Academy vs. ECNL
- Thread starter silverstreak
- Start date
MakeAPlay
DA
I'm glad that I wasn't the only one to think of that. With no reentry realistically you might see 14-15 girls play a game.
Agree. The only issue is that there are so many DA clubs now that theoretically a marginal player could make a DA at a club so are you hurting the girls by not trying to get them on a lower performing DA to get them in the system? That's what I am hearing.
Makeaplay and NOGOAL always said it was best to get into an ECNL club by 13. I am all for hanging out at a place where my dd plays a lot and we like the coach it's just now the pressure seems greater because in theory the draw that ECNL had for the coaches MAY switch to DA in a couple of years. All conjecture but it's driving a lot of decisions.
There is already a lot of movement and we haven't started league
NoGoal
DA
IMO, A stud player (you will know if your DD is or not) can make the jump to whichever will be the top league at U15/16 for the college exposure. If not a stud, then U14 and have her hang on for dear life....not to be bumped in couple of years.
At U16 is usually when college coaches sort out, which players are college soccer material.
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Wh
What do you think about the fact though that now with such a diluted base its better to try to DA stud or not?
What do you think about the fact though that now with such a diluted base its better to try to DA stud or not?
SOCCERMINION
SILVER ELITE
Diluted, LOL, there will be no shortage of high end tallent trying out for the few spots on these DA Teams, Basically take the top 4 studs from every socal top tier and ECNL team and spread them out over the few dual age group teams. IMO The tough choices come in for the < top 4 studs on current socal rosters, do they take the jump and give up possible ODP, ID2, HS playing time for possibly a ride on the bench for the fewer DA games played each year. All this for the "EXTRA PRACTICE TIME" and better developement model. Easy Sell if your one of the top 4 Studs on your current top tier team in Socal. far less chance of riding the bench. But tought sell for the < top 4 studs. Very tough call to make the first year of GDA not knowing....
Thanks for the insight. There are way more DA teams than ECNL though. Granted it's only 12 spots per age group but there are more clubs.
NoGoal
DA
You lost me, try to DA stud or not?
NoGoal
DA
It could be a good idea to see how it all unfolds during the inaugural season. Then jump into the fold the following year, see which clubs need to fill holes to improve their teams. In a way you can apply the same theory to college recruiting. See which players are graduating out and what positions and committments they have coming in prior to your DDs class.
Then again it all depends on your DDs age. If younger than U14 then parents will be able to get an idea from parents currently in the Girls DA system. Parents with DDs U15 and above their DDs are already in the college recruiting years....so they should already be on college coaches radar may it be ECNL or Girls DA.
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SOCCERMINION
SILVER ELITE
Its 7 spots per age group ony 14 girls will see play time each game, I'm figuring only 8 of the studs on the teams will not ride the bench and the rest will share some kind of game/bench rotation to try to keep them happy. And there are many Top tier teams in Socal that are full of studs besides ECNL teams. I understand the DA model is focused and evaluated on developement, but make no mistake , the coaches will be playing to win all games, this means fielding their best players all the time. Because the Club system has always been, "You have to win to keep the Talent coming to your club".....
Since it looks like some parents read these posts to gather information, let's be precise about the substitution rules. Straight from the Girls DA application form:
"Game-day roster: 18 players and 5 technical staff members permitted on the bench and in the technical area"
"Substitution rules: no re-entry; seven substitutions across three “opportunities” for U-14/15; five substitutions across three “opportunities” for U-16/17 and U-18/19"
You lost me- that's not the roster size I heard?
Also lets be real here just like now there will be parents who want their daughter on the DA who will have no issue with them never playing. We see it ALL the time. They will have no problem with them as 18-23 on a roster.
That's the group I am referring to. Not your 1-5 studs who will be fighting with the other 1-5 studs in the higher band BUT your 12-23 spot girls. From what I hear the clubs will be fielding it like an ECNL roster and max it out.
Using that logic, with now a massive increase in clubs than the previous ECNL model that talent pool is in fact diluted.
I have no doubt that there are tons of great players I just don't believe that there will be all "elite" players who will be on DA.
ECNL rosters are 23. We had limited options before now in my area we can easily go to six DA clubs that's a huge increase for us.
I do agree with you - there will be an emergence of a super team in SoCal but I think it will take time. Everyone I have talked to is excited about Beach because they don't have to commute, Pats because it's new etc. There are girls who come from Temecula who can now choose a Legends club.
- Roster maximum
- U-13/14 team rosters must have a minimum of 16 full-time players and no more than 23 full-time players
- Each club must have a minimum roster of 32 full-time players and no more than 46 full-time players at the U-15/16 and U-17/18 age groups combined
- All players register directly with the U.S. Soccer Federatiion
And I have also read from a US Soccer source (which I cannot find and reference now) that every player has to start a minimum of 25% games. So the bottom line is that playing time for everybody/anybody is not really a different issue from what is going on now. Everybody (especially PARENTS) wants to win every game, whether it is DA, ECNL, SCDSL, tournaments, etc. What I can see that will be different is that even a bigger premium will be placed in athletic players, or more exactly on players with stamina, because of the longer playing period without a break. But stamina is something that, unlike speed, can "easily" be acquired.
Regarding whether the rosters will be maxed out or not, it is difficult to tell. There are arguments to be made for both cases. I think that a few posts ago C.A.M., who gave great information associated with his experience in Boys DA, said that the rosters in her/his club were on the short side.
Does it specify if the age groups have to be "mixed" on game day? In other words, how many of the game day roster have to be olders vs youngers? Can you then start a game with 9 olders and 2 youngers? etc etc. And what about the play-ups?
I guess for me, after thinking about it for a while now-- it is the mixed age bands that I am seeing in my head as the biggest problem in all this. Leaves for no team continuity, (which I really do think is important for the girls) and leaves some children behind by seriously limiting their game time. How does this work on the boys' side? Do the coaches basically just start the top 11 and are they mostly olders and the occasional talented younger?
From what I have read, there is not a rule stating that 50% of the players must be from each year group (whether in the team roster or game day roster), but the official documents do hint strongly that the rosters should be approximately 50%. I do not like this mixing either.
The documents describe a especial player figure, called "Development Player", which probably is partially designed for play-ups into the younger 14/15 group:
"A Development Player (DP) is a “bubble player” in any age group that trains with your GDA player pool, but is better suited playing games with a “second level” team from within the club (provided the club has full oversight and connection with this group, group operates out of same facility, and player does not come from an affiliate club)
• Registering a DP is a serious and careful decision that should be part of a planned opportunity for the player to get meaningful game experience in an Academy game
• Clubs can have a maximum of 10 DPs registered at a single time within their player pool; DPs may play in a maximum of 6 games and can later move to full-time, provided the club has roster moves and full-time roster space available"
In my opinion, a younger girl playing up into the 14/15 group can be physically dangerous. I have two girls, an 06 playing up 05, and an 03. Although my 06 could play up with 04s, I have noticed that the size difference between 04s and 03s is huge, and I doubt that any 05 can really play up with 03s. I think that 04s will struggle greatly playing with 03s, let alone 05s playing up into the 04/03 team. But as they get older playing up will be more feasible.
Nephew is FC Dallas. They work a full roster and play to win. They fight for playing time. They do have a percentage of mandated playing time but I don't know how much it's enforced because all I am privy to is how much more difficult it is to "keep and retain a spot".
It is highly competitive but they also travel two hours to get there.
I also know it's the highly highly elite player that they play up. There is none of this dual roster to please mommy and daddy act or putting a "very good" player whose younger on an A team. They adhere to birth year unless it's a Mal Pugh type of situation.
I hope our girls DA does that because the "playing up" is getting laughable now.
I hope DP are limited to true age group bubble players or the actually elite younger. We all know the elite younger and it's about one per club maybe. Sorry but it's true - parents version of elite is a lot different than an objective coach.
So just curious mbeach: you say no one should play up, but then you say your one daughter plays up now, on 05s-- so when 04/05 Academy rolls around you going to pull her back to 06s? Or are you one of those parents who thinks there daughter's the only one who should be playing up?
(Just kiddin' around, but is that yur plan?)
I think a player can be "future elite potential" (which is truly how they should refer to the younger age groups) ... and it can still not be in their best interest to play up all the time. It depends on mental, physical maturity, and whether the social part is important to them or not. It also may be that they are a great team leader in the making... but their growth in that area will be stunted by playing up... I mean seriously, what 12 year old is going to boss around a 14 year old???
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That is not what I said (and the post was quite clear). What I said is that in this particular age period, it is dangerous for a girl to play up two years. Obviously I will not let my girl do it out of safety concerns.So just curious mbeach: you say no one should play up, but then you say your one daughter plays up now, on 05s-- so when 04/05 Academy rolls around you going to pull her back to 06s? Or are you one of those parents who thinks there daughter's the only one who should be playing up?
(Just kiddin' around, but is that yur plan?)