We are moving from Virginia to the Palm Harbor/Dunedin area next month. I have a rising U11 daughter that has played club for two years. I want her to continue playing competitive soccer on a good team and I don't have that much time to figure out the soccer scene down there. Money is important, but secondary to quality training and proximity. Don't want to make a bad decision and have to live with it for a year. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
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The top two clubs for girls soccer at U11 is WFF and TBU. no other real options imo -
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What is the deal with WFF? It seems as though they have 3 locations: Palm Harbor, Tarpon, and Brandon. Do all three have club teams? Definitely cannot make an hour trip across Tampa 3-4x/week to go to Brandon campus. TBU looks doable...Do all their club teams work out of Ed Radice Park?
Is CDL considered the highest quality league that U11's play in down there?
I know... a lot of questions. Maybe I'll make some calls to these clubs today...Comment
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yes - she played U10 last year 6v6. This coming year, starting in June or July will be U11 8v8.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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If you contact clubs you can find out when/where their training sessions are. I'd start there. If you know the sport (have played yourself) then you will be able to get a good idea of who is providing what you are seeking. The WFF team at that age group (in Palm Harbor) is rather weak at the moment but who is to say if that will/won't change. The Clearwater Chargers are pretty strong at that age group and have a great trainer IMO. Largo, while a smaller club and playing in a weaker league, probably have the best trainer in the area for that age group. TBU is strong (technically proficient players for their age) at that age group but could actually use a few more aggressive/physical type players IMO. WFF in Brandon is a very strong team and while I haven't seen their training sessions it reflects in their play.Comment
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Definitely WFF. They have the best girls program (ECNL) on the West Coast. AT her age she would play locally for now. If your daughter is serious about soccer and one of the best players in her age group then she would be set up to join their ECNL team when she gets on age. They use the Palm Harbor facility for physical training on Monday and technical training on Wednesday by Jake and all the girls LOVE Jake! :))). Regular practices are held Tuesday and Thursday. Carpooling to Brandon in a few years is not as bad as you think. To be the best there are sacrifices that have to be made.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Celtic is your best option,Comment
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Here is the Gotsoccer rankings, go look for yourself, make a few phone calls, and decide for yourself what club you think best is for your kid.
http://home.gotsoccer.com/rankings.aspx
Since there is really no way to look at U10 and evaluate which team at U10 is good for your kid, maybe look at all the club's rankings in the area at all of the age groups.
Again, go look for yourself, make a few phone calls, and decide for yourself what club you think best is for your kid.Comment
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thanks for the input
This was a good source of info. Thanks for the link. They could make the database better by drilling down to the county level (or districts within state) to help with decision making, but I am not complaining! I wish there was a way to quantify the quality of age groups before U11, but that's what tryouts are for. It was surprising how well the central florida teams are ranked statewide. I kind of have a vision of central Florida - geriatrics, wheelchairs, and a pharmacy on every corner - not a hotbed of youth soccer. Somewhere, somehow, someone is doing something right.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
Thanks for the input everybody! I will check out WFF, TBU, and CW chargers. Seems like these are the biggest clubs in the area and all have quality teams and good training. She is only 10, but she is a quality player and a lot of things can change over the next several years. ECNL does not kick in until U14 so it is really not an issue at this point. Good to know there is an ECNL club in the area if she would like to pursue it in the future.Comment
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u11 girls
FC TAMPA RANGERS will be a good start for you.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Stay away from these clubs: PCU, Largo, Dunedin, Celtic, Everton, Tarpon, Oldsmar, they all play in the weak USA League and have a terrible reputation for lacking the ability to teach soccer skills. Almost all of these clubs use parent coaches and also just play kickball. The only four choices that you should be looking at based on your location are: TBU, Chargers, Strictly and WFF. All of these clubs have the ability to allow your child to play in the best soccer leagues in the area. All of these clubs use the best trainers in the area, so you should only consider these teams.Comment
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As an added bonus, your kid, if she makes the A team, will get to beat up on B and C teams all season which is great for water cooler talk at your office! You can also complain about driving 3 hours for a regular season game against a C team too!Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
It's awesome! And no matter what you hear, don't believe for a second that the big clubs gain Got Soccer points from piecing together the best of 30 or 40 players in an age group. All that doesn't mean their training isn't the best. It just means that they have the ability to pull from the best natural players to put 10 kids on a roster. Never mind the other 30 weak players that are coached by the same coaches. It is surely the superior training at the big clubs that matter. And there isn't a single possibility that a coach in your kid's age group from a smaller club is a better coach than the big club has. Lol
Oh... And A Strictly supporter just tried to lump itself in with the big clubs. Don't be fooled. Tet can't field a team at every age group. Actually had to borrow a small club team this year. :)Comment
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