Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

The question, again, is, why is it playing down if you're playing in your correct age group cutoff?

For a player with a September 2014 birthday who plays U12 next season it means that they're not on the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team and won't be eligible for the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team the following season either. He's playing in a younger team with weaker teammates and opponents. He will have to be head and shoulders above the U12 kids to make the U14 the following season.

The U12's have about 6-8 Aug-Dec 2014's between White and Silver 1st teams. They will choose to tryout and play for the U13 Homegrown next year or they will choose to repeat U12 and 9v9. They are eligible for U13 Homegrown. They have the options of playing U13 Homegrown or U12 White/Silver again with the new age group. Depending on tryouts, all of these group will probably look materially different than the current groups although most parents are in extreme denial of this.

This will be a really interesting question for the club. Would you put a 4Q 2014 who didn’t make the MLS Next Homegrown U13 on the top 2015 team at U12 knowing that the following season (27-28) that same kid can’t be on the 2015 MLS Next Homegrown roster? Seems a little shortsighted.

There are a number of Q4 2014's who see playing a 3rd year at 9v9 as beneficial. There is at least one coach at BSC who believes strongly that delaying full-sided for as long as possible is beneficial. It is the reverse effect of all of the local clubs who push their 2014's to play up at 11v11 right now but having a poor technical foundation. We'll ultimately see how it all plays out. SYC routinely beats BSC in the younger ages, rushes to 11v11 and we routinely began to beat them starting at U15 and beyond. Development takes time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that only one 2017 team was in the top bracket. The way the Club has described the new system is that the 2015s will be the last of the youth teams designated as A1 and that going forward all the birth years will have two teams that are supposed to be relatively even. Again, watch what they do, not what they say.

Is this for Boys or Girls (or both)? As I can definitely say that both 2016 and 2017 girls have an A1 team and then everyone else.

This is on the Boys Youth side (U7-U11). The club had said that they're no longer going to rank teams Academy 1, Academy 2, Academy 3, colors, etc. after the 2015 team which is still tiered. I was told that for 2016 and younger they will use names of national team players and that the "top" team will be split evenly into two groups. The justification was that they lose too many A2 players who develop later on. On the surface it makes sense but it feels like a fig leaf to manage the tricky situation with the 2016s.

This makes sense, my kid is on the 2nd team and I am seriously considering moving them to another club. The kid can absolutely play on A1 and would likely be somewhere in the top 5 (not the best, but definitely better than half the team). Unfortunately, the chance of actually moving up to A1 without club hopping is minimal.

I know who this parent is

If your kid could be top 5 on A1, they should be DOMINATING on A2. I have not seen any kid dominating on A2 including my own. Let the kids sort it out on the pitch in the spring.

I have seen this on the girls side as well. One would think they would dominate ECNLR and Aspire

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

The question, again, is, why is it playing down if you're playing in your correct age group cutoff?

For a player with a September 2014 birthday who plays U12 next season it means that they're not on the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team and won't be eligible for the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team the following season either. He's playing in a younger team with weaker teammates and opponents. He will have to be head and shoulders above the U12 kids to make the U14 the following season.

The U12's have about 6-8 Aug-Dec 2014's between White and Silver 1st teams. They will choose to tryout and play for the U13 Homegrown next year or they will choose to repeat U12 and 9v9. They are eligible for U13 Homegrown. They have the options of playing U13 Homegrown or U12 White/Silver again with the new age group. Depending on tryouts, all of these group will probably look materially different than the current groups although most parents are in extreme denial of this.

This will be a really interesting question for the club. Would you put a 4Q 2014 who didn’t make the MLS Next Homegrown U13 on the top 2015 team at U12 knowing that the following season (27-28) that same kid can’t be on the 2015 MLS Next Homegrown roster? Seems a little shortsighted.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

The question, again, is, why is it playing down if you're playing in your correct age group cutoff?

For a player with a September 2014 birthday who plays U12 next season it means that they're not on the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team and won't be eligible for the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team the following season either. He's playing in a younger team with weaker teammates and opponents. He will have to be head and shoulders above the U12 kids to make the U14 the following season.

None of that makes sense

If he's a U14 and good enough he'll play U14
Unless the club/coach is against having strong performers on their teams

Yes, talent will almost always win out. The point is that the differing age groups will add an additional challenge for boys born in the 4Q. If he’s on the second team and on the edge of being good enough for the top MLS Next team he won’t get the same level of competition because he’s playing against kids who are younger. If MLS Next Academy (tier 2) was staying calendar birth year he would be getting better competition against kids who are older (all 2014) than playing with younger players (4Q 2014-3Q 2015) with the switch to school birth year for Academy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that only one 2017 team was in the top bracket. The way the Club has described the new system is that the 2015s will be the last of the youth teams designated as A1 and that going forward all the birth years will have two teams that are supposed to be relatively even. Again, watch what they do, not what they say.

Is this for Boys or Girls (or both)? As I can definitely say that both 2016 and 2017 girls have an A1 team and then everyone else.

This is on the Boys Youth side (U7-U11). The club had said that they're no longer going to rank teams Academy 1, Academy 2, Academy 3, colors, etc. after the 2015 team which is still tiered. I was told that for 2016 and younger they will use names of national team players and that the "top" team will be split evenly into two groups. The justification was that they lose too many A2 players who develop later on. On the surface it makes sense but it feels like a fig leaf to manage the tricky situation with the 2016s.

This makes sense, my kid is on the 2nd team and I am seriously considering moving them to another club. The kid can absolutely play on A1 and would likely be somewhere in the top 5 (not the best, but definitely better than half the team). Unfortunately, the chance of actually moving up to A1 without club hopping is minimal.

I know who this parent is

If your kid could be top 5 on A1, they should be DOMINATING on A2. I have not seen any kid dominating on A2 including my own. Let the kids sort it out on the pitch in the spring.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

The question, again, is, why is it playing down if you're playing in your correct age group cutoff?

For a player with a September 2014 birthday who plays U12 next season it means that they're not on the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team and won't be eligible for the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team the following season either. He's playing in a younger team with weaker teammates and opponents. He will have to be head and shoulders above the U12 kids to make the U14 the following season.

The U12's have about 6-8 Aug-Dec 2014's between White and Silver 1st teams. They will choose to tryout and play for the U13 Homegrown next year or they will choose to repeat U12 and 9v9. They are eligible for U13 Homegrown. They have the options of playing U13 Homegrown or U12 White/Silver again with the new age group. Depending on tryouts, all of these group will probably look materially different than the current groups although most parents are in extreme denial of this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

The question, again, is, why is it playing down if you're playing in your correct age group cutoff?

For a player with a September 2014 birthday who plays U12 next season it means that they're not on the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team and won't be eligible for the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team the following season either. He's playing in a younger team with weaker teammates and opponents. He will have to be head and shoulders above the U12 kids to make the U14 the following season.

None of that makes sense

If he's a U14 and good enough he'll play U14
Unless the club/coach is against having strong performers on their teams

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that only one 2017 team was in the top bracket. The way the Club has described the new system is that the 2015s will be the last of the youth teams designated as A1 and that going forward all the birth years will have two teams that are supposed to be relatively even. Again, watch what they do, not what they say.

Is this for Boys or Girls (or both)? As I can definitely say that both 2016 and 2017 girls have an A1 team and then everyone else.

This is on the Boys Youth side (U7-U11). The club had said that they're no longer going to rank teams Academy 1, Academy 2, Academy 3, colors, etc. after the 2015 team which is still tiered. I was told that for 2016 and younger they will use names of national team players and that the "top" team will be split evenly into two groups. The justification was that they lose too many A2 players who develop later on. On the surface it makes sense but it feels like a fig leaf to manage the tricky situation with the 2016s.

This makes sense, my kid is on the 2nd team and I am seriously considering moving them to another club. The kid can absolutely play on A1 and would likely be somewhere in the top 5 (not the best, but definitely better than half the team). Unfortunately, the chance of actually moving up to A1 without club hopping is minimal.

I think most of us are guilty of over assessing the skills of our own kids. My perception is that BSC is pretty fair/accurate about team placement. I have seen many A2 player move up, all were deserving, but not all actually could compete regularly against A1 kids. Some move up and then move back down. The speed, physicality, and intensity is typically much higher. What do your coaches say? I also know a kid who was on a second team for five seasons before moving up to the top team and is thriving in MLS Next. Puberty will be a big factor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

The question, again, is, why is it playing down if you're playing in your correct age group cutoff?

For a player with a September 2014 birthday who plays U12 next season it means that they're not on the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team and won't be eligible for the Homegrown MLS Next U13 team the following season either. He's playing in a younger team with weaker teammates and opponents. He will have to be head and shoulders above the U12 kids to make the U14 the following season.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

Breaking news

If you're a Q4 on a top team, it is difficult and kudos to you
If you're a Q4 on a 2nd team, it's expectedly a higher mountain to climb

1st team spots are earned privileges, not a right

True but also nothing to do with pure merit, instead artificially shaped by the background rules. (Either way.)

Q4 on a second team at an MLS club has a smaller mountain to climb to the first team if he switches to an ECNL club. Nothing natural or magical about Q4 being necessarily the youngest.

The PP was talking about the incentives created by MLS’s decision, and the incentive is for Q1 to shift towards MLS and Q4 to shift toward ECNL clubs.

You're crazy in your tunnel vision to promote ECNL

A kid on the Bethesda U14 MLSN2 team can't get to the Bethesda U15 MLS Next team but a U14 Potomac ECNL kid can?

Give the details of the better individual development for the ECNL kid

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

Breaking news

If you're a Q4 on a top team, it is difficult and kudos to you
If you're a Q4 on a 2nd team, it's expectedly a higher mountain to climb

1st team spots are earned privileges, not a right

True but also nothing to do with pure merit, instead artificially shaped by the background rules. (Either way.)

Q4 on a second team at an MLS club has a smaller mountain to climb to the first team if he switches to an ECNL club. Nothing natural or magical about Q4 being necessarily the youngest.

The PP was talking about the incentives created by MLS’s decision, and the incentive is for Q1 to shift towards MLS and Q4 to shift toward ECNL clubs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

Breaking news

If you're a Q4 on a top team, it is difficult and kudos to you
If you're a Q4 on a 2nd team, it's expectedly a higher mountain to climb

1st team spots are earned privileges, not a right

+1000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

Breaking news

If you're a Q4 on a top team, it is difficult and kudos to you
If you're a Q4 on a 2nd team, it's expectedly a higher mountain to climb

1st team spots are earned privileges, not a right

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

The question, again, is, why is it playing down if you're playing in your correct age group cutoff?

It isnt. Thought you were being rhetorical. People are just using convenient words.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be a huge headache for clubs like Bethesda. It means a kid born in September 2014 can play down U12 for the 26-27 season unless he's on the top team and then he'll play U13. If he plays U12 it will be harder to jump to the top team at U14 the following season (27-28). Unless BSC comes up with its own rules.....

Why is it playing down if you're following the league cutoff rules and playing your correct month and year placement like everyone else?

Not sure why you arent getting it. PP is spot on. MLS created a giant mess that Q4 second team kids will struggle to make MLS, so may as well realign to ECNL. ECNL boys could strengthen, especially with teams that only have MLS2 (Loudoun, VRSC, McLean, etc.).

The question, again, is, why is it playing down if you're playing in your correct age group cutoff?