Anonymous
04/30/2025 06:32
Subject: City Sporting Club
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My son is considering City Sporting Club for next year (he is already committed to a different team through Spring) but I hear very little about them. Does anyone have any experience playing for them? Thanks!
Why is your son considering them if you don't know anything about them?
Pre-considering
https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/24442/clubs/26303[/url]
does this work? if so, you can at least see what age groups they have and how they did in the fall.
For me this is all about what your aspirations are as a player. The club isn't competing anywhere at the highest level. What that means is that even if the focus is on technical development, which is great, your son isn't testing his skills at the highest level. Tons of players can be successful playing against weak competition. Speed the game up and bring in better players and those same players will likely struggle, which means their skills aren't actually that good. It's all relative. I think the club has the right focus on skill development and individual development which is missing in most of the clubs in our area and I credit them for that focus. I think they miss the competition side of things and minimize the competition side in service of the skill development. There is some wisdom in that because there is less pressure on winning and kids can play with more freedom. BUT, The problem with that is that if you play fourth and fifth division soccer your entire youth career, that is the player you probably are when you're older. You can't flip a switch and play faster at 17. It just doesn't work that way. Muscle.memory doesn't work that way. Your body calls up the speed you've been playing for years not weeks. Maybe the standouts are a little better. That means the majority of the players are WAY far off from top level. If you're ok with that and it is convenient, maybe a good option. But if you want to compete at the highest levels, not so much. And if you're not competing at the highest levels, how do you know what kind of skills you actually have because even I (and I'm old) could look like Messi against weak players.
It also depends on what skills you're developing too. If you're talking about fancy moves, you're toast for high level soccer. Watch any pro league in the world and you can count on one hand how many of those moves get executed in a game. It is mastering the basic skills at high speed with IQ behind those skills not can you execute a maradona or scissors or snake in a game. Big difference.
Anonymous
04/30/2025 05:05
Subject: City Sporting Club
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My son is considering City Sporting Club for next year (he is already committed to a different team through Spring) but I hear very little about them. Does anyone have any experience playing for them? Thanks!
Why is your son considering them if you don't know anything about them?
Pre-considering
https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/24442/clubs/26303[/url]
does this work? if so, you can at least see what age groups they have and how they did in the fall.
For me this is all about what your aspirations are as a player. The club isn't competing anywhere at the highest level. What that means is that even if the focus is on technical development, which is great, your son isn't testing his skills at the highest level. Tons of players can be successful playing against weak competition. Speed the game up and bring in better players and those same players will likely struggle, which means their skills aren't actually that good. It's all relative. I think the club has the right focus on skill development and individual development which is missing in most of the clubs in our area and I credit them for that focus. I think they miss the competition side of things and minimize the competition side in service of the skill development. There is some wisdom in that because there is less pressure on winning and kids can play with more freedom. BUT, The problem with that is that if you play fourth and fifth division soccer your entire youth career, that is the player you probably are when you're older. You can't flip a switch and play faster at 17. It just doesn't work that way. Muscle.memory doesn't work that way. Your body calls up the speed you've been playing for years not weeks. Maybe the standouts are a little better. That means the majority of the players are WAY far off from top level. If you're ok with that and it is convenient, maybe a good option. But if you want to compete at the highest levels, not so much. And if you're not competing at the highest levels, how do you know what kind of skills you actually have because even I (and I'm old) could look like Messi against weak players.
Anonymous
04/29/2025 10:09
Subject: City Sporting Club
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My son is considering City Sporting Club for next year (he is already committed to a different team through Spring) but I hear very little about them. Does anyone have any experience playing for them? Thanks!
Why is your son considering them if you don't know anything about them?
Pre-considering
https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/24442/clubs/26303[/url]
does this work? if so, you can at least see what age groups they have and how they did in the fall.
Poor 2013s. No kid wants to lose by double digits.
Stick with it, trust the process. If you can get in early (by ages 6-8 years old) like many of the core group of 07's and 10's did then its a great club to learn to love the game by loving the ball. You will lose alot in those early years, and the coaches will always redirect parents to development taking time. Ultimately, your DC will definetly know how to control the ball, juggle, dribble, and getting comfortable playing with some flair as a CITY player but it depends on what you want after the development stage comes to an end at 13-15 years old. Clubs are widely different with their goals and their strengths in my opinion once you get to HS years so always keep your options open
. . . . . .but the U13s (2011) finished near the bottom of EDP Div. VIII (!). Maybe they didn't get in early??
“In soccer, ability is much more important than shape, and in many cases, skill is the art of turning limitations into virtues.”
Eduardo Galeano
It's one thing to write about something. It's another entirely to have actually done it. I'll take a former player or coach's word more than an author's. Same as I'd take my grandad's word on what battles were like in WWII over a guy who just writes about them.
Anonymous
04/29/2025 09:55
Subject: City Sporting Club
Where is this club at?
Anonymous
04/29/2025 08:46
Subject: City Sporting Club
Wondering what became of OP! Did you guys end up going with City?
Anonymous
12/14/2023 21:54
Subject: City Sporting Club
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Laurel Lions are a great club at U10. EDP1. Coached by former World Cup player. Think they practice in Rockville. More focused on the illusive player development than Bethesda (let’s face it - they are overrated). My player is EDP1, on cusp of an ECNL team after hours of effort - on his own and with small sided play with the most talented kids he can muster at any given day/time. Encourage your boy to keep up individual technical finesse.
There's not an edp1 at u10. There's edp.futures 1 and 2. But not an edp 1
My apologies thank you. I meant to write 2010, not U10. Boy is U14- and that correlates.
Anonymous
12/14/2023 21:50
Subject: City Sporting Club
Anonymous wrote:Laurel Lions are a great club at U10. EDP1. Coached by former World Cup player. Think they practice in Rockville. More focused on the illusive player development than Bethesda (let’s face it - they are overrated). My player is EDP1, on cusp of an ECNL team after hours of effort - on his own and with small sided play with the most talented kids he can muster at any given day/time. Encourage your boy to keep up individual technical finesse.
There's not an edp1 at u10. There's edp.futures 1 and 2. But not an edp 1
Anonymous
12/14/2023 21:34
Subject: City Sporting Club
Laurel Lions are a great club at U10. EDP1. Coached by former World Cup player. Think they practice in Rockville. More focused on the illusive player development than Bethesda (let’s face it - they are overrated). My player is EDP1, on cusp of an ECNL team after hours of effort - on his own and with small sided play with the most talented kids he can muster at any given day/time. Encourage your boy to keep up individual technical finesse.
Anonymous
12/14/2023 18:34
Subject: Re:City Sporting Club
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:So for example here:
https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/24442/clubs/9474
Here's what I gather...but then what would U15 & 17 be?
U11 - EDP 1
U12 - EDP 1
U13 - EDP 4
U14 - EDP 4
U15 - EDP ?
U17 - EDP ?
I have no idea how to interpret the colors EDP uses for the older age groups, so sorry I'm of no help there. But Achilles:s top teams for u13, U14, u16, and u19 are in MLS Next. Don't know which age groups they'll have next year. Last year they had u13, U14, U15, and u17.
Sorry that's wrong. Getting my birth year/U years confused. Last year they had u13 (10s), U14(09s), U16(07s). This year they have u13(11s), U14(10s), U16 (08s), and U19(05s).
Anonymous
12/14/2023 18:30
Subject: Re:City Sporting Club
Anonymous wrote:So for example here:
https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/24442/clubs/9474
Here's what I gather...but then what would U15 & 17 be?
U11 - EDP 1
U12 - EDP 1
U13 - EDP 4
U14 - EDP 4
U15 - EDP ?
U17 - EDP ?
I have no idea how to interpret the colors EDP uses for the older age groups, so sorry I'm of no help there. But Achilles:s top teams for u13, U14, u16, and u19 are in MLS Next. Don't know which age groups they'll have next year. Last year they had u13, U14, U15, and u17.
Anonymous
12/14/2023 17:58
Subject: Re:City Sporting Club
So for example here:
https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/24442/clubs/9474
Here's what I gather...but then what would U15 & 17 be?
U11 - EDP 1
U12 - EDP 1
U13 - EDP 4
U14 - EDP 4
U15 - EDP ?
U17 - EDP ?
https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/24442/clubs/9474
Here's what I gather...but then what would U15 & 17 be?
U11 - EDP 1
U12 - EDP 1
U13 - EDP 4
U14 - EDP 4
U15 - EDP ?
U17 - EDP ?
Anonymous
12/14/2023 17:26
Subject: Re:City Sporting Club
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP here and thank you all again for such a helpful thread. Regarding Achilles I will definitely report back. I plan to do some asking around after the holidays. One last question...how do you tell what level EDP (or anything else) a team is playing in? Aside from City noting a few levels on their 2010 team I don't know how to tell what the other leagues are playing in. Thx!
For those in EDP, you can search by club here. https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/24442/clubs
Someone else can drop the link for ncsl, ecnl and mlsnext.
Here is the division structure for NCSL - https://www.ncsl-soccer.com/division-structure
Anonymous
12/14/2023 15:35
Subject: Re:City Sporting Club
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP here and thank you all again for such a helpful thread. Regarding Achilles I will definitely report back. I plan to do some asking around after the holidays. One last question...how do you tell what level EDP (or anything else) a team is playing in? Aside from City noting a few levels on their 2010 team I don't know how to tell what the other leagues are playing in. Thx!
For those in EDP, you can search by club here. https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/24442/clubs
Someone else can drop the link for ncsl, ecnl and mlsnext.
I'd recommend downloading the soccer rankings app and looking at the teams' prior results. The teams in each age group are listed by state and sorted by relative strength. The results are under subheadings by league and tournament. So you can see where the top teams in the area play.
In addition to the leagues listed above, local clubs could be in ecnl-r, USYS (EDP 1 and 2), National Academy League, Elite 64, and maybe more. Clubs often have teams in many different leagues and it's tough to try to hunt them down that way.
Anonymous
12/14/2023 15:25
Subject: Re:City Sporting Club
Anonymous wrote:OP here and thank you all again for such a helpful thread. Regarding Achilles I will definitely report back. I plan to do some asking around after the holidays. One last question...how do you tell what level EDP (or anything else) a team is playing in? Aside from City noting a few levels on their 2010 team I don't know how to tell what the other leagues are playing in. Thx!
For those in EDP, you can search by club here. https://system.gotsport.com/org_event/events/24442/clubs
Someone else can drop the link for ncsl, ecnl and mlsnext.
Anonymous
12/14/2023 15:01
Subject: Re:City Sporting Club
OP here and thank you all again for such a helpful thread. Regarding Achilles I will definitely report back. I plan to do some asking around after the holidays. One last question...how do you tell what level EDP (or anything else) a team is playing in? Aside from City noting a few levels on their 2010 team I don't know how to tell what the other leagues are playing in. Thx!