Look...there are a lot of good Coaches in that organization with different initials. My point is, choose the best Coach and environment for your daughter. The league is secondary.
ECNL 2
- Thread starter Surf Zombie
- Start date
MA0812
SILVER
My understanding is they are taking existing teams and will have some sort of tryout to fill needed spots and or improve the roster. Have not heard anything official and on the record though.
The Ghost of Johan Cruyff
BRONZE
There is one thing you are missing in all the Slammers chatter....Moving forward Slammers FC ECNL teams will be made up of Newport and South Slammers. LAFC Slammers will be made up of the best players of CDA. The first team will be an "allstar" team with a preselected coach. The second team will be the best "team" and the coach of that team will remain with the group. Don't use this year as the indicator of how it will ber in years to come. This is a move that was talked about but not planned for until recently. Most people did not even know until they started labeling the teams ECNL2 to try to hold off the politics portion. What makes it more interesting is that some of the younger coaches who would normally pass on their team now want to ride them into an ECNL coaching spot. With it being the "best" team getting the second spot how long until they are recruiting against each other (currently a big no-no). Then there are several coaches who have better younger teams that are not Ummm....ECNL material...Slammers has done the branch model better than anyone but maybe they have done too good of a job and now the only thing left is to cannibalize themselves. Another issue is that the ECNL two teams are charging the same amount of money. Some parents are more than happy to pay it. Seems insane. But If I pay for a Lexus and in return, I get a Toyota then that is on me -- the pricing has caused quite a few players to pass on ECNL all together. There is no point to ECNL 2 other than to counter GDA's DPL. That was after Boys ECNL was a response to GDA. There are a lot of big names and bigger egos reshaping the landscape just to piss off the other. If Slammers never leaves GDA or if Beach and Legends left like they said they would then we wouldn't have tier 4 teams getting patches on their uniforms - of course they'd figure out another way to seduce parents. Just my $.02 - The Ghost
I’ll take your argument one step further and say if ECNL had admitted Beach and Legends in then GDA would not have existed.....
Can you provide some additional clarity here?
Slammers (the original group - Newport) was an OG ECNL club. If I recall, they made the LAFC deal to be positioned with an MLS club. I believe this was their catalyst to entry in the DA.
Then a year later, they killed their DA program and were only ECNL.
But since there was Slammers and LAFC Slammers, they were able to keep 2 teams in ECNL under the 2 different names.
I've always been confused on how Slammers and LAFC Slammers are connected (or not). Are they 2 separate clubs? Is LAFC more focused on the Los Angeles region?
And now you are saying that Slammers and South Slammers will combine to create ECNL and ECNL Regional League (ECNL 2) teams that will play under the Slammers banner?
And that LAFC Slammers will be comprised on the various CDA Slammers groups to create ECNL and ECNL Regional League (ECNL2) teams that will play under the LAFC Slammers banner?
Did something special have to happen to get the CDA group to be part of ECNL?
The Ghost of Johan Cruyff
BRONZE
TL
R - CDA will feed LAFC and South and Newport will feed Slammers FC. Nothing special happened. Just two entity dividing up the land they have won. I can provide some clarity. I'll start with where you state it becomes confusing which it absolutely does. Now it may seem odd with one side being youth and the other being the top league in the country but LAFC/Slammers agreement had always been looked at as mutually beneficial and not just a local club attaching itself to a Premier League team and claiming it as part of its pathway....Slammers brought to the table a couple of things that LAFC would have had a hard time duplicating in what is the same time frame of their agreement. They got a. a grassroots way into the Orange County market b. the ability to connect with girls/women's soccer, their family and fans and of course disposable income. Slammers in return thought the move legitimized their boys' program, always the step child to the girls, gave them some industry weight, and what was thought to be the biggest reason....the inevitable Slammers/LAFC Women's professional team.
Of course, no one planned for GDA to suck for the clubs so much. Once they pulled out of GDA the honeymoon was over. Not because they didn't like each other but they didn't need each other. So now they sit like a married couple waiting for their last child to leave the next so they can call him during his first week of college to say they are getting divorced. But what to do until then? Beside the indefensible decision to do away with white alternate jerseys and replace with black - to honor the relationship with LAFC, the choice of black was essentially non-negotiable. (can't you just picture the people at Legends and Beach being upset on the missed Black/Gold opportunity. Someone in business development might have lost their jobs. JK) - the relationship seemed to be livable.
Since the branch model's debut all Slammers roads, including CDA, South and formerly Irvine roads led to Newport just as all Strikers led to Irvine (boys) and all Galaxy roads led to Carson, by way of South Bay. At the beginning, it legitimized these local clubs but then somewhere along the way CDA became bigger than Newport in more than a few ways. To be clear the people in charge of cda have the utmost respect for those who run Newport and vice versa. But when ECNL 2 starting formulating there was pressure but it was below. For some time now the bulk of every ecnl team was comprised of CDA kids. But the coach's were almost always from Newport. With four spots per age group, CDA said I think our guys deserve more. And that was that....sorry there is no dramatic ending.
So, LAFC Slammers will be represented by predominantly CDA coaches. Slammers FC will be Newport and South. This alignment is regarding the 2 teams more than the 1. The one team will still be the best of the best being coached by the best fit for that age, group or timeline. But they are turning 2 into a four-year gauntlet that will have CDA teams scared to scrimmage each other and hesitant to let their player guest play - both big advantages of being Slammers.
It's my humble opinion that with the landscape shifting yet again in favor of th big clubs. With slammers inching closer and closer to a Slammers League (spring challenge league..anyone?) and the influence these clubs have over competition levels, conferences, college recruitment that we are THISCLOSE to needing an ECNL AT-LARGE team. This team would be the best of the rest. All the mom and pop clubs still out there doing their thing. Who is OC's Boise State? Could you imagine if they won the league? Alright done.,
IF you think this is all farce ask yourself why I'd write 2000 words at midnight where I don't call out, belittle or accuse anyone on either side. There is no agenda so then why speak untruths....maybe next time if you catch me in a good mood I 'll tell you why in 5 years that no one will be calling themselves Slammers anymore - The Ghost.
Regardless of when you wrote it, this just isn't correct - at least for 19/20. There are kids who played in Newport Slammers and South Slammers last year that will be playing for the LAFC ECNL team for the 19/20 season. Coaches of that team are coaches from Slammers FC. I have no idea what the future plans may be, but what you described is just not the case for 19/20. And hard to see how it would make sense to redistribute players from these teams into geographically focused teams next year. Why would they not follow that approach now if that was the plan - at least for the new '07 LAFC and SLammers FC ECNL and ECNL 2 teams being newly formed this year. And they aren't doing what you describe with those teams.
I know of 1 LAFC Slammers ECNL that is made up of mostly players from CDA and also the coach and that is the 04s but they were also DA for a year and their coach AM has the license to coach DA and many Slammers FC coaches didn't and also that CDA has been a top team for years before aging into DA and ECNL.
Recently Slammers FC has had a lot of success at the younger ages with the addition of coaches CB AW and PA and those teams are made up mostly of former OC Strikers and Irvine Slammers players and those players are the 05 and 06 LAFC Slammers ECNL and will be the 07 LAFC ECNL and be coached by those same Slammers FC coaches or TD.
CDA may be getting some ECNL2 teams under LAFC there is a rumor the 05s that won national cup and their coach will get it.
Recently Slammers FC has had a lot of success at the younger ages with the addition of coaches CB AW and PA and those teams are made up mostly of former OC Strikers and Irvine Slammers players and those players are the 05 and 06 LAFC Slammers ECNL and will be the 07 LAFC ECNL and be coached by those same Slammers FC coaches or TD.
CDA may be getting some ECNL2 teams under LAFC there is a rumor the 05s that won national cup and their coach will get it.
The Ghost of Johan Cruyff
BRONZE
I almost feel like you misread what I stated in the first comment and that led you to misinterpret my second comment. Or perhaps I misspoke...
In essence, I said the realignment of which branches feed which mothership was not a result of ECNL 2 but a by-product of it when you had coaches with legitimate gripes that they would never sniff ECNL. "ECNL 2 was talked about but never planned for" - I think were my exact words. Everything since that became a reality has been reactionary. Yes, there will be the cross-pollination of branches in the 19-20 because plans were already in motion for some, but not major, changes. In your response you say, "why would they not follow that approach now if that was the plan?" That is exactly what I am trying to say.......there was no plan. There was no guarantee that ECNL2 would happen this year. Up until 2-3 weeks ago they weren't even sure if the would plan same sites as the ECNL1 teams which would impact coaching assignments which should be obvious.
Your next statement again has me wondering if you misread my comment. "And hard to see how it would make sense to redistribute players from these teams into geographically focused teams next year." Where was that said or implied? You are aware the CDA covers South Bay to Fullerton to Orange to Whittier, to HB, to Cerritos to Diamond Bar. So, to consider that one area means you need to come north of the Y more often. South Slammers and Newport are about as close geographically as Cerritos and Newport. Ladera Ranch, no matter how they want to be, is Newport Coast. Most of all though....you are aware the both ECNL teams practice at the same field which makes this whole paragraph unnecessary.
The decision on who the LAFC ECNL 2 Coach/team will be is already a done deal at the 04, 05, 06, and 07 levels. Take a guess what side of the family they are on - just as I implied. Yes, the #1s will continue to be a virtual club all-star team with preselected coach. - just as I had already stated. Yes, the future drama and politics is either embarrassing or exciting depending on weather, but either way, it doesn't take away the fact that the tail wagged the dog just enough to get some coaching assignment and keep their team. It also reinforced just how big CDA is and how it is influencing Newport the long time big brother and Big Brother.
Just to touch on your last sentence about the 07s. What a unique situation. With the two #1 spots thought to be locked up for the past 2 years, many coaches put other ages as their #1. But with the top teams in the age group so talented and the trickle-down effect made possible...being on the "reserve" team is about as good as it can get. It is my understanding that the last ones to know about ECNL 2, out of that age group, were the CDA coaches. The reason being that their age group had more than a few who could make a legitimate claim to being the choice for ECNL2. Its too bad the decision was made so quickly because I pictured a battle royale play in the tournament which would have been interesting to say the least.
Your original post said "Moving forward Slammers FC ECNL teams will be made up of Newport and South Slammers. LAFC Slammers will be made up of the best players of CDA. The first team will be an "allstar" team with a preselected coach. The second team will be the best "team" and the coach of that team will remain with the group." As you say, they aren't doing that this year. My point was that it would not make sense to break-up the teams that exist this year for the 20/21 season based on those geographies. If what you mean is that your geographical concept will start with next years '08 ECNL teams and all of the current year ECNL 2 teams without any change to the new '07 ECNL teams and the existing older ECNL teams, then I have no disagreement. I think I just misread what you were intending as to the '07 and older ECNL teams.
The Ghost of Johan Cruyff
BRONZE
We are on the same page.
why do you say there will be more travel?
If there are less DA teams to play against in So Cal, I have to assume that there will be a few more trips to play AZ and Vegas teams.
We already play them (and the other teams in our division) 2x’s per season. Why would we play them more? They would likely just play less games in the season. There are some clubs that may choose to play more out of division games to make up the loss.
There are multiple Divisions/Regions in DA.
Yes but my question is (and I know there are multiple divisions) are you saying that playing friendlies outside of division with teams within in your division to stay sharp? or are you saying having teams from other divisions/regions travel to socal to play you? How is that less travel for AZ and NV?
Ok...let’s be clear:
1) not friendliest, scheduled regular season games that your club can schedule/petition to play via US Soccer during the off season.
2) some travel to SoCal, some SoCal travels to.
3) the point in question was travel TO AZ and NV, not FOR.
My point was there wouldn’t be more travel TO AZ and NV....could mean more travel overall should your Club wish to schedule out of Region/Division games.
Hopefully that clears up my statement....