Simisoccerfan
PREMIER
I don't see way SCDSL teams could not have stayed in CSL.
Girls DPL?
- Thread starter Soccerreccos
- Start date
I don't see way SCDSL teams could not have stayed in CSL.
I know you are just a parent like me, but you've been the chief advocate for DPL on this forum for a while now and your need to address my question with "whataboutism" is telling.
Plus your statement is incorrect. It wasn't SCDSL "teams" that left CSL, it was "clubs." By contrast, the DPL clubs that were playing for SCDSL and CSL are still there. They are just keeping their B teams out of league play, having them play a reduced number of fall games in a round robin format and calling it a "league." The situations are not parallel.
Most of the DPL benefits you've cited appear to be benefits that come along with being a B team in a large club (good training, the chance to perhaps be promoted to the club's A team some day, playing in good tournaments, getting games videotaped, etc.). Other benefits (being able to play at Silver Lakes each week) seem like detriments (there are no home/local games so there is increased travel).
The only clear benefit I see to clubs from playing in DPL specifically is that the lesser DPL teams are guaranteed the right to play against the good DPL teams and lose to their hearts content without the threat of demotion. While wins/losses shouldn't necessarily be the top priority, our girls should be playing similarly-talented competition to the extent possible, especially at these older groups. This is why the vast majority of club soccer leagues in this country allow less talented teams to be moved to a lower division, or promoted, as warranted. But the structure of DPL doesn't permit that to happen. There are some really good teams in DPL, but they are stuck, now and forever, playing whatever the other DPL clubs are able to throw at them.
If there is anything that ends up breaking DPL apart, my guess is it will be that. At some point, for example, Legends might get tired of blowing out other DPL clubs all the time and will seek an arrangement that will give them a chance at more consistently strong competition.
Two wrongs dont make a right Simi. Ideally all the strong teams should be in one league, that’s why the creation of DPL, when we already had TOO many leagues was completely unnecessary. That’s the point. The point is not that things have turned out ok with most teams in DPL, because they would have been just as fine in SCDSL, CSL, etc.
I recall reading posts when CSL was the only league and the premiere division was stud team after stud team after stud team. With promotion and relegation, I can only imagine how frk’n competitive that league must have been.
Ghostwriter
SILVER
DPL was designed as an answer to clubs that don't have both DA and ECNL team's. This offers players that didn't make a DA squad an alternative market that would offer the benefits you mentioned in your above post and be able to feel good staying with that club. You can debate the success or lack of success of DPL's first year, but that is why it was formed. DA is the top team in every club that has DA teams with the exception of one outliner. The start of this season ECNL clubs which had the top teams prior to this year had a distinct advantage in putting together their DA squads and selling those who didn't make it on a proven product ECNL. Those DA clubs that didn't have ECNL to promote or offer had to come up with a product that would offer kids more than just CSL or SCDSL offers in hopes of retaining quality players in the DPL ranks. This is the first year of DPL and some parents seem unhappy and others seem happy with the DPL product, I think in all fairness it will take several seasons to see how it works out. Club soccer is a business and it sells a product you are the consumer find the product that works best for your daughter and hopefully you have created memories that will last a lifetime.
Exactly, at least you admit that it was for business purposes and not for development.
Ghostwriter
SILVER
DA, ECNL, DPL, SCDSL, CSL, Presidio, HS soccer, Rec Soccer, it's all a business. As for development that is up to the paying customer to decide in all of those leagues. Club soccer is a lot of things and each experience is unique to the player and family. Just because DPL was created to offer a viable alternative for non ECNL DA clubs to retain quality players doesn't mean those players didn't develop.
GoWest
GOLD
Super Y League will be added to that list before long.
https://www.soccerwire.com/notes/super-y-league-announces-southern-california-expansion/
Simisoccerfan
PREMIER
I don't believe I need to address any of your concerns or comments. I don't need to defend the formation of DPL. I had nothing to do with it. I have no control over whether DPL exists or doesn't. And neither do any of you. We can't control what has occurred in the past and its a waste of time even reading the endless comments about why DPL doesn't need to exist. All each of us can do is make individual decisions on what is best for our own kids. My only mission here is to share our personal experience with DPL in light of all the negativity. If that makes me chief advocate, so be it.
My dd's previous team had blown up and we needed to make a decision on where to play. Of the various options that were available for us to make (and DA was not one of them since she did not initially make a DA team) it was the one we chose. I was concerned early on partially do to all of the negativity posted here. I can only share our experience since which has been very positive. The league was well run. Game day was good with excellent fields, decent refs, good competition, good water stations and game filming (though that did not start until mid season). Training was good and we had exposure to the DA coaches. I saw our players develop and the end results were great for my kid.
Yes, this all could have occurred in one league under Premier if it was 2009. But it is 2018 and times change. You need to change with them.
My dd's previous team had blown up and we needed to make a decision on where to play. Of the various options that were available for us to make (and DA was not one of them since she did not initially make a DA team) it was the one we chose. I was concerned early on partially do to all of the negativity posted here. I can only share our experience since which has been very positive. The league was well run. Game day was good with excellent fields, decent refs, good competition, good water stations and game filming (though that did not start until mid season). Training was good and we had exposure to the DA coaches. I saw our players develop and the end results were great for my kid.
Yes, this all could have occurred in one league under Premier if it was 2009. But it is 2018 and times change. You need to change with them.
All true, just don’t sell it as development or as a unique league that is somehow going to work some magic with your kid that no other league can. Most experienced posters here saw right through the sales pitch. And yes it’s a business and clubs can make any sales pitch they want, I could care less, just don’t try to justify its formation.
glen_dandy
SILVER
This echoes my daughter's experience with the DPL. She got good coaching, played a lot, competition was the same as when she played in SCDSL, and if we had asked, she could have practiced with the DA team (alas, she wants to play in high school and has no college soccer aspirations). We chose a club and a coach, not a league.
Ecplicitly or implicitly, you have consistently defended its FORMATION, which is the only issue most of us have with DPL. So that is the point. I don’t doubt for a second any of the other ways DPL has been good for you and your family. But like others have said, I bet it’s more of a function of the club, coach, team, and parents/kids than the league. And that’s true regardless of the “league.”
Ghostwriter
SILVER
I haven't sold DPL to anyone, I am curious though what would you have done if you were a DA club competing against a DA/ECNL club?
When ECNL was formed where were all the 2nd teams placed? Didn’t they stay in the leagues they were already in? For developments sake (i.e. strong teams playing against strong teams) stay where you’re at to avoid further dilution.
Ghostwriter
SILVER
This is a different scenario the joint DA/ECNL clubs had a distinct advantage going into the first year of Academy over the DA clubs that were Non-Ecnl. Doing nothing would have made those teams future less competitive as players would have sought ECNL team's over SCDSL or CSL team's. This was a way in which those clubs could offer a product not on the same level of ECNL but on a level higher than the existing alternative. DA with the combined age groups can lead to a lot of player movement and I imagine DPL was their answer to this potential problem. I am not a defender of one league over another and hopefully each player finds their niche and enjoys their soccer experience.
Everything you just said here was is business related, i.e. trying to retain market share. I don’t have a problem with it as long as you call it what it is.
So no problem with anything you’ve said so far.
This is the problem. You say you’re not a defender of any league but you just stated DPL is better than SCDSL, CSL, etc. with this statement. Not only is that not factually true, it corroborates my argument that DPL apologists have bought into the sales pitch that DPL is somehow better than the other leagues. And for the record, I believe SCDSL, CSL, and DPL are all pretty comparable. Thus, there was no need to create another comparable league.
Ghostwriter
SILVER
What I said was this was a way DA clubs without ECNL could offer a product to keep players in house that didn't make the DA team especially since DA has combined age groups. I stated their intentions were to create a league and a platform to offer players an alternative to ECNL. I guess I am a bit confused why this league is so upsetting to you? The clubs that formed it saw a need to compete with an existing product ECNL that was superior to the status quo CSL and SCDSL and this was their answer. Just merely staying in CSL or SCDSL was obviously not the right direction for these clubs to compete against a proven ECNL product. You can argue the reality of where that competition is and so on but your question was why form this league and that I answered. Just for the record my daughter doesn't play in the DPL league.
Ghostwriter, I agree with you that as a business decision it made sense for the non-ENCL clubs to create something to compete with ECNL. The problem that I personally have with the league is that is yet another closed league. Closed leagues IMO don't help the game. I am sure people can and will argue that SCDSL was not needed as CSL was fine. As a late comer to the party I only know what is happening now. I would like to see more girls have a chance to play each other.
Ghostwriter
SILVER
Yes as a closed league during season the DPL team's compete among themselves. This allows them to control the game environment from filming the matches, site in which they play, etc. At tournaments or showcases they compete among everyone I believe just like ECNL which during season plays in a closed league as well. I get you would prefer an open league where the best teams could fight it out regardless of the club or title. Unfortunately that league doesn't exist as nothing out there could compete with ECNL so that is why these clubs created DPL. Look at the marketing over the years before Girls DA or DPL you had ECNL, ECNL Reserve, EGSL, some clubs even named some of their flight 1 SCDSL team's College world tour team etc. In many cases these were the club's 3rd or 4th teams in an age group. This is the reality we live in so parents and players can feel good about the title of their team. Marketing keeping parents happy and players happy is part of the paid experience. Club soccer had moved in this direction long before the creation of DPL. In the end when you navigate through all the options as a player and parent it comes down to finding a good coach, a team that fits your daughters level, an environment she can grow in and develop as a player.