Anonymous wrote:Play where you feel he will actually get better.

This. And don't restrict yourself to just two clubs.

If you don't like the coaching at the old club then that's not a good fit even if they are an MLS Next club. Your current club probably does not offer the right level of teammate and competition if your kid is really talented. The best coaching in this area is at Arlington, Baltimore Armour, and Alexandria (Richmond too, but it's not local). There are good coaches at other clubs as well but not consistently so, and outside of MLS Next and ECNL the talent level of the kids and opponents is probably not high enough either.

Play where you feel he will actually get better. If he is truly good enough he won't go unnoticed. You can always go to ID camps for exposure. Just being on a team or in a league is such misinformation. Take a look at BRYC boys. High league but players not high level. Its a disservice to the kids.

Anonymous wrote:Not even kidding if it’s SYC don’t go

+1

They keep recruiting and now their rosters are so packed up. No development happening there!

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Anonymous wrote:Don’t go back to Achilles.

NP here, who had the same thought. BSC will get an excellent player a lot further, if those are the two clubs you are talking about.

I thought BSC had mlsnext?

But that may not currently be an option for that player.

Right but OP's description of a brand new club that is hoping to get an MLSnext team doesn't seem like Bethesda.

Good point; I misread the original BSC post. I think the choices are Paragon vs Achilles or Arlington.

Lol, the "P" is right. Some of you haven't followed DMV U12 soccer least season. It is clear what teams OP is talking about. It isn't Paragon vs. Achilles/Arlington. My advice is be careful about returning to a club that devalued your DS and demotes willy-nilly, but wants him back as a "known" player to fill the roster for 11-sided expansion. Has the coach explained why this time it will be different? Pretty good bet your current team will continue to develop well and make waves.

Sure, PPA is perfectly good as well. I would stay put if the coaching remains comparable and the core players stay together. I would wait to see if Armour or Bethesda are options.

If you are currently happy at PPA and will have the same PPA coach and team for next year, I would choose that over BSC (if that’s your MLSNext option) for U13. I would switch to an MLSNext team for U14 if PPA does not make it by then.

Anonymous wrote:My son played for a travel soccer club last year that is fairly new but definitely made some waves in the soccer world. They are currently EDP looking to become MLSnext. My sons old team recently recruited him to come back and play on their MLSnext team. We've been told by many that it would be foolish to pass it up since they only pick about 18 to 20 kids per age pool. Our dilemma is the old club is more concerned about recruiting the best players instead of developing the players they have. They will move players down to take the next best kid. The new club is pretty loyal to their players and focuses on developing the kids. Who would you go with? Trying to make the best decision for our sons future.
Thanks

Anonymous wrote:It is a very tough decision. I can say it's not Achilles as they are already MLSnext. I think we will stay with who has loyalty to our kid and cares about developing more than just weeding out players. I mean is being on MlSnext really that important at this point?!?!?

You need the best development environment for your kid. That is a combination of things:

1. How good are the ooaches at developing players? This is not about whether the coaches stick with the current players and attempt to develop them vs replacing them with better players. It's about how good are the coaches at teaching soccer to the players on the roster - wherever they came from. Obviously if the coaches replace every single player each year then that probably indicates that they didn't do a good job of developing them - but merely cutting some and replacing them with stronger ones is not proof that they didn't develop kids well.

2. Is the talent level on the team high enough to adequately support your son's development? No matter your son's ability level, he will always develop better when surrounded by more talented players, provided that he continues to see the field.

3. Is the talent level of the opposing teams good enough to force your son's team to play their best?

4. The final thing worth considering is exposure to DC United - if that is a reasonable ambition for your kid.

And keep in mind that the best path might be a different club altogether - neither your current team nor your old one.

Anonymous wrote:Not even kidding if it’s SYC don’t go

This, 1,000 times this! This person knows what they are talking about. Heed their warning.

Stay with your current club and have Achilles or SYC guest-play your son for some of their matches. They do this frequently and it can give your son an opportunity to jouer la difference. I would press for him to play in some of the tougher matches in Philadelphia and NY.

It is a very tough decision. I can say it's not Achilles as they are already MLSnext. I think we will stay with who has loyalty to our kid and cares about developing more than just weeding out players. I mean is being on MlSnext really that important at this point?!?!?

Anonymous wrote:If he is good & dedicated with the right attitude, able to adapt & flourish under pressure, he will shine anywhere & will be found, no matter what team he is on.

Is this really true?

At the top level of talent I'd assume yes, a mini-Messi is going to be seen and tracked no matter if he starts on the YMCA bottom rec team. At the "potentially good enough to play D1 someday, but not good enough to ever go pro" level, where the kid plays on a travel team and does a game a week and two tournaments, what are the opportunities to be found? Especially if the parents don't push and send to ID camps and go to tryouts for ENCL/MLSNext.

He is still young. I would stick with the current club if he is developing and happy there, see if they join MLSNext. Worst case, he can join the other club in a year or two since it sounds like they like to bring in new players anyway

Where does the boy want to play? Is there a connection with current coaches?? If he is good & dedicated with the right attitude, able to adapt & flourish under pressure, he will shine anywhere & will be found, no matter what team he is on. Good luck!! Hope you stay, but if you go, you will be missed. Buena suerte!!!

What a tough decision. I hope you're able to find the best situation for your son and he'll excel. It's obvious you care and are looking for the best fit. I think it's most important to put your son in the best position to succeed. Sometimes that means playing with the best players and against the best competition, and sometimes that means playing for a coach you think will develop your son most effectively. In the best case scenario, it's both of those things. You're in a good position to make that evaluation because your son DID develop at the first club and you have an idea how he'll progress at the new one. For me, in your situation, I wouldn't worry too much about whether a club is focused on developing its existing lower level players to move up to the top team. That's not your son. As long as you're comfortable your son will continue to develop and will be a good fit into the team, the MLSNext squad would be a great option.

This does sound like Paragon/Achilles to me. If not, no need to read further. If so, I think the Achilles 2009 group has a chance to be a really special group. My son plays there in a different age group and we're familiar with those kids. It's a strong core of skillful players that have been together for a while and are tight knit. The new additions should make for a great squad. I know they're excited for the possibilities.

Good luck with the decision, and honestly, it doesn't sound like you can go wrong.

Not even kidding if it’s SYC don’t go

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Anonymous wrote:Don’t go back to Achilles.

NP here, who had the same thought. BSC will get an excellent player a lot further, if those are the two clubs you are talking about.

I thought BSC had mlsnext?

But that may not currently be an option for that player.

Right but OP's description of a brand new club that is hoping to get an MLSnext team doesn't seem like Bethesda.

Good point; I misread the original BSC post. I think the choices are Paragon vs Achilles or Arlington.

Lol, the "P" is right. Some of you haven't followed DMV U12 soccer least season. It is clear what teams OP is talking about. It isn't Paragon vs. Achilles/Arlington. My advice is be careful about returning to a club that devalued your DS and demotes willy-nilly, but wants him back as a "known" player to fill the roster for 11-sided expansion. Has the coach explained why this time it will be different? Pretty good bet your current team will continue to develop well and make waves.

Sure, PPA is perfectly good as well. I would stay put if the coaching remains comparable and the core players stay together. I would wait to see if Armour or Bethesda are options.

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Anonymous wrote:Don’t go back to Achilles.

NP here, who had the same thought. BSC will get an excellent player a lot further, if those are the two clubs you are talking about.

I thought BSC had mlsnext?

But that may not currently be an option for that player.

Right but OP's description of a brand new club that is hoping to get an MLSnext team doesn't seem like Bethesda.

Good point; I misread the original BSC post. I think the choices are Paragon vs Achilles or Arlington.

Lol, the "P" is right. Some of you haven't followed DMV U12 soccer least season. It is clear what teams OP is talking about. It isn't Paragon vs. Achilles/Arlington. My advice is be careful about returning to a club that devalued your DS and demotes willy-nilly, but wants him back as a "known" player to fill the roster for 11-sided expansion. Has the coach explained why this time it will be different? Pretty good bet your current team will continue to develop well and make waves.