DA is like going to Harvard???


I'm curious to know the number of player's that skipped HS soccer to stay DA these last 2 years on the girls side. I know several kids in our area that left DA last season and this season, to play for a local club team, ECNL or just stopped playing altogether. Some said it was partly to play HS but the others said it was too hard trying to deal with school, college entrance stuff, the drive, and the # of training days during the week was just too big of a commitment. My guess is, some of those player's may have had burnout, got smart and realized there's a 3% chance of playing at the collegiate level and about a 1% chance of playing at the professional level on the girls side, (Stat is from last years NCAA booklet), not good odds and wasn't worth missing HS life..... can't see how this article helps their cause, what is it they're offering? a path to what?.....
 
Easy answer (albeit, entirely moronic) for Mirelle van Rijbroek. She has absolutely no clue about HS soccer in America. The simple fact that it’s NOT about the soccer really. HS sports are about so much more. GET A CLUE!!
 
If you say so. Haha..

I dunno watch out for Goldie...

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I'm curious to know the number of player's that skipped HS soccer to stay DA these last 2 years on the girls side. I know several kids in our area that left DA last season and this season, to play for a local club team, ECNL or just stopped playing altogether. Some said it was partly to play HS but the others said it was too hard trying to deal with school, college entrance stuff, the drive, and the # of training days during the week was just too big of a commitment. My guess is, some of those player's may have had burnout, got smart and realized there's a 3% chance of playing at the collegiate level and about a 1% chance of playing at the professional level on the girls side, (Stat is from last years NCAA booklet), not good odds and wasn't worth missing HS life..... can't see how this article helps their cause, what is it they're offering? a path to what?.....
The story makes no sense except demonstrating they feel the need to make excuses for not allowing HS which is a huge mistake for the GDA. They are also less concerned with the players education than they are with controlling.
 
Elitism. The article comes off making US Soccer's DA program look elite/snobby/(we are better than you). In real life there is ALWAYS something to learn no matter who you are competing with or against. Life lessons can come in many forms and it is not always from the daily grind of competing against the "so called" best or the people who can afford to go to Harvard or play DA soccer. There is the pride for playing for your school and representing your student body and life long friends and competing against your cross town rivals. These are once in a lifetime experiences and to throw that away because some snobby beauracrat from US Soccer finds entertainment in belittling the rest of the soccer playing community is a shame. I have a dd playing in her first year of HS soccer (who is as good as some of our local DA playersI) and she is thrilled to death at the prosepct of putting on her schools jersey while playing the sport she loves as are most of her friends. It would be better soccer with the DA kids, but they have made their choices and I am thrilled for the less skilled kids who are getting a chance to play on one of their High School soccer teams because those players have gone MIA due to the elitism of US Soccer.
Congratulations to your daughter, if she is happy that is important. Be aware there are many sports in high school where a player can put on the school jersey and represent their school. Many DA players, and there are quite a few, play another sport in high school besides soccer. It takes a special student/athlete who can handle it but there are many. No one has to throw away a "one in a lifetime experience". It is a choice.
 
I'm curious to know the number of player's that skipped HS soccer to stay DA these last 2 years on the girls side. I know several kids in our area that left DA last season and this season, to play for a local club team, ECNL or just stopped playing altogether. Some said it was partly to play HS but the others said it was too hard trying to deal with school, college entrance stuff, the drive, and the # of training days during the week was just too big of a commitment. My guess is, some of those player's may have had burnout, got smart and realized there's a 3% chance of playing at the collegiate level and about a 1% chance of playing at the professional level on the girls side, (Stat is from last years NCAA booklet), not good odds and wasn't worth missing HS life..... can't see how this article helps their cause, what is it they're offering? a path to what?.....


Haters hate! If you asked my DD she is happy not to be playing HS her senior year. Last year in HS they went undefeated in league, she was MVP and was totally frustrated the whole season by the play. She truly loves her DA teammates which really are her best friends plus she gets a three week break from soccer this holiday season when we finally get to go to Utah snowboarding. Also, there is no way she would be have been seen by her future college coach and have the great offer ahead of her without having moved from her smaller club to DA. Granted if there was just ECNL she could have gotten to the same place but my guess is that she would have still skipped HS this year (like a lot of girls were doing pre DA) to train instead in prep for college. I also agree that for 97% of the girls that play soccer and won’t play beyond HS, the DA is the wrong place to play. But almost every girl on our DA team is committed and if you asked them they believe they made the right choice.
 
That’s cool that your daughter is happy with her choice. But, my guess is that YOU were more frustrated with the play during HS, than she. Your poor kid had to suffer thru an undefeated season while being the obvious standout!? That must have sucked for her. I can see why she wouldn’t want to return for her senior season, lol.
 
Playing DA is the best way to get a college coach to notice you, but what they don't tell you is how few of them will actually play or make it through college on the roster. Look at the roster for New Mexco, https://golobos.com/roster.aspx?path=msoc. 3 seniors, 3 juniors, 16 freshmen. UCLA has 5 seniors out of a roster of 27, https://uclabruins.com/roster.aspx?roster=2211&path=msoc. St. Marys has one senior, https://smcgaels.com/roster.aspx?roster=23&path=msoc. Stanford has 4 seniors, https://gostanford.com/roster.aspx?roster=675&path=msoc.

This isn't cherry picking. It's the way it is at almost every D1 college on the men's side. It's not hard to get a college to take you, but it's very hard to have a real soccer career whether it's from injuries, playing time or realizing that there's more to life in college than soccer. My son is DA and could be recruited to play college, but to think he's actually going to play and that it would be worth it is likely foolish. And for him to skip out on the high school experience because someone thinks the DA is Harvard is just dumb.
 
I like what you said. Except for the less skilled kids getting a chance to play high school soccer. There is plenty of talent that simply chooses not to play DA.
I know a few dozen kids that made the decision to turn down DA offers and or left DA in order to play for their high school. The talent pool is huge in SoCal. There are plenty of ECNL and flight 1 girls that would be starters on any DA team but chose not to go that route in order to play for their school and have a more flexible schedule.
 
Kick, you are completely wrong! She is the third of my kids to play HS soccer. HS soccer is great for the parents. Tons of fans in the stands, newspaper articles, online interviews, awards, lots of other people telling you how great your kid played. What parent wouldn’t like that? Not playing HS to play DA this year is strictly her choice. She was already committed prior to the start of this DA season so could have easily chose to return her senior year.
 
What a bunch of BS!
US Soccer is drowning in its own nonsense and its fans (AND youth players) are left to suffer.
"The Boys’ Development Academy started in 2007, and the Girls’ Development Academy started in 2017. "

We all know how well that's worked out for the USMNT especially in the last World Cup. Weird how the USWNT has been a pretty dominate team given the fact DA just started last season for the girls.
 
"The Boys’ Development Academy started in 2007, and the Girls’ Development Academy started in 2017. "

We all know how well that's worked out for the USMNT especially in the last World Cup. Weird how the USWNT has been a pretty dominate team given the fact DA just started last season for the girls.[/QUOTE
 
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