At what age does the Alexandria coaching drop off in Arlington's get so much better?

Anonymous wrote:I would have thought the other way around... with LMVSC imploding and SYC's top teams being harder to make... and with the huge futsal program they have I would have thought that Alexandria would be attracting players, not losing them.

And, Alexandria has definitely had arlington's number at the younger ages for the boys... they play so much better so why would anyone want to go to arlington

Not at the younger ages - I agree. But at the older ages Arlington has very good coaching + provides much more exposure to college / pro opportunities.

Anonymous wrote:I mean... where are all these alexandria players leaving to?

There's really only 2 viable options, SYC and Arlington nearby, where else is there to go... but neither seems like much of a draw...

Arlington is certainly a draw. I imagine VDA would have been too when DA still existed. I doubt Alexandria kids would want to go to SYC. I believe some of the kids go to DCU as well - I only directly know of one this last year, but I'm not an Alexandria parent - there may well be more.

I would have thought the other way around... with LMVSC imploding and SYC's top teams being harder to make... and with the huge futsal program they have I would have thought that Alexandria would be attracting players, not losing them.

And, Alexandria has definitely had arlington's number at the younger ages for the boys... they play so much better so why would anyone want to go to arlington

I mean... where are all these alexandria players leaving to?

There's really only 2 viable options, SYC and Arlington nearby, where else is there to go... but neither seems like much of a draw...

Ageism nice! Youngsters flexing like they know anything. Please let me entrust my kids to you.

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Anonymous wrote:This whole discussion cracks me up. Alexandria seems like the snake oil salespeople of youth soccer. They’ve got this magical possession system that is the best for $2400. But wait, there’s this magical futsal ID pill for $895. And yes, they are all about the community (unless you’re a tennis player or you’re critical of the club). Oh, you want proof. Sure, our teams have average performance across both genders and nearly every age group. BUT we’ve developed all these kids who are no longer at the club. (I suspect those kids got smart and ran away as fast as they could.)

If a club is going to peddle all this dung, at least provide some tangible proof. They are doing a disservice to parents by not being honest.

You really don't know youth soccer very much, do you?

20+ years, yeah I get it...

There is a point at which you are too old to understand, and I'd say that's well in your rear view mirror. Good luck to you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole discussion cracks me up. Alexandria seems like the snake oil salespeople of youth soccer. They’ve got this magical possession system that is the best for $2400. But wait, there’s this magical futsal ID pill for $895. And yes, they are all about the community (unless you’re a tennis player or you’re critical of the club). Oh, you want proof. Sure, our teams have average performance across both genders and nearly every age group. BUT we’ve developed all these kids who are no longer at the club. (I suspect those kids got smart and ran away as fast as they could.)

If a club is going to peddle all this dung, at least provide some tangible proof. They are doing a disservice to parents by not being honest.

You really don't know youth soccer very much, do you?

20+ years, yeah I get it...

Anonymous wrote:This whole discussion cracks me up. Alexandria seems like the snake oil salespeople of youth soccer. They’ve got this magical possession system that is the best for $2400. But wait, there’s this magical futsal ID pill for $895. And yes, they are all about the community (unless you’re a tennis player or you’re critical of the club). Oh, you want proof. Sure, our teams have average performance across both genders and nearly every age group. BUT we’ve developed all these kids who are no longer at the club. (I suspect those kids got smart and ran away as fast as they could.)

If a club is going to peddle all this dung, at least provide some tangible proof. They are doing a disservice to parents by not being honest.

You really don't know youth soccer very much, do you?

Anonymous wrote:This whole discussion cracks me up. Alexandria seems like the snake oil salespeople of youth soccer. They’ve got this magical possession system that is the best for $2400. But wait, there’s this magical futsal ID pill for $895. And yes, they are all about the community (unless you’re a tennis player or you’re critical of the club). Oh, you want proof. Sure, our teams have average performance across both genders and nearly every age group. BUT we’ve developed all these kids who are no longer at the club. (I suspect those kids got smart and ran away as fast as they could.)

If a club is going to peddle all this dung, at least provide some tangible proof. They are doing a disservice to parents by not being honest.

I'm not an Alexandria parent. I have seen a couple of boys' age group futsal teams play, and many of the Alexandria boys close to my son's age playing in pick-up games and tournaments - and have seen kids who came from Alexandria move to other teams. That is an admittedly limited set of interactions with only a portion of the club, but - within that experience - I would say that the kids and teams I have seen are all well above average performers who/which would be competitive against much larger clubs, and the players have a high degree of technical ability.

I haven't checked the results of all their teams in all leagues - but are they really "average in nearly every age group"? I wuld be surprised if that were the case.

This whole discussion cracks me up. Alexandria seems like the snake oil salespeople of youth soccer. They’ve got this magical possession system that is the best for $2400. But wait, there’s this magical futsal ID pill for $895. And yes, they are all about the community (unless you’re a tennis player or you’re critical of the club). Oh, you want proof. Sure, our teams have average performance across both genders and nearly every age group. BUT we’ve developed all these kids who are no longer at the club. (I suspect those kids got smart and ran away as fast as they could.)

If a club is going to peddle all this dung, at least provide some tangible proof. They are doing a disservice to parents by not being honest.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard a lot about the younger boys age groups at Alexandria and heard about how they play a pretty good possession style game. How about the older age groups?

Do they also follow the same style of play? Haven't heard much about them, was wondering if anyone had any insight into the older teams. Do they play ccl1 or edp? Are they competitive outside of the DC metro area?

The club plays the same style, however, as kids get older U13 and up, kids start moving clubs. I am not in Alexandria but my son plays them every year in CCL and I know a lot of the older boys come from other clubs. Not many have been there from the start. Not sure what happens to the players or what it says about the club's playing style. Just an observation.

There’s really nothing unique about them at the older age groups. The top talent has left by U15, most of the kids are there to keep sharp for HS, and their results are average. Although they’ll profess otherwise, the style of play is not too different than most clubs in the area. If you see them playing a very direct opponent, it may seem like they are different but they are not. The majority of teams in the DMV play possession style.

For the OP, you can go and watch for yourself. The style at earlier ages is markedly different than all but a handful of clubs/teams in the area. At older ages, kids at top clubs and teams are taught how to play properly, so there is less difference at older ages, meaning that other kids are finally being taught like they can actually do something beyond kicking and chasing the ball. Starting with this younger is helpful for most kids because there is a bunch of garbage that older kids have to unlearn after they have been coached poorly. But playing within this kind of structure can undoubtedly limit the willingness and ability of individual players to express themselves as freely as they want.

I thought it was pretty universally acknowledged that enforcing a rigid of system of play at young ages kills creativity and is ultimately detrimental

You are wrong, just like an idiot who says every player on the basketball court has the greenlight to do what they want. You can learn both creativity and judgment, and if you don't learn the disclipline of possession, you are for the most part pretty useless as a player, with neither the touch nor the confidence to do the right thing on bigger fields with more players. I thought that was pretty damned well universally acknowledged.

if that's true, why aren't Alexandria's teams more successful and why are other teams able to shift style to possession (and be better than Alexandria at it)? US soccer has team tactics as something that should be emphasized stating with adolescence

Teams can teach any style of soccer at any age, and it is certainly true that most kids will absorb the basic idea within a few weeks and become quite proficient at execution - as bounded by their technical ability - in a period of a few months. That misses the point though - getting the kids to play this way when they are younger helps develop their technical ability because they spend more time using the skills they will need both in practice and in games.

So any club with a good coach can recruit players with good technical ability and teach them to play well quite quickly. What Alexandria does is develop players with good technical ability. They're not unique - there are other clubs and coaches who develop players well too.

At older ages Alexandria loses many of their best players to teams that play in more competitive leagues - which, of course, leaves them playing on a more level footing with other clubs.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard a lot about the younger boys age groups at Alexandria and heard about how they play a pretty good possession style game. How about the older age groups?

Do they also follow the same style of play? Haven't heard much about them, was wondering if anyone had any insight into the older teams. Do they play ccl1 or edp? Are they competitive outside of the DC metro area?

The club plays the same style, however, as kids get older U13 and up, kids start moving clubs. I am not in Alexandria but my son plays them every year in CCL and I know a lot of the older boys come from other clubs. Not many have been there from the start. Not sure what happens to the players or what it says about the club's playing style. Just an observation.

There’s really nothing unique about them at the older age groups. The top talent has left by U15, most of the kids are there to keep sharp for HS, and their results are average. Although they’ll profess otherwise, the style of play is not too different than most clubs in the area. If you see them playing a very direct opponent, it may seem like they are different but they are not. The majority of teams in the DMV play possession style.

For the OP, you can go and watch for yourself. The style at earlier ages is markedly different than all but a handful of clubs/teams in the area. At older ages, kids at top clubs and teams are taught how to play properly, so there is less difference at older ages, meaning that other kids are finally being taught like they can actually do something beyond kicking and chasing the ball. Starting with this younger is helpful for most kids because there is a bunch of garbage that older kids have to unlearn after they have been coached poorly. But playing within this kind of structure can undoubtedly limit the willingness and ability of individual players to express themselves as freely as they want.

I thought it was pretty universally acknowledged that enforcing a rigid of system of play at young ages kills creativity and is ultimately detrimental

You are wrong, just like an idiot who says every player on the basketball court has the greenlight to do what they want. You can learn both creativity and judgment, and if you don't learn the disclipline of possession, you are for the most part pretty useless as a player, with neither the touch nor the confidence to do the right thing on bigger fields with more players. I thought that was pretty damned well universally acknowledged.

if that's true, why aren't Alexandria's teams more successful and why are other teams able to shift style to possession (and be better than Alexandria at it)? US soccer has team tactics as something that should be emphasized stating with adolescence

Those players are successful, whether or not they are playing for Alexandria later. And do I really care what US Soccer says? Probably not most of the time.

Of course the answer is all the talented players learn at Alexandria and than go onto bigger an better things at other clubs. If you assume otherwise, clearly you are wrong and an idiot. You should just accept that what they say is truth even if the facts support a different conclusion. I mean who do you think you are questioning the club?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard a lot about the younger boys age groups at Alexandria and heard about how they play a pretty good possession style game. How about the older age groups?

Do they also follow the same style of play? Haven't heard much about them, was wondering if anyone had any insight into the older teams. Do they play ccl1 or edp? Are they competitive outside of the DC metro area?

The club plays the same style, however, as kids get older U13 and up, kids start moving clubs. I am not in Alexandria but my son plays them every year in CCL and I know a lot of the older boys come from other clubs. Not many have been there from the start. Not sure what happens to the players or what it says about the club's playing style. Just an observation.

There’s really nothing unique about them at the older age groups. The top talent has left by U15, most of the kids are there to keep sharp for HS, and their results are average. Although they’ll profess otherwise, the style of play is not too different than most clubs in the area. If you see them playing a very direct opponent, it may seem like they are different but they are not. The majority of teams in the DMV play possession style.

For the OP, you can go and watch for yourself. The style at earlier ages is markedly different than all but a handful of clubs/teams in the area. At older ages, kids at top clubs and teams are taught how to play properly, so there is less difference at older ages, meaning that other kids are finally being taught like they can actually do something beyond kicking and chasing the ball. Starting with this younger is helpful for most kids because there is a bunch of garbage that older kids have to unlearn after they have been coached poorly. But playing within this kind of structure can undoubtedly limit the willingness and ability of individual players to express themselves as freely as they want.

I thought it was pretty universally acknowledged that enforcing a rigid of system of play at young ages kills creativity and is ultimately detrimental

You are wrong, just like an idiot who says every player on the basketball court has the greenlight to do what they want. You can learn both creativity and judgment, and if you don't learn the disclipline of possession, you are for the most part pretty useless as a player, with neither the touch nor the confidence to do the right thing on bigger fields with more players. I thought that was pretty damned well universally acknowledged.

if that's true, why aren't Alexandria's teams more successful and why are other teams able to shift style to possession (and be better than Alexandria at it)? US soccer has team tactics as something that should be emphasized stating with adolescence

Those players are successful, whether or not they are playing for Alexandria later. And do I really care what US Soccer says? Probably not most of the time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard a lot about the younger boys age groups at Alexandria and heard about how they play a pretty good possession style game. How about the older age groups?

Do they also follow the same style of play? Haven't heard much about them, was wondering if anyone had any insight into the older teams. Do they play ccl1 or edp? Are they competitive outside of the DC metro area?

The club plays the same style, however, as kids get older U13 and up, kids start moving clubs. I am not in Alexandria but my son plays them every year in CCL and I know a lot of the older boys come from other clubs. Not many have been there from the start. Not sure what happens to the players or what it says about the club's playing style. Just an observation.

There’s really nothing unique about them at the older age groups. The top talent has left by U15, most of the kids are there to keep sharp for HS, and their results are average. Although they’ll profess otherwise, the style of play is not too different than most clubs in the area. If you see them playing a very direct opponent, it may seem like they are different but they are not. The majority of teams in the DMV play possession style.

For the OP, you can go and watch for yourself. The style at earlier ages is markedly different than all but a handful of clubs/teams in the area. At older ages, kids at top clubs and teams are taught how to play properly, so there is less difference at older ages, meaning that other kids are finally being taught like they can actually do something beyond kicking and chasing the ball. Starting with this younger is helpful for most kids because there is a bunch of garbage that older kids have to unlearn after they have been coached poorly. But playing within this kind of structure can undoubtedly limit the willingness and ability of individual players to express themselves as freely as they want.

I thought it was pretty universally acknowledged that enforcing a rigid of system of play at young ages kills creativity and is ultimately detrimental

You are wrong, just like an idiot who says every player on the basketball court has the greenlight to do what they want. You can learn both creativity and judgment, and if you don't learn the disclipline of possession, you are for the most part pretty useless as a player, with neither the touch nor the confidence to do the right thing on bigger fields with more players. I thought that was pretty damned well universally acknowledged.

if that's true, why aren't Alexandria's teams more successful and why are other teams able to shift style to possession (and be better than Alexandria at it)? US soccer has team tactics as something that should be emphasized stating with adolescence