Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To change gears, can anyone give context on if this is normal and opinions on it? For u7-11 girls, and I assume boys, there is no practice after next week until some time in January. That's at least 6-7 weeks. I assume u12 and up is not stopping but don't know.

However, they want you to pay for futsal clinics ($250 for 7 1-hour clinics, approx $35 per session, with several days offered; $250 for each day you choose) and the league ($130 per 7 games, 2 sessions). So, basically, you can pay $70 per week to essentially replace the practices we paid for in our club dues and should be getting, and then more for games. The club dues, info packet and BSC website say the season is August-June with no mention of this. But now they say they are stopping practice, oh wait not really, just pay us for practice. Parents on our team are not pleased.

Is this normal and acceptable? Who makes these decisions and are we off to think this isn't right?

I believe this is normal for other adjacent clubs as well (MSI travel and Potomac). Futsal/Indoor soccer has always been extra but it was optional. Is BSC mandating that players participate in futsal or just optional?

BSC has their own futsal league. In previous years, BSC strongly recommended it but it wasn’t required.

Optional. It's really the no practice, then being asked to pay for practice, more than the league that is rubbing people the wrong way. The league in isolation doesn't seem outrageous.

It was my understanding Potomac stopped for 2 weeks or so over the holidays, not this long, and that they often offered free supplemental winter programs. Don't know this year.

To answer why kids left and bare bone rosters at 07 and 08. It is the coach / director who has basically taken over the ecnl side kevin layton. kids left because they dont like him. this is not meant to be a indictment. as i said and a couple others agreed, he is good for some not so for others. at the 06 level, the only one i have direct knowledge of, there are more than 20 kids fighting to make a roster that can be no more than 18 any given week. On the plus side, kevin isnt going to water his team down with kids who should not be there. on the downside there is a limited pool of top players. Even if, and i dont know this to be true or not, the kids who left the 07 and 05 and apparently the 08 team were not the top of the team i am sure they were better than the kids on the 2nd team and, basically all the other clubs in close proximity. kevin will either succeed in making bethesda a powerhouse again or burn in to the ground. right now the verdict is mixed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of 08 players went to mclean. 1 player that moved was a key player. 08 is suffering from a bare bones roster. The club is using white 08/07 players in the third tier 07 team because apparently there aren't enough players there, too. Low rosters not looking good for the club

Players left does not bode well for them. It’s one thing if key players sat out due to concerns with COVID but it’s another thing if they left to go to another team. Issues with the club and/or coach?

If DG and KL don't think someone is up to standard, they will just have a small roster. DG only likes 15 for 11v11 roster. I'll just some DG and KL might not be the ideal fit for some. They are not afraid to yell or call players out. If a kid can't handle that, and they want to play soccer at a D1 school, they might only make it half way through the first season. People are cruel and critical. You have to deal with it sometime. It's part of life. Better to break them in in the early teen years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to the 2008G (U13) team? They were very good last year. Did a few key players leave?

I believe they lost players due to coaching and one moving away.

They still are good. One of the key players has been hurt for over a month. All of the ECNL matches were close. Maryland United added at least 3 very good players. Celtic and Union are now combined. Coach had nothing to do it. Both KL and DG work together to coach most of the girls ECNL teams below 2006.

Once things get back to normal (Tournaments) you will see how good they in fact are. Takes time to adjust from technical training to tactical training. Bethesda, at least on the girls side, has a great technical trainer who coaches ZERO tactical situations and also does not worry about winning.

Look at the girls rankings in MD. Bethesda just moved to #1 for 2007s passing a very good MD United team. They are also #1 in 2006 and in 2005. The 04s would be #2 if they were to be listed on YSR. 2003s are also #2. Should also mention the 09s were ranked outside the Top 10 in Maryland at the beginning of 2020. They are already at #3 now with a new coach.

The Boys side is also doing well. With the MLS system, it's only going to get better. The 2010 boys are rumored to be one of the best teams of the future and are coached by PG, a former USMNT player. They would probably give the 2008 Boys a run for the money.

I would agree with many posters on this thread however. The "B" teams are certainly not given the same attention. If DC does not make top team, they will go else where because they can make the top team else where. Guessing that's why many of the Bethesda "B" teams struggle. I don't think it has anything to do with coaching. Our experience with any of the coaches has really been second to none.

Oh, yes, if you don't like yelling coaches, the top Bethesda teams are not for you. The exception being PG on the boys side. He might be the best Soccer Coach I have ever experienced.

Anonymous wrote:To change gears, can anyone give context on if this is normal and opinions on it? For u7-11 girls, and I assume boys, there is no practice after next week until some time in January. That's at least 6-7 weeks. I assume u12 and up is not stopping but don't know.

However, they want you to pay for futsal clinics ($250 for 7 1-hour clinics, approx $35 per session, with several days offered; $250 for each day you choose) and the league ($130 per 7 games, 2 sessions). So, basically, you can pay $70 per week to essentially replace the practices we paid for in our club dues and should be getting, and then more for games. The club dues, info packet and BSC website say the season is August-June with no mention of this. But now they say they are stopping practice, oh wait not really, just pay us for practice. Parents on our team are not pleased.

Is this normal and acceptable? Who makes these decisions and are we off to think this isn't right?

I believe this is normal for other adjacent clubs as well (MSI travel and Potomac). Futsal/Indoor soccer has always been extra but it was optional. Is BSC mandating that players participate in futsal or just optional?

BSC has their own futsal league. In previous years, BSC strongly recommended it but it wasn’t required.

Anonymous wrote:To change gears, can anyone give context on if this is normal and opinions on it? For u7-11 girls, and I assume boys, there is no practice after next week until some time in January. That's at least 6-7 weeks. I assume u12 and up is not stopping but don't know.

However, they want you to pay for futsal clinics ($250 for 7 1-hour clinics, approx $35 per session, with several days offered; $250 for each day you choose) and the league ($130 per 7 games, 2 sessions). So, basically, you can pay $70 per week to essentially replace the practices we paid for in our club dues and should be getting, and then more for games. The club dues, info packet and BSC website say the season is August-June with no mention of this. But now they say they are stopping practice, oh wait not really, just pay us for practice. Parents on our team are not pleased.

Is this normal and acceptable? Who makes these decisions and are we off to think this isn't right?

it depends on the club. some include winter, some charge for it. for some kids, it really helps footskills, for others taking a couple of months to play basketball is a good reset. This year some clubs are staying outdoors all winter. Basically, every club is different

Anonymous wrote:A couple of 08 players went to mclean. 1 player that moved was a key player. 08 is suffering from a bare bones roster. The club is using white 08/07 players in the third tier 07 team because apparently there aren't enough players there, too. Low rosters not looking good for the club

Players left does not bode well for them. It’s one thing if key players sat out due to concerns with COVID but it’s another thing if they left to go to another team. Issues with the club and/or coach?

To change gears, can anyone give context on if this is normal and opinions on it? For u7-11 girls, and I assume boys, there is no practice after next week until some time in January. That's at least 6-7 weeks. I assume u12 and up is not stopping but don't know.

However, they want you to pay for futsal clinics ($250 for 7 1-hour clinics, approx $35 per session, with several days offered; $250 for each day you choose) and the league ($130 per 7 games, 2 sessions). So, basically, you can pay $70 per week to essentially replace the practices we paid for in our club dues and should be getting, and then more for games. The club dues, info packet and BSC website say the season is August-June with no mention of this. But now they say they are stopping practice, oh wait not really, just pay us for practice. Parents on our team are not pleased.

Is this normal and acceptable? Who makes these decisions and are we off to think this isn't right?

A couple of 08 players went to mclean. 1 player that moved was a key player. 08 is suffering from a bare bones roster. The club is using white 08/07 players in the third tier 07 team because apparently there aren't enough players there, too. Low rosters not looking good for the club

Anonymous wrote:What happened to the 2008G (U13) team? They were very good last year. Did a few key players leave?

I believe they lost players due to coaching and one moving away.

What happened to the 2008G (U13) team? They were very good last year. Did a few key players leave?

I don’t believe any of the top clubs focus on developing. I also think BSC suffers because of its reputation. There are kids who pass Bethesda to drive to McLean or MUFC. KL might help solve that issue.

Did 05 really lose two players? That already had low numbers?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:agree with that in some ways. bsc is a mess and very political. a couple families have way too much influence to the detriment of the club and teams as a whole. however kevin layton at least at 06 team, is doing a good job putting together a great team. i know the 07s are struggling a bit and i heard three of their kids left for another local team. on the 05 team i also heard they lost 2 kids although i dont know if they went to the same team. i also dont know how good or bad those kids were but that is not the case on the 06 team. kevin is not the best coach for some kids and i half agree development is not his priority. winning though is important for college. i guess what i am saying is prioritize what is important for your girl and try to have a realistic perspective about what they need. if physically they are ready to play at the ecnl 1 level bsc is fine. recognize though that kids less physically developed might catch them as they grow if they go to the right coaches who help build their skills and your daughter is only a piece on kevins team and not his top priority. kevin is good for some kids terrible for others

Current ECNL results doesn’t look good for BSC Girls Teams:

https://public.totalglobalsports.com/public/event/2039/individual-club/17/9

Only two age groups have played any games yet as the HD age kids play HS in the fall so season is in the spring. U13 doesn’t look good while U14 looks strong. What was your bogus point? BTW, to prior poster, yes KL is one of the best coaches around, but his style is not for every kid.

Anonymous wrote:agree with that in some ways. bsc is a mess and very political. a couple families have way too much influence to the detriment of the club and teams as a whole. however kevin layton at least at 06 team, is doing a good job putting together a great team. i know the 07s are struggling a bit and i heard three of their kids left for another local team. on the 05 team i also heard they lost 2 kids although i dont know if they went to the same team. i also dont know how good or bad those kids were but that is not the case on the 06 team. kevin is not the best coach for some kids and i half agree development is not his priority. winning though is important for college. i guess what i am saying is prioritize what is important for your girl and try to have a realistic perspective about what they need. if physically they are ready to play at the ecnl 1 level bsc is fine. recognize though that kids less physically developed might catch them as they grow if they go to the right coaches who help build their skills and your daughter is only a piece on kevins team and not his top priority. kevin is good for some kids terrible for others

Current ECNL results doesn’t look good for BSC Girls Teams:

https://public.totalglobalsports.com/public/event/2039/individual-club/17/9

agree with that in some ways. bsc is a mess and very political. a couple families have way too much influence to the detriment of the club and teams as a whole. however kevin layton at least at 06 team, is doing a good job putting together a great team. i know the 07s are struggling a bit and i heard three of their kids left for another local team. on the 05 team i also heard they lost 2 kids although i dont know if they went to the same team. i also dont know how good or bad those kids were but that is not the case on the 06 team. kevin is not the best coach for some kids and i half agree development is not his priority. winning though is important for college. i guess what i am saying is prioritize what is important for your girl and try to have a realistic perspective about what they need. if physically they are ready to play at the ecnl 1 level bsc is fine. recognize though that kids less physically developed might catch them as they grow if they go to the right coaches who help build their skills and your daughter is only a piece on kevins team and not his top priority. kevin is good for some kids terrible for others