# Looking Past the Name of a Team



## Soccer Happy (Jul 21, 2018)

There are some great DA, ECNL, SCDSL, CSL etc teams out there and not all of the elite players are in only one group.  It's frustrating to watch people get caught up in titles and thinking that gets them closer to "the next level".  There is only so much we can do as parents because all of the hard work and effort is totally up to our kids.  Instead of worrying about whether they are in DA, ECNL, SCDSL, DPL, Pilot, CSL, NPL etc., how about focusing on who is the best coach with the most to offer and the best environment for our kids to thrive and grow.  Yes, great players on the best teams are already committed by Freshmen year etc., but there are still more opportunities for kids out there working hard to still get looks.  Think about teams that are geographically nowhere near a DA or ECNL team like the Temecula Hawks who won National cup for 03s.  College recruiters are certainly taking notice and watching them more than any DA or ECNL team with a losing record.  If you waste an entire year or more on a team just to get the title, that may not help with overall growth, and could ultimately prove to be a waste of time.  When kids work hard and have talent, they can stand out anywhere regardless of the name of the team they are on.


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## Simisoccerfan (Jul 21, 2018)

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


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## LadiesMan217 (Jul 21, 2018)

Soccer Happy said:


> Think about teams that are geographically nowhere near a DA or ECNL team like the Temecula Hawks who won National cup for 03s.  College recruiters are certainly taking notice and watching them more than any DA or ECNL team with a losing record. .


I highly doubt the Temecula Hawks 03's girls are getting the same college exposure as DA or ECNL 03 with a losing record. It is what it is.


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## Soccer Happy (Jul 22, 2018)

To be clear, my comment is directed more towards people that have kids that make teams and don't play much.  Happy to just be on the team but would be better off looking at a better option for development.  None of them are done developing in youth soccer and still need to grow.  Only time will tell how this all plays out.


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## Footy08 (Jul 22, 2018)

I think you should consider the leagues that these players play in and the opportunities those leagues provide. Regardless the strength of the team. Kids do need playing time to get exposure, but leagues like SCDSL don’t attract college coaches the way DA and ECNL do. I would also say that for the most part, the better coaches get the best teams. Not all the time, but most of the time. Whether it’s licensing, playing  credentials or years of experience; those coaches have done something to validate being named as the head coach of the top teams. So this idea that names aren’t everything is true to an extent. When SCDSL teams call themselves pre-USSDA or Academy and they aren’t even from the part of the club that participates in the DA that’s a problem. Being called DA, DPL, Pilot or ECNL just signifies the league that you play in, it’s not a moniker that the team has decided to deceive parents. Some (DPL,Pilot,ECNL & DA) teams are good, some bad. The fact of the matter is that those teams will get more attention cause their competition is better then the overall competition in SCDSL or CSL. 

I’m assuming you are a LA Galaxy South Bay parent from your previous posts. Do you mind sharing your teams overall record as opposed to the one off results, compared to the teams above yours at your club?


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## Soccer Happy (Jul 22, 2018)

My comments have more to do with what I’ve read and seen generally and not all specific to my own DDs experience because it’s actually been very good for her. Talking with parents with kids in many different leagues and hearing what they say about their coaches and the true number of individual emails/discussions they have with college coaches is interesting because it varies greatly.  I know for a fact they don’t always pick a team because the coach is good. It’s often just by default.


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## CrazyTown (Jul 22, 2018)

Having a DD now ten years in and finishing off her final years of club.....  I can fairly say that over the years, although I tried to talk myself into the idea that the team never mattered, I can say from my experience with certainty, that it does.   My DD was on a very 'high level' competitive team very early on and for many years.  The pressure and coaching style became such that she began to not enjoy the game anymore.  So just before the "exposure" years we moved her to a new team where although she had an amazing experience with the coach and her own development, it was not a team that drew much attention.   The team developed well together and earned spots in National League, Surf Cup, and other major tournaments.  They were a great group who would regularly compete with a sometimes beat ECNL teams.    The college coaches came, but at the end of the day the team was not from a well known club or league so there was never much action.   In recent years, we did make the strategic move to go back to one of the bigger clubs/teams in the age group.    Although in my opinion the coaching quality and overall skill level of the players was very comparable (if not worse) than the team we came from,  the attention from colleges was night and day simply because of the team/club.    My DD instantly got more attention from the same coaches she tried to attract before our move, but was never successful at getting any response.


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## DJB (Jul 23, 2018)

Being on a DA or ECNL team does NOT guarantee a scholarship or interest from coaches.  It ONLY provide more exposure opportunities.  The reputation, relationships and support of the club coach goes a long way in regards to college interest.  You can be on a good/great team or a "well known" club that has a coach with poor reputation and/or doesn't have the relationships with college coaches and you will struggle to get interest.   My DD moved this year because she felt the new coach (non DA/ECNL) is a better trainer, has a better reputation and relationships compared to her DA club/coaches....which has played out to be accurate.  So far the coaches that have shown real interest has increased while overall exposure has decreased.

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

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


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## Dummy (Jul 23, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


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


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

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

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


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## MakeAPlay (Jul 23, 2018)

DJB said:


> Being on a DA or ECNL team does NOT guarantee a scholarship or interest from coaches.  It ONLY provide more exposure opportunities.  The reputation, relationships and support of the club coach goes a long way in regards to college interest.  You can be on a good/great team or a "well known" club that has a coach with poor reputation and/or doesn't have the relationships with college coaches and you will struggle to get interest.   My DD moved this year because she felt the new coach (non DA/ECNL) is a better trainer, has a better reputation and relationships compared to her DA club/coaches....which has played out to be accurate.  So far the coaches that have shown real interest has increased while overall exposure has decreased.
> 
> Another thing to consider is personal perspective of players is always an important factor.  Some club coaches have playing styles that emphasis big & strong, some like athletes and others like very technical.  If a DA or ECNL team plays a style that does not suit your daughters capabilities then it may not be a good fit.  College coaches are usually looking for a couple of key attributes and you could be very skilled in other areas but they will not be interested if you don't showcase what they are looking for.
> 
> Lastly, does the coach/club have the relationships with the college coaches that your daughter has interest in attending? Scholarships are not equal.  North Texas is different compared to Alabama which is different vs. Stanford.



My players club coach didn’t have connections with her school or college coaches.  She played on an upper middle of the pack ECNL team.  College coaches recruit players not teams.  In club soccer exposure matters little for the top 5%, matters somewhat for the next 20%, matters a TON for the next 70% and doesn’t matter at all for the bottom 5%.


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## MakeAPlay (Jul 23, 2018)

Dummy said:


> More does not always mean better.  If there are 60 coaches on the sideline and few of them are from schools that your players is interested in attending, then 60 is not a meaningful number.
> 
> I get why the college coaches are at DA and ECNL events.  Power schools can find unicorns, and everyone else can find good players who are often willing to sacrifice important things in life to play soccer.  If you are a coach from a college does not offer the best of everything (and truth be told, most don’t), this is an easier place to find players willing to sacrifice even more of these things than at non-DA and non-ECNL events where the decision not to make such sacrifices was made long ago.
> 
> You had mentioned that your player was considering engineering school.  MIT had its camp last week and Cal Tech is having its camp next week.  If my player had a shot at one of these schools and she missed out because her grades or scores were less than perfect because she was practicing four nights a week a long way from home, having 58 other coaches on the sideline would not be much consolation.


Girls can have it all if they want it.


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## Dummy (Jul 23, 2018)

MakeAPlay said:


> Girls can have it all if they want it.


You mean that they can attend all 60 colleges?


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## MakeAPlay (Jul 24, 2018)

Dummy said:


> You mean that they can attend all 60 colleges?


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

I repeat.  Girls can have it all if they want it....


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## Simisoccerfan (Jul 24, 2018)

Dummy said:


> More does not always mean better.  If there are 60 coaches on the sideline and few of them are from schools that your players is interested in attending, then 60 is not a meaningful number.
> 
> I get why the college coaches are at DA and ECNL events.  Power schools can find unicorns, and everyone else can find good players who are often willing to sacrifice important things in life to play soccer.  If you are a coach from a college does not offer the best of everything (and truth be told, most don’t), this is an easier place to find players willing to sacrifice even more of these things than at non-DA and non-ECNL events where the decision not to make such sacrifices was made long ago.
> 
> You had mentioned that your player was considering engineering school.  MIT had its camp last week and Cal Tech is having its camp next week.  If my player had a shot at one of these schools and she missed out because her grades or scores were less than perfect because she was practicing four nights a week a long way from home, having 58 other coaches on the sideline would not be much consolation.


We explored Cal Tech some earlier in the year.  The coach told us she has no ability to get soccer players admitted.  You need to get admitted on your own merit and if your truly exceptional you may qualify for aid.  The 25% percentile on the SAT is 1530!


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## Simisoccerfan (Jul 24, 2018)

Dummy said:


> More does not always mean better.  If there are 60 coaches on the sideline and few of them are from schools that your players is interested in attending, then 60 is not a meaningful number.
> 
> I get why the college coaches are at DA and ECNL events.  Power schools can find unicorns, and everyone else can find good players who are often willing to sacrifice important things in life to play soccer.  If you are a coach from a college does not offer the best of everything (and truth be told, most don’t), this is an easier place to find players willing to sacrifice even more of these things than at non-DA and non-ECNL events where the decision not to make such sacrifices was made long ago.
> 
> You had mentioned that your player was considering engineering school.  MIT had its camp last week and Cal Tech is having its camp next week.  If my player had a shot at one of these schools and she missed out because her grades or scores were less than perfect because she was practicing four nights a week a long way from home, having 58 other coaches on the sideline would not be much consolation.


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

Also you seem to say that non DA and non ECNL girls made a choice long ago not to sacrifice important things in life to play soccer.  Is this truly how you see it?


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## MWN (Jul 24, 2018)

@Soccer Happy, yes, but ... the DA and ECNL make is much easier for players to be seen in person because their showcases are very well attended.  You also have CRL/National League - Pacific Div. and Cal South National Cup (which is on par with a regional national cup events for the northern states from a talent perspective).  We also now have SCDSL-Dicovery Div. which is trying to help with exposure.

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

From a college exposure perspective, for the vast majority of players the path is play in the best league available to them (which means they are playing against top competition), get good film of their play and directly solicit coaches.  Most coaches that attend Showcases have a list of players they are looking at and in almost all cases, those players reached out and put themselves on that coach's radar.


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## DJB (Jul 29, 2018)

Surf Cup - So Cal Academy...


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## rooney rules (Jul 29, 2018)

DJB said:


> Surf Cup - So Cal Academy...


Have deservedly beaten Blues, Real So Cal and Surf DA academy teams so far in the U19 bracket.  A small club with a good coach and good college connections  is still a viable option for the non unicorn players out there.


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## Simisoccerfan (Jul 30, 2018)

rooney rules said:


> Have deservedly beaten Blues, Real So Cal and Surf DA academy teams so far in the U19 bracket.  A small club with a good coach and good college connections  is still a viable option for the non unicorn players out there.


That is a great result.  The question I would have is how many of the girls are committed and to which schools?


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## rooney rules (Jul 30, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


> That is a great result.  The question I would have is how many of the girls are committed and to which schools?


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


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## Fact (Jul 30, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


> That is a great result.  The question I would have is how many of the girls are committed and to which schools?


The same could be said about your dd and team. Let’s see those stats!


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## Simisoccerfan (Jul 30, 2018)

Fact said:


> The same could be said about your dd and team. Let’s see those stats!


9/20 committed.   3 more 2019's have multiple offers.  The remaining 3 2019's are closing in on offers.  The other 5 players are 2020's but I would expect they will have multiple offers.  Our DA team that just aged out had 100% of the girls committed.  I suspect our stats are similar to other DA and ECNL teams.


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## SoccerMom05 (Jul 30, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


> That is a great result.  The question I would have is how many of the girls are committed and to which schools?


There are quite a few girls committed to college from UNC, Oregon, Boston, Irvine, etc. I have no doubt the rest will also have commitments. Chavez has great connections and not only that have developed these girls to play the right way of soccer. They play beautiful possession soccer. Very Technical. We are very proud of this non DA team to have beat out 3 DA teams. If you get a chance everyone should watch this team play. Chavez puts on our 3rd day of Technical trainings and from what I have seen and heard from parents that were at big name clubs they have never seen such exceptional technical sessions elsewhere so no wonder his girls have done so well. Proud of the club and team


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## MakeAPlay (Jul 30, 2018)

SoccerMom05 said:


> There are quite a few girls committed to college from UNC, Oregon, Boston, Irvine, etc. I have no doubt the rest will also have commitments. Chavez has great connections and not only that have developed these girls to play the right way of soccer. They play beautiful possession soccer. Very Technical. We are very proud of this non DA team to have beat out 3 DA teams. If you get a chance everyone should watch this team play. Chavez puts on our 3rd day of Technical trainings and from what I have seen and heard from parents that were at big name clubs they have never seen such exceptional technical sessions elsewhere so no wonder his girls have done so well. Proud of the club and team


There is only one SoCal player currently committed to North Carolina and she isn’t a U19 player and doesn’t play for that club.  Am I missing something?


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## SoccerMom05 (Jul 30, 2018)

MakeAPlay said:


> There is only one SoCal player currently committed to North Carolina and she isn’t a U19 player and doesn’t play for that club.  Am I missing something?


She now plays for SoCal and correct she is an 03. Played High school for Chavez


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## MakeAPlay (Jul 30, 2018)

SoccerMom05 said:


> She now plays for SoCal and correct she is an 03. Played High school for Chavez


North Carolina isn’t a possession team FYI so if she is a possession player she is in for a rude awakening.  One of my daughter’s former teammates who was a starter there transferred for just that reason and one of her current teammates who is a starter switched her commitment from their after her official visit because she didn’t like their “90 minutes of hell” style and their hockey style line shifts that allow them to play that style.


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## LadiesMan217 (Jul 30, 2018)

SoccerMom05 said:


> There are quite a few girls committed to college from UNC, Oregon, Boston, Irvine, etc. I have no doubt the rest will also have commitments. Chavez has great connections and not only that have developed these girls to play the right way of soccer. They play beautiful possession soccer. Very Technical. We are very proud of this non DA team to have beat out 3 DA teams. If you get a chance everyone should watch this team play. Chavez puts on our 3rd day of Technical trainings and from what I have seen and heard from parents that were at big name clubs they have never seen such exceptional technical sessions elsewhere so no wonder his girls have done so well. Proud of the club and team


Awesome. I must stand corrected on my earlier comments if this is the case. The one game I saw 3 years ago with these girls was ugly but effective. They will beat LAG today too based on their performance...


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## SoccerMom05 (Jul 30, 2018)

LadiesMan217 said:


> Awesome. I must stand corrected on my earlier comments if this is the case. The one game I saw 3 years ago with these girls was ugly but effective. They will beat LAG today too based on their performance...


Watch National Cup video. Hope they bring home trophy


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## LadiesMan217 (Jul 30, 2018)

SoccerMom05 said:


> Watch National Cup video. Hope they bring home trophy


I am at Surf Cup today - I'll stop by and watch the second half of the game .


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## Justafan (Jul 30, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


> 9/20 committed.   3 more 2019's have multiple offers.  The remaining 3 2019's are closing in on offers.  The other 5 players are 2020's but I would expect they will have multiple offers.  Our DA team that just aged out had 100% of the girls committed.  I suspect our stats are similar to other DA and ECNL teams.


Simi, I thought your dd was an 03?


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## Simisoccerfan (Jul 30, 2018)

Justafan said:


> Simi, I thought your dd was an 03?


 o1


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## Justafan (Jul 30, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


> o1


Ha, makes sense now, I thought she was an 03 so I was going to give you crap for charting out her major in college at such an early stage.


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## ajaffe (Jul 30, 2018)

LadiesMan217 said:


> I highly doubt the Temecula Hawks 03's girls are getting the same college exposure as DA or ECNL 03 with a losing record. It is what it is.


We had around 12 programs plus US Soccer at our games this weekend, including 3 during our semis match this morning when most schools had gone back to their campuses. I watched similar age group DA/ECNL/Pilot games with far less, of course there were some with equal or slightly higher amounts, but the point is that blanket statements are tricky.


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## DefndrDad (Jul 30, 2018)

ajaffe said:


> We had around 12 programs plus US Soccer at our games this weekend, including 3 during our semis match this morning when most schools had gone back to their campuses. I watched similar age group DA/ECNL/Pilot games with far less, of course there were some with equal or slightly higher amounts, but the point is that blanket statements are tricky.


Was this the hawks?  If so what tournament were they in?


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## ajaffe (Jul 30, 2018)

Not hawks, sorry if i wasn't clear. We played super black 03 at surf cup. A handful were coaches our girls reached out to, a few more were ones we reached out to as coaches, and the rest were there on their own accord.


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## DefndrDad (Jul 30, 2018)

ajaffe said:


> Not hawks, sorry if i wasn't clear. We played super black 03 at surf cup. A handful were coaches our girls reached out to, a few more were ones we reached out to as coaches, and the rest were there on their own accord.


My daughter’s team played the same, some good games this weekend.


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## ajaffe (Jul 30, 2018)

DefndrDad said:


> My daughter’s team played the same, some good games this weekend.


I'll shoot you a message.


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## MarkM (Jul 30, 2018)

SoccerMom05 said:


> She now plays for SoCal and correct she is an 03. Played High school for Chavez


There is an 03 committed to NC that played for the San Diego Galaxy DA team last year.  She's a stud.  But wait, she played HS soccer?


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## SoccerMom05 (Jul 30, 2018)

MarkM said:


> There is an 03 committed to NC that played for the San Diego Galaxy DA team last year.  She's a stud.  But wait, she played HS soccer?


Agree she is a skillful stud. Lots of talent on that team.
I as a parent think Coach Chavez is showing my daughter's great soccer technicality. I think any girl would be lucky enough to play for him. Big Fan of the coaching stuff at SoCal. My daughters are 05 and play for Coach Hazell who is teaching possession soccer. Two important factors: Technical and possession futbol. I couldn't be happier because my kid is happy and developing. I like the small club feel, it's like a family. So great choice for the stud


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## Lightning Red (Jul 30, 2018)

MarkM said:


> There is an 03 committed to NC that played for the San Diego Galaxy DA team last year.  She's a stud.  But wait, she played HS soccer?


Agree that she is a stud!  She didn’t play HS soccer at La Costa Canyon.


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## MakeAPlay (Jul 30, 2018)

Justafan said:


> Ha, makes sense now, I thought she was an 03 so I was going to give you crap for charting out her major in college at such an early stage.


Mine is a ‘98 but I started charting out college in 2009.  It’s never too early to start planning or saving for your princess’s future.  If you do you might have conversations where they are trying to decide if they are going to go to England, France or whether they are going to play domestically.


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## MakeAPlay (Jul 30, 2018)

ajaffe said:


> We had around 12 programs plus US Soccer at our games this weekend, including 3 during our semis match this morning when most schools had gone back to their campuses. I watched similar age group DA/ECNL/Pilot games with far less, of course there were some with equal or slightly higher amounts, but the point is that blanket statements are tricky.


Was there a player there that is a YNT player?


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## Simisoccerfan (Jul 30, 2018)

SoccerMom05 said:


> Agree she is a skillful stud. Lots of talent on that team.
> I as a parent think Coach Chavez is showing my daughter's great soccer technicality. I think any girl would be lucky enough to play for him. Big Fan of the coaching stuff at SoCal. My daughters are 05 and play for Coach Hazell who is teaching possession soccer. Two important factors: Technical and possession futbol. I couldn't be happier because my kid is happy and developing. I like the small club feel, it's like a family. So great choice for the stud


I noticed that your team does not show in Top Drawer soccer for any commits unless it is shown as a different name.  I know those lists are very incomplete but it’s the only place I know to even see what is partially occurring.


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## DJB (Jul 30, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


> I noticed that your team does not show in Top Drawer soccer for any commits unless it is shown as a different name.  I know those lists are very incomplete but it’s the only place I know to even see what is partially occurring.


Could it be due to them no being on a "big brand team" or maybe telling the world about your commitment is not a priority for this club or group of girls?


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## Simisoccerfan (Jul 30, 2018)

DJB said:


> Could it be due to them no being on a "big brand team" or maybe telling the world about your commitment is not a priority for this club or group of girls?


I think it’s great that team has thrived.  I was just interested in the details.


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## LadiesMan217 (Jul 30, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


> I think it’s great that team has thrived.  I was just interested in the details.


I watched the second half of the LAG game today. They had no superstar unicorns from what I saw but a solid set of players who did move the ball pretty well (every player seemed to pass well and have their head up). The forwards seem to just punch the ball at the goal and hope for the best - from the 45 min I saw. They were down in LAG end at least 75% of the half. Good team.


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## Simisoccerfan (Jul 30, 2018)

LadiesMan217 said:


> I watched the second half of the LAG game today. They had no superstar unicorns from what I saw but a solid set of players who did move the ball pretty well (every player seemed to pass well and have their head up). The forwards seem to just punch the ball at the goal and hope for the best - from the 45 min I saw. They were down in LAG end at least 75% of the half. Good team.


Maybe it’s more impressive that LAG made it so far.  They struggled a bit last season.


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## Dummy (Jul 30, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


> By the way my dd is not planning on sacrificing anything.  She will attend a very good school and get an engineering degree in the field of her choice.  She also will also likely get to play soccer.  I think you miss the point about coaches on the sidelines.  While your player may not initially have a lot of knowledge about theses schools most of them are top universities and have a lot to offer.  It’s not about making sacrifices it’s about having more options so your player can make the right choice for themselves.
> 
> Also you seem to say that non DA and non ECNL girls made a choice long ago not to sacrifice important things in life to play soccer.  Is this truly how you see it?


As it applies to my area, it is.  Our daughter’s have been through the same set of crises imposed by US Soccer over the past few years.  Like you, I have seen players leave our core group to chase something marketed as “better,” and it often seems to have impacted their academics or soccer or both, as compared to the group that remained.  My sense is that primary problem is that those that left are spending time in the car that could be spent closer to home either studying or practicing soccer.

If someone has an upper 5% soccer player and lives next to a great DA or ECNL club, then they may not have to make the same choices so a lesser sacrifice is required.  For those of us with bottom 95% players that do not live next to a great DA or ECNL club, it may or may not be worth the sacrifice to drive to one.  This is important to consider in advance because too often in youth soccer, the sacrifice is made before the true costs are known.

In terms of creating college options, nothing matter more than grades, test scores and recommendations.  If a 1530+ was never possible, then it may be that nothing important was sacrificed by the commitment of time and effort to things other than studying.  If a 1530+ might have been possible, then... I don’t know.


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## Dummy (Jul 30, 2018)

MakeAPlay said:


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


Like most players I have ever seen, my player could not be nurtured into being a player at a Top 5 Soccer School.  Wanting it with every fiber of her being would not change that fact.

I appreciate your enthusiasm and openness,  and I sincerely applaud your daughter’s success.  It truly is remarkable.


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## Simisoccerfan (Jul 30, 2018)

Dummy said:


> As it applies to my area, it is.  Our daughter’s have been through the same set of crises imposed by US Soccer over the past few years.  Like you, I have seen players leave our core group to chase something marketed as “better,” and it often seems to have impacted their academics or soccer or both, as compared to the group that remained.  My sense is that primary problem is that those that left are spending time in the car that could be spent closer to home either studying or practicing soccer.
> 
> If someone has an upper 5% soccer player and lives next to a great DA or ECNL club, then they may not have to make the same choices so a lesser sacrifice is required.  For those of us with bottom 95% players that do not live next to a great DA or ECNL club, it may or may not be worth the sacrifice to drive to one.  This is important to consider in advance because too often in youth soccer, the sacrifice is made before the true costs are known.
> 
> In terms of creating college options, nothing matter more than grades, test scores and recommendations.  If a 1530+ was never possible, then it may be that nothing important was sacrificed by the commitment of time and effort to things other than studying.  If a 1530+ might have been possible, then... I don’t know.


I appreciate your thoughtful response. In our case we waited till she was a junior to move from our local club to the DA which takes about 30 to 40 minutes to reach. I was worried we waited too long to move clubs.  I was also worried how this would impact her grades.   She managed get a 4.9 gpa taking taking 6 IB classes while making that drive 4 days a week this past year.  At this point it appears that through her hard work she won’t have to sacrifice anything.  The point is that girls can have it all if they are blessed with natural talent and work hard.


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## MakeAPlay (Jul 31, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


> I appreciate your thoughtful response. In our case we waited till she was a junior to move from our local club to the DA which takes about 30 to 40 minutes to reach. I was worried we waited too long to move clubs.  I was also worried how this would impact her grades.   She managed get a 4.9 gpa taking taking 6 IB classes while making that drive 4 days a week this past year.  At this point it appears that through her hard work she won’t have to sacrifice anything.  The point is that girls can have it all if they are blessed with natural talent and work hard.


Awesome accomplishment for your player!  I would like to add that it doesn’t get any easier in college for them from a time management perspective especially if they are playing at a D1 school.  If they can’t handle juggling the soccer and academic demands now they aren’t going to suddenly develop the ability to cope with it later so bravo to you!


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## Zdrone (Aug 2, 2018)

MakeAPlay said:


> it doesn’t get any easier in college for them from a time management perspective especially if they are playing at a D1 school.  If they can’t handle juggling the soccer and academic demands now they aren’t going to suddenly develop the ability to cope with it later so bravo to you!


dont forget Fortnite. 

The bane of many coaches it seems


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## MakeAPlay (Aug 3, 2018)

Zdrone said:


> dont forget Fortnite.
> 
> The bane of many coaches it seems


My daughter, my son, her boyfriend and I are a squad and it can be time consuming for sure.


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## Dummy (Aug 19, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


> I appreciate your thoughtful response. In our case we waited till she was a junior to move from our local club to the DA which takes about 30 to 40 minutes to reach. I was worried we waited too long to move clubs.  I was also worried how this would impact her grades.   She managed get a 4.9 gpa taking taking 6 IB classes while making that drive 4 days a week this past year.  At this point it appears that through her hard work she won’t have to sacrifice anything.  The point is that girls can have it all if they are blessed with natural talent and work hard.


I always appreciate your enthusiasm for whatever your player is doing.  It is hard for me to imagine that there is never any opportunity cost for how her time is spent.  Cal Tech, MIT, UChicago, Williams, et al are all schools that can change lives.  It is fine to sacrifice for soccer, but it is also important to recognize when you are doing it.  This may not have been what happened with your player, but for other families with more limited players, this may be worth considering.


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## INFAMEE (Aug 19, 2018)

Never look past Total Futbol Academy nor Golden State Academy. 

Definitely look past pay-to-play team names.


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