Girls Development Academy

Not so sure the DA program is all it's cut out to be, I am very surprised at level of some of the girls that have made DA teams. I know it is still early and I will wait to pass final judgment on this issue.
My daughter does not play in the DA or ECNL.
 
Not so sure the DA program is all it's cut out to be, I am very surprised at level of some of the girls that have made DA teams. I know it is still early and I will wait to pass final judgment on this issue.
My daughter does not play in the DA or ECNL.

I am not at all surprised at the level of some girls that made DA teams - not enough talent to fill all the spots at the highest level. As for training and program logistics, I am very impressed with what I have seen from teams that have invested in the program.
 
I am not at all surprised at the level of some girls that made DA teams - not enough talent to fill all the spots at the highest level. As for training and program logistics, I am very impressed with what I have seen from teams that have invested in the program.
Would be interested to hear your thoughts on which programs thus far...
 
I am not at all surprised at the level of some girls that made DA teams - not enough talent to fill all the spots at the highest level. As for training and program logistics, I am very impressed with what I have seen from teams that have invested in the program.

Like I said a long time ago there are about 25-35 elite players per age group in all of SoCal. That is enough for 2-3 teams max. The remaining 8-10 teams worth of players are good but they hold back the elite players and really defeat the "purpose" of GDA.

The situation makes me think of two quotes. "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig." And, "a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet." Forget about league or team. It's a numbers game and there are only so many roses out there but plenty of the other thing.
 
Not so sure the DA program is all it's cut out to be, I am very surprised at level of some of the girls that have made DA teams. I know it is still early and I will wait to pass final judgment on this issue.
My daughter does not play in the DA or ECNL.

If your dd is not involved, how much of the DA have you seen since league has started? Have you seen practices? Games? Multiple teams and age groups? Or is your opinion based on a few girls that you know made a team? I think you need to provide this information to back up your comment.
 
If your dd is not involved, how much of the DA have you seen since league has started? Have you seen practices? Games? Multiple teams and age groups? Or is your opinion based on a few girls that you know made a team? I think you need to provide this information to back up your comment.
Like I said, I will wait to judge, my comments are based on players that I know who made a DA team, that is all.
I have heard the training is superior and they take care of the players, I have also heard there are DA teams that are getting beat by HUGE margins.
 
couple of things, first soccer as a game at the level that DA aspires to be, member teams at any age level should not be losing a game by more than 3 goals. There are teams losing by wide margins while also being shutout. Not just in Socal also, NoCal, east coast, Florida. Teams with little tactical understanding of the basic elements of soccer, 1v1 defending, team defending, defensive shape, transition from defense to offensive and back again, off the ball movement, providing support to your teammates when in possession, etc. the learning curve is just too great with some teams. Sure coaches will try to develop this over time, but even with a whole season and training 4x a week you can't address everything. Far too many players and clubs are chasing a patch and coding development with delusion of success through failure and calling it development. Not just failure in results but slow failure through mediocre training. My contention is that training at DA teams is not better than years past it is just move frequent. Training 2x a week with high level intensity against the best level of talent is vastly different than training 4x a week against marginal ability at a low level of skill. The players at the top are already at a higher level. the skill gap even at the 04, 03 age group is imo too great to close for most players between the top and the bottom.
 
couple of things, first soccer as a game at the level that DA aspires to be, member teams at any age level should not be losing a game by more than 3 goals. There are teams losing by wide margins while also being shutout. Not just in Socal also, NoCal, east coast, Florida. Teams with little tactical understanding of the basic elements of soccer, 1v1 defending, team defending, defensive shape, transition from defense to offensive and back again, off the ball movement, providing support to your teammates when in possession, etc. the learning curve is just too great with some teams. Sure coaches will try to develop this over time, but even with a whole season and training 4x a week you can't address everything. Far too many players and clubs are chasing a patch and coding development with delusion of success through failure and calling it development. Not just failure in results but slow failure through mediocre training. My contention is that training at DA teams is not better than years past it is just move frequent. Training 2x a week with high level intensity against the best level of talent is vastly different than training 4x a week against marginal ability at a low level of skill. The players at the top are already at a higher level. the skill gap even at the 04, 03 age group is imo too great to close for most players between the top and the bottom.

Nice post! Please share your credentials and the basis of your evaluation. How many DA games have you watched this year? What age groups and teams? How many practices have you witnessed to draw these conclusions? It sounds like you have watched multiple DA games for various ages and teams and witnessed a wide variety of practices to draw your conclusions. What is your background to allow you to draw these conclusions? I am curious because your post tends to imply that you are deeply involved and have the background and knowledge to post meaningful information here.
 
Nice post! Please share your credentials and the basis of your evaluation. How many DA games have you watched this year? What age groups and teams? How many practices have you witnessed to draw these conclusions? It sounds like you have watched multiple DA games for various ages and teams and witnessed a wide variety of practices to draw your conclusions. What is your background to allow you to draw these conclusions? I am curious because your post tends to imply that you are deeply involved and have the background and knowledge to post meaningful information here.

Cricket Cricket...;)
 
Nice post! Please share your credentials and the basis of your evaluation. How many DA games have you watched this year? What age groups and teams? How many practices have you witnessed to draw these conclusions? It sounds like you have watched multiple DA games for various ages and teams and witnessed a wide variety of practices to draw your conclusions. What is your background to allow you to draw these conclusions? I am curious because your post tends to imply that you are deeply involved and have the background and knowledge to post meaningful information here.
Didn't you know that I am the all knowing, been there done that soccer parent guru of all time. I travel the vast regions of the soccer landscape to root out all evil doer soccer coaches and fake developers of mediocre over priced soccer. No not really just your average every day socal soccer dwelling poster who has spent way too much time watching and playing youth, college, pro, etc soccer to know the difference between what is and what is not. Maybe I'm the person sitting next to you, or across from you, maybe you even know me. Or maybe I'm just the voice in your head. Who knows. So um no I won't be giving you my credentials today or my SS# or my home address, but just my fair and honest opinion as I see it.
 
Nice post! Please share your credentials and the basis of your evaluation. How many DA games have you watched this year? What age groups and teams? How many practices have you witnessed to draw these conclusions? It sounds like you have watched multiple DA games for various ages and teams and witnessed a wide variety of practices to draw your conclusions. What is your background to allow you to draw these conclusions? I am curious because your post tends to imply that you are deeply involved and have the background and knowledge to post meaningful information here.
A little defensive, are we? Just because someone doesn't think DA is what you think DA is, there is no reason to get butt hurt about it. Obviously you are involved in it somehow so maybe you can tell us how these 9-0 and 10-0 games are happening.
 
Hard to judge a team by only a few games. See how they improve over the course of the season. It is a "Development" Academy and not a 2 week All-Star program.
 
Like I said, I will wait to judge, my comments are based on players that I know who made a DA team, that is all.
I have heard the training is superior and they take care of the players, I have also heard there are DA teams that are getting beat by HUGE margins.

What games are you referring to in SoCal? Competition level seems comparable to ECNL last year, but it is early. Some great teams, some solid teams, and a couple of bad teams.
 
Hard to judge a team by only a few games. See how they improve over the course of the season. It is a "Development" Academy and not a 2 week All-Star program.
Hard to judge a team by only a few games. See how they improve over the course of the season. It is a "Development" Academy and not a 2 week All-Star program.
Its actually not hard to judge a team in a few games. It's super easy actually. So what the team that is losng 10-0 only loses 6-0 in April and that is development? No that's lunacy. Even a game score of 3-0 can be embarrassing when one team can't even posses the ball for 3 or more passes. But DA is and should only be about individual players not teams.
 
In my opinion this convo is being viewed the wrong way. Take teams out of it, coaches out of it, take scores out it. Watch a DA game any game and what you will see is 5-7 players total in any game who can actually play. Players who can determine and effect the outcome of a game. The rest are there as cones. And if you are not sure what you are then you might be the cone.
 
A little defensive, are we? Just because someone doesn't think DA is what you think DA is, there is no reason to get butt hurt about it. Obviously you are involved in it somehow so maybe you can tell us how these 9-0 and 10-0 games are happening.

Who said that I don't agree with Nutmeg? I was just calling him (or her) out a bit to understand his (or her) background since that part was left out (which would help to understand the context of their comments). By the way I do not currently have a kid playing DA but it doesn't take much to figure out why blowouts are happening.
 
What games are you referring to in SoCal? Competition level seems comparable to ECNL last year, but it is early. Some great teams, some solid teams, and a couple of bad teams.
west coast 10 psv union 0
legends 9 Burlingame 0
lafc 6 la galaxie 1
beach 4 albion 0
 
Who said that I don't agree with Nutmeg? I was just calling him (or her) out a bit to understand his (or her) background since that part was left out (which would help to understand the context of their comments). By the way I do not currently have a kid playing DA but it doesn't take much to figure out why blowouts are happening.
Simi your aces in my book. No worries, healthy questioning and skepticism is what your supposed to do. Otherwise this forum becomes boring. Feel free to DM.
 
Who said that I don't agree with Nutmeg? I was just calling him (or her) out a bit to understand his (or her) background since that part was left out (which would help to understand the context of their comments). By the way I do not currently have a kid playing DA but it doesn't take much to figure out why blowouts are happening.
I know it is the first part of the first year, growing pains.
 
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