ECNL Expansion In Socal SW Division

Hey soccer fan 4 life, keep in mind my goat was balling against Turner, Jackson, Rodman and OM when she was 11 and 12. We scrimmaged every week bro and I saw with my eyes what a pro looks like and plays like.
 
TR went pro out of high school, no? I was sold pro when my dd was 12, 100%. Meaning, she was asked if she too would like to go full time home school and full time soccer. I even came on here to ask some questions about girls going pro and I got hammered and laughed at for saying my dd was sold pro. She was sold fully funded by all the top clubs in socal and so much more. The GDA thought high school soccer was horrible and college soccer was kickball and dangerous and no passing league and not pretty soccer and that the world was watching and something had to be done. That's when the crazy travel ball started. I'm telling you that the rich parents were all over this league. Dad's bought clubs and dads got BOD positions. 25% of the games your kid is guaranteed to start and a chance to make the YNT Lsit so they can go to Big U and you as parent can brag on Insta and FB. These were starts btw, not just a few minutes of play time. Oh what money can buy....lol! Elon just bought a seat at the table so we know how this sport is played. The great OM went Pro before TR too so look at the future and the best will go pro and skip the brutal life of a top college soccer player. Like the great Maps said, only the true Unicorns can handle the college girls soccer life at Big U. You need to have the best GPA, best SAT, volunteers 10 hours week helping others, do all your homework, train 5 days a week to be the best of the best player, eat super perfect and don't gain weight, no real parties and no boyfriend. BTW, I blushed when the Doc and top new coaches told me about the future for my 12 year old if she would go full time and move to great Northwest and live with the Pros and train with them.


this short little video is applicable jumping from youth to college , college to pro

 
From my understanding it was already announced that Pat’s would gain an ECNL spot for next season. Both ECNL and Pat’s posted about it not too long ago. Question is with them coming in... and the rumors roaming about Strikers being out...when will that announcement take place? ECNL has done a bad job demographically with balancing teams throughout SoCal... they’ve got Slammers, HB Koge (only program who continues to have 2 teams at the ECNL level) Blues, Strikers, (if they even keep they’re spot...rumor is the are now out) and now Pat’s all out of OC Great Park. I have to imagine Pat’s gained a spot in ECNL because of the strength on the boys side..not the girls.. They had a decent group but moved them to Arsenal when David Baille left and took players with him... lots of movement AGAIN with ECNL- should be interesting to see how all this plays out.
 
From my understanding it was already announced that Pat’s would gain an ECNL spot for next season. Both ECNL and Pat’s posted about it not too long ago. Question is with them coming in... and the rumors roaming about Strikers being out...when will that announcement take place? ECNL has done a bad job demographically with balancing teams throughout SoCal... they’ve got Slammers, HB Koge (only program who continues to have 2 teams at the ECNL level) Blues, Strikers, (if they even keep they’re spot...rumor is the are now out) and now Pat’s all out of OC Great Park. I have to imagine Pat’s gained a spot in ECNL because of the strength on the boys side..not the girls.. They had a decent group but moved them to Arsenal when David Baille left and took players with him... lots of movement AGAIN with ECNL- should be interesting to see how all this plays out.
It's hard to keep up. The Strikers were the Laguna Hills Eclipse on the girls side back in the day and had a top girls program, just like West Coast. Strikers and Pats were big time on the boys side and had a few ok teams on the girls side. Eclipse did a deal with Strikers and AR killed it. I can go on and on. This is way to big for me to understand. I will say this and this is just some moo from me. I believe the PRO game will be what it;s all about and not college. ECNL is all in for college and that won;t work in the future. ECNL was for girls only but because of what the GDA did to them, they had to change like all companies have to who are about to be squashed like a little bug. Good luck to all the girls right now and their parents. The back and forth is insane.
 
It's hard to keep up. The Strikers were the Laguna Hills Eclipse on the girls side back in the day and had a top girls program, just like West Coast. Strikers and Pats were big time on the boys side and had a few ok teams on the girls side. Eclipse did a deal with Strikers and AR killed it. I can go on and on. This is way to big for me to understand. I will say this and this is just some moo from me. I believe the PRO game will be what it;s all about and not college. ECNL is all in for college and that won;t work in the future. ECNL was for girls only but because of what the GDA did to them, they had to change like all companies have to who are about to be squashed like a little bug. Good luck to all the girls right now and their parents. The back and forth is insane.
I tend to agree with you. The reason MLS Next is competing with ECNL on the boys side is because it's specifically focused on developing pro players.

The problem with developing players for college is that unless you get a full ride scholarship (most don't) players have spent 10+ years getting better at soccer for 30k or so per year. (if you cost out the scholarship value) For true top level talent you might as well go for being pro just to see if you can make it vs 30k in scholarship $$$. If you have good grades you'll be able to get into colleges when you're 20-22.

For boys the decision is much more clear.
 
I tend to agree with you. The reason MLS Next is competing with ECNL on the boys side is because it's specifically focused on developing pro players.

The problem with developing players for college is that unless you get a full ride scholarship (most don't) players have spent 10+ years getting better at soccer for 30k or so per year. (if you cost out the scholarship value) For true top level talent you might as well go for being pro just to see if you can make it vs 30k in scholarship $$$. If you have good grades you'll be able to get into colleges when you're 20-22.

For boys the decision is much more clear.
This was the GDA plan, moo. I was sold this but I think at the end of the day it was always going to be a college sell. I know people make fun of me and I'm ok with that. The truth is the truth. Girls don;t need to make millions of dollars to be happy. They just want to be treated fair and with honesty. The men saw a way to make a few bucks and that sucks. We need a very clear path for all the top players who are the tops on the field, not the classroom. For men, it's how good of a soccer player you are and for the girls its how smart you are ((GPA+SAT))+ super great kid and does what she is told and does not ask any questions or have any opinions and also plays really good soccer. It's like the girls have to score high in three categories. This has been my #1 complaint on the girls side. The objection I get is always, "Their is no money in pro girls soccer and a college education is worth way more in the long run." Something like that and most fathers do not want their kid playing over seas in front of 90,000 fans. No, daddy wants to watch on the SEC Network....lol. That is satire and just for laughs. Honestly, in other parts of Euro the top players at around 14 or 15 are told, "Yes, you have Pro written all over you, Go Pro :) Please join our academy and we will train you and then sell you or just help you because. They also have a good respect about loaning and selling players to each other because they have 4 top levels to reach. The top level is very difficult to make and only those who got it will be able to hang.
 
It's hard to keep up. The Strikers were the Laguna Hills Eclipse on the girls side back in the day and had a top girls program, just like West Coast. Strikers and Pats were big time on the boys side and had a few ok teams on the girls side. Eclipse did a deal with Strikers and AR killed it. I can go on and on. This is way to big for me to understand. I will say this and this is just some moo from me. I believe the PRO game will be what it;s all about and not college. ECNL is all in for college and that won;t work in the future. ECNL was for girls only but because of what the GDA did to them, they had to change like all companies have to who are about to be squashed like a little bug. Good luck to all the girls right now and their parents. The back and forth is insane.
There have been a ton of changes since the Strikers were Laguna Hills Eclipse. That seems like decades ago. And clubs and programs have certainly evolved. Additionally, Pro vs college doesn’t seem to be a question. ECNL has done a great job of getting girls into colleges playing at an NCAA level and I don’t see that going away. Most who go pro come from playing at the college level- very few go from playing pro out of high school. So that seems to be a null and void... I don’t see girls not going to college and opting to play Pro. Just not feasible nor realistic. Besides there are plenty of players wanting to play at the college level... most need something to fall back on and that’s why the platform of ECNL and collegiate play will stick around. ECNL also saw the opportunity to add in boys and expand the program when DA was ended.. MLS jumped in along with Academy seems to be some decent options on the boys side unlike the girls. What’s interesting is why the elimination of Strikers when currently the Southwest Region has an unbalanced number of teams? If ECNL is eliminating them because there’s too many clubs out of OC why add in another OC club? If the talent is in Orange County... than that’s where the teams should be. Appears these clubs don’t have a problem filling a roster or competing at that level. Just seems weird to eliminate an OC team to only add another OC team in. And now the disruption and movement of teams begin... if in fact Strikers is no longer ECNL. All these girls and boys at that level will need to find a home!
 
There have been a ton of changes since the Strikers were Laguna Hills Eclipse. That seems like decades ago. And clubs and programs have certainly evolved. Additionally, Pro vs college doesn’t seem to be a question. ECNL has done a great job of getting girls into colleges playing at an NCAA level and I don’t see that going away. Most who go pro come from playing at the college level- very few go from playing pro out of high school. So that seems to be a null and void... I don’t see girls not going to college and opting to play Pro. Just not feasible nor realistic. Besides there are plenty of players wanting to play at the college level... most need something to fall back on and that’s why the platform of ECNL and collegiate play will stick around. ECNL also saw the opportunity to add in boys and expand the program when DA was ended.. MLS jumped in along with Academy seems to be some decent options on the boys side unlike the girls. What’s interesting is why the elimination of Strikers when currently the Southwest Region has an unbalanced number of teams? If ECNL is eliminating them because there’s too many clubs out of OC why add in another OC club? If the talent is in Orange County... than that’s where the teams should be. Appears these clubs don’t have a problem filling a roster or competing at that level. Just seems weird to eliminate an OC team to only add another OC team in. And now the disruption and movement of teams begin... if in fact Strikers is no longer ECNL. All these girls and boys at that level will need to find a home!
That was the past and old school, moo :) I also think the girls should get most of the credit for getting into college. Mark my words and I said it here first. The Pro game will be the holy grail for all the top top players and not go to college for four years and then go Pro at 22. To each his own is my motto.
 
That was the past and old school, moo :) I also think the girls should get most of the credit for getting into college. Mark my words and I said it here first. The Pro game will be the holy grail for all the top top players and not go to college for four years and then go Pro at 22. To each his own is my motto.
I don’t know, I can see this on the boys side but not necessarily the girls.. who knows though.. I don’t follow boys soccer as much as I do girls, but that’s just because I have girls at this level.
 
what you have on the boys side , at least at the very elite levels is some of the top academy players getting the chance to train with the first team . FC Dallas has been doing this for years, and look at the talent that has come out of there.

I think you will start to see more girls jump to NWSL and forego college, are there opportunities for the truly elite to get the chance to train with professionals at 14 , 15 years old right now on the girls side?

I could see ECNL partnering with some NWSL teams that give some of the truly high level girls the opportunity pretty early on to train with professionals

I do wonder if someone like Rodman was really being challenged during her high school years .
 
what you have on the boys side , at least at the very elite levels is some of the top academy players getting the chance to train with the first team . FC Dallas has been doing this for years, and look at the talent that has come out of there.

I think you will start to see more girls jump to NWSL and forego college, are there opportunities for the truly elite to get the chance to train with professionals at 14 , 15 years old right now on the girls side?

I could see ECNL partnering with some NWSL teams that give some of the truly high level girls the opportunity pretty early on to train with professionals

I do wonder if someone like Rodman was really being challenged during her high school years .
I watched Rodman and the others every week and they had a super team. They made each other better everyday at practice and those practices were not for faint of heart. It was intense to say the least. My dd team did not give up a goal all season and won state cup in 2015. To keep us hungry and humble, our coach made us scrimmage that team to show us what pro looks like. We would lose 10-0, 12-0 and then the last game we ever played them, my kid got an early goal on a napping defender and we went up early. I was beside myself and so proud of what my kid just pulled off at 11 years old. TR and the others were 13 and 14. Their coach was pissed off that my little one got behind their line on a sneak attack and that player was sent to the bench. I saw what pro soccer looked like and sounded like. TR was in a class all by herself. Anyway, we lost 11-1 and I still make it one of my all time great goals by my kid. The players on those teams have all gone on to college or pros and it's an honor to have watched them all battle to make each other better.
 
Only Rumors but
08-Hammond
07-Dodge
06-Duerksen
05/04-?
Definitely need to hire more coaches. They should try to get the Swanson Brothers from West Coast. Future isn't bright over there.
Or they can see about the coaches at Strikers since they lost their ECNL teams after this season!!
 
Or they can see about the coaches at Strikers since they lost their ECNL teams after this season!!
What a ride for coaches and the players for Pats and Strikers and all those trying to find a team so they can be showcased for college. My kid bailed on soccer all day every week in 2018 and went for Track, Volleyball, soccer and the beach. The only lie that pissed me off and made me come to this forum was that no hs soccer was allowed to be a member of the new top league for girls, the GDA. I would have happily walked away but no, they lied one too many times. They got waivers for the rich kids at private school and that was so wrong to do to the kids like my kid who opted out only to see the well to do get to do both. She took fours years off but is looking to make a come back. My dd worked her ass off during middle school years and walked away from a lot fun times, bday parties, sleep overs because of the commitment it took to be the best. She did what was told and didnt make the U14 YNT. BTW, do they even have a U14 YNT anymore because that's all it was, a list. No games or camps. She tried but they picked 25% of 05s instead because. Any way, we talked as a family and told the Doc bye for next season and all the seasons of the GDA. The GDA had no playoffs and gave 25% starts to the rich kids. Do you see the problem? How does one even start to figure things out with soccer?
 
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What a ride for coaches and the players for Pats and Strikers and all those trying to find a team so they can be showcased for college. My kid bailed on soccer all day every week in 2018 and went for Track, Volleyball, soccer and the beach. The only lie that pissed me off and made me come to this forum was that no hs soccer was allowed to be a member of the league, the GDA. I would have happily walked away but no, they lied one too many times. They got waivers for the rich kids at private school and that was so wrong to do to the kids like my kid who opted out only to see the well today get to do both. She took fours years off but is looking to make a come back. My dd worked her ass off during middle school years and walked away from a lot fun times, bday parties, sleep overs because of the commitment it took to be the best. She did what was told and didnt make the U14 YNT. BTW, do they even have a U14 YNT anymore because that's all it was, a list. No games or camps. She tried but they picked 25% of 05s instead because. Any way, we talked as a family and told the Doc bye for next season and all the seasons of the GDA. The GDA had no playoffs and gave 25% starts to the rich kids. Do you see the problem? How does one even start to figure things out with soccer?

Never miss an opportunity to make it about yourself do you? DA has been dead for 2 years, your daughter has what sounds like a great opportunity overseas (congratulations to her BTW), time to move on.

You said you were leaving the forum after you got into it with GoldenGate.
 
Never miss an opportunity to make it about yourself do you? DA has been dead for 2 years, your daughter has what sounds like a great opportunity overseas (congratulations to her BTW), time to move on.

You said you were leaving the forum after you got into it with GoldenGate.
I did leave ((I know that made some happy)) but I came back because people asked me to come back to help them. I know some hate me and I get that and I know why. I have every right to change my mind to come back, right? I flip and flop like the best and always look for a better and more honest way to treat people and their customers. Look, this is serious mental BS for the players and the parents. Every year myself, parents and players have to play musical chairs. We can make soccer great for all players and all families, regardless if you have the dough or not. I care for all the kids bro and the parents, believe me or not. My beef today is she did get some nice deals but was not afforded the opportunity because she needed to get the ________________ ((I'm not allowed to say it here)) in order to get the free education. This goes way deeper then soccer. I am 100% happy for her and what "sounds" like the greatest thing since slice bread could also be super hard, lonely and just not fun. Who knows, right? All you can do is dream and go try out. You really never know how things will work out when you make a big decision like hers. I'm proud of her but sad she did not have options to look at like others except to obey to play. Not cool dude but the majority is on your side and I should just please just go. Dom has been super good to me. I came here and no one was on these boards. I brought up questions and the forum took off. That is all good. It's a forum for soccer takes and I have 11 years worth. Thanks for the high five and we will see how this goes.
 
I did leave ((I know that made some happy)) but I came back because people asked me to come back to help them. I know some hate me and I get that and I know why. I have every right to change my mind to come back, right? I flip and flop like the best and always look for a better and more honest way to treat people and their customers. Look, this is serious mental BS for the players and the parents. Every year myself, parents and players have to play musical chairs. We can make soccer great for all players and all families, regardless if you have the dough or not. I care for all the kids bro and the parents, believe me or not. My beef today is she did get some nice deals but was not afforded the opportunity because she needed to get the ________________ ((I'm not allowed to say it here)) in order to get the free education. This goes way deeper then soccer. I am 100% happy for her and what "sounds" like the greatest thing since slice bread could also be super hard, lonely and just not fun. Who knows, right? All you can do is dream and go try out. You really never know how things will work out when you make a big decision like hers. I'm proud of her but sad she did not have options to look at like others except to obey to play. Not cool dude but the majority is on your side and I should just please just go. Dom has been super good to me. I came here and no one was on these boards. I brought up questions and the forum took off. That is all good. It's a forum for soccer takes and I have 11 years worth. Thanks for the high five and we will see how this goes.

I know of multiple young ladies who got 100% offers (and accepted) and never got called on "The List" as you call it. They were low level D1 and a mid-level D2. So the idea that you need to make the U14 List (or U15, 16 or 17) in order to get a 100% deal is factually incorrect. We all know the issue with those lists and the biases that go into making them.
 
I know of multiple young ladies who got 100% offers (and accepted) and never got called on "The List" as you call it. They were low level D1 and a mid-level D2. So the idea that you need to make the U14 List (or U15, 16 or 17) in order to get a 100% deal is factually incorrect. We all know the issue with those lists and the biases that go into making them.
I agree and that list was 100% more about getting the players to the lucky clubs that got the early ticket to the GDA, because now the Doc had the pic(s) for the first time. I'm talking Big U myself, not mid level or D2 or some far away school. That list was important to my kid to try and make at that time of her young life and that was it. Not for anything else, I promise. That was the last list she tried out for and she fell short, oh well. We were sold U14 team, not list by the way. You know the drill and it's not sour grapes on my part, trust me. It's more about the lying to little girls and then.......ah, I won;t bring up the past. I also know many top players who did not make the list and all have full rides. Some even got full ride for just their grades and got a spot on the team. I love that :) You need excellent GPAs and SAT and none that I know got full ride in soccer dollars only. Grades added to the pot and that is how you get a full full ride at the top academies after high school. 40 players is not enough to give one of the 14 away to a super star unless your the best of the super stars and only one or two per class fit that bill, moo.
 
May is around the corner but the Grapes on the Grapevine Rumor Mill are ripe to pick now. Poaching Karma is now in full session. Let the musical chairs begin. My heart goes out to all the players and coaches stuck in the middle. Good luck looking to play competitive soccer and then in college. This is a tough and cruel business and companies have to make tough decisions. The kids are stuck in the middle again as the turf wars continue.
 
I have a suggestion to the higher ups in all the "Elite" leagues. If you boot a member, maybe allow the older teams to finish out the following season or two years, unless the boot is justified and just had to be done. If it's for pure business reasons, then let's fix something right now for the players, who actually do ALL the heavy lifting and take all the chances of a career ending injury playing in these leagues. For example, the U17s have built a team together and all the girls are looking to go play in college and are right now getting recruited. Do what's best for the girls you guys and let that team and maybe the u16s finish and age out with respect. Thoughts? I will say the girls are learning about transferring, just like some do in college.
 
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