eastbaysoccer
GOLD
Committed players want to have fun before heading to college before their full time job, soccer begins.
Academy vs. ECNL
- Thread starter silverstreak
- Start date
SOCCERMINION
SILVER ELITE
Um , so your Saying with GDA, the SOCAL Blues ECNL Teams (their B-Teams) are not going to be any good next year? thats laughable.....
DA as of now only takes about 10 players per age group and field each game with approximately 14 players. Think about that. The rest of these extremely talented players will not be seeing the field much. These top notch players quickly stagnate on the bench and will no tolerate it. What's the use of being on a DA squad if they're not being played (or scouted?). These players would (I believe) would rather play on the ECNL team and increase their sense of worth by increasing their playing time (keep in mind they'll be getting plenty of looks as scouts will attend both ECNL and DA in first few years). A large top notch club that has both ECNL and DA will be able to field a competitive ECNL team no problem for these reasons. Also if a player has a choice between a "B" team at a DA club vs ECNL team at a club that has both, where do you think they'll go? ECNL won't have problems until DA is able to put together a team per age year IMHO.
Silky Johnston
SILVER
doesn't matter if da or ecnl is b team colleges will have to watch both as there still are ecnl or da only clubs
MakeAPlay
DA
Committed players that want to have fun and not work hard at getting better end up sitting the bench and get recruited over. The players that play as freshman work hard their senior year. My player played the least amount of competitive games due to various reasons as a senior but worked the hardest (including the offseason) and it is paying HUGE dividends now at the beginning of the college season.
NoGoal
DA
Arsenal and Strikers are screwed!
11 DA clubs....why stop there might as well add Arsenal, Strikers, FC Golden State, Albion, Fullerton Rangers, Lancaster Lollipops, Victorville Vikings, Palm Springs Panthers, Chula Vista Coyotes, the Santa Monica Saints and rename DA to Coast Soccer League.
Seriously, IMO...ECNL is in trouble 2-3 years from now.
11 DA clubs....why stop there might as well add Arsenal, Strikers, FC Golden State, Albion, Fullerton Rangers, Lancaster Lollipops, Victorville Vikings, Palm Springs Panthers, Chula Vista Coyotes, the Santa Monica Saints and rename DA to Coast Soccer League.
Seriously, IMO...ECNL is in trouble 2-3 years from now.
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Silky Johnston
SILVER
Never thought this was really about development it was just a way to be involved and compete against ecnl. If it was about development the academy ages would be in the younger age groups. Adding the other 2 So California ecnl teams deals a real blow to ecnl. So what does the ecnl group do now? Offer the non ecnl DA clubs Ecnl? Wouldn't that muddy the so called Development waters.
meatsweats
SILVER ELITE
I think the ONLY way ECNL can fully compete with DA now that these remaining clubs have been added (especially in So Cal), is for ECNL to add all DA only clubs to their repertoire.
At this point, ECNL is truly a 2nd tier league and all situations remain fair. There will be fallout. ECNL should want to capture fallout from ALL "top tier" clubs. Then you can market that. Then you have something to sell to Colleges.
All the big shot ECNL clubs are in the DA. So WTF do they care, really!? But some of the DA only clubs are still tied up. As ECNL, I'd rather get rid of the non DA chosen (yet still ECNL) few and pick up the others. Makes long term sense.
Really, ECNL can make their play by allowing HS soccer and having more subs per game. This in itself could give them a hands up. But ONLY, and only if they accept their role.
SOCCERMINION
SILVER ELITE
Why don't they just give DA to Arsenal and Strikers and all the other ECNL clubs and call "Checkmate" on the ECNL League. With 74 DA clubs, why stop there to only add more in the next years to match ECNL 84. Get it all over with now so we as parents have a chance at providing some stability in our daughters training and team these next few years. "And I thought the Age shake up was bad". Looks like my Daughter will be playing with all new girls every year for the next 3 years the way things are going.
BTW when is the next batch of DA clubs going to be announced or are they done?
You go girl!
Couldn't all the ECNL teams get together and say to US Soccer that we've changed our minds and areally rejecting your request for DA status. We have decided to improve on the ECNL league and make it bigger and better. By requiring 3 trainings per week, A&B license coaches. Rules for promotion into ECNL and regulation. How would DA survive without the ECNL clubs? What is US Soccer offering these ECNL clubs that is making them desert ECNL?
We all have our experiences. I'm 20+ years out of high school, never played college sports and don't regret the time, energy and devotion I gave to the sports I played. In fact, I apply the disciplines I learned during those years everyday as a person in the workforce and a parent. I relate to both my young athletes better because of it and it helps create a bond.
Being a high level athlete is hard and having people who understand your successes, struggles and pains physically, spiritually and emotionally helps the process. My children are now at the age they understand that their parents understand what is going on and it builds a better family bond. Hopefully they will take these lessons and use them wisely in their lives. No wasted time when developing good human beings.
Now on Academy vs ECNL. I agree Academy will be top dog just like in the boys program. I prefer Academy because the training, development and quality of play remains high while travel costs and fees remain reasonable (or even free). ECNL has financial barriers that can keep higher level players with less money off these teams.
Almost all the boys Academies are not costs to the parents. With how much money most of these larger clubs are making (3 teams per age group all at the same pay level), I would suspect the girls academies to follow suit in the near future. My son is younger than my daughter and both play. He has always developed in the Academy system and frankly, I find it superior. The atmosphere at 95% of these places is much more enjoyable for us and him. None of it is perfect and we all have to find the right fit for our children and families. Many of us have even more choices and opportunities now.
Most of the DA clubs are ECNL also. More opportunities for the girls and clubs. Neither DA or ECNL says a club has to be one of the other. Best of both worlds?
That ship sailed long ago.
soccermanifesto
BRONZE
There are several on this board that project their bitterness and cynicism over expectations not met onto the process as a whole. For these young women, its an exciting high when they are recruited by a university and their hard work and talent is recognized and validated. Does it always work out for any number of reasons? Of course not.
I stand by my personal belief that in the scope of your life, being a college starter at a great school (especially at the D1 level) is absolutely hard to top... And in many cases is more satisfying and exciting than what you will later experience entering the job market and the business world.
Words like bitterness and cynicism are cute. It takes a whole lot of girls who don't reach, or decide later not to pursue the goal that you seem to have for your kid to make that goal for your kid possible. Ultimately this is just girls soccer, very few people care about it.
It's not bitterness or cynicism to question the value of what will now be an even more demanding system. Hopefully she won't have any regrets.
MakeAPlay
DA
You really should talk to your wife about your lack of action and inadequate equipment. You constantly worrying about who I am banging speaks volumes about what is going on in your world little guy.
soccermanifesto
BRONZE
So to sum up:
Very few people care about it.
Lots don't make it, it's not fair.
I'm "living through my kid. "
I have a "goal" for my kid that is achieved over the ruined dreams and crushed hopes of others.
(And in reading between the lines, I should prepare my daughter because it's not worth it and she's likely to burn out or quit anyway)
But you're not bitter or cynical. Got it.
Zerodenero
GOLD
Gosh Round...y u always gotta kill the vibe. Start your anti-depressant Lithium treatment.
Doctors orders
Silky Johnston
SILVER
this is what happens in business when you have no competition.. the only problem with the club soccer model is the only real people who lose out are our kids. Can someone explain how for 6 years of club soccer almost every team practiced only twice a week now that us soccer is in charge you now are going to practice 4xs a week? What changed? Weren't we paying for development before wasn't that was this was supposed to be about when we went to club soccer? Development? Don't the ayso teams practice twice a week? So what gives ?