GPS San Diego in Carlsbad??

[Lightning Red]

For anyone casting GPS SD in a negative light, or have questions about GPS, you probably don’t know Mindes. That man defines the word “integrity” and he is the head of GPS SD.

This is long winded, but, Mindes and the GPS relationship, soccer in San Diego, and your decision for your kid's interest is not uncomplicated. So here we go...

Our son has trained with Mindes for 5 years privately, but Mindes never had his age group. We always said "We will leave wherever we are if you end up coaching his age." Well, he did, and we did. First, we have been through the machine on the second teams at the top clubs. When our son made the decision to go with Mindes, he didn't care that the big club name was not attached to his new team (Matrix), or, that he was leaving what he knew for 20% of his entire life. He just wanted a much higher level, more dedicated, intense experience than what was being offered to him at his last club (Surf), which our son also enjoyed for a couple of years. Whether you feel positively or negatively about GPS, the one thing that can’t be overstated, it is still 100% Mindes, who again, defines integrity, dedication, and culture.

The level of training, attention, and soccer culture our son gets from Mindes is superior to everywhere else we have been. From fitness, nutrition, tactics, speed, & agility, to the emotional and mental requirements critical to the game, our son, along with other kids on the team (some of which who were on the 5th and 6th teams at other clubs), have grown exponentially in the short 9 months they have been together - to the point where they are competing against and defeating flight one and even a couple of national teams. Mindes knows how to identify talent, develop a player and, even more importantly, assure that his philosophy transcends, coaches, players, and parents.

Now, Mindes is NOT for everyone. He is for the hard core soccer player - the kid that wants to live and breathe the sport and culture. If you or your kid don't want to commit to 4 days a week with additional gym days for strength training, this is not the club for you. If you are OK with your kid competing on a diet of Chicken Mcnuggets, Big Macs, and supersized Cokes, this is not the club for you. If your kid plays 10 other sports, this is not the club for you. If you have delusions of grandeur that your kid is the next Messi, this is not the club for you. If you want a club that puts academics, nutrition, and fitness first, teaches our kids to play competitively at the highest levels, truly holds players, parents, and coaches accountable, puts a "real" vested interest in your kid on and off the field, then this is the club for you. There are pathways and opportunities through GPS, but I am not a believer in any of these clubs touting their pathways, because let's face it, out of 330 million people, Christian Pulisic is the only star to rise out of US soccer, and US soccer had absolutely nothing to do with his success.

Take what you will from this, but GPS is an international organization, and, this particular region is blessed by GPS giving Mindes the reigns to build a true soccer culture for the kids that want to live it.

I know Mindes very well and he has trained both of my kids.I also believe what he does with the kids had been great. GPS is lucky to have him on board. I wish him nothing but the best in his new venture. My comments were based solely on past results with the group in and outside of San Diego. Lots of empty promises which ultimately resulted in kids out in the cold without a true platform to play. And for the record my kids were never involved with the program but I know plenty who have been.

 

[futboldad1]

Thank you! I get the skepticism. I am skeptical of every club, established or not, large or small. If a family has been in the system long enough, they will see the good, the bad, and the ugly from the clubs, players, and parents. We have been through it and our son, as well as us as parents, are lucky to have the opportunity to be with Mindes. He is an honest, open book. Call him and talk directly to him. As I said, his philosophy and culture will not be for everyone. Many families and players we know either can’t, or don’t want to commit to the rigid training required, and that is OK. Regardless, it is good to have another truly elite option in North County.

Did I miss the part where they got ECNL or GDA?

 

[Gravityseeker]

Did I miss the part where they got ECNL or GDA?

You have good teams and bad teams, good coaches and bad coaches in both ECNL and DA. To say that because a team is DA or ECNL that they are better or ”Elite,” is unjustified. There are many teams that are in both that shouldn’t be, and many teams that are not that, if the hype matched reality, should be.

 

[Gravityseeker]

I know Mindes very well and he has trained both of my kids.I also believe what he does with the kids had been great. GPS is lucky to have him on board. I wish him nothing but the best in his new venture. My comments were based solely on past results with the group in and outside of San Diego. Lots of empty promises which ultimately resulted in kids out in the cold without a true platform to play. And for the record my kids were never involved with the program but I know plenty who have been.

Like I said, I am always skeptical. I don’t know about the embezzlement, or any previous acts committed by former management, but I know that wouldn’t fly with Mindes. He has put the kids and his program before his own financial and personal well-being for nearly two years. He epitomizes overcoming adversity. More importantly, the kids love him.

 

[Gravityseeker]

Did I miss the part where they got ECNL or GDA?

(Add) They are apparently working on ECNL. Mindes is a huge high school sports advocate so not sure about the DA.

 

[CopaMundial]

Did I miss the part where they got ECNL or GDA?

Who cares? My older played ECNL and DA. Won a national championship in ECNL and went to National finals in DA. Turned down numerous D1 interests to pursue her dream school at D3. What's important is what the player wants. Not the club, the coach or the ego of how many D1 players are being recruited. It should always be about the player.

We have known Mindes since my older daughter was 9. He has always taken care of her and pushed her to be the best player she can be. Now he has my younger. He truly is one of very few coaches that really cares about the player, their development, their health, their education, their future. He is as concerned about them being great players as being great people. GPS is lucky to have him.

BTW, my little DD played on the regional GPS U12 team this weekend at OC Tournament of Champions. Lost in semi-final. Considering they all just got together on Friday to play for this tourney, I wouldn't say they suck (as others said). Semi-final isn't too shabby. My DD had never even met the other players before this weekend, but she had a good time and they obviously competed. I understand there is skepticism, but I'm still for competition. Rather have it from someone that cares and trying to do the right thing than another big brand buying out a local small club because they want the talent and own all the local field space. There should be room for everyone. We should have choices.

 

[MyDaughtersAKeeper]

When my DD played with a Carlsbad based club we would see Mindes at the fields - all the time. The dude is passionate, energetic, loves soccer and appears to push his kids hard, in a good way. I believe that he brought a very low cost alternative to club soccer in Carlsbad with his last affiliation. Have nothing but respect for the man and wish him the best in all his ventures.

If we actually believe the mantra that many of us say on this forum about pick the coach over the club, then it would seem that he would get serious consideration.

 

[newwavedave]

You have good teams and bad teams, good coaches and bad coaches in both ECNL and DA. To say that because a team is DA or ECNL that they are better or ”Elite,” is unjustified. There are many teams that are in both that shouldn’t be, and many teams that are not that, if the hype matched reality, should be.

With the new college rules you don't have to do either leagues. You can now play local and with your HS Soccer team and not have all that fear of missing out on the big college deal. My dd old HS teammate did not play either big leagues last year and got a deal as GK at a good school. June 15th going into Jr year, you can walk into any coaches office, introduce yourself, hand him/her a video drive and tell them you're interested in going to school there and playing soccer. Coach and player can get to know each other for 18 months and then on national signing day you make the big decision, although I'm sure most will have already decided. We should be slow and make it fun for the girls. I do like ECNL for those looking to study outside of SoCal. Also fun to play other teams outside of SoCal. I have heard many great things about the coach. "You're in great hands with Mindes" Good luck to GPS!!!!

 

[futboldad1]

Who cares? My older played ECNL and DA. Won a national championship in ECNL and went to National finals in DA. Turned down numerous D1 interests to pursue her dream school at D3. What's important is what the player wants. Not the club, the coach or the ego of how many D1 players are being recruited. It should always be about the player.

We have known Mindes since my older daughter was 9. He has always taken care of her and pushed her to be the best player she can be. Now he has my younger. He truly is one of very few coaches that really cares about the player, their development, their health, their education, their future. He is as concerned about them being great players as being great people. GPS is lucky to have him.

BTW, my little DD played on the regional GPS U12 team this weekend at OC Tournament of Champions. Lost in semi-final. Considering they all just got together on Friday to play for this tourney, I wouldn't say they suck (as others said). Semi-final isn't too shabby. My DD had never even met the other players before this weekend, but she had a good time and they obviously competed. I understand there is skepticism, but I'm still for competition. Rather have it from someone that cares and trying to do the right thing than another big brand buying out a local small club because they want the talent and own all the local field space. There should be room for everyone. We should have choices.

Was asking if this new GPS had gotten ECNL or DA as the poster described it as a "Truly elite option" and I'm somewhat out the loop of the SD region since moving. The description just doesn't seem accurate when teams/kids are shut out of competing against and with the best teams/kids at under 13 and above.....I'm not a fan of the way things are but it's the environment that's been created, at least in so cal. I'm pleased Mindes (appreciate your insight on him) is going to offer a good coaching option to the other names in the area as it's truly sad how mega clubs have been created and all families funneled into them....pleased to hear soccer in your family is going well and hopefully your younger DD gets the multiple D1-D3 offers that your older one got

 

[CopaMundial]

Was asking if this new GPS had gotten ECNL or DA as the poster described it as a "Truly elite option" and I'm somewhat out the loop of the SD region since moving. The description just doesn't seem accurate when teams/kids are shut out of competing against and with the best teams/kids at under 13 and above.....I'm not a fan of the way things are but it's the environment that's been created, at least in so cal. I'm pleased Mindes (appreciate your insight on him) is going to offer a good coaching option to the other names in the area as it's truly sad how mega clubs have been created and all families funneled into them....pleased to hear soccer in your family is going well and hopefully your younger DD gets the multiple D1-D3 offers that your older one got

I will say that the entire system has really had a changeup with the recruiting rules. At 11, my older was already positioned for an ECNL team (this was prior to DA) and preparing to start ID camps this summer. It was a ridiculous time. Had it not been for injury, my older would have committed in 9th grade and would now be regretting that decision. But, times have changed, for the better...

Fast forward to today, my younger isn't even playing on a girls team permanently. She plays with boys and guests on girls' teams for tourneys. She's now 11 and we have NO pressure to get her on an ECNL or DA team. We have no recruiting pressure to start ID camps this summer either. Everything has slowed down with the new recruiting rules and we are taking advantage of that. Now we have time.

You talk about visibility and player level, my older is headed to a school she found on her own, while attending another ID camp back east. Not one coach from her first DA club helped facilitate anything! She had all the conversations herself, sent the coaches film, gave them her tourney schedule and built the relationship herself. I'm not going to say that there aren't a ton of college coaches at DA and ECNL events, but many of these same coaches also attend Surf Cup, Silverlakes Showcase, Jefferson Cup and a few other large ones in the East and South. There are great teams in ECNL and DA and some pretty sucky ones as well. Just take a look at some of the game scores from last week in Florida.

At 15/16, our older DD became VERY focused on her career path and what degree and type of school she wanted to study at. So her top 7 schools were very narrow and specific. If our younger ends up this focused, I would say our money is better spent at 7 ID camps and building a relationship with her top choices and playing on the top team in her league, whatever that may be. Playing up is also an option, which I have seen work very well for good players.

If a player shows interest and has talent, schools take note, regardless if their club is DA or ENCL or DPL or none of the above. Maybe if they are YNT (aka, a unicorn) or something like that, it might make a huge difference, but for the above average player that wants to play in college, the game has changed and coaches know it. Talent can be found on various levels as the talent pool is spread more and more thin. Again, I won't say it isn't "easier" to be seen more often at DA or ECNL, but it's not the "end al be al"l either. There are plenty of DA and ECNL players at U18, not recruited yet and many colleges are still needing players. I'll put a link up below.

I can't tell our future for our younger, but I can say the soccer climate is very different than it was 6 years ago. I just don't know if I feel the pressure to be on a DA or ECNL team without consideration of the coach or club culture, the way I did for my older. I hope I'm right and more competition will generate more choices. There should be many paths, not just 1 or 2.

Here's the college "need" list:

College Recruiting Needs List: DI | College Soccer

We polled DI college coaches nationwide to see what recruiting needs they still have for the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 graduating classes. See what positions they are still looking to fill.

www.topdrawersoccer.com

 

[futboldad1]

I will say that the entire system has really had a changeup with the recruiting rules. At 11, my older was already positioned for an ECNL team (this was prior to DA) and preparing to start ID camps this summer. It was a ridiculous time. Had it not been for injury, my older would have committed in 9th grade and would now be regretting that decision. But, times have changed, for the better...

Fast forward to today, my younger isn't even playing on a girls team permanently. She plays with boys and guests on girls' teams for tourneys. She's now 11 and we have NO pressure to get her on an ECNL or DA team. We have no recruiting pressure to start ID camps this summer either. Everything has slowed down with the new recruiting rules and we are taking advantage of that. Now we have time.

You talk about visibility and player level, my older is headed to a school she found on her own, while attending another ID camp back east. Not one coach from her first DA club helped facilitate anything! She had all the conversations herself, sent the coaches film, gave them her tourney schedule and built the relationship herself. I'm not going to say that there aren't a ton of college coaches at DA and ECNL events, but many of these same coaches also attend Surf Cup, Silverlakes Showcase, Jefferson Cup and a few other large ones in the East and South. There are great teams in ECNL and DA and some pretty sucky ones as well. Just take a look at some of the game scores from last week in Florida.

To clarify I never mentioned visibility.....it is relevant but player level is all I was talking about. Talent is indeed spread more thin nowadays but the majority is in DA and ECNL, sure there are weaker and stronger teams but the average is far higher in DA and ECNL than SCDSL or Coast....if you think the majority of kids on the bubble (neither unicorns nor second rate) can improve when they are playing with and against 3rd tier players on weekly basis then we're going to have to agree to disagree...once they get to 12, 13, 14 years the bottom drops out and development will slow however good the coach is unless you're in a closed league and yes this is sad, but I've lived it with my 2005 and 2006 who were caught right in the middle of the age changes and DA arrival....again I send only the best vibes for your dd whatever path you end up taking when she gets older and whichever that is I hope she gets more help from her coach than your older got from that DA coach at her first club

 

[Gravityseeker]

To clarify I never mentioned visibility.....it is relevant but player level is all I was talking about. Talent is indeed spread more thin nowadays but the majority is in DA and ECNL, sure there are weaker and stronger teams but the average is far higher in DA and ECNL than SCDSL or Coast....if you think the majority of kids on the bubble (neither unicorns nor second rate) can improve when they are playing with and against 3rd tier players on weekly basis then we're going to have to agree to disagree...once they get to 12, 13, 14 years the bottom drops out and development will slow however good the coach is unless you're in a closed league and yes this is sad, but I've lived it with my 2005 and 2006 who were caught right in the middle of the age changes and DA arrival....again I send only the best vibes for your dd whatever path you end up taking when she gets older and whichever that is I hope she gets more help from her coach than your older got from that DA coach at her first club

I think the mistake that is made is associating “Elite” with DA or ECNL, because there is no correlation between the two. Thinking that they are superior because they are a DA or ECNL team is unfounded. I have a good buddy whose kid’s team (2005) is not a DA team, yet has a highly sought after coach, phenomenal players, incredible training, and they would absolutely dominate the 2005 DA if they had that association. They travel a couple of times a year to play internationally where the do extremely well. There are many teams throughout the country like this. Are they not “Elite” player development programs because they opt to go a different direction than what US Soccer has deemed to be the proper path? No, they are truly “elite” in every sense of the word. There are couple of DA boys we know from different clubs asking about GPS, and are thinking making the break with the DA and going to Mindes and other teams because they want to play high school, yet, still want the superior training. Are they no longer “elite” level players because they left the DA? Parents need to get over this whole DA / ECNL as the be-all-end-all thing. It is the biggest misconception in player development and growth. If we want to truly define “elite,” then we need to jump on a plane and head to Europe. We will have to agree to disagree on the DA/ECNL debate. Regardless, Mindes offers “Elite” level training and player development.

 

[soccerfan123]

I think the mistake that is made is associating “Elite” with DA or ECNL, because there is no correlation between the two. Thinking that they are superior because they are a DA or ECNL team is unfounded. I have a good buddy whose kid’s team (2005) is not a DA team, yet has a highly sought after coach, phenomenal players, incredible training, and they would absolutely dominate the 2005 DA if they had that association. They travel a couple of times a year to play internationally where the do extremely well. There are many teams throughout the country like this. Are they not “Elite” player development programs because they opt to go a different direction than what US Soccer has deemed to be the proper path? No, they are truly “elite” in every sense of the word. There are couple of DA boys we know from different clubs asking about GPS, and are thinking making the break with the DA and going to Mindes and other teams because they want to play high school, yet, still want the superior training. Are they no longer “elite” level players because they left the DA? Parents need to get over this whole DA / ECNL as the be-all-end-all thing. It is the biggest misconception in player development and growth. If we want to truly define “elite,” then we need to jump on a plane and head to Europe. We will have to agree to disagree on the DA/ECNL debate. Regardless, Mindes offers “Elite” level training and player development.

Name the 05 team please. Im talking strictly girls. I hear this kind of thing a lot but in reality these teams would not "dominate the 2005 DA if they had association"

Euro argument is correct for boys, not for the girls and yup I saw the Barcelona femini win the icc and they deserved it but they were pushed hard the whole way and the other euro teams really struggled bad

why are gps trying to get ECNL if it's just smoke and mirrors that ECNL and DA have the majority of top girls talent?

 

[Gravityseeker]

Name the 05 team please. Im talking strictly girls. I hear this kind of thing a lot but in reality these teams would not "dominate the 2005 DA if they had association"

Euro argument is correct for boys, not for the girls and yup I saw the Barcelona femini win the icc and they deserved it but they were pushed hard the whole way and the other euro teams really struggled bad

why are gps trying to get ECNL if it's just smoke and mirrors that ECNL and DA have the majority of top girls talent?

He was playing for Rush. US girls soccer dominates for now, but give it till the World Cup after this next one. With the rest of the countries putting more money and resources into their girls’ clubs, you will see a paradigm shift to where neither the men’s nor women’s teams will likely make it to the WC, and if they do, they won’t do well.

My presumption for GPS getting into ECNL is to placate parents who think it is the be-all-end-all to their kid’s soccer “career.” Just my $0.02 on that point though.

 

[newwavedave]

"Are they no longer “elite” level players because they left the DA?"
No, but 100% you won't be considered for YNT unless you happen to be the best of the best. If you're ECNL top girl player, I know for 100% certainty that these goats are told they better play DA or kiss goodbye YNT. My dd right now is good enough to push the top cream to the top but is not allowed to. I now understand it all comes down to money & power & control by an organization that is at best incompetent or corrupt or both. Think about that everyone. Do you want some of these clowns grooming your dd for the future? Hell no from this dad. Fix the organization and maybe my dd will come out to try and push the Best of the Best to the top again.

 

[CopaMundial]

"Are they no longer “elite” level players because they left the DA?"
No, but 100% you won't be considered for YNT unless you happen to be the best of the best. If you're ECNL top girl player, I know for 100% certainty that these goats are told they better play DA or kiss goodbye YNT. My dd right now is good enough to push the top cream to the top but is not allowed to. I now understand it all comes down to money & power & control by an organization that is at best incompetent or corrupt or both. Think about that everyone. Do you want some of these clowns grooming your dd for the future? Hell no from this dad. Fix the organization and maybe my dd will come out to try and push the Best of the Best to the top again.

You may be accurate for 99%, but Baker's teams stayed ECNL and have quite a few YNT players. It will be interesting to see if these unicorns are the last of the ECNL girls to be YNT going forward and if DA reigns supreme in the coming years. If that happens, I would think there will be some great players overlooked. Wrong direction for US Soccer in my humble opinion. But we shall see....

BTW, does anyone know if Training Centers still exist?