Anonymous wrote:Some clubs just started practice a week or 2 before the season starts while I have friends in other clubs who have been training all Summer.

Its clear some clubs are just bout the money coaches leave right on time while others don’t mind staying a couple minutes late sometimes

It can be a little more complicated than that. Some clubs have tourneys even as early as next weekend and need to start practicing well ahead of that. Others do not and cannot get full engagement from kids and parents until later August. We used to be with a club in the former category. They started early, practices only twice a week, did nothing with the winter, and had parents and assistant coaches run over half the practices. We start later now, do no tourneys until Columbus Day, have the head coach run every single practice three days per week and 90 minutes per session, and have full training and Futsal leagues and tourneys over the winter. I would take the latter any day of the week. This is principally about when you want to do tourneys. I don’t think anybody would accuse my kids coaches, many of whom are at club offices during the day, of being part-timers looking for a check. As far as the benefit of starting training earlier in the summer, don’t, as John Wooden said, confuse activity with accomplishment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a Dc Being a featured player at a smaller club is much more valuable for development than being mediocre on a large club. At least until U-15.

Practicing against mediocre or inferior teammates for the first six or seven years of travel is good for development? Really? More valuable for what?

Yes it doesn’t matter who you practice against or what league you play until U15. Playing center mid all game every game without getting subbed out matters. Taking every free kick, every corner, every Penalty matters.

Oh nonsense. If true play on a rec team. Valuable perhaps for parents who want their kids to play for their benefit and do it all and look great next to mediocre teammates and opponents. But not valuable for the kid at all.

I was just about to post that when my DD switched from a good, well-regarded club to a DA/ECNL team at U14/8th grade she had a lot of catch-up to do, and if your kid seems serious about soccer in middle school, you may want to consider moving to DA/ECNL at U12 or U13.

Some clubs just started practice a week or 2 before the season starts while I have friends in other clubs who have been training all Summer.

Its clear some clubs are just bout the money coaches leave right on time while others don’t mind staying a couple minutes late sometimes

Anonymous wrote:That there are several smaller clubs with excellent coaches and that playing for a larger club is not the only route to later soccer success.

+100

Luckily, I knew this by the time my 2nd kid went through it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a Dc Being a featured player at a smaller club is much more valuable for development than being mediocre on a large club. At least until U-15.

Practicing against mediocre or inferior teammates for the first six or seven years of travel is good for development? Really? More valuable for what?

Yes it doesn’t matter who you practice against or what league you play until U15. Playing center mid all game every game without getting subbed out matters. Taking every free kick, every corner, every Penalty matters.

Oh nonsense. If true play on a rec team. Valuable perhaps for parents who want their kids to play for their benefit and do it all and look great next to mediocre teammates and opponents. But not valuable for the kid at all.

Anonymous wrote:BRYC boys stop training in mid November and take off 12 weeks before starting training again in February. They are definitely not year round and it’s why they are losing ground to better clubs.

Wow. Is this true for all the teams/levels?

This is actually valuable information.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a Dc Being a featured player at a smaller club is much more valuable for development than being mediocre on a large club. At least until U-15.

Practicing against mediocre or inferior teammates for the first six or seven years of travel is good for development? Really? More valuable for what?

Yes it doesn’t matter who you practice against or what league you play until U15. Playing center mid all game every game without getting subbed out matters. Taking every free kick, every corner, every Penalty matters.

Anonymous wrote:Having a Dc Being a featured player at a smaller club is much more valuable for development than being mediocre on a large club. At least until U-15.

Practicing against mediocre or inferior teammates for the first six or seven years of travel is good for development? Really? More valuable for what?

BRYC boys stop training in mid November and take off 12 weeks before starting training again in February. They are definitely not year round and it’s why they are losing ground to better clubs.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That BSC favors big fast athletes with marginal soccer IQ.

Isn't this all clubs in the years before puberty?

IME it gets much better around mid and post puberty. U14 (girls) is when the girls tend to even out in size and the size advantage disappears completely.

Ummm. Did you watch the Women’s World Cup?

On the girls side, it never disappears completely, speed continues to attract, height continues to attract.. and without technical skills, either are obvious preference and a big letdown when played.

Having a Dc Being a featured player at a smaller club is much more valuable for development than being mediocre on a large club. At least until U-15.

That bryc doesn't have a schedule and it makes weekends stressful

That there are several smaller clubs with excellent coaches and that playing for a larger club is not the only route to later soccer success.

That “Bethesda” practices are actually in Rockville, Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Bretton Woods, etc and very rarely ever in Bethesda.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That BSC favors big fast athletes with marginal soccer IQ.

Isn't this all clubs in the years before puberty?

IME it gets much better around mid and post puberty. U14 (girls) is when the girls tend to even out in size and the size advantage disappears completely.

Ummm. Did you watch the Women’s World Cup?