Valeo

[Guest]

Still searching for the background as to why they seem to have fallen off the map. Does anyone have the story? Or at least a working theory. Pandemic stuff? Surf and Juventus pulled away their coaches and players when they started up? Yes, clubs ebb and flow and come and go but there's usually a reason for that.

For the strongest players looking to play MLSNext, they'll now choose Bolts or NEFC over Valeo, since Valeo ends at U16. It's really hard at the U17 level to try to break into the lineup of new club. I'm not sure if this has much affect on kids joining at the younger ages (few parents think that far ahead), so I'm not sure what is causing issues at the younger ages and lower levels of play.

[Guest]

Still searching for the background as to why they seem to have fallen off the map. Does anyone have the story? Or at least a working theory. Pandemic stuff? Surf and Juventus pulled away their coaches and players when they started up? Yes, clubs ebb and flow and come and go but there's usually a reason for that.

Not sure if this is the reason or maybe part of the reason, but around the time of all the chaos caused by COVID in 2020 they changed both boys and girls directors. BL was girls and went to Juventus and then on to Scorpions this year. JB was boys and went to Surf. Maybe they took coaches and teams with them and Valeo never really recovered?

[Guest]

Not sure if this is the reason or maybe part of the reason, but around the time of all the chaos caused by COVID in 2020 they changed both boys and girls directors. BL was girls and went to Juventus and then on to Scorpions this year. JB was boys and went to Surf. Maybe they took coaches and teams with them and Valeo never really recovered?

I didn't even realize they still had girls teams. I can't remember the last time I saw a girls valeo team.

[Guest]

My son is thinking of trying out for their MLS team. Based on what I've heard about that team, he'd make it easily. They might be a step down in terms of talent level from his current team, but at least he'll be playing against top competition in games. And it's free compared to thousands/year. Convince me we're wrong.

[Guest]

My son is thinking of trying out for their MLS team. Based on what I've heard about that team, he'd make it easily. They might be a step down in terms of talent level from his current team, but at least he'll be playing against top competition in games. And it's free compared to thousands/year. Convince me we're wrong.

In my opinion, the most important thing is the quality of the training- the kids your are training with and the coaches. Go to a few practices and then make the call.

[Guest]

In my opinion, the most important thing is the quality of the training- the kids your are training with and the coaches. Go to a few practices and then make the call.

Yes, obviously. But I'm curious as to why there's been such a fall off in the club. Not sure I'll be able to figure that out at a few practices.

[Guest]

They don't need to be acquired, or merged. They need to fizzle into obscurity like they're currently doing. Sometimes you just need to let things naturally run their course, won't be the first club and certainly won't be the last.

If someone with a brain bought the club it could easily be turned around. It has a great location in Newton. Tons of potential players.

[Guest]

Some observations from someone who has been around the club for a while as a parent -

1. Up front, it has its problems as far as management. That doesn’t make this club unique. I’ve heard and read (here) complaints about different aspects of just about every club.
2. The comparisons to very large established clubs, like Bolts, NEFC, and Seacoast are a little silly. They have a massive pool of players to pull up their pipeline as the kids get older. It’s just a different dynamic. The club pulled back from having multiple locations several years ago, so it’s just the one location in Newton. It’s going to be smaller, period.
3. It has been bleeding players and coaches for a variety of reasons for years. Just spitballing … On the players, its MLSNext teams were limited in the beginning, so players would leave that team for clubs with ECNL or the full pathway (obviously that is in flux right now). Stating the obvious, that takes a toll on the older ages and isn’t fixed overnight. On the coaches, when Juventus and Surf appeared they flat out took teams (and in the case of the girls, most of the program).
4. The club’s culture is unique in many ways. If that doesn’t work for your child or family, then that’s okay. I have a hard time seeing it blending with any other organization in the way that is being talked about here.

[Guest]

We went to Valeo tryouts this summer and they were chaotic. No communication before, during or after, to the players or parents. No follow up messages, despite several polite emails.

[Guest]

Some observations from someone who has been around the club for a while as a parent -

1. Up front, it has its problems as far as management. That doesn’t make this club unique. I’ve heard and read (here) complaints about different aspects of just about every club.
2. The comparisons to very large established clubs, like Bolts, NEFC, and Seacoast are a little silly. They have a massive pool of players to pull up their pipeline as the kids get older. It’s just a different dynamic. The club pulled back from having multiple locations several years ago, so it’s just the one location in Newton. It’s going to be smaller, period.
3. It has been bleeding players and coaches for a variety of reasons for years. Just spitballing … On the players, its MLSNext teams were limited in the beginning, so players would leave that team for clubs with ECNL or the full pathway (obviously that is in flux right now). Stating the obvious, that takes a toll on the older ages and isn’t fixed overnight. On the coaches, when Juventus and Surf appeared they flat out took teams (and in the case of the girls, most of the program).
4. The club’s culture is unique in many ways. If that doesn’t work for your child or family, then that’s okay. I have a hard time seeing it blending with any other organization in the way that is being talked about here.

If you don't want to be compared to those organisations, don't try to compete with them. The fact Valeo continue to have MLS Next is just confusing to everyone involved in club soccer. They don't have a single younger team that plays in the top division, and these teams are going to become MLS Next?

[Guest]

How are their MLS teams doing this fall? Their NAL teams are getting crushed - between U13 and U14, they are 0-12, GD -58

[Guest]

How are their MLS teams doing this fall? Their NAL teams are getting crushed - between U13 and U14, they are 0-12, GD -58

Even worse.

[Guest]

How are their MLS teams doing this fall? Their NAL teams are getting crushed - between U13 and U14, they are 0-12, GD -58

They should replace them in NAL with Surf

[Guest]

They should replace them in NAL with Surf

Surf is more organized but the football is much worse on the boys side.

[Guest]

Some observations from someone who has been around the club for a while as a parent -

1. Up front, it has its problems as far as management. That doesn’t make this club unique. I’ve heard and read (here) complaints about different aspects of just about every club.
2. The comparisons to very large established clubs, like Bolts, NEFC, and Seacoast are a little silly. They have a massive pool of players to pull up their pipeline as the kids get older. It’s just a different dynamic. The club pulled back from having multiple locations several years ago, so it’s just the one location in Newton. It’s going to be smaller, period.
3. It has been bleeding players and coaches for a variety of reasons for years. Just spitballing … On the players, its MLSNext teams were limited in the beginning, so players would leave that team for clubs with ECNL or the full pathway (obviously that is in flux right now). Stating the obvious, that takes a toll on the older ages and isn’t fixed overnight. On the coaches, when Juventus and Surf appeared they flat out took teams (and in the case of the girls, most of the program).
4. The club’s culture is unique in many ways. If that doesn’t work for your child or family, then that’s okay. I have a hard time seeing it blending with any other organization in the way that is being talked about here.

Thank you for providing a little bit of context as to why things are the way they are. It helps a little and is the kind of information I was looking for when I asked above why they had fallen off. Some additional thoughts on your points:

1. Yes, there's bad management all over club soccer, but for some reason Valeo seems to have a reputation for being particularly bad.
2. Don't agree that the comparisons are silly. They are one of the clubs selected for full MLS. If they chose a smaller footprint, that's their choice, but they still have to compete with the other MLS clubs (boys anyway).
3. This to me is the key point and I'm guessing you're right. It seem like they never really recovered from losing both their boys director and girls director in 2020, and the players, teams and coaches they took with them.
4. Interesting comment about the culture. Exactly what is it about their culture that is unique? I doubt it will matter to a buyer anyway. The buyer will buy it for the location, the facility and the MLS Next patch and quickly install its own culture. Existing coaches and players who don't like the new culture will leave. No different from any other club.