Girls DA - ins and outs

[Unregistered]

Yes but you are projecting things. There is no actual data to support your claims and just because you are too far away that doesn’t mean anything.

What claims? On the same token, how can anyone say GDA is better without projecting? I have no bias or agenda, just calling out the hypocrisy.

This has been hashed to death. Right now, if you live in Boston, you can choose NEFC for GDA, or Stars for ECNL or FC Boston for ECNL. Find a coach and team and environment that is a good fit. If one coach sucks (regardless of the league) then maybe you should look elsewhere.

[Unregistered]

This in a nut shell is the only story that matters

Ty. this is the only point ive been trying to get across in the course of improving she played ECNL and GDA and that part was largely interchangeable and of little real relevance in a 10+ year journey to get better. A journey that will hopefully involve continued improvement in College. I dont hark back to rec soccer and give them "credit". the whole credit thing is BS. When her soccer days are done, she can then perhaps look back and say I learned teh most from coach X, or I had the most fun playing for team Y , but people are so focused on keeping score that they lose sight of the journey to get better. I see quite a few kids who really have not gotten close to potential because they are lost in all the BS and the College process. Get better and there are so many more options

There are many paths and it bugs me when people try to day one is "better" than the other.It all comes down to what the kid makes of it.

[Unregistered]

What claims? On the same token, how can anyone say GDA is better without projecting? I have no bias or agenda, just calling out the hypocrisy.

This has been hashed to death. Right now, if you live in Boston, you can choose NEFC for GDA, or Stars for ECNL or FC Boston for ECNL. Find a coach and team and environment that is a good fit. If one coach sucks (regardless of the league) then maybe you should look elsewhere.

Or you can skip all those leagues and do NPL (for mid D1 or lower aspirations) or NEP and NSL (for low D2 or lower aspirations).

[Unregistered]

Ty. this is the only point ive been trying to get across in the course of improving she played ECNL and GDA and that part was largely interchangeable and of little real relevance in a 10+ year journey to get better. A journey that will hopefully involve continued improvement in College. I dont hark back to rec soccer and give them "credit". the whole credit thing is BS. When her soccer days are done, she can then perhaps look back and say I learned teh most from coach X, or I had the most fun playing for team Y , but people are so focused on keeping score that they lose sight of the journey to get better. I see quite a few kids who really have not gotten close to potential because they are lost in all the BS and the College process. Get better and there are so many more options

There are many paths and it bugs me when people try to day one is "better" than the other.It all comes down to what the kid makes of it.

I will tell you that if when your daughter gets married she invites her club soccer coach only then will you know how much of an impact they had on her.

[Unregistered]

Or you can skip all those leagues and do NPL (for mid D1 or lower aspirations) or NEP and NSL (for low D2 or lower aspirations).

That is the real point that Mr Anti GDA - Pro ECNL is missing. They’re so busy tearing into the DA that they can’t see just how superfluous the ECNL is for most

[Unregistered]

That is the real point that Mr Anti GDA - Pro ECNL is missing. They’re so busy tearing into the DA that they can’t see just how superfluous the ECNL is for most

It's all about the player's goals. GDA or ECNL isn't an absolute necessity for lower level college programs., but you still need to be with a quality club wit quality coaching,that plays good competition, does showcases etc.(not just any club). Problem is now the kids are getting locked into these leagues/clubs at younger ages before they even know what they really want or where they would fit best for college. Everyone thinks they'll get a scholarship to a top soccer program, when in fact most in the state will be more midlevel and below. Parents of younger players considering a top league should peruse the commit lists of clubs, but more importantly look to see how much those players actually play in college. If their players are having successful careers that means they were good fits for their programs.

[Unregistered]

What claims? On the same token, how can anyone say GDA is better without projecting? I have no bias or agenda, just calling out the hypocrisy.

This has been hashed to death. Right now, if you live in Boston, you can choose NEFC for GDA, or Stars for ECNL or FC Boston for ECNL. Find a coach and team and environment that is a good fit. If one coach sucks (regardless of the league) then maybe you should look elsewhere.

No hypocrisy. DA=more practices=better. Pretty straight forward in my book. That’s the big difference between the ECNL as well as all of the other leagues. Still have to have the talent though. Can’t make chicken salad out of chicken poop.

[Unregistered]

It's all about the player's goals. GDA or ECNL isn't an absolute necessity for lower level college programs., but you still need to be with a quality club wit quality coaching,that plays good competition, does showcases etc.(not just any club). Problem is now the kids are getting locked into these leagues/clubs at younger ages before they even know what they really want or where they would fit best for college. Everyone thinks they'll get a scholarship to a top soccer program, when in fact most in the state will be more midlevel and below. Parents of younger players considering a top league should peruse the commit lists of clubs, but more importantly look to see how much those players actually play in college. If their players are having successful careers that means they were good fits for their programs.

If you understood how different the club scene is around the country you would understand that your point about kids getting locked into clubs is really erroneous. A club like McLean is basically just BAYS rolled into one big club instead of all these competing clubs. The advantage is clubs like them have a monopoly over the players tend to put the best and brightest of them together from the get go.

[Unregistered]

It's all about the player's goals. GDA or ECNL isn't an absolute necessity for lower level college programs., but you still need to be with a quality club wit quality coaching,that plays good competition, does showcases etc.(not just any club). Problem is now the kids are getting locked into these leagues/clubs at younger ages before they even know what they really want or where they would fit best for college. Everyone thinks they'll get a scholarship to a top soccer program, when in fact most in the state will be more midlevel and below. Parents of younger players considering a top league should peruse the commit lists of clubs, but more importantly look to see how much those players actually play in college. If their players are having successful careers that means they were good fits for their programs.

I would say that since most players now get started with their clubs around 5-6 yrs old now that the club has a big part in shaping those goals.

[Unregistered]

I would say that since most players now get started with their clubs around 5-6 yrs old now that the club has a big part in shaping those goals.

which is where the indoctrination starts.

[Unregistered]

No hypocrisy. DA=more practices=better. Pretty straight forward in my book. That’s the big difference between the ECNL as well as all of the other leagues. Still have to have the talent though. Can’t make chicken salad out of chicken poop.

Your book is your and your players book and could be meaningless for a different player. Any nunmbee of reasons a player is a good or bad fit for a situation and league is only one of them. It is a big mistake to use league as the sole criteria.

[Unregistered]

No hypocrisy. DA=more practices=better. Pretty straight forward in my book. That’s the big difference between the ECNL as well as all of the other leagues. Still have to have the talent though. Can’t make chicken salad out of chicken poop.

We agree that in general more practices = better. But who is to say that it is better to do it with 1 coach/team vs. 3 team practices and another coach/group via ODP? Or that practicing/playing other sports at younger ages (13-15, etc.) won't benefit them more? There are plenty of studies that indicate that cross-training is good and repetitive motion single sport training during puberty can lead to higher injury risk. Specialization into soccer only at age 13 might also lead to burn out. Again, it all boils down to the implementation and what is available to you. If your club (regardless of the league) doesn't have a good coach, then all bets are off. Pick a path that suits you -- there are no real right answers with the mess we have right now.

[Unregistered]

Your book is your and your players book and could be meaningless for a different player. Any nunmbee of reasons a player is a good or bad fit for a situation and league is only one of them. It is a big mistake to use league as the sole criteria.

What an absolute load of crap. If a player doesn't want to work why in the name of god are their parents paying for club soccer then? No wonder the club scene is as screwed up as it is when you have folks like this chap involved.

[Unregistered]

We agree that in general more practices = better. But who is to say that it is better to do it with 1 coach/team vs. 3 team practices and another coach/group via ODP? Or that practicing/playing other sports at younger ages (13-15, etc.) won't benefit them more? There are plenty of studies that indicate that cross-training is good and repetitive motion single sport training during puberty can lead to higher injury risk. Specialization into soccer only at age 13 might also lead to burn out. Again, it all boils down to the implementation and what is available to you. If your club (regardless of the league) doesn't have a good coach, then all bets are off. Pick a path that suits you -- there are no real right answers with the mess we have right now.

If you are a committed player you just don't stop with the team practices. You do them and then you work some more. The primary point is if you are a committed player you pick the path that has the greatest workload built into it so you don't have to go searching all over the place for other training opportunities. That searching and driving takes time away from training and there are only so many hours in the day.

[Unregistered]

What an absolute load of crap. If a player doesn't want to work why in the name of god are their parents paying for club soccer then? No wonder the club scene is as screwed up as it is when you have folks like this chap involved.

You would never take your player to some of the gda clubs out there if you wanted what was best for them. Some are not good at all. You are full of crap.