SurfSupDude
SILVER
Got it. Thank you.
How’s the 2023-24 season going?
- Thread starter CharlieMurfee
- Start date
futboldad1
PREMIER
that rumor is false…100% not happening anytime in the next few years.
why would you move for your kids to play soccer? The highest paid player in NWSL never played ECNL. Just local boys clubs and high schools (not mls or ecnl clubs) because she was too poor to travel. That's the way to go.
I agree but some people do move for youth soccer.
If your kid had ridiculous talent but you lived in Omaha Nebraska. Moving to San Diego to play for Surf isn't that bad of a deal.
I've also seen parents that are crazy + move just to chase whichever club they think is the best.
They launched a second RL program on the boys' side this year. There's been a lot of talk of a second RL program on the girls' side, maybe as soon as next year. Guessing it takes them at least a couple of years of buildup to be competitive with a second RL program, let alone a second NL program that's fighting for top of table.
RobbieNorwood
BRONZE
Sheep have a natural instinct to follow one another, often referred to as flocking behavior. This behavior helps them stay together for safety and protection. Similarly, soccer parents exhibit similar tendencies when it comes ECNL soccer, but it's important to remember that we have the ability to think critically and make independent decisions. Success in soccer can be achieved through passion, hard work, and making the most of available resources, rather than solely relying on elite programs. ECNL is not the only path.
Team sport, played against other teams. People are going to gather for it.
You can try to fund an independent solution. But, for top players, if 80 of the top 100 players are in XYZ league, then perhaps XYZ league is worth a look.
Of course, there are 800 dads who think their kid is one of the top 100. Most of us are wrong. No way around that one.
100% Dad. I remember when my son was playing Rec soccer. He was fast. Anyway, he was recruited to a play on the "B" team of a top academy. Coach said with enough practice and privates, he could make the "A" team. I loved watching him play but I knew my kid and no way he would ever make the "A" team. Coach wanted $1200 + privates and I told him, "no thanks."
RobbieNorwood
BRONZE
Any winter league updates?
So it was like that omg. I'm sure the privates was his sell on why he was going to make the A team. A win win for DOC. I'm realistic, I don't think she's a top 100 player maybe top 500 ecnl player. She went & tried to play with some high level boys over the summer and it didn't go to well for her. Couldn't keep up with the overall speed and pace of the game but she is still a very good ecnl girl player. You want to see if your daughter is an elite top player then test her out with high level boys her age.
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Girls playing with boys after age 13 is an eye opener. If your kid is high level and you want to see what truely elite looks like have her play with high level boys. The general speed of play is much higher, footwork is more consistent and complex, and boys tend to take more risks while still maintaining their shape and recovering.
Girls tend to do exactly what their coach says. Also at the higher levels many are more worried about making a mistake than pushing for a breakthrough. The best girls teams get past this and start playing more like boys but it takes a long time to develop.
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Meh I don't buy it.I would also say the girls at the Pro level do not like their friends or themselves being traded. Girls play for a different reason. Sure, they want some good pay, but they also bond together and build family, unlike the boys. I'm speaking general so please take what I say with a grain of salt and your favorite cocktail
Thorns star Smith 'depressed' after Rodriguez traded to Angel City
“We want to thank Rocky for her contributions to the Thorns and the Rose City these past four years. “In speaking with Rocky a couple days ago I know she is sad to be leaving our club, but is looking forward to the opportunities at Angel City. We also want to thank Angel City for their cooperation through this process and helping engineer this unique transfer.”
NWSL players being upset at trades has become something of a theme of the 2024 offseason, with no shortage of stars revealing their displeasure.
After being traded from Kansas City to Houston, Cece Kizer said the move wasn't "something I asked for or expected," while adding the trade "breaks my heart."
Alex Loera said it was “incredibly disheartening” to be traded from Kansas City to Bay FC back in November, while Ashley Sanchez said she was “shocked and heartbroken” to be traded by the Washington Spirit to North Carolina on draft day.
Women are just more open with their feelings than men are. They also want to maintain relationships more than men do. This is why they say that they're sad about leaving teammates.
If you were to speak one on one with a guy they'd say that they miss former teammates. It's just not something you say out loud to a larger audience. From a business perspective it might even give your new employer pause for bringing you on.
Meh
Karlton Athletic
SILVER
When I first moved to the US from the UK twenty or so years ago, I was in my late thirties and decided to join a co-ed league down in Newport Beach. I was a decent player and figured I had a few years left in me as a) this was America and they hate proper football and b) it was co-ed (not a thing in the UK when I left). I was ready to be the big fish in small pond, but within two minutes of my first game, some lady bodied me off the ball ferociously leaving me crumpled on the ground. That was a wakeup call.
After the game, I was laughing with new teammates about how I'd completely underestimated how good they'd all be, and they pointed out that two of the opposition had been on the US team that won the Women's World Cup.
I never underestimated women ever again and still play co-ed to this day, though I'm in my fifties now and definitely one of the small fish (with bad knees) trying to keep up with the young'uns.
WOW!!! This right here. Wow this is the current struggle.. So much more to give but they are worried about making a mistake. I think this is also greatly effected by the coach. If a coach promotes this fear then its 1000 times worse. Look at the 2010 top teams that always have players that are leaving and look at the coach. DOCs dont fix it though as the top teams will always still win but they could be great.
I would say from the games played so far its business as usual.
Fear of making a mistake comes from always playing against high level competition.
In these type of situations wins and losses can all come down to a single player delivering on their responsibilities.
High level competition also forces coaches into player specialization which makes it easier to assign blame / fault if anything goes wrong.
Lather rinse and repeat week after week and you can see why players are more afraid to make mistakes than they are taking risks.
For Girls if a team can be consistent in how they play a position, and everyone trusts each other eventually they'll start taking risks. If risks work out and players don't get burned on position, they'll try being risky more and more often. Eventually they start playing like boys.
I'll start with the carrot for girls. Boys probably know if they go pro, they make great money. MLS avg salary is $530k and the stars make a lot more. NWSL avg salary is $65k and the stars may make more. Trinity Rodman had a supposedly great contract offer of around $275k per year. Trinity Rodman is top of the pack for her age I'm sure.
My opinion is that for girls it is more about fun, chemistry, and the love of competition which is not as strong as boys. Boys love the competion and get majorly rewarded compared to the girls. I told my dd about Trinity's contract and she said "That's it!??" and I was like "that's a lot of money honey!", but she's not stupid.
Women's soccer is gaining exposure and an audience, so things are getting better, but as much as I would love to follow her play everywhere and would be the proudest dad in the world if she went pro, it ain't worth the stress, possible injuries, and/or loss of education it would take to go pro. Better put, she needs to love the competition and the game to have the desire to outperform all the time for herself, because she could get better rewards with a college education.
That said, I think the biggest problem with club soccer is lack of alternative, competitive leagues where they can take risks, play different positions and gain complete skill sets. Winter friendlies and other club team friendlies may help, but they revolve around the team and coaches needs to win and outperform in league. This may help some players get polished into dominant position players, but they most likely become rigid, composed predictable players. Yeah, we have latin leagues and other sources, but I think they need more fun games with different coaches, team mates, etc.
I think our youth women's soccer system creates the issues being discussed here. Women's youth soccer is more of a business than anything imo. The other issue I've noticed with my dd and other girls her age is they want to play with certain girls and teams, etc. Throwing out that if she works her butt off for 5 or 6 more years, she may be able to make $65k per year in the big league doesn't exactly inspire her. She knows how much her mom makes and we're not rich or anything.
Point is I think girls soccer is a social thing and some have the desire to compete and win even without those big rewards. They have to love competing and playing and girls are already a little lacking in this compared to boys imo. I guess they get high school soccer when they get older in addition to elite leagues. Maybe that will help with getting alternative competitive games? I just wish there was a less rigid league they could play where they could play separate from elite leagues. Another problem is you don't want to break their bodies making them run more than 20 miles a week with all the long field games.
You can do futsal and indoor I guess which we do and it helps, but my experience has been that girls don't like to much change or getting yelled at when they learn new positions/responsibilities. It really comes down to the parents, a smart plan, work ethic, and some luck. The saga continues!