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Post by kmh07 on Feb 28, 2023 18:37:04 GMT -5
Possibly moving to Atlanta area in the near future looking for recommendations for the younger girls teams. I know at that age most clubs are pretty decent as far as coaching and player development, but if possible I prefer to find a club that they can stick with as they get older.
Tophat vs Concorde for the younger girls?
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Post by soccerloafer on Feb 28, 2023 22:13:09 GMT -5
Possibly moving to Atlanta area in the near future looking for recommendations for the younger girls teams. I know at that age most clubs are pretty decent as far as coaching and player development, but if possible I prefer to find a club that they can stick with as they get older. Tophat vs Concorde for the younger girls? Where will your kids go to school? Private school = Tophat Public school = Concorde Reform school = SSA or GSA |
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Post by bolo on Mar 1, 2023 10:55:31 GMT -5
Where will your kids go to school? Private school = Tophat Public school = Concorde Reform school = SSA or GSA Am I the only person on this forum who finds this post both incredibly elitist and racist? I personally thought it was a joke. I also am having an incredibly hard time figuring out how it could be "racist". |
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Post by bolo on Mar 1, 2023 11:05:14 GMT -5
I personally thought it was a joke. I also am having an incredibly hard time figuring out how it could be "racist". A parent looking for guidance shouldn’t get jokes. And if you can’t figure out how it’s racist pick up a map… Pick up a map? I still don't get it. Why don't you explain it to us like we're all 5 years old, since you're the one accusing another poster of being "incredibly racist"? |
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Post by magicdwarf on Mar 1, 2023 15:23:13 GMT -5
Possibly moving to Atlanta area in the near future looking for recommendations for the younger girls teams. I know at that age most clubs are pretty decent as far as coaching and player development, but if possible I prefer to find a club that they can stick with as they get older. Tophat vs Concorde for the younger girls? Depends on which part of Atlanta you are moving to. Below are some clubs that younger kids can stick with outside of the usual crew: Peachtree City area - MOBA SC Northern Fulton County - Roswell SC Woodstock area - GA Impact Carrollton area - GA Storm |
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Post by soccerloafer on Mar 1, 2023 15:47:37 GMT -5
Where will your kids go to school? Private school = Tophat Public school = Concorde Reform school = SSA or GSA Am I the only person on this forum who finds this post both incredibly elitist and racist? Racist? What? As in any joke / satire, there is some truth. We've played at 3 of the 4 clubs listed. Each has a different predominate culture, like it or not. The school analogy is a quick and witty way to describe each. If anyone is offended, delete your profile and get over yourself. |
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Post by Keeper on Mar 1, 2023 19:05:18 GMT -5
I don’t know about others but when I think of SSA and Gsa I think of hillbillies or Republicans 🤷🏻♂️ I guess that’s racist now.
Tophat does could have = private school kids though but that’s more the Buckhead side. The nasa side is still east Cobb snobs.
But to answer the original question it depends on what part of the city you’re living in and it’s extremely rare to stay at one club forever. Especially with all the club / league changes.
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dc
Jr. Academy
Posts: 52
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Post by dc on Mar 1, 2023 20:00:45 GMT -5
Where will your kids go to school? Private school = Tophat Public school = Concorde Reform school = SSA or GSA Am I the only person on this forum who finds this post both incredibly elitist and racist? You are not the only one. Completely out of line. |
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Post by bogan on Mar 1, 2023 20:55:01 GMT -5
Well, this went sideways in a hurry…
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Post by georgiatechalum on Mar 1, 2023 21:29:55 GMT -5
I don’t know about others but when I think of SSA and Gsa I think of hillbillies or Republicans 🤷🏻♂️ I guess that’s racist now. Tophat does could have = private school kids though but that’s more the Buckhead side. The nasa side is still east Cobb snobs. But to answer the original question it depends on what part of the city you’re living in and it’s extremely rare to stay at one club forever. Especially with all the club / league changes. “ hillbillies or Republicans”. Lol No that’s not racist. Just really stupid! |
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Post by justhavefun on Mar 1, 2023 21:57:47 GMT -5
Let me see if I can get this back on track.
To the OP,
There are a lot of very good clubs in Atlanta. But to answer your specific question. Tophat and Concorde are two of the top girl clubs
In the area. Arguably they are the top 2. There are many others
too and great players throughout all of Georgia. Find a club that you are comfortable with and can tolerate the commute. Since your daughter is young you have lots of time. Good Luck.
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Post by soccernoleuk on Mar 2, 2023 6:34:53 GMT -5
The biggest question that hasn't been asked yet, where are you moving to? Atlanta is a pretty big area, and for a younger age group I doubt you are going to want to drive across the city to get to training sessions.
Once you know where in the Atlanta area you will be, you can find 2-3 clubs which are "local" and decide which will be best for your player.
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Post by flix on Mar 2, 2023 6:43:32 GMT -5
I think the original poster was scared off by the stupid comments and decided to not move to Atlanta.
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Post by mamadona on Mar 2, 2023 10:19:56 GMT -5
I think the original poster was scared off by the stupid comments and decided to not move to Atlanta. Is now checking the Florida forum and thinks maybe Atlanta isn't so bad after all! |
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Post by soccer_uber_driver on Mar 2, 2023 10:41:52 GMT -5
Also may consider Georgia Rush (Rush Union) and United Futbol Academy (UFA) as other options
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Post by futbolhero on Mar 2, 2023 11:22:47 GMT -5
Where will your kids go to school? Private school = Tophat Public school = Concorde Reform school = SSA or GSA Am I the only person on this forum who finds this post both incredibly elitist and racist? But is it wrong? |
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Post by bolo on Mar 2, 2023 13:43:10 GMT -5
Also may consider Georgia Rush (Rush Union) and United Futbol Academy (UFA) as other options Yeah, Rush Union has branches in Milton & Dunwoody, so again, depending on geography, could be an option. A decent number of people in my neighborhood have young-ish girls in the Dunwoody program and seem pretty pleased, though one moved their daughter to Concorde this year for better competition. She was easily the best girl on her RU team the prior year (I think she's U9 now, so still playing 7v7) and is on the second team her age at Concorde. Honestly at the bigger clubs, if you have top team aspirations or expectations for your child, the earlier you get them into the program, the easier it is for them to make and stay on a top team. Lots of inertia (and often politics) there. |
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Post by soccerfam404 on Mar 2, 2023 15:22:19 GMT -5
Personally i m not sold on CF being good with development whereas that really is Tophat’s-and other club’s focus. CF is very competitive once girls are older and having been developed elsewhere. As noted by other posters the biggest difference is where you live until your girls get older.
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Post by ball2futbol on Mar 2, 2023 23:23:50 GMT -5
Am I the only person on this forum who finds this post both incredibly elitist and racist? But is it wrong? And just like that… Georgia, always goes Georgia. |
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Post by kmh07 on Mar 3, 2023 16:02:29 GMT -5
Personally i m not sold on CF being good with development whereas that really is Tophat’s-and other club’s focus. CF is very competitive once girls are older and having been developed elsewhere. As noted by other posters the biggest difference is where you live until your girls get older. It would be north Atlanta area. I have a 2013 and then my younger one is a 2016 but currently plays up with the 2014/2015 teams. |
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Post by mightydawg on Mar 3, 2023 16:08:48 GMT -5
There are a number of choices in the North Atlanta area--Concorde, Tophat, UFA, Roswell Santos, Alpharetta Ambush, and Rush Union.
If you are looking for a club to stay with long term, it depends on what level your daughters are capable of playing at (and you are willing to pay for/travel).
Concorde has 2 ECNL teams and 2 ENCL RL teams per age group. Then SCCL.
Tophat has 2 GA teams per age group and 3rd team is DPL. Then SCCL
UFA has ECNL team and ECNL RL. Then SCCL.
Roswell Santos' top team plays in DPL. Then SCCL
Alpharetta and Rush Union's top teams are in SCCL.
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Post by atlchiefs on Mar 3, 2023 16:26:19 GMT -5
Following:
GSA has ECNL, ECNL-R, and SCCL.
AFU has ECNL, ECNL-R, Elite 64 (u13 and up), and SCCL.
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Post by soccerbro on Mar 3, 2023 19:06:15 GMT -5
I am sorry this post went off the rails when someone was looking for legitimate advice. Here is my $0.02 as someone who has a high school aged player who started at a young age and has played at a few of the mentioned clubs.
At the Academy level, Tophat has the best training...and it isn't close. There is an actual curriculum and foundation that is taught, regardless of who your coach is. The top team in each year tends to have the director as coach and the remaining teams have a pooled coaching model. Girls can move up and down on teams, which can be hard for them. And multiple coaches see them, which can be good and bad. It is true that they tend to pay way more attention to the top team. But all tophat teams are taught the same foundations. Also, to be fair, it is a more intense environment than other clubs at this age. The coaches can be overly harsh sometimes. It can be an adjustment for young girls and some don't respond well to that. It isn't perfect, but tophat provides the best academy technical training, bar none.
At other clubs, it really depends on what coach you get. You may get one who is a great trainer. Often you don't. Of course, there are plenty of academy players who develop at the other clubs. But at the end of the day, in my opinion, tophat academy training will provide your daughter with the best foundation. This is my opinion, and I am sure some people will take issue with it.
Things completely change when your kid graduates to older age teams/select, in my opinion. At this stage, at every club, it comes down to your coach because you have the same one all year regardless of where you play. My $0.02 for select/travel - look for the best mix of coaching, playing time, and competition. You can find that in a lot of places. UFA/Concorde/Tophat/GSA/SSA/AFC all have coaches who are good. And they have coaches who are not as good. You have to do your homework and find the best fit. You want good training. But there's also no substitute for being on the field.
If we had to do it all over - we would absolutely do Tophat for academy and then tryout at multiple places for select/travel in search of the best fit.
This is my $0.02. And it ignores geography - as another poster said, it's not easy to get from one end of town to another for soccer practice. Although there are plenty of people who do it.
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Post by futbolhero on Mar 3, 2023 23:18:00 GMT -5
There are a number of choices in the North Atlanta area--Concorde, Tophat, UFA, Roswell Santos, Alpharetta Ambush, and Rush Union. If you are looking for a club to stay with long term, it depends on what level your daughters are capable of playing at (and you are willing to pay for/travel). Concorde has 2 ECNL teams and 2 ENCL RL teams per age group. Then SCCL. Tophat has 2 GA teams per age group and 3rd team is DPL. Then SCCL UFA has ECNL team and ECNL RL. Then SCCL. Roswell Santos' top team plays in DPL. Then SCCL Alpharetta and Rush Union's top teams are in SCCL. May I ask why you omitted some clubs from your list? I can think of 1 ECNL club and 1 GA club missing. Not attacking in anyway just curious if there is a reason. |
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Post by mightydawg on Mar 4, 2023 9:00:43 GMT -5
I did not intend to omit any club. Goal was to provide info. When the poster said that they are moving to north Atlanta, I took that as the Ga400 corridor so I named the clubs that I could think of in that corridor. I did not name clubs in the 85 (AFU, GSA) or 75 (SSA) corridor or south of town because they were not in the area where the poster indicated that they were going to live.
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Post by lovetokickit on Mar 5, 2023 2:58:04 GMT -5
I agree with this. Tophat for development 100%... The ball skills your girls learn alone will carry them far. I am sorry this post went off the rails when someone was looking for legitimate advice. Here is my $0.02 as someone who has a high school aged player who started at a young age and has played at a few of the mentioned clubs. At the Academy level, Tophat has the best training...and it isn't close. There is an actual curriculum and foundation that is taught, regardless of who your coach is. The top team in each year tends to have the director as coach and the remaining teams have a pooled coaching model. Girls can move up and down on teams, which can be hard for them. And multiple coaches see them, which can be good and bad. It is true that they tend to pay way more attention to the top team. But all tophat teams are taught the same foundations. Also, to be fair, it is a more intense environment than other clubs at this age. The coaches can be overly harsh sometimes. It can be an adjustment for young girls and some don't respond well to that. It isn't perfect, but tophat provides the best academy technical training, bar none. At other clubs, it really depends on what coach you get. You may get one who is a great trainer. Often you don't. Of course, there are plenty of academy players who develop at the other clubs. But at the end of the day, in my opinion, tophat academy training will provide your daughter with the best foundation. This is my opinion, and I am sure some people will take issue with it. Things completely change when your kid graduates to older age teams/select, in my opinion. At this stage, at every club, it comes down to your coach because you have the same one all year regardless of where you play. My $0.02 for select/travel - look for the best mix of coaching, playing time, and competition. You can find that in a lot of places. UFA/Concorde/Tophat/GSA/SSA/AFC all have coaches who are good. And they have coaches who are not as good. You have to do your homework and find the best fit. You want good training. But there's also no substitute for being on the field. If we had to do it all over - we would absolutely do Tophat for academy and then tryout at multiple places for select/travel in search of the best fit. This is my $0.02. And it ignores geography - as another poster said, it's not easy to get from one end of town to another for soccer practice. Although there are plenty of people who do it. |
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Post by oraclesfriend on Mar 6, 2023 7:29:14 GMT -5
I agree with this. Tophat for development 100%... The ball skills your girls learn alone will carry them far. I am sorry this post went off the rails when someone was looking for legitimate advice. Here is my $0.02 as someone who has a high school aged player who started at a young age and has played at a few of the mentioned clubs. At the Academy level, Tophat has the best training...and it isn't close. There is an actual curriculum and foundation that is taught, regardless of who your coach is. The top team in each year tends to have the director as coach and the remaining teams have a pooled coaching model. Girls can move up and down on teams, which can be hard for them. And multiple coaches see them, which can be good and bad. It is true that they tend to pay way more attention to the top team. But all tophat teams are taught the same foundations. Also, to be fair, it is a more intense environment than other clubs at this age. The coaches can be overly harsh sometimes. It can be an adjustment for young girls and some don't respond well to that. It isn't perfect, but tophat provides the best academy technical training, bar none. At other clubs, it really depends on what coach you get. You may get one who is a great trainer. Often you don't. Of course, there are plenty of academy players who develop at the other clubs. But at the end of the day, in my opinion, tophat academy training will provide your daughter with the best foundation. This is my opinion, and I am sure some people will take issue with it. Things completely change when your kid graduates to older age teams/select, in my opinion. At this stage, at every club, it comes down to your coach because you have the same one all year regardless of where you play. My $0.02 for select/travel - look for the best mix of coaching, playing time, and competition. You can find that in a lot of places. UFA/Concorde/Tophat/GSA/SSA/AFC all have coaches who are good. And they have coaches who are not as good. You have to do your homework and find the best fit. You want good training. But there's also no substitute for being on the field. If we had to do it all over - we would absolutely do Tophat for academy and then tryout at multiple places for select/travel in search of the best fit. This is my $0.02. And it ignores geography - as another poster said, it's not easy to get from one end of town to another for soccer practice. Although there are plenty of people who do it. The best thing about Tophat development is that they teach them decent tactics at the academy age and they all learn to use their technical skills in tight places. It isn't just hot potato soccer or kick and run. It is good soccer even if the athleticism or skills aren't as good on the lower teams. |
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Post by soccerloafer on Mar 6, 2023 9:11:19 GMT -5
"The best thing about Tophat development is that they teach them decent tactics at the academy age and they all learn to use their technical skills in tight places. It isn't just hot potato soccer or kick and run. It is good soccer even if the athleticism or skills aren't as good on the lower teams."
This is very true. The style of play, passing patterns, off the ball movement, are identical from Gold to Navy to White to Blue. Only difference is in execution and speed of play. Talking U12 and below.
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Post by slickdaddy96 on Mar 6, 2023 14:39:03 GMT -5
Where will your kids go to school? Private school = Tophat Public school = Concorde Reform school = SSA or GSA Am I the only person on this forum who finds this post both incredibly elitist and racist? I don't know about racist but it definitely screams elitism and is a laughable generalization of the clubs. |
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Post by slickdaddy96 on Mar 6, 2023 14:41:56 GMT -5
Possibly moving to Atlanta area in the near future looking for recommendations for the younger girls teams. I know at that age most clubs are pretty decent as far as coaching and player development, but if possible I prefer to find a club that they can stick with as they get older. Tophat vs Concorde for the younger girls? Depends on which part of Atlanta you are moving to. Below are some clubs that younger kids can stick with outside of the usual crew: Peachtree City area - MOBA SC Northern Fulton County - Roswell SC Woodstock area - GA Impact Carrollton area - GA Storm I disagree with MOBA and girls teams. They have great Boys teams, but their girls side is lacking a bit as all the southside Girls teams are (SSA, MOBA, and AFC). I believe SSA is doing a very good job trying to build back the Girls side on Academy on the southside. I've seen good results from the games I've seen with their new Girls Academy director down there. If you are moving to Carrollton I would not advise GA Storm. You won't be happy with them long-term. Travel a bit further and find a better club for your kid. |
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