clubs feel like they need to chase the pathway thing. I have one kid who wants to play as high level as they can, and another for whom low level NCSL is perfect. Smaller community based clubs are having a hard time competing with the big ones in terms of resources and positioning. At the same time it sucks to be on the 5th or 6th team at a large club. Feels like my two kids may need to be at two different clubs to get what we need do one and not overpay/be totally ignored for the other.

Coming from someone with one kid at Sterling and one kid who has left, I disagree with the previous pp who said they're doing it for the money. I think you're right that they're trying to stay relevant. They're great for the smaller kids, but they have a hard time keeping their talent and forming teams at the older age groups when many of those kids want a pathway. With every club in the area now getting MLSN2/GA Aspire/etc. they're having an identity crisis trying to figure out what their next step is.

It seems like Herndon and Sterling should just fully merge at this point and either be ECNL RL or apply for MLSN2/Aspire together. The latter would probably make more sense. Other travel clubs popping up in the area have really eaten into their player pool. I know Herndon has lost some older boys to VRSC for example. Being a "feeder" into FVU doesn't seem to serve Herndon well at all. I don't think Herndon coaches communicate or advocate for their players with FVU coaches (talking about boys side) the way other coaches do. Sterling being partnered with West Virginia for boys doesn't make sense either -- too far away.

Anonymous wrote:It’s a shame that all the clubs feel like they need to chase the pathway thing. I have one kid who wants to play as high level as they can, and another for whom low level NCSL is perfect. Smaller community based clubs are having a hard time competing with the big ones in terms of resources and positioning. At the same time it sucks to be on the 5th or 6th team at a large club. Feels like my two kids may need to be at two different clubs to get what we need do one and not overpay/be totally ignored for the other.

Coming from someone with one kid at Sterling and one kid who has left, I disagree with the previous pp who said they're doing it for the money. I think you're right that they're trying to stay relevant. They're great for the smaller kids, but they have a hard time keeping their talent and forming teams at the older age groups when many of those kids want a pathway. With every club in the area now getting MLSN2/GA Aspire/etc. they're having an identity crisis trying to figure out what their next step is.

It’s a shame that all the clubs feel like they need to chase the pathway thing. I have one kid who wants to play as high level as they can, and another for whom low level NCSL is perfect. Smaller community based clubs are having a hard time competing with the big ones in terms of resources and positioning. At the same time it sucks to be on the 5th or 6th team at a large club. Feels like my two kids may need to be at two different clubs to get what we need do one and not overpay/be totally ignored for the other.

Running a community soccer club that just plays in NCSL doesn't bring in the $$$ and cu$tomer$ like being able to advertise for the higher leagues. The people who run the soccer clubs are greedy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would Sterling want to help Herndon have ECNL-RL for Herndon's boy teamss? None of this partnership makes sense for Sterling if their girls teams would be better off in NCSL.

Sterling can’t help Herndon on the boys side, they’re already helping WV. They have no identity anymore.

They are helping Herndon by sending their girls teams to RL to be slaughtered.

Exactly. It's a horrible business decision on the part of Sterling. No one that's going to Sterling wants that path. The girls belong in NCSL. The management is of the belief that this partnership will give them an easier approval for approval of their GA application. Thinking if they're already an ECNL-RL team, it'll be approved by GA since GA is trying to take over the ECNL markets. What Sterling doesn't seem to understand and no club in the area seems to understand is they're in the customer service business. And their customers are going to Sterling because they weren't chasing ECNL or GA. Not every kid or every parent is focused on those. A lot of us just have kids that want a more competitive experience than rec, but teens who no longer care about chasing college play dreams. There are now basically two clubs fitting that category in Loudoun that Sterling is trying to suck the teet of these bigger programs. And they'll lose customers because of it.