MakeAPlay
DA
Only two clubs in SoCal have as robust a record with regards to placing players in college and the YNT. It's as simple as that. If you get enough talent on one team it can make even a bad coach look decent.
Blues 06 - For those that want to talk about it
- Thread starter 3SoccerLadies
- Start date
Only two clubs in SoCal have as robust a record with regards to placing players in college and the YNT. It's as simple as that. If you get enough talent on one team it can make even a bad coach look decent.
MakeAPlay
DA
What do you mean by recruiting packages?
What age group will they have?
S
Sped
Guest
Normal? They're absolutely normal. Are they good? I wouldn't drive my kid an hour each way to play on any team, no matter how good, at age 10, but I don't pretend to know what's good for other families.
That said, you're not answering my simple question - why do clubs consistently lose players even at the early ages to Blues? Why can't clubs in SD and LA keep those kids? You can blame Blues for recruiting, but there's a reason parents pull their kids from other clubs and it doesn't always have to do with winning. What makes Galaxy SD so unattractive to families who live in Encinitas that they're willing to drive 2-3 hours a day to Blues? What makes people in LA drive past North OC clubs to play in South OC with Blues?
MakeAPlay
DA
See post #43 above. I think that it is a opretty cut and dry answer.
ESPNANALYST
SILVER ELITE
Used to be Surf was the only game in town for ECNL. No one is driving by Galaxy anymore as a matter of fact no is driving by WCFC anymore. Landscape very different.
05 and 06 aren't ECNL Next year so you have a year for dust to settle to determine movement. I envy that position of being able to sit back and watch.
ESPNANALYST
SILVER ELITE
I firmly believe that Blues only had this aura due to past performance. As a consumer you looked at past history and determined relevant success.
What befuddles me and always has is why parents cannot seem to understand that they had that success due to a corner of the market stronghold, which is now gone.
Soccer123
SILVER ELITE
Sad, but true.
S
Sped
Guest
Tell that to the 06 Galaxy player who's bolting for Blues now. Tell that to the many kids who will leave Galaxy for Surf the moment State Cup's over.
MakeAPlay
DA
I hear you but unfortunately we are speculating at this point. We need empirical evidence that something is going to be different. We don't have that yet. GDA hasn't even worked out the details and they are 5 months out from kickoff. I am not convinced that they are going to do anything different other than allow the teams to do what they have always done. Now it seems that the scramble is to hire enough coaches with A and B licenses regardless of their track record with youngers. To me it seems like they are trying to recruit the top players now and figure it out later. Personally if I was the parent of a U13 or under player I would be focusing on the coach and then the club and not some arbitrary award from US soccer. All that seems to be happening anyway is that they are trying to recruit the top talent with offers of free soccer. It may work as an incentive but not sure if it is going to necessarily help improve those players.
Development that stagnates at U13/14 equals a player committing to a program that isn't necessarily right for their ability at 18 or 19 years old. We will see.
It is about finding the right fit for your kid. And the grass is always greener somewhere else. I think most parents of a ulittle who has been playing for awhile has a story. Somewhere along the line something (or multiple things) happen(s) that make us sit up and take notice.
I hope, we all want our kids to be happy, to develop, and hopefully thrive with their clubs and teams. Southern California has a lot of choices. Not the worst thing for the consumer (us parents).
I hope, we all want our kids to be happy, to develop, and hopefully thrive with their clubs and teams. Southern California has a lot of choices. Not the worst thing for the consumer (us parents).
ESPNANALYST
SILVER ELITE
Good for her hopefully she chose the right team to "run to". There will be a huge difference so buyer beware
NoGoal
DA
This is why families commute to SC Blues at Ulittles. Their branding and only Surf and Slammers have a brand that can compete with them. SC Blues coaches for the most part, except the Bakers Bros foster creativity in their players at a young age. If parents haven't seen a SC Blues ulittle training session. It is not regimented unlike other clubs. You will see little girls just playing soccer, they are allowed to dribble out of bounds without instruction on what to do or how to play. They allow the game to teach the players vs being told what to do. I know, because my wife and I was one of those parents who commuted from the IE to the Ranch. I credit Blues (coaches Rob Rennie and Ali Malaekeh) for allowing my DD to be creative, skillful, and technical in games. You see, she was one of the smaller players (still small at 5'2") that use to get pushed off the ball from 8-11 years old. Other club/coaches would tell her to pass it or say she was to small and not strong enough, but Blues allowed her to learn from her mistakes and it has paid dividends for her, since she will play for a Pac12 school this Fall.
I recall 9 years ago a packaged group of 4 young girls who moved to Blues at U10. 3 of the 4 ended up signing National Letter of Intent to play D1 college soccer. I know of another package of 4 at U13 same team. 1 out of 4, ended up signing a National Letter of Intent to play D1 college soccer.....you may have heard of her-Ashley Sanchez. Moving to Blues at such a younger age also, doesn't mean the player will be around come U18...you see Blues retain and cut players at the end of each season.....as the girls get older, there are always better players who want to move to Blues....because, of college exposure. College coaches know So Cal Blues, their club name carriers weight.
ESPNANALYST
SILVER ELITE
Again love you but it's a different era.
As far as philosophy perhaps you haven't heard the latest battle cry from the Ranch -BIGGER IS BETTER.
Ashely, KW, TR are the last of a dying breed with all due respect.
As far as philosophy perhaps you haven't heard the latest battle cry from the Ranch -BIGGER IS BETTER.
Ashely, KW, TR are the last of a dying breed with all due respect.
MakeAPlay
DA
That has always been their battle cry. However, they have always loved and showcased superior players that are little. Think Anika Rodriguez along with Sanchez and a few others. If a player is a game changer they will find room.
NoGoal
DA
Blues has always been about size, that hasn't changed any...but, they wont' turn away a smaller stud player either.
As a parent, we have to find the right coach that fits our DDs style of play and most important a coach who believes in them. You see my DD played for the Blues B team and didn't play with the A team until U15. Switched clubs from U16-U17 and finishing off her club career at Blues with her old coach. Club soccer is a marathon and not a sprint. The players in my DDs 1998/1999 age group has turned over, many of the girls on the Blues u13 A team are no longer playing soccer or they are with another club. Most of the players currently on the Blues A team came to the club at U15, because of college exposure.
Lone Wolf
SILVER
Any younger playing on a top team that leaves Carlsbad for another club obviously doesn't have older kids that play and have no idea how DA will change things down the road. ECNL is over and the playing field has changed dramatically overnight. No need to drive 2 hours just to be on a so called super team. Your player will be seen right in your backyard in the years to come. Good luck.
MakeAPlay
DA
Carlsbad will never be Blues or Surf. To think otherwise is pretty optimistic and shows one of two things. Either homerism or that you are a ULittle parent that is feeling their oats because their club got DA, or both.
We will see soon enough what happens. I know my daughter's good friend used to play for Carlsbad but they moved her and her sisters to Surf and they live in Carlsbad.
NoGoal
DA
It's not that simple, it all depends on the coaches preference of player types. What one Girls DA coach values may not be the same for another. It's the same philosophy college coaches apply when recruiting for players.
ESPNANALYST
SILVER ELITE
We cannot still be arguing ECNL is a good league next year. Let's do a compromise- admit that 03 and 04 ECNL will suck because it's a watered down middle school B team and I will admit that 02-98/99 may have a shot because they want to play HS SOCCER.
I am telling you the 03 and 04 ECNL group is a sad sad lot . I am just curious what fee they will slap on it.
I am telling you the 03 and 04 ECNL group is a sad sad lot . I am just curious what fee they will slap on it.
ESPNANALYST
SILVER ELITE
This is 06.
First no recruiting .
Second do you like to play, are your friends playing, can you play other positions, did you have fun should be just about the only philosophy these guys have. When I heard about this weekends mayhem WOW JUST WOW .