Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Got an email from VYS introducing a Development Center Program. Four 1 hour sessions for $80 plus two games $120. Coach to player ratio 12:1. $20 an hour per kid. Why do these coaches need to charge $240/hour. Is this a money grab or are they trying to improve the quality of the kids for the sake of improving the quality of the kids. I understand paying some random trainer $20/hour but a club trainer? Frustrating. And 4 sessions? Whatever.

Fields cost, equipment, game referees insurance...

Are we playing with solid gold cones and balls?

Anonymous wrote:Got an email from VYS introducing a Development Center Program. Four 1 hour sessions for $80 plus two games $120. Coach to player ratio 12:1. $20 an hour per kid. Why do these coaches need to charge $240/hour. Is this a money grab or are they trying to improve the quality of the kids for the sake of improving the quality of the kids. I understand paying some random trainer $20/hour but a club trainer? Frustrating. And 4 sessions? Whatever.

Fields cost, equipment, game referees insurance...

Got an email from VYS introducing a Development Center Program. Four 1 hour sessions for $80 plus two games $120. Coach to player ratio 12:1. $20 an hour per kid. Why do these coaches need to charge $240/hour. Is this a money grab or are they trying to improve the quality of the kids for the sake of improving the quality of the kids. I understand paying some random trainer $20/hour but a club trainer? Frustrating. And 4 sessions? Whatever.

It's been a few years since I've been close to VYS but I was said that VYS remains very concerned about making house a positive experience compared to many clubs where house is an afterthought. I would not say more "strategic emphasis" is placed on house i/o travel at VYS; I would say that the proportion of attention that house is given relative to travel is greater than at other soccer clubs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does VYS invest more in house than the travel program compared to other clubs? I'm curious of other perspectives because I've heard that they do but I have my doubts.

Clarify "invest". For one example, Travel has paid coaches, House has volunteer coaches. That in itself would say there is a bigger expense but assume it is covered by travel fees as well. I'd imagine fields and equipment are shared as both Travel and House use the same fields.

Well not financial investment because travel will always be more expensive. Is more strategic emphasis applied to house than travel?

Anonymous wrote:Does VYS invest more in house than the travel program compared to other clubs? I'm curious of other perspectives because I've heard that they do but I have my doubts.

Clarify "invest". For one example, Travel has paid coaches, House has volunteer coaches. That in itself would say there is a bigger expense but assume it is covered by travel fees as well. I'd imagine fields and equipment are shared as both Travel and House use the same fields.

Does VYS invest more in house than the travel program compared to other clubs? I'm curious of other perspectives because I've heard that they do but I have my doubts.

Anonymous wrote:So it looks like the Oakton and Madison girls and boys high-school soccer teams all figure into the Washington Post's latest top 10 rankings. Question: do these teams include mostly or a lot of VYS travel players?

I ask out of curiosity and not as a "troll." DS is much younger, plays for VYS travel "B" team. we're thinking he would enjoy HS soccer but don't know if those teams have really high-level players from bigger/better clubs. TIA

The Madison boys team a couple of years ago was made up of mostly kids from VYS A teams, plus a couple from Loudoun and Braddock Road. Quite difficult to make the team.

Less sure about Marshall.

.

Obviously it depends a lot on which school you're at and how competent the HS coach is but generally, if you're talking JV, any halfway decent kid will make it. At my kid's high school, there are house players on the JV team.

For varsity, it's obviously tougher to make the team and imho experience, it's harder for B team boys than girls. But it's not uncommon for a not-so-good junior or senior to be placed on varsity just because of the unwritten rule not to put an upperclassman on the JV team. But even on varsity, there may be a B team level freshman who makes the team and no one can figure out why. That's the case for one of the teams mentioned above.

As far as Oakton and Madison girls, there are a few VYS players on each team but also a number of good players including several from ECNL clubs

^ I think that is a GREAT question and would like to know as well. Even Arlington, Falls Church, and Mclean experiences would be interesting to know. Been curious just how hard to get on the H. School teams if you are a B or C team club player. Thanks for asking.

So it looks like the Oakton and Madison girls and boys high-school soccer teams all figure into the Washington Post's latest top 10 rankings. Question: do these teams include mostly or a lot of VYS travel players?

I ask out of curiosity and not as a "troll." DS is much younger, plays for VYS travel "B" team. we're thinking he would enjoy HS soccer but don't know if those teams have really high-level players from bigger/better clubs. TIA

Anonymous wrote:So can't VYS come up with a program that is somewhere in the middle. Maybe something like....each week, have a rec practice, have a session for all kids in the age group led by professionals (or a 2nd rec practice), and have a session where the most kids (or some criteria instead of the first 40 that sign up or whatever that it used to be) can train together led by professional trainers. That's 3 days a week. Have a rec game on the weekend and enter a few teams in crossover and rec all-stars.

They had the crossover program for a while -- and it really was crossover, unlike some clubs that basically formed de facto U8 travel teams. Something has replaced it now.

Reston does it where the u7/8 rec players have 1 practice a week with their coach, 1 practice a week with a professional trainer (and the coach is there to observe and assist) and then they play 1 game a week.

That seems like a good balance.

So can't VYS come up with a program that is somewhere in the middle. Maybe something like....each week, have a rec practice, have a session for all kids in the age group led by professionals (or a 2nd rec practice), and have a session where the most kids (or some criteria instead of the first 40 that sign up or whatever that it used to be) can train together led by professional trainers. That's 3 days a week. Have a rec game on the weekend and enter a few teams in crossover and rec all-stars.