# Another League: Elite Academy League



## SoCal23 (Jun 29, 2020)

Elite Academy League
					






					eliteacademyleague.com


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## messy (Jun 29, 2020)

SoCal23 said:


> Elite Academy League
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I’m so confused at this point.


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## Dargle (Jun 29, 2020)

messy said:


> I’m so confused at this point.


Sounds like it's basically the equivalent of the ECRL for ECNL or DPL for the Girls Academy.  Designed for second teams or just part-time or reserve players for MLS league teams (or for players who want to play high school soccer while still getting access to some top team games outside that HS season).  Only Laguna, Liverpool and Santa Monica Surf don't have their top teams in the MLS League (and Santa Monica Surf may have an affiliation agreement with LA Surf, which is in the MLS League).


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## jpeter (Jun 29, 2020)

Another "academy" "elite" league.

Instead of USclub the affiliation is with USYS.

Cal south is losing ground to USclub, MLS-EYDP, and now this USYS league in Socal.  USYS has new showcase planned so it's there answer to USclub also.

The Non-MLS clubs in MLS-EYDP need a place for there other teams since MLS-EYDP has limited age groups so instead of the other offering like CSL or SCDSL they have decided another league is needed?

 Some others not in MLS-EYDP thought they better jump on the "academy" "elite" bandwagon so there you go.


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## jpeter (Jun 29, 2020)

Dargle said:


> Sounds like it's basically the equivalent of the ECRL for ECNL or DPL for the Girls Academy.  Designed for second teams or just part-time or reserve players for MLS league teams (or for players who want to play high school soccer while still getting access to some top team games outside that HS season).  Only Laguna, Liverpool and Santa Monica Surf don't have their top teams in the MLS League (and Santa Monica Surf may have an affiliation agreement with LA Surf, which is in the MLS League).


Just to clarify this  is Not MLS only Non-MLS clubs, calling it a MLS reserve would be a stretch. 

There is tentative talk to have MLS reserves in the actual MLS-EYDL but just for the oldest age group.


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## watfly (Jun 29, 2020)

Unbelievable...well actually believable, but totally absurd.  I make a motion that the words "Elite" and "Pathway" be struck from our soccer lexicon.  Can I get a second?


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## Traore (Jun 29, 2020)

Does this mean that  all of the non MLS teams will be  placed in this new Elite Academy league instead of the MLS league?   If that is the case, these clubs are treated more like second class citizens that the USSDA ever treated them.  Why would any non MLS club agree to this?


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## jpeter (Jun 29, 2020)

watfly said:


> Unbelievable...well actually believable, but totally absurd.  I make a motion that the words "Elite" and "Pathway" be struck from our soccer lexicon.  Can I get a second?


There 6x different leagues all claiming to be a pathway to something.   Development, Academy and Elite are some of most abused terminology but it's all marketing for the most part.

Cal South even got into the act with CRL "academy" this past season,  I guess this year they will roll out CRL" elite academy" or something like that to counter.

Youth soccer pyramid it's really just a marketing pyramid that goes sideways for the most part, shame there is not cooperation but $$ talk.


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## jpeter (Jun 29, 2020)

Traore said:


> Does this mean that  all of the non MLS teams will be  placed in this new Elite Academy league instead of the MLS league?   If that is the case, these clubs are treated more like second class citizens that the USSDA ever treated them.  Why would any non MLS club agree to this?


No they will be on both, the MLS League has limited age groups and not your stranard calendar year from u13-u19 for all clubs.  Some will only field u13,U15,u17 in the MLS League.


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## Dargle (Jun 29, 2020)

jpeter said:


> Just to clarify this  is Not MLS only Non-MLS clubs, calling it a MLS reserve would be a stretch.
> 
> There is tentative talk to have MLS reserves in the actual MLS-EYDL but just for the oldest age group.


I was referring to reserve players for the teams in the MLS league (which include both MLS academy teams and non-MLS teams), in the sense that the players were like the former PT or developmental players who could play some games with the team in the MLS league and some games with their team in the same club or affiliated club in some other league.

Sounds like parents of kids in the MLS Academy teams are going to be very touchy about how people refer to the non-MLS teams in the MLS league.  It's a bit of a challenge to refer to the league right now (which hasn't really settled on a name), without referring to MLS.  Not saying that's what motivated your response, but I've seen that enough times to see the issue.


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## jpeter (Jun 29, 2020)

Dargle said:


> I was referring to reserve players for the teams in the MLS league (which include both MLS academy teams and non-MLS teams), in the sense that the players were like the former PT or developmental players who could play some games with the team in the MLS league and some games with their team in the same club or affiliated club in some other league.
> 
> Sounds like parents of kids in the MLS Academy teams are going to be very touchy about how people refer to the non-MLS teams in the MLS league.  It's a bit of a challenge to refer to the league right now (which hasn't really settled on a name), without referring to MLS.  Not saying that's what motivated your response, but I've seen that enough times to see the issue.


Gotta yeah that wasn't my motivation just so people are not more concerned or confused like the other posters who was asking if non MLS was going to get opted out to this new offering


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## Patandpats (Jun 29, 2020)

So this is basically like the new NPL for those teams or some other Cal South League?  Mostly the B teams of the MLS academy league teams which would explain why no Nomads on this list as they don't have a B team.  Pretty shady and note that they talk about the boys being able to play high school which if it's good enough for the B team kids (and some A team kids at Liverpool, Santa Monica, etc) it should be good enough for anyone not at an actual MLS academy.


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## jpeter (Jun 29, 2020)

Patandpats said:


> So this is basically like the new NPL for those teams or some other Cal South League?  Mostly the B teams of the MLS academy league teams which would explain why no Nomads on this list as they don't have a B team.  Pretty shady and note that they talk about the boys being able to play high school which if it's good enough for the B team kids (and some A team kids at Liverpool, Santa Monica, etc) it should be good enough for anyone not at an actual MLS academy.


Like any league for that matter some "A"  teams if the club want to.   The MLS League doesn't have a full slate of u13-u19 teams for all  and focuses on u13,U15,u17 for everyone and other groups for MLS only clubs or those that can be truly competitive

Marketing and the "new" thing so is that any better than what we already had?  Guess the market will decided?


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## timbuck (Jun 29, 2020)

Is it time to get rid of SCDSL?  And just go back to Coast for anything local?
All of the founding members of SCDSL don't seem to care about the league.


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## jpeter (Jun 29, 2020)

timbuck said:


> Is it time to get rid of SCDSL?  And just go back to Coast for anything local?
> All of the founding members of SCDSL don't seem to care about the league.


There is very little local(OC& SD) if you're in coast mostly LA county with some others in the north.

DSL is mostly OC & SD and the founding clubs have decided they prefer USclub leagues now (ECNL, RL, NPLxxx) so seems like its becoming less relevant on the higher levels.  Maybe it could redoing it's focus to something else?  Beginning to immediate youth soccer ?  Does'nt  sound all that marketable


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## jpeter (Jun 29, 2020)

Well this goes into some of the details








						NEW BOYS ELITE ACADEMY (EA) LEAGUE LAUNCHES • SoccerToday
					

SoccerToday - Voice of American Soccer




					www.soccertoday.com
				




Created in the Western US Region and starting to play this September in Cal South and US Youth South, the new league kicks off with the Southwest Division and will serve as a supplemental league to the “MLS Elite” Clubs.

The U11 and U12 age groups inside the Elite Academy League will be the top teams in their respective clubs and will be considered pre “MLS Elite” League teams and will be preparing to move into the league at U13. The EA League’s U13 and older teams are the expanded player pool


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## ChrisD (Jun 29, 2020)

from what i see theres no mls team in there.  Im confuse and need a drink


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## timbuck (Jun 29, 2020)

Its an elite pathway for development to the MLS academy system..... Duh!!!!

If these clubs that joined this think they are getting teams in the MLS Academy, the are mistaken.  If anything, the MLS teams will use this as a scouting ground to cherry pick top players.  (nothing wrong with that.  It happens all over.  Especially with closed leagues that dont let teams/clubs "earn" their way in)/


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## jpeter (Jun 29, 2020)

ChrisD said:


> from what i see theres no mls team in there.  Im confuse and need a drink


For non MLS like I mentioned grievously.

Some of the club's participating are also in the MLS Elite League.


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## espola (Jun 29, 2020)

Elite Academy doesn't sound classy enough.  How about Premier Gold Elite Academy?


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## Ellejustus (Jun 29, 2020)

timbuck said:


> Is it time to get rid of SCDSL?  And just go back to Coast for anything local?
> All of the founding members of SCDSL don't seem to care about the league.


Local sounds so cool


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## watfly (Jun 30, 2020)

espola said:


> Elite Academy doesn't sound classy enough.  How about Premier Gold Elite Academy?


You've obviously never been to a dance competition, gold is for the sort of below average kids,  Platinum awards are for the sort of above average kids.


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## Ellejustus (Jun 30, 2020)

watfly said:


> You've obviously never been to a dance competition, gold is for the sort of below average kids,  Platinum awards are for the sort of above average kids.


World Class Soccer Player got me   It's all good.  Local Soccer Player sounds way better to my ears today.


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## Desert Hound (Jun 30, 2020)

espola said:


> Elite Academy doesn't sound classy enough.  How about Premier Gold Elite Academy?


Wrong!

You need to have the word ELITE used more than just once to emphasize the eliteness of the elite league. 

Maybe something more catchy like EAEP aka...Elite Academy for Elite Players or PEAEP aka Premier Elite Academy for Elite Players


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