GA 2020-2021 Season

I thought US Soccer was reporting near bankruptcy with a financial loss of over $100 mil. They cited the DA and legal issues are contributing to that financial problem. It was in a recent Soccer America article

I heard this camp is virtual but don't know how true that is
 
140 players invited.
Initial zoom is Friday. Subsequent calls between then and end of March will be position specific.
I’m sure the goal is to reestablish connection and share information/teach.

Putting aside the distractions, financial woes and drama, those directly involved with YNTs have been trying to stay connected since the pandemic began. Early on, each age group staff was having periodical zoom meetings, bringing on great guest speakers (current WMNT head coach/former coaches, etc), and giving the girls assignments. That waned towards the end of summer. It's good to see them doing something. We will see how this virtual camp plays out. We have a keeper an age group up from my DD selected - her first time.

It's exciting for those newly selected and a sigh of relief for the "old timers". Unfortunately the newly selected girls won't get the whole experience. The staff does a great job of fully immersing the girls into a WMNT style training camp. The Chula Vista facility is excellent.
 
General question please: Player gets taken down in penalty area as she’s taking her shot. Penalty awarded. Another player scores the PK. Does that go down as an assist? Thanks
 
So having tracked the call ups for camps and international events for the past 5-6 years it is safe to say that these “call-ups” will help with recruiting and getting a scholarship but it says nothing about opportunities with the full team or actual performance at the college and adult level. Of the main “superstars” over the years with repeated youth call-ups that are now adult age I would say Pugh, Pickett, McKeown, Sanchez. and Smith are the main ones - where are they today? Pugh skipped college and hasn’t been in a game for a long time with lingering injuries and won’t be in She Believes and probably not Olympics. Sanchez left college and went pro but no call up to the full team. McKeown and Pickett were drafted and hopefully will have opportunities with the full team but not yet. Smith is the only one that seems to be on a solid track. So that is 5 out of 200 - 300 players with call-ups in this age group over the years. I always support dreams and every player should put the work in to reach those dreams but I used to think the call-ups and the training centers meant something but now, having followed it for years and watching how these players are doing at the college level I see they don’t mean that much.
 
So having tracked the call ups for camps and international events for the past 5-6 years it is safe to say that these “call-ups” will help with recruiting and getting a scholarship but it says nothing about opportunities with the full team or actual performance at the college and adult level. Of the main “superstars” over the years with repeated youth call-ups that are now adult age I would say Pugh, Pickett, McKeown, Sanchez. and Smith are the main ones - where are they today? Pugh skipped college and hasn’t been in a game for a long time with lingering injuries and won’t be in She Believes and probably not Olympics. Sanchez left college and went pro but no call up to the full team. McKeown and Pickett were drafted and hopefully will have opportunities with the full team but not yet. Smith is the only one that seems to be on a solid track. So that is 5 out of 200 - 300 players with call-ups in this age group over the years. I always support dreams and every player should put the work in to reach those dreams but I used to think the call-ups and the training centers meant something but now, having followed it for years and watching how these players are doing at the college level I see they don’t mean that much.
Great work 43. You know your stuff and I appreciate all the hard work. I know I rant too much and I cause many a heartache. After 4 years of my own investigation, it was 100% a ticket to Big U. I had no idea back when my dd was in 7th grade how it helped get in the Door. It's all good and I now understand how things worked back in the day. I see a bright future for all of us soon :)
 
So having tracked the call ups for camps and international events for the past 5-6 years it is safe to say that these “call-ups” will help with recruiting and getting a scholarship but it says nothing about opportunities with the full team or actual performance at the college and adult level. Of the main “superstars” over the years with repeated youth call-ups that are now adult age I would say Pugh, Pickett, McKeown, Sanchez. and Smith are the main ones - where are they today? Pugh skipped college and hasn’t been in a game for a long time with lingering injuries and won’t be in She Believes and probably not Olympics. Sanchez left college and went pro but no call up to the full team. McKeown and Pickett were drafted and hopefully will have opportunities with the full team but not yet. Smith is the only one that seems to be on a solid track. So that is 5 out of 200 - 300 players with call-ups in this age group over the years. I always support dreams and every player should put the work in to reach those dreams but I used to think the call-ups and the training centers meant something but now, having followed it for years and watching how these players are doing at the college level I see they don’t mean that much.
If the camps, call ups, etc. are not the path to national team, how are players identified then? How was Rose Lavelle found? Or Sam Mewis? Do their dads and moms know someone?

Or are you saying that is the path, but that getting called up is the easy part? And from there, the real work starts...
 
I don’t spread rumors.....I only know with 100% certainty that ECNL is supposed to make an announcement within a week.
So you have no idea? Please, if anyone knows the truth, it's you. Come on, give us some choice morsels. Do you have any rumor mill from the IE? I'm bored so just trying to get you to give up what you already know to be true is my hope. Can you at least tell us if you think SW ECNL will be the #1 league in socal for 2021/2022?
 
If the camps, call ups, etc. are not the path to national team, how are players identified then? How was Rose Lavelle found? Or Sam Mewis? Do their dads and moms know someone?

Or are you saying that is the path, but that getting called up is the easy part? And from there, the real work starts...

I guess if you are comparing the two: Getting there VS staying there, getting there is easier. Getting there is still is still an arduous undertaking, statistically reserved for the very few.

In Rose Lavelle's case, she's been on the YNT circuit since at least 2013 (freshman in college) and played in her first senior team game in 2017. Sam Mewis played on the U17 and U20 YNTs.
 
If the camps, call ups, etc. are not the path to national team, how are players identified then? How was Rose Lavelle found? Or Sam Mewis? Do their dads and moms know someone?

Or are you saying that is the path, but that getting called up is the easy part? And from there, the real work starts...
It is absolutely the path, but the funnel narrows, and players develop at different times. There are a hundred+ kids of any birth year called to youth camps at U14. Over the next 4-9 years, many more kids come in and out of the pool. If you didn’t stand out enough or get noticed or advocated for in club, then maybe you emerge in college. Then there are even more players being tracked by YNT that haven’t gotten called in yet. But there are maybe 1-2 players of any birth year on the full WNT. So you can see why most youth players don’t make the full WNT, the same way most college football players don’t make the NFL. It doesn’t mean the choices are bad - it means the funnel narrows.
Almost all full WNT players were in the YNT system, including Lavelle and Mewis.
So ya, getting called up is when the real work starts!
 
I like that. A prediction or statement with a date. Hope you are right. Need something soccer related to talk about.
I only want to talk soccer. 2021/2022 is looking really nice for my goat bro. HS Soccer is not looking good for this year so were all in with club. Time to make some soccer noise. Time to put up or stfu, right? Rankings for next season will be a blast. What's going on in AZ? 4 teams bro? Shales, how many Vegas teams 2021/2022 ECNL? I'm so back for soccer. I gave up politics for good ((I took the bait and never will again)) and through it in the trash. I only live for myself, my wife, my kids and soccer soccer soccer and more soccer. I'm taking this sport head on for 16 more months Hound :)

 
It is absolutely the path, but the funnel narrows, and players develop at different times.
Do you work for US Soccer? I’m relatively certain the notion of player development after 15-16 is a fallacy. Maybe clubs promote that players develop at different times to hustle parents out of their hard earned money but a 15 year old with 2 left ain’t gonna develop at 17 because of great coaching.

I haven’t seen any proof of late bloomers, so why do folks insist on promoting this foolishness?

I think @Soccer43 called this one. At best, US Soccer has their eyes on a few and the others are just practice cones. No need to give false hope.
 
Back
Top