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Post by volvodrivinsoccermom on May 26, 2024 9:24:32 GMT -5
Looking for some insight from current parents on the rising U13 Boys 2012 Select (SCCL/ECNL/NPL, etc etc) club level teams in the northeast suburbs of Atlanta (Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Duluth, Roswell).
Seems like there are some very large ones and smaller ones. As parents what has been your experience with any of the clubs in this area from an organization, coaches, other players, and other parents perspective? Any parents with experience across multiple clubs in this area willing to share the major differences?
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Post by rifle on May 26, 2024 17:07:37 GMT -5
Not a current U13 parent but.. I can talk about a couple having spent time on one club board and having been an enthusiastic parent for several years at these two (in addition to Rush and SSA) a few years ago now.
Alpharetta Ambush and Roswell Santos are both connected with their respective city rec departments. That means they have outstanding facilities to offer - but they are not currently ECNL clubs. This historically has meant stronger players tend to migrate to “big 5” clubs in teenage years. Both of these clubs continue to do a great job developing younger players so I wouldn’t hesitate to put my kid in their academy programs. The past/present lack of ECNL competition could change in the future and that would change the calculus considerably.
Clubs that don’t offer ECNL competition may compete in a variety of alphabet leagues and I won’t embarrass myself trying to describe those. Because they change constantly. ALL of the leagues can be competitive and all are well crafted to separate willing suckers from their money. Which isn’t purely negative - my best friends since moving to Atlanta 14 years ago remain friendships formed “on the sidelines” of club soccer games and practices. But it is what it is and having my kids aged out - I have no qualms about telling the truth.
My #1 [fairly tongue in cheek but truthful] tip: if you’ll be in a promotion and relegation setting - don’t let your kid join a team with a short goalkeeper at U13.
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Post by Shesakeeper on May 27, 2024 7:11:03 GMT -5
We have had 3 kids at Ambush, UFA and AFU over the last ten years. Our middle just graduated last year so our U14 son is our last one, he's currently still at Ambush. My daughter had wanted a more competitive level of play than ambush offered then, so she played ECNL-R at both UFA and AFU over her high school years, but we preferred the smaller, family feel at Ambush. They have added SCCL, NPL and DPL since then, which based on the record tryout numbers the last couple of years is pulling in more talented players and I've heard rumors of another league coming on the boys side, which I'm hoping comes to fruition so I can leave my youngest there. The coaching and management there has been great. Roswell is very similar I believe. We had good experiences with UFA and a few as well, just a much bigger operation and 2-3x the number of teams so a lot of competition for the top teams.
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Post by volvodrivinsoccermom on May 27, 2024 8:59:13 GMT -5
Thank you both for your insights. I especially loved the “crafted to separate willing suckers from their money.” Spot on!
Does anyone have any experience with Concorde North or Georgia Express?
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Post by soccerboysmomma on May 27, 2024 11:27:39 GMT -5
Look into UFA Norcross as it's centrally located, smaller club feel but part of a bigger apparatus so more opportunities (ID clinics, college showcases, etc.) and 3-4x/week training for the top teams.
Boys are going back to NPL/SAPL after 2 successful years in Elite 64. SAPL is a good league with many good local ATL clubs in it and several good NC & TN clubs in it.
We've been there 10 years on the boys side. Coaching has always been good with very technical training vs boot ball. UFA Norcross has been very good to us.
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Post by soccerlegacy on May 27, 2024 12:56:19 GMT -5
Thank you both for your insights. I especially loved the “crafted to separate willing suckers from their money.” Spot on! Does anyone have any experience with Concorde North or Georgia Express? I know nothing of Georgia Express, but have relatable experience with Concorde North (having been at one of their branches), in that most satellite locations away from the main branch are similar. If your kid is driven and has a desire to play at as high of a level as possible, a satellite branch could be suitable for getting on the radar. I say this because eventually (again, if driven by playing at the highest level) they will need to make the move to the flagship branch. CF-North will give his/her name exposure to the rest of the CF club, which can open doors to higher levels quicker. Coaches across the branches will share who the better players are and this can be an asset in certain situations. Being within the CF family they can then borrow players to play with other branches. For instance, at the younger ages, if the top team at the central location is playing a tough opponent, they can reach out and have your kid join in for the game (although it can be just a regular game and they are in need of more help, too). At older ages, when tryouts are occurring, they can have an advantage of being looked at ahead of others when they want to form a top team. They might even get a spot simply for having been in the organization already. A lot of times, if choosing between two players they are looking at, all things being equal, they will give the spot to the CF player over the non-CF player. Of course, at the younger ages, it is still about development, so don't JUST choose based on it being Concorde... but, it can have advantages. |
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