Why I feel DA is the superior league

[Desert Hound]

You must have been talking to KC. Does the $14,000 include the trip to Europe to train? I don't think most parents pay that much for DA. Most parents don't fly first class to showcases...crazy.

Just depends on the club.

Royals in az cost $2700. Unis are roughly $250. Any trip that involves showcases the club picks up flights and hotel. The vast majority of trips to Cal are again paid by the club. Parents pay roughly $700 for the year for meals. It is cheaper vs del Sol DA and the 2 ECNL teams out here.

 

[GoldenGate]

"Fred Fred, post: 282710, member: 6374"]ECNL, you had a great run but it is hard for you to argue that you are the "elite" league. I will go through some common comments and topics you will get from ECNL folks. I want to state that ECNL is a good league and can get your daughter some competition and probably a scholarship, but they can not compete with DA. DA is the elite league in SoCal.

Fred, are you real? I will go with a no, but I will respond. The DA Team that seems to have it going on is Earthquakes. So I think Earthquakes is far superior to everyone else. Here's why:

Earthquakes Expectations: To maintain a focus on the 10-month club environment. Full Time Academy Players and teams do not play in any outside competitions. This includes any other leagues, tournaments, State Cup, ODP or PDP (exceptions are US Training Centers and YNT ). DA players for all teams must choose to participate in the Academy Full Time and forgo playing for their High Schools teams. Full Time players train 4 days a week!
(I bet you $1 that Coach Deza does not allow even one player a special waiver or a little "turn the other way" to allow a special favor for someone with other interests besides DA Soccer)

Earthquakes Coaching: DOC is Andres Deza. A native of Barcelona, Spain, Deza has coached nearly a dozen players born between 1998 and 2003 (4 more with his 04' team) who have gone on to earn invites to U.S. Youth National Team or U.S. Women’s National Team camps. Nice to have him at the top driving the bus.

Q. Does anyone know if Earthquakes offer Full Scholarships to their YNT players or other players based on Merit or Need?


Other DA Clubs Expectations: Commit to the 10-month league as much as possible. Train 3 days a week or at least 2 if you’re playing another sport or activity. Play both high school soccer and DA with special waiver or no waiver because no one will know anyways. Run track, be on HS Surf team, basketball team, dancing or volleyball if you want to. Must watch video on your own when possible and pay for private coaching and personal private trainers for the other days you need to miss and turn in proof you did the training.

Coaching: All over the place

The moral of the story is find a great coach that is a part of a great club or organization (DA, ECNL, AYSO, SCDSL, Presidio, CSL, DPL, ECNL II, Rec League) that provides a healthy environment and a place where we make sure the girls are having fun. Season is starting this weekend just like the NFL. Good luck to everyone on whatever pitch your kid is playing on this weekend

FYI, many Quakes GDA players have played HS, including some who’ve returned this season. Not all Quakes GDA players train 4 days a week, and players do not receive scholarships for playing on a YNT. You also owe me a dollar.

 

[Justus]

FYI, many Quakes GDA players have played HS, including some who’ve returned this season. Not all Quakes GDA players train 4 days a week, and players do not receive scholarships for playing on a YNT. You also owe me a dollar.

TY "Golden Gate" for giving us all the information we as parents need down here in SoCal. It's all a BIG scam folks. If Earthquakes DOC is not "enforcing" the rules of Expectations, than no one is. Some folks are making a lot of money off false expectations on what it takes to be the next Mia. Please PM me GG and I will pay you the $1. BTW, I hate the Warriors but they're one hell of team. Go Lakers Better yet GG, get a GOATs team formed from NoCal and get your dd down here for the first ever, "All GOATs Labor Day Turney." @Sombith, can you make this happen? We will also allow top teams from all over the country to test their teams against the "Best of the Best Local GOAT teams" Dom? This could be the change we all need. A "D0 DA" parade so to speak to "doo doo" on the DA for one weekend. DA is not going away (unless parents in SoCal do something about it) so you might as well have some fun, right? A tournament run by crazy parents and their innocent daughters. No Coaching, No tournament fees, No Teams fees, No Mandatory Hotel stays. In fact, if your nice to me, I might let some of you stay at my crib at da beach in Laguna. Just let the girls play, have fun, eat ice cream and pizza and paint face green, yellow, blue or whatever they want. Just one weekend out of the whole year where no politics, keeping up with the Jones, politicking the coaches to get playing time and or guaranteed field position and starts. No blacklisting, name calling or labeling families crazy club hoppers is allowed. I bet Surfref and my dd Grandpa would help ref the games. However, we should throw them some money for dealing with all the crazy soccer parents. No one can make money except the Refs!!!!

 

[GoldenGate]

TY "Golden Gate" for giving us all the information we as parents need down here in SoCal. It's all a BIG scam folks. If Earthquakes DOC is not "enforcing" the rules of Expectations, than no one is. Some folks are making a lot of money off false expectations on what it takes to be the next Mia. Please PM me GG and I will pay you the $1. BTW, I hate the Warriors but they're one hell of team. Go Lakers Better yet GG, get a GOATs team formed from NoCal and get your dd down here for the first ever, "All GOATs Labor Day Turney." @Sombith, can you make this happen? We will also allow top teams from all over the country to test their teams against the "Best of the Best Local GOAT teams" Dom? This could be the change we all need. A "D0 DA" parade so to speak to "doo doo" on the DA for one weekend. DA is not going away (unless parents in SoCal do something about it) so you might as well have some fun, right? A tournament run by crazy parents and their innocent daughters. No Coaching, No tournament fees, No Teams fees, No Mandatory Hotel stays. In fact, if your nice to me, I might let some of you stay at my crib at da beach in Laguna. Just let the girls play, have fun, eat ice cream and pizza and paint face green, yellow, blue or whatever they want. Just one weekend out of the whole year where no politics, keeping up with the Jones, politicking the coaches to get playing time and or guaranteed field position and starts. No blacklisting, name calling or labeling families crazy club hoppers is allowed. I bet Surfref and my dd Grandpa would help ref the games. However, we should throw them some money for dealing with all the crazy soccer parents. No one can make money except the Refs!!!!

Nothing about Quakes is a scam. They do excellent work and follow GDA rules. I’m sure Quakes would prefer no one played HS, but they seem to understand it isn’t their decision to make, and they work within the rules to accommodate when appropriate. I doubt Mr. Deza has ever given anyone false expectations about their ability or future. He is rather candid, which is one of the things that makes him such an excellent coach and DOC.

 

[Justus]

Nothing about Quakes is a scam. They do excellent work and follow GDA rules. I’m sure Quakes would prefer no one played HS, but they seem to understand it isn’t their decision to make, and they work within the rules to accommodate when appropriate. I doubt Mr. Deza has ever given anyone false expectations about their ability or future. He is rather candid, which is one of the things that makes him such an excellent coach and DOC.

I know he's the real deal. But the website say's something else. Some in OC say 4 days/10 months but it's not really. A little, "wink, wink" or "waiver" and no problemo.

 

[Kicker4Life]

I know he's the real deal. But the website say's something else. Some in OC say 4 days/10 months but it's not really. A little, "wink, wink" or "waiver" and no problemo.

As I’ve said repeatedly....”training” can encompass many things. Often during the dredge of the season, we have “home study film sessions” as one of our “training” days.

 

[LASTMAN14]

As I’ve said repeatedly....”training” can encompass many things. Often during the dredge of the season, we have “home study film sessions” as one of our “training” days.

To add the staff also has days where the girls will play Frisbee golf, basketball, volleyball to break things up and keep it light.

 

[Justus]

As I’ve said repeatedly....”training” can encompass many things. Often during the dredge of the season, we have “home study film sessions” as one of our “training” days.

I know. I was always messing with you and took it too far at times. I apologies. I know what's going. This is dance moms but with both parents trying to get the D1 deal. All good under the sun brah!!!!

 

[Justus]

As I’ve said repeatedly....”training” can encompass many things. Often during the dredge of the season, we have “home study film sessions” as one of our “training” days.

The truth is must clubs allow two days a week

 

[Kicker4Life]

The truth is must clubs allow two days a week

Your “truth” or reality?

 

[Justus]

Your “truth” or reality?

Without naming names it's a reality. I know most committed players with goals will go for 3 days but I know many, many players going to just 2. DA tries to make themselves the great 4 days of training a week with all the special trainers/10 months out of the year "academy" when we all know its the same as ECNL except the rules are different. I pushed for DA but my dd truly saw the smoke & mirrors sales pitch. I didn't, she did

 

[Kicker4Life]

Without naming names it's a reality. I know most committed players with goals will go for 3 days but I know many, many players going to just 2. DA tries to make themselves the great 4 days of training a week with all the special trainers/10 months out of the year "academy" when we all know its the same as ECNL except the rules are different. I pushed for DA but my dd truly saw the smoke & mirrors sales pitch. I didn't, she did

The “the committed” age group is always a special group. I guess you don’t know what you don’t know when considering your limited exposure

 

[MarkM]

The “the committed” age group is always a special group. I guess you don’t know what you don’t know when considering your limited exposure

Let the troll die.

 

[Justus]

I understand now why its superior

 

[timbuck]

We are now at a point where there are too many damn leagues.
Have DA. Have ECNL.
But DPL and ECNL regional league are just stupid. Couple that with 3 flavors of flight 1.

People say the US needs promotion/relegation.
We keep promoting youth teams, but there is no relegation. We just keep adding layers.

I try to keep up on teams/leagues where we have friends playing. It’s too much work this year.

 

[Fact]

We are now at a point where there are too many damn leagues.
Have DA. Have ECNL.
But DPL and ECNL regional league are just stupid. Couple that with 3 flavors of flight 1.

People say the US needs promotion/relegation.
We keep promoting youth teams, but there is no relegation. We just keep adding layers.

I try to keep up on teams/leagues where we have friends playing. It’s too much work this year.

Find a coach and a team that is a good fit irregardless of name/league. (This is not meant to say that they should play on a team below their ability level. They might need to play up a year or two or even a girl with boys to find the right level) It might take your kiddo a little extra effort to be recruited but in the end they will have had a much happier experience. I promise.

 

[timmyh]

Copied and pasted the below from the NTX forum in a discussion of High School play and ECNL's college pathway.
It's an interesting take on where things may be heading:

There's a lot of evidence that the world (mostly Europe) is closing the gap and that they are producing much greater quantities of women soccer players. In the current men's college game, about 3 out of 20 players are foreign born. In the women's college game, about 1 out of 20 players are foreign born. That higher percentage of males makes sense when looking at historical male/female output for players around the world. Those percentages are for all college soccer teams, and anecdotally, it seems to me the percentages of foreign-born players for Power 5 colleges are higher (perhaps they have the recruiting budget to widen their searches).

I see that number rising for the women significantly in the very near future. In the next decade, because of the boom in the number of quality international soccer players along with the fact that women have a fraction of the professional prospects that men have (thus making an American college scholarship quite an attractive proposition), it would not be surprising at all if that percentage rises from 1 in 20 to something like 4 or 5 in 20. If that happens, then those roster spots will obviously be at the expense of American players. The competition for scholarships for US players will increase dramatically.

The DA believes that spending 3 or 4 month for each of four straight years to leave the club and play high school soccer comes at a developmental cost to the individual player. I think everyone, even the most die-hard ECNL fan, would agree with that contention. With rare exception it's almost certainly true, but such commitment comes with an obvious cost. That cost is the very reasonable belief that the life experience and fun of playing high school soccer is well worth the minor developmental loss that comes with choosing to play in the generally inferior environment. I think even the most die-hard DA stans see the merit in that personal decision for many players. That tradeoff is now easier to justify because the average ECNL player still currently has quality collegiate options.

Putting all that together, though, the competition for college roster spots and money is about to get much more competitive as the rest of the world continues to improve the quality and quantity of its players who will be looking to play at an American college. If the DA is producing players who have more fully fulfilled their potential and are better equipped to fill the fewer spots available, then I think simple math would suggest that ECNL players will be getting the short end of the stick of being the ones shut out of those 3 or 4 roster spots that will probably soon be going to international players. It seems likely to me that the consequences of taking a total of 12-16 months off from a high-level club environment to play high school instead of club soccer may become a bit more stark in the near future than it is now.

Men's college coaches long ago come to the conclusion that boy players who have been in the DA environment are generally better equipped to be an impact college player. That day is likely coming for the women's game, too. And combined with the likely influx of impact international players, it seems to me the college scholarship squeeze could be coming for ECNL and especially other "independent" players.

 

[Justafan]

Copied and pasted the below from the NTX forum in a discussion of High School play and ECNL's college pathway.
It's an interesting take on where things may be heading:

There's a lot of evidence that the world (mostly Europe) is closing the gap and that they are producing much greater quantities of women soccer players. In the current men's college game, about 3 out of 20 players are foreign born. In the women's college game, about 1 out of 20 players are foreign born. That higher percentage of males makes sense when looking at historical male/female output for players around the world. Those percentages are for all college soccer teams, and anecdotally, it seems to me the percentages of foreign-born players for Power 5 colleges are higher (perhaps they have the recruiting budget to widen their searches).

I see that number rising for the women significantly in the very near future. In the next decade, because of the boom in the number of quality international soccer players along with the fact that women have a fraction of the professional prospects that men have (thus making an American college scholarship quite an attractive proposition), it would not be surprising at all if that percentage rises from 1 in 20 to something like 4 or 5 in 20. If that happens, then those roster spots will obviously be at the expense of American players. The competition for scholarships for US players will increase dramatically.

The DA believes that spending 3 or 4 month for each of four straight years to leave the club and play high school soccer comes at a developmental cost to the individual player. I think everyone, even the most die-hard ECNL fan, would agree with that contention. With rare exception it's almost certainly true, but such commitment comes with an obvious cost. That cost is the very reasonable belief that the life experience and fun of playing high school soccer is well worth the minor developmental loss that comes with choosing to play in the generally inferior environment. I think even the most die-hard DA stans see the merit in that personal decision for many players. That tradeoff is now easier to justify because the average ECNL player still currently has quality collegiate options.

Putting all that together, though, the competition for college roster spots and money is about to get much more competitive as the rest of the world continues to improve the quality and quantity of its players who will be looking to play at an American college. If the DA is producing players who have more fully fulfilled their potential and are better equipped to fill the fewer spots available, then I think simple math would suggest that ECNL players will be getting the short end of the stick of being the ones shut out of those 3 or 4 roster spots that will probably soon be going to international players. It seems likely to me that the consequences of taking a total of 12-16 months off from a high-level club environment to play high school instead of club soccer may become a bit more stark in the near future than it is now.

Men's college coaches long ago come to the conclusion that boy players who have been in the DA environment are generally better equipped to be an impact college player. That day is likely coming for the women's game, too. And combined with the likely influx of impact international players, it seems to me the college scholarship squeeze could be coming for ECNL and especially other "independent" players.

On the surface it appears very straightforward and logical, but you would have to add up the real number of days/months difference in training days between DA and other leagues. For example, doesn’t DA take 2 months off anyway? DA also limits the number of games played for injury prevention, so if you play 10-20 more games than DA while playing in another league

 

[Justafan]

On the surface it appears very straightforward and logical, but you would have to add up the real number of days/months difference in training days between DA and other leagues. For example, doesn’t DA take 2 months off anyway? DA also limits the number of games played for injury prevention, so if you play 10-20 more games than DA while playing in another league

Oops.....then that counts toward development that you don’t get in DA (assuming of course you don’t get hurt). So if you add up the real difference in days/spent with your club “developing,” the difference is probably minimal.

 

[Fact]

On the surface it appears very straightforward and logical, but you would have to add up the real number of days/months difference in training days between DA and other leagues. For example, doesn’t DA take 2 months off anyway? DA also limits the number of games played for injury prevention, so if you play 10-20 more games than DA while playing in another league

Oops.....then that counts toward development that you don’t get in DA (assuming of course you don’t get hurt). So if you add up the real difference in days/spent with your club “developing,” the difference is probably minimal.

Wow, I am proud of you, finally something logical.