BS is BS

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[QUOTE=Unregistered;2330483]

i dunno, please tell me where the great non BDA competition is that doesn't require traveling to kingdom come in the northeast. oh, and great training too.

Non BDA in Ffld County there's EA, Revolution, AC CT, Rush West plus a host of others that are more than sufficient for the younger ages. You don't need to be in DA U12-14. If your kid is talented and has the drive they can make a squad later on if they decide that's what they want. If they're really talented they shouldn't waste their time at BS - go south to NY.

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Not the OP, but it kind of does matter where you’re based. Would Oakwood set up shop in Fairfield County? Would FSA? BS won’t do well with this idea in my opinion. CFC with the branch system has been around for years, they’ve been successful with it, however their branches are shrinking by the year. Its a bit of an anomaly in a small state like CT to pull off “branches” all over the place.

Oakwood tried years ago to set up shop in Newtown but it didn’t get too far. Primarily it’s hard to build at Fairfield Hills.

Agreed that Beachside would struggle with its Farmside location in Suffield. They have not done that great of job with Beachside South and North in their own footprint

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[QUOTE=Unregistered;2330472]

Academy parents can be annoying and they definitely are guliable. They initially buy the snake oil from the clubs - their kid is a chosen one for the special league. Over time they realize their kid isn't that great and gets little pt, maybe even gets cut. Depending on the club the training isn't that great, the travel sucks, their kid doesn't like it. The coups de gras is when they see that other talented non DA kids land college spots just as good as (some cases even better) DA kids without having to give up HS sports. This type of parent is usually at the pay-to-play clubs. If their kid was good enough they'd be with an MLS club where the talent wins over the ability to write a check.

Don't worry BS south ulittle dad, your kid will make academy, only because they will be struggling for numbers like this year then too. They are desperately trying to fill that U12 roster now. Kids are saying no and moving on like they should. Academy means nothing at this age. When something bigger and better comes along they'll send you and your kid packing.

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Non BDA in Ffld County there's EA, Revolution, AC CT, Rush West plus a host of others that are more than sufficient for the younger ages. You don't need to be in DA U12-14. If your kid is talented and has the drive they can make a squad later on if they decide that's what they want. If they're really talented they shouldn't waste their time at BS - go south to NY.

Non BDA in Ffld County there's EA, Revolution, AC CT, Rush West plus a host of others that are more than sufficient for the younger ages. You don't need to be in DA U12-14. If your kid is talented and has the drive they can make a squad later on if they decide that's what they want. If they're really talented they shouldn't waste their time at BS - go south to NY.

The question is at what age is DA appropriate. US Soccer and BS are peddling the idea that if your kid is not in the "academy system" by u12 the kid has no prospects. This may be true in Europe where the academies are serious programs where kids train 5-6 days/week with some of the best coaches around. Around here, perhaps NYCFC or RB may be an option but even they are nothing like a proper European academy. For clubs like BS where everyone seems to hate (or not respect) the coaches and 3 practices/wk on crappy fields where kids play Rondo there is not much value to academy. Some parents may argue that DA lets their kids play against tougher competition but 60 min /wk where your kid may only see 20 min is not enough reason to put a 12-year-old into DA.

Only a fool would suggest that EA or Rush or some of the supplemental programs (Ole, JA Elite, etc.) have the same level of talent. However what some of them do have is good coaching. I heard the EA GK coach is fantastic (and has done private lessons with at least 2 BS GKs). Ole has a couple of coaches who are tremendous if your kid needs to develop ball mastery. Even the Couerver folks are doing camps/clinics in Fairfield County.

The amount of development a 12-year-old will do in the next 2-3 years is incredible. For many, being on a solid premier or club team where he gets lots of play time, gets a chance to develop decision making, has freedom to be creative, and most importantly... had a great coach is a far better option than DA. I bet you that by age 14, that kid will dominate the DA kid who spent 2 years, being coached by JM, playing Rondo and driving to VA or PA to sit on the bench at tournaments.

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Well said.

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Ditto!!

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i guess i asked where the great competition was that you don't need to travel all over kingdom come and while i respect the heck out of everton's ulittles program they play npl at u12 and that travel is as bad or worse than da and npl ain't what it was before da moved to u12.

reality is for boys that the move downward in starting age for da over past few years has sucked all the top talent. sure there are some great teams and some great coaches but it's tough to get the consistent talent that da can provide.

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The question is at what age is DA appropriate. US Soccer and BS are peddling the idea that if your kid is not in the "academy system" by u12 the kid has no prospects. This may be true in Europe where the academies are serious programs where kids train 5-6 days/week with some of the best coaches around. Around here, perhaps NYCFC or RB may be an option but even they are nothing like a proper European academy. For clubs like BS where everyone seems to hate (or not respect) the coaches and 3 practices/wk on crappy fields where kids play Rondo there is not much value to academy. Some parents may argue that DA lets their kids play against tougher competition but 60 min /wk where your kid may only see 20 min is not enough reason to put a 12-year-old into DA.

Only a fool would suggest that EA or Rush or some of the supplemental programs (Ole, JA Elite, etc.) have the same level of talent. However what some of them do have is good coaching. I heard the EA GK coach is fantastic (and has done private lessons with at least 2 BS GKs). Ole has a couple of coaches who are tremendous if your kid needs to develop ball mastery. Even the Couerver folks are doing camps/clinics in Fairfield County.

The amount of development a 12-year-old will do in the next 2-3 years is incredible. For many, being on a solid premier or club team where he gets lots of play time, gets a chance to develop decision making, has freedom to be creative, and most importantly... had a great coach is a far better option than DA. I bet you that by age 14, that kid will dominate the DA kid who spent 2 years, being coached by JM, playing Rondo and driving to VA or PA to sit on the bench at tournaments.

Well at the very least, well articulated. That said, there are many holes here that I'm going to put a spot light on.

The first is that the DA doesn't play tournaments, they attend one showcase a year and its an amazing event.

The second is I think U-12 is a HALF ASS DA, whereas U-13 is real (on a large field with a size 5 ball). So I will agree with you that U-12 may be to early, but U-13 isn't, and if you're not IN the club by U-12, its just harder to get into the DA U-13 environment. And the year spent in DA U-12 isn't jail, its just fine and the one year there which we agree may be to early, is not a tremendous sacrifice for the long haul.

Third, having a great coach or not is not a DA thing, its a club thing. There are some clubs (like Beachside) that have good coaches, bad coaches, and average coaches. There are also some clubs that generally have amazing coaches. Go there.

As for the creativity and artistic freedom to develop, that sounds amazing, absolutely amazing... .albeit just sounds that way. The REALITY of it is that creativity and freedom come from a part of the brain that no coach, person, our outside influence is able to RESTRICT.

I've been coaching, scouting, and involved in youth soccer for over 20 years, and I can tell you without a doubt, without hesitation, and with absolute certainty, that BOYS (don't get me started on the girls) who are raised and play in the DA will ... on average, become better soccer players than those outside. There are ALWAYS exceptions, but generally speaking, this has been the way of it for while. DATA speaks volumes. I'm not saying in the NY METRO AREA, I'm saying Nationally.

Beachside is a shell of its former self

Go to NYSC, or World Class, or even FCW.... .they are all better than Beachside now ... .and Beachside's demise is only in its infancy.

GET OUT while you can.

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Well at the very least, well articulated. That said, there are many holes here that I'm going to put a spot light on.

The first is that the DA doesn't play tournaments, they attend one showcase a year and its an amazing event.

The second is I think U-12 is a HALF ASS DA, whereas U-13 is real (on a large field with a size 5 ball). So I will agree with you that U-12 may be to early, but U-13 isn't, and if you're not IN the club by U-12, its just harder to get into the DA U-13 environment. And the year spent in DA U-12 isn't jail, its just fine and the one year there which we agree may be to early, is not a tremendous sacrifice for the long haul.

Third, having a great coach or not is not a DA thing, its a club thing. There are some clubs (like Beachside) that have good coaches, bad coaches, and average coaches. There are also some clubs that generally have amazing coaches. Go there.

As for the creativity and artistic freedom to develop, that sounds amazing, absolutely amazing... .albeit just sounds that way. The REALITY of it is that creativity and freedom come from a part of the brain that no coach, person, our outside influence is able to RESTRICT.

I've been coaching, scouting, and involved in youth soccer for over 20 years, and I can tell you without a doubt, without hesitation, and with absolute certainty, that BOYS (don't get me started on the girls) who are raised and play in the DA will ... on average, become better soccer players than those outside. There are ALWAYS exceptions, but generally speaking, this has been the way of it for while. DATA speaks volumes. I'm not saying in the NY METRO AREA, I'm saying Nationally.

Beachside is a shell of its former self

Go to NYSC, or World Class, or even FCW.... .they are all better than Beachside now ... .and Beachside's demise is only in its infancy.

GET OUT while you can.

Many already have and the tide out will continue

[Unregistered]

Well at the very least, well articulated. That said, there are many holes here that I'm going to put a spot light on.

The first is that the DA doesn't play tournaments, they attend one showcase a year and its an amazing event.

The second is I think U-12 is a HALF ASS DA, whereas U-13 is real (on a large field with a size 5 ball). So I will agree with you that U-12 may be to early, but U-13 isn't, and if you're not IN the club by U-12, its just harder to get into the DA U-13 environment. And the year spent in DA U-12 isn't jail, its just fine and the one year there which we agree may be to early, is not a tremendous sacrifice for the long haul.

Third, having a great coach or not is not a DA thing, its a club thing. There are some clubs (like Beachside) that have good coaches, bad coaches, and average coaches. There are also some clubs that generally have amazing coaches. Go there.

As for the creativity and artistic freedom to develop, that sounds amazing, absolutely amazing... .albeit just sounds that way. The REALITY of it is that creativity and freedom come from a part of the brain that no coach, person, our outside influence is able to RESTRICT.

I've been coaching, scouting, and involved in youth soccer for over 20 years, and I can tell you without a doubt, without hesitation, and with absolute certainty, that BOYS (don't get me started on the girls) who are raised and play in the DA will ... on average, become better soccer players than those outside. There are ALWAYS exceptions, but generally speaking, this has been the way of it for while. DATA speaks volumes. I'm not saying in the NY METRO AREA, I'm saying Nationally.

Beachside is a shell of its former self

Go to NYSC, or World Class, or even FCW.... .they are all better than Beachside now ... .and Beachside's demise is only in its infancy.

GET OUT while you can.

It's almost as if your saying BS DA is not really a DA anymore?

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Don't remotely know what all the fuss here is about. BS is DA and will stay DA, whether your kid is involved or not. There's always willing participants to be found, and even unwilling participants. The latest scam is to force unwilling participants. College coaches have been telling their early commits that if they want the college offer they have to play DA their senior year. Clearest example was AD at UConn. There's others there right now and I'm sure this is going on throughout the 2nd tier DA clubs around the country, with the explicit backing of USSF.

Face it, USSF wants their prized DA USNT prospects to play among and against the best competition. So, they funnel them into DA with the lure of college roster offers.

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The question is at what age is DA appropriate. US Soccer and BS are peddling the idea that if your kid is not in the "academy system" by u12 the kid has no prospects. This may be true in Europe where the academies are serious programs where kids train 5-6 days/week with some of the best coaches around. Around here, perhaps NYCFC or RB may be an option but even they are nothing like a proper European academy. For clubs like BS where everyone seems to hate (or not respect) the coaches and 3 practices/wk on crappy fields where kids play Rondo there is not much value to academy. Some parents may argue that DA lets their kids play against tougher competition but 60 min /wk where your kid may only see 20 min is not enough reason to put a 12-year-old into DA.

Only a fool would suggest that EA or Rush or some of the supplemental programs (Ole, JA Elite, etc.) have the same level of talent. However what some of them do have is good coaching. I heard the EA GK coach is fantastic (and has done private lessons with at least 2 BS GKs). Ole has a couple of coaches who are tremendous if your kid needs to develop ball mastery. Even the Couerver folks are doing camps/clinics in Fairfield County.

The amount of development a 12-year-old will do in the next 2-3 years is incredible. For many, being on a solid premier or club team where he gets lots of play time, gets a chance to develop decision making, has freedom to be creative, and most importantly... had a great coach is a far better option than DA. I bet you that by age 14, that kid will dominate the DA kid who spent 2 years, being coached by JM, playing Rondo and driving to VA or PA to sit on the bench at tournaments.

And yet more and more americans are finding their ways into european academies at 16, 17, and 18 every year ...... listen, if you can play no one cares where you got it from.

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Don't remotely know what all the fuss here is about. BS is DA and will stay DA, whether your kid is involved or not. There's always willing participants to be found, and even unwilling participants. The latest scam is to force unwilling participants. College coaches have been telling their early commits that if they want the college offer they have to play DA their senior year. Clearest example was AD at UConn. There's others there right now and I'm sure this is going on throughout the 2nd tier DA clubs around the country, with the explicit backing of USSF.

Face it, USSF wants their prized DA USNT prospects to play among and against the best competition. So, they funnel them into DA with the lure of college roster offers.

So in other words they're bullsh**ing. Not all college coaches are telling their players that because they know that some DA clubs aren't that good and that good DA options aren't always readily available to players. There are plenty of college playing opportunities that don't require DA. It's all about what level you're shooting for and how good you are. Coaches shop talent, league is secondary. Many DA kids wind up at the same programs they could have without DA, just playing HS and high level soccer.

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Don't remotely know what all the fuss here is about. BS is DA and will stay DA, whether your kid is involved or not. There's always willing participants to be found, and even unwilling participants. The latest scam is to force unwilling participants. College coaches have been telling their early commits that if they want the college offer they have to play DA their senior year. Clearest example was AD at UConn. There's others there right now and I'm sure this is going on throughout the 2nd tier DA clubs around the country, with the explicit backing of USSF.

Face it, USSF wants their prized DA USNT prospects to play among and against the best competition. So, they funnel them into DA with the lure of college roster offers.

The college coaches are telling kids they must do DA

- better analysis of player
- one stop shopping for coaches
- Better competition for player
- better insurance for coach ie I don’t know why the player didn’t work out they were DA

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FINALLY! A rational and pretty accurate depiction of what took place.

This was all MK's fault. He was so focused on building the field, on his u19s, on growing the club, he took his eye off the most important thing... building a strong uLittle program with good players and good coaching.

The North/South thing was a disaster because the split was arbitrary and based on an invisible line that was drawn through Fairfield. Perhaps if they tried to balance the teams it may have been better but the problems were much deeper than just one team being a bit more talented than the other. The South roster was much smaller and had kids who wouldn't bother showing up for games or practices. It's hard to develop a team when you have no idea who will be at practice or at a game on any given week. I genuinely feel bad for the South kids and parents. They paid the same amount as everyone else but got shafted.

For both North and South, the good players suffered because they were not being developed to become even better and the weaker players suffered because they were not being developed at all. Two hours of Rondo at every practice may make for some nice moments in a game but does nothing to develop individual players. At least the North team's practices had a bit more variety but the coach was still following the MK lesson plans. Both North and South teams had many (perhaps most) players doing private coaching, clinics, double rostering, or supplemental training elsewhere.

Not surprising 08 South dad is so full of fire. He watched the mess all of last year and what gives him any hope that things will be any different this year? It's crazy to think that your kid gets an offer from an elite club and the quality of his experience, training, etc., is dictated by your zip code. Perhaps it's MK's revenge on all the Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, and Westport families who didn't donate to the Beachside field fund.

Buried deep in this posting is the real question....

If these people paid to play here, why are they not showing up?