Anonymous wrote:Are you folks dense? The argument is that it is not for everyone but for those who don't have the capacity to go into travel at u9.

I am glad that you and others have the means to go into travel at u9. I am glad that you have one or two kids and can dedicate time to your kid. Some of us don't so we look for other alternatives. I am here to tell you that it is possible, not definite but possible to find an alternative to B or C travel and work to make elite soccer by u15.

I have seen it and have provided names of teams with strong coaches. I personally know girls who came from classic and spent 2.3 years playing travel before being invited to play ECNL.

Sorry but I am not going to allow you folks who have bought into the travel industrial complex tell me or anyone else that they have to spend $3,000 and drive insane distances to play C teams when they can get a similar if not better experience in classic/select.

I have watched too often parents spend money on a C team expecting their DC to develop on the C team only to watch a classic player tryout and beat out their DC for a spot on the A or B team. From there, I have seen the same player make an ECNL team. It is not everyone but I have seen it enough to believe that it is an alternative for the right kid.

If you can control the experience then sure, but most people cannot control that aspect. They do not know going into a Classic environment who the good coach is. In most Classic or Challenge teams kids are simply assigned a team. You are signing up to play in a program you are not choosing a team to hopefully make.

There are kids who make ECNL/DA teams from all kinds of backgrounds and it is terrific that there is that soccer halfway house I mentioned earlier that can be affordable and keep kids engaged and continue to develop.

Nobody is disagreeing on this point. Why you insist on badgering and calling folks morons for their chosen path when nobody has criticized you for your kids path. To you, travel isn't worth it. That is fine, and that is your opinion. It is right for you but your experience is not something that can be easily replicated by others. For one, there are many VA posters here and there are only a handful of clubs that even offer a similar program and in those clubs the programs get very few resources.

My kids were B and C team travel kids who did develop into ECNL/DA players. But DA/ECNL was something that they strived for. Granted at 9 or 10 years old it was more a desire to make the next higher team but that desire to improve was there. If a player demonstrates a desire to want to improve and move up a team then travel is worth it. If a player is hesitant and wants to explore other sports then Classic makes absolute sense. It depends on the kid, their ability and their overall interest level. I will say that at the DA/ECNL level I personally know of no known players on the teams who took the route that you have proposed. All were in travel by at least 10 and at least half were on the A/B teams at their respective clubs.

By the same token, if you put a player with a high ambition and potential on a classic team you run the risk of them being bored. In a majority of travel players, by U11 at least, most of the kids are committed to improving regardless of their actual level. Classic soccer by that age is more of an activity and that subtle difference is why even a B or C travel team is a better choice for a more serious player. Serious does not mean better, just more committed to the process and the sport and surrounded by similar minded players.

Good luck with your kid with your chosen route. I hope it works out well. Just remember, what is right for you and your kid is all that should matter to you. Thanks for sharing your experience but please accept that your pathway for many people comes with to much risk during some very important developmental years that is frankly a leap of faith for many.

Anonymous wrote:Are you folks dense? The argument is that it is not for everyone but for those who don't have the capacity to go into travel at u9.

I am glad that you and others have the means to go into travel at u9. I am glad that you have one or two kids and can dedicate time to your kid. Some of us don't so we look for other alternatives. I am here to tell you that it is possible, not definite but possible to find an alternative to B or C travel and work to make elite soccer by u15.

I have seen it and have provided names of teams with strong coaches. I personally know girls who came from classic and spent 2.3 years playing travel before being invited to play ECNL.

Sorry but I am not going to allow you folks who have bought into the travel industrial complex tell me or anyone else that they have to spend $3,000 and drive insane distances to play C teams when they can get a similar if not better experience in classic/select.

I have watched too often parents spend money on a C team expecting their DC to develop on the C team only to watch a classic player tryout and beat out their DC for a spot on the A or B team. From there, I have seen the same player make an ECNL team. It is not everyone but I have seen it enough to believe that it is an alternative for the right kid.

Of course it's possible, just not probable. Each player has his/her own journey which is why folks asking for advice on these forums are fruitless. There isn't pathway that can be applied to all players, if there were everyone would become a pro.

Anonymous wrote:Are you folks dense? The argument is that it is not for everyone but for those who don't have the capacity to go into travel at u9.

I am glad that you and others have the means to go into travel at u9. I am glad that you have one or two kids and can dedicate time to your kid. Some of us don't so we look for other alternatives. I am here to tell you that it is possible, not definite but possible to find an alternative to B or C travel and work to make elite soccer by u15.

I have seen it and have provided names of teams with strong coaches. I personally know girls who came from classic and spent 2.3 years playing travel before being invited to play ECNL.

Sorry but I am not going to allow you folks who have bought into the travel industrial complex tell me or anyone else that they have to spend $3,000 and drive insane distances to play C teams when they can get a similar if not better experience in classic/select.

I have watched too often parents spend money on a C team expecting their DC to develop on the C team only to watch a classic player tryout and beat out their DC for a spot on the A or B team. From there, I have seen the same player make an ECNL team. It is not everyone but I have seen it enough to believe that it is an alternative for the right kid.

Why the name calling? Seems like an issue with you... What you suggest might work for 1% of players. Maybe.

How tough is it to move from a mid-tier team to ECNL/DA team? I know the speed of the game is much faster. My DD is currently U11. What should she do to prepare for a tryout 1-2 years from now besides from individual skill training?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I don't disagree with any of the statements above but I know of at least five coaches, one whom I met last week while sledding, that are former college players who coached or are currently coaching competitive travel soccer but are coaching classic/select. My DS's former travel coach who played professionally in LatAm and now coaches at a local HS, coaches a classic team because of its affiliation with the LatAm community.

I have seen talented players in classic. My DD played on a team where the coach had previously coached at both Bethesda/Potomac but had taken time off from travel while working as an assistant at a local DI soccer program and coached a classic team of girls who he taught in elem school. That team had three girls that are now playing for A teams at large clubs in the DMV.

The argument remains that there is no guarantee but a talented player in classic who is a star can show up and make a competitive non-ECNL/DA travel team and after getting used to the speed of play and playing in a more competitive setting can absolutely make an ECNL team within a year or two. Ask any travel coach and they will tell you that they have seen several of these cases.

Again, for those of us not interested in entering the insanity of travel soccer at U8, classic/select is a viable option if done the right way.

Anyone who says that it isn't possible has zero experience with a strong classic/select coach.

I'm not from your area, but my daughter plays ECNL at one of the biggest clubs in New England and I can tell you 100% that there is not one player on any of our ECNL teams who was not playing Club soccer at u10/11. Zero.

Now, I do know that the NOVA/DC area seems to have too many ECNL/DA teams, so maybe it is a bit easier to make those teams, but the "pathway" that you describe is incredibly uncommon... Can it happen? Sure... But you'd have to have a kid who has incredible natural ability. Also "getting used to the speed of play" is not something that happens overnight for kids. The difference in speed of play between ECNL/DA and an "A" club team that plays in a regional league can be huge--let alone coming from one of those club's B, C, or D teams.

I'm not saying that there are not exceptions to the "typical" path, but it is incredibly unlikely that a kid will go from what you refer to as classic/select at U10/11 to ECNL/DA at u14/15. Please don't sell this like it is something that would work for the masses.

+1. Agreed. If your goal is to play DA or ECNL you should be playing club travel soccer by U11/U12.

Are you folks dense? The argument is that it is not for everyone but for those who don't have the capacity to go into travel at u9.

I am glad that you and others have the means to go into travel at u9. I am glad that you have one or two kids and can dedicate time to your kid. Some of us don't so we look for other alternatives. I am here to tell you that it is possible, not definite but possible to find an alternative to B or C travel and work to make elite soccer by u15.

I have seen it and have provided names of teams with strong coaches. I personally know girls who came from classic and spent 2.3 years playing travel before being invited to play ECNL.

Sorry but I am not going to allow you folks who have bought into the travel industrial complex tell me or anyone else that they have to spend $3,000 and drive insane distances to play C teams when they can get a similar if not better experience in classic/select.

I have watched too often parents spend money on a C team expecting their DC to develop on the C team only to watch a classic player tryout and beat out their DC for a spot on the A or B team. From there, I have seen the same player make an ECNL team. It is not everyone but I have seen it enough to believe that it is an alternative for the right kid.

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I don't disagree with any of the statements above but I know of at least five coaches, one whom I met last week while sledding, that are former college players who coached or are currently coaching competitive travel soccer but are coaching classic/select. My DS's former travel coach who played professionally in LatAm and now coaches at a local HS, coaches a classic team because of its affiliation with the LatAm community.

I have seen talented players in classic. My DD played on a team where the coach had previously coached at both Bethesda/Potomac but had taken time off from travel while working as an assistant at a local DI soccer program and coached a classic team of girls who he taught in elem school. That team had three girls that are now playing for A teams at large clubs in the DMV.

The argument remains that there is no guarantee but a talented player in classic who is a star can show up and make a competitive non-ECNL/DA travel team and after getting used to the speed of play and playing in a more competitive setting can absolutely make an ECNL team within a year or two. Ask any travel coach and they will tell you that they have seen several of these cases.

Again, for those of us not interested in entering the insanity of travel soccer at U8, classic/select is a viable option if done the right way.

Anyone who says that it isn't possible has zero experience with a strong classic/select coach.

I'm not from your area, but my daughter plays ECNL at one of the biggest clubs in New England and I can tell you 100% that there is not one player on any of our ECNL teams who was not playing Club soccer at u10/11. Zero.

Now, I do know that the NOVA/DC area seems to have too many ECNL/DA teams, so maybe it is a bit easier to make those teams, but the "pathway" that you describe is incredibly uncommon... Can it happen? Sure... But you'd have to have a kid who has incredible natural ability. Also "getting used to the speed of play" is not something that happens overnight for kids. The difference in speed of play between ECNL/DA and an "A" club team that plays in a regional league can be huge--let alone coming from one of those club's B, C, or D teams.

I'm not saying that there are not exceptions to the "typical" path, but it is incredibly unlikely that a kid will go from what you refer to as classic/select at U10/11 to ECNL/DA at u14/15. Please don't sell this like it is something that would work for the masses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Moron, No one said it was a certainty. You must be in politics.

The argument remains that you do not need to get sucked into travel soccer at u8-u11. Find a strong classic/select coach. I found one last week while sledding with my kids. The guy had played college soccer was a youth travel coach who won state championships back when they meant something. Now that he has kids, he only coaches his kids. They play in travel tournaments. I will take a coach like that from u8-u11 and save my money over playing travel and driving up and down I95. I would then put my kid on a strong travel team at u12/u13 and from there, let them work to make elite travel at u14/u15.

Just another pathway folks.

Those coaches that you speak of are also not completely in it for the kids. They are there to coach their kid and have control over their kid's process. Some teammates may benefit from the coaching but never forget that in the parent/coach's eyes the team is there in support of their child not the other way around. And that is why they do it. Sure they will tell you that they just love the game, the kids, they want to give back blah, blah blah. All of that is true to a point and that point is when the team has outlived its usefulness in the coach's eye.

Sorry but I know players from these teams and have spoken to the coaches and the coaches want to improve every player.

Sure they do, but it is not their primary motivation. It simply is not a pathway in the truest sense. If your player shows potential and promise but is not yet truly committed to soccer or is enjoying multiple sports and activities then sure, classic/select is low cost way to keep a player involved in the game in a reasonably developmental way.

But if you have a kid who is rather serious and shows promise then, unless money/time is an issue and barring any known unicorn coaches in a select environment I would not recommend select soccer or even sell it as a pathway.

Select soccer is what it is, a soccer halfway house. For some rec kids it is a developmental pathway to travel and for some travel kids it can be a way out of travel into a simple yet competitive environment.

PP here, Notice that I never said it is the only true pathway or even better than travel. I only said that if you have limited resources or limited time, i.e.e more than two kids, classic/select is a viable path to develop a kid if you find the right situation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Moron, No one said it was a certainty. You must be in politics.

The argument remains that you do not need to get sucked into travel soccer at u8-u11. Find a strong classic/select coach. I found one last week while sledding with my kids. The guy had played college soccer was a youth travel coach who won state championships back when they meant something. Now that he has kids, he only coaches his kids. They play in travel tournaments. I will take a coach like that from u8-u11 and save my money over playing travel and driving up and down I95. I would then put my kid on a strong travel team at u12/u13 and from there, let them work to make elite travel at u14/u15.

Just another pathway folks.

Would you please stop with the name calling? What is wrong with you?

It's the age of Trump.

Anonymous wrote:Moron, No one said it was a certainty. You must be in politics.

The argument remains that you do not need to get sucked into travel soccer at u8-u11. Find a strong classic/select coach. I found one last week while sledding with my kids. The guy had played college soccer was a youth travel coach who won state championships back when they meant something. Now that he has kids, he only coaches his kids. They play in travel tournaments. I will take a coach like that from u8-u11 and save my money over playing travel and driving up and down I95. I would then put my kid on a strong travel team at u12/u13 and from there, let them work to make elite travel at u14/u15.

Just another pathway folks.

Would you please stop with the name calling? What is wrong with you?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is that many new parents to the soccer industry would have a hard time understanding your concept until it's kind of too late or don't even know how find out the specific about those coaches. The rec clubs aren't promoting them as hard as travel and there ins't a great resource to understand.. Just a bunch of unicorn stories. It's not like you even mentioned 1 of the 5 you know. Why not call them out? Parents come here to learn more and aren't given any real information to work with.

I think the probability of one of those being pretty close to you is slim... I've met and watched a couple games of one local u9 classic coach at the Herndon all star tournament. I wasn't impressed... at all . Coaches from other teams would have required me to drive up and down the 95/395/495 corridors, right? not unlike the previous negatives

I think there are enough references on this thread to see who these teams/coaches are.

Toca Junior
MD Fusion
FC Lions
Brit-Am
Champions United

Thanks! i’d only heard of brit-am, and barlely. Anyone have any in the state of VA? Is classic much bigger in that area of MD than VA?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Moron, No one said it was a certainty. You must be in politics.

The argument remains that you do not need to get sucked into travel soccer at u8-u11. Find a strong classic/select coach. I found one last week while sledding with my kids. The guy had played college soccer was a youth travel coach who won state championships back when they meant something. Now that he has kids, he only coaches his kids. They play in travel tournaments. I will take a coach like that from u8-u11 and save my money over playing travel and driving up and down I95. I would then put my kid on a strong travel team at u12/u13 and from there, let them work to make elite travel at u14/u15.

Just another pathway folks.

Those coaches that you speak of are also not completely in it for the kids. They are there to coach their kid and have control over their kid's process. Some teammates may benefit from the coaching but never forget that in the parent/coach's eyes the team is there in support of their child not the other way around. And that is why they do it. Sure they will tell you that they just love the game, the kids, they want to give back blah, blah blah. All of that is true to a point and that point is when the team has outlived its usefulness in the coach's eye.

Sorry but I know players from these teams and have spoken to the coaches and the coaches want to improve every player.

Sure they do, but it is not their primary motivation. It simply is not a pathway in the truest sense. If your player shows potential and promise but is not yet truly committed to soccer or is enjoying multiple sports and activities then sure, classic/select is low cost way to keep a player involved in the game in a reasonably developmental way.

But if you have a kid who is rather serious and shows promise then, unless money/time is an issue and barring any known unicorn coaches in a select environment I would not recommend select soccer or even sell it as a pathway.

Select soccer is what it is, a soccer halfway house. For some rec kids it is a developmental pathway to travel and for some travel kids it can be a way out of travel into a simple yet competitive environment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Moron, No one said it was a certainty. You must be in politics.

The argument remains that you do not need to get sucked into travel soccer at u8-u11. Find a strong classic/select coach. I found one last week while sledding with my kids. The guy had played college soccer was a youth travel coach who won state championships back when they meant something. Now that he has kids, he only coaches his kids. They play in travel tournaments. I will take a coach like that from u8-u11 and save my money over playing travel and driving up and down I95. I would then put my kid on a strong travel team at u12/u13 and from there, let them work to make elite travel at u14/u15.

Just another pathway folks.

Those coaches that you speak of are also not completely in it for the kids. They are there to coach their kid and have control over their kid's process. Some teammates may benefit from the coaching but never forget that in the parent/coach's eyes the team is there in support of their child not the other way around. And that is why they do it. Sure they will tell you that they just love the game, the kids, they want to give back blah, blah blah. All of that is true to a point and that point is when the team has outlived its usefulness in the coach's eye.

Sorry but I know players from these teams and have spoken to the coaches and the coaches want to improve every player.

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem is that many new parents to the soccer industry would have a hard time understanding your concept until it's kind of too late or don't even know how find out the specific about those coaches. The rec clubs aren't promoting them as hard as travel and there ins't a great resource to understand.. Just a bunch of unicorn stories. It's not like you even mentioned 1 of the 5 you know. Why not call them out? Parents come here to learn more and aren't given any real information to work with.

I think the probability of one of those being pretty close to you is slim... I've met and watched a couple games of one local u9 classic coach at the Herndon all star tournament. I wasn't impressed... at all . Coaches from other teams would have required me to drive up and down the 95/395/495 corridors, right? not unlike the previous negatives

I think there are enough references on this thread to see who these teams/coaches are.

Toca Junior
MD Fusion
FC Lions
Brit-Am
Champions United

Anonymous wrote:Moron, No one said it was a certainty. You must be in politics.

The argument remains that you do not need to get sucked into travel soccer at u8-u11. Find a strong classic/select coach. I found one last week while sledding with my kids. The guy had played college soccer was a youth travel coach who won state championships back when they meant something. Now that he has kids, he only coaches his kids. They play in travel tournaments. I will take a coach like that from u8-u11 and save my money over playing travel and driving up and down I95. I would then put my kid on a strong travel team at u12/u13 and from there, let them work to make elite travel at u14/u15.

Just another pathway folks.

Those coaches that you speak of are also not completely in it for the kids. They are there to coach their kid and have control over their kid's process. Some teammates may benefit from the coaching but never forget that in the parent/coach's eyes the team is there in support of their child not the other way around. And that is why they do it. Sure they will tell you that they just love the game, the kids, they want to give back blah, blah blah. All of that is true to a point and that point is when the team has outlived its usefulness in the coach's eye.