Again, no different than last year. Most of the clubs were having "calender year" practices, open to all players, well ahead of their tryout dates, and those were starting in November. All of the big clubs had their top teams secured long before their tryout dates. Tryouts for these clubs were to fill their lower teams. If your kid had a dream of playing for one of these clubs top team, they better have practiced with them a couple of times before tryouts, ... and caught the coaches eye. I would argue that, at least for the clubs like Surf, it's been that way for years. It would be very rare for someone to just walks on at tryouts and makes the top team. That is all preordained. This is nothing new. The then ECNL clubs, and now DA clubs are following the same pattern as they always have.
Girls Development Academy
- Thread starter Swoosh
- Start date
What club does your dd play for? Question: Can ECNL players make a switch right now to a non-ECNL team before National Cup and during the last few games of CRL? That can make a huge impact for some already good teams. Another question is: What team will these top ECNL players join? And: Will they stop their long commutes and return home to a closer club? I guess time will tell... I actually can't wait to see it all unfold from the sidelines.
MakeAPlay
DA
That is the first time in like 6 years that I have seen you compliment Surf!!
MakeAPlay
DA
I agree. With the way things are headed it seems that it is clear that the elite players are going to get a free ride on the backs of everyone else. It's sad to say but that isn't much different than in corporate America. Warren Buffet makes about 10,000 times what his highly paid secretary makes yet pays a lower percentage of taxes. Great players now are going to get a free ride and better college offers. That's pretty gangster...
I had some, long time ago. Here's some, good organization, not as expensive as people think, Surf cup pay is good, good fields, most of the unscrupulous coaches don't last. They are kind of like thr Patriots, keep dominating no matter who the players are.
ESPNANALYST
SILVER ELITE
Antecdotal so take it with grain of salt
1. Several teams have brought players into their teams for last games of CRL
It isn't against the rules which I found odd but oh well. If they are "on the team" they can play
2. The current ECNL teams are either being offered DA spot and stay or not. Due to the fact that these are middle schoolers I think majority are going DA because we don't have to make a choice until 9th grade anyway.
3. They are going closer to homes. They are getting big scholarships and some people don't want to play for certain coaches at big name clubs which is why they are leaving. We are not talking about a few either- it's substantial and dust has already settled and those girls are talking to other DA.
What I am trying to say is that everything that has been said-
- the top clubs will still be top clubs
-people will want to go to proven clubs
- ecnl will still be a great league
Is being openly and rashly challenged by the parents. People I NEVER thought would go to Pats are getting full ride and going. Legends has secured TOP talent.
Warren Buffet is a dick, that's a different thing. People with more average players won't keep doing this if they are clearly being told that their kids have no importance or chane. We will go back to small local clubs, that's probably a good thing.
I've had kids in this since the mid 2000's. Things have really changed and not for the better.
Sorry, that college stuff is mostly bs for most kids.
ESPNANALYST
SILVER ELITE
No different than AAU. That's where we are headed.
Totally gangster- know one parent who got 2k from a certain club and called another and said hey you can have her for full ride and went. People are ABSOLUTELY aging for full ride thing. Of course clubs are doing usual cloak and mirrors game too- "I can give you 2kbut don't tell anyone"..
again buyer beware. Like I said I want to see the B team ECNL faces when they see the sticker price UNLESS ECNL will decrease the fees this year
ESPNANALYST
SILVER ELITE
Agree a lot. Also agree though with people being honest because these clubs only exist because we do this- we say yes I am buying into the fact that my kid at 14 is going to "move up". That's not healthy either to continually do this to kids.
I see it every year club hoppers, new coaches etc.
Find a coach who believes in your daughter and go from there.
If you are bored on Netflix watch "AT ALL COSTS" . It's an eye opener.
I personally do not see anything wrong with going back to the ONE REGIONAL TEAM OF ELITE PLAYERS with a strong id program in place.
The poll is diluted now. It just is and it's weird that no one is seeing or saying that yet...
MakeAPlay
DA
Perhaps it is being challenged but a free Hyundai is still a Hyundai and not a Lexus. Hodges may try to comp all the talent that he wants to but players that can't play quality soccer are cycled out of the YNT and don't play a lot in college. A diamond is still a diamond and a cubic zirconia may look like a diamond and the price may be right but it isn't a diamond. I guess if you mix a few diamonds in you can fool people. You just can't fool them when it matters like when they are playing against real ones.
ESPNANALYST
SILVER ELITE
Love you but you don't know whose coaching at the "bigs"
A free Hyundai for a year is better than a gutted out Mercedes just saying...and a smart consumer knows that 7 and 8 graders still got a tad bit of time. Plus most of them have private trainers anyway so it washes out
MakeAPlay
DA
Great post I agree 100%. Like Kevin Spacey said in THE USUAL SUSPECTS, "the greatest trick that the devil pulled was convincing the world that he didn't exist."
MakeAPlay
DA
As I say focus on your player and her coach and you can't go wrong.
Good luck to you and yours.
NoGoal
DA
Players and parents commuting will probably not play for a club closer to home. They commute for a reason, stronger club brand, a certain coach, stronger history of getting girls college offers, etc.
NoGoal
DA
Some might even start commuting, if the Girls DA club is "FREE".
Bananacorner
SILVER ELITE
NorCal thinks they have it all figured out, and are digging their heels in. I think some of the clubs that declined think they can always pick up a DA later if it looks like ECNL isn't cutting it, but I'm not so sure that's the case. At any rate, NorCal ECNL will probably be more competitive given many other ECNL teams will be "B" teams.
LadiesMan217
GOLD
What club(s) backed out? What is the indication of success and why can't the GDA clubs meet, or reach/exceed the same success? If ECNL/YNT/ODP/D1 are a measure of success, I am sure many of the NorCal kids that got to that level came from what you categorize as less successful clubs before they moved to an ECNL club (since ECNL was the highest level).
Many of the best girls will most likely leave ECNL clubs for GDA clubs. Same question - which ECNL clubs declined GDA in NorCal?
Bananacorner
SILVER ELITE
Mustang dropped first, then Burlingame/MVLA became just Burlingame (MVLA was hedging by partnering with Burlingame, and then dropped?)
DeAnza is hard to figure out what they are doing, sounds like their DA will be part of Portland Thorns (called California Thorns)
Davis Legacy got DA, then got ECNL, then seemed to drop DA and instead there is "California Storm" DA up there.
DeAnza is hard to figure out what they are doing, sounds like their DA will be part of Portland Thorns (called California Thorns)
Davis Legacy got DA, then got ECNL, then seemed to drop DA and instead there is "California Storm" DA up there.