Each dd is different in size and grit as a freshman Eagle. I believe a player named Mel is 15 and plays Pro for SD Wave. OM played as 15-year-old. Alyssa Thompson played ECNL U18/19 as a 14-year-old. I also think it's stupid and lame to have some AD with that rule. Remember when Kareem played JV at UCLA? Stupid is stupid....
High School Soccer
- Thread starter Keeperkat
- Start date
Control freaks. Some coaches love power. My dd HS coach also coached club. My dd wanted to win the Pre-Season games and play and her coach would not allow club players to start much or play that much. He played everyone. He only tried to win league games. It was the right thing to do. ECNL was off so no rules were broken. My kid usually was super sore or hurt so no practices really during league. Do NOT let your dd get over worked or hacked. Some of the big girls on the opposing team will look to hurt and take out the club players. It can get dirty and nasty.
100% this. The freshman has also played in several national showcases and tournaments like Surf Cup, etc. Older flight 2/3 players are not likely to have any of that experience. The only counter to this is the older flight 2/3 player might be "better" at jungle ball.
Thank you for your response! I suggested this to my daughter and I didn't get a very enthusiastic response. Ugh
I agree with you. Also, what I have seen is the top player which may be ECNL gets very frustrated playing at such a low level to what they are accustom too.
This I completely agree with! I think there are many life lessons going on for her right now. This POS is not the last one she will have to deal with.
It just sucks...the girls should just be able to soccer with their friends and enjoy it. I asked my daughter if she wanted me to buy the Varsity jacket she earned last year and she said no because she doesn't want to remember how bad this experience. She still loves being with her friends which is what makes her stay.
whatithink
GOLD
For the clubs to admit this would (my theory)
- Negatively impact the "brand", i.e. 80=90% of the players are cannon fodder and haven't a hope of ever playing at a high level but are needed for the "league" to work
- Crash the ponzi scheme, i.e. the means to part parents with wads of cash for players that will never make it
For what it's worth, I am hearing of several MLS Next clubs that are giving passes for their players to play in HS. I think they're seeing some exodus as a result of the rule.
The failed GDA was 100% against HS Soccer. My daughter and I took a stand her Fr year against the tyrants. They said, "sorry, no HS Soccer for anyone because the world is watching." Well, the girls who had rich parents and went to Private High School wanted to do both, so the GDA granted them special waivers that favors the rich. Less that 1% will play pro anyways so let the girls have fun with their friends. Both and.......
whatithink
GOLD
I see MLS Next players playing high school, esp. in their Senior year but earlier too. The threats are pretty hollow (can't come back this season) as they know where they stand and know they will get on another team or be accepted back into the existing team when HS is done (or know its all a load of BS and they are done with it).
CruzControl
BRONZE
For any kids playing in the MLS Next league, soccer is probably the thing they're best at, and the thing they work hardest at. It's probably the thing that gives them the most confidence in themselves. Playing high school soccer should be their chance to reap all of the rewards from their talent and effort. They could play alongside their friends, in front of their peers (and not just other players' parents), with the much grander emotional stakes of high school sports, with their biggest talent on display, and with a chance to stand out at school. High school sports is the stuff of inspirational movies, where lasting memories are formed and enough confidence is stockpiled to last a lifetime. For the MLS Next to strip kids of this opportunity is counterproductive to everything youth sports is supposed to stand for. Have they ever explained this decision publicly?
Agree but many of the MLS Next Teams are subsidized by fees from the lower placed B and C teams.
MLS Next Fest though is in early December. That means those players would need to miss it and it is one of the premiere MLS showcases. At least in California because of of the high school window, and because this one is televised, it's not something you can hide. You are going to have to pick between one or the other if your team is going, and the high school choice as a result only makes sense if you are a bencher that's not going to play, or an already somewhat committed senior that's been passed on in the final academy sweeps that just wants to play for the high school the last year. Unless you are on one of the top 5 boy competitive high school team that makes a run for the title, it's also not fair to sit on eligibility through the Fest taking up a varsity slot your classmates could have.
I don't know if MLS Next has publicly stated anything about this topic, but it seems to make sense to me to have a pathway for higher level kids that want to play professionally. Playing HS soccer isn't really a piece of that path. Obviously there are concerns of cannon fodder that @Grace T. rightfully points out, but I think that's the gist of MLS Next. ECNL is high level as well, but they're more focused on the collegiate player. I do think if the US/MLS wants to get better they need to have an academy system that supports the professional pathway, similar to European clubs. Wasn't DA as restrictive as MLS Next when it comes to HS soccer?
High school soccer has certainly changed since my time. College scouts used to come to HS tournaments/games all the time back then.
The big stumbling block would be Next Fest. Technically that means you can't practice with your high school team until a week or two before Christmas break (depending on your particular schedule)
Yeah but there's a distinction between Academy players and the regular MLS Next players. It's hard enough for the academy players to make the pro path. For the MLS Next Players if they haven't been picked up by the academy by graduation and/or aren't in some of the limited residential schools (such as IMG), it ain't happening (I mean some do go on to play lower division 3 pro, like my son's high school coach, but that's not why MLS Next is there for). The reason they need to be around is basically for Next Fest and so the academy players can have someone around to scrimmage against.
Remember too the MLS Academies are on a semi-national league circuit and play each other in league that counts. But because of weather, nationally the high school seasons vary. ECNL is grouped regionally which does not happen for the MLS Academies. But again recall the regular MLS Next teams are there as cannon fodder to give them practice opponents when they aren't traveling and for the 2nd stringers. So because there isn't a national high school schedule it would be difficult for a national program like MLS to make it work without disrupting some training program some where...some academies would find themselves without scrimmage opponents during the high school window but having to play league games. The needs of the academies govern what's necessary, not the requirements of the local membership, which is why you've seen some regular MLS Next clubs revolt (in part) like the ones in Texas.
p.s. remember too MLS covers Canada as well so you'd have to take into account their school schedule and weather as well.
Love this Cruz Control. High School sports is where legends play and give it all they got to help win for the community. When I look back at my glory days, I share a true story. My adopted father came down with Parkinson's so they decided to sell the beach house in Laguna Beach my Senior Year. I had to go to Troy HS in Fullerton and start over and make new friends my Senior year after being on the beach everyday all my life. It was hard and I got bullied by a few asshats on the football team because I carried a beach bag for my books. The guys called me "Homo, fag and gay" because of the rainbow colors of my cool bag and the fact I was from Laguna. I also played on the Varsity Basketball team. My life changed when I hit the game winner at "The Pit" against the archrival Fullerton Indians. I was mobbed at half court and put on the bullies' shoulders, and they said, "sorry crush for being mean, your one of us now." Everything changed with that game winner.
whatithink
GOLD
They know and they are fine skipping it. Basically if everything is based on that tournament alone, then well ....
I've seen 3-5 kids skip MLS and play HS in my kids school alone every year he has been there (snr now). He can recount instances in multiple other schools. IMV, club coaches & clubs generally hate HS as it takes their gravy train away, but they deal with it outside of MLS, while they constantly tell their top players (non MLS) not to do it (from my experience). The kids love it, on the other hand. Its fun, its with your buddies, you bond, hang out and play soccer ... winning isn't even that important - although they are boys so always play to win. There's the added advantage that the kids need to have a certain GPA to play and if not they are auto dropped, that's great too.
HS ball, standards are iffy, fields can be iffy, refs can be iffy ... kids have loads of fun. What's not to like!