ECNL vs. DA turf war has created a 'toxic environment'

The Outlaw said:
Multiple ESPN talking heads... like Stephen A? Why do you think ESPN's ratings have plummeted and massive layoffs incurred? It doesn't stir conversation... it stirs controversy, because it's "racist" to have conversation. It's bullshit and millions of former ESPN fans realized it and changed the channel.
Click to expand...
Stephen A is not the only one. Golic, Greenberg, Le Batard and others also. Plus I hear the local Las Vegas ESPN radio guys talk about it and they're white guys. But again, you are so quick to only point out the black person that says something. It shows what your true problem is.
 
@Giesbock
Girls' Development Academy FAQ's
The Girls' Development Academy is part of U.S. Soccer's global leadership position in women's soccer and connects with its mission to develop world-class players, coaches and referees. The objective of the Academy is to impact the everyday club environment (cause a toxic war between two leagues and their parents) to develop world-class players.

PROGRAM FAQ's
What is the Development Academy?
U.S. Soccer started the Development Academy Program to improve long-term player and coach development. After studying player development models domestically and internationally, U.S. Soccer collaborated (Horrible use of a word) with elite soccer clubs across the nation to create a program to provide the proper environment (oh really) by emphasizing quality training and limited meaningful competition (Meaningful to a small select few)
Why did U.S. Soccer create a Girls' Development Academy? (great question)

U.S. Soccer wanted to provide a player centered program that is focused on the development of the individual without bias, distractions, self-interests and financial gains that compromise the optimal everyday environment. This is needed to continue to set the standard for world-class players.

When will the Girls' Development Academy begin and what are the season dates?

The first year of competition for the Academy Program will begin in the fall of 2017. The season begins in September and will end in July.

What are some of the benefits of playing in the Girls' Development Academy?
The Academy's elite training environment promotes increased technical standards and allows for greater accountability for players and coaches. Coaches can devote more time to these areas in training. Both players and coaches must learn to deal with and manage the challenges of playing in games using international rules, which is what players will experience at the highest levels. (only for top top .1% of us)

How does playing in the Girls' Development Academy help a player accelerate their development?

By participating in the Academy, a player will have substantially more hours on the training field focused on refining technique and tactical understanding. With a minimum of four training sessions per week (BS), there is significant opportunity to work on technique and receive instruction from coaches and U.S. Soccer Technical Advisors as part of a continuous seasonal plan for the players' development.

APPLICATION FAQ's
What clubs can apply to be part of the Girls' Development Academy? Do clubs have to have both a boys and girls program?

Any club that believes it can meet the standards set by U.S. Soccer is welcome to apply to be part of the Academy. (My family failed to meet the standards)
How many clubs are selected to be part of the Girls' Development Academy?

The exact number is based on player pool, market analysis, geography, and quality of the club applicant pool. ( and if they obey us and go all in and say no to ECNL)

When is the application available and when is the deadline to apply?
The application for the 2018-2019 Development Academy season will open in the Fall of 2017. The application can be found here once available.


What criteria is be used to select clubs that will be part of the Girls' Development Academy?

The Academy uses the following criteria when evaluating the application of each club for membership:

  • Leadership of the club and quality of the coaching staff
  • Desire to embrace and promote the core values of the program
  • U.S. Soccer license levels of coaching staff
  • Infrastructure of the club and the resources currently being invested in development (facilities, scholarships, staff to player ratio, etc.)
  • History of player production for youth National Teams, the Women's National Team, and professional leagues
  • Market with player depth, geographic location, proximity to other elite clubs and travel implications
Who will be evaluating club applications? (Who?)

U.S. Soccer's Women's Youth National Team technical staff and Development Academy staff will review applications and accept clubs that meet the Girls' Development Academy criteria.

How does someone join (or tryout for) an Academy club?
The expectation is that Academy clubs move to using a more systematic scouting model to identify and recruit new talents and invite these players to trial for an extended period with the current player pool. (Hello, that's why I got the phone calls to go visit all the GDA clubs and with their Docs. This was a new way of recruiting the goats).

How much are Academy clubs required to travel?

Academy clubs can expect approximately 15 away games in a given season, some of which will require overnight travel. Exact travel distances will vary between clubs depending on their geographic proximity to their conference opponents and Academy events.(which was not really expalined until we all drank the kool aid)

What does the Academy Program Cost for players and clubs?

U.S. Soccer covers many of the costs for clubs so they can reinvest these funds into their players. There are no referee fees for league games, showcases or playoffs. Clubs are not charged any event or showcase fees to attend. In addition, Clubs are provided with Nike Balls for training and games and receive POWERADE coolers and beverages among other corporate partner benefits.
The Academy strongly believes that no player should face a (financial) barrier to play soccer. Therefore, clubs are encouraged to subsidize costs for players in financial need. In addition, U.S. Soccer offers a scholarship program, open to any full-time Academy player, to assist players with covering Academy travel cost. For more information, visit the scholarship program page.

What costs can a player or club expect? (The cost to play is $1k for the parents and the dd has to go "full time" and give HS Soccer and her social life so she can be in the G D A League.)
Clubs will only pay a flat registration fee for players and coaches. Clubs are responsible for all team travel expenses to their league games and events.

Are the rules and regulations exactly the same as the Boys' Development Academy? (There lies a big issue)

The Academy program has been developed over time to create the ideal everyday environment for player development. The Academy has continually grown and adapted over its 10 years of existence and will use key learnings and best practices for the Girls' Program. The vast majority of the current Academy rules and regulations will be the same. The Girls' Development Academy staff will create or modify any rules or regulations as deemed necessary.



For general questions, please contact the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Staff at girlsacademy@ussoccer.org.
 
@Giesbock continued....
CHANGE A LIFE & BUILD THE FUTURE: THE DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Great talent comes from all areas and backgrounds. Since 2008, the U.S. Soccer Scholarship Program has contributed nearly $4.2 million in need-based financial aid to 3,000 of our nation's most talented young players.

Last year, with the support of donors like you, U.S. Soccer doubled the amount of scholarship available for boys and girls in the Development Academy.

We need your help to continue breaking down economic barriers to making the highest level of domestic youth soccer affordable for all players and families.

The average scholarship award to a player to help cover high travel costs during the 10-month Academy season is $1,469. The typical scholarship recipient lives within 5% of the Federal Poverty Line, travels more than 25 miles each way to train and receives free or reduced-cost lunches.

Will you help support a young player with a dream to play soccer? You can change a life, help build a sport and inspire a nation.
 
VegasParent said:
Stephen A is not the only one. Golic, Greenberg, Le Batard and others also. Plus I hear the local Las Vegas ESPN radio guys talk about it and they're white guys. But again, you are so quick to only point out the black person that says something. It shows what your true problem is.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I get the fake rage because political correctness is cool right now. The fact remains... when you're 13% of the population, and you possess 65% of the player jobs, bitching about not having more of the 30 coaching jobs available is bullshit. I just have the balls to say it, Vegas.
 
Ellejustus said:
@Giesbock
Girls' Development Academy FAQ's
The Girls' Development Academy is part of U.S. Soccer's global leadership position in women's soccer and connects with its mission to develop world-class players, coaches and referees. The objective of the Academy is to impact the everyday club environment (cause a toxic war between two leagues and their parents) to develop world-class players.

PROGRAM FAQ's
What is the Development Academy?
U.S. Soccer started the Development Academy Program to improve long-term player and coach development. After studying player development models domestically and internationally, U.S. Soccer collaborated (Horrible use of a word) with elite soccer clubs across the nation to create a program to provide the proper environment (oh really) by emphasizing quality training and limited meaningful competition (Meaningful to a small select few)
Why did U.S. Soccer create a Girls' Development Academy? (great question)

U.S. Soccer wanted to provide a player centered program that is focused on the development of the individual without bias, distractions, self-interests and financial gains that compromise the optimal everyday environment. This is needed to continue to set the standard for world-class players.

When will the Girls' Development Academy begin and what are the season dates?

The first year of competition for the Academy Program will begin in the fall of 2017. The season begins in September and will end in July.

What are some of the benefits of playing in the Girls' Development Academy?
The Academy's elite training environment promotes increased technical standards and allows for greater accountability for players and coaches. Coaches can devote more time to these areas in training. Both players and coaches must learn to deal with and manage the challenges of playing in games using international rules, which is what players will experience at the highest levels. (only for top top .1% of us)

How does playing in the Girls' Development Academy help a player accelerate their development?

By participating in the Academy, a player will have substantially more hours on the training field focused on refining technique and tactical understanding. With a minimum of four training sessions per week (BS), there is significant opportunity to work on technique and receive instruction from coaches and U.S. Soccer Technical Advisors as part of a continuous seasonal plan for the players' development.

APPLICATION FAQ's
What clubs can apply to be part of the Girls' Development Academy? Do clubs have to have both a boys and girls program?

Any club that believes it can meet the standards set by U.S. Soccer is welcome to apply to be part of the Academy. (My family failed to meet the standards)
How many clubs are selected to be part of the Girls' Development Academy?

The exact number is based on player pool, market analysis, geography, and quality of the club applicant pool. ( and if they obey us and go all in and say no to ECNL)

When is the application available and when is the deadline to apply?
The application for the 2018-2019 Development Academy season will open in the Fall of 2017. The application can be found here once available.


What criteria is be used to select clubs that will be part of the Girls' Development Academy?

The Academy uses the following criteria when evaluating the application of each club for membership:

  • Leadership of the club and quality of the coaching staff
  • Desire to embrace and promote the core values of the program
  • U.S. Soccer license levels of coaching staff
  • Infrastructure of the club and the resources currently being invested in development (facilities, scholarships, staff to player ratio, etc.)
  • History of player production for youth National Teams, the Women's National Team, and professional leagues
  • Market with player depth, geographic location, proximity to other elite clubs and travel implications
Who will be evaluating club applications? (Who?)

U.S. Soccer's Women's Youth National Team technical staff and Development Academy staff will review applications and accept clubs that meet the Girls' Development Academy criteria.

How does someone join (or tryout for) an Academy club?
The expectation is that Academy clubs move to using a more systematic scouting model to identify and recruit new talents and invite these players to trial for an extended period with the current player pool. (Hello, that's why I got the phone calls to go visit all the GDA clubs and with their Docs. This was a new way of recruiting the goats).

How much are Academy clubs required to travel?

Academy clubs can expect approximately 15 away games in a given season, some of which will require overnight travel. Exact travel distances will vary between clubs depending on their geographic proximity to their conference opponents and Academy events.(which was not really expalined until we all drank the kool aid)

What does the Academy Program Cost for players and clubs?

U.S. Soccer covers many of the costs for clubs so they can reinvest these funds into their players. There are no referee fees for league games, showcases or playoffs. Clubs are not charged any event or showcase fees to attend. In addition, Clubs are provided with Nike Balls for training and games and receive POWERADE coolers and beverages among other corporate partner benefits.
The Academy strongly believes that no player should face a (financial) barrier to play soccer. Therefore, clubs are encouraged to subsidize costs for players in financial need. In addition, U.S. Soccer offers a scholarship program, open to any full-time Academy player, to assist players with covering Academy travel cost. For more information, visit the scholarship program page.

What costs can a player or club expect? (The cost to play is $1k for the parents and the dd has to go "full time" and give HS Soccer and her social life so she can be in the G D A League.)
Clubs will only pay a flat registration fee for players and coaches. Clubs are responsible for all team travel expenses to their league games and events.

Are the rules and regulations exactly the same as the Boys' Development Academy? (There lies a big issue)

The Academy program has been developed over time to create the ideal everyday environment for player development. The Academy has continually grown and adapted over its 10 years of existence and will use key learnings and best practices for the Girls' Program. The vast majority of the current Academy rules and regulations will be the same. The Girls' Development Academy staff will create or modify any rules or regulations as deemed necessary.



For general questions, please contact the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Staff at girlsacademy@ussoccer.org.
Click to expand...

Time to get away from the race stuff and back on topic somewhat. To give a non SoCal perspective on DA, it's been great for my DD. She plays for Albion LV 06 and before this season (2019-2020) it was hard to find good competitive game outside of a few tournaments. Her team played in and finished first in the Desert Conference of the Far West Regional League the previous 2 seasons going 15-1-2. Locally there was no competition. The ECNL 06 team played up in league and tournaments 2 years ago to avoid playing us and even got the state office to allow them to play up in State Cup and not let their results count. The one time we played them that season we beat them 4-0. Last year they only entered 2 local tournaments, Vegas Cup and Players Showcase. Those tournaments are large enough that the only way we would possible meet would be in the semis or finals but they never made it out of their brackets. We also won the last 2 state cups and made it to the semis in regionals falling to La Galaxy the first year and Albion San Diego last year. We are middle of the pack in DA and for my kid, its been great playing top competition week in and week out. She loves the team travel with her team. It has been cheaper compared to last year player in the Desert Conference because we didn't do team travel. Plus we play in a lot of out of state tournaments trying find some competitive games. The one change I would like to see be made is the sub rules. If they do that, they can get rid of the 25% rule also.
 
VegasParent said:
Time to get away from the race stuff and back on topic somewhat. To give a non SoCal perspective on DA, it's been great for my DD. She plays for Albion LV 06 and before this season (2019-2020) it was hard to find good competitive game outside of a few tournaments. Her team played in and finished first in the Desert Conference of the Far West Regional League the previous 2 seasons going 15-1-2. Locally there was no competition. The ECNL 06 team played up in league and tournaments 2 years ago to avoid playing us and even got the state office to allow them to play up in State Cup and not let their results count. The one time we played them that season we beat them 4-0. Last year they only entered 2 local tournaments, Vegas Cup and Players Showcase. Those tournaments are large enough that the only way we would possible meet would be in the semis or finals but they never made it out of their brackets. We also won the last 2 state cups and made it to the semis in regionals falling to La Galaxy the first year and Albion San Diego last year. We are middle of the pack in DA and for my kid, its been great playing top competition week in and week out. She loves the team travel with her team. It has been cheaper compared to last year player in the Desert Conference because we didn't do team travel. Plus we play in a lot of out of state tournaments trying find some competitive games. The one change I would like to see be made is the sub rules. If they do that, they can get rid of the 25% rule also.
Click to expand...
Word on the street is your dd can ball. I think Vegas should have two teams and one league, so when we come out, we can have back to back Vegas games. I love going to Vegas. My dd loved flying to Seattle back in 2017 and winning the Far West Regionals. After that, she loved flying to Texas to win the Naty. today at 16, she has a different take on all the travel and so do I.
 
Soccerfan2 said:
Am I the only one who likes the DA sub rule? Don’t mind the 25% start rule either.
Click to expand...
Yes, but that is ok. I would love that rule to if it helped my dd get in the game. Listen, I've been harsh on some but I completely understand it. I know many parents who are depressed because of some of the lies these coaches spew. 25% starts if your not sure where your goat is, is a damm good deal and I would sign up if I had $15K to spend each year and not have it hurt my bottomline.
 
Soccerfan2 said:
Am I the only one who likes the DA sub rule? Don’t mind the 25% start rule either.
Click to expand...

I actually don't mind it but I can see why some are against it. I like the ECNL rule but I would keep the DA rule that you only have three moments plus halftime to sub. Keeps teams from subbing every dead ball to waste time.
 
Ellejustus said:
Word on the street is your dd can ball. I think Vegas should have two teams and one league, so when we come out, we can have back to back Vegas games. I love going to Vegas. My dd loved flying to Seattle back in 2017 and winning the Far West Regionals. After that, she loved flying to Texas to win the Naty. today at 16, she has a different take on all the travel and so do I.
Click to expand...

I agree. Regardless of league, it would be good if Vegas had two teams and two games each weekend. Being military brats, my kids love to travel since they did it a lot when they were younger. Vegas is the longest they have ever lived in once place because I retired here.
 
VegasParent said:
I agree. Regardless of league, it would be good if Vegas had two teams and two games each weekend. Being military brats, my kids love to travel since they did it a lot when they were younger. Vegas is the longest they have ever lived in once place because I retired here.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your service to our find country sir. I want to come visist asap. My buddy has a house he goes to in the winter :)
 
@Sandypk I finally signed for Top Drawer Goat. How does one get their dd on the list of top 150? Do she start like at #1000 04 player in the country and then she has to earn the top 150 based on future success or can I go back to when she was 8 and scored 3 goals against @Sparky9 old team in like 10 minutes to save the tie at State Cup? That game was played in the snow. I will go look for that pic.

@Sandypk Crossfire Premier sounds like they take care of the goats that are full time. Good for them. I wonder if all them parents are begging for a handout Sandy? BTW, when my dd got her one start with coach Rogers in the Surf Cup finals in 2018, we played the Crossfier Premier 03 team in finals. I do have that video but I won;t show it because I would be promoting my minor on the forum. She scored the first goal of the game. It was awesome :)

In the spring of 2019, Crossfire Premier, one of the best youth clubs in the country with many professionals and national team players developing at the club over the past few decades, announced that it would be leaving the Girls Development Academy to rejoin the ECNL.

“Looking at it from a national perspective, any league that can bring together the top programs in the country is going to provide fantastic competition for our teams,” Crossfire Premier coach Justi Baumgardt (who coached in both the ECNL and Girls DA) told TopDrawerSoccer about the decision for Crossfire Premier to join ECNL. “And we are genuinely seeking the best competition we can find — we’ve even sent all of our girls’ teams to Europe in the past year and have had Crossfire teams play FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Madrid CFF, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and more, along with competing against the best teams across the country here in the States.”

“Our club fully-funds our oldest two girls’ teams (U-17 and U-19) — that was the case in the DA and continues in the ECNL — so there are high expectations, both on the players and on us coaches,” Baumgardt said. “We also fund all ECNL travel for the other four teams (U-13 through U-16). And the more we can play clubs with the quality of a Real Colorado, a Slammers, etc., the better it is for what we’re trying do, and that’s to develop high-level soccer players who can go on to college soccer, to youth national teams, and perform against the best players in the country and world. Whether as a coach or as a player, you want to play against the best competition you can find, as often as possible.”
The competition in the ECNL is certainly a big appeal, but Baumgardt also referenced something that is rarely discussed when debating between the two leagues of the girls club soccer world.

“Looking at it from my level, on the field with the teams, I think the ECNL offers a significant benefit that I don’t see talked about very often, and that’s in the league’s substitution rules. We’re trying to develop players here — I mean that’s our primary mission as youth coaches, regardless of where we coach — and I don’t know how you develop someone if she's sitting on the bench 85% of the time,” Baumgardt said. “To not be allowed reentry was really hard on our players, particularly when you’re not playing that many games to begin with, like 25-28 games in a 10-month season, so you don’t have a huge reason to rotate. So you look at it after 8-10 games and see that the top 12-14 players are getting a lot of match time, but the players further down the depth chart are finding it really tough to get consistent game minutes.”

“In the ECNL, we have a lot more flexibility to manage our rosters,” Baumgardt continued. “Players can’t go off and on again in the same half, so we are keeping the integrity of the competition, but they trust us coaches to be able to manage our teams appropriately.”
 
EOTL said:
You and @Simisoccerfan are the only ones. I hope your daughter doesn’t tear her ACL in the last 5 minutes of either half.
Click to expand...

@EOTL I hope that didn't happen to your dd. Injuries are tough in both leagues though. We have a couple of players tear there ACL in there second last game in HS. In any case those injuries could have happened in ECNL , HS or DA. I do hear you tend to see you injures in HS? Is there any true to that? I personally this the percentage in any league would be about the same.
 
Ellejustus said:
@Giesbock continued....
CHANGE A LIFE & BUILD THE FUTURE: THE DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Great talent comes from all areas and backgrounds. Since 2008, the U.S. Soccer Scholarship Program has contributed nearly $4.2 million in need-based financial aid to 3,000 of our nation's most talented young players.

Last year, with the support of donors like you, U.S. Soccer doubled the amount of scholarship available for boys and girls in the Development Academy.

We need your help to continue breaking down economic barriers to making the highest level of domestic youth soccer affordable for all players and families.

The average scholarship award to a player to help cover high travel costs during the 10-month Academy season is $1,469. The typical scholarship recipient lives within 5% of the Federal Poverty Line, travels more than 25 miles each way to train and receives free or reduced-cost lunches.

Will you help support a young player with a dream to play soccer? You can change a life, help build a sport and inspire a nation.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Really excellent information. Also, gotta say that I appreciate you putting your commentary in parentheses (is that plural for one parenthesis???). Or since they come in pairs, is a pair of these things (( singular??

anyway, good stuff.

Based on this family’s relatively brief exposure to club soccer and now DA, it comes down to the coaches, proximity to home, player’s internal motivation and guess you’d want to throw in natural athleticism. So far, knock on wood, the politics, bad stuff, weird toxic talk has not been our experience.

Pay to get top tier coaches and facility? Yeah, of course...that’s sports here in today’s USA. (actually now, it’s all virtual except the homework the athlete does at home with no one watching).

There’s a great ad featuring Michael Phelps from a few years ago..”the work you do in the dark brings you into the light..” or something like that.

I know there was back and forth talk about juggling. It’s not the juggling in and of itself, but that skill leads to deftness of touch and a player’s ability to riff with the ball at game speed. International stars that struggle with juggling are the rare exception. My daughter drops 1200 or so, time permitting. Mix with headers, chest, thighs, back to both feet, etc. For a proud dad, that’s fun to watch whether it translates to potential goat ness or not!
 
gotothebushes said:
@EOTL I hope that didn't happen to your dd. Injuries are tough in both leagues though. We have a couple of players tear there ACL in there second last game in HS. In any case those injuries could have happened in ECNL , HS or DA. I do hear you tend to see you injures in HS? Is there any true to that? I personally this the percentage in any league would be about the same.
Click to expand...

A girl is at risk any time she steps into the field, but she is most at risk in the last five minutes of each half unless she has been able to rest. It is irresponsible to impose a rule that forces 14 teenage girls in every game to face that maximum risk. That is not a risk present in HS or ECNL, which allow coaches to do what is best for their players, instead of what USSF thinks is best for USSF.
 
The Outlaw said:
Yeah, I get the fake rage because political correctness is cool right now. The fact remains... when you're 13% of the population, and you possess 65% of the player jobs, bitching about not having more of the 30 coaching jobs available is bullshit. I just have the balls to say it, Vegas.
Click to expand...
I have said this before, apologies for repeating myself, just because you can play the sport does NOT mean you know how to coach the sport. You may love the sport, be knowledgeable about the skills, tactics, etc. etc. etc., maybe even be a good trainer one on one or small group, but that does not mean you possess the ability to communicate, encourage, manage, your knowledge for the benefit of a team! That goes for any sport!
 
EOTL said:
A girl is at risk any time she steps into the field, but she is most at risk in the last five minutes of each half unless she has been able to rest. It is irresponsible to impose a rule that forces 14 teenage girls in every game to face that maximum risk. That is not a risk present in HS or ECNL, which allow coaches to do what is best for their players, instead of what USSF thinks is best for USSF.
Click to expand...

You have posted numerous times referencing ACL risk as it pertains to DA vs ECNL vs HS vs other. You have also posted your sources on occasion (I've read them all.) No doubt, female athlete ACL injury rates are alarming and we should do everything possible to reduce those rates. Unfortunately, you have consistently drawn false conclusions from the sources you've listed, many of which were poorly designed or small case studies from which no conclusions can be drawn. Having said that, I'd like to see your source in reference to your claim about the increased rate of ACL injury in the final 5 minutes of each half. Please post it. Cheers to you in advance if your data are solid and actionable. Needless to say, I am dubious. Regardless, extrapolating any such data to DA v ECNL v HS is ludicrous unless ECNL and HS coaches are resting every player every half (which, of course, they are not.)

Neil deGrasse (smart dude): "It is okay to not know. But when you don't know, yet think you know, and wield power in that ignorance, it's a recipe for disaster."
 
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