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**Unregistered** · 10-04-2018, 10:10 AM

Pick your poison. There is no perfect league. Enough of the endless debates. Find the best coaching for your kid at a club and league that works for her. Done.

**Unregistered** · 10-04-2018, 11:01 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

"The ECNL has a playoff system where you have playoffs, then you have playoffs. Why do you have playoffs, then playoffs? It�s more money the parents have to spend.
And I don�t like the ECNL model of three practices to two games. I think it�s wrong. I think the DA has it right, with four practices to one game. I think you�re getting too many injuries at the youth level with a three-to-two practice-game ratio. That�s something I would change immediately."

- Paul Riley, Head Coach North Carolina Courage.

Sounds all great in theory but tell that to parents driving or flying from South Florida to North Carolina to spend $400+ to go play 1 game. Then when you�re done convincing the parents, go convince the college coaches on their budgets to go scout those games where you may be lucky to see a kid for 15 minutes due to the DA rules. Where do we sign up for that program?

**Unregistered** · 10-04-2018, 11:51 AM

I just looked at the NCFC Youth (CASL) U17 Girls ECNL Schedule. Between September 1 and June 1 they have 29 games - including nine games at three showcase events.

I then just looked at the NC Courage U16/17 DA Schedule. Between September 1 and June 1 they have 23 games - not including the winter showcase (three more games).

I don't see much difference in the number of games over the same time period. I would imagine NCFC Youth does similar to the ECNL and DA teams I know of here in Florida - they have field practice three days a week and another form of practice the fourth night. His theory of games to practice doesn't cut it - unless you throw in all the high school practices and games that many of the ECNL girls will do...

**Unregistered** · 10-04-2018, 11:56 AM

Not to mention DA has 2 game weekends when traveling out of state. Which makes sense to save some money.

So in some cases DA has 4 practices and 2 games a week which he is against but seems to do in the DA setting which ECNL has wrong ...

**Unregistered** · 10-04-2018, 11:58 AM

I know I�m an anonymous poster , so take it for what it�s worth, My kid did GDA last year and this year we are doing prime Ecnl, and comparing the 2 , I can honestly say GDA competition and organization is superior to ecnl, in addition travel is also about half saving tons of money.

Not knocking ecnl bc they filled in the void for kids who want to play HS and take a 3-4 month break from club soccer but if it werent for HS , GDA would already be the premier league by far. My kids� doing sophomore soccer for the social aspect but hopefully she decides to give it up , if GDA doesn�t change the rules , and go back to GDA for better college oppprtunitoes.

**Unregistered** · 10-04-2018, 01:07 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I know I�m an anonymous poster , so take it for what it�s worth, My kid did GDA last year and this year we are doing prime Ecnl, and comparing the 2 , I can honestly say GDA competition and organization is superior to ecnl, in addition travel is also about half saving tons of money.

Not knocking ecnl bc they filled in the void for kids who want to play HS and take a 3-4 month break from club soccer but if it werent for HS , GDA would already be the premier league by far. My kids� doing sophomore soccer for the social aspect but hopefully she decides to give it up , if GDA doesn�t change the rules , and go back to GDA for better college oppprtunitoes.

She will still have plenty of college opportunities. She doesn't need GDA unless that's really what she wants. College coaches don't shop leagues, they shop talent. they are not convinced of anything yet and they know coaching quality varies a great deal by club and the competition varies by region. If she's got it then she's got it. You're only a kid once.

**Unregistered** · 10-04-2018, 04:37 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

She will still have plenty of college opportunities. She doesn't need GDA unless that's really what she wants. College coaches don't shop leagues, they shop talent. they are not convinced of anything yet and they know coaching quality varies a great deal by club and the competition varies by region. If she's got it then she's got it. You're only a kid once.

They are scouting the u16 and up , and they have limited budgets for travel so pick the league that has the most exposure

**Unregistered** · 10-04-2018, 09:29 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

She will still have plenty of college opportunities. She doesn't need GDA unless that's really what she wants. College coaches don't shop leagues, they shop talent. they are not convinced of anything yet and they know coaching quality varies a great deal by club and the competition varies by region. If she's got it then she's got it. You're only a kid once.

"College coaches don't shop leagues, they shop talent."

In our experience, that is not true. that kind of statement might be true for male football and male basketball. But for female soccer, the colleges totally shop leagues.

There are too many reasons to list here, but the colleges definitely shop leagues - and if you take, like, 30 minutes to think about it you will realize why.....

**Unregistered** · 10-05-2018, 06:23 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

She will still have plenty of college opportunities. She doesn't need GDA unless that's really what she wants. College coaches don't shop leagues, they shop talent. they are not convinced of anything yet and they know coaching quality varies a great deal by club and the competition varies by region. If she's got it then she's got it. You're only a kid once.

How are they going to scout a girl who�s playing against inferior competition? And it�s not like they have unlimited travel dough, they have to pick and choose their showcases and guess where they are going , google college attendance GDA San Diego

**Unregistered** · 10-05-2018, 07:14 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I just looked at the NCFC Youth (CASL) U17 Girls ECNL Schedule. Between September 1 and June 1 they have 29 games - including nine games at three showcase events.

I then just looked at the NC Courage U16/17 DA Schedule. Between September 1 and June 1 they have 23 games - not including the winter showcase (three more games).

I don't see much difference in the number of games over the same time period. I would imagine NCFC Youth does similar to the ECNL and DA teams I know of here in Florida - they have field practice three days a week and another form of practice the fourth night. His theory of games to practice doesn't cut it - unless you throw in all the high school practices and games that many of the ECNL girls will do...

Isn't that skewed because ECNL is taking a break for it's girls to play a bunch of HS games?

If you include all the HS games with the travel team games the difference becomes much more noticable. Just because you are playing games under a different banner doesn't mean they don't take a physical toll on the players. And it's not apples and apples because GDA doesn't allow these extra games, this is purely a condition for the ECNL player.

And it doesn't mean that a team might not play 3 games on a weekend tournament or 2 games in a weekend for travel efficiency. The average should still be at the 4-1 ratio. ECNL doesn't enforce a game limit while GDA strictly does. It is a difference in program philosophy.

**Unregistered** · 10-05-2018, 07:18 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Isn't that skewed because ECNL is taking a break for it's girls to play a bunch of HS games?

If you include all the HS games with the travel team games the difference becomes much more noticable. Just because you are playing games under a different banner doesn't mean they don't take a physical toll on the players. And it's not apples and apples because GDA doesn't allow these extra games, this is purely a condition for the ECNL player.

And it doesn't mean that a team might not play 3 games on a weekend tournament or 2 games in a weekend for travel efficiency. The average should still be at the 4-1 ratio. ECNL doesn't enforce a game limit while GDA strictly does. It is a difference in program philosophy.

Unless you are at Weston they all play high school and DA. US soccer are a joke all they did was create something that already exists. Sh$tshow

**Unregistered** · 10-05-2018, 08:03 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I know I�m an anonymous poster , so take it for what it�s worth, My kid did GDA last year and this year we are doing prime Ecnl, and comparing the 2 , I can honestly say GDA competition and organization is superior to ecnl, in addition travel is also about half saving tons of money.

Not knocking ecnl bc they filled in the void for kids who want to play HS and take a 3-4 month break from club soccer but if it werent for HS , GDA would already be the premier league by far. My kids� doing sophomore soccer for the social aspect but hopefully she decides to give it up , if GDA doesn�t change the rules , and go back to GDA for better college oppprtunitoes.

At least in Florida anyway, the way the travel is done is much better in GDA than it was ECNL. Only 2 out of state trips, plus late game times makes travel to away Florida game a breeze. One game and back, weekend over, no hotel needed for a Sunday game.

As for college opportunities not sure if it is that much of a difference. This is just year 2, so maybe, we will see. I think the no HS rule, and the extra night of training, as well as the combined birth year teams will keep the DA from being the sole top league.

**Unregistered** · 10-05-2018, 08:06 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Isn't that skewed because ECNL is taking a break for it's girls to play a bunch of HS games?

If you include all the HS games with the travel team games the difference becomes much more noticable. Just because you are playing games under a different banner doesn't mean they don't take a physical toll on the players. And it's not apples and apples because GDA doesn't allow these extra games, this is purely a condition for the ECNL player.

And it doesn't mean that a team might not play 3 games on a weekend tournament or 2 games in a weekend for travel efficiency. The average should still be at the 4-1 ratio. ECNL doesn't enforce a game limit while GDA strictly does. It is a difference in program philosophy.

You say that GDA doesn't do two games in a weekend - I know for a fact they do. As an example, United Soccer Academy (Clay) U16/17 girls schedule - look at March - they have six games scheduled from March 1 to March 31. The weekend they are in the Carolinas they play two games.

The other thing they do is when they have their showcases they play three games in four days. They will have two of these. Their "strict" enforcement bends for their benefit.

**Unregistered** · 10-05-2018, 08:07 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Isn't that skewed because ECNL is taking a break for it's girls to play a bunch of HS games?

If you include all the HS games with the travel team games the difference becomes much more noticable. Just because you are playing games under a different banner doesn't mean they don't take a physical toll on the players. And it's not apples and apples because GDA doesn't allow these extra games, this is purely a condition for the ECNL player.

And it doesn't mean that a team might not play 3 games on a weekend tournament or 2 games in a weekend for travel efficiency. The average should still be at the 4-1 ratio. ECNL doesn't enforce a game limit while GDA strictly does. It is a difference in program philosophy.

USSF does not "strictly" enforce it. In addition there are several BDA and GDA clubs that don't practice the required days/week either. Some clubs fudge the required start numbers, add players after the HS season is done. Many cases of the HS rule being broken. DA rules are more suggestions than enforced rules.

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