Anonymous
Post 05/22/2019 22:02     Subject: U10 - Stoddert All Stars vs PPA Development Team
+1
I think it really helps with skill development and there's a good mentor situation going on with the older kids and younger kids on the mixed age teams.

One year my child was in the younger group and learned a lot from his older teammates. The next year he had a few really inexperienced kids in the younger age group on his team and had a lot of fun teaching them and watching them grow.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2019 16:35     Subject: U10 - Stoddert All Stars vs PPA Development Team
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Back to the OP-
I would choose PPA. One of the other benefits of the development program is that they mix grade levels. So your DD (who I assume is in 3rd grade now) will play with both 4th and 5th graders. It's a nice way to have the younger players stretch and the older players get to shine and be leaders. You also meet other kids from your school who you might not know because they are a grade up or down.



I did not find that to be a benefit for PPA (boys). The divisions are 2nd/3rd and 4th/5th. The older kids are better than the younger kids, generally. When my kid was in 2nd, his team was all second graders. Literally, they lost 85% of games, which were mostly against all third grade teams. Not sure what happened there.


My child didn't mind losing and he's another one who liked the mixed grade levels. He met a lot of interesting kids in the grade and above him at different schools.


My DD lost almost every game her second grade year but loved it anyway and really had to "play up" against some of the older, 3rd grade heavy teams. Everyone on her team made huge strides.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2019 16:09     Subject: U10 - Stoddert All Stars vs PPA Development Team
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Back to the OP-
I would choose PPA. One of the other benefits of the development program is that they mix grade levels. So your DD (who I assume is in 3rd grade now) will play with both 4th and 5th graders. It's a nice way to have the younger players stretch and the older players get to shine and be leaders. You also meet other kids from your school who you might not know because they are a grade up or down.



I did not find that to be a benefit for PPA (boys). The divisions are 2nd/3rd and 4th/5th. The older kids are better than the younger kids, generally. When my kid was in 2nd, his team was all second graders. Literally, they lost 85% of games, which were mostly against all third grade teams. Not sure what happened there.


My child didn't mind losing and he's another one who liked the mixed grade levels. He met a lot of interesting kids in the grade and above him at different schools.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2019 14:34     Subject: U10 - Stoddert All Stars vs PPA Development Team
Anonymous wrote:I don't know what's going on right now on the girls stoddert travel side, but they were only able to field 2 teams of 2010 girls instead of the usual 3. Girls are not flocking to stoddert travel anymore. If you are thinking down the road to travel (where a lot of the top players already will be by next year) I'd reconsider stoddert completely.


Sorry Stoddert girls has not had people flocking to it in some years. I know there are some very good DC girls who play for BSC, McLean, Arlington, etc. but are uninterested in Stoddert. What gives you the impression that Stoddert is a top destination for girls?
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2019 13:44     Subject: U10 - Stoddert All Stars vs PPA Development Team
Anonymous wrote:Omg, PPA Hoops is a whole other thread. The coaching in that is atrocious. Truly. I wish there were another good rec option in DC (Jelleff is too competitive for kids who are just learning the game).


Second this. I have never paid so much for so little for a kid's activity. The PPA founders (soccer guys) need to more closely monitor the basketball program. On the soccer side, it all comes down to what coach you'll get. There are great and not so great ones.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2019 13:33     Subject: U10 - Stoddert All Stars vs PPA Development Team
Anonymous wrote:Back to the OP-
I would choose PPA. One of the other benefits of the development program is that they mix grade levels. So your DD (who I assume is in 3rd grade now) will play with both 4th and 5th graders. It's a nice way to have the younger players stretch and the older players get to shine and be leaders. You also meet other kids from your school who you might not know because they are a grade up or down.



I did not find that to be a benefit for PPA (boys). The divisions are 2nd/3rd and 4th/5th. The older kids are better than the younger kids, generally. When my kid was in 2nd, his team was all second graders. Literally, they lost 85% of games, which were mostly against all third grade teams. Not sure what happened there.