2020 Spring Leagues and Tournaments

Here's my assessment:
- DA going away impact to G09: Clearly competition will be extremely tough to get into an ECNL team for the G09 group. This is going to make Flight 1 even stronger as some of the players cant make it to ECNL. ECNL will have more teams in SoCal so it will be less travel. Problem is that this is a business so chances are price to get into ECNL will increase.

- Tournaments: I really thought that by August everything is going to be back to normal. We may not see any Summer tournaments and maybe even State Cup could get postponed/cancelled if we get a new wave of COVID-19 (very likely) next year.

- Leage Games: I think it will be business as usual or maybe delayed by 1 month.

- Folding Teams: Unfortunately I think that a lot of teams will fold or will have very few subs. Recruitment will be interesting in August . I think that CSL/SCDSL/Others, will need to allow clubs to add players through the day before season starts.

- Quality of Play: I think it's going to be very poor as you will see a lot of players gaining weight and trying to get back into fitness. Now is the time for our kids to stay fit and active to have an advantage over others that are static and not working out at home.

Pretty sure you can add a player at any time, as long as they are not already on another Cal-South roster.
 
I don't think there would be that much movement right now even if COVID wasn't around with the changes going on with GDA. Reason being that ECNL starts at U13 and the 09 girls are starting the U12 season.

I hope ECNL pushes the age back up to U14 or even U15 now that they don't have to compete with DA. There is no reason for these regional or national leagues at the younger ages.
 
Is any of the parents on this forum contemplating a team change when we go back, due to the potential impact of this stoppage and of the DA implosion on their current club?
 
Is any of the parents on this forum contemplating a team change when we go back, due to the potential impact of this stoppage and of the DA implosion on their current club?


I am assuming that there will be no youth sports in 2020...so, don't think it matters at the moment. Long-term, pick a coach first and the club second (just my two cents).
 
I am assuming that there will be no youth sports in 2020...so, don't think it matters at the moment. Long-term, pick a coach first and the club second (just my two cents).

We will have sports in the fall. I just heard club baseball teams are going to begin to practice in mid-June. The governor doesn't want large crowds for 2020. This means all pro sporting events are cancelled. I have a feeling soccer tournaments will be cancelled as well. The fall season could look like a 9 v 9 game with no parents on the side lines.
 
Here's my assessment:
- DA going away impact to G09: Clearly competition will be extremely tough to get into an ECNL team for the G09 group. This is going to make Flight 1 even stronger as some of the players cant make it to ECNL. ECNL will have more teams in SoCal so it will be less travel. Problem is that this is a business so chances are price to get into ECNL will increase.

- Tournaments: I really thought that by August everything is going to be back to normal. We may not see any Summer tournaments and maybe even State Cup could get postponed/cancelled if we get a new wave of COVID-19 (very likely) next year.

- Leage Games: I think it will be business as usual or maybe delayed by 1 month.

- Folding Teams: Unfortunately I think that a lot of teams will fold or will have very few subs. Recruitment will be interesting in August . I think that CSL/SCDSL/Others, will need to allow clubs to add players through the day before season starts.

- Quality of Play: I think it's going to be very poor as you will see a lot of players gaining weight and trying to get back into fitness. Now is the time for our kids to stay fit and active to have an advantage over others that are static and not working out at home.

Pretty much agree with you spot on. I think by next year, everyone will see how we over-reacted to this virus. The real damage will be to our economy....

We got very lucky. Our original plan was to play a year up with the local 2008 DA team. In December rumors began to fly locally about our local girls DA program going under. Knowing this as well as having other issues with the our current club, we switched to a weaker team at Bethesda Soccer Club. An ECNL member and also one of the most established clubs in the US. Lucky for us, two other quality players in our area also moved mid-season from other clubs. Although weaker, the existing team already had very good players, but lacked depth. Needless to say, we only played one tournament, boat-raced it, as we should have since the tournament did not know about the new players.

The difference is night and day. Bethesda SC uses the Techne App which has been a great during this quarantine. Just got news our new Head Coach was the Boys National Coach of the Year in 2019 among an even more impressive history...

If I were in your shoes, and had to think about moving after the "DA Demise", I would look at the most established along with the coach regardless of any ranking.

As for the future, ECNL is now on the throne with its future set in concrete for the foreseeable future. Yes, DA clubs now are creating a new league but the damage has been done. Fool me once, shame on me, and fool me twice...

I am strong believer the other road for success is play at a smaller club and play ODP. ODP will likely see a big boost in numbers and scouting moving forward. We had a good experience playing up a year in MD ODP before this disaster ended it.

Lastly, my advice would be for anyone to find their DD landing spot by the start of '21-'22 season. Next season will be re-alignment and evaluation of current players. Between small clubs going under and the re-emergence of ECNL being top dog, there will be a ton of movement. We already saw it here in the winter because of the local rumors.

I am hoping, at worst case scenerio, we will be watching our kids play games again by July 15th. Yes, I know, I am on the optimistic side.

Hopefully all of you are staying safe and healthy in the meantime!
 
I am hearing rumors of clubs attempting to resume practices either this or next week...

Strikers North starts June 15th with limitations. The scary part of this COVID is that now there's a very small amount of cases that kids are being impacted. We can't live in fear but this thing just doesnt go away and the experts keep learning as we go.
 
FYI, if California is not back to business by August, you can fly out to the East Coast and play in the Jefferson Cup. They are calling it "Jefferson Cup Fall Kickoff" but all of the teams from Spring are already accepted. Again, just trying to help your kids get out and play. Top teams from the East Coast will be there. Unclear if the Texas teams will come or not. Deadline for registration is July 1st.

 
Calling all Girl 2009 Ballers:
Here is your chance to go next week. View attachment 8370
$75 off is showing some true loyalty to the goats who took a chance in life and played soccer this week. Please keep us posted on who wins top all star goat this week. My dd would win top camper all the time as well when she was 10, so I'm curious to see who the top, top baller is out of all these top, top goats. Top top of the top top goats is saying something imo. Great job making things happen bro :) P.S. At least you have some fields to play on. Luis, can you ask the Gaffer if he could use a little goat helper? My dd is willing to help give back to the younger goats.
 
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Since parents are not allowed, are there cameras or something to watch the girls in this camp. Don't get me wrong, sounds like a great camp but I am not leaving my 10 year old for 3 hours a day without being able to see what's going on during this camp.

there is a section for parents. But you must social distance and wear a mask.
 
Thanks for the vids!

So we started practicing again in late June. Finally had a scrimmage last weekend against my DD's team we had left last winter before CoVid ironically. Went well if score was "kept"....

This weekend we get to scrimmage Pipeline who is tops in Maryland. Would have been at Jefferson Cup Fall Kick Off but that was cancelled. But hey, at least we get scrimmage. Beggers can't be choosers.

Hopefully your DD's are at least getting some practice time in. I was optimistic early summer but have lost a bit of that. Seems ECNL out here is trying to get some kids in game action though. We'll see?
 
Thanks for the vids!

So we started practicing again in late June. Finally had a scrimmage last weekend against my DD's team we had left last winter before CoVid ironically. Went well if score was "kept"....

This weekend we get to scrimmage Pipeline who is tops in Maryland. Would have been at Jefferson Cup Fall Kick Off but that was cancelled. But hey, at least we get scrimmage. Beggers can't be choosers.

Hopefully your DD's are at least getting some practice time in. I was optimistic early summer but have lost a bit of that. Seems ECNL out here is trying to get some kids in game action though. We'll see?
For once Mars gotta say happy to hear from you and hear that games are underway in other parts of country. Any word on when you guys start competitive games?
 
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