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Post by logs71 on Jun 3, 2024 15:19:50 GMT -5
Hi, we have U8 offers for DDY pre-academy and IAFC academy. DDY seems smaller, which could mean more coaching and attention. But might not have the same rigor as IAFC given it's pre-academy. We're also likely to end up at IAFC eventually given they seem to have more teams at older ages. Our goal is to maximize growth, development and fun. If anyone has any experience at this age, please share.
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Post by newguy on Jun 3, 2024 16:24:58 GMT -5
Hi, we have U8 offers for DDY pre-academy and IAFC academy. DDY seems smaller, which could mean more coaching and attention. But might not have the same rigor as IAFC given its pre-academy. We're also likely to end up at IAFC eventually given they seem to have more teams at older ages. Our goal is to maximize growth, development and fun. If anyone has any experience at this age, please share. Can’t offer much but we played for the inter academy director previously. Cameron’s a good guy that will make sure the kids learn and have fun. |
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Post by terimakasih12 on Jun 3, 2024 16:45:35 GMT -5
I had young kids at DDY and Inter last season. I think DDY is decent at the pre-academy level. The coaches are positive and teach the kids passing and dribbling skills. There is a focus on building from the back too. The big question is whether you think your kid will benefit from a more competitive environment in the future. A lot of the better kids leave DDY in the later Academy years for bigger clubs and better competition.
Inter is a much bigger club that is better organized and has better coaches. Also offers MLS Next, National Academy League, and DPL (higher level leagues), while DDY will start having teams in SCCL (mid level league that Inter also competes in) for the first time next season. If you are looking to move to Inter anyway, it will be easier if the coaches know your kid in pre-academy than switching at U9 or U10. Happy to answer any questions about DDY. Feel free to send a message.
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Post by logs71 on Jun 3, 2024 20:48:28 GMT -5
Thanks for the responses! One follow-up question (for terimakasih12 or anyone) - if we do DDY pre-academy, we're worried that our child will lose ground when inevitably we move to IAFC and have to start at Club. Any sense of where the DDY academy kids typically enter at IAFC? Our older child has slowly made their way up the ranks at Inter, but had to start at the bottom the first year b/c they started later. We'd like to avoid that this go around. I was thinking that a DDY academy kid would likely be able to come in higher, but again, have only heard of kids starting at club. |
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Post by arthurblank1942 on Jun 3, 2024 20:51:05 GMT -5
DDY nowhere near as much structure or resources as Inter. However, whereas Inter used to be a neighborhood club, its current management has is trying to move away from that model. This year it made numerous offers to kids from other clubs, displacing many lifers--some of whom have now quit the club. That kind of thing used to be unheard of at Inter -- Inter used to always prefer kids that had come up through its system -- but recruitment from other clubs to the detriment of kids that started out there will apparently be the new normal with coaches like Cam and Saxon also looking to bring their favorites from SSA and CF. So, Inter might be good if your son or daughter can secure a spot on a top team and keep it in the face of competition from other clubs. But DDY will likely give him or her more personal attention.
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Post by terimakasih12 on Jun 3, 2024 21:06:50 GMT -5
DDY nowhere near as much structure or resources as Inter. However, whereas Inter used to be a neighborhood club, its current management has is trying to move away from that model. This year it made numerous offers to kids from other clubs, displacing many lifers--some of whom have now quit the club. That kind of thing used to be unheard of at Inter -- Inter used to always prefer kids that had come up through its system -- but recruitment from other clubs to the detriment of kids that started out there will apparently be the new normal with coaches like Cam and Saxon also looking to bring their favorites from SSA and CF. So, Inter might be good if your son or daughter can secure a spot on a top team and keep it in the face of competition from other clubs. But DDY will likely give him or her more personal attention. Interesting. Are you seeing this at the U9 and U10 levels? My experience has not been the same but I am newer to the club than you. Give me another year and I may have a different take. |
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Post by arthurblank1942 on Jun 3, 2024 21:35:15 GMT -5
DDY nowhere near as much structure or resources as Inter. However, whereas Inter used to be a neighborhood club, its current management has is trying to move away from that model. This year it made numerous offers to kids from other clubs, displacing many lifers--some of whom have now quit the club. That kind of thing used to be unheard of at Inter -- Inter used to always prefer kids that had come up through its system -- but recruitment from other clubs to the detriment of kids that started out there will apparently be the new normal with coaches like Cam and Saxon also looking to bring their favorites from SSA and CF. So, Inter might be good if your son or daughter can secure a spot on a top team and keep it in the face of competition from other clubs. But DDY will likely give him or her more personal attention. Interesting. Are you seeing this at the U9 and U10 levels? My experience has not been the same but I am newer to the club than you. Give me another year and I may have a different take. I think Saxon will be coaching some younger teams, so it would not be unreasonable to assume he'll bring former CF players to those teams -- though one of those teams might be the top 2014 team, so I think a year or two older than what you're asking about. But it is certainly true for 2010 - 2013, and even for 2009 (kids demoted and either quitting soccer or trying to find another club remotely close by). And that happening at 2009 is strange considering 2009 got kicked out of MLS Next a few years ago so it's not clear why it's a destination for 2009 boys. Inter appears to be pinning a lot of its hopes on the relative success of its 2010 MLS Next team to bring up the reputation of the rest of the program. Btw, no clue what happens at the girls level -- that appears to still very much be a neighborhood club that feeds TH and others. |
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Post by oraclesfriend on Jun 3, 2024 21:53:11 GMT -5
Interesting. Are you seeing this at the U9 and U10 levels? My experience has not been the same but I am newer to the club than you. Give me another year and I may have a different take. I think Saxon will be coaching some younger teams, so it would not be unreasonable to assume he'll bring former CF players to those teams -- though one of those teams might be the top 2014 team, so I think a year or two older than what you're asking about. But it is certainly true for 2010 - 2013, and even for 2009 (kids demoted and either quitting soccer or trying to find another club remotely close by). And that happening at 2009 is strange considering 2009 got kicked out of MLS Next a few years ago so it's not clear why it's a destination for 2009 boys. Inter appears to be pinning a lot of its hopes on the relative success of its 2010 MLS Next team to bring up the reputation of the rest of the program. Btw, no clue what happens at the girls level -- that appears to still very much be a neighborhood club that feeds TH and others. Saxon is coaching boys? Just a short while ago he had girls teams at CF. |
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Post by terimakasih12 on Jun 3, 2024 21:56:20 GMT -5
I think Saxon will be coaching some younger teams, so it would not be unreasonable to assume he'll bring former CF players to those teams -- though one of those teams might be the top 2014 team, so I think a year or two older than what you're asking about. But it is certainly true for 2010 - 2013, and even for 2009 (kids demoted and either quitting soccer or trying to find another club remotely close by). And that happening at 2009 is strange considering 2009 got kicked out of MLS Next a few years ago so it's not clear why it's a destination for 2009 boys. Inter appears to be pinning a lot of its hopes on the relative success of its 2010 MLS Next team to bring up the reputation of the rest of the program. Btw, no clue what happens at the girls level -- that appears to still very much be a neighborhood club that feeds TH and others. Saxon is coaching boys? Just a short while ago he had girls teams at CF. Yep. He's coaching u9 boys along with U12 girls. www.interatlantafc.com/coaching-staff |
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Post by soccergirlz on Jun 4, 2024 8:20:40 GMT -5
anything under u12 it doesnt really matter the club....kids develop at different ages....I would try and find out who is coaching and also do what is convenient for you. your child will either take to it or wont. i had kids playing rec soccer in a church league until u12 and played D1 soccer. regardless...both are good clubs for a young age....Inter is great and well organized....but DDY produced a current ATL UTD player...  |
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Post by terimakasih12 on Jun 4, 2024 10:50:07 GMT -5
anything under u12 it doesnt really matter the club....kids develop at different ages....I would try and find out who is coaching and also do what is convenient for you. your child will either take to it or wont. i had kids playing rec soccer in a church league until u12 and played D1 soccer. regardless...both are good clubs for a young age....Inter is great and well organized....but DDY produced a current ATL UTD player... Agree to an extent, but I do think you want to be somewhere that focuses on technical development. Do the coaches teach the kids to pass around pressure instead of booming it? Are kids getting better at dribbling, trapping, moving into space, etc.? Are kids allowed to make mistakes and not go straight to the bench? The answers will vary from club to club at the Academy level. |
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Post by logs71 on Jun 4, 2024 11:23:27 GMT -5
These comments are all really helpful. Thank you.
I got a bit more information from the clubs on the structure. For DDY, it is truly pre-academy with training 2x/week and mostly 4v4 and 5v5 in-house matches on the weekend (some matches later with other clubs). For Inter, it is academy with training 2x/week and 7v7 weekly games against local clubs plus pre and post season tourneys.
So seems to be similar amount of training (and both have great coaches) and Inter seems clearly more competitive. Not sure which is more developmentally appropriate for a 6 yr old. My child is very competitive, but then again I don't want to burn them out.
We did find out that we would have a friend on the Inter team, which seems to be a big plus for the fun factor.
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