What no one has been able to answer to me is why was a new DA protocol developed for the girls. Why not use the same system the boys use for identifying teams to give DA status to and identifying players. Also why was it necessary to invent DPL for girls when the boys have been functioning without it?
GDA relegation or profit
- Thread starter SDsun
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What do you mean by "new DA protocol?" My understanding is the girls DA was modeled on the boys, even down to the no HS soccer rule.
Understood. We know that US Soccer has a pyramid model in mind with many U12 teams that narrow to fewer U18/19 teams, with the ultimate goal of having the olders in residential programs. In building the GDA, it appears US Soccer started with a skyscraper and will build out the base. Because many of the programs that were accepted had solid girls programs from bottom (U14) to top (U18/19) it seems to make good logical sense to add all ages initially and favor clubs that can meet the initial need. Heck, its hard to have a league with only a few teams, so I can understand a logistical argument being made that the initial round will favor clubs that can supply teams in all age groups ... which appears what happened.
That sounds nice in theory but did it really happen that clubs with strong programs were awarded DA? I am not sure what happened with Arsenal or Strikers and I believe (although not certain) that Sharks had a much stronger program than Albion. And a great example is what happened in Northern California. I never heard of Burlingame yet they were awarded DA and got stomped on in all age groups at Surf Cup while MVLA is not DA.
LadiesMan217
GOLD
Strong programs were awarded DA, maybe not strong teams. I'll say it again, my DD played on what is 'considered' the #1 girls program in country and was taught very little by the coaching staff. Yeah they won lots and lots of games, played in many National Championships, but not one girls on the team could tell you the purpose of different soccer formations, etc. Great recruiters, great Kool-Aid, etc. but not a strong program at all - just a strong team. Sharks had a stronger program than Albion? I am going to say not even close IMO.
Albion did not have a strong program on the girls side while I believe Sharks did until last year? Everyone was always commenting on how they ignored the girls program. What about Arsenal and Strikers, they were not stronger than Albion or Carlsbad? And the Burlingame club had neither strong teams nor strong programs. Not trying to argue, just trying to understand why they did not follow the methodology used for the boys program of awarding DA.
What was the methodology for awarding boys DA teams? I watched it in 2007 or 8 from San Diego perspective, where it seemed like the 2 clubs with best political connections got teams, and everyone else was ignored.
Gokicksomegrass
SILVER
@LadiesMan217 is emphasizing what many veterans posters who helped their dd make to college ball: your agenda is to focus
on your player's development and help your player get where she needs to be. If the coach, team, and the club fit your agenda,
awesome. Otherwise, figure stuff out. Folks who keep on emphasizing clubs are coaches, docs, or homers.
From the US Soccer FAQ (http://www.ussoccerda.com/girls-academy-faqs):
What criteria is be used to select clubs that will be part of the Girls' Development Academy?
The Academy uses the following criteria when evaluating the application of each club for membership:
- Leadership of the club and quality of the coaching staff
- Desire to embrace and promote the core values of the program
- U.S. Soccer license levels of coaching staff
- Infrastructure of the club and the resources currently being invested in development (facilities, scholarships, staff to player ratio, etc.)
- History of player production for youth National Teams, the Women's National Team, and professional leagues
- Market with player depth, geographic location, proximity to other elite clubs and travel implications
When it comes to the complaint "why not use the same criteria as US Soccer did for the boys," after thinking about it (thanks @Fact for your comments/observations), I don't think that would be wise because we all perceive mistakes have been made with the boys program. The girls get to evaluate what worked and didn't work over the last 10 years, make changes to the criteria having learned from the boys mistakes and go to market with a different (and hopefully better) plan. Whether this bears out, only time will tell.
El Clasico
GOLD
What worked with the boys program??
younothat
PREMIER
sounds good on paper but in reality some would say:
#1 criteria is $$, connections, and politics and everything else comes secondary.
#2 once you're in its like the MOB; made for life.
DA like the rest of us soccer sorely needs reg/promotion and open circuits not closed ones and a real pyramid not a false flag.
So far girls DA is no different than the boys academy, nothing I've seen or heard has been different.
I'm a supporter of ussda & da programs but I can see it for what it is. A small step in the right direction but a long way to go to make things better of all youth soccer players not just the 5%.
If you want to know about scholarships, <5% of the DA players receive them and the avg outlay is only 1500. You have to be in poverty basically to receive one without assets like a expensive homes, cars, etc
Carry on, still early in a few years maybe things will be different.
What we can say today is about 90% of the Youth USNT players are coming from the DA programs. It gets harder to track (by looking at current rosters) once we get to the U20+ USNT because the associated teams are colleges and MSL/International teams. The mens program is still in flux and now there is a very hard push to stratify the DA programs into MLS (residential programs) and Club non-residential, with a few club's trying to crack the residential nut. The MLS programs will have the pick of the litter because they will be fully funded, whereas the Club programs will be constantly selling and scratching.
younothat
PREMIER
Well when 75%+ of the players invited to the training groups/centers are DA players the odd's are in their favor, self fulling. Will see how the numbers works out with the girls next couple of years.
Marketing of youth sports is the usa is very cleaver, $15 billion $ industry built on these pipe dreams and anythings labeled "national, usa, etc". As the HBO Real Sports bit points out there is not a increase in kids playing just parents spending more and more $ chasing "better" competition by traveling
http://www.socalsoccer.com/threads/time-magazine-how-kids-sports-became-a-15-billion-industry.4100/
Bananacorner
SILVER ELITE
Just my two cents, but I noticed that for the girls DA they seemed to pick many (not all) clubs that emphasize possession-style play, whether or not that club was able to develop teams that consistently win at the highest levels. Some of these clubs are very small and don't pull in the best players at tryout time. The reason I noticed this is by focusing only on the smaller/less successful clubs -- it seemed that they scanned and picked up those that do a good job sticking with their playing philosophy. Other small clubs that play different styles didn't seem to get picked.
Mystery Train
GOLD
Interesting. I only know a couple of the DA clubs very well because I'm not in a geography close to many of them. Curious which clubs you feel got picked because they stick to a playing philosophy?
El Clasico
GOLD
Now I am more confused than ever. So the DA program's purpose is to funnel the kids into the MLS? I have always been under the impression that sole purpose of the DA program was to identify and develop players for the US National Teams. In other words, in the minds of most rational people who possess the ability to see what is right in front of their eyes rather than what they are being told, the only metric that matters is how many players has 10 years of boys DA produced that are PLAYING on the USMNT? Please don't tell me that we need to give it more time because what you are really saying when you ask for more time is that FIFA doesn't allow walkers or canes on the pitch so eventually all the senior citizens will have to be phased out and young blood (presumably from the DA program) will replace them. I find it astonishing that you can't find a 20 to 25 year old DA produced product that is good enough to replace our aging men's team. To put it bluntly, our 35 year old players are superior to any youth player that 10 years of DA has produced. The only young blood on the US team comes from overseas. Once again, this shows exactly why any youth player that has a legitimate shot at being a global player needs to get the hell out of the US before US Soccer gets a hold of them and destroys their future. I understand that if a scientist has enough mice to experiment on, he may develop a breakthrough drug but it sure as hell won't be on my mouse.
Bananacorner
SILVER ELITE
I'll mention some in N Cal so it doesn't deteriorate into an argument about who plays possession-style in S Cal. In Northern cal, many larger clubs were "passed up" for small clubs PSV Union, Lamorinda who are known for a very stringent, almost militaristic possession style. Also on the larger club side -- De Anza, whose players split into the Cal Thorns and Earthquakes, play possession style. Still TBD if these newly formed entities stick with the philosophy, but the group under Deza at Earthquakes certainly will. And MVLA/Burlingame was selected to be DA, and they play possession style (although now that MVLA pulled out, I don't know what Burlingame plays).
I'm curious to see if the curriculum that is pushed from above will include an emphasis on possession-style play.
Don't be confused. But, yes, the DA's purpose is to funnel players to the MLS and other pro ranks. US Soccer's goals remain the same, develop youth players that can become National Team players. Create an environment that allows the best athletes to choose soccer v. football, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc. Change the culture of US Soccer by influencing the development process. US Soccer recognizes that there is only 1 group in the US whose goals and financial abilities are aligned with the high level development of players ... the MLS. Clubs typically are not because Clubs won't financially benefit (US doesn't compensate for players), thus, the only financial benefit to Clubs is using the DA as a carrot for their Flight 1-3 teams and try to fund DA on the backs of the Flight 1-3 players, which props up the balance sheet of those clubs.
The MLS is fine with taking on the burden of player development through its partnership with U.S. Soccer because the MLS believes it will benefit far more (needs a few hundred players) than US Soccer (needs 25 players). Some clubs are also fine with the financial burden because it bolsters the marketability of that club. Adding the Girls component does complicate things because professional woman's soccer is a money loser (heck, men's soccer is still a money loser). For the sake of simplicity, let's stick with the men's program.
Because US Soccer wants high level players, and the MLS needs high level players, the two are aligned. US Soccer doesn't really care if a player graduates from the DA and moves overseas for a professional career because the international seasons/leagues all accommodate National Team needs, so no big deal. U.S. Soccer also doesn't care if the International Clubs raid the best US Players because US Soccer will have access to those players when it needs them. US Soccer knows that 99.54573% of all DA players won't make it to the Mens or Womans National Team and if they do, then they are playing for some Pro Team anyway.
There is no dispute that a significant gap exists between US development of soccer players and European development of soccer players. To this end, US Soccer saw that the 1st 5-7 years have been a failure and hired a company called Double Pass to consult and tell it what changes need to be made. US DA programs have just now gone through the 1st round of interviews and reports and are making changes recommended by Double Pass. I won't go into the plan, but you can read about it hear at a high level if interested: https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2016/02/08/us-soccer-double-pass-youth-academy-development.
In sum, US Soccer knows the 1st 10 years have been a failure, US Soccer is actively trying to emulate the European model through associating with MLS teams for the DA and pushing very hard for adoption of residential programs (European model), and US Soccer knows that the professional teams will take the cream of the crop and further develop those players.
For all those players that don't make it to the MLS or go overseas, there is college where their carriers will end (if men), but getting a college scholarship for most should be their goal and its a success unto itself. Girls have a different path given the professional landscape of women's team sports (i.e. hard to make a living).
El Clasico
GOLD
So why do so many people have trouble understanding the negativity towards the new GDA? In this very same thread, it has been acknowledged that Boys DA has been a failure while at the same time, implementing that same failing structure on what has been a successful women's side.
My experience has been on the boys side as nobody has experience on the girls side as of yet. However, that hasn't stopped a large percentage of individuals from not only jumping in with both feet, but trying to defend it to the naysayers who have already experienced it with disastrous results. I don't mind those who jump in with the hopes that it will be all that has been advertised as I can see the appeal but to defend a product that has produced no results in 10 years and has been accepted as a failure by its creator (US Soccer) demonstrates either ignorance or stupidity. And with no shortage of both, US Soccer has no incentive to improve it's product.
By the way, when I said I was confused, I was being facetious.