Serious question about GA in VA

[Guest]

This is what I was thinking. FCV still has a lot of historical clout and they along with TopHat, Nationals, NEFC, Ukies, Albion ,Lonestar and some other GA heavyweights I could list as well, only really need each other to show-up at these national showcases 12-16 teams is sufficient. If you can ensure you qualify for nationals every year, you will be seen and if you have no competition in your region to qualify each year, it feels like a win to me. It allows a club to focus on player development becuase the results are in the bag in most matchups during the season, play everyone, everyone gets better, everyone gets looked at, and let the best rise to the top. I'm not an FCV parent for the record, but when my DD trained with them we left very impressed with their professional outlook on player development, it wasn't a powerpoint or name dropping, it was personal approach to tracking player's mental, physical, and emotional health that impressed me. Won't name the high profile club my DD does play for, but they do none of this and show little interest in the girls outside of how much they can run and offer game to game, in the name of winning.

Yes and this is what metro was as well. it's about player development not about winning. Although that's nice.

[Guest]

This is what I was thinking. FCV still has a lot of historical clout and they along with TopHat, Nationals, NEFC, Ukies, Albion ,Lonestar and some other GA heavyweights I could list as well, only really need each other to show-up at these national showcases 12-16 teams is sufficient. If you can ensure you qualify for nationals every year, you will be seen and if you have no competition in your region to qualify each year, it feels like a win to me. It allows a club to focus on player development becuase the results are in the bag in most matchups during the season, play everyone, everyone gets better, everyone gets looked at, and let the best rise to the top. I'm not an FCV parent for the record, but when my DD trained with them we left very impressed with their professional outlook on player development, it wasn't a powerpoint or name dropping, it was personal approach to tracking player's mental, physical, and emotional health that impressed me. Won't name the high profile club my DD does play for, but they do none of this and show little interest in the girls outside of how much they can run and offer game to game, in the name of winning.

Bethesda-FCV Dad sighting!!!

[Guest]

Bethesda-FCV Dad sighting!!!

No that's the VDA dad.

[Guest]

No that's the VDA dad.

too obvious

[Guest]

This is what I was thinking. FCV still has a lot of historical clout and they along with TopHat, Nationals, NEFC, Ukies, Albion ,Lonestar and some other GA heavyweights I could list as well, only really need each other to show-up at these national showcases 12-16 teams is sufficient. If you can ensure you qualify for nationals every year, you will be seen and if you have no competition in your region to qualify each year, it feels like a win to me. It allows a club to focus on player development becuase the results are in the bag in most matchups during the season, play everyone, everyone gets better, everyone gets looked at, and let the best rise to the top. I'm not an FCV parent for the record, but when my DD trained with them we left very impressed with their professional outlook on player development, it wasn't a powerpoint or name dropping, it was personal approach to tracking player's mental, physical, and emotional health that impressed me. Won't name the high profile club my DD does play for, but they do none of this and show little interest in the girls outside of how much they can run and offer game to game, in the name of winning.

If you have no competition then how are you developing? At a certain point the focus shifts on competing. Colleges want to see players perform against the best possible competition so they can properly evaluate a player.

Over time it does little for the player to compile gaudy highlights against teams like Skyline or Metro only to not look at all like that when you get to actually face real competition 2-3 times a year. You can't run it up against Metro or PA Classics and then expect similar results or to even look the same against a TopHat or Nationals team.

The saying is "steel sharpens steel". Being guaranteed playoff births because your competition is weak is both lazy and sandbagging.

[Guest]

If you have no competition then how are you developing? At a certain point the focus shifts on competing. Colleges want to see players perform against the best possible competition so they can properly evaluate a player.

Over time it does little for the player to compile gaudy highlights against teams like Skyline or Metro only to not look at all like that when you get to actually face real competition 2-3 times a year. You can't run it up against Metro or PA Classics and then expect similar results or to even look the same against a TopHat or Nationals team.

The saying is "steel sharpens steel". Being guaranteed playoff births because your competition is weak is both lazy and sandbagging.

If you can make a college roster and are getting playing time, don't think it really matters who you play week in and week out as teenager. It matters who you play in showcases and playoffs ultimatley cause thats where the coaches will be, and as I stated there is plenty of top talent nationally in GA even if there isn't anything in the DMV potentially outside of FCV. You also missed the point that this is assuming you attract the talent to team, training everyday with top talent develops, not games, games are for competition and execution not developing.

[Guest]

I feel like there's just as much varying levels of competition in GA as there is in ECNL. What exists in MA conference of GA might not be so much different than what exists in the MA for ECNL. I think for clubs regardless of their affiliation with GA or ECNL their goal is to qualify for the national events and if that is being achieved along with being competitive there the results shouldn't matter. It's probably already a success just being able to qualify and compete. If teams were showing up lacked the ability to be competitive then maybe there would be a question but I don't believe that has been the case.

[Guest]

I feel like there's just as much varying levels of competition in GA as there is in ECNL. What exists in MA conference of GA might not be so much different than what exists in the MA for ECNL. I think for clubs regardless of their affiliation with GA or ECNL their goal is to qualify for the national events and if that is being achieved along with being competitive there the results shouldn't matter. It's probably already a success just being able to qualify and compete. If teams were showing up lacked the ability to be competitive then maybe there would be a question but I don't believe that has been the case.

Outside of Union, VDA and sometimes Loudoun I would agree with this, with ECNL offices being here in NoVa its no surprise some duffel bags were exchanged ending up in so many dang clubs in one market. Thats why BSC will always be the best competition to the MA despite their many negatives. Its just across the river, you can't play HS if you go to HS in VA which is a plus for me, its a far more competitive and deeper conference the North Atlantic is.

[Guest]

If you can make a college roster and are getting playing time, don't think it really matters who you play week in and week out as teenager. It matters who you play in showcases and playoffs ultimatley cause thats where the coaches will be, and as I stated there is plenty of top talent nationally in GA even if there isn't anything in the DMV potentially outside of FCV. You also missed the point that this is assuming you attract the talent to team, training everyday with top talent develops, not games, games are for competition and execution not developing.

You can't say who you play week in and week out doesn't matter in one statement and then talk development in another. Strength of competition is a part of development. It's fine if you believe weekly weak competition is somehow making your player better. If that is the case then by that logic you should consider saving yourself some money and play EDP instead.

[Guest]

If you have no competition then how are you developing? At a certain point the focus shifts on competing. Colleges want to see players perform against the best possible competition so they can properly evaluate a player.

Over time it does little for the player to compile gaudy highlights against teams like Skyline or Metro only to not look at all like that when you get to actually face real competition 2-3 times a year. You can't run it up against Metro or PA Classics and then expect similar results or to even look the same against a TopHat or Nationals team.

The saying is "steel sharpens steel". Being guaranteed playoff births because your competition is weak is both lazy and sandbagging.

Let’s examine this a little. Since FCV is all we have anymore-

16 GA League games and agree maybe only half are competitive.
Champions League (Twice) Good Competition
WAGS
PDA Showcases
Penn Fusion Showcase
Jeff Cup Showcase
GA Nationals

And ECNL (except Arlington, they do PDA and PF Showcase too)
12 League games with 80% good competition
Two ECNL Showcase events
Some do WAGS
Some do Bethesda Cup
VDA Showcase
Loudoun Showcase
Nationals

No question ECNL is the better league but I don’t think there is a huge gap with the exception of the 4 or 6 league games. A bigger difference is how these coaches run trainings and if the subs are getting playing time to develop. School/soccer balance. Private training, etc. Many kids from both leagues play High School which is poor competition at best.

Somebody else said it earlier, but the biggest thing FCV has against it is the amount of travel and expenses vs. ECNL. Paying that much for a 2nd tier league should be the biggest issue when considering FCV.

[Guest]

Outside of Union, VDA and sometimes Loudoun I would agree with this, with ECNL offices being here in NoVa its no surprise some duffel bags were exchanged ending up in so many dang clubs in one market. Thats why BSC will always be the best competition to the MA despite their many negatives. Its just across the river, you can't play HS if you go to HS in VA which is a plus for me, its a far more competitive and deeper conference the North Atlantic is.

North Atlantic is definitely far superior to the MA conference for ECNL. For any family if the only concern was the level of competition during league play then BSC would be the only option around.

[Guest]

North Atlantic is definitely far superior to the MA conference for ECNL. For any family if the only concern was the level of competition during league play then BSC would be the only option around.

But that's not reality. When you look at the options, everything has its problems. VA ECNL travel is a lot, more than North Atlantic. Then you have to deal with high school soccer in Maryland and VA don't align. These are the biggest issues why girls play in their state.

[Guest]

Also true. Didn't mention the other factors in play that you mentioned.

[Guest]

If you have no competition then how are you developing? At a certain point the focus shifts on competing. Colleges want to see players perform against the best possible competition so they can properly evaluate a player.

Over time it does little for the player to compile gaudy highlights against teams like Skyline or Metro only to not look at all like that when you get to actually face real competition 2-3 times a year. You can't run it up against Metro or PA Classics and then expect similar results or to even look the same against a TopHat or Nationals team.

The saying is "steel sharpens steel". Being guaranteed playoff births because your competition is weak is both lazy and sandbagging.

Honestly I don’t think the imbalance in the mid Atlantic GA is as bad as it has been the past couple of years. FCV is no longer pounding every team below them 7-0. If you look at league results games are much tighter and even more losses. But at the same time in cross league play they are not doing any worse against the ECNL teams they play in tournaments. So them getting weaker and becoming more on par with weaker GA competition does not explain it. At least not totally. GA has been surprisingly resilient despite the great migration to ECNL after the DA debacle.

[Guest]

Honestly I don’t think the imbalance in the mid Atlantic GA is as bad as it has been the past couple of years. FCV is no longer pounding every team below them 7-0. If you look at league results games are much tighter and even more losses. But at the same time in cross league play they are not doing any worse against the ECNL teams they play in tournaments. So them getting weaker and becoming more on par with weaker GA competition does not explain it. At least not totally. GA has been surprisingly resilient despite the great migration to ECNL after the DA debacle.

Based on FCV's overall Champions league results recently I don't think you can rule out FCV lowering to the level of competition and THAT is the inherent risk of playing weak competition week after week. That is the point.

Have some of the GA teams improved? Sure, that is also possible but I'd put my money on a bit of both happening.