ECNL Policies

Keepers_Keeper said:
Thoughts from an ECNL team manager...
  • Re: video...our club does not provide video. It's up to each team to coordinate and pay for video packages and get team parents to cover cost or include it in the team fees collected from parents.
  • Managers (at least this one) pay the same as every other player. Registration, team fees, travel, etc. We volunteer our time and don't get anything for free.
  • Stats aren't a part of our job. Why? See next points...
  • We are the primary 'promoter' for every player to college coaches - not just our own. We make every effort to know and treat every player as our own.
  • Instead of watching games, we are talking to college coaches, developing relationships, sticking tampons up players noses to stop nose bleeds, getting ice, and so many other things that most parents don't even see.
  • I won't even mention the countless hours spent talking with team coaches to coordinate practices, organize schedules/tournaments/fitness, fundraisers, team building activities, etc.
  • Dealing with hotel reservations for ECNL tournaments (Maverics and Anthony Travel)...don't even get me started.
  • Create and manage budgets, which include coach expenses and travel arrangements, collect team fees (another job in itself sometimes), not to mention take down/set up for home games...
  • Most team parents are appreciative, but some are not. Some barely give us the time of day until they want something special for their player. And some talk about us (and our players) behind our backs.
  • We love and care for the players. All of them. We do everything for them. We are their advocates. We hear how much they hate their parents going to their games. We hear their doubts about their abilities and hear them worry about what their parents will say about the one mistake they made and not praise them for the 50 other things they did to help their teammates play their best. Yet we defend you and tell your players that you love them and are just trying to be supportive "in your own way".
  • We comfort them when the college coach that promised to show up to the game didn't. And that some players are recruited without putting out much effort, while some work so hard and endure countless injuries but will end their soccer careers prematurely either due to injury or not receiving offers.
  • So much more...just wanted to share a few of the big picture tasks that managers do voluntarily, without compensation and often without notice or appreciation. Except by the players - they know what we do for them, which is why we do it.
'nuff said. I love my job and will miss it and every single player tremendously.
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Trust me when I say I appreciate all that is done by the TM, having direct firsthand knowledge. Our team divvies up the responsibilities that you seem to take on yourself. We have a parent who oversees travel, two parents that distribute handouts to college scouts at showcases, two parents that oversee social media as well as the TM who sits on the bench who looks after the girls as well as keeps stats, organizes the cards and various other duties that I’m probably not even aware of.
 
Ellejustus said:
And let me clarify. I just don't think Club TM should be the person going over and hand out papers. maybe my kid after the game can go shake their hands ((fist pump)) and say thank you for coming to watch. Make it more for the girls. Just my .02 :)
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We all have to comply with NCAA rules...players can't contact or have any direct communication early in the recruiting process, so coaches, club directors etc are the primary conduits. But TMs are more visible and accessible at showcases & tourneys. TMs distribute team brochures. Have had many college coaches give me their cards and request a player + parents stay after the games to talk or call them. Happens all the time. We are facilitators (more appropriate term than promoter).
 
Ellejustus said:
Again, I'm for what Spain has for the top players around 7 or 8th grade. Again, were only talking about a very select few. Everyone else can play club med soccer. My dd, as it turns out, was better suited for HS Soccer and College experience. I still support the best of the best getting it all paid for if they want to go for it and trained 5 days a week, 10 months out of year. My dd would have said no and I would be paying like i am now for a service to help my dd get into CSUF, Cal, USC or Idaho St. Help is help and I get it and you should pay for that help. Plus, it's worth the $3k because my dd is having fun for the most part. HS Soccer has been the funniest part of all to be real EOTL.
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Spain has been very successful on the women’s side, so we should definitely do what they are doing. It also makes a lot of sense given how similar the two countries are in size and geography. U.S. is only 20x larger with its two largest cities almost 3000 miles apart. Or...

We could leave things as is, which has resulted in the WNT becoming the greatest soccer power the world has ever known and, more importantly, opened up educational opportunities for 10s of thousands.
 
GeekKid said:
Trust me when I say I appreciate all that is done by the TM, having direct firsthand knowledge. Our team divvies up the responsibilities that you seem to take on yourself. We have a parent who oversees travel, two parents that distribute handouts to college scouts at showcases, two parents that oversee social media as well as the TM who sits on the bench who looks after the girls as well as keeps stats, organizes the cards and various other duties that I’m probably not even aware of.
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I know one mom that told me the other day she she felt like a part time travel agent for her GDA team. I got a good laugh when you wrote you have a parent overseeing travel. Plus, two parents handing out handouts to college coaches seems over kill to me. I watched for 30 minutes at one showcase with my own eyes what those coaches do with those handouts. I'll leave it at that. Q. What's up with the two parents who oversee Social Media? Please elaborate, I'm curious and I don;t want to jump to conclusions.
 
Keepers_Keeper said:
We all have to comply with NCAA rules...players can't contact or have any direct communication early in the recruiting process, so coaches, club directors etc are the primary conduits. But TMs are more visible and accessible at showcases & tourneys. TMs distribute team brochures. Have had many college coaches give me their cards and request a player + parents stay after the games to talk or call them. Happens all the time. We are facilitators (more appropriate term than promoter).
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Not no more, which is awesome :) June 15th my soon to be Jr can set up her own talks and promote herself by looking at the coach in the eye and to begin her own recruiting process. No dad or mom their either or her coach or doc or tm. My dd can;t wait. Her coach has been helping her behind the scenes too, meaning the email and video. This is all new and very good for the girls to make sound decisions. Its great for both parties to slow down a little.
 
EOTL said:
Spain has been very successful on the women’s side, so we should definitely do what they are doing. It also makes a lot of sense given how similar the two countries are in size and geography. U.S. is only 20x larger with its two largest cities almost 3000 miles apart. Or...

We could leave things as is, which has resulted in the WNT becoming the greatest soccer power the world has ever known and, more importantly, opened up educational opportunities for 10s of thousands.
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or we could do that too. I watched this past world cup and I saw some holes in our game of possession. We almost lost too. PK saved us. We still are more physical and that alone might allow us to win, However, it's not possession like little Spain and other teams. I want us to be fastest, most physical and play great possession ball.
 
Ellejustus said:
And let me clarify. I just don't think Club TM should be the person going over and hand out papers. maybe my kid after the game can go shake their hands ((fist pump)) and say thank you for coming to watch. Make it more for the girls. Just my .02 :)
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Then who do you think should handle this job?

I think you are misinterpreting what the Poster is saying when they “chat it up with Coach’s”. They aren’t advocating for players.

I volunteer to pass these flyers out during games because it is tough to cover the whole field and Coaches tend to spread out. Once an a while a CC will ask if a certain player is there and you simply answer yes or no. There is no conversation about players that happens in these cases what so ever.
A Coach may also ask the score or how your day is going, but that is the extent.

If you’re not comfortable with that, you have the right to instruct the TM to remove your DD from the flyer that they make for the team (with headshots, bio and Grad year) and handout to every College coach that attends games.
 
Kicker4Life said:
Then who do you think should handle this job?

I think you are misinterpreting what the Poster is saying when they “chat it up with Coach’s”. They aren’t advocating for players.

I volunteer to pass these flyers out during games because it is tough to cover the whole field and Coaches tend to spread out. Once an a while a CC will ask if a certain player is there and you simply answer yes or no. There is no conversation about players that happens in these cases what so ever.
A Coach may also ask the score or how your day is going, but that is the extent.

If you’re not comfortable with that, you have the right to instruct the TM to remove your DD from the flyer that they make for the team (with headshots, bio and Grad year) and handout to every College coach that attends games.
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The GDA league was stupid for 8th graders but whatever Kicker. The next year, I was so confused Kicker because the rules were changing and we didn;t send emails. The pressure to send emails back then was lame too. All I'm saying is if I had you doing my dd leg work, that would suck!!! Today, my dd needs no help from TM like you to hand things out for her. The coach will see with his eyes and then the two can go chat all they want now after June 15th. That is so beautiful. Good rule change and one that is good for my dd.
 
Kicker4Life said:
Then who do you think should handle this job?

I think you are misinterpreting what the Poster is saying when they “chat it up with Coach’s”. They aren’t advocating for players.

I volunteer to pass these flyers out during games because it is tough to cover the whole field and Coaches tend to spread out. Once an a while a CC will ask if a certain player is there and you simply answer yes or no. There is no conversation about players that happens in these cases what so ever.
A Coach may also ask the score or how your day is going, but that is the extent.

If you’re not comfortable with that, you have the right to instruct the TM to remove your DD from the flyer that they make for the team (with headshots, bio and Grad year) and handout to every College coach that attends games.
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And just adding more work and drama for the TM to have to deal with. Not an easy job at all! Good points Kicker!
 
gotothebushes said:
And just adding more work and drama for the TM to have to deal with. Not an easy job at all! Good points Kicker!
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My gosh you guys, with how I've seen some of you act on here, I would be in big trouble if Kicker or you were my dd TM and the go to person to hand things out and say hi for my dd. That is crazy ass stuff and needs to stop now.
 
Kicker4Life said:
Then who do you think should handle this job?

I think you are misinterpreting what the Poster is saying when they “chat it up with Coach’s”. They aren’t advocating for players.

I volunteer to pass these flyers out during games because it is tough to cover the whole field and Coaches tend to spread out. Once an a while a CC will ask if a certain player is there and you simply answer yes or no. There is no conversation about players that happens in these cases what so ever.
A Coach may also ask the score or how your day is going, but that is the extent.

If you’re not comfortable with that, you have the right to instruct the TM to remove your DD from the flyer that they make for the team (with headshots, bio and Grad year) and handout to every College coach that attends games.
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Exactly. Thank you for understanding. That is exactly how it's done.
 
gotothebushes said:
I still believe you are missing the Posters and Kickers point!
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Oh no I'm not. I'm not saying their bad people for volunteering and running to chase down college coaches to hand them a piece of paper. I actually dreamed that the college coach would be the one chasing down my dd when when she was 17, not 14. Sorry, I don;t want or need the great Kicker or anyone like him do all my dd leg work for her.
 
Ellejustus said:
And let me clarify. I just don't think Club TM should be the person going over and hand out papers. maybe my kid after the game can go shake their hands ((fist pump)) and say thank you for coming to watch. Make it more for the girls. Just my .02 :)
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College coaches are to busy to wait around after every game unless they are ready to talk to the player. Have you ever seen their tournament spreadsheet of games and times and how long they can watch a player per day?
 
I'm just being honest with you guys. The showcase in all the leagues were over hyped and I was disappointed with the lay down and the competition. It seemed really fake and I and many parents left disappointed. The fact that you guys have to chase the coaches down says it all right there. Fly to Florida and have Kicker chase down the coaches on the kids behalf? Wow, that is not appealing to me one bit.
 
vegasguy said:
College coaches are to busy to wait around after every game unless they are ready to talk to the player. Have you ever seen their tournament spreadsheet of games and times and how long they can watch a player per day?
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Yes, we had too many showcases too and games for them to travel too. I watch people for a living and I can say it was "burn out" on most real peoples faces. It was overkill and now we can fix all this BS. It was the old way. New way is coming coach. Can you imagine Kicker running down Coach K for a potential Blue Chip he might have missed? C'mon man.......
 
Ellejustus said:
Yes, we had too many showcases too and games for them to travel too. I watch people for a living and I can say it was "burn out" on most real peoples faces. It was overkill and now we can fix all this BS. It was the old way. New way is coming coach. Can you imagine Kicker running down Coach K for a potential Blue Chip he might have missed? C'mon man.
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Showcases are not for winning. Showcase all players play 50% in my opinion. I have left the bench and said hi to coaches and asked what they are looking for. Be prepared, your daughter may try talking to a coach who is not there for her. They will be honest if they are not there for yours.
 
Kicker4Life said:
Lol. Running around....you stand in the corner with the flyer and they come to you or you walk over and hand them a flyer and walk away.
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LOL, I watched with my own eyes. A coach would look for 10 seconds at the field at walk away and I've seen the TM walk faster and jog a little (sorry for saying chase)) to catch up to the coach as he's walking away and just like a relay race, the coach hands his hand back and TM makes a nice drop off. It was the old way of doing things. New way is way better imo. We would get this long list of coaches who "stopped" by for a peak. I've asked what counts as a coach actually watching the game and I have yet to get a good answer. It just ddn;t seem very special, the old way that is.
 
Ellejustus said:
I've asked what counts as a coach actually watching the game and I have yet to get a good answer. It just ddn;t seem very special, the old way that is.
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Hard to say what “counts” but if they sit down, pull out their pen, notepad, iPad, etc and are visibly paying attention, I would classify that as watching.
Sure there are some people (TM’s or parents) that are a bit over zealous, but that isn’t the norm or the majority.

Most of the time, Coaches are stopping by a game tin watch a player that has reached out and caught their eye. You can try the, make the coach find your DD approach. Nothing wrong with doing things your way.
 
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