Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had three kids go through the travel system, and it’s clear many of you don’t understand how it actually works. They’re all the same age, and guest-playing from the first team down to the second or third when a roster is short happens all the time. A first team player guesting for a lower level team in the next age group? Also completely normal. This flexibility should exist and does exist in every well run club.

The only time it becomes a problem is when parents get involved or when players guest with a different club.

As I mentioned, my three kids came through seven different clubs. Every single one did this. If you’re upset, critique the system as a whole not the individual club.

We have been to several local clubs and this never happened. Ever. Kids guest play up a team or up an age group. I flat out do not believe that you saw this at 7 different local clubs. No way. Sorry, Valor shill.

You don't have to believe me, it's a fact. Son played at VDA and guest played with VSA because they were short players in the older age group and his team was not participating. Daughter guest played from Loudoun Red to Black often. Arlington, happens all the time...especially in younger age groups. I can go on name dropping other clubs all day, Valor for all its issue is no different. Look up club pass, it's a thing for clubs to leverage to move kids between teams within a club. Sorry pal, I've been around the block too many times and trying to give you all perspective. Ignore it and call me names, that attitude is why you aren't mentally ready for travel sports as a parent. Your child will struggle because of your own doing.

Playing down from ECNL to RL in two separate orgs is very off and feels like cheating by the VSA RL team.

Regardless, I don't need your advice as I have three teens who have done quite well without resorting to morally questionable decisions by our family. We are mostly
done with travel sports at this point but thanks for the hot tip.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had three kids go through the travel system, and it’s clear many of you don’t understand how it actually works. They’re all the same age, and guest-playing from the first team down to the second or third when a roster is short happens all the time. A first team player guesting for a lower level team in the next age group? Also completely normal. This flexibility should exist and does exist in every well run club.

The only time it becomes a problem is when parents get involved or when players guest with a different club.

As I mentioned, my three kids came through seven different clubs. Every single one did this. If you’re upset, critique the system as a whole not the individual club.

We have been to several local clubs and this never happened. Ever. Kids guest play up a team or up an age group. I flat out do not believe that you saw this at 7 different local clubs. No way. Sorry, Valor shill.

You don't have to believe me, it's a fact. Son played at VDA and guest played with VSA because they were short players in the older age group and his team was not participating. Daughter guest played from Loudoun Red to Black often. Arlington, happens all the time...especially in younger age groups. I can go on name dropping other clubs all day, Valor for all its issue is no different. Look up club pass, it's a thing for clubs to leverage to move kids between teams within a club. Sorry pal, I've been around the block too many times and trying to give you all perspective. Ignore it and call me names, that attitude is why you aren't mentally ready for travel sports as a parent. Your child will struggle because of your own doing.

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had three kids go through the travel system, and it’s clear many of you don’t understand how it actually works. They’re all the same age, and guest-playing from the first team down to the second or third when a roster is short happens all the time. A first team player guesting for a lower level team in the next age group? Also completely normal. This flexibility should exist and does exist in every well run club.

The only time it becomes a problem is when parents get involved or when players guest with a different club.

As I mentioned, my three kids came through seven different clubs. Every single one did this. If you’re upset, critique the system as a whole not the individual club.

We have been to several local clubs and this never happened. Ever. Kids guest play up a team or up an age group. I flat out do not believe that you saw this at 7 different local clubs. No way. Sorry, Valor shill.

I’ve had three kids go through the travel system, and it’s clear many of you don’t understand how it actually works. They’re all the same age, and guest-playing from the first team down to the second or third when a roster is short happens all the time. A first team player guesting for a lower level team in the next age group? Also completely normal. This flexibility should exist and does exist in every well run club.

The only time it becomes a problem is when parents get involved or when players guest with a different club.

As I mentioned, my three kids came through seven different clubs. Every single one did this. If you’re upset, critique the system as a whole not the individual club.

The first team player guesting for the 4th team, shaking my head. That's just pathetic.

Anonymous wrote:But what if it’s the bottom team that is short on players? Then is it ok for the guest player to be from the next team up?

Unless the bottom team needing players is the youngest age group in the club, guest players should come from the top team of the age group below.

But what if it’s the bottom team that is short on players? Then is it ok for the guest player to be from the next team up?

Anonymous wrote:Another thing with Valor Coach Rodolfo Castro is he uses Spanish when talking with the players. But not all kids speak or understand Spanish. Is this a common practice among soccer coaches? It also makes non-Spanish speaking players feel excluded and marginalized. I noticed that most of the time, he prioritize the Spanish speaking players to play and the other White kids just have to wait out on the benches during games. The less a player gets to play, the less skillful he becomes, which cause a downward spiral effect.

No, he should be speaking only in English. How can the kids who don't speak Spanish process what he is saying in Spanish? That's absurd. I would report to Valor management. He is such a low level coach, everyone should be playing on a developmental team like that.

Another thing with Valor Coach Rodolfo Castro is he uses Spanish when talking with the players. But not all kids speak or understand Spanish. Is this a common practice among soccer coaches? It also makes non-Spanish speaking players feel excluded and marginalized. I noticed that most of the time, he prioritize the Spanish speaking players to play and the other White kids just have to wait out on the benches during games. The less a player gets to play, the less skillful he becomes, which cause a downward spiral effect.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please please, cut these families from the club. Trim down to 2, maybe 3 teams per age group. Most of the gripes here are from the lower level teams based on the guest playing comments from RL players.

Stop the bleeding and let them all go. When my kid is asked to play down on the 2nd or 3rd team, they just want to play and help out a team short on players. Instead, they get the stink eye from adults. Go F yourself, in this instance my kid is better than yours. So what, little johnny did complain when he won that 1st play metal because my son scored 3 goals.

Do you not understand that guest playing is meant for kids to play "up"? Not down. No respectable club pulls a kid down for instance from an RL team to guest play on an NCSL team. Or a kid from a 1st team to guest play on a *3rd* team (!!!!). That's embarassing. Its just not done at any well run organization.

You describe it like its a common situation that happens at Valor all the time without even realizing how out of the soccer norm that is. That makes me think its extremely common at Valor, which is yet another ding in their (already shoddy) reputation.

It does happen a lot at Valor. My child was on a first team and guest played for the second, third, maybe even the fourth team once. It was extra playing time in a low stress environment and the coach was grateful for the help. Most parents never said anything to our face at least, some said thanks for coming. To the coaches’ credit the players on their team still got decent playing time. Honestly I don’t think it was very beneficial to my kid because they tend to play up or down to the level of the other kids on both teams. They play and look better against the best teams in the state than they do against a third team.

At new club they are never asked to guest play for the teams below them — only for lower teams in the age group above if they are short.

My kid has always been on the top team for his age group and we have been at two different clubs. Not Valor.

Not once has anyone on his team "played down". I did not know that was even allowed. Guest players are always from the lower teams.

Anonymous wrote:Please please, cut these families from the club. Trim down to 2, maybe 3 teams per age group. Most of the gripes here are from the lower level teams based on the guest playing comments from RL players.

Stop the bleeding and let them all go. When my kid is asked to play down on the 2nd or 3rd team, they just want to play and help out a team short on players. Instead, they get the stink eye from adults. Go F yourself, in this instance my kid is better than yours. So what, little johnny did complain when he won that 1st play metal because my son scored 3 goals.

Do you not understand that guest playing is meant for kids to play "up"? Not down. No respectable club pulls a kid down for instance from an RL team to guest play on an NCSL team. Or a kid from a 1st team to guest play on a *3rd* team (!!!!). That's embarassing. Its just not done at any well run organization.

You describe it like its a common situation that happens at Valor all the time without even realizing how out of the soccer norm that is. That makes me think its extremely common at Valor, which is yet another ding in their (already shoddy) reputation.

Anonymous wrote:Please please, cut these families from the club. Trim down to 2, maybe 3 teams per age group. Most of the gripes here are from the lower level teams based on the guest playing comments from RL players.

Stop the bleeding and let them all go. When my kid is asked to play down on the 2nd or 3rd team, they just want to play and help out a team short on players. Instead, they get the stink eye from adults. Go F yourself, in this instance my kid is better than yours. So what, little johnny did complain when he won that 1st play metal because my son scored 3 goals.

There is too much money to go around. Also, one might argue that if parents are willing to pay, then let the kids have access. Valor doesnt intend to be a small club so dont see them cutting. They are who we thought they are, just need to move on.

Please please, cut these families from the club. Trim down to 2, maybe 3 teams per age group. Most of the gripes here are from the lower level teams based on the guest playing comments from RL players.

Stop the bleeding and let them all go. When my kid is asked to play down on the 2nd or 3rd team, they just want to play and help out a team short on players. Instead, they get the stink eye from adults. Go F yourself, in this instance my kid is better than yours. So what, little johnny did complain when he won that 1st play metal because my son scored 3 goals.

Don’t forget parents. If Valor wants to be considered a serious club, either the parents (mostly good), or the coaches, need to shut down a few bad eggs. The good clubs have zero tolerance for bad parents, their kids get cut and move on. This needs to be made a priority, otherwise the Valor name will always be associated locally as consistently having a few bad eggs causing major issues on the sidelines, and passing that on to their kids. If you disagree, you are either a part of the problem, or you don’t see that everyone in the area knows the bad eggs and the whole club is tarnished by them.