Anonymous
05/17/2025 13:03
Subject: Valor
[twitter]
Hardly any on my child’s top team. They regularly see kids from top and second teams at Loudoun, McLean, Arlington, and sometimes a couple Valor players from older age groups. It’s baffling because there are multiple outside training places very close to Valor territory yet they never see teammates there. Valor hasn’t been great about giving feedback, and a lot of parents never played soccer, so I don’t think a lot of parents realize their kids really need the technical work and that kids on opposing teams are all doing these trainings.
Anonymous wrote:Question: how many individual kids practice at home or regularly attend the different training programs like False8, HP Elite, etc?
I’m reading about how teams aren’t as good or competitive or that Valor’s program isn’t competitive, but I do need to say, having been at other clubs, that most teams that are “competitive” have players that regularly do just that. They are spending time and money outside of team practices to work on improving individual skills. Teams don’t magically improve just because of the coach.
Sure, a good coach helps, but the main thing is that parents need to understand that better teams are made up of better kids. Better kids do outside team training. My older child is in an MLSnext team and I can promise you that nearly every child does outside training.
If that’s not something your kid or you are interested in, that’s totally fine. But it’s unrealistic to expect to have this awesome, competitive team without that extra effort.
Hardly any on my child’s top team. They regularly see kids from top and second teams at Loudoun, McLean, Arlington, and sometimes a couple Valor players from older age groups. It’s baffling because there are multiple outside training places very close to Valor territory yet they never see teammates there. Valor hasn’t been great about giving feedback, and a lot of parents never played soccer, so I don’t think a lot of parents realize their kids really need the technical work and that kids on opposing teams are all doing these trainings.
Anonymous
05/17/2025 10:50
Subject: Valor
Was that the coach that quit GFR and the GFR parents said he was pay to play with private lessons, or am I thinking of someone else?
For Valor to be so large as to have five teams in 2014 boys but their top 2014 team is hopeless and 25th out of 25...iit makes you wonder if something happened in that age group to make all the good players leave or if its a coach issue. And how terrible are those 4th-5th teams!? Yikes
For Valor to be so large as to have five teams in 2014 boys but their top 2014 team is hopeless and 25th out of 25...iit makes you wonder if something happened in that age group to make all the good players leave or if its a coach issue. And how terrible are those 4th-5th teams!? Yikes
Anonymous
05/17/2025 10:45
Subject: Valor
Anonymous wrote:Question: how many individual kids practice at home or regularly attend the different training programs like False8, HP Elite, etc?
I’m reading about how teams aren’t as good or competitive or that Valor’s program isn’t competitive, but I do need to say, having been at other clubs, that most teams that are “competitive” have players that regularly do just that. They are spending time and money outside of team practices to work on improving individual skills. Teams don’t magically improve just because of the coach.
Sure, a good coach helps, but the main thing is that parents need to understand that better teams are made up of better kids. Better kids do outside team training. My older child is in an MLSnext team and I can promise you that nearly every child does outside training.
If that’s not something your kid or you are interested in, that’s totally fine. But it’s unrealistic to expect to have this awesome, competitive team without that extra effort.
Maybe valor parents can't afford pricy outside training after paying Valor's absurdly high fees.
Anonymous
05/17/2025 10:19
Subject: Valor
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Weighing offers and looking at pre-ecnl schedules from this year--why was the valor boys pre-ecnl team for 2014 so bad? Did the whole team leave the year before? Is there a reason?
They are 25th out of 25 and lost many games by scores like 7-0. It looks like they are keeping the same coach.
What are your other options? A lot of negative comments about that coach on here.
“A lot of negative comments”? I recall only one which said some of his players sat the bench more and those players were fearful of making mistakes. Is that really a problem with the coach?
Anonymous
05/17/2025 09:47
Subject: Valor
Question: how many individual kids practice at home or regularly attend the different training programs like False8, HP Elite, etc?
I’m reading about how teams aren’t as good or competitive or that Valor’s program isn’t competitive, but I do need to say, having been at other clubs, that most teams that are “competitive” have players that regularly do just that. They are spending time and money outside of team practices to work on improving individual skills. Teams don’t magically improve just because of the coach.
Sure, a good coach helps, but the main thing is that parents need to understand that better teams are made up of better kids. Better kids do outside team training. My older child is in an MLSnext team and I can promise you that nearly every child does outside training.
If that’s not something your kid or you are interested in, that’s totally fine. But it’s unrealistic to expect to have this awesome, competitive team without that extra effort.
I’m reading about how teams aren’t as good or competitive or that Valor’s program isn’t competitive, but I do need to say, having been at other clubs, that most teams that are “competitive” have players that regularly do just that. They are spending time and money outside of team practices to work on improving individual skills. Teams don’t magically improve just because of the coach.
Sure, a good coach helps, but the main thing is that parents need to understand that better teams are made up of better kids. Better kids do outside team training. My older child is in an MLSnext team and I can promise you that nearly every child does outside training.
If that’s not something your kid or you are interested in, that’s totally fine. But it’s unrealistic to expect to have this awesome, competitive team without that extra effort.
Anonymous
05/17/2025 09:28
Subject: Valor
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both teams lost a more than typical number. Valor doesn’t draw top talent from elsewhere so second and third team players backfilling while increasing roster size because not enough girls to fill three teams. Brings opportunities for girls to move up but. Not necessarily merit based. Level of play could drop.Anonymous wrote:Is the 2014/15 girls going to be competitive next year? It's still pre ECNL teams but the younger girls program is kind of a mess right now
Level of play will definitely drop if they are pulling weaker players up to fill openings on the top team--assuming girls were properly placed originally.
How many players are they rostering on the teams in the age group going from 3 to 2?
Don’t think any valor girls teams are “competitive” and the younger ages even less so. If you want to play with friends, it should be fine. But it’s not a high level program. That’s why so many leave.
Anonymous
05/17/2025 08:46
Subject: Valor
Anonymous wrote:Weighing offers and looking at pre-ecnl schedules from this year--why was the valor boys pre-ecnl team for 2014 so bad? Did the whole team leave the year before? Is there a reason?
They are 25th out of 25 and lost many games by scores like 7-0. It looks like they are keeping the same coach.
What are your other options? A lot of negative comments about that coach on here.
Anonymous
05/17/2025 08:43
Subject: Valor
Anonymous wrote:NP- boys 2012?
Did he try out anywhere else? Reach out to some nearby clubs and ask about 2012 openings and attending a practice. Depending on where you live there's Burke, South County, VSA, Great Falls Reston, BRYC, NVU, Herndon...
Anonymous
05/17/2025 08:39
Subject: Valor
Anonymous wrote:Both teams lost a more than typical number. Valor doesn’t draw top talent from elsewhere so second and third team players backfilling while increasing roster size because not enough girls to fill three teams. Brings opportunities for girls to move up but. Not necessarily merit based. Level of play could drop.Anonymous wrote:Is the 2014/15 girls going to be competitive next year? It's still pre ECNL teams but the younger girls program is kind of a mess right now
Level of play will definitely drop if they are pulling weaker players up to fill openings on the top team--assuming girls were properly placed originally.
How many players are they rostering on the teams in the age group going from 3 to 2?
Anonymous
05/17/2025 08:37
Subject: Valor
Weighing offers and looking at pre-ecnl schedules from this year--why was the valor boys pre-ecnl team for 2014 so bad? Did the whole team leave the year before? Is there a reason?
They are 25th out of 25 and lost many games by scores like 7-0. It looks like they are keeping the same coach.
They are 25th out of 25 and lost many games by scores like 7-0. It looks like they are keeping the same coach.
Anonymous
05/17/2025 06:52
Subject: Valor
Both teams lost a more than typical number. Valor doesn’t draw top talent from elsewhere so second and third team players backfilling while increasing roster size because not enough girls to fill three teams. Brings opportunities for girls to move up but. Not necessarily merit based. Level of play could drop.Anonymous wrote:Is the 2014/15 girls going to be competitive next year? It's still pre ECNL teams but the younger girls program is kind of a mess right now
Anonymous
05/17/2025 00:48
Subject: Valor
Is the 2014/15 girls going to be competitive next year? It's still pre ECNL teams but the younger girls program is kind of a mess right now
Anonymous
05/16/2025 14:57
Subject: Valor
Since they hire most of their parent coaches in August, don't expect to see anything til then.
Anonymous
05/16/2025 13:58
Subject: Valor
Anonymous wrote:Yes I do not think they are ever going to post the 2nd-5th team coaches publicly. I suspect they are all unqualfied or parents or won't be hired til august and they are very aware of this site and don't want to be called out for having half their coaches being rec league parents and the other half being completely inexperienced. So they are hiding the info. Makes sense from a business profit POV.
When they have a full coaches slate, they will post it on their website.
I'm just doubtful they will have enough coaches for the number of teams they stated they want to have. Thus, will not have the number of teams they stated they want to have.
Anonymous
05/16/2025 13:06
Subject: Valor
NP- boys 2012?