Why Choose DCYFC?

Why Choose DCYFC

WHY CHOOSE DCYFC

THE DCYFC OPPORTUNITY

DCYFC has established itself as one of the leading small soccer organizations in Washington DC to train, teach, coach and mentor boys and girls ages 6 to 16 interested in developing on and off the field.

DCYFC has created an opportunity for girls and boys ages 7 to 16 to tryout and be chosen for a "select" team. The teams compete in local leagues in Montgomery County, it is competitive and our fees are substantially less than other clubs in the area.

The other big advantage is we are local. Our training is local, our fields are in DC, are convenient and no hassles of driving at the traffic-congested hour of 4:00pm in the afternoon to Montgomery County to get a field.

Our "select" team games are within 35 minutes and we play against top-notch competition. For "travel" soccer you can drive 60-90 minutes to games (Vienna, Va., Annapolis, Columbia, Frederick, Hagerstown, Md., Fredericksburg and Richmond, Va.) against lesser competition. Don't be confused by "travel" soccer. It doesn't translate to quality soccer.

WHO IS DCYFC

The DC Youth Futbol Club (DCYFC) is a small, independent, locally-based and chartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit soccer organization in Washington DC. We established an Academy training program in 2012 and expanded to create "select" teams in the Fall 2014.

We are a full service club that offers a more competitive and higher level of soccer. Join a club and academy with committed and talented players along with excellent coaches.

DCYFC is motivated and driven to develop a higher standard of youth soccer for boys and girls ages 6 to 16 through year round programs of training, clinics, teams and games.

Join a Club that focuses on your development.

DCYFC has an open, honest and solid reputation. Just surf the DCYFC website. We play fair, hard and by the rules.
More importantly, our coaches understand the game, have played the game, gone through the rigors of "select" youth soccer as a player, as a parent and continue to play competitively.

FACTS

DCYFC has 300 players and 14 "Select" teams for Fall 2018.
Included are 60 players in its Development Academy which is designed to improve soccer skills for girls and boys ages 6 - 10.
More than eighty-five (85) percent of our players are DC residents and some "Select" teams are 100% DC residents.
We are a small community of dedicated players and parents.
We not only represent all neighborhoods in the city but from all parts of the world. It is a community atmosphere based on good friendships, camraderie and positive reinforcement among players and parents.
We maintain the small town atmosphere of the club by training together. Our club is a community. We provide the intangibles of a small club -- intimacy, training together and providing charitable donations through First Touch Soccer.

In cooperation with First Touch Soccer (www.FirstTouchSoccer.org), we offer 4 seasons of training, coaching and scrimmages for our Academy players.

TRAVEL SOCCER: IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

The idea that "travel" soccer equates to quality soccer is fiction. Playing in the lower boys and girls divisions of the Washington DC area National Capital Soccer League (NCSL), Club Champions League (CCL) or Elite Development Program (EDP) is not a formula or path to soccer glory. In fact, to be honest, it is an excessive, over-priced product with little relationship to quality soccer. Parents and others are enamored with the "travel" soccer mystique. It is promoted as a status symbol -- equivalent to elite play. It's not.

The "travel" moniker is being used to lure players into thinking its elite soccer. Playing on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th team at your age group for the club is not going to get you the coveted collegiate soccer scholarship. In fact, it's extremely unlikely playing on the first team will get you one.

In fact, some of these clubs have "travel" teams play in area recreation leagues. Is it really worth the fees you are paying to play on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th team at your club?

ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVES

A Parent Perspective

As the parents of a young budding soccer star during the first decade of the 21st century, our family went through the rigors of balancing school work, school events, other sports and High School soccer conflicts not to mention the numerous spring and fall tournaments.

As explained in the boxes on this page, the path to soccer glory is arduous. DCYFC discusses this because many parents are unfamiliar with the process and where it might lead. There is incredible competition in the Washington DC area, injuries are always a concern and the sheer physical demands are not for everyone.

Don't get me wrong -- it was a great experience. She was an All-ISL selection, state cup winner and Region 1 semi-finalist. My daughter learned what it was like to manage her time, balance school work and mange the demands of High School and elite "select" team soccer.

Having gone through it as a parent, I can offer a somewhat different perspective that you might get from a young coach or a club that needs the revenue to sustain its program. Fortunately, our coaches do it as a labor of love and not as a primary source of income. We have no alterior motive and we certainly don't do it for the money.

EXPECTATIONS

Let's get real about what your goals and expectations are for travel soccer. No doubt if you play in Division 1 of EDP and CCL or ECNL and the Development Academy League, you will play in the more prestigious regional and national tournaments. But don't expect those college coaches to offer scholarships. Let's do the numbers. With about 300 Division 1 colleges offering athletic scholarships, there are, on average, 4 roster spaces each year after seniors graduate.

This means there are approximately 1,200 full scholarships available. The math doesn't lie.

Attached are links to two articles. The first is a link to a fascinating college scholarship website. As it explains, "the math doesn't lie." Very few if any players receive a full scholarship and the typical athletic scholarship is probably $10,000. Also, don't forget playing an athletic sport in college is close to a full time job. Early morning practices, lots of weekend travel, off-season weight training and little playing time the first couple of years most likely.

In addition, to place things into perspective, the second link is to the June 13, 2015 Washington Post sports section on the elite local athletes receiving offers to play college soccer. As discussed below, these college recruits are the coveted athletes not to mention the honorable mention candidates, Olympic Development Program participants and the numerous MLS youth academies. Multiply the Washington area region by 1,000 to account for all the other cities, towns, counties and regions where coveted elite athletes play.

WWW.SCHOLARSHIPSTATS.COM

HTTP://WWW.WASHINGTONPOST.COM/WP-SRV/SPORTS/HIGHSCHOOLS/2015/SPRING-ALL-MET/BOYS-SOCCER/INDEX.HTML

HTTP://WWW.WASHINGTONPOST.COM/WP-SRV/SPORTS/HIGHSCHOOLS/2015/SPRING-ALL-MET/GIRLS-SOCCER/INDEX.HTML

We would strongly urge you to go and watch a college soccer game in the area -- Georgetown, Maryland, American, GWU and GMU. Do you think you will eventually compete at this level? Get ready to play 200-250 days per year to even consider making it at this level.

We urge you to look at the college soccer resumes of players at Division I, II and III schools. The resumes are as follows: all-county, all-state, all-metropolitan region, all-tournament, led team/league in goals scored, ODP Regional and National Pool player, defensive player of the year and/or most valuable player. These are the highly recruited and coveted kids. And they come from all over the country not to mention recruits from South America, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia.

So, you might ask what happened to my daughter's youth soccer career. Well, I'll admit, she was groomed to play at the college level. She was talented, creative and had great skill -- I say this as both a parent and a coach!

But when it came down to decide where she wanted to go to college and what she wanted to do, soccer was an afterthought. Could she have played. Most certainly. Would she have received a college scholarship -- very unlikely.

She played because she loved the game. College soccer is another animal.

Ten years ago the cost to play "select" team soccer was a few hundred dollars. Probably equivalent to what DCYFC fees are today. Would we have spent thousands of dollars to play in the lower divisions of the "travel" leagues -- not a chance.

DCYFC Academy Program

With the DCYFC Academy program, we offer an opportunity for younger players and those not ready for a "select" team to train and become a more skilled and better soccer player through game understanding.

It is not a reasonable expectation to make the jump to a "select" team at ages 8-12 if they have not gone through a more structured and technically demanding training routine.

Recreation soccer is an enjoyable atmosphere for the parents but it is not known for quality coaches. It is time for the kids to let loose but unfortunately it is not the place to develop as a soccer player.

In fact, the habits learned here are frequently a major deterrent and impediment to improving your technical skills.

Again, ask any qualified soccer coach and they will tell you that habits learned in recreation soccer are difficult to break. Whether it is how to kick, control, pass, or dribble a ball or positioning on the field, these incorrect soccer habits are not easily fixed.

The Soccer Industrial Complex

President Eisenhower warned us about the military/industrial complex. We are here to warn you about the soccer industrial complex.

Think FIFA! Local clubs in the area pay tens of thousands of dollars per year and in some cases more than a $100,000/year to become members of the state youth soccer associations and the national youth association.

Further, we have no interest nor do we want to be part of the soccer industrial complex.

Ten years ago there were 5 NCSL League divisions. Today, there are more than ten U10-U12 divisions. Players on teams in the bottom tier divisions pay the average club fees of $3,000 to $4,000 per year. This is serious money to fork out for glorified recreational soccer. These clubs and leagues are the Soccer Industrial Complex!

For us, it is not about the money!! It's a small and dedicated soccer organization with an Academy program to train soccer players and the formation of "select" teams to compete in a competitive league. It's about the kids having fun.

What is the soccer industrial complex? Simply,

clubs impose mandatory rules about purchasing uniforms at specific retail outlets;
worried more about shirt fashion than taking corrective actions to improve the quality of play and referees;
joining national soccer organizations yet not following soccer's "Laws of the Game" such as correct field size;
impose excessive costs for a game that is about a ball and shinguards;
worried more about who their sponsors are than improving the quality of soccer within their entire club;
concerned more about generating revenue without giving back to the local community.

We strongly believe that once people get to know what we do and what we provide at the price we charge there is no doubt more will join us. It is about the kids -- nothing else.