FK: Riverhounds Academy question

[Sean Miller Fan]

I am sure you are somewhat familiar with their program from your years on the local soccer circuit. What are your thoughts for their Boys and Girls programs? I'll give you mine and tell me if I'm wrong:

- waste of time traveling the midwest for games

- heard it costs more than Century, Beadling, Hotspurs, etc

- RDA teams typically arent any better than teams I just mentioned and sometimes worse.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

my nephew started with Riverhounds and it was a start for him, but ultimately, he moved onto a MLS academy. From a boys perspective, you really have to push for a larger market MLS academy.
for girls, Riverhounds have ECNL that is good for competitive soccer nationally, and to also get exposure to top colleges. As far as what is best in Pittsburgh, that would be a better answer from FK.
The girl’s Riverhounds ECNL plays in Ohio valley conference. Includes Buffalo, Louisville, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Indiana, Knoxville, Nashville, and a new club in Kentucky just outside Cincinnati. ECNL requires certain ages to go to a number of national events. This could be New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Nashville, South Carolina, Phoenix, San Diego, Houston, and a couple other places. My kids team plays against Riverhounds in conference and we will do Nashville, Florida, Phoenix, and nationals.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I am sure you are somewhat familiar with their program from your years on the local soccer circuit. What are your thoughts for their Boys and Girls programs? I'll give you mine and tell me if I'm wrong:

- waste of time traveling the midwest for games

- heard it costs more than Century, Beadling, Hotspurs, etc

- RDA teams typically arent any better than teams I just mentioned and sometimes worse.

It just depends on what you want out of youth soccer. If your end game is a D1 scholarship for a girl, then you need to send her there, provided she makes the ECNL team in her age group. Or you can send her to Beadling or Century to play on their GA team. If she’s an elite player, pick the best team from those three clubs and send her there. If she’s not good enough to make those teams, then she’s not receiving a college scholarship. In that case she can play for another team at those clubs or another club altogether and pick a team that doesnt travel as much…because all kids can play in college if they want, regardless of their ability. Anyone can play at a D3 school. We’ve had girls come through our HS program that couldn’t see the varsity field for even back up minutes go on and star at places like Waynesburg, Wesminister or Laroche.

for boys, scholarships are even tougher. Case in point. My boy was a good player but no where near elite. I could see the forest through the trees and I knew he wasn’t going to earn a D1 scholarship. His Beadling team was traveling all over the country and getting their butts kicked. They weren’t even the top team in the age group in PAWest. Knowing that wasn’t going to get him noticed and he wasn’t ever going to be a D1 athlete, I took him to a smaller club that didn’t travel as much just so he could keep the ball on his foot and play D2/D3 if he chooses. If your son is elite, get him to the riverhounds or MLS Next. If he’s not, get him to a club that is easy on the travel and checkbook.

bottom line is this- if you want noticed, you have to suck it up, travel and play ECNL, GA, or MLS Next. College scouts only go to those games. Everything else is a ticket to D2 or D3, and/or a place to keep the ball on the foot.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

It just depends on what you want out of youth soccer. If your end game is a D1 scholarship for a girl, then you need to send her there, provided she makes the ECNL team in her age group. Or you can send her to Beadling or Century to play on their GA team. If she’s an elite player, pick the best team from those three clubs and send her there. If she’s not good enough to make those teams, then she’s not receiving a college scholarship. In that case she can play for another team at those clubs or another club altogether and pick a team that doesnt travel as much…because all kids can play in college if they want, regardless of their ability. Anyone can play at a D3 school. We’ve had girls come through our HS program that couldn’t see the varsity field for even back up minutes go on and star at places like Waynesburg, Wesminister or Laroche.

for boys, scholarships are even tougher. Case in point. My boy was a good player but no where near elite. I could see the forest through the trees and I knew he wasn’t going to earn a D1 scholarship. His Beadling team was traveling all over the country and getting their butts kicked. They weren’t even the top team in the age group in PAWest. Knowing that wasn’t going to get him noticed and he wasn’t ever going to be a D1 athlete, I took him to a smaller club that didn’t travel as much just so he could keep the ball on his foot and play D2/D3 if he chooses. If your son is elite, get him to the riverhounds or MLS Next. If he’s not, get him to a club that is easy on the travel and checkbook.

bottom line is this- if you want noticed, you have to suck it up, travel and play ECNL, GA, or MLS Next. College scouts only go to those games. Everything else is a ticket to D2 or D3, and/or a place to keep the ball on the foot.

What is GA?

I'm not really asking for my own kids but wondering why anyone would play for them when it seems the top teams at a Century or Beadling are as good or better.

A friend of mine's kid was being "recruited" by Riverhounds so they went for a trial only to find her other club had better players so what's the point?

 

[Fk_Pitt]

What is GA?

I'm not really asking for my own kids but wondering why anyone would play for them when it seems the top teams at a Century or Beadling are as good or better.

A friend of mine's kid was being "recruited" by Riverhounds so they went for a trial only to find her other club had better players so what's the point?

GA is the Girls Academy. It’s a league like the ECNL. Riverhounds play ECNL and Beadling/Century play GA.

some of the Riverhounds ECNL teams are awful. Actually most Riverhounds ECNL teams aren’t very good. So if someone is at the Riverhounds and on the 2nd or 3rd team (and not the ECNL top team, then it’s really a waste of time and money). That said, Beadling and Century have some awful GA teams too.

the team you are on is a vehicle. If you have high expectations of playing in college at the D1 level, you have to fight and claw your way into the top team in your age group. That team (on the girls side) is going to be either Beadling GA (most of the time), and then Century or Riverhounds (some of the time). If a kid can’t get on the top team, tryout and try to make the 2nd best team in the age group. The training is fine at all 3 places. But the main benefit is training with the best players in the area during the week, and then playing vs some of the best players in the country on the weekends in front of college coaches. That’s the only way to get better, and to get noticed.

 

[eastender2]

One of the downside of playing for the Riverhounds, is unlike the way it's suppose to be , where the professional team subsidizes the cost of playing for the youth programs, RDA subsidizes the pros.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

One of the downside of playing for the Riverhounds, is unlike the way it's suppose to be , where the professional team subsidizes the cost of playing for the youth programs, RDA subsidizes the pros.

Right and I've heard its much more expensive than the others which has made the better players opt to play elsewhere.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

Right and I've heard its much more expensive than the others which has made the better players opt to play elsewhere.

Are you talking club fees or just overall expenses? When you have to fly to several national events it can add up. When you have to drive to conference games that adds up. As I mentioned my kid plays against Riverhounds ECNL team for a smaller club, our club fees were higher this season because the team is back to taking charter buses. But you have to decide if the investment is worth it. Our teams next weekend will play in front of every ACC coach, SEC coach, Big 10, Big 12, PAC12 and really every top 25 college coaches and US national team coaches. We do that at least 4 times a year. It can be worth it if your kid is good enough. But the other clubs in Pittsburgh most likely get the same exposure at other big events. My kid has to play one of the top teams in the country next week which means getting a chance to play in front of the above coaches.