Anonymous wrote:Here's the thing -- having all these separate leagues takes away from EVERYONE'S experience, at least if you're on an A team. It means you may be stuck playing St. Mary's in NCSL when you could be playing Arlington.

So "shut up and play NCSL if you think it's better" isn't a solution. A lot of top teams have left NCSL, so the competition has diminished while the travel distances have gone up.

I wonder if NCSL/WAGS will be able to lure some clubs back from VPL and EDP by cutting down on travel.

Yes, "shut up and play NCSL" is an option, it is your own ego that refuses to accept it as an option. This thread was started to discuss the WAGS/NCSL merger and you and your ego completely hijacked it with your self absorbed anti CCL rant.

Here's the thing -- having all these separate leagues takes away from EVERYONE'S experience, at least if you're on an A team. It means you may be stuck playing St. Mary's in NCSL when you could be playing Arlington.

So "shut up and play NCSL if you think it's better" isn't a solution. A lot of top teams have left NCSL, so the competition has diminished while the travel distances have gone up.

I wonder if NCSL/WAGS will be able to lure some clubs back from VPL and EDP by cutting down on travel.

Anonymous wrote:(V)CCL was started because the elite teams outside of NOVA (Beach, Kickers/Strikers/SOCA, etc) had no local competition. Beach drew every top player in a 30 mile radius - the second best team in the area was Beach's B team. So they started a league to give themselves meaningful competition. The NOVA clubs (excluding RFCs brief tenure) didn't have the balls or the wits to create their own variant, they joined the existing VCCL as the "North", then everything kind of imploded with the development academy and you are left with this frankenstein CCL that doesn't make as much sense for the NOVA clubs.

What about CCL doesn't make sense? To the PP's point, we make 2-3 trips outside of the DC area per year - not a big deal IMO, and for those of us with two kids in the same club playing CCL, we get two games in the same location on the same day. Blowouts are the exception, not the rule - if our team is up by 3 or 4 goals, the coach changes the dynamics for the kids, and makes them pass X times before shooting, moves kids around to different positions, implements a two-touch rule, tries new formations, etc. There are fewer conflicts for coaching, and where they do have a conflict, other club coaches can cover for them. Players can easily guest with an older team where it makes sense. I think CCL works exactly like it was intended to work. No league is going to achieve perfect competition and no travel. When my older daughter's team played in WAGS (pre-VCCL), we drove an hour plus to Maryland and had no competition (granted it was U9 where teams don't have history). I guess I just don't get all the criticism of CCL. It seems pretty collegial among the clubs, ScrimmageFest is a cool event for the younger kids, scheduling and coordination works well, etc.

To the PP's point, you have choices in this area. If the travel really doesn't work for you, find a different option.

(V)CCL was started because the elite teams outside of NOVA (Beach, Kickers/Strikers/SOCA, etc) had no local competition. Beach drew every top player in a 30 mile radius - the second best team in the area was Beach's B team. So they started a league to give themselves meaningful competition. The NOVA clubs (excluding RFCs brief tenure) didn't have the balls or the wits to create their own variant, they joined the existing VCCL as the "North", then everything kind of imploded with the development academy and you are left with this frankenstein CCL that doesn't make as much sense for the NOVA clubs.

Anonymous wrote:Are they going to take the opportunity to retire "WAGS" and leave that term to the UK/European tabloids?

God I hope so.... As I read it, it looks like NCSL will be running things and will have girls divisions. Girls teams will register as NCSL teams is what it sounds like.

Are they going to take the opportunity to retire "WAGS" and leave that term to the UK/European tabloids?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You have choices, exercise them. If you think the competition in WAGS or ODSL is no different than what you are playing 4 hours away then change teams. You likely don't even need to change clubs. Don't tell me to chill out when clearly the choice was "image" of the league over what works best for your family and you and your buddy have ranted against a league for two pages. CCL or NPL don't need to get their shit together as there are lots of reasonable and more local options available for your kid to play in if the league travel is to much for your respective families.

+1

People act like they're driving every.single.weekend to VA Beach for 1 game. You do that ONE time over the course of your 10-month season. And then, next year, VA Beach should be driving to you to play that game. Seriously, there's only 5 clubs in CCL that aren't in the DC-metro area, so you only have 2 or 3 "far away" games each year. It's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be!!

Presumably, those 5 clubs joined this league years ago because they couldn't get good competition in their far-flung areas of VA, which may or may not still be valid. Maybe if they re-assessed they would come to a different decision today, but that's on them.

Hmmmm....I think geographic outliers should have to play every game as the away team. They can they assess if it's worth it.

They shouldn't have to play every game away.

But, yes, those clubs should probably take a look at what's available in their area and decide if continuing in CCL makes sense. I know players at Roanoke and SOCA, and those parents don't seem to have a problem or complain about their schedule -- and when you look at what their local options are, you get it. I also know players at Beach FC, and those parents do complain about all the time they spend in MD and NOVA -- they may have better local options now that their club should consider.

I think VPL/NPL is worse because 5/12 of their clubs are outside of NOVA, and they play separate fall and spring seasons. So you are getting those long-distance games 5 times a year. But, again, it's not every weekend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You have choices, exercise them. If you think the competition in WAGS or ODSL is no different than what you are playing 4 hours away then change teams. You likely don't even need to change clubs. Don't tell me to chill out when clearly the choice was "image" of the league over what works best for your family and you and your buddy have ranted against a league for two pages. CCL or NPL don't need to get their shit together as there are lots of reasonable and more local options available for your kid to play in if the league travel is to much for your respective families.

+1

People act like they're driving every.single.weekend to VA Beach for 1 game. You do that ONE time over the course of your 10-month season. And then, next year, VA Beach should be driving to you to play that game. Seriously, there's only 5 clubs in CCL that aren't in the DC-metro area, so you only have 2 or 3 "far away" games each year. It's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be!!

Presumably, those 5 clubs joined this league years ago because they couldn't get good competition in their far-flung areas of VA, which may or may not still be valid. Maybe if they re-assessed they would come to a different decision today, but that's on them.

Hmmmm....I think geographic outliers should have to play every game as the away team. They can they assess if it's worth it.

Richmond has some really great teams---it seems that would be closer for them for regular season games then coming all the way up to VA/MD.

Hmmmm, Or, you can pick a team in a league that works better for you and your family. CCL is a regional league in concept and philosophy. The league is not going to change its vision for you. There are local leagues that do that already, go and join one of them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You have choices, exercise them. If you think the competition in WAGS or ODSL is no different than what you are playing 4 hours away then change teams. You likely don't even need to change clubs. Don't tell me to chill out when clearly the choice was "image" of the league over what works best for your family and you and your buddy have ranted against a league for two pages. CCL or NPL don't need to get their shit together as there are lots of reasonable and more local options available for your kid to play in if the league travel is to much for your respective families.

+1

People act like they're driving every.single.weekend to VA Beach for 1 game. You do that ONE time over the course of your 10-month season. And then, next year, VA Beach should be driving to you to play that game. Seriously, there's only 5 clubs in CCL that aren't in the DC-metro area, so you only have 2 or 3 "far away" games each year. It's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be!!

Presumably, those 5 clubs joined this league years ago because they couldn't get good competition in their far-flung areas of VA, which may or may not still be valid. Maybe if they re-assessed they would come to a different decision today, but that's on them.

Hmmmm....I think geographic outliers should have to play every game as the away team. They can they assess if it's worth it.

Richmond has some really great teams---it seems that would be closer for them for regular season games then coming all the way up to VA/MD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You have choices, exercise them. If you think the competition in WAGS or ODSL is no different than what you are playing 4 hours away then change teams. You likely don't even need to change clubs. Don't tell me to chill out when clearly the choice was "image" of the league over what works best for your family and you and your buddy have ranted against a league for two pages. CCL or NPL don't need to get their shit together as there are lots of reasonable and more local options available for your kid to play in if the league travel is to much for your respective families.

+1

People act like they're driving every.single.weekend to VA Beach for 1 game. You do that ONE time over the course of your 10-month season. And then, next year, VA Beach should be driving to you to play that game. Seriously, there's only 5 clubs in CCL that aren't in the DC-metro area, so you only have 2 or 3 "far away" games each year. It's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be!!

Presumably, those 5 clubs joined this league years ago because they couldn't get good competition in their far-flung areas of VA, which may or may not still be valid. Maybe if they re-assessed they would come to a different decision today, but that's on them.

Hmmmm....I think geographic outliers should have to play every game as the away team. They can they assess if it's worth it.

Anonymous wrote:

You have choices, exercise them. If you think the competition in WAGS or ODSL is no different than what you are playing 4 hours away then change teams. You likely don't even need to change clubs. Don't tell me to chill out when clearly the choice was "image" of the league over what works best for your family and you and your buddy have ranted against a league for two pages. CCL or NPL don't need to get their shit together as there are lots of reasonable and more local options available for your kid to play in if the league travel is to much for your respective families.

+1

People act like they're driving every.single.weekend to VA Beach for 1 game. You do that ONE time over the course of your 10-month season. And then, next year, VA Beach should be driving to you to play that game. Seriously, there's only 5 clubs in CCL that aren't in the DC-metro area, so you only have 2 or 3 "far away" games each year. It's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be!!

Presumably, those 5 clubs joined this league years ago because they couldn't get good competition in their far-flung areas of VA, which may or may not still be valid. Maybe if they re-assessed they would come to a different decision today, but that's on them.

It seems to me that you all might be happier playing in CCL2, but then you'd have to put princess on the B or C team. So ego is really what is driving your decision and entitlement drives your petty rage of the issue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ such as? I think many families are having to travel great distances hence the multiple complaints.

WAGS, ODSL, NCSL. All are local leagues and do not require travel further than about 45 minutes.

You can make it to St Mary's, Columbia, Winchester, Fredericksburg, etc from McLean/Vienna/Arlington in 45 minutes? Because NCSL/ODSL habitually puts those team together in the U9/U10 age groups.

Oh just stop, it isn't four hours one way. Just pull your kid out of soccer if it bothers you so much. Jesus, it's called "travel" for a reason. Play rec so your life isn't turned all upside down over a trip to Winchester.

Or push WAGS not to group teams from Winchester and Maryland, when there's no reason to do so. "If you don't like it, quit" is one of the most ridiculous responses to a problem that doesn't need to exist for anyone below the top levels of a given age group.

Play in ODSL or Rec then. But your crying about a game within a metropolitan area is what is ridiculous. Again, if that is your biggest problem then travel soccer just is not for you. Play rec.

Parents need to stand up and basically tell this assholes that have taken over youth soccer to cut the crap. Parents had a lot more say in this area back in the 80s where everyone wasn't so afraid that if they spoke up their kids would be blackballed.

No way in hell would our team have driven 4 hours back and forth for a single regular season game in VA Beach. Parents and our coach would have raised hell. People are washcloths nowadays.

I played on a National Championship winning travel team---we had Jill Ellis and Mia Hamm on my and my siblings teams. Other siblings played on top boys teams.

Really, VA Beach for a single, non-competitive sucky regular season game??? Kids are really getting a lot out of sitting in I-95 traffic for 8 hours.

Don't give me this shit about lifestyle choices either. The kid would be better off working with a top private trainer that day or playing in one of the many pick up street soccer games in the area than sitting in car 90% of the day.

Leagues need to sort their shit out.

THANK you.

The guy who keeps posting "suck it up or play rec" needs to chill. Take a quick look around at the clubs in the area, and you'll see there's no reason to play Beach FC or whatever Chesapeake calls itself now (I think it's "Real FC United City" or something like that) outside of a tournament setting.

Why not solve a problem that's easy to solve rather than just yelling at parents to play rec?

+100

I've been guessing that guy is either new to this whole thing and thinks these long drives are great for his Messi OR he is admin/Board on one of these leagues.

Anyone, that's been in this world for decades know the 3 hour+ drives for one game are total BS.

You have choices, exercise them. If you think the competition in WAGS or ODSL is no different than what you are playing 4 hours away then change teams. You likely don't even need to change clubs. Don't tell me to chill out when clearly the choice was "image" of the league over what works best for your family and you and your buddy have ranted against a league for two pages. CCL or NPL don't need to get their shit together as there are lots of reasonable and more local options available for your kid to play in if the league travel is to much for your respective families.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ such as? I think many families are having to travel great distances hence the multiple complaints.

WAGS, ODSL, NCSL. All are local leagues and do not require travel further than about 45 minutes.

You can make it to St Mary's, Columbia, Winchester, Fredericksburg, etc from McLean/Vienna/Arlington in 45 minutes? Because NCSL/ODSL habitually puts those team together in the U9/U10 age groups.

Oh just stop, it isn't four hours one way. Just pull your kid out of soccer if it bothers you so much. Jesus, it's called "travel" for a reason. Play rec so your life isn't turned all upside down over a trip to Winchester.

Or push WAGS not to group teams from Winchester and Maryland, when there's no reason to do so. "If you don't like it, quit" is one of the most ridiculous responses to a problem that doesn't need to exist for anyone below the top levels of a given age group.

Play in ODSL or Rec then. But your crying about a game within a metropolitan area is what is ridiculous. Again, if that is your biggest problem then travel soccer just is not for you. Play rec.

Parents need to stand up and basically tell this assholes that have taken over youth soccer to cut the crap. Parents had a lot more say in this area back in the 80s where everyone wasn't so afraid that if they spoke up their kids would be blackballed.

No way in hell would our team have driven 4 hours back and forth for a single regular season game in VA Beach. Parents and our coach would have raised hell. People are washcloths nowadays.

I played on a National Championship winning travel team---we had Jill Ellis and Mia Hamm on my and my siblings teams. Other siblings played on top boys teams.

Really, VA Beach for a single, non-competitive sucky regular season game??? Kids are really getting a lot out of sitting in I-95 traffic for 8 hours.

Don't give me this shit about lifestyle choices either. The kid would be better off working with a top private trainer that day or playing in one of the many pick up street soccer games in the area than sitting in car 90% of the day.

Leagues need to sort their shit out.

THANK you.

The guy who keeps posting "suck it up or play rec" needs to chill. Take a quick look around at the clubs in the area, and you'll see there's no reason to play Beach FC or whatever Chesapeake calls itself now (I think it's "Real FC United City" or something like that) outside of a tournament setting.

Why not solve a problem that's easy to solve rather than just yelling at parents to play rec?

+100

I've been guessing that guy is either new to this whole thing and thinks these long drives are great for his Messi OR he is admin/Board on one of these leagues.

Anyone, that's been in this world for decades know the 3 hour+ drives for one game are total BS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ such as? I think many families are having to travel great distances hence the multiple complaints.

WAGS, ODSL, NCSL. All are local leagues and do not require travel further than about 45 minutes.

You can make it to St Mary's, Columbia, Winchester, Fredericksburg, etc from McLean/Vienna/Arlington in 45 minutes? Because NCSL/ODSL habitually puts those team together in the U9/U10 age groups.

Oh just stop, it isn't four hours one way. Just pull your kid out of soccer if it bothers you so much. Jesus, it's called "travel" for a reason. Play rec so your life isn't turned all upside down over a trip to Winchester.

Or push WAGS not to group teams from Winchester and Maryland, when there's no reason to do so. "If you don't like it, quit" is one of the most ridiculous responses to a problem that doesn't need to exist for anyone below the top levels of a given age group.

Play in ODSL or Rec then. But your crying about a game within a metropolitan area is what is ridiculous. Again, if that is your biggest problem then travel soccer just is not for you. Play rec.

Parents need to stand up and basically tell this assholes that have taken over youth soccer to cut the crap. Parents had a lot more say in this area back in the 80s where everyone wasn't so afraid that if they spoke up their kids would be blackballed.

No way in hell would our team have driven 4 hours back and forth for a single regular season game in VA Beach. Parents and our coach would have raised hell. People are washcloths nowadays.

I played on a National Championship winning travel team---we had Jill Ellis and Mia Hamm on my and my siblings teams. Other siblings played on top boys teams.

Really, VA Beach for a single, non-competitive sucky regular season game??? Kids are really getting a lot out of sitting in I-95 traffic for 8 hours.

Don't give me this shit about lifestyle choices either. The kid would be better off working with a top private trainer that day or playing in one of the many pick up street soccer games in the area than sitting in car 90% of the day.

Leagues need to sort their shit out.

THANK you.

The guy who keeps posting "suck it up or play rec" needs to chill. Take a quick look around at the clubs in the area, and you'll see there's no reason to play Beach FC or whatever Chesapeake calls itself now (I think it's "Real FC United City" or something like that) outside of a tournament setting.

Why not solve a problem that's easy to solve rather than just yelling at parents to play rec?