Anonymous wrote:Actually, the fact is that they are on average bigger and run faster. That doesn’t make them better at “soccer” but it does help them to beat teams that are smaller and not as fast. And there is no evidence that they develop players. Their youth ranks are a shambles. They recruit big fast players who want to be on a winning team. Big deal. Enjoy it and embrace it, because that’s the reality.

What I saw was raw technical skill with the ball at their feet. One of the girls who scored was actually petite.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the DA is struggling then. That is a virtue of the ECNL: McLean for one is established. They aren't fighting for scraps in field space. Is Loudoun jammed up, or do they have enough field space?

Loudoun has exclusive access to about 8 fill size fields with lights between their facility and Bolen next door. They also own their own facilities and even have meeting / video review rooms for teams. Honestly they have the best facilities in the area hands down. They are never tight on space and they are the biggest club in VA.

Do each of the teams practice on a full field?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You won't be looking at them as your DD wouldn't make the team. Spirit is filled with players FCV wouldn't take when they were given the chance.

Nah, actually many didn't bother with FCV at all, due to rep. And plenty of skilled ones too, so don't go there. Some people are just tuned into how they operate and aren't fans.

Factually, WS has several that tried out at FCV, some 2 years in a row and weren't given offers.

Also factually, my DD and others we know at Spirit avoided FCV like the plague and did not even bother with their sessions. I think a couple of Spirit players last year moved to FCV. There’s no good or bad statement to be made either way. Those who prefer player development select WS and those who value winning at any cost prefer FCV. I’m ok with that and it’s just easier to accept the way it is instead of fight the reality.

Facts undisputed: FCV has a higher talent pool. That's why they win. Not because they don't care about development, because their teams are filled with players who are better at soccer.

Actually, the fact is that they are on average bigger and run faster. That doesn’t make them better at “soccer” but it does help them to beat teams that are smaller and not as fast. And there is no evidence that they develop players. Their youth ranks are a shambles. They recruit big fast players who want to be on a winning team. Big deal. Enjoy it and embrace it, because that’s the reality.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the DA is struggling then. That is a virtue of the ECNL: McLean for one is established. They aren't fighting for scraps in field space. Is Loudoun jammed up, or do they have enough field space?

Loudoun has exclusive access to about 8 fill size fields with lights between their facility and Bolen next door. They also own their own facilities and even have meeting / video review rooms for teams. Honestly they have the best facilities in the area hands down. They are never tight on space and they are the biggest club in VA.

NP here. Actually posting it here does matter. Whether they admit it or not, all clubs are aware of DCUM. Social Media is important. Coaches pretend this is all 100% BS here, but they secretly read it too. You would never get any of this without the anonymity. And come on people, no one takes anything at pure face value, but it does inform your next steps as to what to get more direct evidence about. I have friends at Spirit that I ask about roster size and play-ups, and, yes, I then get their direct experiences and dissatisfactions. Some about totally different things. I watched the FCV parents too and some did seem like the parents I wouldn't hang with. That angry PP is not entirely made up stuff, but you listen to the anger, and then, hey, you then check this stuff out. I will watch more then one Spirit game, and ask who the play ups are. I don't like the play-ups and think they must have done that to recruit top-tier players so the program can appear more legit. It's prolly a deal with the parents kind of thing. All the beating up on this poster serves no purpose and pushes him to defend and give more specifics, the things you are now scolding him about. The posters giving him suggestions are helpful, but telling him to leave the board is stupid. I am not him, and my daughter is not at Spirit. She is too young, but a good player, so I follow this stuff LIKE ALL OF YOU. Will hopefully help tune me in. Our local club has small rosters, and I like that. I like Spirit pro team, and will make sure to nail down rosters with coaches before I give them my $10K. I will do this at other clubs too of course. Just saying here that stop attacking that guy, he can post here all he wants, and those can stop reading who don't like it. (I am not him, not his friend. Amazed he is so angry that he is really getting into it here, but that is actually helpful. At some point the conversation will turn to new things. It always does.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or it serves as a warning to other parents. Go watch the games and check out the practices on multiple days to see what the club really looks like.

Be informed.

I did this with FCV and it's a disaster. One the day I went to Evergreen to watch them it looked like they had 60 players on 1/2 of field 1 at Evergreen. There was 1 goal. The girls were so crowded that they were running into each other.


FCV may have the worst facilities in all of DA. I thought that the DA would surely be better than what the rest deals with at Bles but it is much much worse.

I went and saw them spread across 2 fields and saw an organized practice. Rumor has it both WS and FCV had field space issues earlier in theyear, so you may have seen it then

Like a poster said, go multiple days. And check out their games too.

It was a couple of weeks ago. I will check them out again.

Maybe the DA is struggling then. That is a virtue of the ECNL: McLean for one is established. They aren't fighting for scraps in field space. Is Loudoun jammed up, or do they have enough field space?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or it serves as a warning to other parents. Go watch the games and check out the practices on multiple days to see what the club really looks like.

Be informed.

I did this with FCV and it's a disaster. One the day I went to Evergreen to watch them it looked like they had 60 players on 1/2 of field 1 at Evergreen. There was 1 goal. The girls were so crowded that they were running into each other.


FCV may have the worst facilities in all of DA. I thought that the DA would surely be better than what the rest deals with at Bles but it is much much worse.

I went and saw them spread across 2 fields and saw an organized practice. Rumor has it both WS and FCV had field space issues earlier in theyear, so you may have seen it then

Like a poster said, go multiple days. And check out their games too.

Anonymous wrote:Or it serves as a warning to other parents. Go watch the games and check out the practices on multiple days to see what the club really looks like.

Be informed.

I did this with FCV and it's a disaster. One the day I went to Evergreen to watch them it looked like they had 60 players on 1/2 of field 1 at Evergreen. There was 1 goal. The girls were so crowded that they were running into each other.


FCV may have the worst facilities in all of DA. I thought that the DA would surely be better than what the rest deals with at Bles but it is much much worse.

Or it serves as a warning to other parents. Go watch the games and check out the practices on multiple days to see what the club really looks like.

Be informed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:May be in poor taste, but it’s not unacceptable.

It’s part of the program and easily drives decisions of others to stay or leave.

Calling out a child on your own team in an anonymous forum is both cowardly and unacceptable. Say it to the players and the parents face.

My child is not part of this team and I am not making any of these above statements, but I'm not sure what comes of saying it to the face of a player or parent. Even if done with appropriate discretion, would you expect the player to resign from WS immediately or request change from club admin because of what 1 parent says?

You're right. That wouldn't accomplish anything for anyone.

Posting it here isn’t accomplishing anything either and is simply cowardly.

Anonymous wrote:^^^^^ is this the self loathing 04 Spirit parent or the FCV shill? It’s so hard to keep track of the yahoos in these threads nowadays. Especially when they are trying to prove points that nobody is making, like Spirit has a corner on area talent. It must be grand to live a life of creating straw man arguments to tear down repeatedly.

Actually its all probably the "CCL Guy" . . . LOL

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You won't be looking at them as your DD wouldn't make the team. Spirit is filled with players FCV wouldn't take when they were given the chance.

Nah, actually many didn't bother with FCV at all, due to rep. And plenty of skilled ones too, so don't go there. Some people are just tuned into how they operate and aren't fans.

Factually, WS has several that tried out at FCV, some 2 years in a row and weren't given offers.

Also factually, my DD and others we know at Spirit avoided FCV like the plague and did not even bother with their sessions. I think a couple of Spirit players last year moved to FCV. There’s no good or bad statement to be made either way. Those who prefer player development select WS and those who value winning at any cost prefer FCV. I’m ok with that and it’s just easier to accept the way it is instead of fight the reality.

Facts undisputed: FCV has a higher talent pool. That's why they win. Not because they don't care about development, because their teams are filled with players who are better at soccer.

No one is worried about you being worried. In fact, I don't think this thread has even considered or cared about you being worried. So good news all around.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's sad that a parent has to go to these lengths and that a club is that indifferent. It's sad that a club is creating such an environment. Parents don't nromally act like that so you know something is wrong. It's important information for me. My DD is DA age next year. Now I know one club not worth looking at.

Parents don't normally act like that? You sound so naive, there is a LOT of crazy in kids sports. Someone basing a decision to look at a club or not based on someone else's anonymously spouted crazy is well....not really that sane.

But like the other poster said, no one cares. There's plenty of crazy to go around at all of the local clubs. Find your flock.

Then I guess people should quite feigning surpirse and shock, if this is normal for youth soccer. Where there's smoke, there's fire. Players leacving last year, players talking of leaving this year, something is amiss.

Either way, it comes out eventually.

I’m not worried about things “coming out.” It’s pretty clear what is going on here. Like I stated, the crazy always comes out and not just in soccer.