# Elite Academy League Winter Showcase



## iloveyouthsoccerr (Oct 7, 2021)

Do any of you guys know what colleges will be attending this showcase? Also when the schedule will come out?


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## Huttrick3 (Oct 8, 2021)

Isn't EA Winter showcase at the beginning of December?  I'm guessing more information will be available when it gets closer.


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## iloveyouthsoccerr (Oct 11, 2021)

Huttrick3 said:


> Isn't EA Winter showcase at the beginning of December?  I'm guessing more information will be available when it gets closer.


Yes, but the colleges should be out so our kids can send them their game times right?


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## socalkdg (Oct 11, 2021)

Always thought Thanksgiving was last weekend for Tourneys as games start First week of December for High School.


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## lafalafa (Oct 11, 2021)

socalkdg said:


> Always thought Thanksgiving was last weekend for Tourneys as games start First week of December for High School.


No the first week of December has been used for years for tournaments like Disney,  showcases for various leagues.

As long as you don't play or scrimmage official high schools games before hand should be no conflicts.  Most leagues don't start until Jan so Dec is just for preseason, friendly's or scrimmages.


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## socalkdg (Oct 11, 2021)

lafalafa said:


> No the first week of December has been used for years for tournaments like Disney,  showcases for various leagues.
> 
> As long as you don't play or scrimmage official high schools games before hand should be no conflicts.  Most leagues don't start until Jan so Dec is just for preseason, friendly's or scrimmages.


Our first non-league game is 12/1.  Being in a very tough conference means we need to get some early wins.  Looks like our school has been pretty aggressive with these early games.


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## Kicker4Life (Oct 12, 2021)

iloveyouthsoccerr said:


> Yes, but the colleges should be out so our kids can send them their game times right?


some unsolicited advice…….It’s Better to send the emails to Colleges your player is interested in an atempt to encourage them to attend.  You can always send more emails to additional schools when the list comes out.

Take the “spaghetti” approach!


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## iloveyouthsoccerr (Oct 19, 2021)

Lol I agree. I wonder if a lot of D1 schools will be at the showcase?


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## Kicker4Life (Oct 19, 2021)

iloveyouthsoccerr said:


> Lol I agree. I wonder if a lot of D1 schools will be at the showcase?


When/Where is it?


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## TestFather (Oct 19, 2021)

Kicker4Life said:


> When/Where is it?


12/3 - 12/5 at Florida


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## galaxydad (Oct 19, 2021)

The EA showcase will be sparsely attended. ECNL and MLS next will be where a majority of the coaches are at. On the girls side you’ll get a bit more interest


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## lafalafa (Oct 19, 2021)

TestFather said:


> 12/3 - 12/5 at Florida


Being a 1st year showcase with NCCA D1 women's cup going on in Davis, CA same weekend not sure this one will be well attended besides locals for D1.

Maybe they will publish a coaches are attending list and players can contact.   Normally have to be a bit fortunate to get ones on your list that attend these newer or not really established events


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## iloveyouthsoccerr (Oct 20, 2021)

With it being in Flordia most of the southern D1 schools will attend. Mls and Ecnl are in California so they will get the westward colleges to come.


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## iloveyouthsoccerr (Oct 20, 2021)

It was smart for them to put it in the opposite zone as these other showcases to get schools to come out. They should drop a coach list soon on which schools are attending. I want to see who will be attending and if EAL is really a college grabber.


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## EvilGoalie 21 (Oct 20, 2021)

Kicker4Life said:


> some unsolicited advice…….It’s Better to send the emails to Colleges your player is interested in an atempt to encourage them to attend.  You can always send more emails to additional schools when the list comes out.


Yeah, at least on guys side I'd say if you just hoping to get noticed at a tourney you are playing long odds.  Composite advice we are getting for this recruitment cycle is lots of emails targeting schools you'd actually be willing to go to.  Unless you have an amazing name drop soccer pedigree make sure to also target D2/D3 if you want to play. Have a good 1 min elevator video.  Link it.  Make sure to send to the assistant coaches too.  Do sufficient research to indicate what major, why targeting that school. Put a read receipt on the email to distinguish not interested from not looking at emails (maybe till end of season when roster spots may open up). An optimal academic/soccer fit may be very difficult. Sucks but that's how it is. Positive side: your kid will really have to think about what they want.

If I were a D2/D3 coach I'd be thinking I could pick up some really good players right now.  But I'd want to make sure they were willing to come before putting much effort in.


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## EvilGoalie 21 (Oct 20, 2021)

galaxydad said:


> The EA showcase will be sparsely attended. ECNL and MLS next will be where a majority of the coaches are at. On the girls side you’ll get a bit more interest


We've heard from coaches who went to the guys big MLS Next tourney say that they were generally disappointed with the overall quality of the teams.  Hit and miss.  Anedoctally, EAL is clearly same way.  ECNL maybe more uniform quality; tend to be bigger clubs with bigger pull/deeper rosters.  But the colleges coaches seem to be aware of the league system implosion.  May sound cynical, but possible that even riding the pine on a full MLS academy is a better calling card at this point.  For this recruitment cycle, I wonder how many D1 coaches are even putting that much effort into cruising players at tourneys.  With so few roster spots, why not just go after clear marque players and otherwise see who comes to you?


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## Kicker4Life (Oct 20, 2021)

EvilGoalie 21 said:


> Yeah, at least on guys side I'd say if you just hoping to get noticed at a tourney you are playing long odds.  Composite advice we are getting for this recruitment cycle is lots of emails targeting schools you'd actually be willing to go to.  Unless you have an amazing name drop soccer pedigree make sure to also target D2/D3 if you want to play. Have a good 1 min elevator video.  Link it.  Make sure to send to the assistant coaches too.  Do sufficient research to indicate what major, why targeting that school. Put a read receipt on the email to distinguish not interested from not looking at emails (maybe till end of season when roster spots may open up). An optimal academic/soccer fit may be very difficult. Sucks but that's how it is. Positive side: your kid will really have to think about what they want.
> 
> If I were a D2/D3 coach I'd be thinking I could pick up some really good players right now.  But I'd want to make sure they were willing to come before putting much effort in.


Great points to add!

I can only speak to the Girls side ( 2 DD’s - one recruited and the other getting ready to start the process).


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## iloveyouthsoccerr (Oct 21, 2021)

So you guys are saying being in the EAL is limiting these kids from going to college? I thought it was one of the best leagues for college exposure.


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## lafalafa (Oct 21, 2021)

iloveyouthsoccerr said:


> So you guys are saying being in the EAL is limiting these kids from going to college? I thought it was one of the best leagues for college exposure.


Good to be hopeful and optimistic nothing is limiting players it's all up to them to correspond and get coaches interested.

What league players play in not necessarily a determining factor.  Some tournaments, showcases, post season events draw more or less.

Some good suggestions about contacting the coaches and telling them what events you will be attending in hopes they will show up.

This is a relative new league and this is the first year they're running this showcase so how the turn out is not really known but the location and timing will have some influences.


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## EvilGoalie 21 (Oct 21, 2021)

iloveyouthsoccerr said:


> So you guys are saying being in the EAL is limiting these kids from going to college? I thought it was one of the best leagues for college exposure.


Above I certainly did not mean to disparage one league over another.  The point was that my impression is that college coaches in this area (UCs at least) know the league scene in SoCal is really dynamic at the moment, certainly on the guy side.  And for your kid to create their own exposure by treating it like a job search, reaching out, trying to make contacts and get the looks that way.


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## iloveyouthsoccerr (Oct 22, 2021)

Im new to all of this recruiting and my kid does it himself I told him to send emails to coaches he wants. If your on a pre academy though or a team lower then the highest level do your chances of going D1 go down. He said D1 or no soccer for him anymore. So I just wanted to know if being on an EAL instead of MLS team is hurting his chances.


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## iloveyouthsoccerr (Oct 22, 2021)

Hes a class of 2023.


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## lafalafa (Oct 22, 2021)

iloveyouthsoccerr said:


> Im new to all of this recruiting and my kid does it himself I told him to send emails to coaches he wants. If your on a pre academy though or a team lower then the highest level do your chances of going D1 go down. He said D1 or no soccer for him anymore. So I just wanted to know if being on an EAL instead of MLS team is hurting his chances.


Good to have lofty goals but D1 or bust is a tough approach.

Odds of playing D1 soccer are tough for US male players (120:1) for high school players for example. Foreign students make up 35% of that D1 population and rising .

US male soccer players have about 3 times  better odds of making an NCAA III roster over a D1 roster as there are over double the teams.  D3 rosters are composed of a much higher average percentage of US players.

Anyway don't change the goal but consider all avenues, D1-D3, NAIA, etc

Player needs to be a standout at games, tournaments, showcases to have a realistic chance. Game changer, the best of his team, top player in a league, tournaments, etc.   Do that and what league won't matter so much but don't forget about the D1 academic standards, coursework and grades to get in.   Many D1's are on the quarter system so the academics and timelines are bit more advance vs the others


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