Albion Soccer Club

Before you cut the check make sure you are happy with the team and coach. We were with Albion OC for 6 months and that was 6 months to long. Some of the coaches and trainers seemed okay but not ours. Not supportive and very negative. I don’t think I heard one positive comment to a player. Very sad. Seemed more interested in the bottom line and collecting money. And if you do leave get the player card first. They wouldn’t give ours back and had to send multiple emails to get the birth certificate back.

Quick Summary Expensive/​Poor Club Management — Mostly Great Coaches —
I have been with this club for over a year now… You’ll notice the great reviews are really about the coaches and the poor reviews are really about the club. It’s one of the most expensive clubs out there and after reading each review on here I can say that I have had very similar experiences.
I do believe at the end of the day they are a business and I can’t fault them for that… that being said you have to understand that ultimately those affected most will be your kids. Be your kid’s best advocate!
CONS
— Most expensive fees out there upwards of $ 1800 yearly fees (not including tournament fees, uniform, mandatory «Albion equipment»)
— Fundraising– mandatory fundraising (raffle tickets at $ 20 each minimum required sale of 20) including other minimum fundraising. If you fundraise — first $ 500 goes back to club then your team gets to keep it for tournament fees/​travel fees (not sure if this is the same at other clubs??)
–No response from the directors– I had an issue that I emailed the director about and here I am 8 months later never heard back. At this point the issue is moot but like anything you ignore if it doesn’t get resolved properly — it becomes about not being resolved rather than the issue itself. (Hence why I mention it)
— The last tournament they hosted was rained out (of course not their fault) however it was poorly handled– there was NO Immediate RESPONSE to concerns/​complaints for weeks — and during this time any contact with the club about other issues was handle unprofessionally and they were just plain rude. (Guess they were really upset again speaks to club management)
— Coaches– Actual words that came from a coach’s mouth to a 7 year old in tears «stop being a cry baby» …and when questioned about it the coach’s response was «…just heard the other kids doing so I did it thinking it would get him to stop» —
let me just stop here for a second… And confirm yes this was an adult that was in charge of 7 – 8 year olds.
This seems to have been isolated but speak volumes to the hiring decisions on the club’s part.
–Albion South Bay– no consistency with practice schedules and the home field was basically a small hill last year and frequently muddy and unkept. That has since changed however finding good practice fields has been a challenge for them again poor club management. (Probably very difficult since they’re are the newest club in that area and other clubs are more established…)
–Team Placement/​Try-​Outs — are a joke… Returning players with secure spots usually skip some or all of try outs even though it’s against club rules.
Don’t commit financially until they commit to team placement otherwise you’ll just be placed anywhere they can fit you even if that means playing your child up. (Check other reviews)
PROs
–Coaches — for the most part the coaches are great the example above was really out there but I still had to include it because it speaks to the club’s decision in hiring coaches.
Last year our coach wasn’t a good fit but I believe that can happen anywhere. I do believe that the coach was good just not for us. In fact a friend of mine has a child with that coach and the child is thriving. (I actually recommended because I thought it would be a good fit given I had experience with the personalities… seems to be working out)
This year we got a great coach and it was a good fit.
This will probably be the last year with play with Albion — given that ALL SOCCER CLUBS have issues and the thing that is MOST important is finding a coach that is a good fit. So why not try out other less expensive clubs and seek the coach out. Who knows maybe your «best fit» coach is with Albion then the frustrations will be worth it?
Here is what I’ve learned —
— Find a coach that fits well don’t worry about the club affiliation. (That might mean more or less expensive club or even following a coach to another club)
–Don’t commit until THEY commit to you and your child (coach consistency/​team placement)
–Club Soccer — is its own little world and meant to be competitive and at times insane be ready for it! This is NOT just for fun AYSO…

Not sure why it’s taken 4 weeks to decide what team to place my son on, but after practicing with 2 teams they tried to slip him onto a 3^rd team that NEEDS him. Not place him where he needs to be, feel like the run around may have just begun. I will say however; most of the coaches are excellent.

One of the best places to teach kids life skills with coaches that are passionate and caring about the game and all it means.

VERY bad experience with Albion for both my kids. They are focused on making money and Noah Gins is like a seedy used cars salesman. He will tell you what you want to hear to get you signed up. Once signed up it will be like pulling teeth to get any info out of these guys. There are some much better and much nicer (more ethical) soccer clubs in San Diego so don’t fall for their heavy sales pitch. Go elsewhere.

Albion has 5 ways for junior players to improve
— regular weekly practices, 2×90 mins, plus 30 mins pre-​practice optional «juggling club».
— weekly friday clinics, about 10 per season, focusing on different skills
— every team, even AA-​C, enters 5 tournaments, minimum.
— they have a «core curriculum» of skills to practice and they test you twice a year. and they tell you your score! the skills include skill moves and Brazilian soccer moves and a juggling score. To get a perfect juggling score you must do 50 juggles sequentially in 5 mins, but that’s only one of ~15 skills you need to master!
— outside extra-​cost training (personal training through pro select, camps through pro select and excellence in goalkeeping) which are of higher-​than-​average quality for soccer camps, run by Albion coaches.
At some clubs, the burden of getting better is shouldered entirely by the player and the particular coach — the club does very little to help! At this club, the ENTIRE CLUB is making a sincere effort to accelerate player development !! My son has trained with 3 different coaches at different times and it’s only his first year, five stars!
Edit: 5÷12÷2013: Well, it’s been a year since we left this club. We found a coach that was exceptional at another club. In club soccer, it’s really all about the COACH, a good club is a great backstop. As soon as we left Albion, we were offered spots on much higher-​ranking teams, one of which destroyed the Albion team «We weren’t qualified to play for». Albion in some ways is like any other very-​large club, it’s great if you’re on the A team, not as great if you’re below that level.
Still, playing for Albion doesn’t hurt your resume, even on a lower-​level team.

My son plays for an Albion Team, the skill set he came in with was a 4 (scale of 1 – 10) in a years time he has gainned so much prob an 8 now. He has a great coach and wonderful team mates. If you are looking to join a competitive soccer club you should try out for Albion SC