Moving to Austin area

We are moving to the Austin area and I am wanting recommendations on clubs to consider our girls both play. 1 select the other academy. I have tried to join at soccer.net but their sight is so different from this one. I am still waiting on access to the board and can't really post or see anything.

more about the team and coach. what age groups?

D1 Lake Highlands 04 and my little one is an 08 has played with Sting and DT Malano

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205496593361292&l=0b03aed2f9

http://www.lonestar-sc-sa.com/teams.php

http://www.austintexanssc.com/page/show/1276595-04g-red-2014-2015-
Congratulations to the Austin Texans 04G who took second place in the STX Directors Cup State Finals competition May 9-10 at 5-Mile Dam Park, San Marcos!

So if I am understanding this do all Austin teams at U11-U12 play 8v8 rather than 11v11?

Mew04 wrote:So if I am understanding this do all Austin teams at U11-U12 play 8v8 rather than 11v11?

Correct, and NTX will very soon be playing 9v9 at U11 and U12.

Sadly, soccer as you know it in NTX is over. We had been forewarned that soccer in the Austin area was atrocious by other NTX soccer friends and they weren't wrong.

Our oldest played LHDII at U13. When we first came down here, she was invited out to practice with the Lonestar Red/Black squads. The headcoaches gave a lot of backslaps, said they were so excited to have her... and then the runaround began. Unlike NTX, players don't try out for a specific coach/squad. The clubs decide where they put you. Take it or leave it. After tryouts, they offered her a spot on a Divison II team, which was also their very bottom team (11 out of 11 at her age group). At first the coach said STX DII is the same as LHDII. It is not remotely close to the same thing. When I told the coach I knew that was well below her level (after all... LH DII teams had just destroyed their top two teams in the Texas Cup the fall before), the woman began yelling at me, saying I didn't know anything because "I'm just her mother."

Learn the levels now (top to bottom) ECNL, Premier League West, State Classic League, Division I, Supergroup II, Division II. Here, they only play league in the fall. In STX they use the entire spring season to play the state tournaments (State Cup, President's Cup) that is played in a weekend or two in NTX.

Look up team records for your age divisions here...
http://www.wddoa.org/
http://www.stxsoccer.org/state_classic_league/

The STXsoccer forum isn't that helpful. Basically, it's nonstop trash talk.

Sting was trying to start up some younger groups here, so check in with them. The DOC situation at Austin Texans is extremely volatile and not sure where they stand as a result now. There's Dynamo Juniors out west near Lake Travis. There's also Force in Georgetown.

Unfortunately, there is a ton of politics at Lonestar in particular and the only way you get anywhere is by threatening to leave. Also, they control 90% of the teams on the girls side. My DD has a friend who last year was told he'd be on the Development Academy team on the boys side. Come August, they told him he was only good enough for their second team. When his parents threatened to leave and take him to Houston to play, they moved him up. Keep in mind, this same kid has recently trained/played with the U14 US National team. And yet... he was only good enough for their #2.

It's these kinds of shenanigans that make people hate them. And I've talked to parents who have kids on the top teams, teams in Division I and further down. Everyone is miserable. I've never seen anything like it.

I wish you the best of luck.

txtransplant wrote:Sadly, soccer as you know it in NTX is over. We had been forewarned that soccer in the Austin area was atrocious by other NTX soccer friends and they weren't wrong.

Our oldest played LHDII at U13. When we first came down here, she was invited out to practice with the Lonestar Red/Black squads. The headcoaches gave a lot of backslaps, said they were so excited to have her... and then the runaround began. Unlike NTX, players don't try out for a specific coach/squad. The clubs decide where they put you. Take it or leave it. After tryouts, they offered her a spot on a Divison II team, which was also their very bottom team (11 out of 11 at her age group). At first the coach said STX DII is the same as LHDII. It is not remotely close to the same thing. When I told the coach I knew that was well below her level (after all... LH DII teams had just destroyed their top two teams in the Texas Cup the fall before), the woman began yelling at me, saying I didn't know anything because "I'm just her mother."

Learn the levels now (top to bottom) ECNL, Premier League West, State Classic League, Division I, Supergroup II, Division II. Here, they only play league in the fall. In STX they use the entire spring season to play the state tournaments (State Cup, President's Cup) that is played in a weekend or two in NTX.

Look up team records for your age divisions here...
http://www.wddoa.org/
http://www.stxsoccer.org/state_classic_league/

The STXsoccer forum isn't that helpful. Basically, it's nonstop trash talk.

Sting was trying to start up some younger groups here, so check in with them. The DOC situation at Austin Texans is extremely volatile and not sure where they stand as a result now. There's Dynamo Juniors out west near Lake Travis. There's also Force in Georgetown.

Unfortunately, there is a ton of politics at Lonestar in particular and the only way you get anywhere is by threatening to leave. Also, they control 90% of the teams on the girls side. My DD has a friend who last year was told he'd be on the Development Academy team on the boys side. Come August, they told him he was only good enough for their second team. When his parents threatened to leave and take him to Houston to play, they moved him up. Keep in mind, this same kid has recently trained/played with the U14 US National team. And yet... he was only good enough for their #2.

It's these kinds of shenanigans that make people hate them. And I've talked to parents who have kids on the top teams, teams in Division I and further down. Everyone is miserable. I've never seen anything like it.

I wish you the best of luck.

This needs to put somewhere as a Sticky for anyone moving to STX. Nailed it.

We have been driving 5 hours to keep my girls playing quality soccer so hey what's 3 three lol if it doesn't work in Austin league we can always continue to make our weekend voyage to play good soccer

I'm originally from Austin, and I've heard this same story from friends there. College Station is 2 hours from Austin, and I know Houston Challenge has a team there. That's still a heinous drive, but might be better than a 3 or 5 hour drive. The upside is that while the politics at Lonestar are ridiculous, I usually take my dd to camp there when we visit family. She enjoys it, and has met some decent coaches there.

Mew04 wrote:We have been driving 5 hours to keep my girls playing quality soccer so hey what's 3 three lol if it doesn't work in Austin league we can always continue to make our weekend voyage to play good soccer

IF the Austin clubs try to low ball your DD, another option would be to check with the San Antonio teams. Lonestar SA in particular puts out some good teams that often compete with the top Lonestar Austin teams (until they steal them and put them on their ECNL team at U14). There is also Classic Elite.

BTW, they're doing tryouts in STX now. They "lock" rosters August 1 and most teams take the two months off in between.

We played for River City Rangers a number of years back while living in Round Rock, and have friends who currently play for One World Soccer. You might look them up.

Things have probably changed since, but when we were there the soccer attitude was less serious and more casual than N Tx. It was as if folks were just out to goof off and have a fun recreational picnic in the park on the game weekends (which is fine except there was no horseshoes, BBQ or beer). There were some talented athletes, but the player pool was much smaller. Same for quality coaches. We played fewer tournaments, practiced less, and if I remember correctly we only played 5 or 6 games during the spring. The club shuffled the girls between teams and even had mandatory playing time like rec (may have changed since). The club didn't have extra skills, and it was difficult to find outside private training, but my friend on One World said they have these things now, Austin hasn't been as immersed in the soccer culture the past few decades like N Tx, with Mr Hunt and the Tornado, Sidekicks, FC Dallas etc. and is trying to catch up.

Enjoy the journey. My dad coached at Westlake and Round Rock and we love that part of the state.