Anonymous wrote:The DC parents want real competition. Asking Loudoun, Alexandria, and Achilles kids to go to Takoma park every day is a stupid solution. These kids would have to travel 1 1/2 hours each way, every day, with homework and school. What we need is 1/3 the GA/MLSN clubs and less 1-2 ECNL clubs so the competition is real. This area won’t compete with Dallas Ft Worth or S Ca where there are way less clubs in a larger area and the top talent gets condensed. Here we already have 4 GA teams in one county. That is not the strategy for top talent condensing at one club, that is dilution to the point of irrelevancy. ECNL had it right. If we want the kids to compete nationally at this level we need way less clubs, not more, as GA and MLSN are doing. But they are clearly interested in collecting dues rather than producing top teams.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clubs need this kind of competition. Most clubs have become arrogant, self-serving, and fixated on their bottom lines despite being "non profits". The travel involved is ridiculous and the main barrier to entry for many kids. The pay-to-play madness has to stop. It shouldn't involve $10K a year for a kid to play high level soccer.

What do you think the cost should be and what do expect to get in return?

Great question, got an answer you you just on the "it cost to much" bandwagon. You have the solution?

PP here. The club cost from a fee and number of trainings is actually not terrible - provided you are on a top team and getting quality coaching with a staff that can fill in for coaches and evaluation by more than one coach. It is the hidden costs, mostly travel, that make it a racket. So, yes, part of the solution is stop the useless marketing of elitism with league names and have travel be within a 90 minute to 2 hour radius. Very possible to do in a metro area like DC with a rethink of leagues and general approach. There is no need for ECNL and MLS Next kids as young as 12 to be traveling six to seven hours for a single game. The only people benefiting from this are the hotels in said area. What's wrong with playing a local team two or three times? What's the problem with having more DC metro tournaments that mix leagues? You exclude kids who don't have a means and a support system when you force them to travel across multiple state lines or even across country for one or two games. That's solution #1. Another idea would be what MLS Next has actually implemented with the video AI (Taka) that measures a team's performance beyond wins and losses and more on possession, pass completion, and other metrics. This eliminates the BS playing style that is American soccer - recruit huge kids and kick over the top to pile up wins. Who is actually developing players and playing a style that lends itself to the next level?
Do I or anybody have all the answers? No because, after all, it is a free market and people will continue to sell what's being bought. But, most of us agree that the costs and travel are out of control. Not to mention the politics that exist in club soccer.

We're the most expensive and only expensive country on the entire planet to play soccer

Every excuse about why it 'has' to cost this much is BS

Still waiting for the answer for how you cut costs....just hear more talking points. 12 year Olds traveling 6 hours for single game, what team and club was this. Sounds like a one of dumb decision. Still waiting....

Takoma soccer costs $50 a season.

If you gathered all of the folks at Loudoun, Alexandria, BSC, Achilles, etc and put them in Takoma Soccer, we have solved the problem, locally. Super cheap and crazy talented. Pay a coach $200 a session 3x a week for all 52 weeks a year and that is just $2,080.

How much would it cost YOU, to put in the work to out this together? Probably more than $10k.

Would you play on grass and less than subpar turf fields?

What status would you receive for playing with the common kids?

C’mon? Stop complaining. Ya’ll don’t want real parity.

The problem in the DMV is that elite parents do not want competition. The FOMO is extremely high.

EVERY time I look for free participation it is crickets. Accept you are part of the system.

Anonymous wrote:The DC parents want real competition. Asking Loudoun, Alexandria, and Achilles kids to go to Takoma park every day is a stupid solution. These kids would have to travel 1 1/2 hours each way, every day, with homework and school. What we need is 1/3 the GA/MLSN clubs and less 1-2 ECNL clubs so the competition is real. This area won’t compete with Dallas Ft Worth or S Ca where there are way less clubs in a larger area and the top talent gets condensed. Here we already have 4 GA teams in one county. That is not the strategy for top talent condensing at one club, that is dilution to the point of irrelevancy. ECNL had it right. If we want the kids to compete nationally at this level we need way less clubs, not more, as GA and MLSN are doing. But they are clearly interested in collecting dues rather than producing top teams.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DC parents want real competition. Asking Loudoun, Alexandria, and Achilles kids to go to Takoma park every day is a stupid solution. These kids would have to travel 1 1/2 hours each way, every day, with homework and school. What we need is 1/3 the GA/MLSN clubs and less 1-2 ECNL clubs so the competition is real. This area won’t compete with Dallas Ft Worth or S Ca where there are way less clubs in a larger area and the top talent gets condensed. Here we already have 4 GA teams in one county. That is not the strategy for top talent condensing at one club, that is dilution to the point of irrelevancy. ECNL had it right. If we want the kids to compete nationally at this level we need way less clubs, not more, as GA and MLSN are doing. But they are clearly interested in collecting dues rather than producing top teams.

I honestly don’t care about producing top teams. I care about my kid’s development, enjoyment, and recruiting opportunities. These goals do not require assembling all the talent on a single top team. The more teams the better as far as I’m concerned. The current system meets my needs and I’m not looking to change it so the DMV could compete nationally.

Anonymous wrote:The DC parents want real competition. Asking Loudoun, Alexandria, and Achilles kids to go to Takoma park every day is a stupid solution. These kids would have to travel 1 1/2 hours each way, every day, with homework and school. What we need is 1/3 the GA/MLSN clubs and less 1-2 ECNL clubs so the competition is real. This area won’t compete with Dallas Ft Worth or S Ca where there are way less clubs in a larger area and the top talent gets condensed. Here we already have 4 GA teams in one county. That is not the strategy for top talent condensing at one club, that is dilution to the point of irrelevancy. ECNL had it right. If we want the kids to compete nationally at this level we need way less clubs, not more, as GA and MLSN are doing. But they are clearly interested in collecting dues rather than producing top teams.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clubs need this kind of competition. Most clubs have become arrogant, self-serving, and fixated on their bottom lines despite being "non profits". The travel involved is ridiculous and the main barrier to entry for many kids. The pay-to-play madness has to stop. It shouldn't involve $10K a year for a kid to play high level soccer.

What do you think the cost should be and what do expect to get in return?

Great question, got an answer you you just on the "it cost to much" bandwagon. You have the solution?

PP here. The club cost from a fee and number of trainings is actually not terrible - provided you are on a top team and getting quality coaching with a staff that can fill in for coaches and evaluation by more than one coach. It is the hidden costs, mostly travel, that make it a racket. So, yes, part of the solution is stop the useless marketing of elitism with league names and have travel be within a 90 minute to 2 hour radius. Very possible to do in a metro area like DC with a rethink of leagues and general approach. There is no need for ECNL and MLS Next kids as young as 12 to be traveling six to seven hours for a single game. The only people benefiting from this are the hotels in said area. What's wrong with playing a local team two or three times? What's the problem with having more DC metro tournaments that mix leagues? You exclude kids who don't have a means and a support system when you force them to travel across multiple state lines or even across country for one or two games. That's solution #1. Another idea would be what MLS Next has actually implemented with the video AI (Taka) that measures a team's performance beyond wins and losses and more on possession, pass completion, and other metrics. This eliminates the BS playing style that is American soccer - recruit huge kids and kick over the top to pile up wins. Who is actually developing players and playing a style that lends itself to the next level?
Do I or anybody have all the answers? No because, after all, it is a free market and people will continue to sell what's being bought. But, most of us agree that the costs and travel are out of control. Not to mention the politics that exist in club soccer.

We're the most expensive and only expensive country on the entire planet to play soccer

Every excuse about why it 'has' to cost this much is BS

Still waiting for the answer for how you cut costs....just hear more talking points. 12 year Olds traveling 6 hours for single game, what team and club was this. Sounds like a one of dumb decision. Still waiting....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clubs need this kind of competition. Most clubs have become arrogant, self-serving, and fixated on their bottom lines despite being "non profits". The travel involved is ridiculous and the main barrier to entry for many kids. The pay-to-play madness has to stop. It shouldn't involve $10K a year for a kid to play high level soccer.

What do you think the cost should be and what do expect to get in return?

Great question, got an answer you you just on the "it cost to much" bandwagon. You have the solution?

PP here. The club cost from a fee and number of trainings is actually not terrible - provided you are on a top team and getting quality coaching with a staff that can fill in for coaches and evaluation by more than one coach. It is the hidden costs, mostly travel, that make it a racket. So, yes, part of the solution is stop the useless marketing of elitism with league names and have travel be within a 90 minute to 2 hour radius. Very possible to do in a metro area like DC with a rethink of leagues and general approach. There is no need for ECNL and MLS Next kids as young as 12 to be traveling six to seven hours for a single game. The only people benefiting from this are the hotels in said area. What's wrong with playing a local team two or three times? What's the problem with having more DC metro tournaments that mix leagues? You exclude kids who don't have a means and a support system when you force them to travel across multiple state lines or even across country for one or two games. That's solution #1. Another idea would be what MLS Next has actually implemented with the video AI (Taka) that measures a team's performance beyond wins and losses and more on possession, pass completion, and other metrics. This eliminates the BS playing style that is American soccer - recruit huge kids and kick over the top to pile up wins. Who is actually developing players and playing a style that lends itself to the next level?
Do I or anybody have all the answers? No because, after all, it is a free market and people will continue to sell what's being bought. But, most of us agree that the costs and travel are out of control. Not to mention the politics that exist in club soccer.

We're the most expensive and only expensive country on the entire planet to play soccer

Every excuse about why it 'has' to cost this much is BS

Still waiting for the answer for how you cut costs....just hear more talking points. 12 year Olds traveling 6 hours for single game, what team and club was this. Sounds like a one of dumb decision. Still waiting....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clubs need this kind of competition. Most clubs have become arrogant, self-serving, and fixated on their bottom lines despite being "non profits". The travel involved is ridiculous and the main barrier to entry for many kids. The pay-to-play madness has to stop. It shouldn't involve $10K a year for a kid to play high level soccer.

What do you think the cost should be and what do expect to get in return?

Great question, got an answer you you just on the "it cost to much" bandwagon. You have the solution?

PP here. The club cost from a fee and number of trainings is actually not terrible - provided you are on a top team and getting quality coaching with a staff that can fill in for coaches and evaluation by more than one coach. It is the hidden costs, mostly travel, that make it a racket. So, yes, part of the solution is stop the useless marketing of elitism with league names and have travel be within a 90 minute to 2 hour radius. Very possible to do in a metro area like DC with a rethink of leagues and general approach. There is no need for ECNL and MLS Next kids as young as 12 to be traveling six to seven hours for a single game. The only people benefiting from this are the hotels in said area. What's wrong with playing a local team two or three times? What's the problem with having more DC metro tournaments that mix leagues? You exclude kids who don't have a means and a support system when you force them to travel across multiple state lines or even across country for one or two games. That's solution #1. Another idea would be what MLS Next has actually implemented with the video AI (Taka) that measures a team's performance beyond wins and losses and more on possession, pass completion, and other metrics. This eliminates the BS playing style that is American soccer - recruit huge kids and kick over the top to pile up wins. Who is actually developing players and playing a style that lends itself to the next level?
Do I or anybody have all the answers? No because, after all, it is a free market and people will continue to sell what's being bought. But, most of us agree that the costs and travel are out of control. Not to mention the politics that exist in club soccer.

We're the most expensive and only expensive country on the entire planet to play soccer

Every excuse about why it 'has' to cost this much is BS

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clubs need this kind of competition. Most clubs have become arrogant, self-serving, and fixated on their bottom lines despite being "non profits". The travel involved is ridiculous and the main barrier to entry for many kids. The pay-to-play madness has to stop. It shouldn't involve $10K a year for a kid to play high level soccer.

What do you think the cost should be and what do expect to get in return?

Great question, got an answer you you just on the "it cost to much" bandwagon. You have the solution?

PP here. The club cost from a fee and number of trainings is actually not terrible - provided you are on a top team and getting quality coaching with a staff that can fill in for coaches and evaluation by more than one coach. It is the hidden costs, mostly travel, that make it a racket. So, yes, part of the solution is stop the useless marketing of elitism with league names and have travel be within a 90 minute to 2 hour radius. Very possible to do in a metro area like DC with a rethink of leagues and general approach. There is no need for ECNL and MLS Next kids as young as 12 to be traveling six to seven hours for a single game. The only people benefiting from this are the hotels in said area. What's wrong with playing a local team two or three times? What's the problem with having more DC metro tournaments that mix leagues? You exclude kids who don't have a means and a support system when you force them to travel across multiple state lines or even across country for one or two games. That's solution #1. Another idea would be what MLS Next has actually implemented with the video AI (Taka) that measures a team's performance beyond wins and losses and more on possession, pass completion, and other metrics. This eliminates the BS playing style that is American soccer - recruit huge kids and kick over the top to pile up wins. Who is actually developing players and playing a style that lends itself to the next level?
Do I or anybody have all the answers? No because, after all, it is a free market and people will continue to sell what's being bought. But, most of us agree that the costs and travel are out of control. Not to mention the politics that exist in club soccer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clubs need this kind of competition. Most clubs have become arrogant, self-serving, and fixated on their bottom lines despite being "non profits". The travel involved is ridiculous and the main barrier to entry for many kids. The pay-to-play madness has to stop. It shouldn't involve $10K a year for a kid to play high level soccer.

What do you think the cost should be and what do expect to get in return?

Great question, got an answer you you just on the "it cost to much" bandwagon. You have the solution?

Anonymous wrote:Clubs need this kind of competition. Most clubs have become arrogant, self-serving, and fixated on their bottom lines despite being "non profits". The travel involved is ridiculous and the main barrier to entry for many kids. The pay-to-play madness has to stop. It shouldn't involve $10K a year for a kid to play high level soccer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clubs need this kind of competition. Most clubs have become arrogant, self-serving, and fixated on their bottom lines despite being "non profits". The travel involved is ridiculous and the main barrier to entry for many kids. The pay-to-play madness has to stop. It shouldn't involve $10K a year for a kid to play high level soccer.

What do you think the cost should be and what do expect to get in return?

Anonymous wrote:Clubs need this kind of competition. Most clubs have become arrogant, self-serving, and fixated on their bottom lines despite being "non profits". The travel involved is ridiculous and the main barrier to entry for many kids. The pay-to-play madness has to stop. It shouldn't involve $10K a year for a kid to play high level soccer.