Anonymous wrote:Wow, free? We always had to shell out 400 bucks every 2 years.

You mean you’ve had to pay for your uniform?

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At what club is the actual travel included??? Grasping at straws.

Because it is zero.

There are training fees that clubs advertise and people tend to forget the team fees. Team fees generally run about $500 a year if the team plays in 4-6 tournaments a year and play in a league.

I am positive that there are teams where the training fees are in the $1500 ball park but it is really on the low end. And the teem fees on top of that could come in less than $500 if the tournaments are smaller and local and up to 4 of them. I'm not debating that it can be done.

But, for larger clubs like Loudoun, McLean or Arlington the out the door expense of 3k is not A-typical.

At several clubs in this area, the low $2,000s will include everything except the actual expense of driving to and possibly staying in another town. That's for NCSL and VPL. (And surely ODSL.) Can't speak to CCL or EDP.

I'm sure the A-teams at the big clubs pay $3k and higher. I'd balk if I were charged $3k to play for an NCSL team unless it's really good and has a legitimate reason to play showcases.

Christ. Right there shows your complete ignorance.

I and my neighbors have paid well less than $3k, including training, winter futsal, league fees, tournament fees -- everything except gas money and the hotel room for the one tournament that wasn't in the DMV.

The $3k also doesn't include uniforms. Those are additional as well. I'd estimate that you are looking at $4-5k next year, when uniforms and travel expenses are included if your child's team is one of the select tournament teams. Perhaps more if international travel is involved.

Travel is always extra so it is good advice to ask what the most ambiguous tourney schedule is before you sign up anywhere you are looking to play.

Wow, free? We always had to shell out 400 bucks every 2 years.

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At what club is the actual travel included??? Grasping at straws.

Because it is zero.

There are training fees that clubs advertise and people tend to forget the team fees. Team fees generally run about $500 a year if the team plays in 4-6 tournaments a year and play in a league.

I am positive that there are teams where the training fees are in the $1500 ball park but it is really on the low end. And the teem fees on top of that could come in less than $500 if the tournaments are smaller and local and up to 4 of them. I'm not debating that it can be done.

But, for larger clubs like Loudoun, McLean or Arlington the out the door expense of 3k is not A-typical.

At several clubs in this area, the low $2,000s will include everything except the actual expense of driving to and possibly staying in another town. That's for NCSL and VPL. (And surely ODSL.) Can't speak to CCL or EDP.

I'm sure the A-teams at the big clubs pay $3k and higher. I'd balk if I were charged $3k to play for an NCSL team unless it's really good and has a legitimate reason to play showcases.

Christ. Right there shows your complete ignorance.

I and my neighbors have paid well less than $3k, including training, winter futsal, league fees, tournament fees -- everything except gas money and the hotel room for the one tournament that wasn't in the DMV.

The $3k also doesn't include uniforms. Those are additional as well. I'd estimate that you are looking at $4-5k next year, when uniforms and travel expenses are included if your child's team is one of the select tournament teams. Perhaps more if international travel is involved.

Yup, I’ll miss the free uniforms my kid always got at her other club :/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so when does the "success" happen?

It’s already happening. Happy parents, happy kids returning for a second year. Over 90% returning. Many more added and some turned away due to not enough space. That is success.

There has also been success on the soccer field which I guess is how you define success. Many teams have won tournaments. Yes, they aren’t in the top tier brackets yet. Many teams have shown rapid development by playing the same external team in friendlies and going from losing badly to competitive to dominating against the same team. Success is in HOW these teams are playing - using the style that is taught in training. That is success as FCB defines it. They expect it will take years for teams to master the concepts and there is a lot of patience. As a parent they have convinced me in this first year to trust the process and be patient too.

The success is in the journey not the destination.

This is what I was wondering, whether they actually said No to anyone willing to pay. We went to one of their open tryouts, our kid is still a baby (in my eyes) so our internal debate is whether the time (distance for us) and money (definitely more expensive than our local club) is worth it at such a young age. But it also makes sense that if you buy into FCB philosophy then the younger the start maybe the easier it becomes to be ingrained in that method/style of play.

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At what club is the actual travel included??? Grasping at straws.

Because it is zero.

There are training fees that clubs advertise and people tend to forget the team fees. Team fees generally run about $500 a year if the team plays in 4-6 tournaments a year and play in a league.

I am positive that there are teams where the training fees are in the $1500 ball park but it is really on the low end. And the teem fees on top of that could come in less than $500 if the tournaments are smaller and local and up to 4 of them. I'm not debating that it can be done.

But, for larger clubs like Loudoun, McLean or Arlington the out the door expense of 3k is not A-typical.

At several clubs in this area, the low $2,000s will include everything except the actual expense of driving to and possibly staying in another town. That's for NCSL and VPL. (And surely ODSL.) Can't speak to CCL or EDP.

I'm sure the A-teams at the big clubs pay $3k and higher. I'd balk if I were charged $3k to play for an NCSL team unless it's really good and has a legitimate reason to play showcases.

Christ. Right there shows your complete ignorance.

I and my neighbors have paid well less than $3k, including training, winter futsal, league fees, tournament fees -- everything except gas money and the hotel room for the one tournament that wasn't in the DMV.

The $3k also doesn't include uniforms. Those are additional as well. I'd estimate that you are looking at $4-5k next year, when uniforms and travel expenses are included if your child's team is one of the select tournament teams. Perhaps more if international travel is involved.

Anonymous wrote:so when does the "success" happen?

It’s already happening. Happy parents, happy kids returning for a second year. Over 90% returning. Many more added and some turned away due to not enough space. That is success.

There has also been success on the soccer field which I guess is how you define success. Many teams have won tournaments. Yes, they aren’t in the top tier brackets yet. Many teams have shown rapid development by playing the same external team in friendlies and going from losing badly to competitive to dominating against the same team. Success is in HOW these teams are playing - using the style that is taught in training. That is success as FCB defines it. They expect it will take years for teams to master the concepts and there is a lot of patience. As a parent they have convinced me in this first year to trust the process and be patient too.

The success is in the journey not the destination.

My son's team won every league game and did well in tournament play, but they still played like shit. No more than 2-3 passes before they went to goal. Punt and run American ball, if FCB was closer I'd be all over it.

Anonymous wrote:so when does the "success" happen?

Several FCB teams have been winning tournaments from VA Beach, Cali, NCarolina, Potomac, etc. all spring. In fact, some FCB teams haven’t lost a single game since they started competing. Many of these teams are competing with younger kids on their teams. You know, there are many different teams/different levels with over 300 kids.

The best success has been happening in the training sessions for us. There is nobody in the area that runs training better.

It’s new. I get it. People that know nothing about it like to make inaccurate statements. I suggest they go out and watch some of the training and compare it to what they are getting elsewhere. Or, they can continue spewing negativity and false info just like they do on the other threads.

Don’t send your kid there if you don’t like it. There is a lot of FOMO on these boards and a lot of false info and posters with agendas.

high school age?

so when does the "success" happen?

Anonymous wrote:

Probably because they do so badly at them. Did you see some of the results in low brackets at the tournaments they played in? Don't want to call out any teams specifically, but some were really bad.

You are completely missing the point. FCB is not interested in brackets and winning tournaments or producing pro players. It’s nice of course but inconsequential to measuring their success. They are following a blueprint that has been successful in dozens of escolas all over the world. They are teaching the Barça style of soccer to the letter as defined by the home office, and teaching a set of values in how they conduct it. That is the formula and it works for them. And, here, the definition of ‘works’ is not winning tournaments but filling seats and following their model. And spreading the Barcelona brand. There are new escolas opening in Ohio, Chicago, many more. It’s not some experiment it is scaling a franchise.

I realize this doesn’t appeal to everyone. For some the current competitive landscape is fine. That’s ok. For others FCB is a welcome change.

My son trained with a club that trains academy style this year. He absolutely hated not having a set team, or any particular assigned coach. We switched back to his old club for next year. I think how well it works for any one kid is going to be very personality dependent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At what club is the actual travel included??? Grasping at straws.

Because it is zero.

There are training fees that clubs advertise and people tend to forget the team fees. Team fees generally run about $500 a year if the team plays in 4-6 tournaments a year and play in a league.

I am positive that there are teams where the training fees are in the $1500 ball park but it is really on the low end. And the teem fees on top of that could come in less than $500 if the tournaments are smaller and local and up to 4 of them. I'm not debating that it can be done.

But, for larger clubs like Loudoun, McLean or Arlington the out the door expense of 3k is not A-typical.

At several clubs in this area, the low $2,000s will include everything except the actual expense of driving to and possibly staying in another town. That's for NCSL and VPL. (And surely ODSL.) Can't speak to CCL or EDP.

I'm sure the A-teams at the big clubs pay $3k and higher. I'd balk if I were charged $3k to play for an NCSL team unless it's really good and has a legitimate reason to play showcases.

Christ. Right there shows your complete ignorance.

Agree. The players and families I know at FCB really don't give two sh*ts about leagues and showcases. They are pretty hard core about development.

Probably because they do so badly at them. Did you see some of the results in low brackets at the tournaments they played in? Don't want to call out any teams specifically, but some were really bad.

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At what club is the actual travel included??? Grasping at straws.

Because it is zero.

There are training fees that clubs advertise and people tend to forget the team fees. Team fees generally run about $500 a year if the team plays in 4-6 tournaments a year and play in a league.

I am positive that there are teams where the training fees are in the $1500 ball park but it is really on the low end. And the teem fees on top of that could come in less than $500 if the tournaments are smaller and local and up to 4 of them. I'm not debating that it can be done.

But, for larger clubs like Loudoun, McLean or Arlington the out the door expense of 3k is not A-typical.

At several clubs in this area, the low $2,000s will include everything except the actual expense of driving to and possibly staying in another town. That's for NCSL and VPL. (And surely ODSL.) Can't speak to CCL or EDP.

I'm sure the A-teams at the big clubs pay $3k and higher. I'd balk if I were charged $3k to play for an NCSL team unless it's really good and has a legitimate reason to play showcases.

Christ. Right there shows your complete ignorance.

I and my neighbors have paid well less than $3k, including training, winter futsal, league fees, tournament fees -- everything except gas money and the hotel room for the one tournament that wasn't in the DMV.

This is now the third time. Nobody is doubting that you have paid less you don’t need to keep proving it.

It has also been admitted that FCB is at the top end of the price range but in line with other large clubs prices.

I’m not sure why you have such outrage. Clearly you have demonstrated that more affordable soccer is available.

Sorry -- I missed the part in which people admitted FCB was at the top end of the price range. I saw someone strenuously object to the notion that $3k was a bit high for an NCSL team that didn't play a lot of showcase events, and I was responding to that.

Not outraged at all. Just sharing info.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/731027.page#13119325

"Umm, travel is always extra. Seriously? You think 3k gets you travel? Essentially FCB costs as much as most high end travel teams. Most teams training seems to hit about $2000-2500 for training any more. Then tack on team fees for tourneys, indoor facility the eventual "voluntary" futsal league etc. "