Announcement

**Unregistered** · 01-15-2017, 05:43 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

The US Soccer Girls Development Academy has split the U-14/15 age group into two single-aged teams at U-14 (2004) and U-15 (2003) for its inaugural season in 2017/18. The strategic initiative to increase the player pool at the younger Academy ages, is part of a long-term goal of expanding to single age groups in order to further develop female players.

The four age groups for GDA in 2017/18 are:

U-14 (2004)
U-15 (2003)
U16/U-17 (2002/2001)
U-18/U-19 (2000/1999)

Great news for GDA, more bad news for ECNL clubs trying to badmouth GDA.

This is nothing to do with development & is more about making money. To say otherwise is being disingenuous. Period.

**Unregistered** · 01-15-2017, 05:52 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

The US Soccer Girls Development Academy has split the U-14/15 age group into two single-aged teams at U-14 (2004) and U-15 (2003) for its inaugural season in 2017/18. The strategic initiative to increase the player pool at the younger Academy ages, is part of a long-term goal of expanding to single age groups in order to further develop female players.

The four age groups for GDA in 2017/18 are:

U-14 (2004)
U-15 (2003)
U16/U-17 (2002/2001)
U-18/U-19 (2000/1999)

Great news for GDA, more bad news for ECNL clubs trying to badmouth GDA.

You ignorantly assume everyone at a GDA club or ECNL club wants to play GDA next year. Take WFF for example....That place is a sh*t show. The club that's motto should be "it's better to poach than coach". Only an idiot would jump ship from a TBU ecnl program that actually delivers quality players, teams and scholarships (even before being ecnl), to coaching staff that are proven losers that year after year deliver crap results.

**Unregistered** · 01-15-2017, 06:00 PM

This is a rumor elsewhere but I've yet to see actual proof of it.

if true, it certainly is proof that USSF is on a power/money grab. they can't kill ECNL fast enough. I can't imagine even clubs are very happy about it = they know need to subsidize 4 teams, not three, find 2-24 more players for that age group, all without knowing how this is going to fly. Again, if USS was in this for the long haul they'd start slow and steady. Instead it's replicating everything about ECNL

**Unregistered** · 01-15-2017, 06:05 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

You ignorantly assume everyone at a GDA club or ECNL club wants to play GDA next year. Take WFF for example....That place is a sh*t show. The club that's motto should be "it's better to poach than coach". Only an idiot would jump ship from a TBU ecnl program that actually delivers quality players, teams and scholarships (even before being ecnl), to coaching staff that are proven losers that year after year deliver crap results.

Reality is quite the opposite. TBU is the club who recruits and doesn't have many homegrown players on its rosters. Whereas, WFF develops and retains players. TBU replaced most of the first team kids from last year with new kids this year when they brought new coaches over.

**Unregistered** · 01-15-2017, 06:07 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

The US Soccer Girls Development Academy has split the U-14/15 age group into two single-aged teams at U-14 (2004) and U-15 (2003) for its inaugural season in 2017/18. The strategic initiative to increase the player pool at the younger Academy ages, is part of a long-term goal of expanding to single age groups in order to further develop female players.

The four age groups for GDA in 2017/18 are:

U-14 (2004)
U-15 (2003)
U16/U-17 (2002/2001)
U-18/U-19 (2000/1999)

Great news for GDA, more bad news for ECNL clubs trying to badmouth GDA.

Plenty of non ECNL folks badmouthing GDA - there's plenty of material there and this just adds more to the shi* pile

**Unregistered** · 01-15-2017, 06:19 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Reality is quite the opposite. TBU is the club who recruits and doesn't have many homegrown players on its rosters. Whereas, WFF develops and retains players. TBU replaced most of the first team kids from last year with new kids this year when they brought new coaches over.

Wish what you said was true, but not.
At WFF, and they most assuredly do not develope here. They bait and switch though and provide subpar training from subpar coaches. I won't be back next year, and can't even imagine anyone in a good spot at a tbu or any other club falling for anothet snake oil scheme or theirs. DA may be a great idea, may work with other clubs even, but why would anyone expect different results from same failed leadership and staff. Crazy to give up ecnl like we did.

**Unregistered** · 01-15-2017, 06:22 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Wish what you said was true, but not.
At WFF, and they most assuredly do not develope here. They bait and switch though and provide subpar training from subpar coaches. I won't be back next year, and can't even imagine anyone in a good spot at a tbu or any other club falling for anothet snake oil scheme or theirs. DA may be a great idea, may work with other clubs even, but why would anyone expect different results from same failed leadership and staff. Crazy to give up ecnl like we did.

That problem isn't unique there - USSF admitted several other questionable clubs because they needed volume and some solid clubs had said no thanks. Same clubs, same coaches, same management....what's different except a new patch on the sleeve?

**Unregistered** · 01-15-2017, 06:41 PM

Link or fake news. Can't find it.

**Unregistered** · 01-15-2017, 08:28 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

The US Soccer Girls Development Academy has split the U-14/15 age group into two single-aged teams at U-14 (2004) and U-15 (2003) for its inaugural season in 2017/18. The strategic initiative to increase the player pool at the younger Academy ages, is part of a long-term goal of expanding to single age groups in order to further develop female players.

The four age groups for GDA in 2017/18 are:

U-14 (2004)
U-15 (2003)
U16/U-17 (2002/2001)
U-18/U-19 (2000/1999)

Great news for GDA, more bad news for ECNL clubs trying to badmouth GDA.

No Link No Believe But US Soccer can do whatever it wants as the rule maker and game changer.

**Unregistered** · 01-15-2017, 08:55 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

This is a rumor elsewhere but I've yet to see actual proof of it.

if true, it certainly is proof that USSF is on a power/money grab. they can't kill ECNL fast enough. I can't imagine even clubs are very happy about it = they know need to subsidize 4 teams, not three, find 2-24 more players for that age group, all without knowing how this is going to fly. Again, if USS was in this for the long haul they'd start slow and steady. Instead it's replicating everything about ECNL

Where's the link showing how DA works. When they combine age groups, do they have games for all the kids. I hope it's not just a player pool and your fighting for only 11 spots.

**Unregistered** · 01-16-2017, 08:16 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Where's the link showing how DA works. When they combine age groups, do they have games for all the kids. I hope it's not just a player pool and your fighting for only 11 spots.

Da rosters average 22 players and higher. Only 18 are allowed on a game day roster. As per substitution rules only 3 subs per game. So some players will travel long distances and never play. Some players will only get their minimal time in as per DA rules - and some clubs skirt those rules any way.

As for combined groups it's 11 starters across the entire team. Needless to say both the rosters and the starters tend to skew older/bigger/more athletic. Younger or smaller players on a combined roster have to fight harder, which is good for them developmentally but also can be unfair. At some point DA will be individual years for all ages - it is how most countries have their youth teams

**Unregistered** · 01-16-2017, 08:33 AM

I tried to find proof of this claim and found none. But the list of clubs dropping out of DA is 5 and probably will have more in the coming weeks or more as clubs announce details, get a better read on what players are going to join (or not).

http://www.soccerwire.com/news/clubs...da-membership/

**Unregistered** · 01-16-2017, 08:37 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Da rosters average 22 players and higher. Only 18 are allowed on a game day roster. As per substitution rules only 3 subs per game. So some players will travel long distances and never play. Some players will only get their minimal time in as per DA rules - and some clubs skirt those rules any way.

As for combined groups it's 11 starters across the entire team. Needless to say both the rosters and the starters tend to skew older/bigger/more athletic. Younger or smaller players on a combined roster have to fight harder, which is good for them developmentally but also can be unfair. At some point DA will be individual years for all ages - it is how most countries have their youth teams

Then start off like the most countries!

**Unregistered** · 01-16-2017, 08:50 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Then start off like the most countries!

there is something to be said by challenging younger players with older ones. but I think what happens more often is the younger ones can get pushed aside because coaches tend to favor bigger, faster....even within da this happens. as it is many mls clubs don't even want to be involved with da so having more teams isn't at all appealing to them. it may not even be appealing to non mls clubs because they're supposed to try and reduce fees for all da teams and adding more might put a bigger strain on their budgets.