Looking Past the Name of a Team

There are some great DA, ECNL, SCDSL, CSL etc teams out there and not all of the elite players are in only one group. It's frustrating to watch people get caught up in titles and thinking that gets them closer to "the next level". There is only so much we can do as parents because all of the hard work and effort is totally up to our kids. Instead of worrying about whether they are in DA, ECNL, SCDSL, DPL, Pilot, CSL, NPL etc., how about focusing on who is the best coach with the most to offer and the best environment for our kids to thrive and grow. Yes, great players on the best teams are already committed by Freshmen year etc., but there are still more opportunities for kids out there working hard to still get looks. Think about teams that are geographically nowhere near a DA or ECNL team like the Temecula Hawks who won National cup for 03s. College recruiters are certainly taking notice and watching them more than any DA or ECNL team with a losing record. If you waste an entire year or more on a team just to get the title, that may not help with overall growth, and could ultimately prove to be a waste of time. When kids work hard and have talent, they can stand out anywhere regardless of the name of the team they are on.
 
I don’t completely agree with you. I see their being three different options depending upon what your dd wants. If she just wants to have fun and is not interested in college soccer just find a team that is fun where her friends play. Else if she is competitive and wants to play in college when she is younger than 15 find the best coach that will develop her. At 15 move her to the very best team that she can make. The exposure DA and ECNL girls get compared any other league is ridiculous. The girls in those leagues have a huge advantage over girls in other leagues. It’s not that they are better players but their exposure to college coaches is a lot more. It’s not uncommon to have over 60 coaches at one of their showcase games. At the end of the day your dd needs to get seen.
 
Think about teams that are geographically nowhere near a DA or ECNL team like the Temecula Hawks who won National cup for 03s. College recruiters are certainly taking notice and watching them more than any DA or ECNL team with a losing record. .

I highly doubt the Temecula Hawks 03's girls are getting the same college exposure as DA or ECNL 03 with a losing record. It is what it is.
 
To be clear, my comment is directed more towards people that have kids that make teams and don't play much. Happy to just be on the team but would be better off looking at a better option for development. None of them are done developing in youth soccer and still need to grow. Only time will tell how this all plays out.
 
I think you should consider the leagues that these players play in and the opportunities those leagues provide. Regardless the strength of the team. Kids do need playing time to get exposure, but leagues like SCDSL don’t attract college coaches the way DA and ECNL do. I would also say that for the most part, the better coaches get the best teams. Not all the time, but most of the time. Whether it’s licensing, playing credentials or years of experience; those coaches have done something to validate being named as the head coach of the top teams. So this idea that names aren’t everything is true to an extent. When SCDSL teams call themselves pre-USSDA or Academy and they aren’t even from the part of the club that participates in the DA that’s a problem. Being called DA, DPL, Pilot or ECNL just signifies the league that you play in, it’s not a moniker that the team has decided to deceive parents. Some (DPL,Pilot,ECNL & DA) teams are good, some bad. The fact of the matter is that those teams will get more attention cause their competition is better then the overall competition in SCDSL or CSL.

I’m assuming you are a LA Galaxy South Bay parent from your previous posts. Do you mind sharing your teams overall record as opposed to the one off results, compared to the teams above yours at your club?
 
My comments have more to do with what I’ve read and seen generally and not all specific to my own DDs experience because it’s actually been very good for her. Talking with parents with kids in many different leagues and hearing what they say about their coaches and the true number of individual emails/discussions they have with college coaches is interesting because it varies greatly. I know for a fact they don’t always pick a team because the coach is good. It’s often just by default.
 
Having a DD now ten years in and finishing off her final years of club..... I can fairly say that over the years, although I tried to talk myself into the idea that the team never mattered, I can say from my experience with certainty, that it does. My DD was on a very 'high level' competitive team very early on and for many years. The pressure and coaching style became such that she began to not enjoy the game anymore. So just before the "exposure" years we moved her to a new team where although she had an amazing experience with the coach and her own development, it was not a team that drew much attention. The team developed well together and earned spots in National League, Surf Cup, and other major tournaments. They were a great group who would regularly compete with a sometimes beat ECNL teams. The college coaches came, but at the end of the day the team was not from a well known club or league so there was never much action. In recent years, we did make the strategic move to go back to one of the bigger clubs/teams in the age group. Although in my opinion the coaching quality and overall skill level of the players was very comparable (if not worse) than the team we came from, the attention from colleges was night and day simply because of the team/club. My DD instantly got more attention from the same coaches she tried to attract before our move, but was never successful at getting any response.
 
Being on a DA or ECNL team does NOT guarantee a scholarship or interest from coaches. It ONLY provide more exposure opportunities. The reputation, relationships and support of the club coach goes a long way in regards to college interest. You can be on a good/great team or a "well known" club that has a coach with poor reputation and/or doesn't have the relationships with college coaches and you will struggle to get interest. My DD moved this year because she felt the new coach (non DA/ECNL) is a better trainer, has a better reputation and relationships compared to her DA club/coaches....which has played out to be accurate. So far the coaches that have shown real interest has increased while overall exposure has decreased.

Another thing to consider is personal perspective of players is always an important factor. Some club coaches have playing styles that emphasis big & strong, some like athletes and others like very technical. If a DA or ECNL team plays a style that does not suit your daughters capabilities then it may not be a good fit. College coaches are usually looking for a couple of key attributes and you could be very skilled in other areas but they will not be interested if you don't showcase what they are looking for.

Lastly, does the coach/club have the relationships with the college coaches that your daughter has interest in attending? Scholarships are not equal. North Texas is different compared to Alabama which is different vs. Stanford.
 
I don’t completely agree with you. I see their being three different options depending upon what your dd wants. If she just wants to have fun and is not interested in college soccer just find a team that is fun where her friends play. Else if she is competitive and wants to play in college when she is younger than 15 find the best coach that will develop her. At 15 move her to the very best team that she can make. The exposure DA and ECNL girls get compared any other league is ridiculous. The girls in those leagues have a huge advantage over girls in other leagues. It’s not that they are better players but their exposure to college coaches is a lot more. It’s not uncommon to have over 60 coaches at one of their showcase games. At the end of the day your dd needs to get seen.

More does not always mean better. If there are 60 coaches on the sideline and few of them are from schools that your players is interested in attending, then 60 is not a meaningful number.

I get why the college coaches are at DA and ECNL events. Power schools can find unicorns, and everyone else can find good players who are often willing to sacrifice important things in life to play soccer. If you are a coach from a college does not offer the best of everything (and truth be told, most don’t), this is an easier place to find players willing to sacrifice even more of these things than at non-DA and non-ECNL events where the decision not to make such sacrifices was made long ago.

You had mentioned that your player was considering engineering school. MIT had its camp last week and Cal Tech is having its camp next week. If my player had a shot at one of these schools and she missed out because her grades or scores were less than perfect because she was practicing four nights a week a long way from home, having 58 other coaches on the sideline would not be much consolation.
 
Being on a DA or ECNL team does NOT guarantee a scholarship or interest from coaches. It ONLY provide more exposure opportunities. The reputation, relationships and support of the club coach goes a long way in regards to college interest. You can be on a good/great team or a "well known" club that has a coach with poor reputation and/or doesn't have the relationships with college coaches and you will struggle to get interest. My DD moved this year because she felt the new coach (non DA/ECNL) is a better trainer, has a better reputation and relationships compared to her DA club/coaches....which has played out to be accurate. So far the coaches that have shown real interest has increased while overall exposure has decreased.

Another thing to consider is personal perspective of players is always an important factor. Some club coaches have playing styles that emphasis big & strong, some like athletes and others like very technical. If a DA or ECNL team plays a style that does not suit your daughters capabilities then it may not be a good fit. College coaches are usually looking for a couple of key attributes and you could be very skilled in other areas but they will not be interested if you don't showcase what they are looking for.

Lastly, does the coach/club have the relationships with the college coaches that your daughter has interest in attending? Scholarships are not equal. North Texas is different compared to Alabama which is different vs. Stanford.


My players club coach didn’t have connections with her school or college coaches. She played on an upper middle of the pack ECNL team. College coaches recruit players not teams. In club soccer exposure matters little for the top 5%, matters somewhat for the next 20%, matters a TON for the next 70% and doesn’t matter at all for the bottom 5%.
 
More does not always mean better. If there are 60 coaches on the sideline and few of them are from schools that your players is interested in attending, then 60 is not a meaningful number.

I get why the college coaches are at DA and ECNL events. Power schools can find unicorns, and everyone else can find good players who are often willing to sacrifice important things in life to play soccer. If you are a coach from a college does not offer the best of everything (and truth be told, most don’t), this is an easier place to find players willing to sacrifice even more of these things than at non-DA and non-ECNL events where the decision not to make such sacrifices was made long ago.

You had mentioned that your player was considering engineering school. MIT had its camp last week and Cal Tech is having its camp next week. If my player had a shot at one of these schools and she missed out because her grades or scores were less than perfect because she was practicing four nights a week a long way from home, having 58 other coaches on the sideline would not be much consolation.

Girls can have it all if they want it.
 
You mean that they can attend all 60 colleges?

If that is how you took it. I meant something a little different though. Girls don’t have to sacrifice anything. You can go to a great academic school, that plays great soccer, has a great alumni network and a great campus, in a great state, in front of friends and family and have a STEM major and compete for national championships and have a 3.8 GPA. I don’t know about you but my player and her roommate (who she has known since they were 11 playing ODP together) are both STEM majors and have had 3.5 or better GPAs every quarter so far at a top 25 academic school that is also a top 5 Soccer School.

I repeat. Girls can have it all if they want it....
 
More does not always mean better. If there are 60 coaches on the sideline and few of them are from schools that your players is interested in attending, then 60 is not a meaningful number.

I get why the college coaches are at DA and ECNL events. Power schools can find unicorns, and everyone else can find good players who are often willing to sacrifice important things in life to play soccer. If you are a coach from a college does not offer the best of everything (and truth be told, most don’t), this is an easier place to find players willing to sacrifice even more of these things than at non-DA and non-ECNL events where the decision not to make such sacrifices was made long ago.

You had mentioned that your player was considering engineering school. MIT had its camp last week and Cal Tech is having its camp next week. If my player had a shot at one of these schools and she missed out because her grades or scores were less than perfect because she was practicing four nights a week a long way from home, having 58 other coaches on the sideline would not be much consolation.

We explored Cal Tech some earlier in the year. The coach told us she has no ability to get soccer players admitted. You need to get admitted on your own merit and if your truly exceptional you may qualify for aid. The 25% percentile on the SAT is 1530!
 
More does not always mean better. If there are 60 coaches on the sideline and few of them are from schools that your players is interested in attending, then 60 is not a meaningful number.

I get why the college coaches are at DA and ECNL events. Power schools can find unicorns, and everyone else can find good players who are often willing to sacrifice important things in life to play soccer. If you are a coach from a college does not offer the best of everything (and truth be told, most don’t), this is an easier place to find players willing to sacrifice even more of these things than at non-DA and non-ECNL events where the decision not to make such sacrifices was made long ago.

You had mentioned that your player was considering engineering school. MIT had its camp last week and Cal Tech is having its camp next week. If my player had a shot at one of these schools and she missed out because her grades or scores were less than perfect because she was practicing four nights a week a long way from home, having 58 other coaches on the sideline would not be much consolation.

By the way my dd is not planning on sacrificing anything. She will attend a very good school and get an engineering degree in the field of her choice. She also will also likely get to play soccer. I think you miss the point about coaches on the sidelines. While your player may not initially have a lot of knowledge about theses schools most of them are top universities and have a lot to offer. It’s not about making sacrifices it’s about having more options so your player can make the right choice for themselves.

Also you seem to say that non DA and non ECNL girls made a choice long ago not to sacrifice important things in life to play soccer. Is this truly how you see it?
 
@Soccer Happy, yes, but ... the DA and ECNL make is much easier for players to be seen in person because their showcases are very well attended. You also have CRL/National League - Pacific Div. and Cal South National Cup (which is on par with a regional national cup events for the northern states from a talent perspective). We also now have SCDSL-Dicovery Div. which is trying to help with exposure.

That said, the Temecula Hawks (03) are a bad example for you basic principal, because they represent a exception to the general rule. No doubt that there are non-DA and non-ECNL teams that do very well and because of this they play in some of the top tournaments and excel (like the Hawks). With regard to the Hawks, their coach is a wonderful teacher, great demeanor and its amazing to me he has stuck with the Hawks for as long as he has as he is solicited by DOCs to join other clubs yearly.

From a college exposure perspective, for the vast majority of players the path is play in the best league available to them (which means they are playing against top competition), get good film of their play and directly solicit coaches. Most coaches that attend Showcases have a list of players they are looking at and in almost all cases, those players reached out and put themselves on that coach's radar.
 
Have deservedly beaten Blues, Real So Cal and Surf DA academy teams so far in the U19 bracket. A small club with a good coach and good college connections is still a viable option for the non unicorn players out there.

That is a great result. The question I would have is how many of the girls are committed and to which schools?
 
That is a great result. The question I would have is how many of the girls are committed and to which schools?
Of the team that played this weekend - at least 10 have either committed (D1- D3) or are in the final admission green light process with highly academic programs. The team also has several girls who are 02's or younger and are still early in the process. You may not get the exposure at "non-big name teams" but it doesn't mean that for the right players college is out of reach. It does put more pressure on the kids/families/coach to proactively manage their recruiting process.
 
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