Say bye-bye-bye to Girls and Boys DA

[dad4]

Well as you say there are clubs nearby right? So play them and don't put your kid in ECNL. Problem solved.

If travel is an issue join a league that doesn't require it.

I am in norcal. It is hard enough to find a good game when you include ECNL clubs. If you exclude ECNL, there is no way to create a competitive season for top girls.

 

[dad4]

I know you travel a lot, and good for you if that’s how you want to spend your money. But you still haven’t explained why it’s a good idea for a SoCal team parent to drop $300 or more for their 13 year old daughter to play one league game. The problem is you can’t. There is no legitimate reason for a SoCal team to do so.

When we send 4 teams to AZ to play a league game, that’s $25K that went to American Airlines and Marriott but could have paid the fees for six of those players for an entire freakin’ year. When we go to NV, that’s another six players. Don’t tell me it’s only $300, because it’s actually closer to $50,000 a club. If both genders are going, that’s $100,000 a club! By the time we’re done traveling for those two useless beat downs, almost 1/5 of an ECNL club’s fees could have been free.

Look, if high level soccer is important to you, pay what it costs to go where it is. Otherwise, do whatever it is kids should really do in places where grass shouldn’t grow.

I agree.

So add some top clubs like legends and beach. Better than wasting money on plane tickets every year.

 

[EOTL]

I agree.

So add some top clubs like legends and beach. Better than wasting money on plane tickets every year.

I like it. You’re using your brain. There are about 10 ECNL clubs already, which is probably plenty since you can also play tournaments and other leagues, but if adding Beach and Legends is helpful and won’t cause existing clubs to lose customers, go for it.

 

[dad4]

I like it. You’re using your brain. There are about 10 ECNL clubs already, which is probably plenty since you can also play tournaments and other leagues, but if adding Beach and Legends is helpful and won’t cause existing clubs to lose customers, go for it.

I think you gain more customers by limiting plane trips than you lose by competing with Beach.

Socal has about 1/4 of the top talent in girls soccer. You dont need to travel to find a game.

 

[shales1002]

Just because a team is weak doesn't mean they don't have a great player, or two, or three. Many very good players get recruited when the recruiter is there to watch a great player on the other team.

Absolutely. There are great players on weaker teams. The point I was making like opponents/records compete.

 

[shales1002]

I think you gain more customers by limiting plane trips than you lose by competing with Beach.

Socal has about 1/4 of the top talent in girls soccer. You dont need to travel to find a game.

Let me get this right ...Beach and Legends should be in ECNL because it’s more convenient. States like Arizona and Nevada , are to far to travel when in reality Arizona and Nevada teams are doing the bulk of the travel 7 out of 8 weekends. Within ECNL Southwest Conference there aren’t blow outs week after week.

Gain customers?? ECNL already has enough customers that’s why clubs can’t get into the league and have resorted to making their own one up.

I’m sure Legends and Beach were offered ECNL before the GDA folded (prior years). They dug their heels in and stayed GDA. Now that the table is full, ECNL should let them in because they are better than... ummm.

If the one travel to Arizona and one Nevada travel is to much for you, don’t go to those games. After all it’s only two weekends out the 14-16 weekends played.

 

[MacDre]

Let me get this right ...Beach and Legends should be in ECNL because it’s more convenient. States like Arizona and Nevada , are to far to travel when in reality Arizona and Nevada teams are doing the bulk of the travel 7 out of 8 weekends. Within ECNL Southwest Conference there aren’t blow outs week after week.

Gain customers?? ECNL already has enough customers that’s why clubs can’t get into the league and have resorted to making their own one up.

I’m sure Legends and Beach were offered ECNL before the GDA folded (prior years). They dug their heels in and stayed GDA. Now that the table is full, ECNL should let them in because they are better than... ummm.

If the one travel to Arizona and one Nevada travel is to much for you, don’t go to those games. After all it’s only two weekends out the 14-16 weekends played.

I think the point that they’re making is that they are spending lots of money to develop and expose players in NV and AZ when there is great local competition. What’s your rationale as to why it’s a good idea to incur the additional unnecessary expenses of travel to AZ & NV?

 

[shales1002]

I know you travel a lot, and good for you if that’s how you want to spend your money. But you still haven’t explained why it’s a good idea for a SoCal team parent to drop $300 or more for their 13 year old daughter to play one league game. The problem is you can’t. There is no legitimate reason for a SoCal team to do so.

When we send 4 teams to AZ to play a league game, that’s $25K that went to American Airlines and Marriott but could have paid the fees for six of those players for an entire freakin’ year. When we go to NV, that’s another six players. Don’t tell me it’s only $300, because it’s actually closer to $50,000 a club. If both genders are going, that’s $100,000 a club! By the time we’re done traveling for those two useless beat downs, almost 1/5 of an ECNL club’s fees could have been free.

Look, if high level soccer is important to you, pay what it costs to go where it is. Otherwise, do whatever it is kids should really do in places where grass shouldn’t grow.

1. Wrong club if you are thinking about beat downs. That was the former GDA club not the ECNL club.

2.There are some things that money just can’t buy. When I ask my DD what are some of her favorite memories, and to hear her say team travel, travel with her parents/family , or about a random adventure that happened while traveling. To hear stories about the times we went to this place or that place, to hear the joy in her stories is worth more than $300. She will always have those moments and memories. I’m glad I’m in the position for her to have these experiences. I’m just lucky that I have had WAY more travel memories than most of those in SoCal who complain about driving up the 405.

 

[kickingandscreaming]

That was also the problem with DA in NorCAL -- too much plane travel and that would be the same in whatever new league the former DA teams are putting together. A plane trip to Salt Lake for 1 game/Portland 1 game/ AZ 2 games/SD 2 games/ Seattle for 2 games and that doesn't include the 3 showcases a year. ECNL much better from a travel perspective here in NorCaAL

As I remember, regular season ECNL in NorCal only plays the "plane travel" teams one time a year. So, they travel to those locales every other year where DA played "plane travel" teams in their conference twice a year guaranteeing travel to every locale each year.

 

[dad4]

Let me get this right ...Beach and Legends should be in ECNL because it’s more convenient. States like Arizona and Nevada , are to far to travel when in reality Arizona and Nevada teams are doing the bulk of the travel 7 out of 8 weekends. Within ECNL Southwest Conference there aren’t blow outs week after week.

Gain customers?? ECNL already has enough customers that’s why clubs can’t get into the league and have resorted to making their own one up.

I’m sure Legends and Beach were offered ECNL before the GDA folded (prior years). They dug their heels in and stayed GDA. Now that the table is full, ECNL should let them in because they are better than... ummm.

If the one travel to Arizona and one Nevada travel is to much for you, don’t go to those games. After all it’s only two weekends out the 14-16 weekends played.

I guess it depends on the goal of creating a league.

If you goal is to collect as much money as possible from rich parents and give it to American Airlines, then carry on.

If your goal is to make it possible for kids to play high level soccer, then maybe you need to deal with the cost structure.

 

[Kicker4Life]

I’m sure Legends and Beach were offered ECNL before the GDA folded (prior years). They dug their heels in and stayed GDA. Now that the table is full, ECNL should let them in because they are better than... ummm.

So ECNL says NO for a few years. DA rolls out the red carpet, you accept and finally you stop loosing SB kids to OC ECNL clubs and prove what you’ve been promoting for years to ECNL. while you’re having success ECNL says, “hey, we see what you’ve been saying and sorry for saying no for so long, why don’t you walk away from DA and come to ECNL”. They should just drop and move? You seriously blame them for that?

I didn’t expect ECNL to just let Beach in at this point and agree with the ECRL move. The fact the teams stayed together and actually got stronger due to Galaxy folding proves kids would prefer not to make the 1.5 hour commute and will band together to make a point. Just hope Lavars keeps his word.

 

[EOTL]

Colleges recruit players not teams.

Not entirely.

Let me ask you this. If you were a college soccer coach, how would you go about finding your next group of recruits? Sit in your office and read hundreds of emails every week, and diligently watch all the insufferable soccer videos set to the awful background music? Maybe blindly show up at showcases and troll games between lower tier clubs because that’s where hidden gems like Halie Mace are just waiting to be found? No!!!!

You know there will always be a lot of players on every Blues and Slammers A team who are good enough for your team, so you call those coaches in advance because you know based on years you’ve spent “recruiting” them that they’ll steer you right. They’ll tell you who’s out of your league, who’s not good enough, who doesn’t have the grades or is too smart for your state school, and who may be in your wheelhouse. Then you watch those teams at a showcase. But if you didn’t build that relationship, you get run over rough shod by the coaches who did. And maybe after you’ve watched the heavy hitter clubs where you get the most value for your time, you stick around for a lesser game to watch a kid who kept blowing up your inbox with sweet requests to watch her game and remotely tolerable videos. But you probably say screw it and hit the hotel bar, and Hailie Mace ends up at juco.

If your kid can play but stays at a lesser club, you leave a lot to chance. And that assumes she gets the same level of training, which she almost certainly won’t, because the best competition is at the big clubs, and those coaches didn’t get Cromwell’s cell number because they hit on her at a bar; they got it because they’re really good coaches who consistently churn out talent.

 

[vegasguy]

I agree.

So add some top clubs like legends and beach. Better than wasting money on plane tickets every year.

Why are you flying?

Team travel teach the player independence and self responsibility. Let the pack there bags, manage there time, study while on the road. Sounds like a prequel to college life.

 

[Giesbock]

Not entirely.

Let me ask you this. If you were a college soccer coach, how would you go about finding your next group of recruits? Sit in your office and read hundreds of emails every week, and diligently watch all the insufferable soccer videos set to the awful background music? Maybe blindly show up at showcases and troll games between lower tier clubs because that’s where hidden gems like Halie Mace are just waiting to be found? No!!!!

You know there will always be a lot of players on every Blues and Slammers A team who are good enough for your team, so you call those coaches in advance because you know based on years you’ve spent “recruiting” them that they’ll steer you right. They’ll tell you who’s out of your league, who’s not good enough, who doesn’t have the grades or is too smart for your state school, and who may be in your wheelhouse. Then you watch those teams at a showcase. But if you didn’t build that relationship, you get run over rough shod by the coaches who did. And maybe after you’ve watched the heavy hitter clubs where you get the most value for your time, you stick around for a lesser game to watch a kid who kept blowing up your inbox with sweet requests to watch her game and remotely tolerable videos. But you probably say screw it and hit the hotel bar, and Hailie Mace ends up at juco.

If your kid can play but stays at a lesser club, you leave a lot to chance. And that assumes she gets the same level of training, which she almost certainly won’t, because the best competition is at the big clubs, and those coaches didn’t get Cromwell’s cell number because they hit on her at a bar; they got it because they’re really good coaches who consistently churn out talent.

My kid scrimmaged at an ID camp not long ago. Her team playing against Coach Cromwell’s. My kid made two solid runs right past Coach. ..one a clean cross and assist; the second was a shot that clipped the far post, came out, for a team mate to clean up. 2 assists in a 2-0 scrimmage win.
Big deal? Yeah for my kid! But.no idea if Coach was watching and jotting my kid’s jersey # down? !

Little moments can make all the difference.

 

[Swoosh]

Just because a team is weak doesn't mean they don't have a great player, or two, or three. Many very good players get recruited when the recruiter is there to watch a great player on the other team.

When a team is weak, you get JC recruiters...what are you saying?

 

[Swoosh]

Not entirely.

Let me ask you this. If you were a college soccer coach, how would you go about finding your next group of recruits? Sit in your office and read hundreds of emails every week, and diligently watch all the insufferable soccer videos set to the awful background music? Maybe blindly show up at showcases and troll games between lower tier clubs because that’s where hidden gems like Halie Mace are just waiting to be found? No!!!!

You know there will always be a lot of players on every Blues and Slammers A team who are good enough for your team, so you call those coaches in advance because you know based on years you’ve spent “recruiting” them that they’ll steer you right. They’ll tell you who’s out of your league, who’s not good enough, who doesn’t have the grades or is too smart for your state school, and who may be in your wheelhouse. Then you watch those teams at a showcase. But if you didn’t build that relationship, you get run over rough shod by the coaches who did. And maybe after you’ve watched the heavy hitter clubs where you get the most value for your time, you stick around for a lesser game to watch a kid who kept blowing up your inbox with sweet requests to watch her game and remotely tolerable videos. But you probably say screw it and hit the hotel bar, and Hailie Mace ends up at juco.

If your kid can play but stays at a lesser club, you leave a lot to chance. And that assumes she gets the same level of training, which she almost certainly won’t, because the best competition is at the big clubs, and those coaches didn’t get Cromwell’s cell number because they hit on her at a bar; they got it because they’re really good coaches who consistently churn out talent.

LOL. A team wins because they have a good consistent forward or two, and a good gk/cb. Everyone else is side cheese. College coaches know this, sorry you don't. Standing out at a lesser club is way better than being a side cheese bro.

 

[Desert Hound]

I think the point that they’re making is that they are spending lots of money to develop and expose players in NV and AZ when there is great local competition. What’s your rationale as to why it’s a good idea to incur the additional unnecessary expenses of travel to AZ & NV?

Again if there is great local competition, why join ECNL?

You can have it all. Great local competition, no travel, and lower fees if you stay out of ECNL...right?

So why join a travel league and complain about a single car ride to PHX and Vegas?

Many times if coming from LA and going to San Diego you are doing a Sat and Sun game. With that traffic a lot of time on the road and you are getting a hotel.

Isn't there better or equal competition in the LA area so that you don't need to drive to SD and get a hotel there? Isn't that your argument?

 

[GT45]

So ECNL says NO for a few years. DA rolls out the red carpet, you accept and finally you stop loosing SB kids to OC ECNL clubs and prove what you’ve been promoting for years to ECNL. while you’re having success ECNL says, “hey, we see what you’ve been saying and sorry for saying no for so long, why don’t you walk away from DA and come to ECNL”. They should just drop and move? You seriously blame them for that?

I didn’t expect ECNL to just let Beach in at this point and agree with the ECRL move. The fact the teams stayed together and actually got stronger due to Galaxy folding proves kids would prefer not to make the 1.5 hour commute and will band together to make a point. Just hope Lavars keeps his word.

Lavers has not promised anything. So there is no word to keep. Beach can win the 4th tier open cup playoffs. That guarantees nothing. Yes, 4th tier playoffs.

4 tiers:
Champions
North American
Showcase
Open Cup

Regional teams are only eligible for the Open Cup

 

[Kicker4Life]

Lavers has not promised anything. So there is no word to keep.

curious as to how you know this to be a fact?

 

[EOTL]

LOL. A team wins because they have a good consistent forward or two, and a good gk/cb. Everyone else is side cheese. College coaches know this, sorry you don't. Standing out at a lesser club is way better than being a side cheese bro.

Ok. If lesser clubs are all you know, I’m not surprised you think that. If you’ve never seen practices at a club that has virtually every kid in three age groups committed to D1 pushing each other to improve at every practice, ok. If you’ve never seen a recruitment process essentially begin and end when the club coach picks up the phone and talks to the coach at the college where your kid would like to go, also ok. If you’ve never watched a club game in which every kid on the field will eventually play D1 and is attended by 75 college coaches, ok.

If you want to take your chances your way, go for it. As I’ve said, there’s more than one way to get recruited. But your way is more likely to land your kid at Northridge even if they belong at Santa Clara or Cal, or at Santa Clara instead of UCLA.

 

[MacDre]

N

Again if there is great local competition, why join ECNL?

You can have it all. Great local competition, no travel, and lower fees if you stay out of ECNL...right?

So why join a travel league and complain about a single car ride to PHX and Vegas?

Many times if coming from LA and going to San Diego you are doing a Sat and Sun game. With that traffic a lot of time on the road and you are getting a hotel.

Isn't there better or equal competition in the LA area so that you don't need to drive to SD and get a hotel there? Isn't that your argument?

No, I am not making any argument. My kid doesn’t play club soccer. I was just following the debate for information purposes.
@EOTL and @dad4 have put forth clear and compelling reasons as to why folks in California should not have to travel.

I was waiting for you to put forth reasons why you think folks in California should incur great expense (time & money) to develop kids they don’t know in AZ or NV. I think your response that AZ & NV are part of ECNL and if you don’t like it, join another league is lame as fuck and only breeds unnecessary resentment.
Why can’t you put forth any valid reasons? Why are you alienating folks instead of compelling them to collaborate with you?