Girls Development Academy

[NoGoal]

Sure, it is a power grab, to improve the state of women soccer in this country. And all DA teams (ECNL and non ECNL) will benefit from it. It is a power grab because the previous top league, ECNL, has not done a good job at development (which is not its mission), as proven by the poor results of the younger teams in international competition in the last few years. US Soccer would be negligent if they did not step in and try to fix the situation. Ultimately I trust more the judgment of the US Soccer Federation than yours (no personal attack here). Your argument that in the past ECNL had most of the top players is simply that, it does not imply that ECNL did a great job at development. The point of the US Soccer Federation is that those top players have not been properly developed (in ECNL clubs or elsewhere).
I have a girl going to the US Soccer Training Center, and when the time comes, she most likely will not play HS soccer. Training at the majority of HS in SoCal is a joke, specially compared to club training. If she can choose between training year round at her club or skipping club training to play HS soccer, she will choose the former. Furthermore, if you read the DA application, you will see that DA clubs will play their top girls in their DA teams. DA teams formed by B players is wishful thinking.
Since the ECNL clubs have been, and will continue being so great, it is clear that they did not have to bolt to DA. You must then deeply disagree with what the leadership of the ECNL clubs has done. I am curious to know what you think about that, why did the ECNL clubs applied en mass to DA. I am curious to know why you think you have better judgement not only than US Soccer, but also than the ECNL clubs.

So your DD attends US Soccer training center and from that you already know your DD doesn't want to play HS soccer. Seriously? I can tell you there are a ton of posters who's DDs have also attended US Training Centers and went on to play HS soccer.

Every parent knows HS soccer for the most part is crap, but that is okay. This is why my DD LOVES HS Soccer. She can play with and for her HS friends and school pride. All of her friends finally get an opportunity to see her play, cheering for the team and for her. It's her Sr year and I asked if she is playing HS soccer this year. She said, of course...I want and look forward to playing HS Soccer and yes she knows the level of play is 2 or 3 steps below her club team.

Lastly, you do know Mallory Pugh and the current WNT players played for their HS soccer team right. If you trust US Soccer, obviously those girls turned out okay since they are on the US WNT.

 

[Justafan]

Depending on the program needs + the number of graduating seniors and transfers, I'd say the average is 6-8 players per program per year. Here is the recruit list. If you go to the "By College" tab, you will see how many players are in the 2016 class, which is 99.99% done.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...JyT9r9zn2voE_qefyFYko/htmlembed?widget=false#

Thanks Cali. On another note, the first thing that struck me with the DA is that there are still going to be plenty of talented girls left over for ECNL. The SoCal DA teams will have approximately 600 players (8 clubs X 3 teams X 25 players per team). ECNL currently has a total of 1,000 players (8 clubs x 5 teams x 25 players/team). So theoretically, DA will take the top 60%, or players 1-15. That leaves players 16-25, and if some of the top 15 don't go DA, ECNL should still be a solid option.

 

[ajaxahi]

I personally was surprised with LA Galaxy not getting a nod. I am probably biased, because I was only concerned with how well some of their teams play (I am familiar with their 05s/Diego Souza's last U10 team), and do not know anything about total number of teams, coaching licenses, etc. I was hoping that some posters with daughters in the current 05 elite team, and former players of DS, could chime in, to say whether it was a surprise, if they plan to move to other clubs, etc. Thanks!

My daughter plays for LAGSB 05. Although there was some hope early on that LAGSB would get DA because of the club's DA status on the boy's side, I wouldn't say I was surprised LAGSB didn't get it. The admission criteria seem to emphasize success at the olders and I don't know if Galaxy SB has the track record yet on the girls side. SD and DS and their staff are doing an outstanding job with the youngers at LAGSB and hopefully this will carry forward to older teams in the future, but that will ultimately hinge on their ability to keep the talent they developed from jumping ship.

As far as whether we plan to move to another club, I don't think this changes anything for us. I have no idea yet if DA will be the right thing for my kid. So far our decisions on where to play are year to year, based more on finding the right coach and mix of players that would be best for our daughter's soccer development, instead of basing it on the club. Right now there is nobody out there developing technical players with high soccer IQs better than SD and DS at Galaxy SB, so we are very happy where we are. I would say that if US Soccer is really serious about changing things on the women's side and developing more technical players, they should keep LAGSB on their radar because they are doing things there that no other club is doing. But with the DA selections it recently announced, it seems to be sticking more to the status quo.

I also want to address NoGoal's comment that the South Bay doesn't have enough talent for two GDA teams. That's just wrong. Let's not forget about a little city of 4 million people just to the north called Los Angeles, a hotbed of soccer talent that is totally underserved by club soccer. The talent in LA (that has the means) has to travel somewhere and many make their way to the South Bay to play. Our family lives in the middle of LA and LAGSB has worked for us because their territory up near LAX isn't such a bad hike. If DA is limited to Long Beach (Beach) or Pasadena (LA Premier), that would make the logistics of travel very difficult for many LA families like us, and possibly exclude a ton of talent from the DA system.

 

[CaliKlines]

Who better to know about a power grab than current ECNL parents?

You can't be referring to me, because my DD plays for current GDA/ECNL club.

You must be reflecting back to when your DD played for Strikers and was the team captain.

Riddle me this....what organization did the first power grab, and messed it all up? Let me give you a hint: LENC

I guarantee you that none of the accepted DA clubs will provide the poorly managed and screwed up ECNL experience of my daughter. Thankfully, as a group, the DA clubs are much more organized and better managed as the ECNL clubs, as a group.

 

[CaliKlines]

Thanks Cali. On another note, the first thing that struck me with the DA is that there are still going to be plenty of talented girls left over for ECNL. The SoCal DA teams will have approximately 600 players (8 clubs X 3 teams X 25 players per team). ECNL currently has a total of 1,000 players (8 clubs x 5 teams x 25 players/team). So theoretically, DA will take the top 60%, or players 1-15. That leaves players 16-25, and if some of the top 15 don't go DA, ECNL should still be a solid option.

Absolutely...just as a USYS National League team provides some very solid options as well. I would also say that there are some ECNL programs that most definitely are NOT a solid option.

 

[NoGoal]

Absolutely...just as a USYS National League team provides some very solid options as well. I would also say that there are some ECNL programs that most definitely are NOT a solid option.

You have to let go of the Strikers experience. Maybe you should have tried WCFC, Blues, or Slammers in the OC and got that poor Strikers club experience behind you. ECNL was not the cause for a poor Strikers club experience, it was Strikers and only Strikers.

I never blamed ECNL when my DD wasn't called up to the Blues U14 ECNL team 4 years ago or when she ended up being a dual carded Blues player at U15. ECNL had no involvment in the Blues coaching decisions.

 

[NoGoal]

Riddle me this....what organization did the first power grab, and messed it all up? Let me give you a hint: LENC

I guarantee you that none of the accepted DA clubs will provide the poorly managed and screwed up ECNL experience of my daughter. Thankfully, as a group, the DA clubs are much more organized and better managed as the ECNL clubs, as a group.

What did LENC mess up? In some alternate universe. ECNL was never created, CSL Premier is still the #1 league in the nation. USYS National Championship is still the undisputed champion and Legends would still be without a USYS National Championship (competing against the best clubs nationally). Legends never grew to the mega club they are today, because CSL would have capped them at 3 teams per age group. GDA is never formed.

But because of ECNL, Legends didn't have to compete with the best clubs nationally for USYS Championship titles. SCDSL was created, Legends grew to the size they are today and after many years of being denied ECNL status. US Soccer has created GDA and with 4 USYS Championships under their belt, gained approval into the league. So I would say, ECNL didn't mess up anything for Legends.

 

[MakeAPlay]

"Until any of those non-ECNL clubs can do more in these arenas it is really just a power grab that your club benefitted from. Are you really proud of that?"

This makes me chuckle. Saw a recent post by an ecnl coach saying how proud he and his club were of his "soccer daughters" making odp. 4 of the 5 girls in the picture were just added to the club 2 weeks prior to the photo. Everyone takes credit for someone else's work.

I can only speak of my players situation and all of her development occurred under ECNL coaches in ECNL clubs and she is in college now with a great scholarship and is a YNT pool player. Her YNT pool is about 85% ECNL players.

 

[NoGoal]

I can only speak of my players situation and all of her development occurred under ECNL coaches in ECNL clubs and she is in college now with a great scholarship and is a YNT pool player. Her YNT pool is about 85% ECNL players.

And if US Soccer was so dissatisfied with the players developed by ECNL clubs. Why do they have so many of the ECNL players in their YNT pool and team? They could have had more non-ECNL players, but that isn't the case.

 

[MakeAPlay]

Sure, it is a power grab, to improve the state of women soccer in this country. And all DA teams (ECNL and non ECNL) will benefit from it. It is a power grab because the previous top league, ECNL, has not done a good job at development (which is not its mission), as proven by the poor results of the younger teams in international competition in the last few years. US Soccer would be negligent if they did not step in and try to fix the situation. Ultimately I trust more the judgment of the US Soccer Federation than yours (no personal attack here). Your argument that in the past ECNL had most of the top players is simply that, it does not imply that ECNL did a great job at development. The point of the US Soccer Federation is that those top players have not been properly developed (in ECNL clubs or elsewhere).
I have a girl going to the US Soccer Training Center, and when the time comes, she most likely will not play HS soccer. Training at the majority of HS in SoCal is a joke, specially compared to club training. If she can choose between training year round at her club or skipping club training to play HS soccer, she will choose the former. Furthermore, if you read the DA application, you will see that DA clubs will play their top girls in their DA teams. DA teams formed by B players is wishful thinking.
Since the ECNL clubs have been, and will continue being so great, it is clear that they did not have to bolt to DA. You must then deeply disagree with what the leadership of the ECNL clubs has done. I am curious to know what you think about that, why did the ECNL clubs applied en mass to DA. I am curious to know why you think you have better judgement not only than US Soccer, but also than the ECNL clubs.

They are picking mostly the same ECNL clubs other than the NWSL clubs, some clubs that have coaches/DOC's that are national team coaches/scouts and a couple clubs that have won USYS championships since the ECNL teams stopped competing in the USYS championship. Please post one of the accepted clubs that doesn't fit those descriptions.

Regarding HS soccer, of course it is a joke. That doesn't mean the girls don't want to play. My player was MVP of her high school team and first team all league as a freshman. That doesn't mean that she didn't enjoy it. Even Mallory Pugh played HS and she is about as far along as any player in the last two decades of women's soccer. Every single truly elite player in my daughter's SoCal grad class and her recruiting class played high school soccer and it was one of the best classes in the country. Don't be surprised if your daughter changes her mind about high school especially when she realizes how much better she is than the rank and file player. All of a sudden school pride matters when her friends grind her about playing. Peer pressure is much more significant than parental pressure trust me on that one.

Finally regarding the leadership of the ECNL and their position. Once it became clear to them that the DA was going to happen of course they applied. They clearly weren't happy about being forced into the situation but what are you going to do when your federation decides that they are going to push forward without input from the top clubs on the front lines? Clearly they are going to adapt to the new situation. At the end of the day it will be the same coaches doing the same things and if you can't see that then there is no point arguing it any further. You have a dog in this fight and I can understand it being hard to have perspective as it would have likely been hard for me if I had a ULittle at this time. The last time a big soccer schism happened I stuck with a good coach and a club with a solid record of developing college and national team players and it worked out. I hope it works out for you and yours whatever path you choose.

 

[Zerodenero]

You have to let go of the Strikers experience. Maybe you should have tried WCFC, Blues, or Slammers in the OC and got that poor Strikers club experience behind you. ECNL was not the cause for a poor Strikers club experience, it was Strikers and only Strikers.

NG - u know that ain't gonna happen. My boy Cali's scarred....for life.

 

[tenacious]

"Until any of those non-ECNL clubs can do more in these arenas it is really just a power grab that your club benefitted from. Are you really proud of that?"

This makes me chuckle. Saw a recent post by an ecnl coach saying how proud he and his club were of his "soccer daughters" making odp. 4 of the 5 girls in the picture were just added to the club 2 weeks prior to the photo. Everyone takes credit for someone else's work.

Yes there are a lot of shameless characters in youth soccer. But in terms of the bigger picture there is another truth the picture is pointing to also. And thats that there aren't enough good players out there- and recruiting is a big part of the game. At least at my dd's RSC team, fielding a team with a quality roster took a lot of work. Yes there was a market for parents of so-so players chasing the dream of college ball, but even with just ECNL it could be tough to find quality players.

And while it's nice to think the DA's new league will start churning out star players with their superior training, I'd say it's more likely what you'll see is the DA try and recruit their way to the top, and a lot of lower talented players get brought into the sport to round out the rosters. So while I like that US soccer is getting more involved. I just question the wisdom of creating a new league in a sport that seems already over saturated with different leagues, and just putting up another fence that was keeping the top players apart.

 

[tenacious]

NG - u know that ain't gonna happen. My boy Cali's scarred....for life.

Cali's a good egg! His kid is going to play in the ACC, really doesn't get much better then that.

 

[NoGoal]

Cali's a good egg! His kid is going to play in the ACC, really doesn't get much better then that.

Got to love Cali's passion for Legends. Josh really sunk his claws into him

 

[tenacious]

And some parents just see it as another layer of BS to navigate. It will all come down to this:

1. Is your kid a standout? If yes, play DA, ECNL or a top 100 team. How do you choose?

2. Does your kid want to play high school? Then not DA

3. Is your kid YNT or in the pool? Where does her YNT coaches recommend she play? Probably DA

4. Does your kid want to play in college? ECNL at least until recruited

5. Does your kid have an opportunity to play for excellent coach she loves with excellent college/pro contacts? Kid should play there no matter league.

6. Does your kid want to rack up titles? Play for top USYSA national league team.

7. Which team is your kid geographically close to? Play there.

I agree with most of this except the part about this is play ECNL until recruited. Little Susie Cheesecake gets recruited and then the college coach is going to be okay with her just dropping down to the B team for the next couple years til she goes to college? I'm not sure that's really how it works...

 

[gkrent]

I agree with most of this except the part about this is play ECNL until recruited. Little Susie Cheesecake gets recruited and then the college coach is going to be okay with her just dropping down to the B team for the next couple years til she goes to college? I'm not sure that's really how it works...

It's working fine for my kid. Wouldn't call her current team the B team though, just not ECNL.

 

[Zerodenero]

Cali's a good egg! His kid is going to play in the ACC, really doesn't get much better then that.

Agreed. However, I must say theres a "Striking" resemblance between NCState's results in the ACC & Strikers in the ECNL.....quite a coinkydink.

May the past not be a prediction of the future.

 

[mbeach]

Christian Pulisic who has dual-citizenship.....knew he had to go to Europe, so he could continue developing his game at one of the best mens club (Dortmund) and compete against the Elite Euro players. Follow closely now will yeah.

You won me over with this argument. Pulisic, choosing to go to that barren club in the fifth division of the Republic of Tubebistan, instead of staying put in an American BDA, is a clear indictment on the US Soccer Federation. God forbid had he gone to the Barcelona or Real Madrid academies, that would have been a clear proof of the incompetence of the US government.
I think that you are uncovering a general principle here, one that can be used for example to establish the incompetence of the California Board of Education: my neighbor Joe Tudin got accepted into CSULB, but had to go to Harvard to obtain his BS. CBoE, you suck, you forced little Joey out of California!
Now, I must confess that I did not understand the comment about his dual citizenship. Was that a curveball, or maybe a hidden reference to the location of the Holy Grail?

 

[mbeach]

They are picking mostly the same ECNL clubs other than the NWSL clubs, some clubs that have coaches/DOC's that are national team coaches/scouts and a couple clubs that have won USYS championships since the ECNL teams stopped competing in the USYS championship. Please post one of the accepted clubs that doesn't fit those descriptions.

There are many objective reasons for me to welcome the DA development: for example the training load is doubled, there will be real pressure on the clubs to do things well, and I am not forced to drive 50x2 minutes everyday if I want my daughter to play in the top league. Everybody in this forum has a dog on the fight, but as long as the comments remain civil it stays a pleasurable read, and everybody can analyze and decide what is right/wrong for them.

 

[NoGoal]

You won me over with this argument. Pulisic, choosing to go to that barren club in the fifth division of the Republic of Tubebistan, instead of staying put in an American BDA, is a clear indictment on the US Soccer Federation. God forbid had he gone to the Barcelona or Real Madrid academies, that would have been a clear proof of the incompetence of the US government.
I think that you are uncovering a general principle here, one that can be used for example to establish the incompetence of the California Board of Education: my neighbor Joe Tudin got accepted into CSULB, but had to go to Harvard to obtain his BS. CBoE, you suck, you forced little Joey out of California!
Now, I must confess that I did not understand the comment about his dual citizenship. Was that a curveball, or maybe a hidden reference to the location of the Holy Grail?

5th division? Borussia Dortmund plays in the Bundesliga and has qualified for the Champions League 5 out of the last 6 years. In case you didn't know what country the Bundesliga is played in.......it's Germany!

Dual-European citizenship affords a player between the age of 16-18 to play overseas. Pulisic was 16 when he signed with Dortmund. Dual-citzenship allowed him to fulfill #2B of article 19. http://www.espnfc.us/blog/fifa/243/post/2786732/fifa-transfer-regulations-article-19
So in a way, it is a road map to the holy grail, which is being able to further develop his game under the guidance at a top European soccer club, instead of remaining stagnant playing BDA for a MLS academy.