Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At what age can you try out for DC United and how competitive are tryouts? That is, how many kids show up and how many are selected?

DC United does occasionally hold open tryouts. My guess is that they will do so at some time in the Spring for 2009 birth years and above. The open tryout level is fairly mixed, but the level to make the team is competitive. DC United does get 9 or 10 of the top dozen kids in the area for each age group, although the bottom half of the roster is probably on a par with other top area teams.

Most of the kids make the team through being scouted and/or the "pathway to pro" program which is a partnership with five local clubs: Loudoun Soccer, Arlington Soccer Association, Player Progression Academy, Virginia Development Academy, and Pipeline Soccer Club. If you think your kid is on that level then you should
(a) reach out directly to DC United through the web-site
(b) talk to your DS' coach to get his opinion on your kid's ability and whether this is a realistic goal
(c) consider moving to a P2P, or MLS Next, team.

You forgot Alexandria, they are a part of MLS Next and the P2P: https://www.dcunited.com/news/dc-united-academy-announce-dmv-pathway-2-pro-program

Why SYC is not included? are they doing that bad???

Gonna throw out a theory here...

Back when EM and PM were at LMVSC, my DS played on one of PM's teams. A few months into U13 a kid moved from LMVSC to DCU academy. PM didn't like it. He straight-up told me, "They'll ruin him." On PM's teams over the years there have been several kids who could have made the move to DCU or another of the DA clubs (back when there was the DA). He kept most of them.

Whatever their concept of successfully developing kids is, I don't think it includes sending players to higher-level clubs. Rather, it seems like their project is that they want to build a rival to DCU, not a feeder.

My experience is similar but I’ll say it differently: the kids serves the club more than the club serves the kid. Having had DS on EM team, what they do is always different than what they say. We were promised kids would move up and down accordingly, yet almost never happens because they don’t want to “rock the boat”. EM completely ruined his 2006 team, but look at the program on a wider scale. Can’t compete in MLS Next, almost no boy players on VA Union because that’s the “top” league, and the girls side is a failing CCL side with virtually no representation on VA Union.

It’s the same as it was when at LMVSC, except a new league.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At what age can you try out for DC United and how competitive are tryouts? That is, how many kids show up and how many are selected?

DC United does occasionally hold open tryouts. My guess is that they will do so at some time in the Spring for 2009 birth years and above. The open tryout level is fairly mixed, but the level to make the team is competitive. DC United does get 9 or 10 of the top dozen kids in the area for each age group, although the bottom half of the roster is probably on a par with other top area teams.

Most of the kids make the team through being scouted and/or the "pathway to pro" program which is a partnership with five local clubs: Loudoun Soccer, Arlington Soccer Association, Player Progression Academy, Virginia Development Academy, and Pipeline Soccer Club. If you think your kid is on that level then you should
(a) reach out directly to DC United through the web-site
(b) talk to your DS' coach to get his opinion on your kid's ability and whether this is a realistic goal
(c) consider moving to a P2P, or MLS Next, team.

You forgot Alexandria, they are a part of MLS Next and the P2P: https://www.dcunited.com/news/dc-united-academy-announce-dmv-pathway-2-pro-program

Why SYC is not included? are they doing that bad???

Gonna throw out a theory here...

Back when EM and PM were at LMVSC, my DS played on one of PM's teams. A few months into U13 a kid moved from LMVSC to DCU academy. PM didn't like it. He straight-up told me, "They'll ruin him." On PM's teams over the years there have been several kids who could have made the move to DCU or another of the DA clubs (back when there was the DA). He kept most of them.

Whatever their concept of successfully developing kids is, I don't think it includes sending players to higher-level clubs. Rather, it seems like their project is that they want to build a rival to DCU, not a feeder.

Nothing wrong with trying to do that so long as everybody - parents, kids and DCU - understand the objectives. People can make their own choices from there. They certainly have their share of talented players at younger ages.

DP here and it seems that is what they are doing and nothing wrong to try to be a competitor to DCU but isn't the purpose of MLSNext, to identify those players playing at a high level that can move on to the "pro" academies? They certainly aren't hiding the kids from DCU as they scrimmaged them quite often last year.

Yes, I was trying to guess/describe why SYC isn't in the P2P program--not offering judgment on the idea.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At what age can you try out for DC United and how competitive are tryouts? That is, how many kids show up and how many are selected?

DC United does occasionally hold open tryouts. My guess is that they will do so at some time in the Spring for 2009 birth years and above. The open tryout level is fairly mixed, but the level to make the team is competitive. DC United does get 9 or 10 of the top dozen kids in the area for each age group, although the bottom half of the roster is probably on a par with other top area teams.

Most of the kids make the team through being scouted and/or the "pathway to pro" program which is a partnership with five local clubs: Loudoun Soccer, Arlington Soccer Association, Player Progression Academy, Virginia Development Academy, and Pipeline Soccer Club. If you think your kid is on that level then you should
(a) reach out directly to DC United through the web-site
(b) talk to your DS' coach to get his opinion on your kid's ability and whether this is a realistic goal
(c) consider moving to a P2P, or MLS Next, team.

You forgot Alexandria, they are a part of MLS Next and the P2P: https://www.dcunited.com/news/dc-united-academy-announce-dmv-pathway-2-pro-program

Why SYC is not included? are they doing that bad???

Gonna throw out a theory here...

Back when EM and PM were at LMVSC, my DS played on one of PM's teams. A few months into U13 a kid moved from LMVSC to DCU academy. PM didn't like it. He straight-up told me, "They'll ruin him." On PM's teams over the years there have been several kids who could have made the move to DCU or another of the DA clubs (back when there was the DA). He kept most of them.

Whatever their concept of successfully developing kids is, I don't think it includes sending players to higher-level clubs. Rather, it seems like their project is that they want to build a rival to DCU, not a feeder.

Nothing wrong with trying to do that so long as everybody - parents, kids and DCU - understand the objectives. People can make their own choices from there. They certainly have their share of talented players at younger ages.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At what age can you try out for DC United and how competitive are tryouts? That is, how many kids show up and how many are selected?

DC United does occasionally hold open tryouts. My guess is that they will do so at some time in the Spring for 2009 birth years and above. The open tryout level is fairly mixed, but the level to make the team is competitive. DC United does get 9 or 10 of the top dozen kids in the area for each age group, although the bottom half of the roster is probably on a par with other top area teams.

Most of the kids make the team through being scouted and/or the "pathway to pro" program which is a partnership with five local clubs: Loudoun Soccer, Arlington Soccer Association, Player Progression Academy, Virginia Development Academy, and Pipeline Soccer Club. If you think your kid is on that level then you should
(a) reach out directly to DC United through the web-site
(b) talk to your DS' coach to get his opinion on your kid's ability and whether this is a realistic goal
(c) consider moving to a P2P, or MLS Next, team.

You forgot Alexandria, they are a part of MLS Next and the P2P: https://www.dcunited.com/news/dc-united-academy-announce-dmv-pathway-2-pro-program

Why SYC is not included? are they doing that bad???

Gonna throw out a theory here...

Back when EM and PM were at LMVSC, my DS played on one of PM's teams. A few months into U13 a kid moved from LMVSC to DCU academy. PM didn't like it. He straight-up told me, "They'll ruin him." On PM's teams over the years there have been several kids who could have made the move to DCU or another of the DA clubs (back when there was the DA). He kept most of them.

Whatever their concept of successfully developing kids is, I don't think it includes sending players to higher-level clubs. Rather, it seems like their project is that they want to build a rival to DCU, not a feeder.

Anonymous wrote:Why would you want to play for other clubs though? I have a kid who I think has a shot at going pro but DCU is the only MLS team he dreams of playing for. Are you not allowed to play for other academies even if DCU doesn’t want you?

I'm not sure exactly what happens if DCU doesn't want you and another pro club does. I believe even in this case DCU might be able to demand a transfer payment, but I'm not sure what they are actually doing.

What if you move abroad and sign with a foreign academy?

They can't stop this.

Is DCU still entitled to some sort of transfer fee?

In this case they are entitled to various transfer fees which are incurred at the point you sign your first professional contract with the new club, but only if you have played for DCU youth academy itself.

Why would you want to play for other clubs though? I have a kid who I think has a shot at going pro but DCU is the only MLS team he dreams of playing for. Are you not allowed to play for other academies even if DCU doesn’t want you? What if you move abroad and sign with a foreign academy? Is DCU still entitled to some sort of transfer fee?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does “has the right to any player” mean?

The MLS clubs claim rights to any player living within 75 miles of the club (not sure if that's the HQ, the stadium, or the practice facility). The club can prevent that player playing for another MLS club - or rarher the other club would be forced to pay a transfer fee should they sign such a player at 17 or 18, even if they had trained the player from 12 years old.

The legality of this arrangement is very dubious, but it is how the clubs are currently behaving.

I am not sure I understand this. So, if my kid turns out to be good and DCU decides they want him then he can’t play anywhere else? As a parent I have no say in that?

DCU will block, or attempt to block, your DS from playing for another MLS youth academy. It is becoming very difficult to work around this, but some kids still manage - I know of one last year.

Or is this only if he’s playing for one of those 6 clubs and if he plays at BSC he’s “safe”?

It is any kid who lives with 75 miles of DCU no matter which club they play for. The advantage that you have playing for BSC is that the coaches will be able both to advise you on how best to circumvent the rules and use their contacts to help get you trials/considered elsewhere.

Or only if he’s on an MLSNext team?

Nope - doesn't matter if he's never played soccer in his life for any club. If he lives within the 75 mile radius, his ass belongs to DCU.

So this is only about the youth teams associated with the professional teams? How would my kid play for a team that wasn't DCU anyway? Wouldn't the commute be a dealbreaker?

I am getting more and more confused with every post.

This is only relevant for kids who have a shot to turn pro. A number of MLS youth academies have residential programs for such kids who do not live locally. At 15 or 16 the kid leaves home and lives out of state. Depending on the club, residency and schooling may be provided directly by the club or through a stay with teammate's family arramgement and attend the same high school as the teammate. In either case, the kid is not commuting from here .

OK, so I guess I just won't worry. My kid is too young to have a clue as to whether he'd either have a shot or even a desire to turn pro.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda’s business model is College - not pro. They only advertise pros who came from their club to try to impress the boys themselves.

I think the kids who are headed to pros try to escape the MLS homegrown designation. (Ie DC United has a geographical turf that other teams can’t poach within and vice versa). Meaning if you go pro, you go to DC United whether you want to or not.

Aaron Heard escaped this. One of the top U-13 players a few years ago. Went from Bethesda to Philadelphia Union academy and then ditched them for St Louis City academy.

But parents had to move into that turf to pull it off.

I saw him recently and was wondering how a local ended up at STL.

Moving is always an option. However it is still just about possible to pull it off without moving, but you need to play your cards very carefully and you won't do it without the advice of someone who understands the ins and outs of the system.

I also wasn't referring to Aaron who originally escaped several years ago when it was much easier. There are quite a few kids who escaped prior to the rules being enforced so strictly - I'm aware of kids at four or five clubs and there are doubtless more that I'm not aware of.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does “has the right to any player” mean?

The MLS clubs claim rights to any player living within 75 miles of the club (not sure if that's the HQ, the stadium, or the practice facility). The club can prevent that player playing for another MLS club - or rarher the other club would be forced to pay a transfer fee should they sign such a player at 17 or 18, even if they had trained the player from 12 years old.

The legality of this arrangement is very dubious, but it is how the clubs are currently behaving.

I am not sure I understand this. So, if my kid turns out to be good and DCU decides they want him then he can’t play anywhere else? As a parent I have no say in that?

DCU will block, or attempt to block, your DS from playing for another MLS youth academy. It is becoming very difficult to work around this, but some kids still manage - I know of one last year.

Or is this only if he’s playing for one of those 6 clubs and if he plays at BSC he’s “safe”?

It is any kid who lives with 75 miles of DCU no matter which club they play for. The advantage that you have playing for BSC is that the coaches will be able both to advise you on how best to circumvent the rules and use their contacts to help get you trials/considered elsewhere.

Or only if he’s on an MLSNext team?

Nope - doesn't matter if he's never played soccer in his life for any club. If he lives within the 75 mile radius, his ass belongs to DCU.

So this is only about the youth teams associated with the professional teams? How would my kid play for a team that wasn't DCU anyway? Wouldn't the commute be a dealbreaker?

I am getting more and more confused with every post.

This is only relevant for kids who have a shot to turn pro. A number of MLS youth academies have residential programs for such kids who do not live locally. At 15 or 16 the kid leaves home and lives out of state. Depending on the club, residency and schooling may be provided directly by the club or through a stay with teammate's family arramgement and attend the same high school as the teammate. In either case, the kid is not commuting from here .

Anonymous wrote:Bethesda’s business model is College - not pro. They only advertise pros who came from their club to try to impress the boys themselves.

I think the kids who are headed to pros try to escape the MLS homegrown designation. (Ie DC United has a geographical turf that other teams can’t poach within and vice versa). Meaning if you go pro, you go to DC United whether you want to or not.

Aaron Heard escaped this. One of the top U-13 players a few years ago. Went from Bethesda to Philadelphia Union academy and then ditched them for St Louis City academy.

But parents had to move into that turf to pull it off.

I saw him recently and was wondering how a local ended up at STL.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does “has the right to any player” mean?

The MLS clubs claim rights to any player living within 75 miles of the club (not sure if that's the HQ, the stadium, or the practice facility). The club can prevent that player playing for another MLS club - or rarher the other club would be forced to pay a transfer fee should they sign such a player at 17 or 18, even if they had trained the player from 12 years old.

The legality of this arrangement is very dubious, but it is how the clubs are currently behaving.

I am not sure I understand this. So, if my kid turns out to be good and DCU decides they want him then he can’t play anywhere else? As a parent I have no say in that?

DCU will block, or attempt to block, your DS from playing for another MLS youth academy. It is becoming very difficult to work around this, but some kids still manage - I know of one last year.

Or is this only if he’s playing for one of those 6 clubs and if he plays at BSC he’s “safe”?

It is any kid who lives with 75 miles of DCU no matter which club they play for. The advantage that you have playing for BSC is that the coaches will be able both to advise you on how best to circumvent the rules and use their contacts to help get you trials/considered elsewhere.

Or only if he’s on an MLSNext team?

Nope - doesn't matter if he's never played soccer in his life for any club. If he lives within the 75 mile radius, his ass belongs to DCU.

So this is only about the youth teams associated with the professional teams? How would my kid play for a team that wasn't DCU anyway? Wouldn't the commute be a dealbreaker?

I am getting more and more confused with every post.

Anonymous wrote:So if I want college or maybe just have fun stay busy in high school, then that’s a reason to go with Bethesda?

No. If that's what you want, then the DCU rules don't matter. The DCU rules are there to prevent your kid playing for a different MLS youth academy (e.g. Philadelphia Union, or New York Red Bulls). If your kid plans to go to college, none of this matters - it really only matters for kids who want to, and have a chance to, turn pro.

And then DCUnited can’t force him, but if he wants DCUnited he can still try out?

Yes. And plenty of kids make it from Bethesda to DCU. It's probably slightly easier to get recognized through the P2P program* - but may well not be worth driving to Pipeline to practise if you live in Bethesda.

*It's worth noting that I don't actually know what the P2P program looks like this year. 2 years ago and prior it consisted of a once a month session where a few of the top kids from each of the clubs practised with some of the DCU kids and all the DCU coaches. This meant the top kids would get seen by the coaches in a training environment a few times over the course of the year. They would make offers to a handful of those kids at the end of the year.

Last year, covid regs put an end to that and P2P consisted of a much smaller number of kids practising once a week with the DCU team.

I'm not sure what is planned for this year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does “has the right to any player” mean?

The MLS clubs claim rights to any player living within 75 miles of the club (not sure if that's the HQ, the stadium, or the practice facility). The club can prevent that player playing for another MLS club - or rarher the other club would be forced to pay a transfer fee should they sign such a player at 17 or 18, even if they had trained the player from 12 years old.

The legality of this arrangement is very dubious, but it is how the clubs are currently behaving.

I am not sure I understand this. So, if my kid turns out to be good and DCU decides they want him then he can’t play anywhere else? As a parent I have no say in that?

DCU will block, or attempt to block, your DS from playing for another MLS youth academy. It is becoming very difficult to work around this, but some kids still manage - I know of one last year.

Or is this only if he’s playing for one of those 6 clubs and if he plays at BSC he’s “safe”?

It is any kid who lives with 75 miles of DCU no matter which club they play for. The advantage that you have playing for BSC is that the coaches will be able both to advise you on how best to circumvent the rules and use their contacts to help get you trials/considered elsewhere.

Or only if he’s on an MLSNext team?

Nope - doesn't matter if he's never played soccer in his life for any club. If he lives within the 75 mile radius, his ass belongs to DCU.

So if I want college or maybe just have fun stay busy in high school, then that’s a reason to go with Bethesda? And then DCUnited can’t force him, but if he wants DCUnited he can still try out?