[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]On the boys side, it looks like ECNL is doing better than the MLSN clubs. Certainly for the DMV area teams. [/quote]

In the U16 (2010) age group, MLSN had a strong edge against ECNL clubs. [/quote]

In U16 SYC MLS-Next II looked extremely strong, they must have consolidated a lot of local talent or got some new kids in, looked like they could compete with any MLSN team

Anonymous wrote:Closest thing in Fairfax would be Sully? But yeah, nothing in FFX comes close. Even PWC has better facilities.

PWC has Long, Hellwig and Ali Krieger which are all very nice, Catharpin is nice too.
But Hanson and Bolen are the best large natural grass options in NoVA (I’m addition to their 4 turf fields).
Although whoever said they shouldn’t use the Football fields at Bolen is correct, but the rest of the grass fields there were great.

Anonymous wrote:Closest thing in Fairfax would be Sully? But yeah, nothing in FFX comes close. Even PWC has better facilities.

Even PWC? Gotta love the Fairfax housewives…

The pickup players are very irritating at my dc's practice field in Fairfax as well. I wish the county would do something about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun County has become a nice draw for tournaments. Watch it continue to grow with more and bigger tournaments held there. Many nice facilities with turf, stadiums, all within a few minutes of each other - Hanson Park, Bolen, Loudoun Soccer Park, Segra, Revolution Park. Can't think of many better spots in the mid-atlantic or northeast.

There are plenty in the NE - just in philly you have USTC and Proving Grounds. PDA has good facilities as well.

Those fields in Philly are not close to each other. Same with PDA tournaments fields are all over the place.

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun County has become a nice draw for tournaments. Watch it continue to grow with more and bigger tournaments held there. Many nice facilities with turf, stadiums, all within a few minutes of each other - Hanson Park, Bolen, Loudoun Soccer Park, Segra, Revolution Park. Can't think of many better spots in the mid-atlantic or northeast.

There are plenty in the NE - just in philly you have USTC and Proving Grounds. PDA has good facilities as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year my dc's team practiced at Arrowbrook. Which was nice field with real bathrooms but there would be literally 100+ random pickup players lurking around trying to use corners of the field during their practice. Or playing right next to the field and chasing their balls onto the field all the time. Four HS ages teams were already practicing there so it was just annoying to the coaches.

That field is in Herndon right? We had a GAME there last year and the referees had to keep shooing people off the field DURING THE GAME. It was OBNOXIOUS.

Yep, that’s Herndon for you

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun County has become a nice draw for tournaments. Watch it continue to grow with more and bigger tournaments held there. Many nice facilities with turf, stadiums, all within a few minutes of each other - Hanson Park, Bolen, Loudoun Soccer Park, Segra, Revolution Park. Can't think of many better spots in the mid-atlantic or northeast.

Raliegh, Charlotte and particularly Richmond are superior considering the number of facilities available.

Anonymous wrote:Last year my dc's team practiced at Arrowbrook. Which was nice field with real bathrooms but there would be literally 100+ random pickup players lurking around trying to use corners of the field during their practice. Or playing right next to the field and chasing their balls onto the field all the time. Four HS ages teams were already practicing there so it was just annoying to the coaches.

That field is in Herndon right? We had a GAME there last year and the referees had to keep shooing people off the field DURING THE GAME. It was OBNOXIOUS.

Last year my dc's team practiced at Arrowbrook. Which was nice field with real bathrooms but there would be literally 100+ random pickup players lurking around trying to use corners of the field during their practice. Or playing right next to the field and chasing their balls onto the field all the time. Four HS ages teams were already practicing there so it was just annoying to the coaches.

Loudoun County has become a nice draw for tournaments. Watch it continue to grow with more and bigger tournaments held there. Many nice facilities with turf, stadiums, all within a few minutes of each other - Hanson Park, Bolen, Loudoun Soccer Park, Segra, Revolution Park. Can't think of many better spots in the mid-atlantic or northeast.

Closest thing in Fairfax would be Sully? But yeah, nothing in FFX comes close. Even PWC has better facilities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's creepy about Ashburn?

I'm not PP but I do think the area was very barren-like, so much space between things, massive warehouse buildings, and there was a penitentiary across Bolen. I wouldn't characterize it as creepy though.

We thought Hansen Park was amazing. What a great local facility to have out there for those teams.
Bolen was okay too but they shouldn’t have used the football fields. Too much crown and torn up. Others were okay.
Potomac Lakes was fine but parking there was a mess.

I can see why they play out there. Lots of good field space within easy driving distance. Yes there are data centers and power lines and a prison (or 2) across from Bolen, but sure beats the majority of fields around the DMV.

Does Fairfax have anything similar?

Fairfax county fields are an embarrassment. You are lucky to have access to port-a-pots. Some of the Bolen fields and Potomac sportsplex have real bathrooms, lights, seating, shade, etc. Hal and Bernie fields have great surfaces, lights, ample parking, bathrooms, and a ton of quality surfaces.

In Fairfax you are limited to existing park footprints, so rare to have multiple fields together, which is understandable. Many of the clubs pay to turf the fields and the have to share the field with other sports. There are not many with real bathrooms, maybe an afterthought bleacher, and hopefully a port-a-pot or two. Lots of fields without lights, which makes them useless toward the end of the fall.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's creepy about Ashburn?

I'm not PP but I do think the area was very barren-like, so much space between things, massive warehouse buildings, and there was a penitentiary across Bolen. I wouldn't characterize it as creepy though.

We thought Hansen Park was amazing. What a great local facility to have out there for those teams.
Bolen was okay too but they shouldn’t have used the football fields. Too much crown and torn up. Others were okay.
Potomac Lakes was fine but parking there was a mess.

I can see why they play out there. Lots of good field space within easy driving distance. Yes there are data centers and power lines and a prison (or 2) across from Bolen, but sure beats the majority of fields around the DMV.

Does Fairfax have anything similar?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's creepy about Ashburn?

I'm not PP but I do think the area was very barren-like, so much space between things, massive warehouse buildings, and there was a penitentiary across Bolen. I wouldn't characterize it as creepy though.

We thought Hansen Park was amazing. What a great local facility to have out there for those teams.
Bolen was okay too but they shouldn’t have used the football fields. Too much crown and torn up. Others were okay.
Potomac Lakes was fine but parking there was a mess.

I can see why they play out there. Lots of good field space within easy driving distance. Yes there are data centers and power lines and a prison (or 2) across from Bolen, but sure beats the majority of fields around the DMV.

Potomac Lakes was fine unless you were a u11 stuck in the grass field that appeared to have been used as an after thought and not mowed in weeks. Had to be a horrible experience for those kids stuck there playing on that garbage. Saw it as we walked to the nice turf fields and felt awful for teams stuck there.