Anonymous wrote:I think it is clear that there are three major clubs in the area that consistently send kids to the top programs at the next level: MYS, FCV and MUFC. There are also clubs that produce more than a few players every year that go on to top programs and are also capable of producing a national caliber team: BCS, BRYC. There are other clubs that just don't have a track-record but are capable of producing talent: VDA, LS and ASA. Finally, there is one club that will likely implode by the end of the year even if GA survives: MU.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The success of any club going forward is going to be somewhat random and probably age group based. Even clubs like Loudoun, whom everyone loves to trash on this board, has one great team at U14 who can compete and win against McLean’s very strong U14 team that is in 3rd place in the division. Ditto for VDA at the U15 level.
Also, what happens when Clyde Watson eventually retires? McLean doesn’t really have anyone to fill his shoes. He was grooming a younger coach to take his place who left this year, so then who?
Success will be random at 13-15 but not at the older age groups. McLean will be better 16-18 among the nova clubs.
When Clyde retires, McLean will go from four coaches to three coaches that are still more accomplished then what other clubs have so don’t hold your breath.
Anonymous wrote:The success of any club going forward is going to be somewhat random and probably age group based. Even clubs like Loudoun, whom everyone loves to trash on this board, has one great team at U14 who can compete and win against McLean’s very strong U14 team that is in 3rd place in the division. Ditto for VDA at the U15 level.
Also, what happens when Clyde Watson eventually retires? McLean doesn’t really have anyone to fill his shoes. He was grooming a younger coach to take his place who left this year, so then who?
Anonymous wrote:Here’s the less-complete but not-behind-a-pay-wall commitment list from SoccerWire.com, if people are interested in seeing which clubs are actually sending kids to college teams NOW, rather than relying on their reputations from the years before the soccer landscape changed entirely: https://www.soccerwire.com/recruiting/
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:When VDA did not exist, there was no option in that part of NOVA for higher level soccer.
PWSI and VDA are not exactly small, back-water clubs, so if you take 50% of their top teams at U12, you can form a pretty competitive squad starting at U13. Those squads are formed of kids who live in that area, so it's tough to get parents to start driving 1 hour each way to mclean several days a week. It's just not happening.
Before VDA existed, a few of them probably would!
MVP’s of SEC (Vanderbilt) and ACC (Florida state) tournaments are former PWSI players.
Both are phenomenal but neither played for VDA.
The general point, which you did not make directly but which is implied, is that you don't have to play for FCV or McLean to make an impact at the next level.
So who did they play for?
Neither bio references PWSI nor VDA. BRYC is mentioned for one and FFC the other.
Pwsi (which is a part of vda)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:When VDA did not exist, there was no option in that part of NOVA for higher level soccer.
PWSI and VDA are not exactly small, back-water clubs, so if you take 50% of their top teams at U12, you can form a pretty competitive squad starting at U13. Those squads are formed of kids who live in that area, so it's tough to get parents to start driving 1 hour each way to mclean several days a week. It's just not happening.
Before VDA existed, a few of them probably would!
MVP’s of SEC (Vanderbilt) and ACC (Florida state) tournaments are former PWSI players.
Both are phenomenal but neither played for VDA.
The general point, which you did not make directly but which is implied, is that you don't have to play for FCV or McLean to make an impact at the next level.
So who did they play for?