The league has everything to do with it for this father. Again, when I signed up bro back in______________________________2017, it was for YNT with the hopes of pro. That was the pitch to her and us. So you can imagine how I felt when my dd was asked to send emails to coaches when she was 13 and 14 so she can practice when the coach calls to wish her a happy bday....lol, that's when and I got upset. You can understand that, right? Then, I see TMs running to college coaches when I wanted the coach to run up to the scouts for YNT. You can;t sell me one thing and then pull out the D1 card. I can see I was the only sold YNT and Pro pathway when it is obviously 100% all about college. The sane people got mad at me for barking about all this. I want us to win at the highest lever. America first, not college game.
ECNL Policies
- Thread starter GeekKid
- Start date
Definitely multiple components to the recruiting process, and some aspects of it are over hyped. In my experience as a team manager for multiple teams, and experience managing a team in ECNL, there are a lot of things that can be done and the posts by multiple contributors here in regards to their war stories seem to highlight an improvement that can be made overall in the recruiting process as it seems like the current process is to cover all the bases possible because of the lack of "one" specific way players get recruited:
Videos / Highlights
Player Profile Pages / Links
Social Media Promotion / Outreach
E-Mails (Generic)
E-Mails (Specific)
Phone Calls
In Person Conversations
Team Profile / Pamphlets
Club Coach Outreach
Club Director Outreach
Team Manager Outreach
I'm guilty of having been involved in all of those, some to a greater extent than others as @Keepers_Keeper and @Kicker4Life outlined and clarified the outreach from a team manager is generic and very much just a hand off of basic information the college coach can then do what they please with.
Both my kids have gotten "nibbles" and a few "bites" from college coaches, through the email process. Coaches have responded to their emails after catching their games and have given their observations / notes on strengths and opportunities for improvement. They've had a lot of luck in particular with the assistant coaches for academic favorite colleges they'd like to attend.
It's a lot of work, but the more ground you / player can cover in the process will cast a bigger net when trying to catch what you're looking for. My oldest is on a good trajectory and has some things lined up so I'm hoping the next couple of years will seal the deal, so to speak. The youngest is going to be a whirlwind for sure, as she doesn't have a plan and lives in the moment, which I appreciate and envy at times. She's higher caliber in terms of "GOD given Talent" and I expect a roller coaster for the next 4 years with her.
Videos / Highlights
Player Profile Pages / Links
Social Media Promotion / Outreach
E-Mails (Generic)
E-Mails (Specific)
Phone Calls
In Person Conversations
Team Profile / Pamphlets
Club Coach Outreach
Club Director Outreach
Team Manager Outreach
I'm guilty of having been involved in all of those, some to a greater extent than others as @Keepers_Keeper and @Kicker4Life outlined and clarified the outreach from a team manager is generic and very much just a hand off of basic information the college coach can then do what they please with.
Both my kids have gotten "nibbles" and a few "bites" from college coaches, through the email process. Coaches have responded to their emails after catching their games and have given their observations / notes on strengths and opportunities for improvement. They've had a lot of luck in particular with the assistant coaches for academic favorite colleges they'd like to attend.
It's a lot of work, but the more ground you / player can cover in the process will cast a bigger net when trying to catch what you're looking for. My oldest is on a good trajectory and has some things lined up so I'm hoping the next couple of years will seal the deal, so to speak. The youngest is going to be a whirlwind for sure, as she doesn't have a plan and lives in the moment, which I appreciate and envy at times. She's higher caliber in terms of "GOD given Talent" and I expect a roller coaster for the next 4 years with her.
The past is the past. That old way was horrible and not special. This new way is way better and it allows all of you sit and watch the game too. I also would like to make a suggestion on the showcases. Make them league games, not, "I don;t care if we win games."
Serious question, with several players / families taking the chance on their kid like OM parents and @MacDre with his DD, is going a route like that out of the question in your scenario? It may not be the "norm" but isn't out of the question anymore as several have laid out that pathway to be followed.
I'm very interested in seeing how @MacDre and his DDs dream play out as they've hedged their bets and have a calculated plan in place. I'm rooting for his DD as my pops went through the Fuerzas Basicas in Mexico and topped out around High School age. He went for his dream and it didn't pan out, but has no regrets.
Definitely very difficult to try and whack all those "moles" in the recruiting / scouting process.
I may have missed the announcement of the "new way", has there been a structured plan on recruitment / scouting put in place with the league alignments? I wasn't able to find anything specific.
Showcases can certainly be improved, I think the pairing system has been a plus and fair to make for competitive games that can be beneficial for the recruiting / scouting process.
So the other comments you made were not serious? Thanks for being serious today Tech. The pro thing is out for now. College is her goal now. No money for pros. I only see MLS helping like the NBA does for WNBA and that won;t happen for a long time. If my dd goes pro, it will be after college and that is probably not likely. She has been approached to model a few times too but she always tells those dudes to buzz off
I like what @MacDre is doing and I like what @Luis Andres is doing. My kid went for it but the adults were cheats and put a very bad taste in her mouth brotha. But, it's water under the bridge. She will go for college and play for college cup. I see her majoring in criminal justice or media and communications. I see her being an investigative reporter or FBI crime buster some day gotothebushes
GOLD
Can we move passed what happened back in 2017! Its. been brought up on many threads now. We are glad to found a home for your daughter in ANY LEAGUE. If she's happy and have the right coach then you're doing the right thing. My personal experience at a showcase was as I was watching a game, the scouts come by and ask what's the soccer, what color are you guys wearing and here's my card. Thats it!! Now, overtime when you see the same faces at your games they talking more about how they think team x is going win because team 0 can't hold on to the ball. They're always polite and sit down next to all the other scouts that shows up and watch as much as they can. Some might share some crazy stories of parents just being parents but other than that, it's a simple job. Not sure scouts are looking for YNT or Pros either. All players will have different pathways to college or to play college soccer. Who's to say your way is right and my way is wrong? Sometimes pathways merge together with a successful outcome. Best of luck. You do realize I mentioned nothing about leagues either.
Stop commenting on my post and I wont talk about the past and how these showcases went from 1 to 5. I'm sick of showcases, ok!!!!! Showcases are way overrated and no need for 5. One, ok. Let's talk about next season bro. How many showcases is too many? I want the showcase to have meaning, like a league game.
gotothebushes
GOLD
Your last daughter sounds like my younger daughter of 3. Kickingandscreaming can vouch for that! LOL! Good luck!
gotothebushes
GOLD
Do you need a hug again? Relax!!
gotothebushes
GOLD
You know as parent you have a choice not to go to all showcases right?
The new way begins June 15th. It means you guys dont have to get in the middle of our kids recruiting anymore. My dd can meet and greet all she wants Tech. Unlimited talks. This is a big decision and with 80% not finishing what they started, I think it's wise to take your time. She doesn;t have to go to a showcase either, although I like the idea of one or two and without the TM having to hand papers out with my kids face and bio. My kid has until her Sr year of signing day to decide. Name one sport that has a service where the TM goes around and hands out papers. Softball? Volleyball? Hoops? Maybe I'm off here but this is the most crazy thing I saw besides some other things.....
I'm so relaxed Bushy boy
Hahahahahahaha. Are you in NoCal?
EJ, ECNL showcase games count in your conference standings. They are not throwaway games.
They didn;t this year and I hear they did count the year before spupercell. Geek Kid is wrong too
Listen, I'm what you call a pure competitor. Do you know what that means?lol, spupercell! I can tell you for certain, that showcase games counted in our ECNL standings. We're in a different conference though, but it would seem weird that different conferences would do the stats differently.They didn;t this year and I hear they did count the year before spupercell. Geek Kid is wrong too
I have no idea what the meaning is in half your posts, so no, I don't know what a pure competitor is.
Hi Sandy, I will never ever call a coach, ever. My dd is chilling bro until way into 2021 and early 2022. Like I said before, the old TM job is over. June 15th is going to be nuts and my dd will not take part. Everyone else can go for it. To all the coaches in soccer: I speak for myself, my dd is 100% her own person. I am not Lavar and you will never talk to me. Get to know my dd someday and see what you think. I can say only one coach had a hard time with her Sandy. Mainly because he yelled so loud and demanded perfection, that when he yelled louder and turned red in his face, she would laugh at him. It pissed him off. It's 100% a protection in her and I get it but he didn;t. Oh well, what can one do.
Thanks for letting me know bro. Based on some of the adults behavior on road trips, I would never, and I mean never, put my 14 year old on a plane to the East Caost with some of you TMs I've gotten to know. TMs on here way more than I thought too. Forget that bro. I told one coach we can;t do all this and that and he put me through a guilt trip dude. "We need your dd to play. She helps make the team go." I told him to let someone else shine and make the team go at the showcase. He comes back with, "you still have to pay all the dues and per diems." This guy stayed in a palace. I don;t have no money for that life style Bushman and I wasn;t even there or my kid. I know 98% of all of you have that kind of scratch laying around, I did not and still don't. Woobie wouldn;t even share the true amount of his fun because he's embarrassed with the large amount. Woobie, am I wrong about that?
Half of my posts have a message attached to them. Listen and read the lyrics of the songs I put on here. I know the truth and the truth in soccer will set you free if you follow the truth.
Pure Competition: The meaning of this can only be done with a parable.
A young and naive 14 year old white boy thought he was all that in hoops. It wasn't until his HS varsity team played the Long Beach Jack Rabbits that reality hit. He could see that his game had a lot of work to do if he were to compete against the best of the best. So the young lad worked on his game for two years and finally got his chance to tryout for the #1 AAU club from South Central. This white boy was invited to tryout. He tried out and got cut on the first day but he gave it his all and even the players and coaches respected him for the effort.
The other example is called "pay to play competition."
The young lad's father meets up with the club coach before tryouts over a few drinks. After a few more drinks, the dad is now the owner of the club and all tryouts have been cancelled. The young white 16 year old is now on the team and is on the starting five.
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Dude....you are killing me. Travel costs what travel costs. Every adult on here knows what it costs for a trip to San Diego, Silverlakes, OC, LA, Phx, or Vegas. You can go on the cheap, more expensive, take your family, send your kid with a teammate, whatever works for your situation. Some will spend more and some less. You don't need me or anyone else to spell it out for you. Some people travel a lot for work, some have points, it's a mixed bag. Splitting tournament fees and coach travel is part of the deal and cost of being on a team. Build a bridge and get over it. Accept it and move on, or don't participate. Your call.
Lastly, I am not even remotely embarrassed or anything resembling that by going to my kids games both home and away. We prioritize being there, make choices that make it possible, and are fortunate we are able to do it.
I get you don't like the current model, have had some difficult situations, have dealt with people who are less than honest or self-serving, feel it is too expensive, don't want to travel, hate DA, etc. You gotta get over it. Learn to accept it. Nobody on this board is out to get you. Everybody wants your family to reach their goals. There are some really smart people here that offer up good info, and yes some trolls, and nobody is plotting against you. Your a good dude and want the best for your kid. I 100% support that always.
In my opinion from what I have seen, Tm's should get a full ride for all the stuff they have to do and what they deal with. Crazy what they do and put up with.