They cannot have it all ways. Plenty of players travel with other families, especially high school aged players. The ones who recruiting is an issue for are 16+ years old. They can travel with a teammate's family. Many teams room players-only together anyway (at least pre-covid they did).
NWSL Scandal - Impact on youth soccer?
- Thread starter timbuck
- Start date
Ya, nothing like a poor kid staying in a 5 star hotel getting everything paid for to score goals. The poor kid has to go back to their poor parents and poor siblings. This is just sad. Of all sports, soccer at the beginning shall be free, not $10,000-$15,000 a year so their kid can play kick ball in college.
Great solution for a busy white collar family who live 5 miles from Great Park.
For a blue collar family from Bakersfield or Fresno, it doesn’t even come close.
foreveryoung
SILVER ELITE
Travel that is excessive and unnecessary to begin with.
WIth the inception and acceptance of video recordings, high school soccer should work with the lesser budget of soccer programs. A girl who stands out on her high school soccer field should be looked at by serious soccer coaches.
If all games are uploading and coaches can take a look, there's no reason to use an expensive traveling programs to find players anymore. Once they watch the videos, they can decide if they need to drive, fly to a high school to watch games. Or from the videos, they can invite girls to a local College ID camp and see them compete against the other invited girls in the local area. Do this a few times a year and it's much cheaper for all players and parents.
SoccerFan4Life
PREMIER
100% agree. Wait til the rest of the world starts beating up on our USWNT teams in the near future. This will eventually change.
The cheapest sport in the world has been overtaken by rich South OC/San Diego families. You want to go to college and play soccer. $8k a year once you include travel.
futboldad1
PREMIER
Videos of someone dominating versus high school teams and SCDSL teams are not taken seriously by good college programs.....anyone can look good playing versus poor opposition and it's hard to get better.......
futboldad1
PREMIER
For skeptics like yourself, I included the second step of inviting them to ID camps in the local area with a bunch of other kids they think may be able to play in college. With a 2-3 day ID camp, players can play against others that also look great on hs soccer teams. If a player is dominant in SCDSL, they are most likely at least comparable to ECNL bench players, if not a future starter when that player is ready to jump to and play ECNL. How do you think girls get to ECNL teams? kids who haven't decided to leap yet. ECNL is a platform to showcase talent. What we're looking for is a similar ECNL platform through a high school system that will allow non upper middle class and rich families access to scout without driving long distances for practice.
I like the ID camp idea. It could bring together top players from local HS teams or solid non-ECNL clubs.
I do have doubts whether Stanford and UNC want to show up just because I think my kid is worth driving to the ID camp.
Who gets the fun job of telling me that Susie won't be at the part of the ID camp with the D1 coaches?
The showcase matches are a joke, boring, nothing on the line, expensive and you spend hours on the freeway ((if you can;t afford to fly)). Sorry, just have to be honest here. 4 years of soccer showcasing across the country is plenty of showcasing. If you want to see a girl play when she cares, come see a HSS match. I'm serious you guys. I see girls play lights out in HS and ganas is present always. Can you imagine playing hoops ((sorry futbol dad, I played hoops bro and its the only example I got)) and your the only one without a deal. The other players are their to show support but dont give a shot anymore and you go out trying to get that last offer on Sunday at 3pm and no coach watching.
I don’t think Anson is traveling Across the country going to showcases now, though I do remember seeing him at Surf cup many years ago
unless his influence with US soccer has waned over the years , I always heard he is essentially picking and choosing whomever he wants at USYNT camps
Even if AD isn't picking, someone is.
Given the recent NWSL scandals, that selection process really ought to be run by straight women and gay men. I'm sure there are straight men who could handle it, but I don't trust the establishment to find them.
Are you freaking serious? Look man, all the parents "The Customers" want is a great coach, gay or straight. If coach only focuses on soccer and not other things, then coach and player and parent will be happy. Also, stop yelling at the girls and stop using them, period and end of story.
Keepermom2
GOLD
I read your comment to my daughter and she said; "Yeah... you say that all of the time". I read her the comment so she can see it isn't just me that struggles with the insanity of it all. I really can't decide which is worse...club soccer or high school soccer. It is so hard because I am looking forward to getting out of it because I hate the BS of it all but, I am trying to change my attitude because I don't want to miss the joy of watching my daughter play and develop over the next 4 years.
Players develop by playing with and against better competition. Dominating high school games where the talent range is so vast, makes it harder for good players to develop. ECNL is more than a platorm to showcase talent. It pushes players to develop when they are playing against the best players in the country day in and day out.
It is a national league. That means you travel. There is the So Cal league for you if you do not want to travel. There is literally a league for everyone. Pick the one that works for you. I LOVE ECNL. I love the travel. I love how similar it is to college soccer experiences. It is designed to prepare players for college soccer. Players rooming together on the road, competing at the highest levels. I also love seeing the growth of the girls on and off the field as they mature, handling travel as a team, seeing new places, etc.
Easy on the Syrup bro.....lol. I get you and happy the league has been amazing for your family. No lines for you I guess. Look, most cannot afford the travel league. We all need to share soccer man and keep the best of the best local. I understand your love for the league and have friends that swear by it.