Lived in Europe for three years. Warning: you will not receive any level of training you are used to here. Also, the cost will be five times more. It is a business here - with the sales pitch that your son or daughter will win a college scholarship - in order to keep the checks going. In Europe, of course, it is subsidized by the state and they are looking for professionals. Do NOT do Bethesda right now. Wait until spring and official tryouts. They will place your talented European on a ‘wild card’ team never to be seen on the top team. (That’s for families that pay from the beginning or for a star player who defeats them in a crucial game - and they are then poached). This is all travel teams modus vivendi. Instead I would join one of the European private school teams. They usually have a coach from overseas. 2x practice and a game on Saturday afternoon. One thousand bucks. Also, most important - friends who are in the same boat and European technical training to boot! (Pun intended). I think the German school team are called the Wolves.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have to assume that your son is a very talented player at his age based on the fact that he’s from Evandro is an avid player. Hence, contact Bethesda Soccer to ask them to try out for one of their top teams.

Do not bother with any non-travel teams. It will be a waste of time for your son.

Sorry. Typo. I meant to say he’s from Europe and is an avid soccer player.

This is like assuming any kid moving to Europe from America is a talented basketball player.

The key words that the OP said is his/her DS is an avid soccer player from Europe. And I said I assume he is talented.

Indeed. An avid player from Europe is going to be streets ahead of US kids of a similar age - just because he will have been playing all the time with his friends. He has probably touched the ball at least ten times (perhaps twenty+) more than US kids of teh same age.

Just go to Bethesda, they have all levels from top to bottom. N other club in your area (without having to drive a lot) has that wide of a range of levels.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have just moved to the DC area from Europe, and have an avid 9 year old soccer player at home. I would like to enroll him into soccer practice, but browsing the different options has gotten me completely confused. Can you help me find a club where:
- he can practice twice a week
- he can both improve his skills and play games, while having fun (we are not interested in competitive/travel programs)
- we don't need to commute too far from our neighborhood (NIH/Suburban hospital)
- enrolments are still open for individual players

Thanks a lot!!

You aren’t going to get anything compatible without travel. You might want to try msi select which isn’t quite travel

This. Only MSI select isn't going to be good enough. I was in your shoes a few years ago.

If your son really is an avid soccer player from Europe then he will probably be the best player on almost any travel team - even the top ones. My son was a good player in Europe at that age, better than most - perhaps all - of his schoolmates at a smallish school (maybe 20-30 boys of his age). But he was by no means amazingly good by the local standards.

My attitude was much like yours when we arrived so we signed him up for rec league - which turned out to be a waste of everyone's time (except for the coach who loved us ).

I'm afraid you need to find a travel team. The good news is that at that age there isn't too much actual traveling involved.

Where you are your best bet is probably Bethesda soccer club and the good news is that they are big enough that they will almost certainly be able to find a space for him somewhere. I would explain your circumstances and see if he can attend a few pre-season training sessions so they can figure out which team to slot him into.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brit-Am or PPA.

I know you said no to Travel but I think you should give BSC or Potomac a try, as I think he will enjoy it more.

PPA and BSC and Potomac are all travel. Brit-Am competes in MSI Classic, so if that is of interest, look at both.

MSI isn't real travel stop with that now!!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have to assume that your son is a very talented player at his age based on the fact that he’s from Evandro is an avid player. Hence, contact Bethesda Soccer to ask them to try out for one of their top teams.

Do not bother with any non-travel teams. It will be a waste of time for your son.

Sorry. Typo. I meant to say he’s from Europe and is an avid soccer player.

This is like assuming any kid moving to Europe from America is a talented basketball player.

The key words that the OP said is his/her DS is an avid soccer player from Europe. And I said I assume he is talented.

You are getting a lot of bad advice here. Bethesda SC and Potomac SC are travel clubs, they are happy to take your money and put your kid on a 4th or 5th rate team (churn and burn, just bring in the money).

I would like to remind everyone that just because the coach is paid, does not make them a professional.

PPA is too small and extremely unorganized. We started there because of an enthusiastic parent and left for MSI Classic. Practices are twice a week, nearby for us, all games in Montgomery County, many on turf, and the level of competition has been good while we do not have to pay an arm and a leg (although that depends on your coach - ours is very reasonable).

Anonymous wrote:I would look to find a program where your kid will have school mates or neighbors playing. Not only are their commuting issues, but just friendships that will keep them playing longer. In the first few days of school perhaps he can find some kids that are in his class and discover where they play.

This is good advice.

I would look to find a program where your kid will have school mates or neighbors playing. Not only are their commuting issues, but just friendships that will keep them playing longer. In the first few days of school perhaps he can find some kids that are in his class and discover where they play.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have to assume that your son is a very talented player at his age based on the fact that he’s from Evandro is an avid player. Hence, contact Bethesda Soccer to ask them to try out for one of their top teams.

Do not bother with any non-travel teams. It will be a waste of time for your son.

Sorry. Typo. I meant to say he’s from Europe and is an avid soccer player.

This is like assuming any kid moving to Europe from America is a talented basketball player.

Anonymous wrote:Brit-Am or PPA.

I know you said no to Travel but I think you should give BSC or Potomac a try, as I think he will enjoy it more.

PPA and BSC and Potomac are all travel. Brit-Am competes in MSI Classic, so if that is of interest, look at both.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have to assume that your son is a very talented player at his age based on the fact that he’s from Evandro is an avid player. Hence, contact Bethesda Soccer to ask them to try out for one of their top teams.

Do not bother with any non-travel teams. It will be a waste of time for your son.

Sorry. Typo. I meant to say he’s from Europe and is an avid soccer player.

Brit-Am or PPA.

I know you said no to Travel but I think you should give BSC or Potomac a try, as I think he will enjoy it more.

OP, I have to assume that your son is a very talented player at his age based on the fact that he’s from Evandro is an avid player. Hence, contact Bethesda Soccer to ask them to try out for one of their top teams.

Do not bother with any non-travel teams. It will be a waste of time for your son.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have just moved to the DC area from Europe, and have an avid 9 year old soccer player at home. I would like to enroll him into soccer practice, but browsing the different options has gotten me completely confused. Can you help me find a club where:
- he can practice twice a week
- he can both improve his skills and play games, while having fun (we are not interested in competitive/travel programs)
- we don't need to commute too far from our neighborhood (NIH/Suburban hospital)
- enrolments are still open for individual players

Thanks a lot!!

You could also look at Player Progressive Academy in DC.

Depending on the team, PPA does do practices in lower moco that may work for you. This is also a good midlevel option between rec and travel.

Do you mean their development program? It is essentially Rec, but with real coaches. Their premier program is travel.

I'm referring to the level of the kids playing.

Some of the rec kids have real coaches and are therefore better than regular rec with parent coaches ( so a little higher play than rec- mid level)

Some of the travel teams ( depending on the team) are called travel but compared to other local travel clubs- their level of play is lower. So also midlevel.

Don't beat me up for this statement, this was true for our rec team going to PPA but not the case for every paid coach versus parent coach.

That's fair, there are some great parent coaches who know what they're doing. However they are the overwhelming majorityespecially as kids get older need to develop more specific skills. Also, as the kids get older, actually listening to the parent coach can become a challenge...

Sheesh. Majority.