Girls Development Academy

[azsnowrider]

I’m going out on a limb, but I think having 5 DA teams would have out a large financial burden on the DA Clubs. 5 teams Training 4 nights a week creates time and space issues (DA teams are supposed to train at the same place on the same days). Also, hosting 5 DA games on a given day creates a time issue doesn’t it? 4 x 90 Min games with 1o Min halftimes and 30 Min between each game, plus 1 additional 80 Min game with a 10 Min half runs over 10 hours.

I am most likely just finding excuses for why they didn’t just add an ‘05 without Age Banding the ‘03’s.....but as it is with most things it could be the money.

Still a bummer!!!!

Especially with no other real alternative that offers the exposure of GDA or ECNL north of the OC.....so, will ECNL recognize the void and add an LA Club or will US Soccer get more behind DPL in order to keep ECNL From gaining strength? Maybe a good topic for another thread.

One thing I have learned is money is king in club soccer. But, your spot on about the fields and time. In AZ we have field issues as it is, and field rentals almost bankrupted one club. AZ DA games are mostly held in Casa Grande which is about 1.5 hours away for most of the families in DA, plus they are shared with the Barca Academy which always has something going on over the weekends. I'm still not sure about the DPL thing, here we see it as a marketing play, no knock on the kids at all but it's a state team that plays CA for about 8 games. Great for them as So Cal is our measuring stick, but we kind of get a chuckle when they tell everyone they are in the DA when they aren't. But, they are kids so let them have fun with it.

 

[Chris Knight]

I think certainly ECNL is reacting with the addition of boys and the u13 group. They are trying to figure out the new landscape.

That said if DA is going to stay dual age band that really keeps ECNL alive and viable.

Why?

Well if according to ECNL 93% of their graduating class goes on to play in college and if that is correct then...
Since DA currently has dual age bands that means their graduating group each year is going to be roughly half (assuming the ages in each dual band is roughly 50-50) of what ECNL was producing with single age bands. As such colleges are still going to have to heavily recruit ECNL and other leagues in order to get the numbers they need.

Correct?

Sure ...

If you assume that the age bands are 50-50 -- (closer to 20-80 from what I've seen this year),

and

that none of the kids participating in ECNL last year are participating in GDA now -- (Didn't 1/4-1/3 of those kids across the country migrate over this year?),

and

that the majority of the top talent hasn't already (and won't continue to) migrate from ECNL to GDA in those markets that have/had both -- (absolutely the case in NTX, SoCal and a many top clubs across the country)

Of course, they'll always have to recruit from ECNL and others but I'd bet you'll tend to see the majority a major D1s recruiting primarily from GDA in the very near future.

 

[Desert Hound]

Sure ...

If you assume that the age bands are 50-50 -- (closer to 20-80 from what I've seen this year),

So if this year..80% of the oldest team graduates. Next year are they light as currently 20% of those teams are the younger age? Or do suddenly in the very last year of DA you get a huge influx of kids not previously in the program?

I am not saying my estimate of 50-50 is correct mind you. I think over time though the breakdowns start to stabilize though.

And clearly most of the top kids have moved from ECNL to DA.

 

[Sons of Pitches]

And clearly most of the top kids have moved from ECNL to DA.[/QUOTE]

Almost all the top players will move to DA as the league becomes more established. if you were a 2002 player, playing ECNL already being recruited, etc... why would you leave? But if you were a 2003 player and the process had not quite started yet, you probably leaned to DA but may have stuck with ECNL. If you are a 2004 player and have both options available, you would almost certainly have chosen DA over ECNL. So when the 2004's have reached their senior year in High School, IMO the DA will be the top tier and ECNL will be a step down.

but who the hell knows, next year we may throw the whole thing on its head, and start over. Maybe a new head of US Soccer, will get all these competing leagues on the same page?

 

[Sunil Illuminati]

If USSDA was trying to stick it to ECNL they just gave them a great lifeline by splitting the 03 age group. It's clear they have no idea what they are doing. Was clear from day one. All it does is spreads the talent across more clubs. If they want to build a real product Eliminate a 1/3rd of the clubs that have no business in the USSDA. Even those that give it away for free.

 

[shales1002]

@Sons of Pitches ...Or if 2004 becomes a dual age band ...that changes everything too.

 

[El Macho]

If USSDA was trying to stick it to ECNL they just gave them a great lifeline by splitting the 03 age group. It's clear they have no idea what they are doing. Was clear from day one. All it does is spreads the talent across more clubs. If they want to build a real product Eliminate a 1/3rd of the clubs that have no business in the USSDA. Even those that give it away for free.

I agree but believe DA should not be given to any Club. DA should be its own entity seperated by regions. Its time US soccer gets serious and invests in youth development. If a Club has such a great coaching staff have the US hire them. Giving DA to individual Clubs is was not wise. If DA was seperated and not tied to any Club the pool of players would not be stained by Club politics.

 

[MarkM]

I agree but believe DA should not be given to any Club. DA should be its own entity seperated by regions. Its time US soccer gets serious and invests in youth development. If a Club has such a great coaching staff have the US hire them. Giving DA to individual Clubs is was not wise. If DA was seperated and not tied to any Club the pool of players would not be stained by Club politics.

Interesting idea El Macho - sounds like ODP on steroids. IMO, the politics of US Soccer may be worse than Club politics. At least with Clubs, you can move your kid to a better situation.

 

[Sunil Illuminati]

I agree but believe DA should not be given to any Club. DA should be its own entity seperated by regions. Its time US soccer gets serious and invests in youth development. If a Club has such a great coaching staff have the US hire them. Giving DA to individual Clubs is was not wise. If DA was seperated and not tied to any Club the pool of players would not be stained by Club politics.

Sounds like you’re recreating the MLS and IMO that’s not a model to replicate. Clubs need autonomy to develop individuality and competition but it only really works if there is accountability and consequences to performance.

 

[Simisoccerfan]

It don't see listing the 06's with the 05's as any real change since the current 05's have been able to play up with the 04's already. The real challenge is the 03's stepping from their own team into a dual age bracket. The current U16/U17 group probably is made of between 10% and 30% 02's. Those girls will still be on the team. Then you have other 02's not playing DA who could not make the team when they were on the younger side of the bracket but will make it next year. This leaves maybe 30% of the slots open for the 03's. Where do the others go? Is it better to step back to a B team for a year and stay with a club hoping to get back to the DA? Or do you burn your bridges with that DA program by leaving the club for hopefully greener pastures? This issue doesn't exist afterwards since almost all U19 are already in college. The only thing I know for sure is it will be very chaotic and it will affect all leagues as 03's try to find their place.

 

[Sunil Illuminati]

The "new system" continues to reward the "Older" more physically developed players. Sure their are some outliers, but it's essentially a process producing the same type of player the old system already delivered. Players who are losing ground to the rest of the World...but that's ok...because after failing at the next World Cup which we will...the USSF will blame the coaches in the Club System for not developing players in the Academy. You see how it works now?

 

[smellycleats]

I love the Borg reference as a Trekkie....

Resistance is futile...

 

[Lambchop]

At this point there is no girls combined age group for o5/06' in ussda.

These are the current planned age groups for 18-19':

U-14 (2005), U-15 (2004), U-16/17 (2002/2003), & U-18/19 (2000/2001) 4 total for the girls

Composite or combined age groups don't start until U16 boys or girls.

Some of the boys clubs advertised U11/U12 as the start of the age bands this past season but boys da actually starts at U12 and the U11 bit was selective marketing, of course some played up but there is not a specific age group U13 grop (06') for the girls just like no U11 for the boys.

Unless you are the favored nine clubs in the "Frontier Division". Isn't politics wonderful?

 

[Lambchop]

Unless you are the favored nine clubs in the "Frontier Division". Isn't politics wonderful?

Make A Play, how do you justify letting Frontier division have a single age band for 03's next year after all 78 clubs had it this year? Frontier division is "piloting" it next year, seriously? I am quite curious to hear your theory, I am not being sarcastic. I have listened to a lot of people who are all trying to figure this out, especially after the US soccer presentation last summer.

 

[Simisoccerfan]

All 78 clubs did not have a single age band for U16/U17 this year. None of them had it. There was a single age band for U15's this year. 03's are graduating up (as is all other ages) to the U16/17 age group. The fact that they are testing one division of U16/17 as a U16 age group is something new in the structure.

 

[ajaxahi]

Seems like a lot of people are upset about the recent girls DA age group news. With respect to those who are complaining, and as an outsider with no inside information, I just have a few thoughts/observations based on common sense.

1) Age groups for the current 17/18 season are 2004, 2003, 2001/02, 1999/2000. Age groups for the upcoming 18/19 season are 2005(and a sprinkling of 06s), 2004, 2002/03, 2000/01. The setup appears to be unchanged from last year, just with age groups moved up one year, so why are so many posters surprised?

2) As some have commented here, the approach girls DA is taking seems to be one of “funneling” players as they get older. Casting a bigger net with the younger age groups and whittling down the talent as the players get older. Maybe I’m missing something, but this approach to identifying players seems totally logical to me.

3) I have heard many people on and off this forum observe that the talent pool in girls DA is diluted this year, with only a handful of “elite”players (i.e. true USYNT pool prospects) on each team and many clubs offering spots to players people consider to be not part of Socal’s “elite” talent. If this is true then combining age groups is an obvious way to address this and concentrate talent as players get older.

4) Some attribute the watering down of player talent to girls DA admitting too many clubs into the program. To fix this issue they propose shrinking the number of girls DA clubs. It seems to me that part of the reason DA chose to concentrate talent through dual age bands in the older years instead of admitting fewer clubs is so they can have a broader geographic reach, again with the goal of casting a broader net to identify talent. Fewer clubs means longer drives and maybe missing out on a few gems whose families couldn’t make it work.

5) Some are complaining about how the girls DA setup is messing with their college recruiting plans. It seems pretty obvious to me that your college recruiting plans are not the DA’s top priority. The truth is DA might not be the best fit for everyone’s player, but luckily if your player is good enough there seems to be plenty of other options to get exposure and get recruited.

DA is obviously not for everyone. Do your homework, stop trying to “keep up with the Joneses,” and find the best situation/league/coach/group of players for your daughter so she can achieve her soccer dreams, whatever they might be. Good luck to all of you and your players!

 

[Desert Hound]

All 78 clubs did not have a single age band for U16/U17 this year. None of them had it. There was a single age band for U15's this year. 03's are graduating up (as is all other ages) to the U16/17 age group. The fact that they are testing one division of U16/17 as a U16 age group is something new in the structure.

Question is...what exactly are they testing?

Also..what happens in the showcases? I guess they get hammered playing u16/17 teams.

 

[Sons of Pitches]

Question is...what exactly are they testing?

Also..what happens in the showcases? I guess they get hammered playing u16/17 teams.

I imagine in showcases they will take their best combined team 2002/03, just like every other club outside the Frontier League. The 2003 age band will be for league play only.

 

[Chris Knight]

1) Age groups for the current 17/18 season are 2004, 2003, 2001/02, 1999/2000. Age groups for the upcoming 18/19 season are 2005(and a sprinkling of 06s), 2004, 2002/03, 2000/01. The setup appears to be unchanged from last year, just with age groups moved up one year, so why are so many posters surprised?

2) As some have commented here, the approach girls DA is taking seems to be one of “funneling” players as they get older. Casting a bigger net with the younger age groups and whittling down the talent as the players get older. Maybe I’m missing something, but this approach to identifying players seems totally logical to me.

^ THANK YOU!!!

 

[Lambchop]

All 78 clubs did not have a single age band for U16/U17 this year. None of them had it. There was a single age band for U15's this year. 03's are graduating up (as is all other ages) to the U16/17 age group. The fact that they are testing one division of U16/17 as a U16 age group is something new in the structure.

You are correct, 78 clubs had single age bands for the 03's, now only 9 clubs in the Frontier division will have single age band for 03's, U16 going forward.

 

[Lambchop]

Seems like a lot of people are upset about the recent girls DA age group news. With respect to those who are complaining, and as an outsider with no inside information, I just have a few thoughts/observations based on common sense.

1) Age groups for the current 17/18 season are 2004, 2003, 2001/02, 1999/2000. Age groups for the upcoming 18/19 season are 2005(and a sprinkling of 06s), 2004, 2002/03, 2000/01. The setup appears to be unchanged from last year, just with age groups moved up one year, so why are so many posters surprised?

2) As some have commented here, the approach girls DA is taking seems to be one of “funneling” players as they get older. Casting a bigger net with the younger age groups and whittling down the talent as the players get older. Maybe I’m missing something, but this approach to identifying players seems totally logical to me.

3) I have heard many people on and off this forum observe that the talent pool in girls DA is diluted this year, with only a handful of “elite”players (i.e. true USYNT pool prospects) on each team and many clubs offering spots to players people consider to be not part of Socal’s “elite” talent. If this is true then combining age groups is an obvious way to address this and concentrate talent as players get older.

4) Some attribute the watering down of player talent to girls DA admitting too many clubs into the program. To fix this issue they propose shrinking the number of girls DA clubs. It seems to me that part of the reason DA chose to concentrate talent through dual age bands in the older years instead of admitting fewer clubs is so they can have a broader geographic reach, again with the goal of casting a broader net to identify talent. Fewer clubs means longer drives and maybe missing out on a few gems whose families couldn’t make it work.

5) Some are complaining about how the girls DA setup is messing with their college recruiting plans. It seems pretty obvious to me that your college recruiting plans are not the DA’s top priority. The truth is DA might not be the best fit for everyone’s player, but luckily if your player is good enough there seems to be plenty of other options to get exposure and get recruited.

DA is obviously not for everyone. Do your homework, stop trying to “keep up with the Joneses,” and find the best situation/league/coach/group of players for your daughter so she can achieve her soccer dreas, whatever they might be. Good luck to all of you and your players!

Agree with most of your post except, why do 03's continue with single age band in Frontier division if US soccer is funneling talent? US soccer has always been able to identify talent, nothing new there. You ask why so many people are surprised, well if you had been at the US soccer presentation on DA you wouldn't be wondering. Well, end of discussion.