How, when, where are college coaches going to watch next year's DA players?

[It won't matter later]

Fortunately for my family, we are escaping before the next "new thing" to come around in girls soccer as the youngest is off to play college.

It occurred to me after listening to parents of freshmen discuss their plans for the DA (parents of non-ECNL players who are now going to go straight to the DA this Spring after a season on high school varsity) with such certainty of how this "DA thingy" was going to get their daughters into college, get the promised scholarships, etc., that I never once heard any of them mention showcases, tournaments, etc.

Is there such a structure set-up? Are the DA clubs going to be placing teams in tournaments this summer? Fall showcases set up ?

Feel free to educate me. I have not been paying attention.

 

[NoGoal]

Fortunately for my family, we are escaping before the next "new thing" to come around in girls soccer as the youngest is off to play college.

It occurred to me after listening to parents of freshmen discuss their plans for the DA (parents of non-ECNL players who are now going to go straight to the DA this Spring after a season on high school varsity) with such certainty of how this "DA thingy" was going to get their daughters into college, get the promised scholarships, etc., that I never once heard any of them mention showcases, tournaments, etc.

Is there such a structure set-up? Are the DA clubs going to be placing teams in tournaments this summer? Fall showcases set up ?

Feel free to educate me. I have not been paying attention.

Well Girls DA Kool-Aid drinkers? Besides the obvious Surf Cup and the last chance to participate this August, is there any word about Girls DA college showcases? I don't envy parents with HS Freshmen and Sophomore DDs in the recruiting process.

 

[Hired Gun]

Well Girls DA Kool-Aid drinkers? Besides the obvious Surf Cup and the last chance to participate this August, is there any word about Girls DA college showcases? I don't envy parents with HS Freshmen and Sophomore DDs in the recruiting process.

I don't know about Kool-Aid but here are my thoughts. I have a DD that plays on a strong South OC team. Players and parents have talked on this subject - through our own observations close to 95 percent of the best 04s are going to DA. This is an easier pill to swallow in this area as there are 3-4 DA clubs near bye and the 04s are in middle school and are not missing high school soccer/sports. In addition some DA programs are free. In these conversations I feel most want to play the best competition. This outcome could dramatically shift if we lived in a different area AND were in high school. Next the scholarship part. Realistically how many club soccer games does a college coach have time to see? Not many. I know two college programs that strictly went with video and another by just seeing the players warm ups... With limited time and manpower are coaches going to go to a DA Academy Showcase that presumably has the "95 percent" talent pool or go to another non-DA tournament/showcase that has less fire power and half the number of quality players. Now in NoCal it looks like many of the top clubs at this time will have ECNL as there number one top brand. This may be true in other areas as well. But for a SoCal soccer forum the DA showcase seems to be the best place for a college coach to view the MOST talent. My thoughts is to go to a club that has both DA and ECNL (if you can). If one program fizzles out you have the opportunity to go to the other program. Are there quality players not playing DA or ECNL - of course but I think you go with the odds and go where the MOST talent is. Also I believe on the boys side there is a DA bracket at Surf, I'm assuming if this is indeed the case the girls will also have a DA bracket down the line.

 

[NoGoal]

I don't know about Kool-Aid but here are my thoughts. I have a DD that plays on a strong South OC team. Players and parents have talked on this subject - through our own observations close to 95 percent of the best 04s are going to DA. This is an easier pill to swallow in this area as there are 3-4 DA clubs near bye and the 04s are in middle school and are not missing high school soccer/sports. In addition some DA programs are free. In these conversations I feel most want to play the best competition. This outcome could dramatically shift if we lived in a different area AND were in high school. Next the scholarship part. Realistically how many club soccer games does a college coach have time to see? Not many. I know two college programs that strictly went with video and another by just seeing the players warm ups... With limited time and manpower are coaches going to go to a DA Academy Showcase that presumably has the "95 percent" talent pool or go to another non-DA tournament/showcase that has less fire power and half the number of quality players. Now in NoCal it looks like many of the top clubs at this time will have ECNL as there number one top brand. This may be true in other areas as well. But for a SoCal soccer forum the DA showcase seems to be the best place for a college coach to view the MOST talent. My thoughts is to go to a club that has both DA and ECNL (if you can). If one program fizzles out you have the opportunity to go to the other program. Are there quality players not playing DA or ECNL - of course but I think you go with the odds and go where the MOST talent is. Also I believe on the boys side there is a DA bracket at Surf, I'm assuming if this is indeed the case the girls will also have a DA bracket down the line.

Let's keep this simple. The opening post asked....has there been any official news of Girls DA having college showcases?

 

[Glen]

How many games are played and how long is the Academy season? How many showcases are hosted per year?

Each Academy team plays approximately 25-30 league games, with an additional 6-9 games played at Showcases. Teams that advance from the Academy Playoffs could expect to play up to an additional 3 games. The season will likely begin in September and commence with Championships in July. Clubs will break from league play for periods of rest (including inactivity due to weather), during a winter break (December/January) and/or following the end of the regular season (July).

. . .

There are no referee fees for league games, showcases or playoffs. Clubs are not charged any event or showcase fees to attend.

http://www.ussoccerda.com/girls-academy-faqs

 

[Zerodenero]

There are no referee fees for league games, showcases or playoffs. Clubs are not charged any event or showcase fees to attend.
http://www.ussoccerda.com/girls-academy-faqs

That's nice and all, but what we really need to know is if they provide free gatorade stations like ecnl??

 

[NoGoal]

That's nice and all, but what we really need to know is if they provide free gatorade stations like ecnl??

ROFLMAO , don't forget the free Gatorade chews and bars too.

 

[Dos Equis]

So let's use the only available information, the boys DA.

Based on recent information, the boys DA has 1 (one) showcase a year, usually the first week in December, tied into the Nike International Friendlies, where three games are played. The only other "showcase" is the DA playoffs, in June, when the top 32 teams in each age group engage in pool play followed by knockout rounds in July. So more than half (over 60% for those who are keeping score) of the boys DA teams get three (3) showcase games every year. No outside competition, no additional showcases, no re-entry, limited substitutions. But on a mixed age group team with 22+ on the roster, all will surely get enough exposure in those three games. And, there is always the U12 Futsal showcase.

Please correct this if it is wrong.

 

[Kicknit22]

I've heard the DA pitched as less games , but "All games are meaningful and will be attended by scouts from high US soccer and College." Of course this came straight from the mouth of a guy that looked like a big glass pitcher filled with red liquid. But he said it with a smile!

 

[younothat]

That's nice and all, but what we really need to know is if they provide free gatorade stations like ecnl??

For DA power-aide is a sponsor. home teams bring the jugs, ice,water, cups and put that out with a water jug and the PA mix in another one so everybody has drinks.

There are the DA showcase and the tournaments that have DA brackets like Surf summer, Manchester city surf (memorial weekend) , Dallas Cup, Disney, and a bunch of others that DA teams can attend that college recruiters attend.

There is not yet a college specific showcase for DA like ECNL but the clubs help players with the college coaches invites, info nights, id sessions, etc. but that is really not much different than what normal club's do.

There are some DA clubs/org like Grande Academy /Real Salt Lake, Galaxy, etc on the boys side that will see the entire graduating class either have college or other pro offers.

DA games are scouted intensely by ussda scouts but not necessarily college recruiters but word does get around to them and some of them have college contacts or work for them also in various roles.

Neither of of my kids play soccer for or strive to get a college scholarships out of it, be careful investing too much time or $ in pay for play.

Just think about it if you took some of that $ each year from P4P and invested for them you could have your own scholarship fund for them at the end if you did that consistency say U9-U18. College costs have risen at a rate I couldn't have not predicted but I at least I have peace of mind knowing my kids should have enough in there own scholarship acct to attend a school like UCLA for the first 2-3 years and maybe more if the market keeps going well.

Taking a college scholarship at a major D1 for sports creates a huge demand and commitment for the player & student and doesn't allow most to focus on the college education over the sports program. My daughter for one doesn't think she can do both up to her standards at a D1 after seeing and knowing first hand how the college girls live and go about there lives.

 

[Dos Equis]

There are the DA showcase and the tournaments that have DA brackets like Surf summer, Manchester city surf (memorial weekend) , Dallas Cup, Disney, and a bunch of others that DA teams can attend that college recruiters attend.

There is not yet a college specific showcase for DA like ECNL but the clubs help players with the college coaches invites, info nights, id sessions, etc. but that is really not much different than what normal club's do.

There are some DA clubs/org like Grande Academy /Real Salt Lake, Galaxy, etc on the boys side that will see the entire graduating class either have college or other pro offers.

DA games are scouted intensely by ussda scouts but not necessarily college recruiters but word does get around to them and some of them have college contacts or work for them also in various roles.

Some clarification please. Boys DA teams have been allowed to play in higher-profile invite events like Dallas Cup, but these are not DA tournaments, correct? Are you implying that the DA teams will have the flexibility to attend outside competition, which is against the concept the DA is advocating of limited games played under international rules? Or are you suggesting the girls DA will cut deals with Vegas, Surf, etc. and create brackets for their teams to play with DA rules? Can you point to some of those boys DA brackets in recent southwest tournaments like Surf, Surf College, Players Showcase, etc.? I could not find any.

Isn't summer Surf Cup during DA mandated break? Based on last year's results, I could not find a boys DA bracket (nor any boys DA teams, including Surf itself). I point this out because the lack of clarity and information, and statements of how things will be for the girls DA in terms of exposure, seem to bear no resemblance to how U.S. Soccer runs the boys DA.

Are we guessing here, or do we know?

No doubt Girls DA will have great competition, perhaps include the majority of the best players in the country, with a huge number of college-bound players. But as Anson Dorrance made clear, their priority is not to accomodate the collegiate recruiting process. It is to find and/or develop unicorns -- future USWNT players.

 

[Zerodenero]

For DA power-aide is a sponsor. home teams bring the jugs, ice,water, cups and put that out with a water jug and the PA mix in another one so everybody has drinks.

Wheew..... That solves that concern.

Not trying to be an "Elitest", but unless DA can match the copious amount of coaches ive seen/witnessed on the sidelines of ECNL showcase games, wheres the upside value??

Just because you can afford to write the check does not mean you will get in (unless of course, you drop real $$ & get your name on a bldg).

And that is the beauty of this entire youth soccer world.... enjoy/utilize it as you deem necessary.

 

[younothat]

Some clarification please. Boys DA teams have been allowed to play in higher-profile invite events like Dallas Cup, but these are not DA tournaments, correct? Are you implying that the DA teams will have the flexibility to attend outside competition, which is against the concept the DA is advocating of limited games played under international rules? Or are you suggesting the girls DA will cut deals with Vegas, Surf, etc. and create brackets for their teams to play with DA rules? Can you point to some of those boys DA brackets in recent southwest tournaments like Surf, Surf College, Players Showcase, etc.? I could not find any.

Isn't summer Surf Cup during DA mandated break? Based on last year's results, I could not find a boys DA bracket (nor any boys DA teams, including Surf itself). I point this out because the lack of clarity and information, and statements of how things will be for the girls DA in terms of exposure, seem to bear no resemblance to how U.S. Soccer runs the boys DA.

Are we guessing here, or do we know?

No doubt Girls DA will have great competition, perhaps include the majority of the best players in the country, with a huge number of college-bound players. But as Anson Dorrance made clear, their priority is not to accomodate the collegiate recruiting process. It is to find and/or develop unicorns -- future USWNT players.

Some tournaments have ussda specific groups/brackets and other are sanctioned for da teams. http://surfcup.com/ both the Manchester and Summer ones have da brackets and rules..one game a day, subs, etc, http://events.gotsport.com/events/results.aspx?EventID=51482&Gender=Boys&Age=14 and http://mancitycup.com/ if you want more info but my da player had played in those and the others below:

Yes there is some flexibility and da teams regularly play at Dallas Cup, Disney showcase(s), Cayman Youth Cup, Chivas MX, and other international ones as well. DA clubs can get into other tournaments as well as long as the tournament abide by the da rules, and your clear it with ussda before hand...normally they want to play up if the comp is not up to standard.

 

[Dos Equis]

Some tournaments have ussda specific groups/brackets and other are sanctioned for da teams. http://surfcup.com/ both the Manchester and Summer ones have da brackets and rules..one game a day, subs, etc, http://events.gotsport.com/events/results.aspx?EventID=51482&Gender=Boys&Age=14 and http://mancitycup.com/ if you want more info but my da player had played in those and the others below:

Yes there is some flexibility and da teams regularly play at Dallas Cup, Disney showcase(s), Cayman Youth Cup, Chivas MX, and other international ones as well. DA clubs can get into other tournaments as well as long as the tournament abide by the da rules, and your clear it with ussda before hand...normally they want to play up if the comp is not up to standard.

Thank you. I did not look at U14, I was looking at U15-U17. I have been told that college coaches have little interest in recruiting younger boys (relative to younger girls), and recruiting starts later. Did the older age groups also have brackets? Those I could not find at Surf or others, but did not look at Manchester City.

 

[Dos Equis]

Thank you. I did not look at U14, I was looking at U15-U17. I have been told that college coaches have little interest in recruiting younger boys (relative to younger girls), and recruiting starts later. Did the older age groups also have brackets? Those I could not find at Surf or others, but did not look at Manchester City.

Since the question and goal is college coach recruiting/exposure, I do not think U.S. Soccer's strategy for the U12-U14 bracket as relevant as what it does for the U15 and up, ages when recruiting occurs.

 

[It won't matter later]

Since the question and goal is college coach recruiting/exposure, I do not think U.S. Soccer's strategy for the U12-U14 bracket as relevant as what it does for the U15 and up, ages when recruiting occurs.

So, if you were a parent of a sophomore or junior in high school, and your DD wants to play in college, would you jump your daughter to DA right now? I am just not sure I would. Seems to me that ECNL is a safer bet for those players right now.

5 years ago when choosing to go ECNL it was an unknown; but there was a system we understood with showcases, exposure, etc. Not so sure I'd have that comfort level today. And I do not believe that college coaches are going to stop going to ECNL events anytime soon.

 

[DJB]

Let's keep this simple. The opening post asked....has there been any official news of Girls DA having college showcases?

Speaking directly with a DA director last week, there will be 3 DA showcases per year (Fall, Winter, Spring) and location will vary but Florida is locked in for Dec. 17 and SoCal is a high probability for Spring or Fall.

 

[NoGoal]

So, if you were a parent of a sophomore or junior in high school, and your DD wants to play in college, would you jump your daughter to DA right now? I am just not sure I would. Seems to me that ECNL is a safer bet for those players right now.

5 years ago when choosing to go ECNL it was an unknown; but there was a system we understood with showcases, exposure, etc. Not so sure I'd have that comfort level today. And I do not believe that college coaches are going to stop going to ECNL events anytime soon.

I agree, if my DD was a HS Freshmen, Sophomore or Junior and she was already on her preferred college coaches radar. I might have her remain playing ECNL for the last 2-3 years. Then again, I would also have her contact the college coaches and get an idea where their heads are in regards to Girls DA vs ECNL.

If she was in middle school this Fall, I would have her play Girls DA. The kinks should be ironed out in 2 yrs time.

 

[Striker17]

Kool aid drinker here
Middle school parent and so we are taking our "highly subsided scholarship DA offer" to play locally, four days a week at 1/4 of the cost of our previous club. Travel not included.
Great coach, lots of new girls, lots of movements.
I do not know one 03 or 04 who didn't sign with a DA and chose ECNL OVER DA. The ECNL teams will be weak for sure at 04 level. I think based on what I personally know that the local teams (Notts, Rebels) for example would be fielding a much stronger team than an ECNL. The costs are not being released for that ECNL league and a lot of parents I know would like to know how much the ECNL at the 03-04 level will be now that they are not "elite"
Older parents please help wasn't it 6-9 k?

 

[NoGoal]

Kool aid drinker here
Middle school parent and so we are taking our "highly subsided scholarship DA offer" to play locally, four days a week at 1/4 of the cost of our previous club. Travel not included.
Great coach, lots of new girls, lots of movements.
I do not know one 03 or 04 who didn't sign with a DA and chose ECNL OVER DA. The ECNL teams will be weak for sure at 04 level. I think based on what I personally know that the local teams (Notts, Rebels) for example would be fielding a much stronger team than an ECNL. The costs are not being released for that ECNL league and a lot of parents I know would like to know how much the ECNL at the 03-04 level will be now that they are not "elite"
Older parents please help wasn't it 6-9 k?

My DDs ECNL fee's were $2,100 for 3 sets of uniforms, 3 days training a week and coaches per diem. Travel was an additional 3K at the U15-17 level.