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 24 Positive Reviews –  9 Negative Reviews |
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Abbey Villa S.C.
Background
Abbey Villa S. C. is based in based in Hopkinton, Massachusetts with satellites in Shrewsbury, North Grafton, Newton, Uxbridge and Ashland; the club was created in 2002. This is a pressure-free environment where self-esteem is fostered by encouraging players to “express themselves” with their soccer ball and learn from their mistakes.
Abbey Villa S. C. promotes the Total Football concept from the very early stages of soccer development. This concept is anchored in a methodology that encourages each player to aspire to play a controlled game.
Total Football is a tactical way of playing soccer in which any player can take the role of any other player on the field. So if a midfielder needs to attack or defend then he /she can play that position on-the-fly. No player has a specific role other than the goalie; players are tested physically and need to be comfortable with playing many positions. There is less of an emphasis on winning and more on player development.
This approach is not traditionally taught in the U.S., though the Total Football movement is gaining recognition on the West Coast.
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For more information see 5 Best Soccer Teams in Mass AND the new article written Is “Total Football” Effective? |  |
Club Highlights
Abbey Villa S.C. has 28 teams playing premier soccer in Massachusetts and regional leagues; the emphasis is on player development; there is a great emphasis on ball possession and technical ability.
Teams train in the Hopkinton area. The main home field for game day is Lancaster Citizen Bank. During winter teams train in the surrounding indoor facilities. The Hopkinton based teams main winter home is Hit Quarters in Shrewsbury. They also train in Northborough and Franklin.
Abbey Villa S.C. provides opportunities for players ages 8 to 17 years old to play soccer at the highest level through their Club Teams. Youth Academy (below) is offered for boys and girls aged 6-9 while their Soccer Mini is offered for children aged 3-6 years old. The Club’s primary focus is player development through the teaching of technique.
Abbey Villa S.C. is a very competitive club playing in MAPLE, MASC and Regionals.
Camps/Clinics
There are many summer (and winter!) clinics available for just about every age group and skill level; there are so many you will not need to work your summer vacation plans around them. For more information please see Summer Clinics.
Young Players
Abbey Villa has a youth academy that started just in 2011 and has more than 50 players; the academy is for girls and boys ages 6 - 9 years old. The academy strives to provide a fun, safe and pressure free environment where children can learn to play and love the game of soccer; they accept all applicants. For more information please see the Abbey Villa website.
Tournaments
TBA
Facilities
| Carpe Diem Technologies 34 Saxon Street Franklin, MA 02038-3023 |
Hit Quarters 3 Tennis Drive Shrewsbury, MA 01545-3378 |
TEAMWORKS Northborough 185 Otis Street Northborough, MA 01532 |
| Cornell’s 229 Hayden Rowe Street Hopkinton, MA 0174 |
Hubbard Field 81 Creeper Hill Rd North Grafton, MA 01536 |
MetroWest Sportscenter 270 Eliot Street Ashland, MA 01721 |
| Emerald Hills 35 Greenwood Road Hopkinton, MA 01748 |
Melican Middle School 145 Lincoln St Northborough, MA 01532 |
YMCA Fields Hopkinton 45 East St Hopkinton, MA 01748 |
| Faith Community Church 146 E.Main St. Hopkinton, MA 01748 |
Citizens Bank Fields MYSA 512 Old Union Turnpike Lancaster, MA 01523 |
Website
- The website of Abbey Villa is easy to read and contains a fair amount of information.
- The key information you need for the club is all in here.
Leave your comments and ratings for Abbey Villa S.C. below!
We do not like this club at all. parents seem very overbearing and take way too serious. not what we signed up for. like the coaches are good though. Thanks.
I respectfully disagree. My daughter just attended one of their clinics, and she enjoyed herself very much.
Less parent involvement? Fewer tournaments?
How would that benefit your child?
We cannot say enough nice things about Abbey Villa. I would say as a parent I love the fact that my children are happy and developing not only amazing soccer skills but wonderful friends and personal self confidence from their amazing trainers.
I have 3 children in AVSC and (BU16, BU13, GU11) I truly believe in the clubs philosiphy and players development. If you want to see your kids play soccer the way it should be played.. then this is the club you want your kids playing for.
Our boys have been playing for Abbey Villa for the past 3 years. My husband really admired the coaching style that he observed at games and tournaments when our kids played against their teams, so we decided to have them join. We really like all the coaches and the club style. They are teaching great soccer. It has been a low pressure club, yet everyone that is involved is very enthusiastic and very committed.
Although a few players have come and gone over the past few years, many of the kids that the boys started with are still playing for the same teams which says a lot in itself. The club is really growing a lot and the facilities and the coaching staff are expanding to keep up. We have encouraged a lot of friends to have their kids play with the club as well, and they have been really happy.
I could not be happier with Abbey Villa. My child has grown tremendously as a player since joining the club. They have a strong belief about how to develop soccer players and they stick with it in games and practices. The trainers are great and easy to deal with. Best of all, the players and parents are a joy to be around, which has not always been my experience with club soccer.
My 8-year-old daughter attended Abbey Villa S.C.’s Summer Fast Feet Clinic in Northborough the week of July 23rd. She had a great time. The clinic was both challenging and rewarding. At the end of Day 1, she was exhausted, but happy. She welcomed the next day, and the next, etc. She had been to soccer camps / clinics through other soccer / football clubs before, but this is the first time she had taken an AVSC Fast Feet Clinic. Every summer she does 1 or 2 soccer camps / clinics. This year she just did this one.
She liked the trainers very much and felt accepted and welcomed by them and “the bigger kids” who also took part in the clinic. She said the group was very nice, and though she only knew a handful of the other attendees, she made friends quickly. She particularly admired the older AVSC “club” players and their excellent foot skills and unbelievable ability to maintain possession of the ball, even under great pressure. Though they were such good players, they were very down to Earth. My daughter commented on this more than once. They even encouraged her. I’m sure that helped her feel at ease. She was able to take risks and step out of her comfort zone, trying out new moves without embarrassment or hesitation.
She liked this clinic because it wasn’t “more of the same stuff” or a carbon copy of another club’s clinic. It was quite unique. She said it was tough, which she enjoyed. It kept her engaged and interested. It was very high energy. She diligently worked to improve her foot skills, and took pride in showing her father and I what she learned when she got home. She never once said, “I’m bored,” which is something I’ve heard her say about other clinics / camps.
Ultimately, we as parents just want our children to be happy. My daughter loves soccer and this clinic put a smile on her face. That, in turn, made me happy, which explains why I’m leaving this very favorable comment. I recommend this clinic highly. This club and its teaching of Total Football (peppered with tiki-taka) is a great resource for those looking for more in-depth soccer technique development.
I forgot to mention that my 4 1/2 year-old daughter participated in the AVSC Villa Soccer Mini’s Summer Clinic in Northborough. It was only for 45 minutes each day, which was perfect for her age and attention span. She was on the same field as her big sister, so she felt very proud, even though she was in the designated Mini’s section. She put forth maximum effort and enjoyed every minute of it.
Of course the trainers did not cover improving first touch or fast footwork or fluid passing with the Mini’s like they did with my older daughter and her peers. Instead, they worked on getting the children to practice good touches on the ball in a fun way, through age-appropriate games. She LOVED it!
On the last day of the clinic, she and I stayed after her session was over in order to observe the rest of her big sister’s session. During the final scrimmage the coaches involved her by naming her the ball girl. She was so happy! She got to get the balls that were kicked out in her area and bring them over to one of the coaches. I thought that was very nice of them. She was chomping at the bit to join in, and they picked up on that and found a way to include her. They were so easygoing and welcoming! Their actions impressed me.
She has taken AVSC’s Villa Soccer Mini’s classes at Hit Quarters in Shrewsbury before. She will continue to attend those Mini’s classes whenever they are offered. Her gross motor and direction following skills have improved so much since first taking part in these classes.
In the future, if she sticks with soccer, I would love to have her participate in Abbey Villa S.C.’s new Academy offering in Northborough for 6-9 year-olds. She would pick up such great skills if she did. What a great foundation that would be! We’ll see. She is her own person and she may or may not follow in her sister’s footsteps. Who knows what the future will hold? All I know for sure is that both of my girls have been very happy with their Abbey Villa S.C. experiences to date.
Only one really competent coach here, and he’s a hot head. Focus of development quickly becomes just for certain players. Very expensive club for what you get. Too few tournaments, and the portion of the fee for coaches expenses is outlandish. The over all theme is to separate families form their hard earned money.
I saw your comment after adding to one of my previous comments, and I have to respectfully disagree with you, though I must admit I cannot speak to all of the points you have made.
What I can say is that every trainer I’ve seen working with my girls has been highly competent and skilled, and not one has been a “hot head.”
Secondly, from my observations, the focus of the club is to provide continuous technical development to ALL of their players in a fun way. That is why they accept everyone who has an interest in improving their soccer skills. Normally, you will get out what you put into it. I have found this to be a general truth of most things in life.
Thirdly, clubs are expensive. They are not “town” programs. One must compare apples to apples. As far as clubs go, I believe Abbey Villa S.C. falls somewhere in the middle on the spectrum of cost.
After quickly checking their site, it looks like they participate in plenty of tournaments. They have posted several pictures taken at tournaments, as well as have tournament updates under team news. How many more tournaments did you want the club to enter teams in?
I have no idea what “the portion of the fee for coaches expenses” might be. Where would one find out that information? I looked at their site and couldn’t find it. I’m a doubting Thomas by nature. I need to see it to believe it.
Finally, clubs are businesses, plain and simple, whether they are “non-profits” or not. Everybody knows that. They sell a service that people are willing to pay for. If not, then there wouldn’t be so many of them in the state of Massachusetts alone.
Clubs are not for everybody. We all have to make decisions based on what is best for our own families. What is good for mine may not be good for yours, and that is O.K. To each his own.
“I have no idea what “the portion of the fee for coaches expenses” might be. Where would one find out that information?”
Cost of tournament per team (always on tournament web sites) divided by the number of players is the base cost per player.
Take the amount per player charged by the club and subtract the base cost.
That will give you fee per player coach/club gets.
Thanks for the info. GC. I will look into it further now that you’ve mentioned it. You’ve peaked my curiosity. After I do the math, I’ll let you know whether or not I agree or disagree with you that “the portion of the fee for coaches expenses is outlandish.”
GC,
Again, I can only speak to what I know. The GU10 Valencia (B) team played in the Bandit’s Cup in Devens, MA, along with a few other AVSC teams. The U10 Valencia girls were NOT asked to pay a dime. AVSC covered the whole $575 U10 team fee.
The Valencia girls were later asked if they’d like to play in the 30th Columbus Day Nashua World Cup Tournament (2012) in NH, but most of the girls on the team had committed to play with their town teams in a tournament in Natick, MA. If they were indeed playing in that NH tournament, they would have been expected to pay $30 per player. If 12 players could have made it, that would come to a total of $360. (Even if they had been asked for $35 / player, it would still only bring the total to $420.) On the tournament’s website it said 6v6 = $375. 8v8 = $425. Using your (excellent) explanation of how to calculate the portion of the fee for coaches expenses, I still don’t see how you could possibly say AVSC’s cut is outlandish. In fact, I don’t see them making any profit here. They more likely lose money. Maybe I am missing something, but the math doesn’t support your claim. So far this season, the club has been nothing but fair.
Thanks for getting me to check it out, though, and for giving me that clear and concise explanation. Much appreciated!
I think you are both leaving out the most expensive cost for a club – field rental. The usual minimum price to rent a grass field to practice for an hour is $125. You change that to turf, it goes up, you move indoors for winter training and it doubles. And no team I know of practices for just an hour. Their fees are not outlandish, but they certainly aren’t “losing” money! Even a non-profit can’t go into something like this and be losing money – unless they have a fairy Godmother. They still aren’t the best club around but they aren’t bilking anyone either.
Neither one of us was leaving that out. We were talking about what we were talking about: tournament fees. So, yes, they probably lost money. Regardless, I have no idea what they pay for field rental, and I’m not going there. I really don’t care. People who have their children play for clubs know there is a cost attached…Period. We make a choice. Anyhow, I can agree with you that they aren’t “bilking” us. Regarding being the best club, that is a matter of opinion, now isn’t it? You think yours is the best. My daughter thinks hers is the best. You’re both right, because it is based on your personal experience. Even my young daughter grasps that concept. Again, to each his own.
If you actually sat down and figured the cost, it is not at all expensive. You pay 19.70 per hour for three hours of practice per week. This is not including the extra practices they had in August or the games. Try another sport, say gymnastics or dance and you are paying $20-$28 per hour/class. Do tyour homework and you will see that even though it is a bit costly up front you are getting a lot for your dollar.
I don’t think this club is too expensive. In fact, it’s more in the mid-range of Massachusetts clubs. Having said that, you get what you pay for.
So very sad, Jerry. Stick to writing great things about your own club, and leave this one alone. They see potential in every player. They have the ability to develop it. My daughter has improved, as have her friends. If a child has the will to improve their skills, they’ll do great. If you are just looking to win games, then their philosophy will not suit you. Their site is pretty clear. Everything is transparent. No surprises, which is nice.
We love AVSC, our child has improved in confidence and skills.
The players this club develops are the ones who were standouts to begin with. Unless your child is phenomenal to begin with, don’t bother looking to this club because the coaches don’t have the talent to do anything more for them. No patience, lots of yelling.
I vehemently disagree with you, Jerry. If you ever truly had a child play for them, then you’d never write something like what you wrote. The coaches are nothing but patient…almost to a flaw. There is no yelling. Their focus is development, not winning at all costs. Pardon my assumption, but you sound like a troll who just likes writing negative things about clubs to make theirs sound better. Sad, really. I bet you wrote negative things about other clubs on this site, too. I’ll stick to what I know. My daughter has improved, hands down. She is happy with her training, and so am I.
Wow Maria, you “vehemently” disagree with every negative comment made? If I didn’t know better I’d say you have some stake in this club. Before you vehemently disagree with me and tell everyone your just a parent who vehemently disagrees with all AV detractors, don’t worry, we all vehemently understand.
Lol! You are funny. Nice name: “Vehement”.
No stake, just a parent who loves my kids & soccer. The fact that they are happy here seals the deal with me. What’s your motivation? I’d like to think it is the same for you, but your sarcasm leads me to believe otherwise. Do you even have kids? Or do you work for a rival club? Hmmm.
As I’ve written before, I can only speak to what I know. I base my opinions on my experiences. I’m neither being sarcastic nor belittling. I’m simply relaying my opinion in a truthful manner. If my experiences become negative, I’ll be sure to share it. Only time will tell, like I’ve said before.
Thanks for your attempt at comedy, though. Best of luck with your “children’s” club.
Emotions run deep on both sides on the virtues of total football so there are some great comments here!
You may find helpful a couple of articles I wrote here on MassClubSoccer that highlight Abbey Villa.
http://www.massclubsoccer.com/5-best-soccer-teams-in-mass/
http://www.massclubsoccer.com/is-total-football-effective/
Peter
FAbulous coaches,training,programs
We’ve been doing the club thing with our son and daughter for some time with a number of clubs and had a combined 7 seasons with the Abbey. I have to say the coaching can vary widely, loved the boys coach found inconsistent coaching on the girls side. There’s always pros and cons and what works for some kids doesn’t work for all.
Recently had an issue where we made a late decision to move my daughter to another club and the club owner withdrew an offer to my son out of spite. The coach refused to coach unless my son was offered a position, boys and parents spoke on his behalf, but to no avail. The owner indicated he didn’t care if the team fell apart…
Where I would have recommended this club in the past I couldn’t in good conscience now understanding this is not a club driven by a commitment to kids but one mans selfish ego.
I was surprised to find this comment! Respectfully, I couldn’t disagree more. The owners passion for soccer and his dedication to the players is the absolute reason we chose Abbey Villa.
We have had offers from other clubs but the more we spoke with the owner and watched his interaction with the kids on the team the more we knew we wanted AVSC.
It’s true, he might not care about the team falling apart because he literally cares more about the players and their own development than anything else, including more than winning.
My son has gone from a shy, reserved player to a blossoming confident kid. The changes in him are on and off the field.
We actually left our son the final decision the last few seasons on which team to play for and each time he chose AV and when we asked why, he said (the owner) every time!!
Side note: its strange the above comment has facilities, web and tourny as low ratings, they have fantastic facilities, easy website and as you’ll see by my ratings, we are beyond satisfied with the entire club.
I gotta say that example doesn’t sound like the owner at all. I’ve been pissed about other club owners, but not this guy. He’s the real deal. Very happy with AV.
Folks you can believe what you choose to believe…unfortunately it’s reality for us and I put it out there as a datapoint for consideration so people are aware. Everyone should consider these reviews on balance, I’m merely sharing our experience.
Before this we were right with you, this has been a huge disappointment which has transpired over months of trying to resolve like adults…couldn’t even get a face to face discussion. I don’t question his philosophy or his passion for the game. Unfortunately passion for soccer doesn’t necessarily translate to caring for kids…or making the right decisions.
Wish you the best and hope your kids dont have to go through what mine are.
One of our tripplets has played for AVSC the last couple of years and really enjoys both the other players and the coaches and trainers. Like any large club, there are good coaches and great coaches, but as a whole the team at AVSC has been consistently good, and is ALWAYS great with the kids.
Unlike a number of other Clubs we’ve played with ( both pickup, and tournaments with permission) the coaches seem genuinely interested is player development and NOT just winning. I’ve yet to see anyone associated with AVSC really get on a kid at a match, unlike a number of well repected clubs.
AVSC absolutely stresses a posession style of play both in practice and on the pitch. If you are looking for a more forward style then you might want to consider someplace else. If you want to have you young player develop into one who’s comfortable on the ball in most every situation then I’d really consider AVSC. At the very least, you should go see a match or two and one of the practices and decide for yourself.
For us, we are very happy with the club.
My son and daughter were members of the oldest youth soccer club in MA for 3 years. They went to a AVSC tryout with their friends on a Tuesday night and fell in love with the club right away. The next day, Wednesday, my son and daughter became members of AVSC. The Club, Staff and Owner and just AWESOME
Checking out Mass Soccer saw this website…we just had a new coach for a tournament with AV and thought he was great, so happy to be part of a club with consistent coaching. No matter who you get its the same philosophy, same great coaching. Can’t imagine any other club for us.
Look, Abby Villa is the best club I’ve found, check them out. I love playing for them.