If it wasn't posted already, here is the final conference break down for next season. 71 clubs are included, after 79 were announced over the last few months. http://www.ussoccerda.com/girls-academy-club-directory
A few observations about player movement - these may be obvious:
(1) Top girls are leaving ECNL only clubs to move to either DA/ECNL or DA clubs. Girls are not leaving DA clubs for ECNL only clubs. I'm sure that some top girls will stay, but the teams will definitely be much, much weaker. High school soccer doesn't seem like it a major sticking point, but that may change once the girls enter high school next year.
(2) Because of the geographic spread of the DA clubs, girls may leave their current DA/ECNL to move back to a closer DA only club. So, if you started at Beach because it was your local club, but felt compelled to move to an ECNL club for the competition, why not move back to Beach? The geographic spread might be the best part of DA.
(3) The second tier DA league looks like an attempt by US Soccer to put a death nail in ECNL. Who knows if it will work, but it does make sense. If the point is truly to develop players, expanding the player base through a second league will help.
(4) Good clubs will exist outside of DA. We need them to be good to keep the DA system honest.
A few observations about player movement - these may be obvious:
(1) Top girls are leaving ECNL only clubs to move to either DA/ECNL or DA clubs. Girls are not leaving DA clubs for ECNL only clubs. I'm sure that some top girls will stay, but the teams will definitely be much, much weaker. High school soccer doesn't seem like it a major sticking point, but that may change once the girls enter high school next year.
(2) Because of the geographic spread of the DA clubs, girls may leave their current DA/ECNL to move back to a closer DA only club. So, if you started at Beach because it was your local club, but felt compelled to move to an ECNL club for the competition, why not move back to Beach? The geographic spread might be the best part of DA.
(3) The second tier DA league looks like an attempt by US Soccer to put a death nail in ECNL. Who knows if it will work, but it does make sense. If the point is truly to develop players, expanding the player base through a second league will help.
(4) Good clubs will exist outside of DA. We need them to be good to keep the DA system honest.