What’s the best program for your family?
There are a lot of differentiators between one program and the next but, in our opinion, Richmond FC is more things to more kids.
While Richmond United tends to focus their messaging on attracting elite players, leading to a lack of grassroots depth at many age groups, the private academies such as TSS and Supra do a better job at helping those players get to representative leagues, though they do cost more money. BCCSF is very niche and super small, which leaves RFC.
The knock on RFC is, because it’s been around for a while and is larger by a wide margin than the other entities, kids can get a little lost in the system. The other side of that is, with more teams comes more depth, meaning you don’t get into situations where kids can’t advance to their proper level, or where less advanced kids are pushed up early to make up the numbers.
RFC is currently undergoing a reorganization wherein teenage RFC players are earning coaching accreditation so they can help younger teams develop and build a potential coaching career as an alternative to playing rep soccer, which is a good addition.
Finally, RFC has signed a Technical Director we believe is the best in Canada by a healthy margin, so their program is technically superior to just about any community club we know of in BC.
The fat that you’re forced to choose between clubs is not ideal. It means neighbours and families and friends and sometimes even teammates are split for no reason at all, instead of everyone coming together as one. RFC has long been publicly calling for Richmond clubs to merge into one entity that does more for more families, a situation that seems inevitable and mutually beneficial. For now, RUSC doesn’t want to discuss mergers, so families are forced to choose.
We believe with all things considered – price, program, depth, governance, and diversity – and with Richmond FC publicly putting families first by calling for a merger – that RFC presents the best option for most families.
To register, visit their website at www.richmondfc.ca