mulliganmom
SILVER
@Mystery Train well said. Fostering a love of the game is so important. I also think waiting is underrated. Thank you.
Thoughts on DPL
- Thread starter S00CER1
- Start date
Love of the game is so important. Not sure if my daughter loves soccer more, or the girls that she plays with. Good chance we will keep our whole team when we go from U14 to U15 next year. They do parties together, sleepovers, parents don't gripe or back stab and get along, and the team keeps improving. With almost all the girls starting High School next year, it will be interesting to see who continues to play and who may not. If we club jumped all the time I'm not sure what my daughters outlook would be. She is 13, still growing, just becoming a teenager, so I want her playing where she is happy.
El Clasico
GOLD
Seems kind of obvious doesn't it? However, you wouldn't know it here in SoCal. The herd really thins out at the upper ages for a variety of reasons but the one that I find most sad it the kids that can't cut it because they are all f'ed up in the head and usually because their parents are all f'ed up in the head, having spent so many years at Ulittles chasing the dream from club to club and drinking all that Kool-Aid, that it is no longer about what the kid wants at all by the time they get to the olders.
futboldad1
PREMIER
Your kid is a U13 just about to become a U14. The key recruiting age begins at U16 so I'd say you have two more full seasons before I'd make sure she's in a top league. For now, the team (ability and attitude) and the coach (ability and attitude) are the most important factors. But you are right to be looking ahead.
All post referring to it being about a love of the game, her teammates and about the kids NOT the adults are definitely 100% accurate, especially when talking about these kind of ages. Good to see I'm not the one thinking like this - from some parents I know and hear I feared that I was.
Messi>CR7
GOLD
Find a practice location that's close to home (for us it means <20 minutes since we have choices near where we live), a coach and teammates that SHE likes, and a team playing at her appropriate level (she is not the #1 starter or the #17 bench warmer). If you end up with Pep Guardiola after applying these requirements, awesome
. If that means a DA/ECNL team, why not? If that means a Flight 1 team, it's perfectly fine as well.
If I was the US Soccer Development Academy - I would put an immediate stop to the DPL or any other version of a DA 2 league.
If US soccer wants the best players in the academy system and wants everyone to adopt their rules (no high school play, 4 days a week, 10 month season, stop playing silly tournaments, etc) - Then they need to force their member clubs to do this.
I have recently talked with 2 parents who have kids that are playing "up" on a DPL team. They are doing this so that they can still play high school soccer and get an occasional look by playing on their appropriate age group's DA team as a designated player.
I'm sure there are several others that are using this loophole. (Not really my problem I guess. And I should probably just mind my own business).
If US soccer wants the best players in the academy system and wants everyone to adopt their rules (no high school play, 4 days a week, 10 month season, stop playing silly tournaments, etc) - Then they need to force their member clubs to do this.
I have recently talked with 2 parents who have kids that are playing "up" on a DPL team. They are doing this so that they can still play high school soccer and get an occasional look by playing on their appropriate age group's DA team as a designated player.
I'm sure there are several others that are using this loophole. (Not really my problem I guess. And I should probably just mind my own business).
Playmaker38
BRONZE
The DA2/DPL league is independent of US Soccer/USSDA. It is a Cal South league where players are assigned player cards. In essense it would be the same as any other league, it just so happens the DA clubs got together and decided “hey let’s create a league where we only play each other and control the schedule and the rules.”
So really, the scenario you presented is no different than if each club had their second team in a different league. There is no loophole.
My kids plays on a DPL team. There are pluses and minuses (disparity of competition being one of the main issues). If US Soccer passes that rule then I believe that you would see an upheaval of players at the clubs. The ability to play HS soccer is one of the main pluses at this time.
I am not sure that several players playing HS will really hurt their progress. And if US Soccer really wanted the best players they would not have the clubs running the DA program. In SD County there are 3 DA clubs. Since my kid is an '05 I will focus on that; are there really 54 '05 girls that are on the radar for US Soccer in San Diego County? One team of truly top talent in San Diego, and you would really have something.
You are correct. But US Soccer could say "If you want to keep DA status, you won't be able to field any teams in leauges like DPL/DA2/ETC"
soccer dude
SILVER ELITE
I have one daughter on 02 Legends DPL and one on 04 OC Surf DPL and here's my feedback. DPL has done nothing to promote college recruitment. I'm not impressed with the competition. I find that CRL and national league are much better leagues and much better competition. In fact, at this last weekend's Vegas showcase we had many coaches show up but only because of our individual player efforts. Our biggest turnout (20 coaches) was from playing another National League team. DPL needs to get better competition or it ain't worth it.
Secondly, we played at Eagles a few weeks ago and Real So Cal today and the fields were atrocious. I wouldn't let my AYSO teams from many years ago play on them. Gopher holes and long grass made the game just kickball. Even the refs were complaining. One of our girls today fell in dog poop. She laughed at it but that just confirms the level of commitment this league has to the girls by giving us such a field. I asked my 04 daughter why she wasn't running fast and she said "because I was stepping in holes". How can a league survive with these conditions. Not sure if that was a league issue or a club issue but come on folks. We drove 2 hours for that? No sour grapes either as we won both games by over 6 goals each.
Secondly, we played at Eagles a few weeks ago and Real So Cal today and the fields were atrocious. I wouldn't let my AYSO teams from many years ago play on them. Gopher holes and long grass made the game just kickball. Even the refs were complaining. One of our girls today fell in dog poop. She laughed at it but that just confirms the level of commitment this league has to the girls by giving us such a field. I asked my 04 daughter why she wasn't running fast and she said "because I was stepping in holes". How can a league survive with these conditions. Not sure if that was a league issue or a club issue but come on folks. We drove 2 hours for that? No sour grapes either as we won both games by over 6 goals each.
Simisoccerfan
PREMIER
Sounds like you were playing at Valle Lindo due to the rain. The field sucks. The Pleasant Valley fields are some of the nicest grass fields anywhere. Those are the main Eagles fields.
our team played in Vegas and had about 25 coaches come watch the games. There was a lot of work by a dad on our team working with the girls to send emails prior. There has been nice follow up as well since we have been back. And we are DPL
Anyway to message directly? Just wanted to ask about JMU years etc without gumming up the thread...
Simisoccerfan
PREMIER
If you click on my profile you can use the Start a Conversation link
Keeper pops
SILVER
My thoughts of DPL where my 03 DD played up with the club’s 02 DPL team. First, her team trains alongside the DA team which Made it very competitive. More so than some of their DPL games. Their Thur training consist of round robin short games between the DA & DPL teams. As a keeper, multiple keeper training days alongside her team’s training session. As a keeper pops, I love it so I don’t have to take another trip.
The opportunity of playing HS this fall was enjoyable for her and the family. Yes, level of play was not the same but it gave her the chance to touch the ball more than her club games. The only negative was too many games in the weeks leading to league games. As they get older resting their body is important.
Our showcase and National League games attracted as many as 35 college coaches per games. We have had multiple girls with verbal commitment. Our club college pathway is definitely a cut above (my opinion).
Yes, it’s not DA but no regrets as a parent. She missed the season before due to ACL injury so this season gave her a good window to get back playing at a very competitive level.
Remember before DA, clubs used EGSL as their 2nd top tier team. LMAO
The opportunity of playing HS this fall was enjoyable for her and the family. Yes, level of play was not the same but it gave her the chance to touch the ball more than her club games. The only negative was too many games in the weeks leading to league games. As they get older resting their body is important.
Our showcase and National League games attracted as many as 35 college coaches per games. We have had multiple girls with verbal commitment. Our club college pathway is definitely a cut above (my opinion).
Yes, it’s not DA but no regrets as a parent. She missed the season before due to ACL injury so this season gave her a good window to get back playing at a very competitive level.
Remember before DA, clubs used EGSL as their 2nd top tier team. LMAO
Honest question- if she is playing up a year on DPL- why not play in her actual age group on DA? (And I know of several others girls in various age groups doing the same thing).
Question #2- has she had any “call ups” to the DA team? (I think DPL was billed as a feeder to DA)
Keeper pops
SILVER
Our club have a great pool of keepers, all our DAs & DPLs 03 & older have 2 keepers. After being off soccer for 15 months and 4 months to prep for the new season, she missed a lot of soccer and this was the best case scenario for her. Her current DPL played tougher teams than the 03 (no knock) and played National League (6 W & 1 L). Their only loss for the season is from a club in Wisconsin.
No she has not been “called up” to DA. It is what it is. Would it be nice, “of course.” One of her club teammate is also her HS teammate. She got called up but decided to finished out the HS. They had a great HS season and teamate received tons of accolades.
Bottom line, she’s developing as a keeper/player in the DPL “world” with 2 years to go.
Oranje
BRONZE
DPL is not what I thought it would be. Competition is not as competitive and no better than SCDSL Discovery or Tier 1. It offers zero visibility to DA program. Zero benefits. No real standing. No end of season playoffs. You have to travel to AZ for meaningless games also all over SoCal. I am not sure what is the purpose of this DPL. I would recommend ECNL and skip DPL since the kids who are talented but do not want to practice 4 days/wk and still want to play HS will be playing ECNL. Left over players (non-DA and ECNL) go to DPL or SCDSL or CSL. Unless you are into patch, then DP looks pretty cool and similar to DA.
Desert Hound
DA
You guys come out exactly for one weekend be it DA, ECNL or DPL. That is not a tough travel schedule.
As Keeper Pops above stated they are getting some exposure.
Speed above also said he/she has seen good college coach turnout.
Also DPL goes to Silverlakes, Players, and Legends. Those are good showcases.
Here in AZ at least one of the DA clubs ran a college ID night for DA and DPL. Yes most coaches were more interested in DA, but I know some of the DPL girls received some interest from some colleges (small D1 and D2).
So I think there is some benefit to DPL.
Oranje
BRONZE
Here in SoCal we have a lot of elite teams competing in DA and ECN; DPL is pretty much relegated to being an after thought. I think some clubs do a better job of promoting DA2 and DA programs while other clubs treat DA2 like another regular team.
What was sold to me two years ago was that DA2 would train along side with DA, and they would get to travel and play in the same showcases as DA for the better college exposure.
Don't get me wrong I think scouts will still come out to watch DPL games at college showcases but the exposure is not any better than if they play for a top team in a regular SCDSL or CSL.
What was sold to me two years ago was that DA2 would train along side with DA, and they would get to travel and play in the same showcases as DA for the better college exposure.
Don't get me wrong I think scouts will still come out to watch DPL games at college showcases but the exposure is not any better than if they play for a top team in a regular SCDSL or CSL.