DA is like going to Harvard???

[Simisoccerfan]

Yup as a matter of fact I do! Not sure if that's good or bad but either way the fact still remains.

So these 36 plus girls were on DA teams and solely left for HS or were actually offered DA and turned it down? More likely you know girls from Blues where they decided to keep their top team in ECNL or girls on other ECNL teams that could have made DA if they had chosen to. Just saying...

 

[espola]

So these 36 plus girls were on DA teams and solely left for HS or were actually offered DA and turned it down? More likely you know girls from Blues where they decided to keep their top team in ECNL or girls on other ECNL teams that could have made DA if they had chosen to. Just saying...

More likely?

 

[younothat]

DA has been very good for my player but saying the program is like going to Harvard is crazy

In General many people get hyped up to either get into or be apart of DA for the first season, after the new car spell wears off the reality it is not that much different or necessarily superior to other things in the overall scheme of things. Being on a good HS, club team, with quality coaches & comps and maybe some outside work should be good for most players. You can play up on other teams, club pass, in tournaments and the like so look at the overall picture not just the DA title.

Some High Schools both public and private have some very good coaching, demanding, competitive programs where its sometime can be more difficult vs the DA track considering your player can be competing vs others 2-3 yrs older. My son as a Sophomore played HS on a permit / exception and he really enjoyed the season, playoffs, and overall experience. The double practice days(s) for a while (until the season started late Nov) where really tough on him with the overlap so he decided on doing other sports in HS while continuing on with DA.

This may not be popular but the 4 days a week thing is overkill IMO for the majority of players; 3 days a week is sufficient and the 4th should be optional IMO; light training, watching film, strategy or tactics. With all the on-line tools we have available a shared presentation can be attended virtually so families don't have to necessarily travel the extra day.

DA has been reducing the number of league games, showcases, events for the boys the last 2-3 years where its getting to the point where some are questioning the program where you spend 10 months for 20 odd games, one winter showcase if your past U15 (none that age) and the playoffs or summer showcase if you don't qualify. Sure you get the flexibility of playing some out of league competitions but its a expensive proposition and not that may clubs can afford to send a team to Europe or mexico to play internationally.

I would like to see the DA restructure and change the program and I've talked about pro/rel for the teams before so I wont go into a again but the competition can be very uneven and it doesn't seem to change from year to year so I don't see the progress, sure the individual players are getting more skilled each year but the teams not as much. There is a lack of qualified coaches on the boys side, there is not that many A & B types around and those that are often have to handle multiple teams so this is one area that needs a lot of work IMO.

 

[espola]

DA has been very good for my player but saying the program is like going to Harvard is crazy

In General many people get hyped up to either get into or be apart of DA for the first season, after the new car spell wears off the reality it is not that much different or necessarily superior to other things in the overall scheme of things. Being on a good HS, club team, with quality coaches & comps and maybe some outside work should be good for most players. You can play up on other teams, club pass, in tournaments and the like so look at the overall picture not just the DA title.

Some High Schools both public and private have some very good coaching, demanding, competitive programs where its sometime can be more difficult vs the DA track considering your player can be competing vs others 2-3 yrs older. My son as a Sophomore played HS on a permit / exception and he really enjoyed the season, playoffs, and overall experience. The double practice days(s) for a while (until the season started late Nov) where really tough on him with the overlap so he decided on doing other sports in HS while continuing on with DA.

This may not be popular but the 4 days a week thing is overkill IMO for the majority of players; 3 days a week is sufficient and the 4th should be optional IMO; light training, watching film, strategy or tactics. With all the on-line tools we have available a shared presentation can be attended virtually so families don't have to necessarily travel the extra day.

DA has been reducing the number of league games, showcases, events for the boys the last 2-3 years where its getting to the point where some are questioning the program where you spend 10 months for 20 odd games, one winter showcase if your past U15 (none that age) and the playoffs or summer showcase if you don't qualify. Sure you get the flexibility of playing some out of league competitions but its a expensive proposition and not that may clubs can afford to send a team to Europe or mexico to play internationally.

I would like to see the DA restructure and change the program and I've talked about pro/rel for the teams before so I wont go into a again but the competition can be very uneven and it doesn't seem to change from year to year so I don't see the progress, sure the individual players are getting more skilled each year but the teams not as much. There is a lack of qualified coaches on the boys side, there is not that many A & B types around and those that are often have to handle multiple teams so this is one area that needs a lot of work IMO.

What was the reason for the permit/exception?

 

[younothat]

What was the reason for the permit/exception?

Waiver was granted by DA since he was expected to participate in HS soccer as part of enrollment at this school.

 

[espola]

Waiver was granted by DA since he was expected to participate in HS soccer as part of enrollment at this school.

And they let him drop soccer for "other sports" the next year?

 

[focomoso]

If the purpose of a kid playing soccer is to get into school, why do kids play once they get there?

Many, many don't. Even in my time, many athletes, once into the fancy school sports helped get them into, decide it's not so important to them anymore and quit. My understanding is that this happens even more now.

 

[MarkM]

Go ride your high horse off into the sunset! Princeton is ranked 24th in the latest poll and Penn has a very strong program. Georgetown is ranked 4th in D1!!!! Cal Tech just started a D3 program this year. Little ivy Williams College is 2nd in the nation for D3!!!! John Hopkins is ranked 4th in D3. Little Ivy Amherst is ranked 15th in D3. UCSD is ranked 10th in D2 and has won multiple National Championships. Duke’s average SAT is fricking 1475 and they are ranked 8th in D1.

Next time before you post, check your facts.

You should have started with Stanford and Duke and maybe included UCLA and Cal. Of course, I'm not talking about those schools. As I mentioned, there are a handful of exceptions. But even those schools are not football schools (the ultimate corrupter). And Georgetown's athletic teams are generally pretty poor - worse than the Ivy League schools. Women's soccer is the exception.

Once you got down to D2 and D3 schools you lost me. D2 and D3 schools decide not to devote resources to their athletic programs - that's what makes them D2 and D3. So let's not pretend that USCD has good athletic programs - nor does it need them. The soccer team you highlight is ranked behind, I kid you not, D2 powerhouses Colorado School Of Mines, Bemidji State and Barry. D3 is, well D3. There is nothing wrong with it; I'm an advocate for their approach to athletics. But for better or worse, those programs don't compare to most D1 institutions.

 

[MarkM]

Many, many don't. Even in my time, many athletes, once into the fancy school sports helped get them into, decide it's not so important to them anymore and quit. My understanding is that this happens even more now.

Most do play - that's how those schools field teams - most of them have to even make cuts. The ones that quit do so after it becomes clear that they won't ever play and want to devote their time elsewhere. That's not the point though.

 

[Simisoccerfan]

You should have started with Stanford and Duke and maybe included UCLA and Cal. Of course, I'm not talking about those schools. As I mentioned, there are a handful of exceptions. But even those schools are not football schools (the ultimate corrupter). And Georgetown's athletic teams are generally pretty poor - worse than the Ivy League schools. Women's soccer is the exception.

Once you got down to D2 and D3 schools you lost me. D2 and D3 schools decide not to devote resources to their athletic programs - that's what makes them D2 and D3. So let's not pretend that USCD has good athletic programs - nor does it need them. The soccer team you highlight is ranked behind, I kid you not, D2 powerhouses Colorado School Of Mines, Bemidji State and Barry. D3 is, well D3. There is nothing wrong with it; I'm an advocate for their approach to athletics. But for better or worse, those programs don't compare to most D1 institutions.

Don't put down the academics at Colorado School of Mines. That is an almost 100% engineering school with exceptional academics.

• SmartAsset: #1 Best Value Colleges in Colorado (#13 nationally)
• PayScale: #7 in ROI and #22 in alumni earnings
• Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education: #1 for Public Schools in the West with highest salaries 10 years out
• Wall Street Journal: #2 nationally for combining scholarly research with classroom instruction
• QS Global Ranking: #1 in Mineral Mining Engineering
• US News & World Report: #5 in Petroleum and #33 in Top Public Schools
• Forbes America’s Top Colleges: #25 in the West; #29 among publics
• #36 in High School Counselor Rankings; #44 in Undergraduate Engineering Programs; #55 in Graduate Engineering Programs; #82 in National Universities

 

[MarkM]

Don't put down the academics at Colorado School of Mines. That is an almost 100% engineering school with exceptional academics.

• SmartAsset: #1 Best Value Colleges in Colorado (#13 nationally)
• PayScale: #7 in ROI and #22 in alumni earnings
• Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education: #1 for Public Schools in the West with highest salaries 10 years out
• Wall Street Journal: #2 nationally for combining scholarly research with classroom instruction
• QS Global Ranking: #1 in Mineral Mining Engineering
• US News & World Report: #5 in Petroleum and #33 in Top Public Schools
• Forbes America’s Top Colleges: #25 in the West; #29 among publics
• #36 in High School Counselor Rankings; #44 in Undergraduate Engineering Programs; #55 in Graduate Engineering Programs; #82 in National Universities

LOL. Is that directly from the school's website? That's some funny stuff. It's a ranked somewhere between 250-300 of colleges. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/colorado-school-mines Yet, it does have a better women's soccer program than UCSD with only 1,200 students enrolled. That's impressive.

 

[Dos Equis]

You should have started with Stanford and Duke and maybe included UCLA and Cal. Of course, I'm not talking about those schools. As I mentioned, there are a handful of exceptions. But even those schools are not football schools (the ultimate corrupter). And Georgetown's athletic teams are generally pretty poor - worse than the Ivy League schools. Women's soccer is the exception.

Once you got down to D2 and D3 schools you lost me. D2 and D3 schools decide not to devote resources to their athletic programs - that's what makes them D2 and D3. So let's not pretend that USCD has good athletic programs - nor does it need them. The soccer team you highlight is ranked behind, I kid you not, D2 powerhouses Colorado School Of Mines, Bemidji State and Barry. D3 is, well D3. There is nothing wrong with it; I'm an advocate for their approach to athletics. But for better or worse, those programs don't compare to most D1 institutions.

Georgetown used to have a pretty good basketball team. And Johns Hopkins has a pretty good D1 Lacrosse Team, last I checked.

As for the sports corrupting academics, schools like Georgia Tech, Purdue, Michigan, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, UNC, Texas, Rice, Villanova, Notre Dame ... I am finding too many exceptions for my hands of great academic schools that also have great sports programs. Not all win at football, but there are other major sports.

The exception in D1 is actually the Ivy league.

 

[espola]

Georgetown used to have a pretty good basketball team. And Johns Hopkins has a pretty good D1 Lacrosse Team, last I checked.

As for the sports corrupting academics, schools like Georgia Tech, Purdue, Michigan, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, UNC, Texas, Rice, Villanova, Notre Dame ... I am finding too many exceptions for my hands of great academic schools that also have great sports programs. Not all win at football, but there are other major sports.

The exception in D1 is actually the Ivy league.

The Ivies are usually strong in ice hockey. Cornell even figured out a clever way to cheat the Ivy prohibition on athletic scholarships - the New York State School of Agriculture is attached to the Cornell Campus for administrative, social (and thus athletic) functions, and has no qualms about issuing athletic scholarships to Canadian farm boys who know a little bit about hockey.

 

[Simisoccerfan]

LOL. Is that directly from the school's website? That's some funny stuff. It's a ranked somewhere between 250-300 of colleges. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/colorado-school-mines Yet, it does have a better women's soccer program than UCSD with only 1,200 students enrolled. That's impressive.

Your an idiot. That’s world rankings. Even by your obscure rankings it’s 43 in the US competing against large universities while it’s a dedicated engineering school.

 

[MarkM]

Georgetown used to have a pretty good basketball team. And Johns Hopkins has a pretty good D1 Lacrosse Team, last I checked.

As for the sports corrupting academics, schools like Georgia Tech, Purdue, Michigan, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, UNC, Texas, Rice, Villanova, Notre Dame ... I am finding too many exceptions for my hands of great academic schools that also have great sports programs. Not all win at football, but there are other major sports.

The exception in D1 is actually the Ivy league.

You are reaching with your list. Many of the schools are not even in the top 50 colleges. Purdue is not even in the top 100. And when did schools like Rice, Vanderbilt, Purdue, G Tech become athletic powerhouses? They play in big conferences, but they are historically below average athletic programs. And Johns Hopkins' lacrosse? I can't take you seriously. You should have just gone full crazy and hyped Harvard's crew and fencing championships in rebuttal.

Take the top 30 colleges in the country. How many have good athletic programs? 5 or 6. Maybe 7 or 8 in the top 40?

 

[MarkM]

Your an idiot. That’s world rankings. Even by your obscure rankings it’s 43 in the US competing against large universities while it’s a dedicated engineering school.

It's 117 for colleges in the US, right below the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/3/#tab:rank

 

[Dos Equis]

You are reaching with your list. Many of the schools are not even in the top 50 colleges. Purdue is not even in the top 100. And when did schools like Rice, Vanderbilt, Purdue, G Tech become athletic powerhouses? They play in big conferences, but they are historically below average athletic programs. And Johns Hopkins' lacrosse? I can't take you seriously. You should have just gone full crazy and hyped Harvard's crew and fencing championships in rebuttal.

Take the top 30 colleges in the country. How many have good athletic programs? 5 or 6. Maybe 7 or 8 in the top 40?

I will assume ignorance and not stupidity.

Purdue is a top 5 engineering school in the country, #2 ranked in term of graduate employment among Fortune 50o (Georgia Tech is #1, and have a pretty decent sports program with their facilities, courtesy of the 96 Olympics). Rice and Vandy are both National championship baseball programs, not to mention their lesser sports like tennis and bowling (that is a thing), or girls soccer for Vandy these days. Do not think they have fencing, they leave that to the Ivies.

Hopkins Lacrosse is good enough that the National Lacrosse hall of game is located on their campus. Last I checked the have won the Big 10 and been in the final four in the past 48 months, to add to their national championships from the recent past.

Top 30? Only a fool thinks there is such a thing, believes it exists, and bases decisions or aeguments on it. Quit while you are behind.

 

[timbuck]

Just to try and make a bit of a joke:
If DA is like Harvard then;
ECNL is like Arizona State
DPL is like Chico State
SCDSL is like Cal Poly Pomona
Coast is like Cal State - Dominguez Hills.

 

[LASTMAN14]

Just to try and make a bit of a joke:
If DA is like Harvard then;
ECNL is like Arizona State
DPL is like Chico State
SCDSL is like Cal Poly Pomona
Coast is like Cal State - Dominguez Hills.

Hey, I went and played at CPP! It’s fine though. We sucked when I was there.

 

[MijoPlumber]

https://www.soccernation.com/why-does-the-development-academy-bar-players-from-high-school-soccer/

Someone is US Soccer is really getting too carried away...

Mija, this article is a perfect example of what is wrong with US soccer! Big inflated bla bla. DA is to Harvard like street taco in TJ is to prime Carne Asada in OC!! A league that tries to control players and not let them play for their school has wrong agenda. This why so many have left DA after first year.