Anonymous wrote:

I must not have written my comment clearly. What I meant to say was that the girls WITH Alexandria addresses, whose families continue to live in Alexandria, and who played in Alexandria from U5 rec to U13, have changed teams. Those girls play on the Arlington GA or Mclean ECNL teams (or, in earlier years, on BRYC) if they want to get recruited. Their families don’t move, but the players do.

Um, do the clubs give out address information for youth players? I somehow doubt that.

I must not have written my comment clearly. What I meant to say was that the girls WITH Alexandria addresses, whose families continue to live in Alexandria, and who played in Alexandria from U5 rec to U13, have changed teams. Those girls play on the Arlington GA or Mclean ECNL teams (or, in earlier years, on BRYC) if they want to get recruited. Their families don’t move, but the players do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[

2005s and younger have been brought up since U9 with the positional possession style of play. 100% true that we should all be watching the 05-08 Red groups over the next few years. It's a great opportunity for Tommy to show that Alexandria's way works, or alternatively, that he is the overpaid snake oil salesman that many believe him to be.

Oh, by the way, their beloved 08s lost to SYC twice in MLS Next this past fall, 0-2 and 0-3...

So as mentioned, the magical Alexandria way doesn’t pan out in the older years as promised. Or, as it is suggested, do you need to start in the system at 9 years old for it to work? How many years do you need to be subjected to this approach for results? I’m sure there are other excuses or explanations, but the mansplaining is getting ridiculous. I’m assuming these are boys records, how about the girls ( or does the system only work for boys) FWIW, CCL is not a top league. Doing well in futsal? I don’t see any info about that, but who cares? The top programs in the area use futsal for supplemental training if it makes sense and doesn’t take away from real soccer training. Competing in futsal is a waste of money and actually reduces the crossover benefits to soccer. (I.e. if you are doing it for footskills you try to create, experiment and explore - if you are playing to win, the game turns into some version of smash ball) Nannie Lee, your turn to chime in.

The girls who want to get serious about soccer or have aspirations to play in college leave for Arlington or Mclean by U14. Until a year or two ago BRYC was also a destination, but that’s changed. Check out the 03/04/05/06/07 rosters on either the Arlington or Mclean teams and see how many girls have Alexandria addresses.

Why didn't I think of this? Let's move to Arlington and McLean addresses and see how our kids improve immediately. This is exactly why my kid, who lives elsewhere, does not play in Arlington or McLean despite ability to play on top team, and chooses instead to go to elsewhere. Good instincts. Why be around people whose parents think this way. If you're not going pro, you may as well learn about others, but you don't need to actually play at Arlington or McLean to know just how ----douchey people are in this area. I am sure it gets better at U16 on up when those clubs recruit more broadly and based on merit.

Nice sentiment, but those other kids will play in college. Doichey people, they are everywhere. At least in some places there is a rewarding end game.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[

2005s and younger have been brought up since U9 with the positional possession style of play. 100% true that we should all be watching the 05-08 Red groups over the next few years. It's a great opportunity for Tommy to show that Alexandria's way works, or alternatively, that he is the overpaid snake oil salesman that many believe him to be.

Oh, by the way, their beloved 08s lost to SYC twice in MLS Next this past fall, 0-2 and 0-3...

So as mentioned, the magical Alexandria way doesn’t pan out in the older years as promised. Or, as it is suggested, do you need to start in the system at 9 years old for it to work? How many years do you need to be subjected to this approach for results? I’m sure there are other excuses or explanations, but the mansplaining is getting ridiculous. I’m assuming these are boys records, how about the girls ( or does the system only work for boys) FWIW, CCL is not a top league. Doing well in futsal? I don’t see any info about that, but who cares? The top programs in the area use futsal for supplemental training if it makes sense and doesn’t take away from real soccer training. Competing in futsal is a waste of money and actually reduces the crossover benefits to soccer. (I.e. if you are doing it for footskills you try to create, experiment and explore - if you are playing to win, the game turns into some version of smash ball) Nannie Lee, your turn to chime in.

The girls who want to get serious about soccer or have aspirations to play in college leave for Arlington or Mclean by U14. Until a year or two ago BRYC was also a destination, but that’s changed. Check out the 03/04/05/06/07 rosters on either the Arlington or Mclean teams and see how many girls have Alexandria addresses.

Why didn't I think of this? Let's move to Arlington and McLean addresses and see how our kids improve immediately. This is exactly why my kid, who lives elsewhere, does not play in Arlington or McLean despite ability to play on top team, and chooses instead to go to elsewhere. Good instincts. Why be around people whose parents think this way. If you're not going pro, you may as well learn about others, but you don't need to actually play at Arlington or McLean to know just how ----douchey people are in this area. I am sure it gets better at U16 on up when those clubs recruit more broadly and based on merit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[

2005s and younger have been brought up since U9 with the positional possession style of play. 100% true that we should all be watching the 05-08 Red groups over the next few years. It's a great opportunity for Tommy to show that Alexandria's way works, or alternatively, that he is the overpaid snake oil salesman that many believe him to be.

Oh, by the way, their beloved 08s lost to SYC twice in MLS Next this past fall, 0-2 and 0-3...

So as mentioned, the magical Alexandria way doesn’t pan out in the older years as promised. Or, as it is suggested, do you need to start in the system at 9 years old for it to work? How many years do you need to be subjected to this approach for results? I’m sure there are other excuses or explanations, but the mansplaining is getting ridiculous. I’m assuming these are boys records, how about the girls ( or does the system only work for boys) FWIW, CCL is not a top league. Doing well in futsal? I don’t see any info about that, but who cares? The top programs in the area use futsal for supplemental training if it makes sense and doesn’t take away from real soccer training. Competing in futsal is a waste of money and actually reduces the crossover benefits to soccer. (I.e. if you are doing it for footskills you try to create, experiment and explore - if you are playing to win, the game turns into some version of smash ball) Nannie Lee, your turn to chime in.

The girls who want to get serious about soccer or have aspirations to play in college leave for Arlington or Mclean by U14. Until a year or two ago BRYC was also a destination, but that’s changed. Check out the 03/04/05/06/07 rosters on either the Arlington or Mclean teams and see how many girls have Alexandria addresses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[

2005s and younger have been brought up since U9 with the positional possession style of play. 100% true that we should all be watching the 05-08 Red groups over the next few years. It's a great opportunity for Tommy to show that Alexandria's way works, or alternatively, that he is the overpaid snake oil salesman that many believe him to be.

Oh, by the way, their beloved 08s lost to SYC twice in MLS Next this past fall, 0-2 and 0-3...

So as mentioned, the magical Alexandria way doesn’t pan out in the older years as promised. Or, as it is suggested, do you need to start in the system at 9 years old for it to work? How many years do you need to be subjected to this approach for results? I’m sure there are other excuses or explanations, but the mansplaining is getting ridiculous. I’m assuming these are boys records, how about the girls ( or does the system only work for boys) FWIW, CCL is not a top league. Doing well in futsal? I don’t see any info about that, but who cares? The top programs in the area use futsal for supplemental training if it makes sense and doesn’t take away from real soccer training. Competing in futsal is a waste of money and actually reduces the crossover benefits to soccer. (I.e. if you are doing it for footskills you try to create, experiment and explore - if you are playing to win, the game turns into some version of smash ball) Nannie Lee, your turn to chime in.

You don't appear to be approaching the subject with much knowledge, nor do you really seem interested in facts or evidence. You just seem to want to bash Alexandria. I rather suspect that the paucity of your arguments, and your obvious bias, are actually convincing people of the opposite of what you are claiming.


Well the evidence provided actually suggests the teams get relatively worse as they get older. Maybe if Alexandria spent the younger years reinforcing the basics instead of a strict system of play, the teams would be more competitive when the kids are 15+ years old. This is clear evidence the system Alexandria uses does not work and actually messes up a player’s development.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think this is about the possession system, every club teaches that and has been teaching that for a decade (they just don’t market it like Alexandria).

No they don't. Most (all?) clubs claim to teach it. But many do not have a clue how to actually teach it, and end up relying on long balls, fast strikers, or one talented dribbler to score most of the goals.

Alexandria does teach it, and the consequence is that the players develop good technical ability.

It’s about wasting valuable development time by teaching systems at U9 - something that seems to be unique to Alexandria.

Sorry - but I think you're dead wrong here. Playing this style of football helps kids development rather than hindering it. Alexandria may take it a little too far in terms of limiting creativity - so perhaps they could do better still - but they do significantly better than most clubs from what I have seen.

Your opinions are noted, but there are no facts to support your statements. If they were teaching this system successfully and developing good technical skills in their players, there would be results. There are no results. It’s natural to feel like sucker after being lied to for years, but you can walk away and heal.

I don't have to walk away and heal since none of my kids have ever played at Alexandria. But - from my observation - I would say that they have achieved results. They are not a large club compared to many others playing in CCL. I believe they have a smaller pool of kids than almost all of the other CCL clubs and much smaller than the larger ones (SOCA, Legacy, Beach etc.). Despite that
- They have sent several kids to DCU.
- The kids I see playing pickup from Alexandria have above average technical skills.
- They have been accepted into MLSNext.
- Their teams seem to perform well above average at both futsal and soccer. In CCL the standings are as follows:
U9-U11 not published.
U12 (5/12) W6L2D0
U13 (1/18) W8L0D0
U14 (1/18) W8L0D0
U15 (2/18) W7L0D1
U16 (8/18) W4L1D3 (several games in hand over most others in league, so probably around 4th - 6th)
U17 (9/18) W4L3D1 (several games in hand over most others in league so probably around 5th - 7th)
U18 (18/18) W0L8D0 (clearly last)

It is true that the U17 and particularly the U18 team are not doing as well as the younger ones. So it's reasonable to ask why.

Did those teams (2003 and 2004) win all their games at younger ages, or have they always been weaker than other Alexandria teams? Has there been a longstanding trend of teams winning all their games at younger ages and falling off at older ages? Which age groups has this happened to? It will certainly be interesting to watch how the 2006/2007/2008 teams develop over the next 2-3 years.

2005s and younger have been brought up since U9 with the positional possession style of play. 100% true that we should all be watching the 05-08 Red groups over the next few years. It's a great opportunity for Tommy to show that Alexandria's way works, or alternatively, that he is the overpaid snake oil salesman that many believe him to be.

Oh, by the way, their beloved 08s lost to SYC twice in MLS Next this past fall, 0-2 and 0-3...

So as mentioned, the magical Alexandria way doesn’t pan out in the older years as promised. Or, as it is suggested, do you need to start in the system at 9 years old for it to work? How many years do you need to be subjected to this approach for results? I’m sure there are other excuses or explanations, but the mansplaining is getting ridiculous. I’m assuming these are boys records, how about the girls ( or does the system only work for boys) FWIW, CCL is not a top league. Doing well in futsal? I don’t see any info about that, but who cares? The top programs in the area use futsal for supplemental training if it makes sense and doesn’t take away from real soccer training. Competing in futsal is a waste of money and actually reduces the crossover benefits to soccer. (I.e. if you are doing it for footskills you try to create, experiment and explore - if you are playing to win, the game turns into some version of smash ball) Nannie Lee, your turn to chime in.

You don't appear to be approaching the subject with much knowledge, nor do you really seem interested in facts or evidence. You just seem to want to bash Alexandria. I rather suspect that the paucity of your arguments, and your obvious bias, are actually convincing people of the opposite of what you are claiming.

Well the evidence provided actually suggests the teams get relatively worse as they get older. Maybe if Alexandria spent the younger years reinforcing the basics instead of a strict system of play, the teams would be more competitive when the kids are 15+ years old. This is clear evidence the system Alexandria uses does not work and actually messes up a player’s development.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think this is about the possession system, every club teaches that and has been teaching that for a decade (they just don’t market it like Alexandria).

No they don't. Most (all?) clubs claim to teach it. But many do not have a clue how to actually teach it, and end up relying on long balls, fast strikers, or one talented dribbler to score most of the goals.

Alexandria does teach it, and the consequence is that the players develop good technical ability.

It’s about wasting valuable development time by teaching systems at U9 - something that seems to be unique to Alexandria.

Sorry - but I think you're dead wrong here. Playing this style of football helps kids development rather than hindering it. Alexandria may take it a little too far in terms of limiting creativity - so perhaps they could do better still - but they do significantly better than most clubs from what I have seen.

Your opinions are noted, but there are no facts to support your statements. If they were teaching this system successfully and developing good technical skills in their players, there would be results. There are no results. It’s natural to feel like sucker after being lied to for years, but you can walk away and heal.

I don't have to walk away and heal since none of my kids have ever played at Alexandria. But - from my observation - I would say that they have achieved results. They are not a large club compared to many others playing in CCL. I believe they have a smaller pool of kids than almost all of the other CCL clubs and much smaller than the larger ones (SOCA, Legacy, Beach etc.). Despite that
- They have sent several kids to DCU.
- The kids I see playing pickup from Alexandria have above average technical skills.
- They have been accepted into MLSNext.
- Their teams seem to perform well above average at both futsal and soccer. In CCL the standings are as follows:
U9-U11 not published.
U12 (5/12) W6L2D0
U13 (1/18) W8L0D0
U14 (1/18) W8L0D0
U15 (2/18) W7L0D1
U16 (8/18) W4L1D3 (several games in hand over most others in league, so probably around 4th - 6th)
U17 (9/18) W4L3D1 (several games in hand over most others in league so probably around 5th - 7th)
U18 (18/18) W0L8D0 (clearly last)

It is true that the U17 and particularly the U18 team are not doing as well as the younger ones. So it's reasonable to ask why.

Did those teams (2003 and 2004) win all their games at younger ages, or have they always been weaker than other Alexandria teams? Has there been a longstanding trend of teams winning all their games at younger ages and falling off at older ages? Which age groups has this happened to? It will certainly be interesting to watch how the 2006/2007/2008 teams develop over the next 2-3 years.

2005s and younger have been brought up since U9 with the positional possession style of play. 100% true that we should all be watching the 05-08 Red groups over the next few years. It's a great opportunity for Tommy to show that Alexandria's way works, or alternatively, that he is the overpaid snake oil salesman that many believe him to be.

Oh, by the way, their beloved 08s lost to SYC twice in MLS Next this past fall, 0-2 and 0-3...

So as mentioned, the magical Alexandria way doesn’t pan out in the older years as promised. Or, as it is suggested, do you need to start in the system at 9 years old for it to work? How many years do you need to be subjected to this approach for results? I’m sure there are other excuses or explanations, but the mansplaining is getting ridiculous. I’m assuming these are boys records, how about the girls ( or does the system only work for boys) FWIW, CCL is not a top league. Doing well in futsal? I don’t see any info about that, but who cares? The top programs in the area use futsal for supplemental training if it makes sense and doesn’t take away from real soccer training. Competing in futsal is a waste of money and actually reduces the crossover benefits to soccer. (I.e. if you are doing it for footskills you try to create, experiment and explore - if you are playing to win, the game turns into some version of smash ball) Nannie Lee, your turn to chime in.

You don't appear to be approaching the subject with much knowledge, nor do you really seem interested in facts or evidence. You just seem to want to bash Alexandria. I rather suspect that the paucity of your arguments, and your obvious bias, are actually convincing people of the opposite of what you are claiming.

Anonymous wrote:That was a pretty laid retort.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think this is about the possession system, every club teaches that and has been teaching that for a decade (they just don’t market it like Alexandria).

No they don't. Most (all?) clubs claim to teach it. But many do not have a clue how to actually teach it, and end up relying on long balls, fast strikers, or one talented dribbler to score most of the goals.

Alexandria does teach it, and the consequence is that the players develop good technical ability.

It’s about wasting valuable development time by teaching systems at U9 - something that seems to be unique to Alexandria.

Sorry - but I think you're dead wrong here. Playing this style of football helps kids development rather than hindering it. Alexandria may take it a little too far in terms of limiting creativity - so perhaps they could do better still - but they do significantly better than most clubs from what I have seen.

Your opinions are noted, but there are no facts to support your statements. If they were teaching this system successfully and developing good technical skills in their players, there would be results. There are no results. It’s natural to feel like sucker after being lied to for years, but you can walk away and heal.

I don't have to walk away and heal since none of my kids have ever played at Alexandria. But - from my observation - I would say that they have achieved results. They are not a large club compared to many others playing in CCL. I believe they have a smaller pool of kids than almost all of the other CCL clubs and much smaller than the larger ones (SOCA, Legacy, Beach etc.). Despite that
- They have sent several kids to DCU.
- The kids I see playing pickup from Alexandria have above average technical skills.
- They have been accepted into MLSNext.
- Their teams seem to perform well above average at both futsal and soccer. In CCL the standings are as follows:
U9-U11 not published.
U12 (5/12) W6L2D0
U13 (1/18) W8L0D0
U14 (1/18) W8L0D0
U15 (2/18) W7L0D1
U16 (8/18) W4L1D3 (several games in hand over most others in league, so probably around 4th - 6th)
U17 (9/18) W4L3D1 (several games in hand over most others in league so probably around 5th - 7th)
U18 (18/18) W0L8D0 (clearly last)

It is true that the U17 and particularly the U18 team are not doing as well as the younger ones. So it's reasonable to ask why.

Did those teams (2003 and 2004) win all their games at younger ages, or have they always been weaker than other Alexandria teams? Has there been a longstanding trend of teams winning all their games at younger ages and falling off at older ages? Which age groups has this happened to? It will certainly be interesting to watch how the 2006/2007/2008 teams develop over the next 2-3 years.

2005s and younger have been brought up since U9 with the positional possession style of play. 100% true that we should all be watching the 05-08 Red groups over the next few years. It's a great opportunity for Tommy to show that Alexandria's way works, or alternatively, that he is the overpaid snake oil salesman that many believe him to be.

Oh, by the way, their beloved 08s lost to SYC twice in MLS Next this past fall, 0-2 and 0-3...

So as mentioned, the magical Alexandria way doesn’t pan out in the older years as promised. Or, as it is suggested, do you need to start in the system at 9 years old for it to work? How many years do you need to be subjected to this approach for results? I’m sure there are other excuses or explanations, but the mansplaining is getting ridiculous. I’m assuming these are boys records, how about the girls ( or does the system only work for boys) FWIW, CCL is not a top league. Doing well in futsal? I don’t see any info about that, but who cares? The top programs in the area use futsal for supplemental training if it makes sense and doesn’t take away from real soccer training. Competing in futsal is a waste of money and actually reduces the crossover benefits to soccer. (I.e. if you are doing it for footskills you try to create, experiment and explore - if you are playing to win, the game turns into some version of smash ball) Nannie Lee, your turn to chime in.

Anonymous wrote:

Most top team kids are not going to play pro or D1, and a number of families and kids at Alexandria and other clubs may not think it is worth time or money. Money is going to be a bigger factor at Alexandria and other clubs vs top team kids from McLean and other wealthy suburbs.


Just curious, my boys are in middle school - does Alexandria also lose talented players as kids start playing for their high school teams (e.g., TC Williams)? Or does that not happen?


High school is played at a lower level than club in this area and is in addition to club, not the other way around


Understood, but it does not cost $2000 a year. I know that it is tough for some boys on my sons' teams who are not from affluent families but also are not poor enough to qualify for reduced Alexandria fees (which is a pretty high threshold of poverty)


true, but there are other clubs that are more generous with aid

Ah, I see, thanks. I had assumed it would all be the same. I don't get why Alexandria doesn't do more to help kids whose parents may be able to afford lunch (thus not qualifying for free or reduced), but are still relatively poor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think this is about the possession system, every club teaches that and has been teaching that for a decade (they just don’t market it like Alexandria).

No they don't. Most (all?) clubs claim to teach it. But many do not have a clue how to actually teach it, and end up relying on long balls, fast strikers, or one talented dribbler to score most of the goals.

Alexandria does teach it, and the consequence is that the players develop good technical ability.

It’s about wasting valuable development time by teaching systems at U9 - something that seems to be unique to Alexandria.

Sorry - but I think you're dead wrong here. Playing this style of football helps kids development rather than hindering it. Alexandria may take it a little too far in terms of limiting creativity - so perhaps they could do better still - but they do significantly better than most clubs from what I have seen.

Your opinions are noted, but there are no facts to support your statements. If they were teaching this system successfully and developing good technical skills in their players, there would be results. There are no results. It’s natural to feel like sucker after being lied to for years, but you can walk away and heal.

I don't have to walk away and heal since none of my kids have ever played at Alexandria. But - from my observation - I would say that they have achieved results. They are not a large club compared to many others playing in CCL. I believe they have a smaller pool of kids than almost all of the other CCL clubs and much smaller than the larger ones (SOCA, Legacy, Beach etc.). Despite that
- They have sent several kids to DCU.
- The kids I see playing pickup from Alexandria have above average technical skills.
- They have been accepted into MLSNext.
- Their teams seem to perform well above average at both futsal and soccer. In CCL the standings are as follows:
U9-U11 not published.
U12 (5/12) W6L2D0
U13 (1/18) W8L0D0
U14 (1/18) W8L0D0
U15 (2/18) W7L0D1
U16 (8/18) W4L1D3 (several games in hand over most others in league, so probably around 4th - 6th)
U17 (9/18) W4L3D1 (several games in hand over most others in league so probably around 5th - 7th)
U18 (18/18) W0L8D0 (clearly last)

It is true that the U17 and particularly the U18 team are not doing as well as the younger ones. So it's reasonable to ask why.

Did those teams (2003 and 2004) win all their games at younger ages, or have they always been weaker than other Alexandria teams? Has there been a longstanding trend of teams winning all their games at younger ages and falling off at older ages? Which age groups has this happened to? It will certainly be interesting to watch how the 2006/2007/2008 teams develop over the next 2-3 years.

2005s and younger have been brought up since U9 with the positional possession style of play. 100% true that we should all be watching the 05-08 Red groups over the next few years. It's a great opportunity for Tommy to show that Alexandria's way works, or alternatively, that he is the overpaid snake oil salesman that many believe him to be.

Oh, by the way, their beloved 08s lost to SYC twice in MLS Next this past fall, 0-2 and 0-3...

Most top team kids are not going to play pro or D1, and a number of families and kids at Alexandria and other clubs may not think it is worth time or money. Money is going to be a bigger factor at Alexandria and other clubs vs top team kids from McLean and other wealthy suburbs.


Just curious, my boys are in middle school - does Alexandria also lose talented players as kids start playing for their high school teams (e.g., TC Williams)? Or does that not happen?


High school is played at a lower level than club in this area and is in addition to club, not the other way around


Understood, but it does not cost $2000 a year. I know that it is tough for some boys on my sons' teams who are not from affluent families but also are not poor enough to qualify for reduced Alexandria fees (which is a pretty high threshold of poverty)


true, but there are other clubs that are more generous with aid