Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know nothing of Valor but have to concur that the tryouts we saw were very poorly run compared with the others we have experienced.

When we registered, they asked what team our kid was currently playing for (the answer was none as we had just moved here from overseas, where he played on a strong team). Upon arrival, they had lists of which kids were to go to which field or part of the field. I was told the top team was over practicing by themselves. My child was sent to what i guess was the peasant field since we did not list a current club team in his registration. The coaches did not pay attention to that field at all. After the first tryout, we did not return. Still, we received an email offer for the 4th out of 5 teams. He was offered 1st or 2nd team at several other orgs and those tryouts involved moving kids around, timing their running, doing drills, mixing the kids up, and there were several coaches/adults observing, taking notes, etc. They did not immediately divide the kids up based on their current team and then ignore the kids they put on the lowest field.

Would you be able to share which club actually did a good job? TIA.

We went to SYC tryouts for both regular season as well as super Y several times and I thought those were run very well. We were already with a club so we have played against SYC many times and the coaches all pretty much already knew my child. I don’t know if that makes a difference. For regular tryouts they did have 4 to 5 little scrimmages set up and then a main game happening on the big field. My child pretty much went from 4 to 5 minutes on a smaller field and then got asked to play on the big field. We did get offers. We did bring a friend and that friend started on one of the smaller fields and work their way up to the field right before the big field. It seemed every field had a coach that was assigned to those kids and when they saw someone they were interested in they progressively move that child upper field. That child also did get an offer after the second tryout after a week or so after ours.

For super why tryouts it was just personal footwork skills that were analyzed, and then they went into a scrimmage. We went to one of the last tryouts for super y so I think majority of the team had already been picked and they were just interested in a couple extra players. Both of the kids I brought one only being mine got offers.

I will also throw in there that for super Y we’ve been asked from teams that we’ve guessed with if our kid would be interested in playing super wide with them without even trying out.

Other clubs that we have tried out with were just practice invitations. I do like those better, because I think it gives the coach an opportunity to just concentrate on one to two new players, versus 4 to 5 fields of players.

We did go to Valor tryouts, and they were similarly run to the SYC tryouts just a lot less kids were there. The coaches seemed to not mingle as much with the players, seemed very serious and kept to themselves with their clipboards.


Personally, I think it’s a great skill to have to try out for teams, so any chance we get my child would like to try out. It’s also great for networking. many parents think that you have to try out for a team during the tryout season to get on another team however, that is false. We’ve had friends that got on new teams because the coach saw them in a game and asked them to come to try out or a practice. That following season they left for the other team. This has also opened up the doors for guesting with other teams, which is great if your kid is wanting to play more soccer.

My last comment about this process is that we are in the younger age groups not at the regional tryout level yet and obviously those tryouts are completely different from what I hear.

I didn't know it was possible for businesses to disable their google reviews.

Anonymous wrote:I know nothing of Valor but have to concur that the tryouts we saw were very poorly run compared with the others we have experienced.

When we registered, they asked what team our kid was currently playing for (the answer was none as we had just moved here from overseas, where he played on a strong team). Upon arrival, they had lists of which kids were to go to which field or part of the field. I was told the top team was over practicing by themselves. My child was sent to what i guess was the peasant field since we did not list a current club team in his registration. The coaches did not pay attention to that field at all. After the first tryout, we did not return. Still, we received an email offer for the 4th out of 5 teams. He was offered 1st or 2nd team at several other orgs and those tryouts involved moving kids around, timing their running, doing drills, mixing the kids up, and there were several coaches/adults observing, taking notes, etc. They did not immediately divide the kids up based on their current team and then ignore the kids they put on the lowest field.

Would you be able to share which club actually did a good job? TIA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Valor steals money from the rec league.

The institution strategically does this. I blame the leadership and other coaches for churching up the level of play. Its all smoke a mirrors until you have 20 losses and zero wins.

We previously played in a rec league that doesn't have an associated travel team and everything was so much better - like down to the uniforms, fields, and even the team photographers were all nicer and more professional. And it cost LESS than CYA.

My HS kid played one season of SYA house/recreational soccer after we moved here. It was incredibly expensive for rec ($220) and then we had to buy two shirts for $45, then we had to go buy numbers adn iron on the numbers ourselves, which was a hassle and just odd. Show up for the first practice and the high school house league team is assigned a muddy field covered in dog poop. Big holes throughout the field. Coach told the kids to jog, not run, so they didn't break an ankle. The balls kept going into the woods. There were no nets on the goals which were just football posts. The park had beautiful artificial fields--being practiced on by little Valor travel players. Joined a different club the next season out of principle, frankly. Given that the high school rec team was almost all Hispanic kids and the little travel kids were almost all white or Asian....it was a really bad look for whoever assigns those fields. Still don't understand what the $220 was for-the coach was a volunteer and the season was just 7 games-some of them against other SYA house league teams--and no tournament. If the money was being siphoned off for the travel league, that really pisses me off given they already got the good practice fields!

Sounds like Elleanor Lawrence fields. My kids practiced there for Valor before we went to Herndon. I always felt bad for the kids trying to practice on the grass fields. People would come with big dogs and let them run around off leash while the kids were trying to practice, and the grass fields were horrible for soccer, full of holes and no soccer nets or fencing so the balls just went all over the place, especially the older kids who kick really hard. We saw a fight once between a soccer coach and a baseball coach after the soccer ball went into a baseball outfield during a game.

People use those grass areas at that park as dog runs. That's foul, to hold a soccer practice there. Dog poop and pee all over the place. I would ask for a refund in some league tried to tell my kid to practice there.

Anonymous wrote:My kids have never played CYA, SYA or Valor soccer but this thread has been very entertaining train wreck so thanks for the good time.

I can add that the soccer academy camp my kids attended was a one and done for us. No instruction, high schoolers were running things, and it was just a disorganized waste of time.

Agree on Soccer Academy. I remember I went to leave a google review and there was no way to leave a review, which struck me as strange at the time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The guy who runs it should do an AMA.

Sorry, what is a AMA?

Ask Me Anything. Someone answers all questions posed supposedly honesty. Sometimes used for marketing.

Who won the fight?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The guy who runs it should do an AMA.

Sorry, what is a AMA?

are you new to the internet?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Valor steals money from the rec league.

The institution strategically does this. I blame the leadership and other coaches for churching up the level of play. Its all smoke a mirrors until you have 20 losses and zero wins.

We previously played in a rec league that doesn't have an associated travel team and everything was so much better - like down to the uniforms, fields, and even the team photographers were all nicer and more professional. And it cost LESS than CYA.

My HS kid played one season of SYA house/recreational soccer after we moved here. It was incredibly expensive for rec ($220) and then we had to buy two shirts for $45, then we had to go buy numbers adn iron on the numbers ourselves, which was a hassle and just odd. Show up for the first practice and the high school house league team is assigned a muddy field covered in dog poop. Big holes throughout the field. Coach told the kids to jog, not run, so they didn't break an ankle. The balls kept going into the woods. There were no nets on the goals which were just football posts. The park had beautiful artificial fields--being practiced on by little Valor travel players. Joined a different club the next season out of principle, frankly. Given that the high school rec team was almost all Hispanic kids and the little travel kids were almost all white or Asian....it was a really bad look for whoever assigns those fields. Still don't understand what the $220 was for-the coach was a volunteer and the season was just 7 games-some of them against other SYA house league teams--and no tournament. If the money was being siphoned off for the travel league, that really pisses me off given they already got the good practice fields!

Sounds like Elleanor Lawrence fields. My kids practiced there for Valor before we went to Herndon. I always felt bad for the kids trying to practice on the grass fields. People would come with big dogs and let them run around off leash while the kids were trying to practice, and the grass fields were horrible for soccer, full of holes and no soccer nets or fencing so the balls just went all over the place, especially the older kids who kick really hard. We saw a fight once between a soccer coach and a baseball coach after the soccer ball went into a baseball outfield during a game.

Anonymous wrote:The guy who runs it should do an AMA.

Haha they would never

Anonymous wrote:The guy who runs it should do an AMA.

Sorry, what is a AMA?

The guy who runs it should do an AMA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wouldn't you improve just doing 3 practices a week year round and playing against other good players at practice even if the coach sucked and you didn't play in games

No. Its personal interest, time and commitment. He or she will gain some endurance, stamina and resilience, but not develop technically unless the player commits to more hours. No institution can make your kid better with three hours a week. That expectation is unreal, however, I sill say valor doesn't maintain any standards for players. Your kid could be a window licker and he will make a team just as long as mommy and daddy make nice with Valor on paying the bill.

This doesn't make sense to me. Three practices a week = 1.5 hour a session x 3= 4.5 hours a week of practice. My youngest dd plays rec soccer and has always noticeably improved from the start to the end of the season, and they have a one hour practice and one game a week for something like 8-10 weeks, with a volunteer coach (last season, a high schooler). It is not high level training LOL.

$300 for a season of house soccer is crazy. When my kids played it was less than $100.

My kids have never played CYA, SYA or Valor soccer but this thread has been very entertaining train wreck so thanks for the good time.

I can add that the soccer academy camp my kids attended was a one and done for us. No instruction, high schoolers were running things, and it was just a disorganized waste of time.