Anonymous wrote:The girls ECNL-RL teams that are missing are being filled by Sterling this year. They did a merger to fill their empty gaps.

My guess is that won't last past this year. First of all the Sterling teams are paying 1/2 of what the Herndon girls teams are paying. Next year when they charge them the full amount, they'll leave. Also, the Sterling teams are getting walloped in ECNL-R - probably bc they're nowhere near ready to be competitive in that league and also there is at least one Sterling team (2011s) that they're forcing to play up in ECNL-R with the 2010s because Herndon already had a 2011 team. It's a terrible deal for the Sterling teams other than the cost. The only purpose it serves is to keep Herndon from getting kicked out of ECNL-R.

The girls ECNL-RL teams that are missing are being filled by Sterling this year. They did a merger to fill their empty gaps.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So why pay $3000 if you want to play friendly games in the neighborhood? Just send kids out to local park and they can play

So you think any form of travel soccer that isn't pre ECNL league isn't worth paying for? As if that league is so great? Some of the best teams are not even in it so it's not really the top competition even in Virginia or the DC area. You seem to have an inflated sense of the level your kid is playing at. None of this really matters at these ages.

No I was agreeing with your point. Each year there's a "new" and "better" league that requires new patches and jerseys from another brand that they have a partnership with where teams travel all over the country to play. I'm from Croatia, size of the state of West VA and growing up, we only played the 4-5 clubs around us. We didn't get to play any teams outside of the country until we got to U14+

I was agreeing that paying an absurd amount of money to travel and play "top" teams does nothing, kids need time on the field where they can learn and develop, not be pressurized to win games because mom and dad are upset they drove 4 hours and have to make it worth the drive

Anonymous wrote:So why pay $3000 if you want to play friendly games in the neighborhood? Just send kids out to local park and they can play

So you think any form of travel soccer that isn't pre ECNL league isn't worth paying for? As if that league is so great? Some of the best teams are not even in it so it's not really the top competition even in Virginia or the DC area. You seem to have an inflated sense of the level your kid is playing at. None of this really matters at these ages.

Anonymous wrote:So why pay $3000 if you want to play friendly games in the neighborhood? Just send kids out to local park and they can play

Seriously do you really believe that because you travel further you are getting better development? The problem is with the fractured leagues there is a huge mess at the Ulittle ages. Like others have pointed out just because you are in Pre-ecnl that doesn't mean the team belongs there but I guess the patch means you do? There are like 50 different clubs in the area, you play 9 games in the fall and 9 in the spring. This could all be solved but now we have clubs in pre-ecnl that are really 3rd or 4th division ncsl, and you have top teams in division 1 ncsl playing against mostly 2nd teams. This benefits none of the kids.

Truth be told. In America, kids play way more games than anywhere else in the world. These young players need time on the field at practices playing unstructured ball. 10 year old don't need $200 kits and badges, they just need a space to play against anyone and everyone.

So why pay $3000 if you want to play friendly games in the neighborhood? Just send kids out to local park and they can play

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Herndon pulled their teams and put them in NCSL instead because their coaches and parents didn't want to travel all the wqy to Timbuktu for one U-little league game.

I think that was smart TBH. The competition in NCSL D1 or playing up a year in NCSL is the same, only you are driving 15 minutes instead of 3 hours one way.

defeat purpose of playing "TRAVEL". why not just stick your kids in rec. team and club cannot improve by limiting kids to play in lower competition.

If you want to waste your life driving 10 year olds all the way to Virginia Beach for a mediocre u-little soccer game that could have been played down the street, knock yourself out. You do you, boo.

Is it ideal, no. But do you do it every weekend, no. Use it as an opportunity to spend a day at Busch gardens or great wolf lodge. It gets tiring playing the same teams and kids from nova, so I dont mind an occasional trip to play kids from other areas and other styles. If you do mind, then yeah, you do you boo.

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There are literally hundreds of u-little soccer teams in the DC area you could be playing.

Most people are busy with multiple children and, well, lives. If we want to vacation at Great Wolf Lodge, we will do that on our own schedule. Why spend a whole weekend
playing one short U-little soccer game when you could knock out literally the same level game (mediocre travel) in a two hour time frame on a Saturday down the road?

Another benefit to being more local is more opportunities to guest play for other teams in the club. That’s certainly better for development than sitting in a car. It also leaves time for other sports which I think is important when they’re still in elementary school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Herndon pulled their teams and put them in NCSL instead because their coaches and parents didn't want to travel all the wqy to Timbuktu for one U-little league game.

I think that was smart TBH. The competition in NCSL D1 or playing up a year in NCSL is the same, only you are driving 15 minutes instead of 3 hours one way.

defeat purpose of playing "TRAVEL". why not just stick your kids in rec. team and club cannot improve by limiting kids to play in lower competition.

If you want to waste your life driving 10 year olds all the way to Virginia Beach for a mediocre u-little soccer game that could have been played down the street, knock yourself out. You do you, boo.

Is it ideal, no. But do you do it every weekend, no. Use it as an opportunity to spend a day at Busch gardens or great wolf lodge. It gets tiring playing the same teams and kids from nova, so I dont mind an occasional trip to play kids from other areas and other styles. If you do mind, then yeah, you do you boo.

\

There are literally hundreds of u-little soccer teams in the DC area you could be playing.

Most people are busy with multiple children and, well, lives. If we want to vacation at Great Wolf Lodge, we will do that on our own schedule. Why spend a whole weekend
playing one short U-little soccer game when you could knock out literally the same level game (mediocre travel) in a two hour time frame on a Saturday down the road?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Herndon pulled their teams and put them in NCSL instead because their coaches and parents didn't want to travel all the wqy to Timbuktu for one U-little league game.

I think that was smart TBH. The competition in NCSL D1 or playing up a year in NCSL is the same, only you are driving 15 minutes instead of 3 hours one way.

defeat purpose of playing "TRAVEL". why not just stick your kids in rec. team and club cannot improve by limiting kids to play in lower competition.

The difference between top division NCSL and bottom half of pre ECNL is basically non existent. The pre ECNL league is kind of a mess because there’s a wide gap in skills between kids who will go on to play ECNL and kids who will be on a weak ECRL team. Some scores are like 12-0. That’s not right for a supposed top league.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Herndon pulled their teams and put them in NCSL instead because their coaches and parents didn't want to travel all the wqy to Timbuktu for one U-little league game.

I think that was smart TBH. The competition in NCSL D1 or playing up a year in NCSL is the same, only you are driving 15 minutes instead of 3 hours one way.

defeat purpose of playing "TRAVEL". why not just stick your kids in rec. team and club cannot improve by limiting kids to play in lower competition.

If you want to waste your life driving 10 year olds all the way to Virginia Beach for a mediocre u-little soccer game that could have been played down the street, knock yourself out. You do you, boo.

Is it ideal, no. But do you do it every weekend, no. Use it as an opportunity to spend a day at Busch gardens or great wolf lodge. It gets tiring playing the same teams and kids from nova, so I dont mind an occasional trip to play kids from other areas and other styles. If you do mind, then yeah, you do you boo.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Herndon pulled their teams and put them in NCSL instead because their coaches and parents didn't want to travel all the wqy to Timbuktu for one U-little league game.

I think that was smart TBH. The competition in NCSL D1 or playing up a year in NCSL is the same, only you are driving 15 minutes instead of 3 hours one way.

defeat purpose of playing "TRAVEL". why not just stick your kids in rec. team and club cannot improve by limiting kids to play in lower competition.

If you want to waste your life driving 10 year olds all the way to Virginia Beach for a mediocre u-little soccer game that could have been played down the street, knock yourself out. You do you, boo.

Anonymous wrote:Herndon pulled their teams and put them in NCSL instead because their coaches and parents didn't want to travel all the wqy to Timbuktu for one U-little league game.

I think that was smart TBH. The competition in NCSL D1 or playing up a year in NCSL is the same, only you are driving 15 minutes instead of 3 hours one way.

defeat purpose of playing "TRAVEL". why not just stick your kids in rec. team and club cannot improve by limiting kids to play in lower competition.

Anonymous wrote:You're making the other point. If the team is good, then the parents and club will want the club at a higher level.
You have parents crying for a badge on their jersey but you mean to tell me they don't care what level they play?
Just 2 weeks ago, people were crying because their kids were in a local tournament playing "local scrimmages"

You are not making any sense. Lay off the morning booze.

You're making the other point. If the team is good, then the parents and club will want the club at a higher level.
You have parents crying for a badge on their jersey but you mean to tell me they don't care what level they play?
Just 2 weeks ago, people were crying because their kids were in a local tournament playing "local scrimmages"