Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We really like Potomac, but had been frustrated by so few kids moving up from the 2nd teams to the 1st.
Most of the kids getting added to the roster come from outside the program, not the RL teams, even at age groups where the RL team is excellent and the NL team is bad.
If you want to play for Potomac ECNL, I woldn't accept a spot on RL, and hope you'll move up.

This is very accurate. On a coaching level, the coaches at PSA are good but unfortunately they rotate every couple years which could be good or bad. As an organization PSA is trying so hard to be Bethesda. I am not dinging them, business is business. But we've seen it happen too many times there that RL kids MAY come back the following season and in many cases, drop to the 3 team. The director of the groups are focused on making the ECNL team a dominant team, that's it. That's all there is too it. Again, business is business, do what you have to to do—but as a parent, this is the takeaway at PSA.
• ECNL ID sessions happen early. In many cases, the 1 team is sorted out even before cattle call tryouts. They will gladly take someone from other clubs regardless if you kid has played on NL or RL at PSA for season(s)
• The general tryouts are a joke, at this point it's just sorting out the 3 team (EDP or NCSL)
• If you are on a 3 team or 2 (NL), there is literally no chance your kid will rise to the next team.
Again, they need to make wining teams and business is business, this is not knock, it's just observations that parents should know

Having played this game in the Bethesda/Rockville/Gaithersburg area with multiple kids and multiple teams we have found that a team that focuses on coaching first, winning second has prepared them for success in high school.
Some teams that we have run through either personally or close knowledge that subscribe to this:
Lions Soccer Club: Coaches are ex professionals from Africa. They churn out good players but no ECNL affiliation so they tend to lose their best
ROSA: Not sure what the environment is there since the change last season but very good coaching and good players, but same, they lose their best
World Premier: Intense coaching. Wasn't a good fit for us but they always present well and look tight despite their records.

Anonymous wrote:We really like Potomac, but had been frustrated by so few kids moving up from the 2nd teams to the 1st.
Most of the kids getting added to the roster come from outside the program, not the RL teams, even at age groups where the RL team is excellent and the NL team is bad.
If you want to play for Potomac ECNL, I woldn't accept a spot on RL, and hope you'll move up.