ECNL 2017 - 2018 Conference Alignments

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Anyone with national team aspirations will be told to go to the DA. That will set the pecking order. The rest will migrate as soon as their college coaches tell them they want them training with the DA because of the intensity. Once committed, no one will care where they play their games. Most parents will pick the least expensive option they can.

College coaches have not bought into this whole DA thing. ECNL has worked very well for them. They won't be quick to turn their back on it. You are viewing this from a very narrow lens. Take a look at the map of these clubs offering DA and ECNL. Perhaps in the Northeast, the concentration is high enough that you might see some of that but not nationwide. An inch on the map is not a inch, it it hours of travel.

ECNL/DA parents are seriously not making decisions based on dollars. That is like saying lets just play NPL or NEP becuase it is cheaper. Not happening at that level.

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College coaches have not bought into this whole DA thing. ECNL has worked very well for them. They won't be quick to turn their back on it. You are viewing this from a very narrow lens. Take a look at the map of these clubs offering DA and ECNL. Perhaps in the Northeast, the concentration is high enough that you might see some of that but not nationwide. An inch on the map is not a inch, it it hours of travel.

ECNL/DA parents are seriously not making decisions based on dollars. That is like saying lets just play NPL or NEP becuase it is cheaper. Not happening at that level.

Based on conversations I've had with college coaches I totally agree. They have to see for themselves that DA is the better venue and reality is that will take time. Maybe it happens, maybe it doesn't. Yes NT players will be pushed to DA - again maybe they all comply, maybe not all will. Not every player will have a DA option nearby or a good DA option nearby (because some GDA clubs aren't very good).

Also totally agree on cost - it will bear little weight for the average middle to upper income soccer family. It won't even save the typical family much ($1500-$2000). They will chose based on best fit with the player's goals, strength of coaching at the clubs under consideration, the importance of HS sports, location, travel etc. Cost is way down on the list.

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That is the opposite of what NEFC told my son, and it worked out fine. DA did not take hold for years. Ask EK how important DA was initially to him.

Funny how the girls side and the boys side in NEFC spin different yarns.

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Based on conversations I've had with college coaches I totally agree. They have to see for themselves that DA is the better venue and reality is that will take time. Maybe it happens, maybe it doesn't. Yes NT players will be pushed to DA - again maybe they all comply, maybe not all will. Not every player will have a DA option nearby or a good DA option nearby (because some GDA clubs aren't very good).

Also totally agree on cost - it will bear little weight for the average middle to upper income soccer family. It won't even save the typical family much ($1500-$2000). They will chose based on best fit with the player's goals, strength of coaching at the clubs under consideration, the importance of HS sports, location, travel etc. Cost is way down on the list.

Please stop with the ECNL hype. Almost 9 years of it at this point. The funny part is the same logic your clubs used to sell the ECNL is the exact thing most of you are now saying is unnecessary. The reality that everyone but the ECNL sycophants can see is that while the ECNL might (as in not conclusive but a different argument) have helped some kids with getting recruited it utterly failed to improve the quality of soccer player ENOUGH to keep pace with the rest of the world and on the women's side we are now falling behind them. USSF saw this and recognized that something had to be done to stop the bleed which is why they started the GDA. The mistake posters like you always seem to make is the ECNL and DA are not the same thing. They are not clones of each other. The fundamental difference between the DA and ECNL is the ECNL focuses on getting players exposure where as the DA will focus on building better soccer players. The amount of training will be almost twice as much in the DA as it currently is on either a ECNL or top NPL team. As long as the work is done the players will become better. It's that simple. The only way the DA will fail in meeting their goal is when clubs like the Stars don't commit to doing the work. The thing a poster like you doesn't apparently realize is that a college coach with half a brain will recognize that doing more work will create better players so why do you think they will push their future players into a situation where they won't be doing the most amount of work possible. Your logic doesn't stand up.

[Unregistered]

Please stop with the ECNL hype. Almost 9 years of it at this point. The funny part is the same logic your clubs used to sell the ECNL is the exact thing most of you are now saying is unnecessary. The reality that everyone but the ECNL sycophants can see is that while the ECNL might (as in not conclusive but a different argument) have helped some kids with getting recruited it utterly failed to improve the quality of soccer player ENOUGH to keep pace with the rest of the world and on the women's side we are now falling behind them. USSF saw this and recognized that something had to be done to stop the bleed which is why they started the GDA. The mistake posters like you always seem to make is the ECNL and DA are not the same thing. They are not clones of each other. The fundamental difference between the DA and ECNL is the ECNL focuses on getting players exposure where as the DA will focus on building better soccer players. The amount of training will be almost twice as much in the DA as it currently is on either a ECNL or top NPL team. As long as the work is done the players will become better. It's that simple. The only way the DA will fail in meeting their goal is when clubs like the Stars don't commit to doing the work. The thing a poster like you doesn't apparently realize is that a college coach with half a brain will recognize that doing more work will create better players so why do you think they will push their future players into a situation where they won't be doing the most amount of work possible. Your logic doesn't stand up.

You need to understand that the focus for 99% of players is college. That won't change with GDA either. The number of players is pretty static. Are all these players suddenly going to become that much more committed to soccer just because they play in a new league now? No they won't. All they're doing is diluting talent and resources. The goals of USSF and the majority of players don't line up. As for GDA improving soccer? That is yet TBD. ECNL teams practice 3 days to GDA's 4. Similar number of games and showcases just a different time frame under each league. BDA hasn't done much on the men's side where there was a lot of low hanging fruit. Yet in ten years the dial has barely moved. Many are not convinced this is the best way. Yes ECNL needs tweaking, but GDA may not be the solution either. If you think that's the best path for your kid, great. But it won't be rainbows and unicorns.

different poster

[Unregistered]

Please stop with the ECNL hype. Almost 9 years of it at this point. The funny part is the same logic your clubs used to sell the ECNL is the exact thing most of you are now saying is unnecessary. The reality that everyone but the ECNL sycophants can see is that while the ECNL might (as in not conclusive but a different argument) have helped some kids with getting recruited it utterly failed to improve the quality of soccer player ENOUGH to keep pace with the rest of the world and on the women's side we are now falling behind them. USSF saw this and recognized that something had to be done to stop the bleed which is why they started the GDA. The mistake posters like you always seem to make is the ECNL and DA are not the same thing. They are not clones of each other. The fundamental difference between the DA and ECNL is the ECNL focuses on getting players exposure where as the DA will focus on building better soccer players. The amount of training will be almost twice as much in the DA as it currently is on either a ECNL or top NPL team. As long as the work is done the players will become better. It's that simple. The only way the DA will fail in meeting their goal is when clubs like the Stars don't commit to doing the work. The thing a poster like you doesn't apparently realize is that a college coach with half a brain will recognize that doing more work will create better players so why do you think they will push their future players into a situation where they won't be doing the most amount of work possible. Your logic doesn't stand up.

First... majority of parents footing the bill for this, as well at the child actually doing the work, could give a rats ***** about making US soccer better as it will in no way impact their future. There is NO WOMEN'S CAREER PATH in soccer.

Second... ECNL is a business. Results for a club is what what brings players to a club. Players in a club mean money for a club. Giving kids exposure is not the end game for clubs, but rather the hook that get the bill paying parents to buy in. And it works. For that reason, these clubs are already doing the work that they are looking to do.

Third... Stars or any other club do not and will not exist to make US soccer a wold power in soccer. That is not their vision. Those that have jumped on the DA bandwagon are simply doing it as a business decision as not doing it could and would take dollars out of their pocket when someone else does.

Like it or not, soccer is a means to a college education for all but .0001% of our female soccer players in this country who actually have a shot at a place on the NT.

[Unregistered]

Please stop with the ECNL hype. Almost 9 years of it at this point. The funny part is the same logic your clubs used to sell the ECNL is the exact thing most of you are now saying is unnecessary. The reality that everyone but the ECNL sycophants can see is that while the ECNL might (as in not conclusive but a different argument) have helped some kids with getting recruited it utterly failed to improve the quality of soccer player ENOUGH to keep pace with the rest of the world and on the women's side we are now falling behind them. USSF saw this and recognized that something had to be done to stop the bleed which is why they started the GDA. The mistake posters like you always seem to make is the ECNL and DA are not the same thing. They are not clones of each other. The fundamental difference between the DA and ECNL is the ECNL focuses on getting players exposure where as the DA will focus on building better soccer players. The amount of training will be almost twice as much in the DA as it currently is on either a ECNL or top NPL team. As long as the work is done the players will become better. It's that simple. The only way the DA will fail in meeting their goal is when clubs like the Stars don't commit to doing the work. The thing a poster like you doesn't apparently realize is that a college coach with half a brain will recognize that doing more work will create better players so why do you think they will push their future players into a situation where they won't be doing the most amount of work possible. Your logic doesn't stand up.

You hope.

[Unregistered]

If ECNL is all that and DAP unnecessary why does Stars have a DAP team?

[Unregistered]

If ECNL is all that and DAP unnecessary why does Stars have a DAP team?

As said above many clubs are making calculated business decisions, hedging their bets as it were. Several clubs have dropped out of DA since they applied last spring because they realized GDA isn't for them. GDA may become the #1 league but likely not by a wide margin. Not many clubs have the resources and player pools to pull off doing both, but some do and they will try, at least until the landscape becomes more clear (which will take a few years)

[Unregistered]

If ECNL is all that and DAP unnecessary why does Stars have a DAP team?

To stop another club from getting it. $$$$$$$

[Unregistered]

So I am the parent of a 7th grader. This kid is looking pretty strong. I am in the delusional stage where I think anything is possible for her. She gets excited for every soccer practice ready to go half hour early etc. But she is not a teenager yet when priorities may be switched up...who knows at this point. She says more is better in regard to training.

I see it as, if she does not go DA she will potentially be competing against kids who have had significantly more formal team training that she has when college recruiting time hits. I can get her additional individual training or even group training for a while yet, but I will have to pay for it. She plays by herself in the garage or even living room. Further, what will the landscape be in a few years? I say who knows, but I do know that she will get more formal training in the DA.

My buddy has a high school junior in a club with both GDA and ECNL (not stars). He says on her team all of the starters are going to the GDA. He says they will give up their senior year of high school soccer so that they are best ready to hit the college team. They think the additional quality training will give them an advantage over the other non DA kids. Hit the ground running so to speak. If a high school senior is willing to give it up, then there are many younger players thinking the same.

If our thinking is the common one among those with younger top level kids, then the GDA will succeed in gathering most of the top players in a region with both ECNL and GDA-maybe sooner than people think.

[Unregistered]

Oh and in my buddy's club the ECNL team will be clearly the B team. I don't know that this think will be universal, but if this club's mentality is common the ECNL teams will be the B teams at the Mega clubs.

[Unregistered]

anyone else think #26 is a fairy tale?

it remains to be seen how strong gdap is, whether it weakens ecnl, and how many players switch or choose the new league. what is undeniable is we have once again diluted the player pool, spreading players even wider, and forcing many more families to travel many more miles at much more cost. it remains to be seen whether this usysa strategy will meaningfully improve the level of play. i doubt it. hope i'm wrong.

[Unregistered]

So I am the parent of a 7th grader. This kid is looking pretty strong. I am in the delusional stage where I think anything is possible for her. She gets excited for every soccer practice ready to go half hour early etc. But she is not a teenager yet when priorities may be switched up...who knows at this point. She says more is better in regard to training.

I see it as, if she does not go DA she will potentially be competing against kids who have had significantly more formal team training that she has when college recruiting time hits. I can get her additional individual training or even group training for a while yet, but I will have to pay for it. She plays by herself in the garage or even living room. Further, what will the landscape be in a few years? I say who knows, but I do know that she will get more formal training in the DA.

My buddy has a high school junior in a club with both GDA and ECNL (not stars). He says on her team all of the starters are going to the GDA. He says they will give up their senior year of high school soccer so that they are best ready to hit the college team. They think the additional quality training will give them an advantage over the other non DA kids. Hit the ground running so to speak. If a high school senior is willing to give it up, then there are many younger players thinking the same.

If our thinking is the common one among those with younger top level kids, then the GDA will succeed in gathering most of the top players in a region with both ECNL and GDA-maybe sooner than people think.

And you are a TROLL!!!!! Just what club has both DA and ECNL in this state and is not Stars? Try again.

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I see it as, if she does not go DA she will potentially be competing against kids who have had significantly more formal team training that she has when college recruiting time hits.

Just how do you think that training is going to be "more formal"? Are they wearing prom dresses? Training is not going to change. Same coaches, same drills, same ball.