# DA/ non DA pro and cons checklist



## galaxydad (Oct 16, 2017)

Hello

I have been asked by several families if they should take their player to a DA program or not-

I want to make a check list of the pros and cons of each that as unbiased as possible-

Fire away


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## Soccer (Oct 16, 2017)

What age?


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## LadiesMan217 (Oct 16, 2017)

galaxydad said:


> Hello
> 
> I have been asked by several families if they should take their player to a DA program or not-
> 
> ...


Girl or boy? Which program (club)? Age? Long term objective?


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## timbuck (Oct 16, 2017)

Here's a start for a list.  Up to you/them to decide if pro or con:

4 mandatory practice days per week
Less tournaments
No days with multiple games on the same day 
No high school soccer
Probably the best pathway to National Team play 
Probably the best pathway to D1 college play 
10 month season 
Large rosters 
Consistent coaching / highly licensed coaches 
Cost - some are fully or partial funded 
Travel -likely on par with ECNL or high flight 1

I'm sure there are more.


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## espola (Oct 16, 2017)

timbuck said:


> Probably the best pathway to National Team play
> Probably the best pathway to D1 college play


You have evidence for this?


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## timbuck (Oct 16, 2017)

espola said:


> You have evidence for this?


I said "Probably".  And if you believe the marketing hype, then it's probably-maybe.


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## espola (Oct 16, 2017)

timbuck said:


> I said "Probably".  And if you believe the marketing hype, then it's probably-maybe.


My impression is that D clubs/coaches recruit the players most likely to make National college teams, so it is likely a self-satisfying  prophecy.  The question thus is most important for a borderline player - will the DA program make enpough difference to be worth the extra cost?


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## GKDad65 (Oct 16, 2017)

I've had more than one kid on two different DA  teams/clubs and this is my humble observation:

4 mandatory practice days per week- Some clubs will use physical fitness group sessions or other non-team gatherings to make up the 4 practices.
Less tournaments- Thank goodness.  Many of the tournaments offered are simply not worth the time or money.
No days with multiple games on the same day - That's a good thing.
No high school soccer- While it's not a beautiful game the impact of HS participation out weighs the negatives.  As painful as that is to say.
Probably the best pathway to National Team play - I haven't seen any evidence to support that.
Probably the best pathway to D1 college play - Possible.  If not DA, than play better quality tournaments.
10 month season - It goes on forever!
Large rosters - May result in limited field play time.  Field player beware!
Consistent coaching / highly licensed coaches - NO.  Don't be fooled.  A, B, C, D, E, ...are just letters.  You'll know a good coach when you play for one, but beware they're employees of a club business.
Cost - some are fully or partial funded - Don't I wish it were one of mine.
Travel -likely on par with ECNL or high flight 1 - Yes.

I'm just a soccer Dad/Fan but the Southern California DA environment hasn't been all that special, no different than the Flight I experience.
US Soccer needs to reign in these clubs and provide more and stricter guidance.

Go CITY!


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## El Clasico (Oct 16, 2017)

timbuck said:


> Here's a start for a list.  Up to you/them to decide if pro or con:
> 
> 4 mandatory practice days per week
> Less tournaments
> ...


Like most posers, ahem, posters here, you clearly have no personal experience with the DA program but have fully bought into the glossy marketing materials.

"Best pathway to National Team play"? - The evidence clearly shows the opposite to be true.  Take another look at the MNT roster and tell us all which players came through the DA since it has had a full cycle to develop the next wave of MNT players. And please save us the drivel of telling us that Pulisic is a DA product.

Consistent coaching/highly licensed coaches?? Not a slight on you personally but this is one of the most overrated, full of Sh*t statements in Club Soccer.  I have met/seen many, many highly qualified coaches that don't have a driver's license, let alone a USSF A license. All these punks with their A licenses (yes, generalizing here) go out and poach players from smaller clubs and the Mexican leagues who were developed by someone else. Most A coaches remind me of the schmucks that go to college, get their degree, can't find a job so they go back and get a masters, still can't find a job so they go get their doctorate or phd and tell people they are special. Yellow bus special maybe....

Sorry for being so direct, it's just that I can't believe that people can still be so blind when they see for themselves what is happening with soccer development in this country.


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## SOCCERMINION (Oct 16, 2017)

I'll take a shot at non-DA:


2-3 practice days per week, allowing for 2 days privates or Fitness based on Parents or Players time schedule.
More Tournaments, ability to play more games and have more diversity of appointments.
Multiple games on the same day, Ability to have 3 day tournament and actually have a playoff and winner.
High school soccer, great way to ensure your child retains there Love of the game.
Pathway to National Team play, Scouts look for players not Teams. If they are skilled they will be found. Especially if they are attending a lot of tournaments and showcases and getting a lot of playtime.
Pathway to D1 college play, Most Clubs primary focus is geared at promoting and assisting Players to getting scholarships to Collage and ensuring players are getting maximum exposure. Unsure if this will be true with DA Teams, whose Goal is making better National Teams.
Shorter flexible Season, ability to participate in alternative sports and also be part of alternative teams and programs. High School, ODP, ID2, Other Country National Teams, playing up and subbing for clubs other teams, Playing in Futsal leagues, Playing with friends on other teams or tournaments. 
Better substitutions and smaller rosters, IMHO There is no substitution for Game playing time . Game time is highest speed of play, pushes players to perform under pressure and builds Soccer IQ better than any drill ever will.
Ability to move and choose Coach that fits your child style of play and who they will develop best with. 
Cost - travel is the big equalizer.
Travel -likely on par with DA, if our on a good team your going to travel...
Proven Club programs for developing Players to play in Collage can be researched from past results.

I'm sure things with change as this is only the first year of DA, for my DD , playing DA would have meant giving up too much Soccer in her life.
Now don't get me wrong, I understand that most of the top players will choose to play on DA teams, so the competition level should be higher, steel sharpening steel . But have they created  a better system to promote Soccer Development. That remains to be seen....


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## Striker17 (Oct 17, 2017)

Too hard to answer there is way too much variance between programs and resources for DA. Parents need to do due diligence on clubs by speaking to parents at the clubs. Do not go off what they "tell you". Objectively speaking what matters to one parent may not matter to another so I am not slamming any particular club but make no mistake there are big differences.


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## Eagle33 (Oct 17, 2017)

DA pros:
1. Playing on great fields
2. Having top referees
3. Playing top competition (most important IMO)
4. Playing and training alongside top players
5. US scouts and college scouts present at games and showcases

DA cons:
1. Coaching is hit and miss
2. No HS soccer
3. No guest playing


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## Jack23 (Oct 17, 2017)

GKDad65 said:


> I've had more than one kid on two different DA  teams/clubs and this is my humble observation:
> 
> 4 mandatory practice days per week- Some clubs will use physical fitness group sessions or other non-team gatherings to make up the 4 practices.
> Less tournaments- Thank goodness.  Many of the tournaments offered are simply not worth the time or money.
> ...


Can you play other High School sports if you are in DA?  Like Cheer, Dance, Swimming, Track etc?


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## Sheriff Joe (Oct 17, 2017)

espola said:


> You have evidence for this?


Go back to bed.


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## JackZ (Oct 17, 2017)

Jack23 said:


> Can you play other High School sports if you are in DA?  Like Cheer, Dance, Swimming, Track etc?


Swimming, track or any other HS sport is not allowed. Not sure about cheer or dance (a private dance studio, probably?).


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## splinter (Oct 17, 2017)

Some of the clubs are carrying more than 18 players which means a few girls aren't even suiting up for games.   Also, for games there are many players that are playing 10 min or not at all.  You are pretty much giving up all high school sports to participate in DA.   One of the disappointments for my two was the lack of games they get to play.  As previous posters have stated, 1 game a day and during season it is usually 1 game a week and there is limited tournament play.  On a positive note if your child is one of the elite we have had scouts at almost all of our games this year.


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## Striker17 (Oct 17, 2017)

JackZ said:


> Swimming, track or any other HS sport is not allowed. Not sure about cheer or dance (a private dance studio, probably?).


That's incorrect. High school soccer is not allowed. 
Other sports parlay with difficulty but they are allowed as we were told


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## Striker17 (Oct 17, 2017)

Jack23 said:


> Can you play other High School sports if you are in DA?  Like Cheer, Dance, Swimming, Track etc?


Yes the question is timing and the ability to make your required DA practices and committments as I understand. 
We will not be giving up additional sports for the DA. This is something everyone should truly think about before they make the jump.


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## uburoi (Oct 17, 2017)

Younger boys DA doesn’t keep score on a scoresheet. There is a focus on improvement and understanding of the game that I never saw  before. Parents don’t walk away numb when their DS loses. In that way it’s very different from club.


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## younothat (Oct 17, 2017)

Striker17 said:


> That's incorrect. High school soccer is not allowed.
> Other sports parlay with difficulty but they are allowed as we were told


If the club goes along with it HS soccer is possible & my son knows a least half a dozen boys who have been playing both for the last 2-3 years

You have to get a wavier, apply, and take a break during the HS season and get reinstated.   Normally only miss a game or two in DA.   If you student attends a private school or one that gives a scholarship the chances of getting approved are much greater.

Other HS sports; Track, volleyball, swim, golf, and other can be done along with DA.  Takes a dedicated person with good time management if you want to be honor student also but possible.

DA is just another  derivative of club soccer for the most part so the pro/cons are really *club soccer vs other types of competitive soccer activities*

90 Unbelievable Reasons to Play Club Soccer  (some of them are a stretch and YMMV) 
http://www.massclubsoccer.com/club-soccer-reasons/

"The truth of the matter though, is that most soccer clubs don’t offer any more than any other institutions that offer soccer as an activity.  There really is nothing that makes “club soccer” better than the YMCA, i9 Sports or National Youth Sports.  It just happens to be where the better players and more competitive athletes register; A collective thought process"
https://soccermommanual.com/competitive-recreation-soccer/


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## Striker17 (Oct 17, 2017)

Yes high school soccer allowed "with waiver"- glad you have known some who have done it. It is up to the club to reinstate them as I am told.
Other sports are fine which is the point of my post. I highly doubt that people can leisurely take time off for high school soccer without a real "reason". If they can then why is everyone here up in arms about it? If we can then hey I am all for it!


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## socalkdg (Oct 17, 2017)

Are the pros/cons any different for a keeper?   How many keepers are on a DA team usually?   Talking girls soccer.


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## Ghostwriter (Oct 17, 2017)

There are a lot of opinions when it comes to the Girls DA on here.  There are those that are against it, those for it, and those who haven't made up their mind yet.  Searching for pro's and con's is a difficult thing a few months into its inaugural season.  It will be hard to find a consensus either pro or con on this thread as each poster has their own personal experiences.  On a micro level it comes down personal experiences and how it's affected ones own family and daughter.  It depends on what one wants to get out of club soccer and does the DA offer the right fit.  I will add a little perspective on a macro level.  The DA is very demanding and a player and family has to be committed to the process as it will consume 4 nights of training and a game or two on the weekend.  If soccer is your players number 1 passion than this can be a good schedule for them to thrive.  

Costs are depending on which DA club you are with but at worst they would be similar to ECNL, DPL, EGSL, Tier 1 SCDSL, or CSL Premier team that travels to tournaments throughout the year.

Substitution rules are the same as international rules and many parents seem to not like this rule, but it's how the rest of the world plays the game. Once you are subbed out you cannot re-enter the match.  This changes the strategy of the match and coaches have to adapt.

Coaching is the same as any league in the sense that one has to find the best fit for themselves.  DA has license standards in place and in its inaugural season has some very good new coaches and some coaches who have had success on the ECNL front for years.  Regardless every players experiences with a particular coach is unique to that player so finding the right fit regardless of league is paramount.

Video taping all DA games. This hasn't been touched on much but might be the single biggest difference DA offers vs other league's. Besides players and parents having access to every game for highlight videos, college's, etc the videos are a tremendous tool for the coaches.  I can't tell you how many times I have watched a match and listened to parents praise or blame a player during a match.  How many times have you heard a coach blame a player or praise a player on a specific play? How many times have you seen written on this forum that the talent pool is diluted and there are only a couple impact players on each team surrounded by role players or movable cones? The video tape doesn't lie and you can have 10 people watch the same game live and have 10 different opinions but when you go back and watch the tape reality is a lot clearer. Coaches see things they missed, player A doesn't look as good as first thought, and player B doesn't look as bad as first thought etc.  What some describe as role players or cones had a much greater impact than thought.  You can see players movement off the ball and get a better grasp on their soccer IQ.  In all watching the video tape after the fact without emotion or suspense gives a clearer picture on what actually took place, the breakdowns, the positives, and the contributions from each player.

Playing time is one of the most talked about and speculated things on this subject.  I don't think anyone can speculate on why a kid didn't play unless you are that kid or her parents.  Injuries, age, sickness, fatigue, match ups, training that week, flow of the game, and many more things factor into this decision.  People have lots of opinions that if a kid isn't playing 100% of the time then its a waste of the kids time.  This is a micro decision that each individual should make and decide for themselves. 

Training as I mentioned above 4 nights a week is a tremendous commitment for the player and her parents.  This is where your daughter will excel or not. She will develop as a player these four days even more so than playing 100% in a match once a week. Find out what the club's approach to their training schedule and if your daughter is already playing DA have you seen her grow as a player, is she in better shape, and after a few months is she feeling burned out or is she just as excited to go to practice? Training is a huge piece to reaching your daughters soccer goals.

High School soccer for most is where the journey ends.  If your daughter doesn't have dreams of playing in college or internationally than I would recommend HS soccer. It's level of play, coaching, and practices are all over the map from good to really poor, but it can be fun for every level of player.  Time and HS soccer are the two biggest con's one has to sacarfice for the DA and regardless the path each of our daughters take in this journey, if they find the best fit for themselves they will enjoy it all the more.  DA, ECNL, DPL, EGSL, SCDSL, CSL, Presidio, AYSO, or HS soccer all have something to offer someone.


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## Lambchop (Oct 17, 2017)

Ghostwriter said:


> There are a lot of opinions when it comes to the Girls DA on here.  There are those that are against it, those for it, and those who haven't made up their mind yet.  Searching for pro's and con's is a difficult thing a few months into its inaugural season.  It will be hard to find a consensus either pro or con on this thread as each poster has their own personal experiences.  On a micro level it comes down personal experiences and how it's affected ones own family and daughter.  It depends on what one wants to get out of club soccer and does the DA offer the right fit.  I will add a little perspective on a macro level.  The DA is very demanding and a player and family has to be committed to the process as it will consume 4 nights of training and a game or two on the weekend.  If soccer is your players number 1 passion than this can be a good schedule for them to thrive.
> 
> Costs are depending on which DA club you are with but at worst they would be similar to ECNL, DPL, EGSL, Tier 1 SCDSL, or CSL Premier team that travels to tournaments throughout the year.
> 
> ...


Remember too, that 99% of the DA girls will never be playing under FIFA rules after DA.


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## Eagle33 (Oct 17, 2017)

socalkdg said:


> Are the pros/cons any different for a keeper?   How many keepers are on a DA team usually?   Talking girls soccer.


DA will have 1 or 2 keepers, depending on a club and age group. Normally 2 keepers.
Some DA clubs will share time for 2 keepers, and some will have starting keeper and a back up. In this case back up will normally only get required 25% playing time, unless starting keeper get injured.


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## JJP (Oct 17, 2017)

My son played DA last year, chose not to this year.  The coaching was great.  The fields were great.  The competition was excellent.  The travel was a killer.

IMO, the great thing about DA was quality consistent coaching and playing against good to great teams every week.  There are great coaches and players in flight 1, but from what I saw, the DA clubs made a real effort to get their best coaches in DA and then train their DA coaches to be even better.

IMO the quality of teams in flight 1 have been weakened by DA taking a lot of talented players, and there are a lot of weak teams in flight 1.  I think there are a few top notch flight 1 teams (who have DA level talent) that will not get much better because they are facing weak competition.

The drive became an issue for my son.  We had a half hour drive to practice and back, for an hour each practice.  Done 2x a week, it's manageable.  Done 4x a week and it really eats into your schedule.  The drive to games,  IMO, was a nightmare.  I live in OC so driving to LA or OC was not an issue, but we regularly had to drive to San Diego and that was a surprisingly difficult drive.  Unless you take off early in the morning, you can run into traffic and what should be a 2 hr drive can easily turn into a 3 hr. plus drive.    So 1.5 hrs for game, show up 1 hr early, and 6-7 hrs for the drive, 1 hr. for after game meal and you have literally killed 10 hrs. of a day for one weekend.  There were 3 SD based teams and it seemed like we had to drive to each SD teams home field twice.  Plus travel to Santa Barbara and Bakersfield (6-8 hrs of driving) added up to a lot of wear and tear on your car.

Everyone's situation is different.  Purely from the perspective of getting good coaching and playing good teams, DA is great.  But if you want your kid doing well in honors classes, or the kid wants to do other sports, or free up weekends to hang out with their friends, I think you are better off practicing 2x a week with a close by club and doing HS soccer.

I believe DA is for the talented player who is willing to sacrifice social life, other sports, and probably grades to pursue their soccer dreams.  There may be a few girls with the ability to play DA and do well at school.  I have not met a single boy, including my son, that can handle DA and do well in honors classes.


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## Eagle33 (Oct 17, 2017)

JJP said:


> My son played DA last year, chose not to this year.  The coaching was great.  The fields were great.  The competition was excellent.  The travel was a killer.
> 
> IMO, the great thing about DA was quality consistent coaching and playing against good to great teams every week.  There are great coaches and players in flight 1, but from what I saw, the DA clubs made a real effort to get their best coaches in DA and then train their DA coaches to be even better.
> 
> ...


This is 3rd year for my kid in DA. He had 4.1 GPA last year and does find time for homework and social life. He has 2 honors and 2 AP classes this year and so far have been doing great with it. I'm sure there more kids like him out there. It's all about managing time properly.


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## Dr. Richard Hurtz (Oct 17, 2017)

As a parent who’s done coast, and Scdsl, and now in DA. ; the DA is way better.  The competition, the fields, the refereering, the resources, the training, is way better. His teammates are better which helps him to play better,  the cost is better. Really just about everything is better really. I would say the traveling may be a little more but I think it’s worth it. Also the parents seem to be more well behaved. There’s no yelling. But once again it just could be the DA team my son plays for. I can’t speak for all parents and their DA opinions but that’s mine. Brand new training facilities with pristine fields are amazing. Makes me think of the shit crappy horrible grass I played on when I was his age. Just the opportunities my son gets makes it worth it. But I’d like to hear other responses from other DA parents.


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## socalkdg (Oct 18, 2017)

4 practices per week.   How long is each practice?


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## Striker17 (Oct 18, 2017)

Again depends. Some clubs do 90 minutes 4 times per week, some 2:30. 
This is something US soccer really needs to get a hold on- the basic expectations of conditioning and length of time of a practice which are so varied per club.


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## Hired Gun (Oct 18, 2017)

galaxydad said:


> Hello
> 
> I have been asked by several families if they should take their player to a DA program or not-
> 
> ...


I feel if your child is a top soccer player they need to be challenged in practice and games - Academy is for them.  This doesn't mean there aren't great players playing non DA, but I guessing 80 percent or higher are playing DA at the 03 and 04 levels.  02, 01, 00 may already have commitments etc that does not necessitate DA.  As far as coaching normally tbe better coaches on the club are coaching the DA teams.  Again 80 percent of the time. As you all know there are some E coaches that are better than some A licensed coaches but that's a not the majority.  The child and family need to want this commitment.  Great non DA players will still be spotted - but for the most part practicing and playing with top talent would only help them.  An example is with USC football during the Carroll era.  Practices agaimst the number 1 defense and number 1 offense were the real matches during this time period.  It really pushed all players to get better.  In fact this is with all sports that have heavy talented teammates around them.  With that being said, I feel most DA parents would have been satisfied with just having ECNL if DA was not around. They are training 4 days a week already - 3 practices and a private or fitness training and were allowed to play HS sports.  For top soccer players they need to play and train against better players.  They need the faster speed of play.


galaxydad said:


> Hello
> 
> I have been asked by several families if they should take their player to a DA program or not-
> 
> ...


If your player is at an elite level, has an Academy nearby and is willing to give up high school sports then give it a try.  The best players will get more out of it practicing and playing against higher caliber players.  For the most part the better coaches for the club are coaching these teams.   In Southern Ca you are traveling the same as the Flight one/ECNL teams.  If you are elite you are already practicing 4 days a week - 3 with your team and 1 with a trainer.  If you are not on DA you can still go far/noticed just won't have as many looks from college D1 coaches in the future.  These coaches are going to need to choose which events they are going to go to.  Make sense to go were 80 percent of the talent is compared to 20 percent...


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## Deadpoolscores! (Oct 18, 2017)

Eagle33 said:


> This is 3rd year for my kid in DA. He had 4.1 GPA last year and does find time for homework and social life. He has 2 honors and 2 AP classes this year and so far have been doing great with it. I'm sure there more kids like him out there. It's all about managing time properly.


Your kid is what my friend considers as a "Super Jock".


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## espola (Oct 18, 2017)

Striker17 said:


> Yes high school soccer allowed "with waiver"- glad you have known some who have done it. It is up to the club to reinstate them as I am told.
> Other sports are fine which is the point of my post. I highly doubt that people can leisurely take time off for high school soccer without a real "reason". If they can then why is everyone here up in arms about it? If we can then hey I am all for it!


There is also the Senior Escape - High school Seniors who already have a commitment to a D1 soccer school quit their DA team because they have little reason to forego their last chance at a year of glory for their school.


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## Striker17 (Oct 18, 2017)

Totally reasonable to me. I don't see why you would stay actually between the mandated events for a high school senior and college prep.


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## mirage (Oct 18, 2017)

galaxydad said:


> Hello
> 
> I have been asked by several families if they should take their player to a DA program or not-
> 
> ...


You just want to stir the pot....

Posts of pros and cons tainted with personal opinions based on where the writer's kid is at.....Ohy....

Boys side has a long track record to look at and probably should be considered as the future state for the girls side, like it or not.

Girls side is new and is bit of wild-wild west where plenty of dust is to be settled among parents.

The winner in all of this is the clubs with DA status, since there is NO Relegation and Promotion for how well the club is doing.  Since USSDA keeps standings after U15, the bottom 3 clubs need to be relegated and new clubs promoted into the older group from U14 and under only clubs.  Those relegated drops down to U14 and under only.

Yes USSDA conducts annual reviews but I have never seen a club loose DA status, so its not consequential.


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## mirage (Oct 18, 2017)

espola said:


> There is also the Senior Escape - High school Seniors who already have a commitment to a D1 soccer school quit their DA team because they have little reason to forego their last chance at a year of glory for their school.


Except that if girls side end up like boys side, EVERY college coach wants their recruited players to stay in DA their senior year to maintain form.  They look at it as an investment and staying in the DA is unofficial criteria for them to actually get beyond the verbal commitment.


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## Zvezdas (Oct 18, 2017)

Bakersfield  Aztecs (Central California Aztecs) lost their DA status...


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## El Clasico (Oct 18, 2017)

mirage said:


> Except that if girls side end up like boys side, EVERY college coach wants their recruited players to stay in DA their senior year to maintain form.  They look at it as an investment and staying in the DA is unofficial criteria for them to actually get beyond the verbal commitment.


I think you just made that up.  Was not my experience AT ALL.


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## mirage (Oct 18, 2017)

Zvezdas said:


> Bakersfield  Aztecs (Central California Aztecs) lost their DA status...


Ok good.  One out how many?  About 100 clubs w/U16+

Clearly an exception rather than a rule....


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## mirage (Oct 18, 2017)

El Clasico said:


> I think you just made that up.  Was not my experience AT ALL.


Lol, unfortunately, no.

Its our personal experience and know many players on the boys side with the same story.


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## espola (Oct 18, 2017)

mirage said:


> Except that if girls side end up like boys side, EVERY college coach wants their recruited players to stay in DA their senior year to maintain form.  They look at it as an investment and staying in the DA is unofficial criteria for them to actually get beyond the verbal commitment.


I've never seen that.


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## espola (Oct 18, 2017)

mirage said:


> Lol, unfortunately, no.
> 
> Its our personal experience and know many players on the boys side with the same story.


I don't know any.


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## chiefs (Oct 18, 2017)

Ghostwriter said:


> There are a lot of opinions when it comes to the Girls DA on here.  There are those that are against it, those for it, and those who haven't made up their mind yet.  Searching for pro's and con's is a difficult thing a few months into its inaugural season.  It will be hard to find a consensus either pro or con on this thread as each poster has their own personal experiences.  On a micro level it comes down personal experiences and how it's affected ones own family and daughter.  It depends on what one wants to get out of club soccer and does the DA offer the right fit.  I will add a little perspective on a macro level.  The DA is very demanding and a player and family has to be committed to the process as it will consume 4 nights of training and a game or two on the weekend.  If soccer is your players number 1 passion than this can be a good schedule for them to thrive.
> 
> Costs are depending on which DA club you are with but at worst they would be similar to ECNL, DPL, EGSL, Tier 1 SCDSL, or CSL Premier team that travels to tournaments throughout the year.
> 
> ...


Great stuff.  I agree with alot of this information.  I believe that besides coaching ability but the coaches personality must be considered.  Your daughter/son will be with the coach 3/4 times a week, that's alot of time.  If a coach blames/denegrates your kid/teammmates, run for the hills.  I couldnt imagine having to go to practice at this age this much over a 10 plus month period, and the coach is a hot head or not level headed. I wouldnt want to do that, basically making practice a drag to go to.  Also, does the coach change practice up a lot? This keeps practice more interesting, and makes it more fun.  Ive heard this alot.


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## Zvezdas (Oct 18, 2017)

Mirage, Aztecs are probably not the first and the only club to lose DA status... Rumors are that TFA will lose their U12 DA status now that LAFC is well established and there is a long standing rumor about Santa Barbara SC and their program...


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## galaxydad (Oct 19, 2017)

mirage said:


> You just want to stir the pot....
> 
> Posts of pros and cons tainted with personal opinions based on where the writer's kid is at.....Ohy....
> 
> ...


Not True- not trying to stir the pot- Its funny how much lack of real information is out there. Meetings, ppt presentation on what BOTH side of the isle sell you is all you get. A checklist of real experiences is one of the best ways to make a proper decision on whats best for your kids and that is different for every family. 

I am not in socal but have a strong tie to the area. Currently back in AZ but worked with players in Ca and a handful of parents are considering making the jump to DA. I was asked by one to make a pro and con sheet for the family to sit and make the decision about the direction they want to take.


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## younothat (Oct 19, 2017)

galaxydad said:


> Not True- not trying to stir the pot- Its funny how much lack of real information is out there. Meetings, ppt presentation on what BOTH side of the isle sell you is all you get. A checklist of real experiences is one of the best ways to make a proper decision on whats best for your kids and that is different for every family.
> 
> I am not in socal but have a strong tie to the area. Currently back in AZ but worked with players in Ca and a handful of parents are considering making the jump to DA. I was asked by one to make a pro and con sheet for the family to sit and make the decision about the direction they want to take.


The info is out there but its all personal opinion for the most park so I will offer mine based on my sons experience playing 3 years going on 4.  I'm just a parent will two kids who love soccer.

First of all there are pro/cons of  "Organized club" soccer that can't be separated from ussda which is just a derivative of club soccer , see my post on page 1 for those:
http://www.socalsoccer.com/threads/da-non-da-pro-and-cons-checklist.4403/#post-126695

On top of those two of the biggest "Cons" of all club soccer is
#1) Pay to Play,
#2 Lack of Promotion/Regulation (CSL does attempt but its Political charged still... new clubs/teams moved straight the top brackets of they switch league for example.
#3 Closes Circuits and Leagues.

I'm going to include a neutral checklist also since my son has played club soccer since he was very young with 5 years of experience playing CSL, CRL, SCDSL, and other leagues prior to DA.

YMMV will vary and the ages we're talking about differ so the pro/cons change a bit younger to older

DA neutral
1) Coaching;  maybe we've been lucky but my player has always had a "A or B" coach & they have all been good
2) Referees/ Officials:  Same some claim top referees are in DA, haven't seen that or noticed any difference and most do both kinds of leagues
3) Short sided <=U12.    The competition in my players day was more concentrated /w  fewer leagues and he started playing 11x11 was he was U11, after playing short sided for so many years he wanted to go to bigger field really badly, felt he did all he could 5x5,7v7,9v9 or whatever.   I can't really see a pro/con of short-sided in U12 for DA.
4) Style of Play: My kids teams have always been taught and played procession style so no different.
5) Home fields: Almost always had great turf  for his home games DA or not.

DA pros:
1.   Training is 4x a week with more focused training plans
2.   Additional Resources made available to the teams: Additional trainers, conditioning, video reviews, water/power-aid at games,  financial scholarships more readily available.   
3.   Player pool;   DA attracts more players overall, easier to recruit, players for other teams can be promoted, moved or DP'd
4.   Playing better competition;  All is watered down now with so many leagues but for the teams #4-13 the competition is better for most teams compared to other leagues.
5.  Away fields: normally better as the DA teams have access to better playing surfaces
6.  Playing and training alongside top players
7.  DA , college, and some pro scouts present at some games and showcases
8.  Additional playing opportunities;  Dallas Cup,  Disney,  Gen Adidas,  International Tournaments;  /wo  DA my player most likely won't be attending these due to availability, resources, or home town club not being competitive enough to get in.
9.  One game a weekend for the most part;  breaks after two games consecutive with a rest day between for tournaments or showcases
10.  Ten month season with a winter break

DA cons:
1.  Costs: in terms of time required and $ it cost to pay and travel which can be large once you hit U15+
2.  FIFA sub rules:   No body else does this in the youth game and really does nothing but limit playing time for sub and sometimes results in potential injuries as coaches are out of subs late in the game(s)
3.  Win at all costs;   The #1 priority is to win games and everything else comes secondary including development and playing time.
4.  4-3-3.  Telling everybody to play the same formation doesn't work all that well.   All the teams know this so they train, and just use tactics to counter the 4-3-3 with a 3-5-2 of whatever when a team is good at 4-3-3
5. No HS soccer for most w/wo wavier.  There is a built in break anyway so why not let the kids play?
6. No guest playing
7.  Large rosters & keeping teams together and chemistry.  Players coming and going each game and the combined age groups don't help
8.  Competition for the Teams: #1-3 is very uneven overall.  Top teams don't get enough consistent comp week in and week out and it shows when they go play the bigger or international tournaments
9.  Politically charged selection process for the YNT, BNT, pools, camps, training center stuff.   The director's pretty much decided who they want to send even when scouting reports may highly recommend or not certain players.
10.  MLS  calling the shots for the most part,  some teams are spending $4 million on there academy a year will other not even a fraction of that so overall not good balance


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## Lambchop (Oct 19, 2017)

younothat said:


> The info is out there but its all personal opinion for the most park so I will offer mine based on my sons experience playing 3 years going on 4.  I'm just a parent will two kids who love soccer.
> 
> First of all there are pro/cons of  "Organized club" soccer that can't be separated from ussda which is just a derivative of club soccer , see my post on page 1 for those:
> http://www.socalsoccer.com/threads/da-non-da-pro-and-cons-checklist.4403/#post-126695
> ...


Number 9 is really important since it is a path to serious recognition and is definitely a negative.


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## mirage (Oct 19, 2017)

galaxydad said:


> Not True- not trying to stir the pot- Its funny how much lack of real information is out there.............
> 
> I am not in socal but have a strong tie to the area. Currently back in AZ .....


I thought you were with LAG South Bay....  Was that your nephew maybe?  I recall many posts by you on the old forum site, especially boys younger boards.

DA has changed over the years and not necessarily for the better.  Frankly, I think its a mistake to go down to U12.  They should have stayed with the old age groups of U14, 16/15 and 18/17s.  The problem is having U12, 13, 14 is focusing the kids too soon on soccer.  And, USSF creating charged environment for the local clubs who are member of DA versus non-DA at much earlier age groups.

@youknowthat's list is fairly accurate with some exception based on our experience.   Here are some alternative thoughts/experiences.  Where no comments are made, we agree.

Neutral:
1 - While USSF require A (or B license working towards A) coaches, its a mixed  bag.  There are A licensed coaches that are excellent (as well as D licensed), and there are A license coaches that should not be coaching at all.  And because its political, no family speaks up against and there are lack of improvements.

3 - Have no idea. Only know about the old U14 and above.  There were nothing younger when our son was playing DA.

Pros:
1 - Training differs from DA club to DA club.  A day may include video breakdown of games, others can include sports psychology sessions.  Some clubs may only do 3 days most of the time.

2 - Financial support varies all over the map.  Some clubs will help pay for travel to league games, whereas some not at all.  Some have fully funded teams and other completely pay to play.

4 - Because its political, not all teams are as good as some of the non-DA teams.  Our experience is that many DA players are not short on attitudes and arrogance but may lack talent found outside of DA system, especially once you get to U16+ because so many good players want to play HS.


Cons:
2 - FIFA sub rules are actually good. It teaches players to moderate their energy and endurance for full 90 minute games.  And game day roster limitation makes all player work harder at practices but the dark side is some of the players don't know when to back off during practice to prevent injuries.

3 - Not necessarily true.  Many DA clubs will play younger players into the older group and take the loss.  Additionally, learning to win is a part of development - very important part.  Players needing to compete to get playing time has to be tied to their ability to execute in games.

4 - Not every team plays 4-3-3.  Our son's last DA team played 4-4-2 most of the time and changed to 4-2-3-1 depending on who they were playing.  It was originally insisted upon but it has changed over the years and clubs are given more flexibilities.

5 - There is no built in break other than at Christmas time after the Florida showcase.  Games pick up in mid to late January and training just after the new year.  I can't imagine how this timeline works with HS schedule when their league games are in January~February and CIF in February~March.

6 - Guest are DPs.  Anyone can be registered with USSDA as DP.

7 - Large roster are symptom of parents wanting their kid on DA team.  I forgot the right number but its around 60 players combined between 15, 16/17 and 18/19 and clubs can manage to the total number of players.  Most clubs will run skinny 18/19 age group and pull up players from 16/17 and 15 teams on the game day.  The combined age is good in that at the older ages, it makes not much difference and skills will make the difference and not the age, since these are all post puberty, about equally sized players.

10 - MLS should spend more money and probably should have their own academy league.  Its their business to grow players in their system. 

One thing parents should keep in mind is that DA offer such a significant exposure compared to anything else that its no wonder the college coaches feed on it.  It has taken the hard leg work away from coaches and have filtered the top 1% for them by local clubs.   Each year, there are more DA players graduating from HS than total number of recruited players into college.  While not all DA players are suited for college, so many are and it just makes it that much harder for non-DA players to get recruited by college (D1~D3 and NAIA).  On the Girls side, having DA and ECNL probably makes the college coaches job more difficult now that they have to cover both for the next year or two.  After that it will be all DA.


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## espola (Oct 19, 2017)

mirage said:


> DA has changed over the years and not necessarily for the better.  Frankly, I think its a mistake to go down to U12.  They should have stayed with the old age groups of U14, 16/15 and 18/17s.  The problem is having U12, 13, 14 is focusing the kids too soon on soccer.  And, USSF creating charged environment for the local clubs who are member of DA versus non-DA at much earlier age groups.
> 
> 2 - FIFA sub rules are actually good. It teaches players to moderate their energy and endurance for full 90 minute games.  And game day roster limitation makes all player work harder at practices but the dark side is some of the players don't know when to back off during practice to prevent injuries.


They should have started with U10s 10 years ago.  Of course, that would have made it harder to tell whom to recruit - they would have had to actually develop some players.

FIFA sub rules were founded in the old days when there were no subs, even for injuries, and small rosters were money-savers for club owners.  Limiting subs so severely in DA interferes with good coaching and thus hinders development.


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## mirage (Oct 19, 2017)

espola said:


> They should have started with U10s 10 years ago.....they would have had to actually develop some players........
> 
> ......Limiting subs so severely in DA interferes with good coaching and thus hinders development.


Shocking.... Unsurprisingly we disagree.


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## soccermama213 (Oct 20, 2017)

I will say that I know personally some players who are in their senior year who are regretting playing DA because now that HS soccer is about to start they want to play. There is something to be said about playing HS (like a Previous poster said) and even though it's not a great game - it's fun and something special for the kids (in most cases) My dd passed on DA because the 4 days plus commute wasnt worth it to her plus she is already committed and that was just playing flight 1 competitively. It all comes down to the coaches and team. Your child can achieve many great things playing both secenarios and I believe it comes down for that's beat individually for Your player


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## USC (Oct 20, 2017)

So with all the bad vibe currently going on with the DA teams and disaster of the MNT, is DA status worth pursuing for clubs or is it just a fad, something cool for now.


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## SOCCERMINION (Oct 21, 2017)

I believe we need a single elite league system like a DA. But we need DA to be more flexible to allow for alternative activities for the athletes to explore if they choose. At the end of the day the talent the athlete displays on the pitch should dictate if they are a DA Quality player. It shouldn't be based on them being willing to give up all other activities and commit to the Program. If they play HS Soccer, Lacross , swimming, track, futsal or play for other teams who cares. As long as they make it to the tryouts and make the practice and game obligations set by the coach. And if the athlete cant cut  it then they should be the ones to make their own decisions on what alternative activities to limit to ensure they focus enough on soccer to make the DA grade.


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## eastbaysoccer (Oct 21, 2017)

So the MNT or YNT will turn down a non DA standout player?  No way.

Choose non- DA .  It will give more flexibility .

I’ll argue training 2x per week with a good team, guest playing and training with an excellent soccer trainer will be sufficient to get you where u need to go.  

Bottom line—-there is no secret sauce or exact path anyone has to take!


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## jose (Oct 21, 2017)

SOCCERMINION said:


> I believe we need a single elite league system like a DA. But we need DA to be more flexible to allow for alternative activities for the athletes to explore if they choose. At the end of the day the talent the athlete displays on the pitch should dictate if they are a DA Quality player. It shouldn't be based on them being willing to give up all other activities and commit to the Program. If they play HS Soccer, Lacross , swimming, track, futsal or play for other teams who cares. As long as they make it to the tryouts and make the practice and game obligations set by the coach. And if the athlete cant cut  it then they should be the ones to make their own decisions on what alternative activities to limit to ensure they focus enough on soccer to make the DA grade.


If they truly like the kid then they should like that the kid is athletic.  two or three sport athletes are rare now but those are the kids you should be looking for


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## jose (Oct 21, 2017)

USC said:


> So with all the bad vibe currently going on with the DA teams and disaster of the MNT, is DA status worth pursuing for clubs or is it just a fad, something cool for now.


girls side it is brand new so too early to tell how it works out.  Trojans had a horrible day.  ND had to win one. it was getting less and less as a rivalry so this should help make it a rivalry again. Fight on!


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## USC (Oct 22, 2017)

jose said:


> girls side it is brand new so too early to tell how it works out.  Trojans had a horrible day.  ND had to win one. it was getting less and less as a rivalry so this should help make it a rivalry again. Fight on!


I know right, they got destroyed!  Fight On!


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## Striker17 (Oct 22, 2017)

jose said:


> If they truly like the kid then they should like that the kid is athletic.  two or three sport athletes are rare now but those are the kids you should be looking for


That doesn’t fit the narrative. My favorite is when you have technical soccer players who can’t run or sprint and these club coaches allow this, or 14 year olds who have a ten foot touch. These girls won’t pass a beep or get a look but they are queens of club. Club vs college is a joke. Again focus on your player and what you have to do to get her to where you want her because if you want to rely on a track suit she’s going to be living in a van down by the river .


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## Striker17 (Oct 22, 2017)

SOCCERMINION said:


> I believe we need a single elite league system like a DA. But we need DA to be more flexible to allow for alternative activities for the athletes to explore if they choose. At the end of the day the talent the athlete displays on the pitch should dictate if they are a DA Quality player. It shouldn't be based on them being willing to give up all other activities and commit to the Program. If they play HS Soccer, Lacross , swimming, track, futsal or play for other teams who cares. As long as they make it to the tryouts and make the practice and game obligations set by the coach. And if the athlete cant cut  it then they should be the ones to make their own decisions on what alternative activities to limit to ensure they focus enough on soccer to make the DA grade.


It’s too subjective. Someone who is DA at one club is definetly not at another. I would love there to be a single tryout and then assigning to a team based on Geographical location even. Some coaches hold to standards some coaches are all about “development”. This system is way too watered down and there is too much parity. The system didn’t change anything and in actuality we are more focused in privates than ever before.
There is so much that is great about the DA but the lack of standards of play/fitness is one thing that I wish they could get a handle on


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## JJP (Oct 22, 2017)

SOCCERMINION said:


> I believe we need a single elite league system like a DA. But we need DA to be more flexible to allow for alternative activities for the athletes to explore if they choose. At the end of the day the talent the athlete displays on the pitch should dictate if they are a DA Quality player. It shouldn't be based on them being willing to give up all other activities and commit to the Program. If they play HS Soccer, Lacross , swimming, track, futsal or play for other teams who cares. As long as they make it to the tryouts and make the practice and game obligations set by the coach. And if the athlete cant cut  it then they should be the ones to make their own decisions on what alternative activities to limit to ensure they focus enough on soccer to make the DA grade.


Looking at my son's HS schedule, I don't think it's possible to play DA and do another HS sport.  He has 2 to 3 games per week during the season and practice every day there isn't a game, plus weightlifting 3 days a week.  I just don't see how he could combine HS sports schedule with DA 4x a week practice plus games on the weekend with the DA travel.  There are so many conflicts you would essentially have to miss practice for DA and only play DA games.  There are some club teams willing to do this for star players but I don't think DA teams, especially fully funded DA teams, will accept anything less than full commitment.

Plus, the kid has to rest and do homework.  Maybe Eagle 33's son could handle it, but most kids definitely can't.



jose said:


> If they truly like the kid then they should like that the kid is athletic.  two or three sport athletes are rare now but those are the kids you should be looking for


Every team my kid tried out the coaches loved his athleticism and him being good at hockey and lacrosse in addition to soccer. I will say that playing multiple sports has its benefits but it also had severe drawbacks when it came to soccer.  Soccer footwork is so intricate and different from any other sport, and it's hard to perfect soccer footwork if you play other sports.


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## Justafan (Oct 22, 2017)

jose said:


> If they truly like the kid then they should like that the kid is athletic.  two or three sport athletes are rare now but those are the kids you should be looking for


They should make all goalkeepers play baseball/softball and take grounders.  I swear to god, if I see another keeper dive for a ball that is only 2 feet to the left or right of them, I'm going to lose it.  The goalkeeper trainer who started the trend of having goalkeepers dive for EVERYTHING is an idiot and never played baseball (or softball  for that matter, but I'm pretty sure it was a man).  I saw the Galaxy keeper (Braine Rowe) dive for a ball literally 2 feet to his left, he didn't get down in time and it went between his arm and body (sorry, couldn't find the clip).  And this is a professional!  How many times have you seen this type of ball bounce of the keeper's stomach or body and into traffic?  OK, I feel better now!


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## MyDaughtersAKeeper (Oct 23, 2017)

Justafan said:


> They should make all goalkeepers play baseball/softball and take grounders.  I swear to god, if I see another keeper dive for a ball that is only 2 feet to the left or right of them, I'm going to lose it.  The goalkeeper trainer who started the trend of having goalkeepers dive for EVERYTHING is an idiot and never played baseball (or softball  for that matter, but I'm pretty sure it was a man).  I saw the Galaxy keeper (Braine Rowe) dive for a ball literally 2 feet to his left, he didn't get down in time and it went between his arm and body (sorry, couldn't find the clip).  And this is a professional!  How many times have you seen this type of ball bounce of the keeper's stomach or body and into traffic?  OK, I feel better now!


I stand behind the net and yell at my kid to dive for Every ball.  I want to get my monies worth on all the Storelli gear we buy for her.  I make her do laps if she doesn’t dive. 

In all seriousness, I am sure there are times that she dives that she doesn’t need to.  But she has been taught - hands first.  You don’t make saves with your feet (except in futsal).  At times she does it to drain the clock.  The 6 seconds don’t start until she gets up.  With all the money we have paid for keeper lessons, I am going to assume she knows what she is doing.


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## mirage (Oct 23, 2017)

eastbaysoccer said:


> So the MNT or YNT will turn down a non DA standout player?  No way.
> 
> Choose non- DA .  It will give more flexibility .
> 
> ...


You need to go look at the rosters of U17 and below Boys YNT rosters.  Every player is from DA academy team, with exceptions being kids of foreign academy or already well known players from very early age shown as unattached.

While your comments appear logical and is a common sense, the reality is not that.


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## mirage (Oct 23, 2017)

Justafan said:


> They should make all goalkeepers play baseball/softball and take grounders.......OK, I feel better now!


Not just GKs.  Our older kid (forward) played travel ball until he committed to soccer only, and I can tell you that his baseball training still helps today on the soccer field.

Baseball teaches the players to judge fly balls (i.e., know where soccer ball in the air falls, including reading the spin), how the player backs up first, then move forward to the ball; hence dragging the defender back further than needs to be and moving forward to create space to settle the in the air ball as it comes down or one-touch pass to a teammate.  Also know what angle to take for attack and defending a play versus the ball as well as free space.

Those that never played baseball at a competitive level just don't know all intricacy of baseball and how it can helps soccer.


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## pewpew (Oct 23, 2017)

Justafan said:


> They should make all goalkeepers play baseball/softball and take grounders.  I swear to god, if I see another keeper dive for a ball that is only 2 feet to the left or right of them, I'm going to lose it.  The goalkeeper trainer who started the trend of having goalkeepers dive for EVERYTHING is an idiot and never played baseball (or softball  for that matter, but I'm pretty sure it was a man).  I saw the Galaxy keeper (Braine Rowe) dive for a ball literally 2 feet to his left, he didn't get down in time and it went between his arm and body (sorry, couldn't find the clip).  And this is a professional!  How many times have you seen this type of ball bounce of the keeper's stomach or body and into traffic?  OK, I feel better now!


My guess is your kid doesn't play keeper. I only question my kid on mistakes she makes.  Sometimes I scratch my head at some of the things she does out there. As long as the gk makes the save what do you care? And if they were put into a position where they "dive for a ball 2ft away" and the ball deflects off them and back into traffic..guess what..it's still a save. Let's not forget the ball got past 10 other players before it got to the keeper. 
Unless your kid plays keeper you have no idea of the pressure they are under. Your kid could miss 5 or 6 shots on goal during a game and nobody will remember that. My kid could make 5 or 6 great saves in a game but the one goal she does give up everyone remembers we lost 0-1. 
Btw..your post has nothing to do with this thread. 
Ok..I feel better now.


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## Justafan (Oct 23, 2017)

pewpew said:


> My guess is your kid doesn't play keeper. I only question my kid on mistakes she makes.  Sometimes I scratch my head at some of the things she does out there. As long as the gk makes the save what do you care? And if they were put into a position where they "dive for a ball 2ft away" and the ball deflects off them and back into traffic..guess what..it's still a save. Let's not forget the ball got past 10 other players before it got to the keeper.
> Unless your kid plays keeper you have no idea of the pressure they are under. Your kid could miss 5 or 6 shots on goal during a game and nobody will remember that. My kid could make 5 or 6 great saves in a game but the one goal she does give up everyone remembers we lost 0-1.
> Btw..your post has nothing to do with this thread.
> Ok..I feel better now.


I'm not knocking the pressure GK's are under, and I agree defender and GK mistakes are highlighted (one of my dd's is a center back) while offensive players' are not.  I actually tell that to other defender and GK parents on our team when we get scored on (in order to keep perspective).  My issue is that they are taught to dive for everything when the better and safer play is to simply shuffle you feet, get in front of the ball, hands touching the ground, and scoop upwards, just like an infielder is taught. And not all of the balls that bounce back into traffic are saved.  And some go under the keepers arms because they didn't get down fast enough.  If you think about it diving for a ball that is 2 feet away is an awkward move.


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## full90 (Oct 23, 2017)

Hope Solo was the queen of making the easy save look hard. We would rewind her diving, leaping, sprawled out saves and play them in slow mo....they would be head high, one step to her right or left. (And yes, some are coming so fast that you have to dive to parry it away). But she also had a way of making the easy things in her life hard too, soooooo...

The playing other sports thing is fine for younger ages, but at the highest level of any sport the kid needs to be focused on one sport. I get that it's not great for being well-rounded, but for the top of the top, being well-rounded isn't the goal. The same is true for DA. DA is not designed for kids to be well-rounded and have a robust, holistic high school experience. If you want that for your kid, (and I don't blame you, high school is a blast) then DA is really not for them. It's for the kids who want to be pros and it's inception was to mirror European academies where school is by far a distant second behind soccer. So all the talk of other sports, AP classes, homework, social life etc...being incompatible with DA...that's exactly the point. It is not meant for those kids. They (US soccer) want DA to cull thru the kids who want to do other things...that is the point. (Yes, some kids can do high school AP/Honors and social life and DA. But that is not the intent of that league)

US Soccer should fund the MLS academies and funnel all the soccer first, school second kids there. There should then be non MLS DA league for the other top kids who want to head to college/have a holistic high school experience. But still used as a development and scouting path. 

Back to the topic: Pros: one game a weekend, no more stupid tournaments until sunday night at 8pm in the final playing crap soccer cuz everyone is tired, lots of training, great competition, sub rule helps kids get on the field and stay on for the majority of a game.

Cons: lots of driving, sub rule hurts kids who maybe need to come out, get a coaching point and then go back in to apply it, or could benefit from 15-20 min a game each week, but aren't rostered all the time, rosters are too big (either cap it at 17 or cap it at 25 and have two games going so all kids are getting play time.), I'm not sure anyone is evaluating and critiquing style of play. A few teams we play dont even try to play soccer....where is the feedback from US soccer? And while I think the reffing is overall MUCH better than club, they are still letting the games be too physical and emotional. This is a development path, right? So curtail the ridiculous fouls and start tossing kids much earlier.


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## BigSoccer (Oct 23, 2017)

_US Soccer should fund the MLS academies and funnel all the soccer first, school second kids there. There should then be non MLS DA league for the other top kids who want to head to college/have a holistic high school experience. But still used as a development and scouting path. _

What about all the talent in areas with no MLS?  Let's say Indianapolis or San Antonio... just too bad for them?


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## El Clasico (Oct 23, 2017)

full90 said:


> Hope Solo was the queen of making the easy save look hard. We would rewind her diving, leaping, sprawled out saves and play them in slow mo....they would be head high, one step to her right or left. (And yes, some are coming so fast that you have to dive to parry it away). But she also had a way of making the easy things in her life hard too, soooooo...
> 
> The playing other sports thing is fine for younger ages, but at the highest level of any sport the kid needs to be focused on one sport. I get that it's not great for being well-rounded, but for the top of the top, being well-rounded isn't the goal. The same is true for DA. DA is not designed for kids to be well-rounded and have a robust, holistic high school experience. If you want that for your kid, (and I don't blame you, high school is a blast) then DA is really not for them. It's for the kids who want to be pros and it's inception was to mirror European academies where school is by far a distant second behind soccer. So all the talk of other sports, AP classes, homework, social life etc...being incompatible with DA...that's exactly the point. It is not meant for those kids. They (US soccer) want DA to cull thru the kids who want to do other things...that is the point. (Yes, some kids can do high school AP/Honors and social life and DA. But that is not the intent of that league).


Interesting that you bring up Hope Solo (considered by most to be the best female goalie the US has produced, maybe the best in the world) and being focused on one sport at the expense of all others while young in the same post.

I also see other posters on this forum talk about how important it is for them to spend all the thousands of dollars on their Ulittle player to take all the extra goalie training so that they learn the science of the position now before it is too late.

It is my understanding that Hope Solo never spent a day in goal prior to playing goalie (not recruited to play goalie either) in college up in the state of Washington.


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## full90 (Oct 23, 2017)

BigSoccer said:


> _US Soccer should fund the MLS academies and funnel all the soccer first, school second kids there. There should then be non MLS DA league for the other top kids who want to head to college/have a holistic high school experience. But still used as a development and scouting path. _
> 
> What about all the talent in areas with no MLS?  Let's say Indianapolis or San Antonio... just too bad for them?


Those kids would be residents, taken away from their home town for the chance to make it. If they don't want to do that, then there are the non MLS academies. But if you are the top percent and want to make it, you go be a resident at the true path to pro...just like the rest of the world does.


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## JJP (Oct 23, 2017)

full90 said:


> The playing other sports thing is fine for younger ages, but at the highest level of any sport the kid needs to be focused on one sport. I get that it's not great for being well-rounded, but for the top of the top, being well-rounded isn't the goal. The same is true for DA. DA is not designed for kids to be well-rounded and have a robust, holistic high school experience. If you want that for your kid, (and I don't blame you, high school is a blast) then DA is really not for them. It's for the kids who want to be pros and it's inception was to mirror European academies where school is by far a distant second behind soccer. So all the talk of other sports, AP classes, homework, social life etc...being incompatible with DA...that's exactly the point. It is not meant for those kids. They (US soccer) want DA to cull thru the kids who want to do other things...that is the point. (Yes, some kids can do high school AP/Honors and social life and DA. But that is not the intent of that league)


But here's the issue with DA, which I believe Galaxy Dad pointed out, and I'm not sure his point is getting across.   DA demands total commitment to soccer, but thus far the reward kids have received for total commitment to DA has been close to zero.  Galaxy DA system has produced only one player who plays first team, Gyasi Zardes, and the rest of the best are stuck in Galaxy 2.

Kids pay attention to this.  There are a lot of DA teams struggling to fill their roster with talented players, and there are DA level talent sprinkled throughout flight 1/coast premiere, and some of those players are among the top players in this age group, and they've chosen not to attend DA, why not?  There are some fantastic players on a lot of high school teams that should be in DA but are not, because they decided they would rather have better grades and play HS ball.

I know for a fact that a lot of those kids have decided not to play DA because they see it as a dead end.  DA has to provide a pot at the end of the rainbow for their top players, or they have to give better alternatives or outs for lesser players.  If they don't, DA will not attract top talent because they will go to Europe or drop out of DA for a less risky and more lucrative career path.


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## El Clasico (Oct 23, 2017)

JJP said:


> But here's the issue with DA, which I believe Galaxy Dad pointed out, and I'm not sure his point is getting across.   DA demands total commitment to soccer, but thus far the reward kids have received for total commitment to DA has been close to zero.  Galaxy DA system has produced only one player who plays first team, Gyasi Zardes, and the rest of the best are stuck in Galaxy 2.
> 
> Kids pay attention to this.


Well said. Have met a lot of great kids and families over the years and this is the one thing that has stood out to me.  KIDS PAY ATTENTION. The next time a group of kids is over at your house, lounging on your coach and eating all your damn food, pay attention to them. They see through all the BS better than the parents do.

Most of the kids I have spoken with and asked why they play DA when they have expressed that they aren't enjoying it, is that it was their parents decision. Parents pressure kids (sometimes it is peer pressure to be in the in crowd) and tell them that it is the path to the pros or national team and some really gifted kids find themselves in an environment not of their choosing and don't excel.  Some want to go to Europe but can't for a myriad of reasons.

How do we solve this problem?  The answer is not do what they do in europe. We need to develop a system that works within our culture. Take a look at the new LeBron James video with the kid who wants to play pro. He didn't get there by joining a basketball academy.


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## full90 (Oct 23, 2017)

And I agree that DA doesn't give back what kids give into it and it's hurting DA/MLS and soccer as a whole. JJP that was a good post. And it mirrors our thought process when we look at DA. Why roll the dice with this mediocre product and put our kids' future on the line for a crapshoot? Is the development any better than if all these boys were nonDA and just spread out playing flight 1? Sure. But not enough to put academics on a side burner and give up his childhood. If DA was churning out pro after pro who could then go on to make a living for a few years playing at a high level, ok, roll the dice and take the chance. But this system is not that at all. 

I was just speaking to the intent of the DA and answering the frequent complaint that it's difficult to do DA and be a normal high school kid (or even an above average one). It's not for those kids. SO US soccer should acknowledge that divide and step in. MLS residents for a true path to pro and non MLS academies for the next group. That might be compelling and worth the investment. 
Our kid is above average and may end up being quite good. Or he will be above average like hundreds of other kids in So Cal. Or he will quit in 2 years. 
But we aren't homeschooling/enrolling in an "art" school like some DA kids are at/sending him to Casa Grande and that crap education with the hope we can flip the odds and end up playing pro. To end up at los dos? Nahhhhh. You are right, that's where DA/US Soccer?MLS has let everyone down.


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## Striker17 (Oct 23, 2017)

Wait you mean the Barca Academy is not a top educational facility? Or spending thousands of extra dollars on speed training or lifting isn’t helping me? Even if we do it to rap music? 
Crap back to square one


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## s0ccerM0m (Oct 24, 2017)

I've been following this thread the past few days and appreciate the well-reasoned arguments on both sides. I see there are no clear answers but I am looking for some advice from those of you who've been there. My DS is a freshman who is interested in trying out for a DA team next year. His high school team is not at all competitive, which is not saying that he would not have fun playing there but there does not seem to be much opportunity for continued development there or on his current club team. Since he will likely be making a switch of some sort, would you recommend trying for a DA team,  a more competitive non-DA team (any new team would require some travel for us), or even perhaps looking into transferring to a high school with a good soccer team. He is an 03 and many posters seem to be advising against moving to the DA for next season. (Of course, all this is subject to teams wanting him, I realize.) Our main goal for him is that he maintain  a positive school and soccer experience, is challenged in both, and is on a path that will lead him to the best college for him, hopefully with soccer -if that is what he continues to want to pursue- but even without it. I look forward to your thoughts. Thanks in advance.


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## JJP (Oct 24, 2017)

Soccermom, you need to find out if the 03s will be a single age group (i.e., just 03s) next year for DA or a combined age group (i.e. 02s and 03s).  There are posters here saying it is combined, but there was a poster, mahrez, who said the 03s would be a single age group linking to some official looking USSF docs that I never read.  I simply do not know.

The reason is, if it's a combined age group, the team will be made up of mainly 02s and they will take few, if any 03s, and the 03s they take will be considered their star players.  Unless your son is an incredible talent, as a brand new player, it will be incredibly difficult to make the combined team from the younger age group.

Your kid should tryout and see how he does.  Your son could even tryout now, the DA season is not old.  See which team he makes (if any) and do your research.  Some DA teams have huge rosters and a bunch of kids don't play.  Some teams have minimal rosters and everyone plays.  The only thing I can tell you is that your son will get quality coaching, train with and play against good to great players, and will do a lot of traveling.


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## Sheriff Joe (Oct 24, 2017)

El Clasico said:


> Interesting that you bring up Hope Solo (considered by most to be the best female goalie the US has produced, maybe the best in the world) and being focused on one sport at the expense of all others while young in the same post.
> 
> I also see other posters on this forum talk about how important it is for them to spend all the thousands of dollars on their Ulittle player to take all the extra goalie training so that they learn the science of the position now before it is too late.
> 
> It is my understanding that Hope Solo never spent a day in goal prior to playing goalie (not recruited to play goalie either) in college up in the state of Washington.


She's a bad ass and should still be playing.


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## pewpew (Oct 24, 2017)

Sheriff Joe said:


> She's a bad ass and should still be playing.


Totally agree.  Is she a role model for young female keepers to follow..on the field yes..off the field..maybe not. But nobody's perfect. There's no arguing that she's the best female keeper the game has ever seen. And as somebody earlier pointed out..she was a forward. Didn't become keeper until later on. 
It's such a b.s. double standard held against her for her actions. Men's sports everywhere are much guiltier of some serious infractions yet their careers don't seem to suffer the same. 
USWNT seems to be doing ok without her. But not as good if she were there.


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## s0ccerM0m (Oct 24, 2017)

JJP, thank you. I did not realize that kids could try out now. How do we go about that? It would certainly make things easier once we know if DA is even an option for him.  It would be great to get clarity about the age groups too. Marhrez, can you tell us if LAFC have an 03 (or 02-03) team next year? I recall you posted that LAFC would field DA teams in all age groups for 2018-2019.


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## JJP (Oct 24, 2017)

soccermom, every team is different.  I don't know which team you are interested in or are close to.  I know the Pats and Strikers are still looking for players, both are located in Irvine.  The Pats only take a few players.  Last year the Strikers took more players and trained them all, but only their best players got a lot of playing time.

Usually, if you know someone on the team, you can through your contact ask the coach to show up at practices and tryout.  Every DA coach I have met has been extremely fair in these tryouts and given the kid time to get comfortable and show his best.  I will say, however, unless your kid shows skills AND speed (and by speed I mean fast by DA standards) they are not going to get too excited.


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## s0ccerM0m (Oct 24, 2017)

JJP, Thanks. This is very helpful.


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