Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t they have ECNL prior to NVA, or am I confusing it with ECNL-RL? Even if they’re not in an Alliance today (which could change given how fragile Alliances are), they should not be losing access to ECNL-RL as a club.

They had RL before NVA and still have it. With them hiring NM as the TD and his connections to FVU/Union/McLean, I’m guessing they will probably eventually end up in some kind of “partnership” or “alliance” again at some point.

So FVU would be an alliance between McLean, BRYC, Vienna, and GFR if that were to happen. What is even the point of that? Top teams from four different clubs, plus players from elsewhere, all competing for spots on one team? Does being part of a feeder club give you any kind of special consideration? If not it's all a marketing scam.

It must be very rare indeed that the smaller club(s) in these partnerships/alliances benefit from the relationship. It’s usually just broadening the player pool for the “top tier” club. Take NVA, for example. What benefit did GFR get out of that? It’s not like you could only get to NVA by coming from Loudoun, GFR or Valor. Basically, it was a one-way talent transfer for a few of the very best players at GFR and Valor to fill out the NVA teams. GFR and Valor essentially agreed to send their best players to let the NVA coaches take a look at them but they didn’t even get the benefit of being able to say “If you want want to play at NVA, come play for us because we’re the ‘pipeline’ to get there.”

I have yet to hear anyone give a reasonable explanation for how GFR or Valor benefited from that relationship. At least GFR bailed on it but Valor is still a part of it.

I do not think the alliance is working out for Valor either. I think maybe 1 or 2 girls make it into NVA and bench the whole season. What good is that. Valor should also pull out but they are too money hungry.

I think what people are saying is true at the macro level. These partnerships aren't good for the clubs. They will weaken their -RL teams talent pool, even if it's just their top 1 or 2 players that move up to a ECNL-N team. And the clubs don't do anything different to compensate for the loss of these players.

I think this is short sighted thinking.

For the individual players, especially the gifted players, it's an option to improve both their skills and the level of play that they are experiencing. Some players are just motivated to see how good they can become or how good their parents think they should be; others just want to play with their friends. No one has to move to another team, but the players/parents that would take advantage of these -RL team and -N partnerships, are the ones that will leave to a better/higher level club as soon as they can.

And if things don't go well at the higher level club, such as playing time, needing more development, or just don't mesh with the higher level team, they can always return back to the -RL team.

Parents should support this, but they should also demand that the -RL feeder teams compensate for the lose of those talented players. Parents should demand that if clubs are going to participate in these partnerships that the clubs are offering more training options and individual roadmaps on each players development.

Loosing a talented player or two doesn't mean that a team starts losing all their games. It means that coaches will need to start coaching to develop players and teams as a whole, especially at younger ages.

Parents should demand development of the players and stop measuring development by wins and losses at ages before High School.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t they have ECNL prior to NVA, or am I confusing it with ECNL-RL? Even if they’re not in an Alliance today (which could change given how fragile Alliances are), they should not be losing access to ECNL-RL as a club.

They had RL before NVA and still have it. With them hiring NM as the TD and his connections to FVU/Union/McLean, I’m guessing they will probably eventually end up in some kind of “partnership” or “alliance” again at some point.

So FVU would be an alliance between McLean, BRYC, Vienna, and GFR if that were to happen. What is even the point of that? Top teams from four different clubs, plus players from elsewhere, all competing for spots on one team? Does being part of a feeder club give you any kind of special consideration? If not it's all a marketing scam.

It must be very rare indeed that the smaller club(s) in these partnerships/alliances benefit from the relationship. It’s usually just broadening the player pool for the “top tier” club. Take NVA, for example. What benefit did GFR get out of that? It’s not like you could only get to NVA by coming from Loudoun, GFR or Valor. Basically, it was a one-way talent transfer for a few of the very best players at GFR and Valor to fill out the NVA teams. GFR and Valor essentially agreed to send their best players to let the NVA coaches take a look at them but they didn’t even get the benefit of being able to say “If you want want to play at NVA, come play for us because we’re the ‘pipeline’ to get there.”

I have yet to hear anyone give a reasonable explanation for how GFR or Valor benefited from that relationship. At least GFR bailed on it but Valor is still a part of it.

I do not think the alliance is working out for Valor either. I think maybe 1 or 2 girls make it into NVA and bench the whole season. What good is that. Valor should also pull out but they are too money hungry.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t they have ECNL prior to NVA, or am I confusing it with ECNL-RL? Even if they’re not in an Alliance today (which could change given how fragile Alliances are), they should not be losing access to ECNL-RL as a club.

They had RL before NVA and still have it. With them hiring NM as the TD and his connections to FVU/Union/McLean, I’m guessing they will probably eventually end up in some kind of “partnership” or “alliance” again at some point.

So FVU would be an alliance between McLean, BRYC, Vienna, and GFR if that were to happen. What is even the point of that? Top teams from four different clubs, plus players from elsewhere, all competing for spots on one team? Does being part of a feeder club give you any kind of special consideration? If not it's all a marketing scam.

It must be very rare indeed that the smaller club(s) in these partnerships/alliances benefit from the relationship. It’s usually just broadening the player pool for the “top tier” club. Take NVA, for example. What benefit did GFR get out of that? It’s not like you could only get to NVA by coming from Loudoun, GFR or Valor. Basically, it was a one-way talent transfer for a few of the very best players at GFR and Valor to fill out the NVA teams. GFR and Valor essentially agreed to send their best players to let the NVA coaches take a look at them but they didn’t even get the benefit of being able to say “If you want want to play at NVA, come play for us because we’re the ‘pipeline’ to get there.”

I have yet to hear anyone give a reasonable explanation for how GFR or Valor benefited from that relationship. At least GFR bailed on it but Valor is still a part of it.

I'm surprised they agreed to it. They didn't like the partnership with Metro either and got out of that too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t they have ECNL prior to NVA, or am I confusing it with ECNL-RL? Even if they’re not in an Alliance today (which could change given how fragile Alliances are), they should not be losing access to ECNL-RL as a club.

They had RL before NVA and still have it. With them hiring NM as the TD and his connections to FVU/Union/McLean, I’m guessing they will probably eventually end up in some kind of “partnership” or “alliance” again at some point.

So FVU would be an alliance between McLean, BRYC, Vienna, and GFR if that were to happen. What is even the point of that? Top teams from four different clubs, plus players from elsewhere, all competing for spots on one team? Does being part of a feeder club give you any kind of special consideration? If not it's all a marketing scam.

It must be very rare indeed that the smaller club(s) in these partnerships/alliances benefit from the relationship. It’s usually just broadening the player pool for the “top tier” club. Take NVA, for example. What benefit did GFR get out of that? It’s not like you could only get to NVA by coming from Loudoun, GFR or Valor. Basically, it was a one-way talent transfer for a few of the very best players at GFR and Valor to fill out the NVA teams. GFR and Valor essentially agreed to send their best players to let the NVA coaches take a look at them but they didn’t even get the benefit of being able to say “If you want want to play at NVA, come play for us because we’re the ‘pipeline’ to get there.”

I have yet to hear anyone give a reasonable explanation for how GFR or Valor benefited from that relationship. At least GFR bailed on it but Valor is still a part of it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t they have ECNL prior to NVA, or am I confusing it with ECNL-RL? Even if they’re not in an Alliance today (which could change given how fragile Alliances are), they should not be losing access to ECNL-RL as a club.

They had RL before NVA and still have it. With them hiring NM as the TD and his connections to FVU/Union/McLean, I’m guessing they will probably eventually end up in some kind of “partnership” or “alliance” again at some point.

So FVU would be an alliance between McLean, BRYC, Vienna, and GFR if that were to happen. What is even the point of that? Top teams from four different clubs, plus players from elsewhere, all competing for spots on one team? Does being part of a feeder club give you any kind of special consideration? If not it's all a marketing scam.

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t they have ECNL prior to NVA, or am I confusing it with ECNL-RL? Even if they’re not in an Alliance today (which could change given how fragile Alliances are), they should not be losing access to ECNL-RL as a club.

They had RL before NVA and still have it. With them hiring NM as the TD and his connections to FVU/Union/McLean, I’m guessing they will probably eventually end up in some kind of “partnership” or “alliance” again at some point.

Didn’t they have ECNL prior to NVA, or am I confusing it with ECNL-RL? Even if they’re not in an Alliance today (which could change given how fragile Alliances are), they should not be losing access to ECNL-RL as a club.

Just for your information, not everyone is capable of playing in ecnl.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GFR has no technical pathway to ECNL. They are no longer part of NVA they were not picked up as part of FFVU, they are a dingleberry of a club with a dingleberry TD (NM). This non profit is just sucking the money out of the community with no regard to consumers spending $3,000 a year.

If you are serious about your kid playing college soccer go to a big club before they turn 13. Being the best player on a 3rd tier club like GFR will get you no where.

If you are serious about your kid playing college before they are 13 then you are: not knowledgeable about the sport and living vicariously through your kid. Enjoy

Pathways are for players not for clubs and there are many paths

Agree on second part, but there are definitely kids in the 11-12 range who should be looking towards that goal if soccer is their primary sport and they are truly dedicated (speaking from the girls side).

Anonymous wrote:GFR has no technical pathway to ECNL. They are no longer part of NVA they were not picked up as part of FFVU, they are a dingleberry of a club with a dingleberry TD (NM). This non profit is just sucking the money out of the community with no regard to consumers spending $3,000 a year.

If you are serious about your kid playing college soccer go to a big club before they turn 13. Being the best player on a 3rd tier club like GFR will get you no where.

If you are serious about your kid playing college before they are 13 then you are: not knowledgeable about the sport and living vicariously through your kid. Enjoy

Pathways are for players not for clubs and there are many paths

GFR has no technical pathway to ECNL. They are no longer part of NVA they were not picked up as part of FFVU, they are a dingleberry of a club with a dingleberry TD (NM). This non profit is just sucking the money out of the community with no regard to consumers spending $3,000 a year.

If you are serious about your kid playing college soccer go to a big club before they turn 13. Being the best player on a 3rd tier club like GFR will get you no where.

Is the purported lawsuit related to prior coaches who have a grievance with the club?, parents who have a grievance with coaches?, parents who have a grievance about the club’s operations/financials?, parents who have a grievance about GFR’s marketing of (and subsequent removal from) NVA?, or what?

Can a prior poster please elaborate on the claim of GFR losing their ECNL pathway (ECNL, or -RL too?)

Can anyone provide more information about the lawsuit?

Anonymous wrote:GFR style is mostly negative on boys side to the point of can be abusive. some parents want that style. like attracts like.
SA drove a lot of kids out of the club and returning numbers and money can speak for themselves. that's why he's not being rehired
Have heard rumours of lawsuit related to staffing but haven't seen anything official.

Is this speculation on your part or do you have direct knowledge? This does not match up with what I heard from a reliable source.

Anonymous wrote:GFR style is mostly negative on boys side to the point of can be abusive. some parents want that style. like attracts like.
SA drove a lot of kids out of the club and returning numbers and money can speak for themselves. that's why he's not being rehired
Have heard rumours of lawsuit related to staffing but haven't seen anything official.

Looks like SA is a direct replacement hire for the outgoing DS. He will fit in perfectly with Valor.