Anonymous wrote:If so many Virginia parents stopped club hopping, then maybe the coaches wouldn't act the way YOU think they will act.

Enjoy your kid playing soccer, making friends and having fun. Because in the end most of these kids, especially on the boys side will not play in college.

Think about it - would you want to go to a college with 2000 kids and play division 3 soccer or something like VA Tech, UVA or UMD and play club soccer? Is your kid willing to sacrifice missing out on college football and basketball? Because between soccer and school, it takes up 80 hours per week. Kids are run down and burned out after the first year. Most don't even get to play their first year.

Most kids want to have college experience, and often their academics don't match their soccer skills.

Also, loyalty can be rewarded; you just don't know about it because you don't stick around long enough.

Anonymous wrote:Youngest kid will be a senior next year. Been in this since 2010.

Don't tell. They are vindictive. All of them. And don't tell teammates--even ones you think are friends use it to their advantage--their parents tell the coach, etc., while being phony to your face. This happened to my kid when he was 12 and they black balled him. At club tryouts they didn't even put him on the side with current players--banished him to the outer fields.

Keep everything close to your chest. What they don't know can't hurt them.

We had a coach give some long speech about how he always knows who is trying out elsewhere that it gets back to him---be honest, etc. This same coach would string kids along and they think they have their spot--and then would demote literally when all tryouts elsewhere were over. He offered no such transparency himself.

There are so many d*cks in this business. Clubs do not have loyalty. Your job is to find your own kid the healthiest environment to develop. The best training, etc. You need to reassess each year and let them lead the charge--if they are happy I wouldn't move them (even if they could develop better elsewhere). You want them to love the game. But, if they express frustration or they want more intensity THEMSELVES, etc--help them find it.

Kids get screwed over a lot if you stay in this sport. Protect your own.

Amen.

My kid is a junior. Can’t wait for the end.

So many former gym teachers - with gym teacher mindsets - oh and Dad coaches. So many friggen Dad coaches! (Even with so called ‘higher’ teams)

Gotta give it to devil Bethesda - that’s their only smart move: no Dads. This leads to other nefarious activities to get your kid on top team but at least you have to be with the club a few years (without Dad coaches) before you discover these corruptions).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If so many Virginia parents stopped club hopping, then maybe the coaches wouldn't act the way YOU think they will act.

Enjoy your kid playing soccer, making friends and having fun. Because in the end most of these kids, especially on the boys side will not play in college.

Think about it - would you want to go to a college with 2000 kids and play division 3 soccer or something like VA Tech, UVA or UMD and play club soccer? Is your kid willing to sacrifice missing out on college football and basketball? Because between soccer and school, it takes up 80 hours per week. Kids are run down and burned out after the first year. Most don't even get to play their first year.

Most kids want to have college experience, and often their academics don't match their soccer skills.

Also, loyalty can be rewarded; you just don't know about it because you don't stick around long enough.

Thanks club coach or club administrator or jaded parent. I threw up a little in my mouth when I read this. I like your idea of being rewarded for loyalty and longevity in the club. Sometimes that does occur. But sadly, I have seen the saloon door swing back and those two things were not a factor in demoting loyal players who have been with the team for 3 years. I have also seen players blackballed for leaving a club and then trying to come back to the club or even worse, the the club Executive Director is also the local HS coach and those players who left the club are benched at the HS team for club disloyalty; all because they left the club to go play at a higher level/ pursue a better playing environment.

It seems most soccer coaches and travel club staff lack the ability to wish players a happy departure after the family decides to switch. Jealousy and resentment runs deep. They should all do the decent thing and wish players farewell, be proud of the players they developed and let them know they are welcome back if things don't work out. And yet, here you are blaming the parents and families for switching clubs and trying to do what is right for them. (How could you possibly know what is right for each family who decides to leave? -You can't.

Yes, the average education level in Northern Virginia runs high and most parens don't like to settle and wish to attain the best option (among many here in NoVA) for their kids. -That is not too much to ask.

Sorry you had to settle and sorry you blame the parents for switching. But trust me, some of these clubs and teams have no oversight and for the amount of investment of time and resources we have, we have a right to be critical of the product we are receiving and we have the right to choose another club/ team if the current one is not delivering on their promise to develop all the players equally on the team.

During the time my youngest has been in travel, I have seen coaching/ club issues each year. 1st year: Coach yelling at u9 kids. 2nd year: Coach scrimmaged a lot, no development. 3rd year: Coach was not licensed, very little experience terrible record and practices. 4th year: Coach mostly coached the players who paid for team trainmen and paid attention to brown nosing parents. And the club Tech Director was either absent or only focused on the super-star kids. So, yes, tune in and pay attention to what you are paying for. If your kid isn't happy or isn't playing well...go try out somewhere else!

Anonymous wrote:What should you do if 2 clubs your child is interested in have the EXACT same tryout dates? Do you tell the coaches of the teams you are interested in?

Anonymous wrote:Youngest kid will be a senior next year. Been in this since 2010.

Don't tell. They are vindictive. All of them. And don't tell teammates--even ones you think are friends use it to their advantage--their parents tell the coach, etc., while being phony to your face. This happened to my kid when he was 12 and they black balled him. At club tryouts they didn't even put him on the side with current players--banished him to the outer fields.

Keep everything close to your chest. What they don't know can't hurt them.

We had a coach give some long speech about how he always knows who is trying out elsewhere that it gets back to him---be honest, etc. This same coach would string kids along and they think they have their spot--and then would demote literally when all tryouts elsewhere were over. He offered no such transparency himself.

There are so many d*cks in this business. Clubs do not have loyalty. Your job is to find your own kid the healthiest environment to develop. The best training, etc. You need to reassess each year and let them lead the charge--if they are happy I wouldn't move them (even if they could develop better elsewhere). You want them to love the game. But, if they express frustration or they want more intensity THEMSELVES, etc--help them find it.

Kids get screwed over a lot if you stay in this sport. Protect your own.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if this is just in MD ( new to travel soccer) but the team we tried out with didn’t actually do tryouts. We just went to a 2 hour practice and they assessed DD at the practice.
The coach said most teams don’t do tryouts anymore.

Fake news. Everyone does tryouts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if this is just in MD ( new to travel soccer) but the team we tried out with didn’t actually do tryouts. We just went to a 2 hour practice and they assessed DD at the practice.
The coach said most teams don’t do tryouts anymore.

Fake news. Everyone does tryouts.

Yes, pretty much all clubs have an annual "official" tryout. BUT by then, for the top team, it often is very much theater, because any new players already showed up at a practice ahead of time to get a sense if they want to play for that coach/with that team and visa-versa. Only time that doesn't happen is with smaller clubs or age groups where the club starts to attract fewer players, usually at the upper ages when kids decide to move on.

I agree. There is theater for the upper team. They are usually pre-picked unless you are able to practice with them ahead of time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. It sounds like the consensus is not to say anything at this time. I hate having to keep coming up with excuses. The coach is probably questioning DC‘s commitment one way or another. DC is definitely in the frustrated and wanting more intensity boat at this point. But nothing is guaranteed in terms of offers from other teams with all of these changes going on. DC has never changed clubs before. Ideally we find somewhere DC can stay put for a while. I really don’t wanna have to do all this again next year.

Yeah the process really sucks. I assume you tried to find a way to do this when they arent missing practice? Maybe you can guest practice for partial time and then make the other team?

For one of the upcoming tryouts DC could probably still get to their team practice a bit late if they were to leave the tryout early. Is it bad to leave a tryout early? It would be the second tryout with that club.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if this is just in MD ( new to travel soccer) but the team we tried out with didn’t actually do tryouts. We just went to a 2 hour practice and they assessed DD at the practice.
The coach said most teams don’t do tryouts anymore.

Fake news. Everyone does tryouts.

Yes, pretty much all clubs have an annual "official" tryout. BUT by then, for the top team, it often is very much theater, because any new players already showed up at a practice ahead of time to get a sense if they want to play for that coach/with that team and visa-versa. Only time that doesn't happen is with smaller clubs or age groups where the club starts to attract fewer players, usually at the upper ages when kids decide to move on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if this is just in MD ( new to travel soccer) but the team we tried out with didn’t actually do tryouts. We just went to a 2 hour practice and they assessed DD at the practice.
The coach said most teams don’t do tryouts anymore.

Fake news. Everyone does tryouts.

Anonymous wrote:If so many Virginia parents stopped club hopping, then maybe the coaches wouldn't act the way YOU think they will act.

Enjoy your kid playing soccer, making friends and having fun. Because in the end most of these kids, especially on the boys side will not play in college.

Think about it - would you want to go to a college with 2000 kids and play division 3 soccer or something like VA Tech, UVA or UMD and play club soccer? Is your kid willing to sacrifice missing out on college football and basketball? Because between soccer and school, it takes up 80 hours per week. Kids are run down and burned out after the first year. Most don't even get to play their first year.

Most kids want to have college experience, and often their academics don't match their soccer skills.

Also, loyalty can be rewarded; you just don't know about it because you don't stick around long enough.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if this is just in MD ( new to travel soccer) but the team we tried out with didn’t actually do tryouts. We just went to a 2 hour practice and they assessed DD at the practice.
The coach said most teams don’t do tryouts anymore.

Fake news. Everyone does tryouts.