Anonymous wrote:I've seen a team bring guests from FCV in NPL to a final for the lowest bracket at a tournament. When we told the field monitors that certain players had not been on that team when both teams played each other earlier in the tournament, the FM said something to the effect of "whatever, you can't prove it anyways" -_-

I don't know one way or the other but having a couple kids show up on a Sunday game at a tournament means nothing. They could have been guest players on the roster already and not playing Saturday means nothing. We have had over the years several instances of players not being able to play every game in a tournament. The team may have had a player or two who it was known simply couldn't make the finals and the FCV kids were rostered as guests just in case. And if the FCV kids just arrived for the finals, well, no matter what you say, that team did something right without the guest players to get to the finals in the first place.

Now, you would have something if you saw those same FCV kids on another team DURING the same tournament. Otherwise this is a nothing burger.

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Anonymous wrote:Again, you as a parent wouldn't take the risk, which is very commendable and shows you have character. However, people being paid huge money will look the other way, as the only on earth who stands to get in trouble is the player, not them. It's easy to say "I had no idea he was on the DA team, I feel lied to," and absolve yourself. Furthermore, a lot of parents are deluded when it comes to regulations and their kid's potential. Their entitlement is more important than what's actually best for their player. Pay-for-play is holding our country back from reaching its potential in soccer.

+1 if you watched the U-17 World Cup recently, it was obvious that other countries are doing something different - and their approach is developing players
who are truly elite and breath taking to watch. They play the beautiful game. US players can't hold a candle to them.
Pay to play & parents who throws money at developing kids who are uncreative and mediocre is a reason the US can't compete on an international level. It will catch up with the girls side eventually too.

Not sure how you can watch Andrew Carleton and Josh Sargent and arrive at that conclusion, but whatever floats your boat.

Anonymous wrote:Again, you as a parent wouldn't take the risk, which is very commendable and shows you have character. However, people being paid huge money will look the other way, as the only on earth who stands to get in trouble is the player, not them. It's easy to say "I had no idea he was on the DA team, I feel lied to," and absolve yourself. Furthermore, a lot of parents are deluded when it comes to regulations and their kid's potential. Their entitlement is more important than what's actually best for their player. Pay-for-play is holding our country back from reaching its potential in soccer.

+1 if you watched the U-17 World Cup recently, it was obvious that other countries are doing something different - and their approach is developing players
who are truly elite and breath taking to watch. They play the beautiful game. US players can't hold a candle to them.
Pay to play & parents who throws money at developing kids who are uncreative and mediocre is a reason the US can't compete on an international level. It will catch up with the girls side eventually too.

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Anonymous wrote:I am still curious to hear from BRYC boys (U11-U12) parents who opted to remain with BRYC to do only tournaments and training. Has it been good? Are you paying the same as before? What will you do if your son doesn't make the ECNL team at U13? Is there a BRYC backup or will you be forced to find a new club then?

I think BRYC Elite Academy currently has three U13 boys' teams. The second one is in D4 of NCSL, and the third, which I think used to be an ODSL team, is in D8.

Ah, OK. So if the player doesn't make the top ECNL team, he can still do NCSL. That's good (and not how they first explained it!). Thanks!

Yep, my kid is at BRYC Elite in the girls program, same - the 2nd+ teams are playing in different leagues, only the top team plays in ECNL. We're loving the littles (U11> schedule - a tournament every month, one-two weekends per month there's a friendly scrimmage, and one-two weekends off per month (practice, no games). You can really see the improvement in strategy and play from game to game within the tournament and then from tournament to tournament because of the consolidated game time - 4 games in two days instead of 4 games in 4 weeks.

How often do the ECNL level teams practice in a typical week?

Three. Same as other leagues.

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Anonymous wrote:I am still curious to hear from BRYC boys (U11-U12) parents who opted to remain with BRYC to do only tournaments and training. Has it been good? Are you paying the same as before? What will you do if your son doesn't make the ECNL team at U13? Is there a BRYC backup or will you be forced to find a new club then?

I think BRYC Elite Academy currently has three U13 boys' teams. The second one is in D4 of NCSL, and the third, which I think used to be an ODSL team, is in D8.

Ah, OK. So if the player doesn't make the top ECNL team, he can still do NCSL. That's good (and not how they first explained it!). Thanks!

Yep, my kid is at BRYC Elite in the girls program, same - the 2nd+ teams are playing in different leagues, only the top team plays in ECNL. We're loving the littles (U11> schedule - a tournament every month, one-two weekends per month there's a friendly scrimmage, and one-two weekends off per month (practice, no games). You can really see the improvement in strategy and play from game to game within the tournament and then from tournament to tournament because of the consolidated game time - 4 games in two days instead of 4 games in 4 weeks.

How often do the ECNL level teams practice in a typical week?

I've also seen a game where the center ref's son was playing for one of the teams, no bias there at all. Then after the game the ref was shaking hands with the coach and joking around, and drove 3 of the players home.

I've seen a team bring guests from FCV in NPL to a final for the lowest bracket at a tournament. When we told the field monitors that certain players had not been on that team when both teams played each other earlier in the tournament, the FM said something to the effect of "whatever, you can't prove it anyways" -_-

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Anonymous wrote:I am still curious to hear from BRYC boys (U11-U12) parents who opted to remain with BRYC to do only tournaments and training. Has it been good? Are you paying the same as before? What will you do if your son doesn't make the ECNL team at U13? Is there a BRYC backup or will you be forced to find a new club then?

I think BRYC Elite Academy currently has three U13 boys' teams. The second one is in D4 of NCSL, and the third, which I think used to be an ODSL team, is in D8.

Ah, OK. So if the player doesn't make the top ECNL team, he can still do NCSL. That's good (and not how they first explained it!). Thanks!

Yep, my kid is at BRYC Elite in the girls program, same - the 2nd+ teams are playing in different leagues, only the top team plays in ECNL. We're loving the littles (U11> schedule - a tournament every month, one-two weekends per month there's a friendly scrimmage, and one-two weekends off per month (practice, no games). You can really see the improvement in strategy and play from game to game within the tournament and then from tournament to tournament because of the consolidated game time - 4 games in two days instead of 4 games in 4 weeks.

So it's nice that you found an academy setting, and are willing to pay for it. I would say don't ruin it for the people who really care about where their money is going to. If the team isn't paying the league fees for each team, why are they still charging the same? A parent who has enough discretionary income to throw it at youth soccer clubs wouldn't care, but parents do need to demand that clubs provide the service they are charging for. I am a bit salty about this issue, it just seems that soccer club administrators and coaches have this swagger when it comes to prices, as if how dare we question that the coach isn't putting enough effort in training, not paying attention at games, or if tournaments are canceled then why aren't the parents getting a refund if the tournament would provide the club with a partial refund for credit for the following year.

What you describe is what an academy is, more training than anything else, and a setting to showcase what the players have learned, what they need to still work on, essentially a benchmark on the team. I'm glad you're enjoying the environment, it truly does work, I just think the club has found a way of charging the same for less.

Are the tournaments included in the team fees? Because tournaments cost $50 to $75 per player. If they're doing one a month, that's $450-600 right there.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am still curious to hear from BRYC boys (U11-U12) parents who opted to remain with BRYC to do only tournaments and training. Has it been good? Are you paying the same as before? What will you do if your son doesn't make the ECNL team at U13? Is there a BRYC backup or will you be forced to find a new club then?

I think BRYC Elite Academy currently has three U13 boys' teams. The second one is in D4 of NCSL, and the third, which I think used to be an ODSL team, is in D8.

Ah, OK. So if the player doesn't make the top ECNL team, he can still do NCSL. That's good (and not how they first explained it!). Thanks!

Yep, my kid is at BRYC Elite in the girls program, same - the 2nd+ teams are playing in different leagues, only the top team plays in ECNL. We're loving the littles (U11> schedule - a tournament every month, one-two weekends per month there's a friendly scrimmage, and one-two weekends off per month (practice, no games). You can really see the improvement in strategy and play from game to game within the tournament and then from tournament to tournament because of the consolidated game time - 4 games in two days instead of 4 games in 4 weeks.

So it's nice that you found an academy setting, and are willing to pay for it. I would say don't ruin it for the people who really care about where their money is going to. If the team isn't paying the league fees for each team, why are they still charging the same? A parent who has enough discretionary income to throw it at youth soccer clubs wouldn't care, but parents do need to demand that clubs provide the service they are charging for. I am a bit salty about this issue, it just seems that soccer club administrators and coaches have this swagger when it comes to prices, as if how dare we question that the coach isn't putting enough effort in training, not paying attention at games, or if tournaments are canceled then why aren't the parents getting a refund if the tournament would provide the club with a partial refund for credit for the following year.

What you describe is what an academy is, more training than anything else, and a setting to showcase what the players have learned, what they need to still work on, essentially a benchmark on the team. I'm glad you're enjoying the environment, it truly does work, I just think the club has found a way of charging the same for less.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am still curious to hear from BRYC boys (U11-U12) parents who opted to remain with BRYC to do only tournaments and training. Has it been good? Are you paying the same as before? What will you do if your son doesn't make the ECNL team at U13? Is there a BRYC backup or will you be forced to find a new club then?

I think BRYC Elite Academy currently has three U13 boys' teams. The second one is in D4 of NCSL, and the third, which I think used to be an ODSL team, is in D8.

Ah, OK. So if the player doesn't make the top ECNL team, he can still do NCSL. That's good (and not how they first explained it!). Thanks!

Yep, my kid is at BRYC Elite in the girls program, same - the 2nd+ teams are playing in different leagues, only the top team plays in ECNL. We're loving the littles (U11> schedule - a tournament every month, one-two weekends per month there's a friendly scrimmage, and one-two weekends off per month (practice, no games). You can really see the improvement in strategy and play from game to game within the tournament and then from tournament to tournament because of the consolidated game time - 4 games in two days instead of 4 games in 4 weeks.

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why people are saying that "No one cares" if a full time DA player moonlights for another team. It may be that there is less oversight at the younger ages, but in general, clubs care a lot about this. They are likely to kick your kid off the team if they find out, and your kid will be blackballed from consideration for US Training Centers and other USSF events. Not a risk I'd take as a parent.

We have played teams that totally switch the roster in the Final of a tournament. This happened to us in a U10 Final. All of the sudden 10 new kids showed up---the A team got knocked out of the tournament---so lo and behold there are now 10 kids on the bench and we are playing a completely different team then we played the previous day (we both made it to Final). There was a lot of 'roster' shuffling and panic--and switching of things. The manager from our team didn't go over and watch the team check-in.

You know what---these kids are f--cked for it. What message are they sending to the kids that earned the right to play in the game and now are being benched for the kids playing down illegally? Great team/club morale. I'd rather just play the cheats and let Karma fall where it may. The trickery will catch up with those kids. Plus--you really care about 11-year old/'06s? I guarantee they aren't going anywhere in the future. There will also likely be overuse injuries because the parents are playing them 7 days a week anywhere they can.

It's youth soccer. If there are dolts that care this much to cheat---so be it. I just don't have the energy to care. Plus, playing those kids lying down about their age only makes the legitimately aged-kids better for it.

What happened to Freddy Adu who never gained a pound or inch after age 13? Yea- the lying about age caught up to him.

Again, you as a parent wouldn't take the risk, which is very commendable and shows you have character. However, people being paid huge money will look the other way, as the only on earth who stands to get in trouble is the player, not them. It's easy to say "I had no idea he was on the DA team, I feel lied to," and absolve yourself. Furthermore, a lot of parents are deluded when it comes to regulations and their kid's potential. Their entitlement is more important than what's actually best for their player. Pay-for-play is holding our country back from reaching its potential in soccer.

Not sure why people are saying that "No one cares" if a full time DA player moonlights for another team. It may be that there is less oversight at the younger ages, but in general, clubs care a lot about this. They are likely to kick your kid off the team if they find out, and your kid will be blackballed from consideration for US Training Centers and other USSF events. Not a risk I'd take as a parent.

Arlington parents pay the equivalent of a college tutition per year so their immaculate children can be taught to waste time and whine at refs over calls by "pro coaches". People will just look the other way and keep on lining their pockets

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Anonymous wrote:The old Joga SC. Only mention them because there are YouTube videos of those teams that are worthwhile to view if you want to see what young teams can do with a possession style.

How do the current Joga teams look?

Unfortunately not so good. They have 2 teams, both in EDP. 06s play in EDP South D2, 04s are in EDP South D1. Both are in last place in their divisions, yet to win a single game.

The 04s: http://home.gotsoccer.com/rankings/team.aspx?TeamID=688720&History=yes&compact=

The 06s: http://home.gotsoccer.com/rankings/team.aspx?TeamID=1167387&History=yes&compact=

http://www.edpsoccer.com/fall-brackets.


I'm sure a lot of that is because most of their best players left for the DAs, but having seen one of their teams play this year, I have to say I wasn't impressed. Yes, they are still kindasorta trying to play possession, but they just don't look like they are being trained the same way as they used to. They used to be so impressive the way they spread the field, moved the ball, and dominated most games whether they won or lost on the score board. Now they look like a bunch of individuals without very good decision making or positional awareness.

It's a shame because for a while there I really thought they were on to something - shaking things up and making some of the big clubs in this area wake up and take notice. Now they seem like just another flash in the pan ....

I thought the same previously but then after meeting some people who had kids there, they weren't impressed with the training as some had hyped it up to be. Others said that it was basically the bringing together of talented kids from other clubs and branding it as if they had put in all of the work to get the kids there. No direct involvement, just commented from others that I know previously involved. They have moved on to either DA or top teams at good clubs.

just checked out the links and they are not even being competitive. That sucks for parents who were sold that this was the place to be. Especially when 06s are only playing 2 home games at Evergreen and it isn't even close to where they practice in Fairfax.

I'm surprised the 06s aren't that competitive with all the FT DA Arlington kids playing for them.

Is that breaking the rules of DA? I thought you can't play outside of your DA team? BUSTED?

No one cares. Those rules don't mean anything. Players can do whatever they want as long as they don't miss their DA training and games.

Yep.