What does the DA2 mean for ECNL?

[Dos Equis]

FACT: the club soccer player pool contracts after U14, yet more leagues are popping up. Go figure!

DA2 was created for only one purpose in mind. For DA clubs without ECNL affiliation, so those clubs can retain club fees, I mean players who did not make the DA team from leaving for ECNL clubs.

Just experienced some Deja Vu. DA2 sounds an awful lot like EGSL did.

My bet is they sell DA2 as the likely pool they will pull from when DA expands to every age group (unlikely), a path to make the current DA team (even less likely), and a chance for exposure to colleges (possible, but anyone who has gone through that process realizes tht level of competition is part of "exposure," and few college coaches recruit by watching mediocre games).

 

[NoGoal]

Just experienced some Deja Vu. DA2 sounds an awful lot like EGSL did.

My bet is they sell DA2 as the likely pool they will pull from when DA expands to every age group (unlikely), a path to make the current DA team (even less likely), and a chance for exposure to colleges (possible, but anyone who has gone through that process realizes that level of competition is part of "exposure," and few college coaches recruit by watching mediocre games).

Ding, Ding, Ding.....we have a winner right here! Which large stuff animal would you like?

It's all about clubs with 4 or more uolder teams in each age bracket selling the hope and dreams of playing on the 1st team and a chance for their DDs to be recruited for college soccer.

 

[soccerobserver]

I was wondering... how can this all work? There is already a set of empirical data to examine.In the North LA area, there is an axis of elite soccer that runs from Camarillo through the Valley all the way to Pasadena. The axis is anchored by a big GDA/ECNL club on one end and a new GDA club on the other end and a huge GDA/ECNL club in the middle.

All three are excellent large clubs and regularly place players in the top soccer powerhouse colleges as well as the elite academic college soccer teams. If you look across the leagues they play in...it's striking...even Stevie Wonder would see that none of the them have a highly competitive second team in a given age band. Therefore, the only way this works is if the three can take market share from the other clubs in the area which is something no club in the area has done with a second team in any age group...hopefully for them the DA carrot can induce people the join the second squad but history suggests it will be a wise move but a daunting task.

 

[NoGoal]

I was wondering... how can this all work? There is already a set of empirical data to examine.In the North LA area, there is an axis of elite soccer that runs from Camarillo through the Valley all the way to Pasadena. The axis is anchored by a big GDA/ECNL club on one end and a new GDA club on the other end and a huge GDA/ECNL club in the middle.

All three are excellent large clubs and regularly place players in the top soccer powerhouse colleges as well as the elite academic college soccer teams. If you look across the leagues they play in...it's striking...even Stevie Wonder would see that none of the them have a highly competitive second team in a given age band. Therefore, the only way this works is if the three can take market share from the other clubs in the area which is something no club in the area has done with a second team in any age group...hopefully for them the DA carrot can induce people the join the second squad but history suggests it will be a wise move but a daunting task.

I agree, but I thought Girls DA along with implementating their best practice philosophy is supposed to develop more players.

 

[Kicker4Life]

I agree, but I thought Girls DA along with implementating their best practice philosophy is supposed to develop more players.

Then wouldn't that require more players in the program, thus the need for DA II? I personally don't think having a DAII league is worth it if there isn't 100% participation. Why not play SCDSL Flt 1 with the ECNL "Reserve" and EGSL teams. Create a DA II League if/when there is enough participation to warrant it.

It would be interesting had ECNL filled the massive geographical void and awarded Beach or LAGSB with ECNL (somewhat of a geographical homer statement).

 

[NoGoal]

Then wouldn't that require more players in the program, thus the need for DA II? I personally don't think having a DAII league is worth it if there isn't 100% participation. Why not play SCDSL Flt 1 with the ECNL "Reserve" and EGSL teams. Create a DA II League if/when there is enough participation to warrant it.

It would be interesting had ECNL filled the massive geographical void and awarded Beach or LAGSB with ECNL (somewhat of a geographical homer statement).

I was being sarcastic with my prior post, but I agree is there really a need for Girls DA II. What prevents a player from failing to make one Girls DA team and making another clubs.

 

[dreamz]

What is the link to the announcement? I couldn't find it. Thanks in advance.

They used to have a page but there is nothing there now. http://www.lapremierfc.com/football/girlsacademy/da2/what-is-the-academy-ii

The clubs wanting DA II jumped the gun and posted info on their websites and US Soccer made them take it down. There is no DA II yet. There are clubs that want it but US Soccer will only sanction it if they follow the DA "ideals" which includes no re-entry and no high school (they could give in on this one but it would be highly unlikely if they have to follow the DA model) plus no playoffs, no showcase, no National Cup, no piggybacking with DA showcases, no tournaments and no club passing to other teams in their club when they don't play in their DA II games. I'm not sure B team players want to sign up for that. The club leaders that are leading the DA II rodeo don't have a program, a plan or a league yet. Will it happen? Probably. But they want to pick and choose who is in the DA II and US Soccer will never go for that and they want to set their own rules and US Soccer won't go for that either.
I totally get why these clubs have a beef to pick with the DA clubs that have ECNL because they have been on the outside looking in for so long by not having ECNL that they are scrambling to save their B team players from leaving for the clubs that have ECNL. So they are hoping to offer this to their B teams but US Soccer is going to set the rules, the format, the platform and will be calling all the shots. If your club is preaching DA II, keep your eyes open and ask questions. I would also not believe anything until you see an announcement from US Soccer. The fact that US Soccer made these club take their announcements down should speak volumes to where the DA II stands at this point with US Soccer.
I do think it will happen but it's not a national league (not enough participation nationally to make it happen - yet) and I don't know what the upside to this league would be if everything gets taken away without any benefits to the players. The DA II benefits the club by helping to keep the players (aka revenue stream) from leaving for other DA or ECNL teams.
After all is said and done, the ECNL deserves it if DA II happens for keeping out quality clubs for political reasons but ECNL still means something or else the DA/non-ECNL clubs wouldn't be in such a panic to put something together for their B team players.

 

[RiverArsenal]

The clubs wanting DA II jumped the gun and posted info on their websites and US Soccer made them take it down. There is no DA II yet. There are clubs that want it but US Soccer will only sanction it if they follow the DA "ideals" which includes no re-entry and no high school (they could give in on this one but it would be highly unlikely if they have to follow the DA model) plus no playoffs, no showcase, no National Cup, no piggybacking with DA showcases, no tournaments and no club passing to other teams in their club when they don't play in their DA II games. I'm not sure B team players want to sign up for that. The club leaders that are leading the DA II rodeo don't have a program, a plan or a league yet. Will it happen? Probably. But they want to pick and choose who is in the DA II and US Soccer will never go for that and they want to set their own rules and US Soccer won't go for that either.
I totally get why these clubs have a beef to pick with the DA clubs that have ECNL because they have been on the outside looking in for so long by not having ECNL that they are scrambling to save their B team players from leaving for the clubs that have ECNL. So they are hoping to offer this to their B teams but US Soccer is going to set the rules, the format, the platform and will be calling all the shots. If your club is preaching DA II, keep your eyes open and ask questions. I would also not believe anything until you see an announcement from US Soccer. The fact that US Soccer made these club take their announcements down should speak volumes to where the DA II stands at this point with US Soccer.
I do think it will happen but it's not a national league (not enough participation nationally to make it happen - yet) and I don't know what the upside to this league would be if everything gets taken away without any benefits to the players. The DA II benefits the club by helping to keep the players (aka revenue stream) from leaving for other DA or ECNL teams.
After all is said and done, the ECNL deserves it if DA II happens for keeping out quality clubs for political reasons but ECNL still means something or else the DA/non-ECNL clubs wouldn't be in such a panic to put something together for their B team players.

100% Accurate.

 

[Real Deal]

Then wouldn't that require more players in the program, thus the need for DA II? I personally don't think having a DAII league is worth it if there isn't 100% participation. Why not play SCDSL Flt 1 with the ECNL "Reserve" and EGSL teams. Create a DA II League if/when there is enough participation to warrant it.

It would be interesting had ECNL filled the massive geographical void and awarded Beach or LAGSB with ECNL (somewhat of a geographical homer statement).

I still think ECNL should seriously consider filling the void between RSC and Slammers right now. DA and DAII, if it has the same rules, will not be everyone - and especially not for multi-sport ATHLETES- and some of those are really good soccer players.

But under the new system, I can't see folks driving the long distances for ECNL-- but I can see them opting for a relatively close ECNL option if their kid plays another sport. I agree that the two clubs Kicker mentions would be the obvious choices due to the sheer numbers in the Westside/Southbay area. An addition or two, would perhaps help save that league.