U-15 Girls National Training Camp Kansas October 6-9

It was not stated anywhere that they could not post on social media. They were given the same social media guidelines that all National Team players are given, to represent the federation in a honorable way. As the story states these players are in the U15 player pool and they have earned it. Yes, my kid was there and she earned it like the other 59 players (there were 60 not 59).
Evidently this is what happens when a language challenged mathematics major attempts to communicate.

"It is worth noting that US Soccer made sure the girls knew this was an "ID" camp and they asked that they not post anything on social media that has the National Team crest as they "haven't earned" that."

What I was attempting to communicate was not that "they couldn't post on social media", but that they shouldn't post with the National Team crest - that they hadn't "earned" the right to post AND INCLUDE the National Team crest. Obviously, they all earned the right to be there as well as post within the guidelines as stated.

My apologies for the lack of clarity. I'll go back to just reading comments and stick to confusing myself :).
 
I have watched a few YNT games over the years. In my opinion the teams do not play together as a team very well. There seems to be to many dribblers, not enough accurate passers. The teams also do not do a good job of varying their point of attack but instead seem to run everything through the same few players in the games I have watched.
I'm told DA not trying to build a TEAM and don't give a hoot about U17. It's sad too, to look at all the top GOATs playing at major D1 schools and and read all of their bio's. All pretty much All State in HS soccer, Team captain and some played HS Hoops too. The 2022 and younger college players will no longer have HS Sports mentioned in Bios. It will be "Two-time Training Center participate, "DA Super XI", "YNT Training Center ID Camp Participant" and so one.
 
Interesting... I know 3 girls, personally, on that list of invitees. One is very good... not great, #2 isn't even the best player on her team and the 3rd is listed as playing for an ECNL team when she's DA. WTF?
No the “alleged” OP’s DD left DA and went to ECNL days before the season started.
 
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No the OP’s DD left DA and went to ECNL days before the season started.

Wow... I see you were paying attention in ESP class. Well played. My bad on the roster change but, having done some homework, see you're correct. I'll stop now because I haven't got anything positive say about that situation.
 
And possibly why the USWNT U17's haven't won a World Cup in the past 10 years, many years not even qualifying. With all the talent in the US, why are our younger teams doing so poorly when our senior teams do so well?
100% correct. It takes time for players and teams to truly develop and it's obvious the federation is not interested in winning anything at the U17 level. I agree with all the talent we should do better, but these teams most times don't have the right mix of players (maybe due to the wrong kids getting invited) needed to win. Also at the U17 level all these kids are coming from the club environment with different philosophies/skills so it's going to be difficult to put that all together in a short amount of time. This has been discussed at length, but that's the biggest reason we have issues at the youth level in addition to the pissing match between USSDA and ECNL. There just isn't a way to have a group of players from all over the country to get together frequently enough to build out chemistry and a uniform style of play.
 
And possibly why the USWNT U17's haven't won a World Cup in the past 10 years, many years not even qualifying. With all the talent in the US, why are our younger teams doing so poorly when our senior teams do so well?

Easy answer, but it requires understanding what wins games at the full national team level. It requires the best, most powerful athletes who also happen to have sufficient technical ability and vision. Players who have the best technical ability and vision, but are lesser athletes, are always a losing recipe at the highest level on the women's side. For example, compare Jessie Fleming to Julie Ertz. Fleming has incredible technical ability and vision, but she is nothing compared to a beast athlete like Ertz, despite all of Ertz's technical flaws and lack of finesse. Ertz is much bigger, stronger and faster than Fleming, and no amount of practice will ever bridge that gap. It's why Rose Lavelle is great against most teams but was a non-factor against France, the only other team that can remotely compete from top to bottom athletically to the U.S.

When US Soccer selects youth players, it knows what it's doing. It almost always selects the best, most powerful athletes because it's looking for 1-2 per age group whom it will ultimately need for the full NT that also have sufficient soccer ability. Sure, it sprinkles in some technical players who aren't quite as athletic both because there are only so many uber athletes in an age group and also because they help teach the horses it actually cares about. But it does not select players based on which combination is likely to win youth tournaments, because winning youth tournaments does not matter. It does not select the best 11 circus jugglers who lack elite-level athleticism because those kids are a waste of time at the highest level, even if they may be the most likely to help win U17 games. It is perfectly fine that any opponent has the 3rd-11th best players in the game so long as the U.S. has 1 and 2. And as long as it has the 11 best athletes on the field in an age group, it almost always will have the 2 best overall players, because superior athleticism is relatively more important than superior ball skill.

Also, countries with players who train together all the time have a huge advantage over the US at the youth level. Many other countries are able to have their kids train together far more often because it is almost always easier geographically, and also because their systems tend to be more centralized. Of course, the centralized structure is also often a result of geography. In the Netherlands, for example, every single kid can be at a central location in about 2 hours. In China (back when they cared about women's soccer), they can just make every child in the country move to one place. But it's stupid to try to convince a critical mass of elite U.S. girls to all move to one part of the country and attend the same soccer school. And because it takes 8 hours and a lot of money to get a kid in CA to the U18 national camp in FL, you just can't hold camps very often. In short, when you put 11 technically great foreign youth players who train together all the time up against 11 beast athletes who get together briefly every once in a while but have no idea how to play well together, the former are going to win more often than not. But the latter ends up having the two kids on the pitch, and that's important because those are the only ones who matter, and there will be plenty of time to incorporate them into the full NT once US Soccer figures out who they are.

And, in every country but the U.S., it's usually a really stupid idea for a girl over 18 to waste time playing soccer, so very few do it. But it's a great idea for thousands in the U.S. because it's often a condition of their scholarship. Which means the U.S. has a massive pool of adult players to choose from, while many countries realistically only have 30-40 in an entire country.
 
I have watched a few YNT games over the years. In my opinion the teams do not play together as a team very well. There seems to be to many dribblers, not enough accurate passers. The teams also do not do a good job of varying their point of attack but instead seem to run everything through the same few players in the games I have watched.

Your observation is spot on. I read an article in (soccerwire?) after the U17's didn't get out of group stage this last World Cup. He observed what you did, which is that US Soccer keeps looking for the same type of player: players who dribble and are good in 1v1 situations. You need players like that, for sure, but you also need players who know how to move into space and make great passes. Instead, US Soccer keeps getting the same type of player time and time again. Korea made the US look like rec players this last world cup, they had both technical as well as an amazing ability to move and pass the ball.
 
Easy answer, but it requires understanding what wins games at the full national team level. It requires the best, most powerful athletes who also happen to have sufficient technical ability and vision. Players who have the best technical ability and vision, but are lesser athletes, are always a losing recipe at the highest level on the women's side. For example, compare Jessie Fleming to Julie Ertz. Fleming has incredible technical ability and vision, but she is nothing compared to a beast athlete like Ertz, despite all of Ertz's technical flaws and lack of finesse. Ertz is much bigger, stronger and faster than Fleming, and no amount of practice will ever bridge that gap. It's why Rose Lavelle is great against most teams but was a non-factor against France, the only other team that can remotely compete from top to bottom athletically to the U.S.

When US Soccer selects youth players, it knows what it's doing. It almost always selects the best, most powerful athletes because it's looking for 1-2 per age group whom it will ultimately need for the full NT that also have sufficient soccer ability. Sure, it sprinkles in some technical players who aren't quite as athletic both because there are only so many uber athletes in an age group and also because they help teach the horses it actually cares about. But it does not select players based on which combination is likely to win youth tournaments, because winning youth tournaments does not matter. It does not select the best 11 circus jugglers who lack elite-level athleticism because those kids are a waste of time at the highest level, even if they may be the most likely to help win U17 games. It is perfectly fine that any opponent has the 3rd-11th best players in the game so long as the U.S. has 1 and 2. And as long as it has the 11 best athletes on the field in an age group, it almost always will have the 2 best overall players, because superior athleticism is relatively more important than superior ball skill.

Also, countries with players who train together all the time have a huge advantage over the US at the youth level. Many other countries are able to have their kids train together far more often because it is almost always easier geographically, and also because their systems tend to be more centralized. Of course, the centralized structure is also often a result of geography. In the Netherlands, for example, every single kid can be at a central location in about 2 hours. In China (back when they cared about women's soccer), they can just make every child in the country move to one place. But it's stupid to try to convince a critical mass of elite U.S. girls to all move to one part of the country and attend the same soccer school. And because it takes 8 hours and a lot of money to get a kid in CA to the U18 national camp in FL, you just can't hold camps very often. In short, when you put 11 technically great foreign youth players who train together all the time up against 11 beast athletes who get together briefly every once in a while but have no idea how to play well together, the former are going to win more often than not. But the latter ends up having the two kids on the pitch, and that's important because those are the only ones who matter, and there will be plenty of time to incorporate them into the full NT once US Soccer figures out who they are.

And, in every country but the U.S., it's usually a really stupid idea for a girl over 18 to waste time playing soccer, so very few do it. But it's a great idea for thousands in the U.S. because it's often a condition of their scholarship. Which means the U.S. has a massive pool of adult players to choose from, while many countries realistically only have 30-40 in an entire country.

I'm going to bite and say most of what you've written is nonsense. The gap is closing because the US has focused almost exclusively on the athletic nature of its athletes.

"Players who have the best technical ability and vision, but are lesser athletes, are always a losing recipe at the highest level on the women's side"

What hope have we got moving forward if we really believe this?
 
When US Soccer selects youth players, it knows what it's doing. It almost always selects the best, most powerful athletes because it's looking for 1-2 per age group whom it will ultimately need for the full NT that also have sufficient soccer ability.

I have to disagree that US Soccer knows that it's doing when it selects youth players. There are thousands of girls playing soccer out there and there is no way those representing the YNT are the "best, most powerful athletes" of all players in the US (Haley Mace is a case in point, completely overlooked by US Soccer until she played for UCLA). They may be the "best, most powerful athletes" of a very very small sampling (i.e. mostly DA clubs), but they are not the best, most powerful athletes in the country. To get stronger YNT teams they need to cast a wider net. Of course, that takes an investment in time and money, as well as a deflation of egos (DA vs ECNL), so we know that won't happen.

Also, countries with players who train together all the time have a huge advantage over the US at the youth level. Many other countries are able to have their kids train together far more often because it is almost always easier geographically, and also because their systems tend to be more centralized.

Not true in Germany. In fact, a YNT Scout from Germany did a recent interview where he remarked how surprised he was about how many girls played soccer in the US versus how many play in Germany. Yet Germany YNT steamrolled US YNT. The US dominates at the older ages because they pull a lot of players from college.

And, in every country but the U.S., it's usually a really stupid idea for a girl over 18 to waste time playing soccer, so very few do it. But it's a great idea for thousands in the U.S. because it's often a condition of their scholarship. Which means the U.S. has a massive pool of adult players to choose from, while many countries realistically only have 30-40 in an entire country.

Yes, 100% agree with the above.
 
Interesting there are no selections from Slammers, Legends or Arsenal for CA-S.

Doesn't seem that long ago those clubs were just about a certain at this age group.

...Congrats to all the talent selected for this camp!

LAFC is the Slammers, and there was one selection.
 
100% correct. It takes time for players and teams to truly develop and it's obvious the federation is not interested in winning anything at the U17 level. I agree with all the talent we should do better, but these teams most times don't have the right mix of players (maybe due to the wrong kids getting invited) needed to win. Also at the U17 level all these kids are coming from the club environment with different philosophies/skills so it's going to be difficult to put that all together in a short amount of time. This has been discussed at length, but that's the biggest reason we have issues at the youth level in addition to the pissing match between USSDA and ECNL. There just isn't a way to have a group of players from all over the country to get together frequently enough to build out chemistry and a uniform style of play.

I saw two of the YNT camps in southern California this past go around. Your statement on kids coming from different environments is valid. One camp had talented girls from different philosophies and the soccer was more an individual game, a bit more chaotic. The other camp had several girls from a few clubs that like to knock the ball around and the play collectively was much better.

Can just imagine the struggle when brought in from all over our large country.
 
Hey I'm the Dad of the girl that left DA and went to ECNL. We aren't the "OP" and no idea who GirlsRule is. Appreciate if you leave our "DD" out of your comments. Good luck to everyone's kids.

Youdon'tknowJack
I have no idea why your bringing me into this. I said nothing about anyone’s daughter.
 
Interesting there are no selections from Slammers, Legends or Arsenal for CA-S.

Doesn't seem that long ago those clubs were just about a certain at this age group.

...Congrats to all the talent selected for this camp!
Slammers left DA and went back to ECNL, Arsenal also is ECNL. .... that pretty much seems like automatic disqualification from the YNT pool. It’s a shame but as other posters have said, it doesn’t matter much until players start in college and prove themselves in that venue
 
Hey I'm the Dad of the girl that left DA and went to ECNL. We aren't the "OP" and no idea who GirlsRule is. Appreciate if you leave our "DD" out of your comments. Good luck to everyone's kids.

Youdon'tknowJack
Jack, Welcome to the Socal Soccer Forum @Youdon'tknowjack :) Kicker is usually spot on with anything DA, but it looks like he may have missed one unless of course your lying dude and just trolling and GirlsRule is really you or you are both or someone like @MARsSPEED is getting back at all the GOATs in SoCal???? Maybe Mars has his crazy dad, @PaPaJupiter and whacko bros @Pluto and @Lizard getting memes too? Some folks think me and @Luis Andres share a room together. So I don't know what to believe anymore. Can you share why leave DA South Bay Beach for LAFC ECNL? No one does that so it's frankly hard to believe one would leave South Bay Beach. Plus, word on the street is your baby goat is baller. Congrats on making the Top 59 or 60 DA ID Camp this year. You can PM me and share if you want privacy or just tell me it's none of my bees wax and I wont ask again. Good luck to all kiddos playing soccer this year :)
 
Hey I'm the Dad of the girl that left DA and went to ECNL. We aren't the "OP" and no idea who GirlsRule is. Appreciate if you leave our "DD" out of your comments. Good luck to everyone's kids.

Youdon'tknowJack
Jack, Welcome to the Socal Soccer Forum @Youdon'tknowjack :) Kicker is usually spot on with anything DA, but it looks like he may have missed one unless of course your lying dude and just trolling and GirlsRule is really you or you are both or someone like @MARsSPEED is getting back at all the GOATs in SoCal???? Maybe Mars has his crazy dad, @PaPaJupiter and whacko bros @Pluto and @Lizard getting avatars too? Some folks think me and @Luis Andres share a room together. So I don't know what to believe anymore. Can you share why leave DA South Bay Beach for LAFC ECNL? No one does that so it's frankly hard to believe one would leave South Bay Beach DA. Plus, word on the street is your baby goat is baller. Congrats on making the Top 59 or 60 DA ID Camp this year. You can PM me and share if you want privacy or just tell me it's none of my bees wax and I wont ask again. Good luck to all kiddos playing soccer this year :)
 
My Daughter was not in Kansas. My daughters are 2008 and 2009. The only reason I was asking about the Training Center and Camps is because we are still on the fence about DA. I am located where I can go North or South with it looks like great DATeams and ECNL teams. Many times we are at Great Park or Norco and the traffic is bad so I wanted to go watch some of these girls play. I have time before I have to make any decisions. I hear so many positives and negatives about clubs. So just being able to go and watch different clubs and players and see for myself it would be beneficial. Then I can see how the parents are on the sidelines, watch how the teams play and how teammates and Coaches act win or lose would be valuable. Obviously if the teams that make Players who can play at the National Level, I want to go and watch. This is why I asked. The lack of information I found for Girls really bothered me compared to the Boys. So I asked the question to the forum. It literally was as simple as that.
 
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