Anonymous wrote:What are the smaller clubs people like? We’re in Arlington so nearby would be nice

Premier AC has a lot of kids from Arlington

What are the smaller clubs people like? We’re in Arlington so nearby would be nice

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had known the club culture. Some clubs have a very friendly environment, coaches and parents. Some have nasty environments. The parents are hostile and rude, and the coaches scream at the kids.

I think it can depend on teams / ages at time too, but an overall culture can permeate through a club in the people they hire, the stuff they allow, etc. We found the overall culture at Bethesda to be a net negative despite encountering a few coaches that we liked and felt were developing the kids well (although these coaches admitted to us that they weren't in the 'inner circle' and that they too didn't like the overall culture of the club).

I wish I had known the club culture. Some clubs have a very friendly environment, coaches and parents. Some have nasty environments. The parents are hostile and rude, and the coaches scream at the kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had known in my MD league that if you are a strong second team, your competition against other 2nd teams is very disappointing and almost not worth the effort.

And worse, doesn't prepare you for tournaments, when you suddenly play good teams.
My club fixed this by playing the top team up a year, and putting our 2nd team into the top slot of the league.

What league is this? Haven’t found this to be the case in EDP

Here’s my vote for smaller vs. bigger club

It is the case in eDP. Pipeline, SAC Premier Blue, Bethesda and Coppermine top U10 boys teams played top U11 south Atlantic divisions last year. Bethesda 09s placed first in the top division and beat Top Bethesda 08 team. The EDP leagues appear first rate for these younger talented teams that do not appear sufficiently challenged in their age group or league. I suspect why the U12 clubs have collaborated to form their own EDP division for their top teams. Far better than CCL.

Offering my perspective from four clubs (boys side).

1. BRYC: Does not move B players up to A teams. Also, B players do not get the same level/quality of development as do the A players, despite paying the same fees.

2. AUFC/VIVA: Discord (chronicled elsewhere on this forum) between AUFC and VIVA around the Villarreal contractual relationship, which caused a lot of consternation and many good players (and their families) to flee the club because of uncertainty.

3. Barca VA: No coaching depth. When new, while the coach came with solid credentials and spirit, whenever unavailable (and it happened too often), the club could not provide a suitable replacement. In several instances, parents jumped in to lead training or even manage games. Bad/inconvenient fields for practices and matches.

4. LMVSC: Too much volatility around practice locations and starting times. While the availability of FCPS fields especially can change due to construction delays and HS activities, never experienced this with other clubs. Gets frustrating to discover (surprise) the practice location changed and/or the starting time changed as you're making your way to the field.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had known in my MD league that if you are a strong second team, your competition against other 2nd teams is very disappointing and almost not worth the effort.

And worse, doesn't prepare you for tournaments, when you suddenly play good teams.
My club fixed this by playing the top team up a year, and putting our 2nd team into the top slot of the league.

What league is this? Haven’t found this to be the case in EDP

Here’s my vote for smaller vs. bigger club

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had known in my MD league that if you are a strong second team, your competition against other 2nd teams is very disappointing and almost not worth the effort.

And worse, doesn't prepare you for tournaments, when you suddenly play good teams.
My club fixed this by playing the top team up a year, and putting our 2nd team into the top slot of the league.

I wish I had known in my MD league that if you are a strong second team, your competition against other 2nd teams is very disappointing and almost not worth the effort.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do most of these post fit the ...I wish I knew ABC before I joined club XYZ? Most are just random tips.

Thanks for contributing to the very thing you’re asking about.

Anyhow, specifically on the OP’s question, I second the PPs who mentioned that they would have chosen a smaller club for their kid rather than falling into the large club is better trap. We learned this later on and it made a huge difference in my kid’s development.

+1 There’s more cohesion and less turnover. Kids generally play and improve with their friends season after season without being uprooted by a big club’s decision making

Anonymous wrote:How do most of these post fit the ...I wish I knew ABC before I joined club XYZ? Most are just random tips.

Thanks for contributing to the very thing you’re asking about.

Anyhow, specifically on the OP’s question, I second the PPs who mentioned that they would have chosen a smaller club for their kid rather than falling into the large club is better trap. We learned this later on and it made a huge difference in my kid’s development.

Anonymous wrote:How do most of these post fit the ...I wish I knew ABC before I joined club XYZ? Most are just random tips.

Because this whole subforum goes off the rails all the time.

How do most of these post fit the ...I wish I knew ABC before I joined club XYZ? Most are just random tips.

Beware of coaches who blatantly play favorites at the younger ages. Development requires touches on the ball and if your kid sits the bench a lot during games it’s just not the team he should be playing for.

^ how the coach know that . I smell a rat.