Anonymous wrote:Get your kid on an MSI Classic team. 2 practices a week and more competitve than Recreation. Some teams with a paid coach through a different club (MD Fusion, TOCA, Brit-Am, etc). Some are parent coached. Will cost much less than travel, games are all in Montgomery County, although some teams choose to travel for tournaments (not this year).

My son plays on a parent-coached Classic team and has since 4th grade (costs less than the paid coach teams, and just as competitive - many 1st and 2nd place trophies). They usually do one or two away tournament each year (optional, not mandatory).

And how do I find a list of classic teams and their contact info and the general area they play in?

Get your kid on an MSI Classic team. 2 practices a week and more competitve than Recreation. Some teams with a paid coach through a different club (MD Fusion, TOCA, Brit-Am, etc). Some are parent coached. Will cost much less than travel, games are all in Montgomery County, although some teams choose to travel for tournaments (not this year).

My son plays on a parent-coached Classic team and has since 4th grade (costs less than the paid coach teams, and just as competitive - many 1st and 2nd place trophies). They usually do one or two away tournament each year (optional, not mandatory).

Anonymous wrote:
Time for you to call the club and speak with a coach.

So, I'm still unclear what a club is, so I don't know what club I'd call. I keep using MD Fusion 10 as an example, because someone named it in my other thread, but I don't actually know that I want them, because I think they are in Potomac, which seems really far away. I also don't know if they're a club, or they're a team that plays in a club called MSI or maybe SAM?

I feel like I'm really in over my head on this. Here's what I have:

A 10 year old who has played a lot of rec soccer, and a lot of pick up soccer, and seems quite good at it, who would like to start playing soccer more seriously, and who particularly likes playing GK.

I'd like to find him a way to play more often than 1 practice 1 game, in a situation where he's challenged on the field, and there is good coaching, and nice teammates. My primary goals would be friends, happiness, and exercise, but I think he'd probably also like to play in high school.

I'd like him to have some kind of GK training.

I'd like it to be as close to my home, which is in Silver Spring as possible.

I'd like to try to stay under $3K for the year, including travel and GK training, and maybe a week or two of summer camp.

I would not like to spend every weekend traveling, because I'm effectively a single parent, and he's not an only child, but maybe a tournament or two a season would be OK.

So, with that wish list, I think I want classic not travel? So, is MSI the "club" I call? Or is a "club" a specific team? If I'm supposed to call a specific team's coach, where do I find those numbers? Is there a way to have a general idea of where teams practice before I start calling?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid plays for MD Fusion 10 and was born in 2011 (he is turning 10 soon). Technically he is playing "up" since he could play on the 11 team, but because originally designations were by school year and not birth year, a lot of his friends were born in 2010 (now 4th graders, so birthdates generally Sept 2010 - Aug 2011, ignoring redshirting) and he wanted to play with them. I still find it confusing!

Basically kids can play up but not down (rec excluded, assuming this is select/travel/whatever). So if your kid was born in 2010, he is eligible (at least on Fusion) for 10, 9, etc but not 11. My kid was born in 2011 so he can play on 11, 10, 9 etc. Does that help?

Oooh, can I ask you MD Fusion 10 questions? Someone said in my other thread (the alien one) that MD Fusion had nice kids, and might need a GK born in 2010.

My biggest question is, I can not figure out how much any of this costs. I found one thread where someone posts a figure like $2K, but I could not figure out if that was per year, or season, or month? I don't really want to get my kid excited about select soccer, and then find out it's cost prohibitive for us.

Thanks!

Hi! I’m not familiar with your other thread but yes I can definitely verify that the 2010 boys MDF team needs a goalkeeper. They have some of their best field players playing there right now and it’s not a good idea long-term. I’m sorry to say I can’t tell you exactly how much it costs but it is definitely lower than the larger clubs. I lose track after a number of kids in the number of sports! I’m guessing it’s about 500 per season so maybe 1000 for the year if you just play spring and fall and maybe slightly more if you do winter as well or summer clinics?

Why would this be a bad idea? If my kid has an opportunity to play with some of the best field players, wouldn't that be OK?

Because they are just subbing as goalie and have no interest or ability to do it long-term.

Oh, I thought you mean they have the best field players "there" as in at MD Fusion. I get why it would be bad to have them in the goal!

I hear a lot of people say it's important for my kid to play other positions. If he's on a team that's desperate for a GK will that happen?

Time for you to call the club and speak with a coach.

Anonymous wrote:My DH has always been the one to sign my kids up before, so I am clueless.

My kid is 10, and was born in 2010. He has been playing rec but wants to move up, so I'm emailing some teams to find out about trying out. A number of the teams have names with 10 in them, like MD Fusion 10 or something like that.

I assumed that this was because my kid is 10, and that next year he'd potentially play on a team called MD Fusion 11. But now I am wondering if I have it wrong, and MD Fusion 10 is a team for kids born in '10 and it's just a coincidence that he's 10 and on the 10 team. That would mean that even when he's 14 he'll still be playing in a team with 10 in it's name.

Just to check, before I make a fool of myself. Can someone tell me which theory is true?

haaaaaa

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid plays for MD Fusion 10 and was born in 2011 (he is turning 10 soon). Technically he is playing "up" since he could play on the 11 team, but because originally designations were by school year and not birth year, a lot of his friends were born in 2010 (now 4th graders, so birthdates generally Sept 2010 - Aug 2011, ignoring redshirting) and he wanted to play with them. I still find it confusing!

Basically kids can play up but not down (rec excluded, assuming this is select/travel/whatever). So if your kid was born in 2010, he is eligible (at least on Fusion) for 10, 9, etc but not 11. My kid was born in 2011 so he can play on 11, 10, 9 etc. Does that help?

Oooh, can I ask you MD Fusion 10 questions? Someone said in my other thread (the alien one) that MD Fusion had nice kids, and might need a GK born in 2010.

My biggest question is, I can not figure out how much any of this costs. I found one thread where someone posts a figure like $2K, but I could not figure out if that was per year, or season, or month? I don't really want to get my kid excited about select soccer, and then find out it's cost prohibitive for us.

Thanks!

Hi! I’m not familiar with your other thread but yes I can definitely verify that the 2010 boys MDF team needs a goalkeeper. They have some of their best field players playing there right now and it’s not a good idea long-term. I’m sorry to say I can’t tell you exactly how much it costs but it is definitely lower than the larger clubs. I lose track after a number of kids in the number of sports! I’m guessing it’s about 500 per season so maybe 1000 for the year if you just play spring and fall and maybe slightly more if you do winter as well or summer clinics?

Why would this be a bad idea? If my kid has an opportunity to play with some of the best field players, wouldn't that be OK?

Because they are just subbing as goalie and have no interest or ability to do it long-term.

Oh, I thought you mean they have the best field players "there" as in at MD Fusion. I get why it would be bad to have them in the goal!

I hear a lot of people say it's important for my kid to play other positions. If he's on a team that's desperate for a GK will that happen?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also remember if you are talking about fusion or PPA or some of the smaller clubs – which in my opinion are overall better than Bethesda or Potomac which are larger clubs but the smaller ones tend to have coaches who played professionally etc., cheaper and WAY less politics - They often only have one team per gender per age group.

OP here,

I still haven't gotten an answer to what a "club" is in soccer. I am completely confused by this word. Can someone explain it to me?

Like I thought MSI was a "club" but then someone said that Fusion plays "in" MSI?

C'mon. You can google some of this.

What is a club team in soccer?

A soccer club is a community oriented organization whose purpose is to develop individual and team soccer excellence in order to compete at the highest level each individual and team is capable. ... We are a group of teams, coaches, parents, board members, and soccer enthusiasts who are out for one thing. The Players!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also remember if you are talking about fusion or PPA or some of the smaller clubs – which in my opinion are overall better than Bethesda or Potomac which are larger clubs but the smaller ones tend to have coaches who played professionally etc., cheaper and WAY less politics - They often only have one team per gender per age group.

OP here,

I still haven't gotten an answer to what a "club" is in soccer. I am completely confused by this word. Can someone explain it to me?

Like I thought MSI was a "club" but then someone said that Fusion plays "in" MSI?

Yeah this is confusing. The clubs are basically like teams. Bethesda has teams, Potomac has teams, fusion has teams etc. each team plays in a league. The league could be MSI or Sam Select, etc. Go with the club first and they will help you figure out the league. You need to be on a team first before you can enter a league.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid plays for MD Fusion 10 and was born in 2011 (he is turning 10 soon). Technically he is playing "up" since he could play on the 11 team, but because originally designations were by school year and not birth year, a lot of his friends were born in 2010 (now 4th graders, so birthdates generally Sept 2010 - Aug 2011, ignoring redshirting) and he wanted to play with them. I still find it confusing!

Basically kids can play up but not down (rec excluded, assuming this is select/travel/whatever). So if your kid was born in 2010, he is eligible (at least on Fusion) for 10, 9, etc but not 11. My kid was born in 2011 so he can play on 11, 10, 9 etc. Does that help?

Oooh, can I ask you MD Fusion 10 questions? Someone said in my other thread (the alien one) that MD Fusion had nice kids, and might need a GK born in 2010.

My biggest question is, I can not figure out how much any of this costs. I found one thread where someone posts a figure like $2K, but I could not figure out if that was per year, or season, or month? I don't really want to get my kid excited about select soccer, and then find out it's cost prohibitive for us.

Thanks!

Hi! I’m not familiar with your other thread but yes I can definitely verify that the 2010 boys MDF team needs a goalkeeper. They have some of their best field players playing there right now and it’s not a good idea long-term. I’m sorry to say I can’t tell you exactly how much it costs but it is definitely lower than the larger clubs. I lose track after a number of kids in the number of sports! I’m guessing it’s about 500 per season so maybe 1000 for the year if you just play spring and fall and maybe slightly more if you do winter as well or summer clinics?

Why would this be a bad idea? If my kid has an opportunity to play with some of the best field players, wouldn't that be OK?

Because they are just subbing as goalie and have no interest or ability to do it long-term.

Recap.

Team names. If the number is after the team's name and has no "U" in front of it, then it is the year the kids were born. As in MD Fusion 10B (B is for Boys) would be kids born in 2010.

Age. This is the numeric term with the "U" in front of it (but sometimes after it). Each year the equivalent U will increment upwards. So if the 2010 team are U11 this year, next year they'll be U12, then U13, etc. You see this often at tournament flights for team as in "the MD Fusion 10 team is playing in the U11 Olney tournament."

Tryouts/A/B/C teams etc. This depends. Larger clubs, if you don't know anyone, contact the club's director for your kid's age and gender and tell them you kid is interested in trying out. Give them the background and then ask them how their tryouts work. Often, they'll bring everyone out and intermix and then fairly rapidly move kids into smaller groups by talent, intermixing with the existing kids from each team. Your kid will get an offer on one of the teams. For smaller clubs, you may want to simply contact the coach of the team (often only 1 team) for your kids age/gender.

Anonymous wrote:Also remember if you are talking about fusion or PPA or some of the smaller clubs – which in my opinion are overall better than Bethesda or Potomac which are larger clubs but the smaller ones tend to have coaches who played professionally etc., cheaper and WAY less politics - They often only have one team per gender per age group.

OP here,

I still haven't gotten an answer to what a "club" is in soccer. I am completely confused by this word. Can someone explain it to me?

Like I thought MSI was a "club" but then someone said that Fusion plays "in" MSI?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid plays for MD Fusion 10 and was born in 2011 (he is turning 10 soon). Technically he is playing "up" since he could play on the 11 team, but because originally designations were by school year and not birth year, a lot of his friends were born in 2010 (now 4th graders, so birthdates generally Sept 2010 - Aug 2011, ignoring redshirting) and he wanted to play with them. I still find it confusing!

Basically kids can play up but not down (rec excluded, assuming this is select/travel/whatever). So if your kid was born in 2010, he is eligible (at least on Fusion) for 10, 9, etc but not 11. My kid was born in 2011 so he can play on 11, 10, 9 etc. Does that help?

Oooh, can I ask you MD Fusion 10 questions? Someone said in my other thread (the alien one) that MD Fusion had nice kids, and might need a GK born in 2010.

My biggest question is, I can not figure out how much any of this costs. I found one thread where someone posts a figure like $2K, but I could not figure out if that was per year, or season, or month? I don't really want to get my kid excited about select soccer, and then find out it's cost prohibitive for us.

Thanks!

Hi! I’m not familiar with your other thread but yes I can definitely verify that the 2010 boys MDF team needs a goalkeeper. They have some of their best field players playing there right now and it’s not a good idea long-term. I’m sorry to say I can’t tell you exactly how much it costs but it is definitely lower than the larger clubs. I lose track after a number of kids in the number of sports! I’m guessing it’s about 500 per season so maybe 1000 for the year if you just play spring and fall and maybe slightly more if you do winter as well or summer clinics?

Why would this be a bad idea? If my kid has an opportunity to play with some of the best field players, wouldn't that be OK?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid plays for MD Fusion 10 and was born in 2011 (he is turning 10 soon). Technically he is playing "up" since he could play on the 11 team, but because originally designations were by school year and not birth year, a lot of his friends were born in 2010 (now 4th graders, so birthdates generally Sept 2010 - Aug 2011, ignoring redshirting) and he wanted to play with them. I still find it confusing!

Basically kids can play up but not down (rec excluded, assuming this is select/travel/whatever). So if your kid was born in 2010, he is eligible (at least on Fusion) for 10, 9, etc but not 11. My kid was born in 2011 so he can play on 11, 10, 9 etc. Does that help?

Oooh, can I ask you MD Fusion 10 questions? Someone said in my other thread (the alien one) that MD Fusion had nice kids, and might need a GK born in 2010.

My biggest question is, I can not figure out how much any of this costs. I found one thread where someone posts a figure like $2K, but I could not figure out if that was per year, or season, or month? I don't really want to get my kid excited about select soccer, and then find out it's cost prohibitive for us.

Thanks!

Hi! I’m not familiar with your other thread but yes I can definitely verify that the 2010 boys MDF team needs a goalkeeper. They have some of their best field players playing there right now and it’s not a good idea long-term. I’m sorry to say I can’t tell you exactly how much it costs but it is definitely lower than the larger clubs. I lose track after a number of kids in the number of sports! I’m guessing it’s about 500 per season so maybe 1000 for the year if you just play spring and fall and maybe slightly more if you do winter as well or summer clinics?

For most clubs, travel runs about $1500-$2000 for the year and there can be additional fees (tournaments etc), especially as they get older. ECNL, which starts at U13, is more expensive. But at this point, I would guess it would be about $1500-$2000 for your osn.

Also remember if you are talking about fusion or PPA or some of the smaller clubs – which in my opinion are overall better than Bethesda or Potomac which are larger clubs but the smaller ones tend to have coaches who played professionally etc., cheaper and WAY less politics - They often only have one team per gender per age group.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, do a lot of kids play "up"?

I went into this assuming my kid, who is a fifth grader, could play with his BFF who is also a fifth grader. But BFF is born in late '09. Is it worth asking for a try out on BFF's team or would that just be for really exceptional players?

It’s for exceptional players and I’ve never heard of a parent (successfully) asking for it unless the next year up was short of players and a parent volunteered their child. There can be a big spread of age if you play up. My August 8 year old plays up a year, which means she plays against some 10 year olds. And, this was a selection by the coach and, out of 5 teams shes the only one playing up.

This is only at the big clubs. The smaller ones are way more flexible.