My dd had the privilege and honor to play in both leagues. Yes, that's right. I was a lost soul with only soccer to care about and my competitive ego. Dang, my old self was prideful and so dang competitive. I want to say 100% no league had any style. GDA had a philosophy for the league and they wanted the coaches to follow. Some tried and some did same old same old. I saw that philosophy taught and it didn;t work out. The style of play never changed from all the games I witnessed.
GA Showcases
- Thread starter VegasParent
- Start date
GA already has top players. The bottom line for all the players is will they have a great youth development and be able to play high level soccer in college if that is what they want to do. The existing platforms don't develop they provide opportunities for games and showcases. Coaches will find the talent."GA is the real deal". What is that statement based on? A website? Players aren't even back on the field yet..... making predictions is totally cool but I'd advise caution before stating GAL will be able to compete with the ECNL given what happened to the federation-backed DA....... for the record it's great to have alternative leagues and more choices for kids so I hope GAL sticks around but my prediction is it isn't going to rival ECNL anytime soon but hopefully over time it is able to attract top players and succeed.....
The huge difference in style is more east coast-west coast. There is a very real difference. Doesn't matter though because they will only meet at showcases, 3 games, and playoffs for youth players. The colleges tend to pick players who play their style.
And....you must have watched the team play games to make a sweeping generalization like that. Oh wait, no one has played in 3-4 months.
soccerfan123
SILVER
ROFLMAO dad4, you and others are clearly projecting as your club is one of the deposed. ECNL parents dont need to do that, but this thread IS full of GA parents that are trying to deny that peeps are leaving from DA to ECNL. unless you at beach, the exodus is v v real and many are staying because they hope a top ECRL performance will get them ECNL not because of ga. my dd is likely going to play lowly discovery league but at least call it like it is and not how you wish it was
ga may ultimately do fine, but it is not in any world a ECNL rival or have the depth of talent ecnl has in so cal or other places so phlease
My kid is 10. I have no reason to care, other than wanting a decent structure when she starts U13.
Two competing leagues means dilution and travel. That does not qualify as a decent structure.
Nothing wrong with Discovery league. If the games are good, have fun and enjoy it.
girlsrule7
BRONZE
I would guess that in the places where girls are staying with GA clubs, its because they are getting good coaching and are happy with their development. Seems like girls already in the recruiting process may not want to make a switch midway through.
You are fundamentally correct, not all coaches and clubs practiced what the federation preached. I'm not trying to convince anyone that clubs adhered to anything. There are coaches and clubs that nodded their heads up and down and then did what they wanted to do. But there was a curriculum, there was a style of play that the federation preached (and still do). Some clubs adhered, some didn't. I don't know if you ever sat in on Federation visits or sat through a club visit from US YNT scouts. There was method to the madness. The GDA was focused on the women's team and pushing down the philosophies of how they played. College was a byproduct. It wasn't a bad thing. The downside to the federation was how controlling they were, silly really. Stylistically, I prefer what they preached, but that's my opinion. I love futbol and appreciate how the women's team plays, what Jill Ellis brought to the game and how they executed on the pitch. The men could learn a thing or two from the USWNT. Commit to a style of play, play roles instead of positions...blah blah..all that stuff that was put in place and that the team bought into. As the dad of a soccer addicted girl, it's awesome to watch
The ECNL game is different - it's about college. Nothing wrong with that. No need to pitch style of play, strategy, tactics, etc. ECNL does a great of portraying itself as a platform where our girls develop personally as well athletically, empowerment. Which is great and it works. They place more girls in college than any other platform. And they should, with how much it cost.
And by the way, that quakes team was pretty good, and will be good this year under another name. Plenty of YNT girls on that team. I know there is some resentment towards those young ladies, but that is a really good side.
Enjoy the rest of your fathers day - spend some time on the pitch today being a goalie for your daughter (unless she's a goalie).
Best
Hugh Jasol
BRONZE
Why would certain clubs put top teams in ECRL instead of GA? It seems like a disservice to the kids on those top teams to play a bunch of second teams from top clubs. Am I missing something or are the second teams playing GA making out like bandits in terms of level of play?
In our case, they were listening to the membership.
It's all water under the bridge and a new dawn is approaching girls soccer. That Quakes Team, The Beach Team, Carlsbad Team and that Legends Team are the real deal. My dd had a blast playing them two years ago and hope to play them again sometime in the near future. In Socal, GA or ECNL is no small potatoes and both are great. Lets play ball!!!
Hugh Jasol
BRONZE
Has your club told you what they will do next year with ECRL team when/if they are again out of ECNL? Will they go all in with GA or keep trying for ECNL and keep having the top teams play inferior competition? Do you mind sharing which club you are at?
This season hasn’t even started (may not) and you’re already talking about next season? but I get what you’re looking for...
They knew they couldn’t make a promise of what the future might hold in terms of leagues so they didn’t.
We’ve got a great Coaching staff at Beach and for me, that’s the attraction of the Club. The team/player retention rate speaks to that.
They knew they couldn’t make a promise of what the future might hold in terms of leagues so they didn’t.
We’ve got a great Coaching staff at Beach and for me, that’s the attraction of the Club. The team/player retention rate speaks to that.
Hugh Jasol
BRONZE
Beach is a fine club and you has a few excellent coaches there so it makes some sense what they are doing this season. It might make sense for them to go all in on GA if ECNL politics keep them out again.
No, i was talking about 2019-2020 ECNL mid-Atlantic, and at the younger ages. NC Courage and Charlotte will likely contend at the top, as will Richmond, which is in a more isolated geographic area with only an ECNL option. For the teams where players have the geographic option to move between ECNL and DA/GA, the Mclean and BRYC ECNL teams that contended for national championships over the last couple of years are older teams - birth years 00, 01, 02, and 03. At 04 and below, those ECNL clubs tend to be at the bottom of the current (2019-2020) ECNL bracket and very few GA/DA players in those age groups who are in the same geographic region have moved to ECNL teams. My point was really that if players remain where they are for next year, the GA Mid-Atlantic may be very strong and contend nationally, especially if the top players in *other* regions move from GA teams to ECNL teams.
To me, it seems like a disservice to the GA to not play their top team in league. Why not support the GA to be all it can, rather than defer to the league that snubbed you?
Well that is true. If you are looking for lower DIII or NAIA, the east coast regional showcases/tournaments can work well for players. Even something like Jeff Cup (might be the largest regional non-GA/ECNL tournament on the east coast) is not as good as an ECNL national event for mid-major DI and up scouting. Most GA players (at least those formerly in GDA) have their sights set on DI or high DIII.
Surf Zombie
GOLD
To be blunt, because the end goal for Beach, Legends, Pats, WC, Sporting Blue Valley, Etc. is to gain admission into the ECNL. The best way to do that, IMO, is to have a very strong showing in the ECNL-R league games next year. That, plus being good members of boys ECNL helps their cause.
In the North East NEFC & South Shore Select are desperately trying to get into ECNL on the girls side. NEFC just added ECNL boys and Select (which is an all girls club) just partnered with a boy’s club, Boston Bolts, who has ECNL on the boys side. While having boys ECNL is no guarantee for admission on the girls side, I’m sure it helps their efforts.
In the North East NEFC & South Shore Select are desperately trying to get into ECNL on the girls side. NEFC just added ECNL boys and Select (which is an all girls club) just partnered with a boy’s club, Boston Bolts, who has ECNL on the boys side. While having boys ECNL is no guarantee for admission on the girls side, I’m sure it helps their efforts.
kickingandscreaming
PREMIER
No, I don't believe there is resentment towards those young ladies. However, I absolutely believe there is some resentment regarding the selection process for Training Center and USGNT events.
Desert Hound
DA
Because they want to be in ECNL. If that doesn't work out they will take GAL.
Beach and the others in the SW have ECRL for girls and on the boys side ECNL and ECRL. You can see where there interest lies.