RedDevilDad
GOLD
Right. Seems like EVERY current U12 is promising that they are going to be a U13 as well. I'm really curious what those 2006s will do next year. Stay with their club or stay with the DA....
2006 DA Standings
- Thread starter USC
- Start date
Perfectly put. From one TFA alum to another......
Finished product at U12? Dumb. Someone’s kid got cut by TFA it seems.
U
uburoi
Guest
TFA play beautifully. Best game I saw all season.
SBFDad my kid never played for TFA, however my buddy was DOC there for some time and we have friends who played for the club and then left for LAFC and other clubs...as I said earlier TFA squads are amazing, but there is a reason why US Soccer is not granting them full DA status or anything beyond U12. I posted TFA analyses from another frequent board member, I quoted that person and so far no one provided credible response...
Read the detailed post from John Akii-Bua. Clearly rebuts the idea that TFA doesn’t develop players with first hand experience. Then affirmation from osvaldo and others. Are those not credible responses?
I’ve seen TFA play over the years and I’ve seen the product of multiple years of TFA training currently in my kid’s academy. Do they recruit well? Of course, but there is more going on than just that. To suggest any kid is a “finished product” at U-little is just downright silly.
I don’t doubt that TFA will be stuck with U12s, but it’s a mistake to overlook them for further status as part of a greater plan to improve the level of competition in SoCal across multiple age groups. However, no need to do so if USSF only indends to keep the same number of teams (or more) already in the mix. Way too watered down as it is. TFA at U13+ will only further dilute the talent on the existing teams that already can’t compete (see Arsenal, Santa Barbara, etc...).
How does that work?
I doubt any players would be moving to TFA from Arsenal or Santa Barbara. Too far to practice multiple times per week.
Just to clarify, I made a mistake by stating that they are finished product, i meant to say and i think i wrote technically gifted players selected/recruited from other usually smaller clubs and i have more than few examples i can list of kids that were pretty known and “established” prior to joining TFA. Now if you disagree with that fine, i an pretty familiar with their 06 DA team and i would love to hear how many of those kids came to TFA when hey were 7-8 and how many came where they were 10-11 from other smaller clubs. As for the text that Dargle wrote about TFA i am yet to read whats false about that analysis...and again to make it clear, tfa kids and especially their current 06 DA squad is amazing to watch every time we play them i truly enjoy no matter what the score is.
Backtracking. So TFA doesn’t develop because they recruit quality players? Somehow those two things are mutually exclusive?
Now you are making things up! I never wrote such thing...
You would think, but it’s pretty shocking how far parents will drive for a free club, especially if you don’t have a good DA option in the local area. I’m not advocating for teens commuting hours to and from DA practices, but plenty already do so. The point of scrubbing Arsenal, Santa Barbara, and the like is that they provide weak competition across multiple age groups. While there will be a player with top potential here and there from those areas that will fall thru the cracks because their parents aren’t willing to drive hours a day, the benefit will be a consistently higher level of competition for the remaining teams, leading to better development for a larger number of top players. Yes, it’s a little ruthless, but DA isn’t about inclusion. It’s about preparing kids for the highest levels.
...or maybe you seem to contradict yourself at multiple turns and can’t quite get a concise, logical point down in writing. Plenty others here assume that you believe TFA doesn’t develop players. If that’s not true, maybe try tidying it up a bit. We’re listening.
I am not contradicting myself, I made a wrong choice of words and explained that earlier...now everyone is entitled to their opinion and can come up with all sorts of insinuations but that's not my problem. I stated my opinion on 2006 DA TFA squad and possible reasons why US Soccer is not granting DA status for older age groups at the aforementioned club, that's it.
Fair enough.
younothat
PREMIER
This is the first year of the no posted scores for the U12 age group, kids and teams know the scores and standings pretty much anyway
Not to put on extra pressure on the players/clubs to focus on the results at a young age is normally a positive during the regular season, there are enough tournaments and other stuff for that later.
Sometimes is really fun to be on team that goes on a long win streak, top of the table either posted or not, when everybody is gunning for you that can make your better or not. Some players development better on these times of teams but some don't either, stepping out of that shadow and seeing how well they do at the next level, coach, or team is sometimes when you really know.
But lets face it there are inherent advantages on some of the clubs (Especially the MLS ones) in the DA league, the field is not level or even close to level. When you have the resources, insiders, and the pick of players, coaches there is a big advantage compare to most clubs without some professional backers or afflictions. Clubs like TFA, Golden State, LA United, do pretty well at the younger ages but they have a tougher time holding on to players long term once the reach a certain level partly because they are not competing on a level playing field, when thing are stacked against you its possible to overcome but becomes increasing more difficult as the years go by .
Instead of the DA current system somebody proposed fewer teams; either with like clubs or through some pool type of system? Not sure what the answer are? but once you get to a certain age group say u15+ and you only get a few close match's through the season if you're a top of the table team and then go to face better competition in the tourneys (international, Dallas, Etc) can be hard to complete and you can see DA is really s not providing enough consistent high level competition for the top teams at those ages.
Not to put on extra pressure on the players/clubs to focus on the results at a young age is normally a positive during the regular season, there are enough tournaments and other stuff for that later.
Sometimes is really fun to be on team that goes on a long win streak, top of the table either posted or not, when everybody is gunning for you that can make your better or not. Some players development better on these times of teams but some don't either, stepping out of that shadow and seeing how well they do at the next level, coach, or team is sometimes when you really know.
But lets face it there are inherent advantages on some of the clubs (Especially the MLS ones) in the DA league, the field is not level or even close to level. When you have the resources, insiders, and the pick of players, coaches there is a big advantage compare to most clubs without some professional backers or afflictions. Clubs like TFA, Golden State, LA United, do pretty well at the younger ages but they have a tougher time holding on to players long term once the reach a certain level partly because they are not competing on a level playing field, when thing are stacked against you its possible to overcome but becomes increasing more difficult as the years go by .
Instead of the DA current system somebody proposed fewer teams; either with like clubs or through some pool type of system? Not sure what the answer are? but once you get to a certain age group say u15+ and you only get a few close match's through the season if you're a top of the table team and then go to face better competition in the tourneys (international, Dallas, Etc) can be hard to complete and you can see DA is really s not providing enough consistent high level competition for the top teams at those ages.
Well that’s it in a nutshell. It was explained to me that the USSDA wants to avoid crazy parents doing exactly that, driving their kids all over creation to get to soccer practice. We had kids driving up from Coachella at one point. Remember TFA is fully funded another incentive.
So geography is very important to USSDA. As TFA is very close to Laufa and Lafc I would wager TFA is not awarded U13-14 next month(?) as deserving as they might be......I would also wager LA Premier does get it as they are alone in their Pasadena La Canada fiefdom!
Not trying to be argumentative....just supporting Osvaldo's theory as to geography being a possible factor that is considered. While Golden State may have ruled that area for years, I believe that their current DA teams play out / near Highland, CA, correct? A good 70 miles from La Canada.
