Boys v Girls - Elite Leagues

At the risk of bringing up the dead horse and smacking it around for a while.....

Why has DA on the boys side existed for about 10 years without the need for DPL-type of league?
I know we have Boys ECNL now - But this is a pissing contest between Christian Lavers of ECNL and US Soccer - Christian wants to prove that another league can exist.

But if Girls DA never existed, or existed in cooperation with ECNL - There would still only be DA for boys. No DPL, ECNL, ECNL Regional League.

What has been the underlying reason that we need all of these "Elite A,B,C level" teams for female players?
 
At the risk of bringing up the dead horse and smacking it around for a while.....

Why has DA on the boys side existed for about 10 years without the need for DPL-type of league?
I know we have Boys ECNL now - But this is a pissing contest between Christian Lavers of ECNL and US Soccer - Christian wants to prove that another league can exist.

But if Girls DA never existed, or existed in cooperation with ECNL - There would still only be DA for boys. No DPL, ECNL, ECNL Regional League.

What has been the underlying reason that we need all of these "Elite A,B,C level" teams for female players?

Yeah mentioned that in the CRL academy thread. One the posters commented that parents on the girls side are more willing to "open up the checkbook" / pay more for perceived status or titles.

Considering they are many more boys teams vs girls interesting trend but the spread of the leagues such as Nplwest, USL A, UPSL, etc for the boys is going on also but on a smaller / slower scale that maybe a bit more affordable.
 
It seems like there is a clear hierarchy defined on the boys side.

1. MLS DA
2. non-MLS DA
3. ENPL - qualified NPL and ECNL teams to participate post season tournament
4. NPL/ECNL
5. local leagues

It seems to me that non-MLS DA is essentially DPL - especially if they push down the 2-tier system to all age group.
 
It seems like there is a clear hierarchy defined on the boys side.

1. MLS DA
2. non-MLS DA
3. ENPL - qualified NPL and ECNL teams to participate post season tournament
4. NPL/ECNL
5. local leagues

It seems to me that non-MLS DA is essentially DPL - especially if they push down the 2-tier system to all age group.

Not really all mashed up, no comparison between dpl which is a 2nd or 3rd tier league with anything DA. dpl more like flight 1 or 2 of local leagues.

The non MLS DA clubs have done very well in winning DA championships, both finalists b16/17 for example this past season.

Top local league teams from CSL, Discovery, etc are winning tournments over those others you put higher, say CSL premiere or CRL so 1-5 seems off to me.

Usclub (NPL, ECNL, USL), Usoccer (DA) usys/Cal south (local,all CRL) have various levels so really a mashup / spreed out wide.
 
I think there are so many more girls teams and the goal is to capitalize and make money, nothing else seems to matter to them. Those in charge know the leagues are watered down but will continue runs them as such and create more leagues as long as they can profit from it (my opinion).
 
At the risk of bringing up the dead horse and smacking it around for a while.....

Why has DA on the boys side existed for about 10 years without the need for DPL-type of league?
I know we have Boys ECNL now - But this is a pissing contest between Christian Lavers of ECNL and US Soccer - Christian wants to prove that another league can exist.

But if Girls DA never existed, or existed in cooperation with ECNL - There would still only be DA for boys. No DPL, ECNL, ECNL Regional League.

What has been the underlying reason that we need all of these "Elite A,B,C level" teams for female players?

It seems to me that the recently created NPL West was developed on the boys side to mimic DPL Southwest. The teams are nearly identical except for the boys DA clubs that don't have girls DA.

Why was DPL formed effectively at the origination of girls DA? IDK, but I speculate it may have been do in part to the fear of losing girls to ECNL. I also think the SoCal Girls DA clubs wanted to ride the coat tails of the USSoccer DA program. If you recall, the DPL was initially marketed as DA II, or Academy II, although there was and is zero affiliation with the DA. The DPL still implies linkage to the DA, although less blatantly then they did at origination (They call it a supplement to DA now). Also 10 years ago I don't think the clubs were quite as greedy as they are now, just look at all the new leagues or gaming circuits created in the last 4 years in an effort to chase a piece of the "elite player" money pie.
 
At the risk of bringing up the dead horse and smacking it around for a while.....

Why has DA on the boys side existed for about 10 years without the need for DPL-type of league?
I know we have Boys ECNL now - But this is a pissing contest between Christian Lavers of ECNL and US Soccer - Christian wants to prove that another league can exist.

But if Girls DA never existed, or existed in cooperation with ECNL - There would still only be DA for boys. No DPL, ECNL, ECNL Regional League.

What has been the underlying reason that we need all of these "Elite A,B,C level" teams for female players?
$$$$$$$$$$, I could swear you know this.

Now in all seriousness, US Soccer and ECNL and everyone else knows that if they waterdown the competition in the boys side, that would have a cripple effect in the long run in the development of the actual true prospects. In the women side, what is it there for them? So the more "Elite" leagues they can sell youth girls the more money they can make. ECNL came out and along came EGSL, then CRL came out, then DA came out and along brought DPL, then that bs league that USL is running. It's all about how they can justify parents spending top dollar on their clubs. Also remember, playing Presidio, CSL and SCDSL is not enough anymore.
 
It seems to me that the recently created NPL West was developed on the boys side to mimic DPL Southwest. The teams are nearly identical except for the boys DA clubs that don't have girls DA.

Why was DPL formed effectively at the origination of girls DA? IDK, but I speculate it may have been do in part to the fear of losing girls to ECNL. I also think the SoCal Girls DA clubs wanted to ride the coat tails of the USSoccer DA program. If you recall, the DPL was initially marketed as DA II, or Academy II, although there was and is zero affiliation with the DA. The DPL still implies linkage to the DA, although less blatantly then they did at origination (They call it a supplement to DA now). Also 10 years ago I don't think the clubs were quite as greedy as they are now, just look at all the new leagues or gaming circuits created in the last 4 years in an effort to chase a piece of the "elite player" money pie.

NPL has been around for 7+ yrs way before Dpl. Usclub has trying to expand in socal and created at 2nd NPl.. for academy clubs: West (2017)that was spring only until this season when they went fall also.

The one thing about the usclub leagues such as ECNL, SCNPL, NPLwest, USL is that there generally compatible with high school play so some choose those over DA.
 
$$$$$$$$$$, I could swear you know this.

Now in all seriousness, US Soccer and ECNL and everyone else knows that if they waterdown the competition in the boys side, that would have a cripple effect in the long run in the development of the actual true prospects. In the women side, what is it there for them? So the more "Elite" leagues they can sell youth girls the more money they can make. ECNL came out and along came EGSL, then CRL came out, then DA came out and along brought DPL, then that bs league that USL is running. It's all about how they can justify parents spending top dollar on their clubs. Also remember, playing Presidio, CSL and SCDSL is not enough anymore.

I get the money aspect. But couldn't you have similar revenue and profit numbers by playing in local competitive leagues. How much more money are DPL teams bringing in?
 
I get the money aspect. But couldn't you have similar revenue and profit numbers by playing in local competitive leagues. How much more money are DPL teams bringing in?
Higher registration plus coaches per diem. Look at how these clubs are like 5-8 teams deep in each age group vs. the smaller clubs that can barely field one team per every 2 age groups. Eventually Surf and Slammers will become their own thing ala AYSO type deal.
 
I think there are so many more girls teams and the goal is to capitalize and make money, nothing else seems to matter to them. Those in charge know the leagues are watered down but will continue runs them as such and create more leagues as long as they can profit from it (my opinion).

This is such nonsense. Every day the vast majority of coaches and clubs do the best they can with very limited resources and, with few exceptions, they are paid like crap for it. There are very few people who make a decent living in girls youth soccer, and they deserve every penny because they can actually help get your kid into a college that might otherwise be off the table.

If you want to blame someone for the obscene cost of soccer, don't blame the clubs, blame USSF for creating the GDA. Depending on your region, USSF created a league that requires somewhere between 40-70% of your overall soccer costs to go to the likes of American Airlines and Marriott. Leave it to USSF to make sure most of the money people pay for soccer goes to support the hospitality and transportation industries, rather than being used to benefit the sport. Instead of $20 or less in gas money to play Slammers, you get to pay at least $300 to play LV Albion, and the clubs don't get a penny more of that money. Instead of paying for better coaches and club resources, you're paying for your daughter to waste her weekend flying to LV where she'll probably stay in an off-the-strip hotel room sandwiched between a strip club and a liquor store.
 
This is such nonsense. Every day the vast majority of coaches and clubs do the best they can with very limited resources and, with few exceptions, they are paid like crap for it. There are very few people who make a decent living in girls youth soccer, and they deserve every penny because they can actually help get your kid into a college that might otherwise be off the table.

If you want to blame someone for the obscene cost of soccer, don't blame the clubs, blame USSF for creating the GDA. Depending on your region, USSF created a league that requires somewhere between 40-70% of your overall soccer costs to go to the likes of American Airlines and Marriott. Leave it to USSF to make sure most of the money people pay for soccer goes to support the hospitality and transportation industries, rather than being used to benefit the sport. Instead of $20 or less in gas money to play Slammers, you get to pay at least $300 to play LV Albion, and the clubs don't get a penny more of that money. Instead of paying for better coaches and club resources, you're paying for your daughter to waste her weekend flying to LV where she'll probably stay in an off-the-strip hotel room sandwiched between a strip club and a liquor store.
I agree that it is silly the amount of travel required by GDA, but ECNL is equally to blame. After all, GDA would have never gotten the foothold it did if ECNL wasn't acting like a corrupt monopoly.
 
I agree that it is silly the amount of travel required by GDA, but ECNL is equally to blame. After all, GDA would have never gotten the foothold it did if ECNL wasn't acting like a corrupt monopoly.

This is a ridiculous false equivalency. This season, Slammers (ECNL) will fly once for league games, to Arizona for two games. Compare that to Legends (GDA), which will fly to Texas, Nevada, Arizona, and San Jose. Both teams will also fly to two showcases, but Slammers will be two quick and far less expensive and shorter trips to Phoenix unless they choose to fly to one of the more distant options. Legends, on the other hand, is forced to fly to Florida and (if history is a guide) CO or NC during which players will miss almost a week of school for each of those trips. Also keep in mind that SoCal GDA clubs are lucky. Last season, the NorCal Quakes 04 team that won the GDA flew to UT, FL, AZ, OR, CO, WA, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County for GDA games. That's nine plane flights for a bunch of 8th and 9th graders to play mostly garbage opponents, and although their best possible competition - MVLA's 04 team - is about 10 miles down the road. That Quakes team is very good, but it's a joke that there wasn't a single GDA team that could compete with them. Yes, ECNL teams must travel, but it is no comparison in terms of how often, how far, or for how long - and therefore the costs and number of school days missed either. No one in ECNL even remotely approaches GDA's level of stupidity. Claiming the travel is the same is the type of garbage the GDA mafia makes up to dupe people into playing in its ridiculously expensive league.

ECNL is a corrupt monopoly? That's really funny, particularly since USSF is an actual monopoly. Like most monopolies, USSF dictates to consumers what they must do without any regard for the clubs' or players' interests or their costs. How awesome that everyone must fly to FL regardless of cost because that's convenient for USSF's YNT scouts, whereas ECNL lets clubs pick locations that are far closer and more cost effective for them. How awesome that USSF just kicks you out of the league if you don't do exactly what it wants, such as playing HS soccer or skipping out on Florida because it is a compete waste of time and money. That s**t doesn't happen in ECNL because, well, ECNL isn't a monopoly and can't get away with it. Unlike GDA, ECNL must provide the best product for its consumers, whereas USSF just leverages its NT monopoly status to bully clubs and kids into staying in GDA by threatening clubs that they'll never have any future YNT players if they leave. Instead, many far less competent clubs and many of their far less deserving players get that good PR, which allows the GDA mafia to dupe people into thinking their league is so great.
 
Not arguing that there are not huge problems with GDA. I was not aware of how the travel requirements had changed. A few years ago they were very similar for the two leagues. The fact still remains that before GDA was formed, Christian Lavers and the SoCal clubs that were ECNL at the time colluded to prevent the entrance into ECNL of clubs like Legends. If they would have admitted Legends, Beach and LAGSD, GDA would not have gotten the foothold it did in SoCal (the single most important youth soccer marketplace in the country). I do however agree that at this point in time, ECNL provides a better product for most players. To some extent they have been forced to by the existence of GDA. Remember that even if ECNL seems to care about players, they really only care about the $.
 
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