Say bye-bye-bye to Girls and Boys DA

[oh canada]

You make compelling arguments. But, I have a feeling that your analysis is superficial. I also think the mindset that you are advocating is part of the reason many get manipulated by slick talking coaches in track suits.

I think the “late bloomer” and “development” mindset is all part of the hussle. Unfortunately, parents have let dude in the track suit frame the issues and I’m not sure that we’ve thought critically on the issue.

On Netflix, look at the I am Bolt documentary. Beginning at aprox. minute 57.35 and ending at aprox. minute 56.10 Bolt gives his opinion on hard work and late bloomers. I agree with Bolt and challenge anyone to name a world class late bloomer!

So, if we can agree the late bloomer theory is bogus, what’s wrong with the Blues approach? If my kid played club and wasn’t being approached by a club like the Blues I’d be having a talk with my kid letting them know that they don’t have what it takes to play at a higher level. So is the problem the shady coach in the track suit or the gullible parent that thinks they have a late bloomer that just needs development in the right environment with the right coach?

Books are my preferred learning source vs. Netflix. And while Bolt is certainly the poster child for Nature over Nurture, the Late Bloomer theory is certainly alive and well. Many studies and books out there, here's a good one:

Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement: Karlgaard, Rich: 9781524759759: Amazon.com: Books

Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement [Karlgaard, Rich] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement

www.amazon.com

And if you want a few names--off the top of my head-- read the stories of Kurt Warner, Didier Drogba, and NBA's Anthony Davis.

Your last paragraph raises other issues that misinterpret my point about the dilemma of clubs recruiting vs. developing, into some sort of personal reflection on child rearing. To that I will only say that my kids have been taught to never measure their self worth by what others say or do.

 

[Ellejustus]

Not a late bloomer. He’s always had the potential. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. His dad was one of the first professional athletes to make it off of the Island (Bahamas)
Just because you don’t “peak” in HS doesn’t make you a late bloomer.

I watched him live bro. His dad would have a hard time making today's NBA just like Klay would not have made the NBA in the late 70s. He got real good in college and UCLA has egg on its face for not seeing what you saw Great family and MT is funny and I like his takes

 

[MacDre]

Ummm...Michael Jordan...didn't be get cut from the high school basketball team? If that is true. We will find out in the ESPN special. Undrafted free agents in football that make it, 6th round Tom Brady. There are later bloomers. The are always exceptions, and the goal for most of these kids is that this helps them get into a good school. They don't need to be world class, just pretty good.

I'm all for not setting unrealistic expectations for you kid and being realistic and grounded in reality. But people/kids do develop at different rates. Sometimes the right coach and environment does make a difference. You see it all the time in to sports when a player has success in a different place from where they started. I think the Bolt example is a little unfair, just as the Brady and Jordan comparisons are. Those are outliers. Maybe some of your Goats are world class, mine certainly is not As long as she works hard and puts the effort in than I am good as gold. All you can ask for.

I agree but disagree. Just because an athlete doesn’t peak in HS doesn’t make them a late bloomer. Jordan has always been a great athlete with an insane work ethic. But just because you’re a great athlete doesn’t mean every coach is gonna like you or that you will make every team.
Tom Brady was identified young. He was the star quarterback at Serra HS that got a full ride to U of M! My best friend J’Juan Cherry was picked up in the supplemental draft by the Pats around the same time as Brady. Plus we all knew Brady from HS. Jarod Cherry received 3 super bowl rings with Brady. So, I’m personally familiar with Brady and he was not a late bloomer. Sure, he had ups and downs and didn’t “peak” until the NFL but he wasn’t a late bloomer.

 

[SouthBayFutbol]

Believe me the mass exodus will happen. It did years ago when ECNL was created, it happend when GDA was created. Good players are going to get displaced by better players. It isn't a bad thing. As I have said for the last 10 years there are only about 25-40 elite players per birth year in SoCal and less in many other markets. All of these self styled "elite" clubs and teams have for the most part got good but not elite players. Dilution was the biggest problem since the leagues splintered years ago. There really should only be about 2-3 teams per age group at the top of the pyramid in SoCal but due to geographic restraints you might have to double that number. Lots of those players that aren't in the top 25-40 are mostly role players anyway.

The Purge is coming and it will be a good thing for everyone. If everyone is elite then nobody is. Reality checks are in the mail and a lot of people are going to like what they get.....

I do not disagree with the number of truly elite players (aka Unicorns) at these age groups. But if you only include them to make up 2 or 3 teams who do they play for 10 months?

I thought the US ID Pool (or whatever US Soccer pulls out of their behind will call it) was for those types of players but they have to play year round against solid competition.

You know better than I that girls college soccer is made up of all levels of players, from unicorns to kick-ballers. There are only maybe a half dozen colleges that can boast a starting line-up of unicorns, that leaves a lot of spots open to some really great players that are just short of World Class. And not just the D1 sports powerhouse Colleges but some great academic schools that give opportunities to girls that play at a high level.

The teams that I listed, as currently made up and across all the ECNL age groups, would undoubtedly be competitive each and every weekend with College Coaches extremely happy with the product. And for the Unicorns they can get together every quarter for an extended period of time to test their progress against each other.

 

[DPLLove]

To be honest with you the best situation is the purge that is going to happen over the next 12 months. Instead of US Soccer jumping in and picking winners a losers we will go back to simple Darwinism. The clubs that can put out the product that the customers want will survive. The many posers out there that have been selling snake oil are going to wither when the customers leave. I go way back before the formation of the ECNL and they filled a niche that was underserved before. It was formed initially by about 46 or so clubs that all had national championships and reputations for developing college and national team players. Top teams will never pass on a top tier player (unless the parents are train wrecks). The truth is with all of the "elite" teams the true product is much more diluted than it was several years ago when their was one top national league. What is actually going to happen is all of the middle tier and lower tier players who are on "elite" teams now are going to have to move to teams that are appropriate to their actual skill level. Honestly this isn't a bad thing. The top players will actulally get better overall competition and the players that really weren't top level will be able to compete against players that are more in their range which should help them improve their game.

This is going to be a good thing once the initial shock wears off. Good luck to everyone with a player going through this right now and for those whose players just aged out good luck to them at the next level.

So what you are saying is that there is ONLY 14x18 players in ALL of Southern California that deserve a spot on an ECNL team to be recruited and showcased by all the D1 programs all over the USA! That amounts to 252 so called high level players from the San Diego border to Santa Barabara all the way east to the New Mexico/ Wyoming (The SW current ECNL region) I say BS. I say at best there are 50-80 TOP players in each age group that are truly the best of the best. Theses are the players that go onto National Team pools, these are the players that make All American and All Region in Top Leagues like PAC 12 and SEC. Then there is the next level of player and they can be found all over the SW, and the number of players for that next level of talent has always been up for debate since club soccer started. If you have convinced yourself that a low level D1 WAC player is a more talented than a high level D3 UAA player you need to watch streaming games from these leagues. There are many many more deserving players than 252 girls from the SW that deserve a chance to be exposed. All DA did was open up opportunity here for that next level of talented players to be showcased and find a home to play in College. All DA did was to prove the best of this next level was exposed and had a chance to be seen. All DA did was to knock ECNL off it’s high horse and create a less political environment here in the SW, do I believe that every DA 02/01 kid was recruited? No I do not. Do you believe Every 02/01 ECNL player was recruited to play in college? I doubt it. I’ve been on the club soccer scene here in Southern California for over 15 years. I will tell you long before DA the National League circuit worked quite well for clubs like Beach, Legends, City SC and much to your disappointment Albion. Beach and Legends and top National League trams were able to place players in top D1 programs all over the country. Do I think that ECNL is missing the mark in NOT picking up the better DA clubs right now to avoid a competitive league in the future, absolutely they are missing the mark. Yes some players will leave some of the non ECNL clubs this fall, but some will stay. Some will believe that the style of play and the Coaching at some of next years NON ECNL clubs will get them where they want to be. If ECNL continues to play politics and games, I assure you there will be another Competitive League in the Southwest. It might not be next year, but it will happen. It will continue to dilute the talent pool. But it will also give this region the exposure it truly deserves. There are a hell of a lot more talented players in all of The SW than 252 players that deserve a shot at exposure, to ultimately find a home to finish their 4 year soccer careers in a 4 year program where they will succeed.

 

[wc_baller]

What happens to those girls as they get older? Do they get to keep playing together? Not at that level. Santa Rosa and MVLA go to ECNL and refuse to play them in league play.

That's not true whatsoever. Just about every single ECNL team plays in Norcal Premier as a supplement to ECNL, and many play up one year against older competition. The top local league in NorCal is the Champions League, and ECNL teams are tops in almost every age group. Check the results from last fall for yourself.

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[sdb]

Define elite player. Is that one of 50 players in the USWNT pool? The 198 players rostered on NWSL rosters plus other players playing professionally abroad? The 9,500 D1 players (36 of which get drafted into the NWSL every year)? If it's only 40 in all of SoCal, then ECNL having 8-10 teams in SoCal is no more of an elite league than any other league. The ECNL clubs are playing the same game as any other league, taking $3000-$3500 per player from a bunch of parents and selling them "elite-ness." It's also not solving the local vs. travel issue any more than GDA did. Adding the 6 top GDA clubs in SoCal and cutting the bottom 6 from ECNL is a better solution than present any way you look at it.

 

[Dominic]

Beavis and Ellejustus your off topic B-Ball posts will be deleted. Please go to off topic and start a thread there.

 

[VegasParent]

Also late bloomers in their sports... Michael Jordan.. Shaquille O'Neil.. Tom Brady... none were stand youth players going into high school. What they had they some early bloomers do not is drive. My son might have been considered a late bloomer. Think of the typical kid every dad coach puts in goal because they look less athletic and may be a little slower when we all.start.are.kids out playing. That kid is now 6'3" and one of the fastest on his squad. He can dunk two handed no problem and is having great conversations with schools looking for a keeper.

Damn, he's 6'3" now? I remember when he used to run around and play with the kids on your u8 girls team and he was not much taller than them and he was a couple of years older. Is he close to making a decision on where he wants to commit?

 

[MacDre]

He was not great. He was good enough to get to Michigan not good enough to start but one year. MJ and Shaq were not four varsity lettermen in high school. Great at the youth level starts all four years. The difference is very good with drive to work into great.

Who cares? You make arbitrary points that have little to no significance. Again, these athletes didn’t “peak” in HS or college but they aren’t late bloomers.
I believe all kids should have an opportunity to play the sports they love at an appropriate level. I just find it sad that many parents are given false hope under the late bloomer theory.
As a kid, I would wanted to be a professional football player. ALL of my friends were successful because they had the genes to play football. I failed because I was too skinny.

 

[Sandypk]

You agreed that Blues emphasizes recruiting over development, and that is an inaccurate trope.

Of course they sell their services to those in the market. They are a business. They are “recruiting” just like Mercedes is recruiting when it advertises in tv. They’re doing exactly what they should be doing when they aren’t spending most of their time developing players.

Recruitment Cards just before GDA formed.
Not just advertising.

 

[dad4]

That's not true whatsoever. Just about every single ECNL team plays in Norcal Premier as a supplement to ECNL, and many play up one year against older competition. The top local league in NorCal is the Champions League, and ECNL teams are tops in almost every age group. Check the results from last fall for yourself.

File Not Found

That’s fair. I always think of NPL as the thing clubs do to give some playing time to the bottom half of the roster, but I’m wrong and you are right. They do play and it certainly does offer good competition for everyone. (and they bring the top half whenever it matters.)

 

[MacDre]

Funded by the government? Does that government have a special money tree hidden somewhere? That government is simply marshaling resources from the collective population and spending it on something that otherwise would not exist. Sort of like an interstate highway system. How much does that same government spend on volleyball? Tennis? Badminton? That culture prioritizes that sport and thus its government subsidizes that sport for the benefit of its citizenry. Great. I'm glad they do. This culture does not prioritize soccer and thus it falls to the participants to pay for the opportunity. So thank you for agreeing with me and reiterating my point.

The Olympic Development Center trains in all olympic sports. I think the funding comes from the international relations/diplomacy bucket as well as initiatives to prevent childhood obesity.
Your sounding like the stereotypical ethnocentric American!

 

[Ellejustus]

Beavis and Ellejustus your off topic B-Ball posts will be deleted. Please go to off topic and start a thread there.

Sorry, I was bored. No more I promise.

 

[VegasParent]

I can say that in our small club, the 3 coaches that coached DA are all integral to the club operation and will not be going anywhere. Most of the DA girls in the club were there well before DA and only played DA because that’s what came to their club. There are a few that came over because they were attracted by DA, but not many, and those might look to leave. Also some of the top DA players from the club want to continue playing at the highest available and now have a tough choice to make. It’s an especially difficult decision for players on my DD’s team because the team is very strong (stronger than the nearby ECNL competition).

This is the same situation with my kids team. We added 2 players this past season after we got DA and the team will stay together with the coaches. As for the rest of the club, a few may look to leave but we don't have the options available in Vegas like SoCal.

 

[Ellejustus]

U.S. Soccer CEO Will Wilson confirms significant cost-cutting measures at federation
In a letter to U.S. Soccer members on Thursday, new CEO Will Wilson confirmed reports of significant layoffs and furloughs as part of cost-cutting measures as well as the scaling back of the national youth team program.

"Like most businesses across the country, U.S. Soccer has not been immune to the unanticipated and harsh economic impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic," Wilson wrote. "Upon officially joining the organization just over two weeks ago, it became quickly apparent that the status quo was not sustainable for the economic viability of the federation. After extensive discussion, we concluded that we needed to act quickly and decisively in order to not put the federation in financial peril in the coming years."

The first public announcement of cuts came Wednesday evening with the decision to close the Development Academy, first launched as a national boys program in 2007.

Earlier on Wednesday, Soccer America reported that U.S. Soccer fired key executives Brian Remedi and Tonya Wallach, according to sources. In his letter, Wilson referred to a process of cuts that "also includes a few organizational changes I have made upon coming into my role" without referring specifically to these firings.

ESPN reported that the final number of layoffs and furloughs was "at around 45." Soccer America was told that the layoffs and furloughs -- the latter for those who would return when the programming they worked on resumed -- consisted of both full-time employees -- at least one with 20-plus years at the federation -- and those in the federation's "associates" program -- full-time, paid jobs that last 5-6 months and are started in alignment with programming cycles.

 

[MacDre]

what age/team do you coach?

I don’t coach anything currently. I’m just a wealthy dad that grew up dirt poor that’s hell bent on ensuring All kids from my background have someone to advocate for them.

 

[sdklutz]

Define elite player. Is that one of 50 players in the USWNT pool? The 198 players rostered on NWSL rosters plus other players playing professionally abroad? The 9,500 D1 players (36 of which get drafted into the NWSL every year)? If it's only 40 in all of SoCal, then ECNL having 8-10 teams in SoCal is no more of an elite league than any other league. The ECNL clubs are playing the same game as any other league, taking $3000-$3500 per player from a bunch of parents and selling them "elite-ness." It's also not solving the local vs. travel issue any more than GDA did. Adding the 6 top GDA clubs in SoCal and cutting the bottom 6 from ECNL is a better solution than present any way you look at it.

Top 6 and bottom 6 makes senses but take geography and loyalty into the equation as well. In SD seems like City would have a strong reason to replace Sharks but is that fair? Hopefully ECNL Regional will be an open league or at least have a play in option. Then implement relegation and this is all solved.

 

[ballance]

I don’t coach anything currently. I’m just a wealthy dad that grew up dirt poor that’s hell bent on ensuring All kids from my background have someone to advocate for them.

One of the best ways you can do that is to sponsor / build a place for pickup soccer in your neighborhood.

 

[Ellejustus]

This is the same situation with my kids team. We added 2 players this past season after we got DA and the team will stay together with the coaches. As for the rest of the club, a few may look to leave but we don't have the options available in Vegas like SoCal.

All the older teams at most clubs have good coaches. No reason to leave. We will all be playing together soon. I think ECNL needs to be more forgiving and I bet they will. No winners in all this horror film and the big losers in all this are the girls again. Regarding Unicorns, Maps is right. Not that many. Again, you need to also add 4.2 and higher GPA to be a Unicorn. Not a lot of girls like that in Socal. Maps kid was 4.7 and saw some camps I believe. All CIF OC when everyone was playing. I have a friend whose dd is like Maps school wise, 4.6 GPA and I think over 1500 on SAT and a good soccer player. However, not world class YNT stud or ODP or a sniff at a camp. Full ride to great power five conference school. Bottom feeder in the conference but has potential and they love a few Socal girls on their roster. Full ride, amazingly awesome for my friend and his dd. First one in the family to go to college. 50% school, 25% financial aid ((no loans)) 25% soccer. There you go. My dd at that school would probably get 25%- 50% for soccer but zero for her 3.6. However, financial aid will be there and a few other things we have access too. I have never been looking for a league. Always about the coach. Always!!!! Sometimes the coach is the read deal and sometimes their not. One can;t find that out until they join a team. That's when you find out the truth

 

[Surf Zombie]

I’m semi-surprised the ECNL hasn’t announced any new additions on the girls side since Surf & RSC on Wednesday. We know there are more coming, but the slow roll I was not expecting.