Academy vs. ECNL

[meatsweats]

You know this is a conundrum. As parents all of us who played, played high school. I'm just not sold that it is necessary for the girls soccer. These Southern California girls teams are basically high level club teams. I know you don't make these top high school teams if you don't play on the top teams on top clubs. Almost all the coaches are also club coaches. I just see a lot of violence and injuries. I know my girl has said she wants to play it, but if she had a chance to be on a high level DA she would choose that. My son plans in playing Academy and isn't expecting to play high school anyways.

Btw, I just asked my daughter what she would want. She is in 8th grade and said "Academy! Screw High School. My teammates said it too.".
So do we want them to play high school more than they want it? And yes she knows it's 4 days a week.

One, your daughter is in 8th grade. Talk to me in a few years. Two, not sure what High School she will attend, but if they are sports oriented, it's a big deal!! Three, I'm not sure what club or team she plays for, but my DD is on a very high level ECNL team and all the incoming freshman are dying for HS season to start. These are girls that will all have very good chances to play on DA teams, no doubt, but they aren't looking forward to DA. Nope. They are looking forward to High School!

 

[C.A.M.]

Simply by assuming, you've spilled your beans and we know more about you....haha! It also doesn't change the fact your son is still a ulittle player and entering the inaugural year for the Boys U12 developement academy system. BTW, of course you were paying a club fee for your son prior to U12, last I checked there isn't a U10/11 Boys DA team! It also doesn't change the fact your pro BOYS DA, because your son's DA club is FREE. Like I posted prior, you would be singing a different tone, if you were paying at a Boys DA club and he was sitting.

It's good to know your kids previously played for PDA, because everyone in SoCal already knows PDA is a great club.....especially the girls side. So, please don't post PDA is now great because of Girls DA. They were great prior to Girls DA and well before ECNL ever came to existance. The club will continue pumping out the same amount of college committments and it doesn't matter if the league is the USYS Championship series, USYS National League, ECNL or DA Girls. The league could be named these girls suck club soccer and college coaches will still recruit players from the club.... this also applies to Surf, Blues, Slammers, RSC, Eagles, WCFC, Beach and Legends in SoCal!

Lastly, what is your DD U10? Lol

my point was the DA develops. My son wasn't a great player, but was a great find. Those are the kids the DA works for because these clubs will develop younger. I'm proud of my boys hard work and progression through the system and love to tell his story. It's inspiring, so you won't shame me with you little words.

Also if you read , he played club and only practiced PDA. Point being, his development was always at that level and the games with the club gave him his own team to grow on. Like I said, he was surplus talent and kid in front of him was and is a stud. They were upfront with our family. My son at 7.5 said I don't care where I play at this point, I need real training.

Some of you are trying to paint this DA thing as an evil empire and I'm trying to tell you that it is different. The lower age groups these DA train our kids, the better off they are as soccer players. Are they going to always seek the best talent for their programs? Of course. The new coach didn't favor my son much. It's okay. They made him good enough I could find a better situation for him to continue growing and developing. His new DA (he plays up a year now) loves him. I have spoken to lots of parents of olders and the kids. It's a journey. Not everyone makes it. Your kid will still be a better person by going through it.

Great thing for you doubters is if a DA comes for your girls, you can turn it down. Move ahead on your chosen path. Just don't hate when you see how it works. The ECNL option isn't leaving anytime soon and you can enjoy that ride.

 

[C.A.M.]

I love it a Ulittle parent telling us uolder parents what's right, LMAO!

Aren't you the one saying you don't have experience in the DA system? We have been blessed to have our son get that training AND be able to concurrently watch/compare it to what our daughter has received at a top club AND compare it to the top club she was at previously.

I'm starting to see some sore losers in here with the personal attacks. Stick to the topic. We don't know each other and if we meet it would be best to be on good terms. This is suppose to be a place to help each other on the journey.

 

[NoGoal]

Aren't you the one saying you don't have experience in the DA system? We have been blessed to have our son get that training AND be able to concurrently watch/compare it to what our daughter has received at a top club AND compare it to the top club she was at previously.

I'm starting to see some sore losers in here with the personal attacks. Stick to the topic. We don't know each other and if we meet it would be best to be on good terms. This is suppose to be a place to help each other on the journey.

Lol, nobody has experience with girls DA? Not me, not you or anybody else in the entire world! Last I checked it starts fall of 2017!

Sore losers? lmao, far from it brotha! My DD is at her official visit this weekend. BTW, come here, no closer, closer.....my DD developed more as a player by practicing on her own then at club practice!

Read the article how Christine Press mom (who never played soccer) helped her with drills. Alex Morgan dad help her with her shooting 2 hours a day every day when younger.

 

[NoGoal]

Aren't you the one saying you don't have experience in the DA system? We have been blessed to have our son get that training AND be able to concurrently watch/compare it to what our daughter has received at a top club AND compare it to the top club she was at previously.

I'm starting to see some sore losers in here with the personal attacks. Stick to the topic. We don't know each other and if we meet it would be best to be on good terms. This is suppose to be a place to help each other on the journey.

Help with the journey, your kids journey is in it's infancy, lmao! Like I posted tell me about Boys DA and Girls DA in 4-5 years from now.

 

[C.A.M.]

One, your daughter is in 8th grade. Talk to me in a few years. Two, not sure what High School she will attend, but if they are sports oriented, it's a big deal!! Three, I'm not what club or team she plays for, but my DD is on a very high level ECNL team and all the incoming freshman are dying for HS season to start. These are girls that will all have very good chances to play on DA teams, no doubt, but they aren't looking forward to DA. Nope. They are looking forward to High School!

It's a top level high school in education and sports. Neither of my kids play with one schoolmate. They chose their teams, not my wife and I. Her friends at school do play soccer, softball, volleyball, etc.... She and her besties played on the same teams when younger and they all love each other, but we all have our journeys.

I said earlier in the thread, the DA system isn't for everyone. It takes a kid with a certain type of focus, desire and dedication level to go along with that talent. I am glad ECNL will stay around and have an option because it will be needed. Not every kid wants it the way DA is giving it.

My personal ideal situation would be for both my kids to play on DAs and then go to a private high school on an educational scholarship. My son is down, but my daughter DOES want to go to high school with her friends. Just doesn't care about playing there.

 

[C.A.M.]

Lol, nobody has experience with girls DA? Not me, not you or anybody else in the entire world! Last I checked it starts fall of 2017!

Sore losers? lmao, far from it brotha! My DD is at her official visit this weekend. BTW, come here, no closer, closer.....my DD developed more as a player by practicing on her own then at club practice!

Read the article how Christine Press mom (who never played soccer) helped her with drills. Alex Morgan dad help her with her shooting 2 hours a day every day when younger.

Congrats on your girl getting that far!! Stories like that are why I come here.

I understand development happening more outside the program than in it. That is the point Im trying to make. Our girls have been getting shafted. The outside practice part will always factor into a player going to the next level, but the Boys DA program actually does develop more than what our girls have been given at these extremely high prices.

I'm looking at this as an optimist and expecting the girls side to do the same. US Soccer is serious about the DAs following the program. I do have experience with it. The PDAs are trained liked the DA boys. My boy is in another DA team now and it is excellent, including the care level for the kids.

Like I said, I'm not trying to fight here. I just see a lot of skeptics for leaving a system I feel has short changed alot of us even if the great girls like yours still gets her end goal.

 

[C.A.M.]

Help with the journey, your kids journey is in it's infancy, lmao! Like I posted tell me about Boys DA and Girls DA in 4-5 years from now.

All she has is 4.5 years left. Been playing for 7. On the downhill side.

 

[NoGoal]

Congrats on your girl getting that far!! Stories like that are why I come here.

I understand development happening more outside the program than in it. That is the point Im trying to make. Our girls have been getting shafted. The outside practice part will always factor into a player going to the next level, but the Boys DA program actually does develop more than what our girls have been given at these extremely high prices.

I'm looking at this as an optimist and expecting the girls side to do the same. US Soccer is serious about the DAs following the program. I do have experience with it. The PDAs are trained liked the DA boys. My boy is in another DA team now and it is excellent, including the care level for the kids.

Like I said, I'm not trying to fight here. I just see a lot of skeptics for leaving a system I feel has short changed alot of us even if the great girls like yours still gets her end goal.

I hear yeah! In my personal experience and probably the biggest mistake I did at ulittles was relying on club coaches to develop my DD, since I was paying a fee for their services. I didn't like how she was being developed and why I moved her from 4 different clubs from U9 to U12. Then it dawned on my wife and I that our DD was better off training on her own while I helped with her drills. Just know as you go through the process, a club coach is more concerned developing his entire team and not so much tailoring practice to improve any particular individual.

 

[C.A.M.]

I hear yeah! In my personal experience and probably the biggest mistake I did at ulittles was relying on club coaches to develop my DD, since I was paying a fee for their services. I didn't like how she was being developed and why I moved her from 4 different clubs from U9 to U12. Then it dawned on my wife and I that our DD was better off training on her own while I helped with her drills. Just know as you go through the process, a club coach is more concerned developing his entire team and not so much tailoring practice to improve any particular individual.

Thanks for that advice. We learned that lesson the hard way. Aged her up so she skipped U10. Daughter basically stood around for 60-75 minutes of the 90. I refused to let her digress and paid for single person 1-1.5 hr. privates. My knowledge wasn't high enough to teach her what she needed.

That's what made me high on the DA program. He was always being pushed at practice 3 days a week and given "homework". Realized there is something better. Of course, they both still do drills at home.

 

[Glen]

This seems to be a fairly balanced article on how high school soccer is playing out under the BDA. It may be a little outdated. http://www.si.com/soccer/2012/09/07/development-academies-high-school

Someone raised the issue of kids on scholarships in high school - a very compelling point. DA gives exemptions to the "no other league" rule, which helped with this particular issue on the boy's side. I did see that exemptions are still allowed upon request. We'll see what adjustments they make going forward.

 

[espola]

This seems to be a fairly balanced article on how high school soccer is playing out under the BDA. It may be a little outdated. http://www.si.com/soccer/2012/09/07/development-academies-high-school

Someone raised the issue of kids on scholarships in high school - a very compelling point. DA gives exemptions to the "no other league" rule, which helped with this particular issue on the boy's side. I did see that exemptions are still allowed upon request. We'll see what adjustments they make going forward.

Are you suggesting that someone could lose their academic/need high school scholarship if they don't play soccer for the school?

 

[soccermanifesto]

From what I've seen, most kids want to play high school soccer with their classmates and represent their school. But on the girls side with very few exceptions, it is about the ugliest brand of soccer imaginable and a recipe for nasty and serious injuries much more so than club, because you have unskilled players playing with skilled players.

I've seen YNT players play on horrible HS teams out of position and passing it to unskilled players for the inevitable turnover, high level girls sustain bad year long injuries, goalies crashed into and even kicked in the head seconds after they've secured the ball, and a whole lotta kickball. Again, there are exceptions I can count on with one hand, but it's somewhere between a demolition derby and a hot mess.

So strictly in terms of development or improving as a player, your player is missing zero by not playing high school ball.

 

[NoGoal]

From what I've seen, most kids want to play high school soccer with their classmates and represent their school. But on the girls side with very few exceptions, it is about the ugliest brand of soccer imaginable and a recipe for nasty and serious injuries much more so than club, because you have unskilled players playing with skilled players.

I've seen YNT players play on horrible HS teams out of position and passing it to unskilled players for the inevitable turnover, high level girls sustain bad year long injuries, goalies crashed into and even kicked in the head seconds after they've secured the ball, and a whole lotta kickball. Again, there are exceptions I can count on with one hand, but it's somewhere between a demolition derby and a hot mess.

So strictly in terms of development or improving as a player, your player is missing zero by not playing high school ball.

I'm guessing, you haven't seen some college games yet.

 

[Real Deal]

Just reading all this I had to wonder why Make A Play and NoGoal care so much about this topic? Seems both your girls have moved on and been very successful. What does the debate matter to you? ... Unless maybe you work for, or have stock in ECNL?

 

[NoGoal]

Just reading all this I had to wonder why Make A Play and NoGoal care so much about this topic? Seems both your girls have moved on and been very successful. What does the debate matter to you? ... Unless maybe you work for, or have stock in ECNL?

Well my DD hasn't moved on.....she is playing her last year of club soccer. Also, I like extending threads by playing the devils advocate, makes for juicy reading.

 

[Ghostwriter]

Has anyone supplied a logical reason why there will be a GA besides a power move by US Soccer? We can rule out pro soccer, we can rule out a realistic path to the USWNT, and we already have existing gaming circuits to get girls in college if that's what they desire. If anyone has a logical reason for GA please share so far unless I have missed something I haven't read one.

 

[soccermanifesto]

US Soccer wants to control its feeder system and the type of training and style of play that female soccer players receive in this country.

And its a power grab too.

 

[MakeAPlay]

Just reading all this I had to wonder why Make A Play and NoGoal care so much about this topic? Seems both your girls have moved on and been very successful. What does the debate matter to you? ... Unless maybe you work for, or have stock in ECNL?

I am not an ECNL employee nor do I have stock in the ECNL (do they have stock?). I really don't care that much as my player is in college. I have been told via PM that people like the activity so I post. Also I don't like Sweetsplat and his myriad of identities and I think Zoro is out of touch and doesn't really know what D1 soccer is like and I am not one to shy away from calling people out. Hindsight is 20/20 though so I will withhold my commentary on club soccer. I have been watching a ton of college games over the last two years and will limit the scope of my commentary to that.

I have tried to give advice based on what I have experienced in my players 9 year club soccer journey. It has been very successful although there have been many lessons learned along the way. Her graduating class is the first to have gone from U14-U18 playing entirely within the ECNL platform so I have seen it change along the way. If people want to gamble with their kid's soccer career and college options it is their prerogative and they are the ones that are going to have to deal with it. I will keep my advice to myself.

 

[Glen]

I don't think that anyone would be troubled much if ENCL announced: (1) no showcase fees; (2) no referee fees; (3) making clubs commit to scholarships (at least more than the rather opaque system we have now); (4) required licensing for coaches with assistance to pay for it; (5) access to scholarships for traveling expenses; (6) a day or two more of training for teams; and (7) added technical standards.

Roster issues for dual age group teams and no high school soccer are the major complaints with GDA. Not sure if US Soccer pushing for these issues really amounts to a "power play," even if you disagree with them. Perhaps misguided, but there is some thought put into it. Interesting thing I read on the GDA Powerpoint, HS soccer is still permitted until 2017-2018 without limitation and it is allowed until the 2021-2022 seasons, you just cannot play with the club GDA team during that portion of the HS season (which is otherwise generally dark for clubs now). As for rosters, I see that being a real issue unless the clubs keep rosters close to the 16 player minimum. Bubble players (development players) can also play in at least 6 GDA games while playing on other teams and eventually be promoted to full time GDA during season if it works out. I'm guessing that there will be a lot of people shooting to be a developmental player so they can get the best of both worlds until things start shaking out.

There also seems to be a tension between US Soccer's desire to push girl's soccer development and ENCL's goal of getting girls into college. There are 330+ D1 soccer teams which of course doesn't include all the D2/D3 and other teams. That is pretty low bar to shoot for when you are trying to develop a bigger pool of world class players. So as others have suggested, GDA won't be the only game in town if you want to play in college. It will probably be one of several.

 

[CaliKlines]

If people want to gamble with their kid's soccer career and college options it is their prerogative and they are the ones that are going to have to deal with it. I will keep my advice to myself.

So, listening to you means "not a gamble"? Come on MAP, even you cannot be that arrogant and conceited! It is all a gamble. Your advice is not the only way for parents to help their DD's become successful on and off the pitch. Based upon your DD's accomplishments, it is one way...but it is not the only way.