Its so clearly some kind of mid life crisis, ego, 'leave my mark on the world" sad thing. There's nothing more pathetic than a man externalizing his midlife crisis.

Anonymous wrote:Midlife crises hit people in different ways!

Someone take ML to a porsche dealership next time, mmmmk?

Midlife crises hit people in different ways!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much phoniness being posted on this thread. Sorry your club sucks, GFR, people have options and are on the move.

Really, truly would like to know what everyone's beef is with GFR?

It's not really about GFR itself and never has been. GFR is, on the whole, probably a better club than most of its immediate neighbors not named McLean. The "beef" is a few loudmouth members, ex-coaches, and ex-board members that want to control GFR themselves, plain and simple. It's the same group that spread conspiracy theories about RS to try to get him out, culminating with the attempted coup last spring. Part of that group now sits on the Board of RBFC. The entire reason RBFC exists is to try to take down GFR. It's sad really. Some of these people were well-respected GFR members with wonderful kids. They are ruining their reputation and hurting their own kids for some vanity project.

+1000

When someone starts a soccer club primarily as a vehicle to “take down” a neighboring club—rather than to fill a real gap in coaching, player development, or access—it usually reflects priorities like ego, control, quick wins, and recruiting hype over long-term stewardship. That mindset hurts the community because it turns youth sports into a zero-sum feud: it fractures friendships, splits teams midstream, pressures families with fear-based urgency, and pulls attention away from what actually matters—consistent coaching, stable team culture, and a positive environment for kids. The result is often churn: players bounce around, volunteer energy gets burned up in conflict, and the kids end up carrying the stress of adult competition, even though they’re the ones who need stability, trust, and a shared sense that everyone is working for their growth—not using them as leverage in a turf war.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much phoniness being posted on this thread. Sorry your club sucks, GFR, people have options and are on the move.

Really, truly would like to know what everyone's beef is with GFR?

It's not really about GFR itself and never has been. GFR is, on the whole, probably a better club than most of its immediate neighbors not named McLean. The "beef" is a few loudmouth members, ex-coaches, and ex-board members that want to control GFR themselves, plain and simple. It's the same group that spread conspiracy theories about RS to try to get him out, culminating with the attempted coup last spring. Part of that group now sits on the Board of RBFC. The entire reason RBFC exists is to try to take down GFR. It's sad really. Some of these people were well-respected GFR members with wonderful kids. They are ruining their reputation and hurting their own kids for some vanity project.

Nah, it's Ruses, Inside deals, Self-interest, Exploitation

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been a TM before and could see the info for my own team only. How did she get access to other rosters?

The TM also has children on other GFR teams. I know nothing about Playmetrics (and we have only one child at GFR) but that may give her greater access.

She reached out to other TM's for their player lists- that's what our TM told me but ours didn't give her it and told GFR about it instead.

Thats ballsy!! I'm a TM not for GFR and couldn't imagine any reason I would ask for another team's list.

No ethical reason, for sure.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been a TM before and could see the info for my own team only. How did she get access to other rosters?

The TM also has children on other GFR teams. I know nothing about Playmetrics (and we have only one child at GFR) but that may give her greater access.

She reached out to other TM's for their player lists- that's what our TM told me but ours didn't give her it and told GFR about it instead.

Thats ballsy!! I'm a TM not for GFR and couldn't imagine any reason I would ask for another team's list.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can any family move their kid in the middle of the season? What are you teaching your child? You signed up to play for the year and what is the benefit of moving now and not wait for the summer and start fresh if you're hating it that bad where you are now

But that’s the thing. Most of us do not hate GFR. Our team manager is aligned with the ownership of Riverbend, is on the Board of Directors and is actively trying to hurt GFR. Most of us don’t want any part of it.

Ethically the TM should step down as TM. The conflict of interest is obvious. Very poor form for TM to do this (and also increases the legal risk for RB — as a best practice, RB should also have required TM to step down before taking on a Board role).

And if not GFR should lock her out of PlayMetrics.

Yep, I am not happy she had access to my contact information somehow. My kid is not on her team and she cold called me trying to pressure me into getting my team to make this move as well and it was extremely uncomfortable. Thankfully we spoke to people at GFR and they helped set things straight.

What was the pitch on the urgency to do it now instead of waiting to have tryouts in the spring and launch the teams in the fall?

RBFC needs early commitments to: prove they have enough players/teams to operate, secure coaches/fields, complete league/admin paperwork. That’s understandable, but it’s their risk-management—not necessarily a benefit to families. If the club is strong, it will still be strong in fall.

Sounds like they are trying to jam people to solve their chicken & egg problem:

They need kids to get league affiliations and public fields, but they need league affiliations and fields to get kids.

exactly. turns out starting a soccer club is not as easy as one might think, no matter how much money you might have.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can any family move their kid in the middle of the season? What are you teaching your child? You signed up to play for the year and what is the benefit of moving now and not wait for the summer and start fresh if you're hating it that bad where you are now

But that’s the thing. Most of us do not hate GFR. Our team manager is aligned with the ownership of Riverbend, is on the Board of Directors and is actively trying to hurt GFR. Most of us don’t want any part of it.

Ethically the TM should step down as TM. The conflict of interest is obvious. Very poor form for TM to do this (and also increases the legal risk for RB — as a best practice, RB should also have required TM to step down before taking on a Board role).

And if not GFR should lock her out of PlayMetrics.

Yep, I am not happy she had access to my contact information somehow. My kid is not on her team and she cold called me trying to pressure me into getting my team to make this move as well and it was extremely uncomfortable. Thankfully we spoke to people at GFR and they helped set things straight.

What was the pitch on the urgency to do it now instead of waiting to have tryouts in the spring and launch the teams in the fall?

RBFC needs early commitments to: prove they have enough players/teams to operate, secure coaches/fields, complete league/admin paperwork. That’s understandable, but it’s their risk-management—not necessarily a benefit to families. If the club is strong, it will still be strong in fall.

Sounds like they are trying to jam people to solve their chicken & egg problem:

They need kids to get league affiliations and public fields, but they need league affiliations and fields to get kids.

Anonymous wrote:So much phoniness being posted on this thread. Sorry your club sucks, GFR, people have options and are on the move.

From this vantage point in looks more like some coaches and admin tried to use some phoniness to force a move and it's not working out. No parents in this area are lacking "options" for a club. The only thing hot about this commodity is the dumpster fire of a launch attempt.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can any family move their kid in the middle of the season? What are you teaching your child? You signed up to play for the year and what is the benefit of moving now and not wait for the summer and start fresh if you're hating it that bad where you are now

But that’s the thing. Most of us do not hate GFR. Our team manager is aligned with the ownership of Riverbend, is on the Board of Directors and is actively trying to hurt GFR. Most of us don’t want any part of it.

Ethically the TM should step down as TM. The conflict of interest is obvious. Very poor form for TM to do this (and also increases the legal risk for RB — as a best practice, RB should also have required TM to step down before taking on a Board role).

And if not GFR should lock her out of PlayMetrics.

Yep, I am not happy she had access to my contact information somehow. My kid is not on her team and she cold called me trying to pressure me into getting my team to make this move as well and it was extremely uncomfortable. Thankfully we spoke to people at GFR and they helped set things straight.

What was the pitch on the urgency to do it now instead of waiting to have tryouts in the spring and launch the teams in the fall?

RBFC needs early commitments to: prove they have enough players/teams to operate, secure coaches/fields, complete league/admin paperwork. That’s understandable, but it’s their risk-management—not necessarily a benefit to families. If the club is strong, it will still be strong in fall.

They also likely purposefully fired their salvo close to the NCSL transfer deadline (for Spring 2026) to increase the pressure on families to jump without looking.

Always
Be
Closing

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can any family move their kid in the middle of the season? What are you teaching your child? You signed up to play for the year and what is the benefit of moving now and not wait for the summer and start fresh if you're hating it that bad where you are now

But that’s the thing. Most of us do not hate GFR. Our team manager is aligned with the ownership of Riverbend, is on the Board of Directors and is actively trying to hurt GFR. Most of us don’t want any part of it.

Ethically the TM should step down as TM. The conflict of interest is obvious. Very poor form for TM to do this (and also increases the legal risk for RB — as a best practice, RB should also have required TM to step down before taking on a Board role).

And if not GFR should lock her out of PlayMetrics.

Yep, I am not happy she had access to my contact information somehow. My kid is not on her team and she cold called me trying to pressure me into getting my team to make this move as well and it was extremely uncomfortable. Thankfully we spoke to people at GFR and they helped set things straight.

What was the pitch on the urgency to do it now instead of waiting to have tryouts in the spring and launch the teams in the fall?

RBFC needs early commitments to: prove they have enough players/teams to operate, secure coaches/fields, complete league/admin paperwork. That’s understandable, but it’s their risk-management—not necessarily a benefit to families. If the club is strong, it will still be strong in fall.

They also likely purposefully fired their salvo close to the NCSL transfer deadline (for Spring 2026) to increase the pressure on families to jump without looking.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can any family move their kid in the middle of the season? What are you teaching your child? You signed up to play for the year and what is the benefit of moving now and not wait for the summer and start fresh if you're hating it that bad where you are now

But that’s the thing. Most of us do not hate GFR. Our team manager is aligned with the ownership of Riverbend, is on the Board of Directors and is actively trying to hurt GFR. Most of us don’t want any part of it.

Ethically the TM should step down as TM. The conflict of interest is obvious. Very poor form for TM to do this (and also increases the legal risk for RB — as a best practice, RB should also have required TM to step down before taking on a Board role).

And if not GFR should lock her out of PlayMetrics.

Yep, I am not happy she had access to my contact information somehow. My kid is not on her team and she cold called me trying to pressure me into getting my team to make this move as well and it was extremely uncomfortable. Thankfully we spoke to people at GFR and they helped set things straight.

What was the pitch on the urgency to do it now instead of waiting to have tryouts in the spring and launch the teams in the fall?

RBFC needs early commitments to: prove they have enough players/teams to operate, secure coaches/fields, complete league/admin paperwork. That’s understandable, but it’s their risk-management—not necessarily a benefit to families. If the club is strong, it will still be strong in fall.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can any family move their kid in the middle of the season? What are you teaching your child? You signed up to play for the year and what is the benefit of moving now and not wait for the summer and start fresh if you're hating it that bad where you are now

But that’s the thing. Most of us do not hate GFR. Our team manager is aligned with the ownership of Riverbend, is on the Board of Directors and is actively trying to hurt GFR. Most of us don’t want any part of it.

Ethically the TM should step down as TM. The conflict of interest is obvious. Very poor form for TM to do this (and also increases the legal risk for RB — as a best practice, RB should also have required TM to step down before taking on a Board role).

And if not GFR should lock her out of PlayMetrics.

Yep, I am not happy she had access to my contact information somehow. My kid is not on her team and she cold called me trying to pressure me into getting my team to make this move as well and it was extremely uncomfortable. Thankfully we spoke to people at GFR and they helped set things straight.

What was the pitch on the urgency to do it now instead of waiting to have tryouts in the spring and launch the teams in the fall?

As PP said, the urgency is a big red flag. Timeshares, snake oil salesmen, and apparently RBFC want to create a sense of pressure that you need to decide and commit right now.

Typically the reason for urgency is they don’t want you to look under the hood and really think about the quality of the product being offered and your alternatives.

This is like a scene out of a dumb version of Glengarry Glen Ross where instead of pushing questionable real estate deals they’re trying to convince you to sign your kid up for a new travel soccer club…