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He is really, really good at this...
ECNL vs. DA turf war has created a 'toxic environment'
- Thread starter VegasParent
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He is really, really good at this...
You think she would have forgone playing HS if ECNL had set up like DA and said No HS?
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DA
As usual your succinct eloquence shines through. When my daughter first got into club soccer all she wanted was to be good enough to get to play in Surf Cup. The level of play was phenomenal.
I remember the old conversations about which teams (other than Surf White and Surf Blue) got into Surf Cup. I remember that the only other guarantee that you were going to get invited was to make the semifinals of National Cup! My daughter was so happy when her team made the semifinals her U13 season and all that she cared about was that she would finally get to play in Surf Cup (I had been dragging her there the previous 3 years just to see what the level of competition was).
These rookie parents have no idea what the golden age of soccer here in SoCal looked like....
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No. I tried to convince her not to play and it worked for the first month of her junior year. Some kids have a clear set of priorities and my daughter is still really close to a lot of her friends from high school even though almost none are still playing. They come to watch her play though and they visit her often. The reason that she isn’t home right now is that she is hanging out with her friends before she heads back to school on Saturday.
Thanks for the insight!
My dd team was probably the last true "Best of the Best" winner at Surf Cup. I think 2016 Blues team. Our lovely friends at US Soccer decided to change the age group and $urf Cup $ports was started and here we are.
I’m confused. What exactly were you upset about DA. Because I thought your daughter played ECNL.Gotcha. It wouldn't matter because she wants to be on the track team, surf team, ASB and volleyball team. DA schedule and requirements is the problem my friend
Accept Surf Cup Sports took control of the Polo Fields in 2012 so they had to exist prior to 2016. Can’t blame that on US Soccer, just Capitalism.
I'm not defending DA in any way, but ECNL schedule would be too much too. For my DD's ECNL team, they train almost as much and play more games. The only difference is that they shut down in winter for HS soccer. DD also runs track and XCountry, but if there is a conflict with those HS sports and her ECNL soccer team, it is 100% expected she come to the soccer which she does.Gotcha. It wouldn't matter because she wants to be on the track team, surf team, ASB and volleyball team. DA schedule and requirements is the problem my friend
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I remember those days. My player qualified for CIF in 4 events every year that she competed but she only got to compete in one event (the relay) one of her years due to soccer conflicts. I knew that she had chosen soccer when her freshman year she ran in the relay of the CIF Prelims and then told me to hurry up so that I could get her to her soccer game against the top team in her division and she absolutely wasn't going to miss it. She loved running track but it was definitely second to her club team.
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My daughter's club team never finished higher than 4th in the Southwest Division and missed the Champions League Playoffs her last two seasons (they made it in her U15 and U16 seasons). She was never on the best team but she always played against them and in my opinion it helped her development.
Let me rephrase, when $urf Cup $ports really got going, got Oceanside built and signed a 5 year contract with US Soccer. I love capitalism. This was not. Trust me. This was the swamp. Crazy stuff and when your kid is personally affected by it you take it personal. I'm letting some steam out as you know. I know some might think were sore losers. This whole thing is a shit show and you know it. Capitalism my ass
I think my dd and I can speak in this space from being in the middle of the epicenter. I have lots to say on this subject but I better stop. I"ll try and keep it civil. Here are just a few quotes from our great youth director. I will try and interrupt her. "Anson Dorrance has meant a lot for American women’s soccer and I know he is an icon in the USA. I have a lot respect for what he has done for American women’s soccer in the past. He could be seen as one of the pioneers. But I do not always agree with his point of view." Too old and way past your prime old timer
"Our best players are all over the place. They are frequently taught different soccer languages which often contradict each other. It’s club, high school, college, personal trainers, parents, etc. The rules and standards are different in all of these systems." True Dat
"Some clubs have just become good at recruiting the best players but not in developing." Can you say Tad Bobak, Dodge, Bakers
"Eventually the best players have to be training with and playing against the best players. With high quality coaching." They were, WTF happened? I think she might be a spy for Netherlands. Go over to the US and completely change the soccer landscape.
"High School is not really a discussion for us if you understand the concept of talent development from an international perspective. Soccer is a global sport." No comment
" Therefore the Development Academy is not a league, it’s a program to develop world-class players." So you had to put a fork in HS Soccer and tell ECNL to pound sand. Is this capitalism? DA does not exist without Surf. Why does Surf have three DA teams now in SoCal?
Our team pracrices Mon & Wednesday. 7-8:30. 10 minutes from fields. No problemo for my kid
Both are good if you have the right coach and players (friends) around you. Those days are going away sadly
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Both are good if you have the right coach and players (friends) around you. Those days are going away sadly
I agree. Her last year it was more like a team of mercenaries than a group of friends like it had been for her 6 years with her prior club team. She was lucky that she had two good coaches for all but 3 of her club seasons.
My girl same boat. Each year she's run track and cross country, her times qualify her to make it to CIF, but the finals are always on a date that conflicts with both Phoenix ECNL showcases. She would've gone to state in track this last year, but gives it up for the love of being on the pitch.
Only twice per week? Your DD must be on the young side. When my DD was younger (before U14 ECNL), we only practiced twice per week and had an "optional" clinic which every girl went to. IMO, this is a much better structure so you don't create any burn out and the kids are getting joy out of the training. In addition, the coaches expect that you will be working with the ball on your own when not at structured practice.Our team pracrices Mon & Wednesday. 7-8:30. 10 minutes from fields. No problemo for my kid
Plus most games occur during the week.Our team pracrices Mon & Wednesday. 7-8:30. 10 minutes from fields. No problemo for my kid
U16. Our coach gets it. Its called a balance in life for High School age kids. Super grateful for him.
Can't comment on the girl's side, but on the boy's side my son is going into his sixth year of club (not that long as compared to many of you here). In five years he has played Presidio, SDDA, SCDSL and DA. You know what the difference was between those leagues? Basically no difference. All had good teams and bad teams, good players and not so good players, good fields and barely playable fields, good refs and poor refs etc. Since he has been playing, various other leagues have been added to the SoCal youth landscape including Discovery, Boy's ECNL, NPL West, UPSL Youth and Super Y... it's insanity. Regardless of the league, the coaches and the clubs are still the same. The league effectively has little bearing on the development of your kid, only the draining of your wallet.
My son has chosen to play DA. We believe it generally has the better players on average. To date my son has developed more by playing with better players than he has developed from coaching. (That's partially due to how he learns and partially due to the competency of some of his coaches). I'm cautiously optimistic, but not holding my breath, that his new DA club and coach will have a greater impact on his development. The club has a very defined curriculum allegedly developed with the guidance of Double Pass. Time will tell if this curriculum works for my kid, but regardless there is no perfect situation.
Can’t say my experience has been the same as yours. I was always bitter at ECNL for not filling a LARGE geographical void yet having 4 Clubs that train writhing 10 miles of each other.Let me rephrase, when $urf Cup $ports really got going, got Oceanside built and signed a 5 year contract with US Soccer. I love capitalism. This was not. Trust me. This was the swamp. Crazy stuff and when your kid is personally affected by it you take it personal. I'm letting some steam out as you know. I know some might think were sore losers. This whole thing is a shit show and you know it. Capitalism my ass
"Anson Dorrance has meant a lot for American women’s soccer and I know he is an icon in the USA. I have a lot respect for what he has done for American women’s soccer in the past. He could be seen as one of the pioneers. But I do not always agree with his point of view." Too old and way past your prime old timer
"Our best players are all over the place. They are frequently taught different soccer languages which often contradict each other. It’s club, high school, college, personal trainers, parents, etc. The rules and standards are different in all of these systems." True Dat
"Some clubs have just become good at recruiting the best players but not in developing." Can you say Tad Bobak, Dodge, Bakers
"Eventually the best players have to be training with and playing against the best players. With high quality coaching." They were, WTF happened? I think she might be a spy for Netherlands. Go over to the US and completely change the soccer landscape.
"High School is not really a discussion for us if you understand the concept of talent development from an international perspective. Soccer is a global sport." No comment
" Therefore the Development Academy is not a league, it’s a program to develop world-class players." So you had to put a fork in HS Soccer and tell ECNL to pound sand. Is this capitalism? DA does not exist without Surf. Why does Surf have three DA teams now in SoCal?
We’ve been fortunate. I never bit on the Sales pitch from other Clubs. We were lucky to have a Coach that cared about the kids and followed him from a tiny Club (Sand & Surf) to a bigger organization Beach. When the age change came, her Coach helped guide us in the changes and we were again fortunate to play for Coach Arrache whom she still plays for today.
My DD enjoys her life outside of soccer, plays beach volleyball and makes time to be a kid.
Everyone has their own path and as MAP said earlier, “there are many roads to Rome” so very true!
Did your add enjoy her time as a DP? Would you let her do it again? It was disappointing that the rules don’t allow for DP’s to participate in the Playoffs, but I can see their angle for not allowing it.