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Youth soccer declining because its to expensive

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    #46
    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...=.6194b51a4104

    Article in today's Post with more evidence that soccer participation is cratering since the birth year mandate went into place. The Federation needs to get rid of the Goldman banker & get someone in place who understands the sport & US culture before soccer in this country is effectively killed.

    I continue to think that the ECNL could deal the DA a knockout blow by abandoning the birth year mandate & grouping kids by grade. It would be directly in-line with their strategy of appealing to the 99% of kids who aspire to play college ball, rather than for the National team.
    Going back to grade would help ECNL but it wouldn't be the death of GDA. GDA is already spiraling on its own but if it fully blows up it will be from a combination of factors (cost, travel, high school rule, inconsistent competition, ECNL still going strong). Don't think that parents haven't noticed the absurdity of USSF imposing the calendar year but now allow some BDA players to play down an age. "Do as we say, not as we do". If they want to keep calendar year for DA that's fine. But everyone else should be allowed to go back to grade.

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      #47
      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
      https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...=.6194b51a4104

      Article in today's Post with more evidence that soccer participation is cratering since the birth year mandate went into place. The Federation needs to get rid of the Goldman banker & get someone in place who understands the sport & US culture before soccer in this country is effectively killed.

      I continue to think that the ECNL could deal the DA a knockout blow by abandoning the birth year mandate & grouping kids by grade. It would be directly in-line with their strategy of appealing to the 99% of kids who aspire to play college ball, rather than for the National team.
      Please explain how playing high school makes playing college more likely?

      As for our team, 0% of the girls play DA with a hope to play on the National team

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        #48
        That may be. It just goes to show that even they claim the market the program as being designed for players with professional aspirations, no one believes that or chooses the program for those stated reasons. They pick the club as the best fit for their player, the same as every players that chooses any other situation. All these clubs and leagues are businesses selling their products.

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          #49
          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
          Going back to grade would help ECNL but it wouldn't be the death of GDA. GDA is already spiraling on its own but if it fully blows up it will be from a combination of factors (cost, travel, high school rule, inconsistent competition, ECNL still going strong). Don't think that parents haven't noticed the absurdity of USSF imposing the calendar year but now allow some BDA players to play down an age. "Do as we say, not as we do". If they want to keep calendar year for DA that's fine. But everyone else should be allowed to go back to grade.
          ECNL has EXACTLY the same issues. why do you ignore them?

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            #50
            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
            Please explain how playing high school makes playing college more likely?

            As for our team, 0% of the girls play DA with a hope to play on the National team
            South Shore Select.

            Next.

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              #51
              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
              That may be. It just goes to show that even they claim the market the program as being designed for players with professional aspirations, no one believes that or chooses the program for those stated reasons. They pick the club as the best fit for their player, the same as every players that chooses any other situation. All these clubs and leagues are businesses selling their products.
              who is marketing the program as that? Certainly no GDA Club i know of. People confuse initial marketing with daily execution. So as you say above, what if the best fit is GDA ? AS far as no one believes that, perhaps because MOST kids have no chance of ever being at that level. Thats the problem, you guys want it both ways. The same people will talk about playing with the best and getting better.

              lets face it, the vast majority of US soccer parents want mediocrity because they dont like the sacrifices and effort required to have a shot at excellence.

              The ECNL is/was a mediocre league, but it was the status quo. as soon as it was challenged, the parents of average reacted in 2 ways - blind acceptance or blind rejection. Both were wrong. Now, those who rejected think GDA is dead and those who accepted but are not happy want to go back to status quo. Both are fine, but lets get it straight, these kids are not likely to do much in the game anyhow.

              Very few are.

              Comment


                #52
                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                ECNL has EXACTLY the same issues. why do you ignore them?
                The typical middle to upper income family can afford either league. So then it comes down to quality of coaching at your local clubs and fit in other areas, primarily the desire to play HS or not. USSF greatly underestimated the appeal of HS soccer and the strength of ECNL. When they instituted the ban with BDA there really wasn't a strong #2 national league to give boys a viable alternative. Free tuition and an actual pro path helped BDA become a much stronger league than GDA ever will be.

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                  #53
                  Few families looking for a soccer team for their kid have any league loyalty. This argument is really tiresome. Maybe some choose based on the league designation but that is foolish. 95 percent look at location, coaching, travel, comepetive level of the teams players, and price and choose. We all wish we could factor in the competitive level of the league but that ship has sailed in the Northeast. All are pretty diluted with quality and weak teams throughout. There is no consistently strong league anymore so cross that criteria off your list. If one is stronger or weaker nationally it does my player no good to care. She has to play, train and improve in the Northeast, not California.

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                    #54
                    $15k per year isn't that much.

                    Comment


                      #55
                      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                      $15k per year isn't that much.
                      IKR? Its only 15K. Lol.

                      Comment


                        #56
                        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                        That may be. It just goes to show that even they claim the market the program as being designed for players with professional aspirations, no one believes that or chooses the program for those stated reasons. They pick the club as the best fit for their player, the same as every players that chooses any other situation. All these clubs and leagues are businesses selling their products.
                        The pitch DA as the goal, but also are not naive enough to think they are going to get a full roster of players if that's the only goal. Common sense does kick in for most.

                        Most pick the best opportunity for where they are located, along with other factors. That's why the crew who touted DA and switched to touting ECNL are so funny. Reality is if their club stayed in DA, they'd be still springing wood over it.

                        Comment


                          #57
                          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                          The pitch DA as the goal, but also are not naive enough to think they are going to get a full roster of players if that's the only goal. Common sense does kick in for most.

                          Most pick the best opportunity for where they are located, along with other factors. That's why the crew who touted DA and switched to touting ECNL are so funny. Reality is if their club stayed in DA, they'd be still springing wood over it.
                          That is the clubs doing the cheer-leading. It is their business they are promoting. Dont think most parents are that gung ho about either of these leagues. Whole thing is a chaotic PITA.

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                            #58
                            Here’s the reality, as a long-time NEFC family who would never go to Stars (too far) or Scorps (weak club), we were upset when they chose to go GDA route for their top teams. We would have bitten the financial bullet to stay in ECNL, but our daughter wanted to play HS and other sports, so we made the decision to do NEFC NPL instead. Has worked best for us for now, and she is still targeting and getting D1 interest, which is her goal. Do what works for your kid, family, realize that league chase is a farce.

                            Comment


                              #59
                              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                              Just to clarify traver soccer in Massachusetts is by grade so 4/5 u10 5/6 would be u12 7/8 u14 and so on.
                              Not as of Spring 2019 season. All Birth Year now. The disruption to teams is crazy... should have ripped the bandaid off when the club and the rest of the country made the move. Now older teams that are struggling for numbers may collapse because of the change. Moving up a year, especially in middle school when boys are all over the place in terms of growth and physical development is crazy.

                              Comment


                                #60
                                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                                $15k per year isn't that much.
                                My family makes close to 200k/yr. 15k per year in MA for an extracurricular activity is crazy and definitely not in our budget. 2 kids, private school, mortgage, etc... Both kids play club and we spend no where near that for both.

                                You're paying $1250/mo for soccer... that is a Porsche payment BTW. Less than 10% of families in MA can actually afford that based on their annual income. At least with a car payment, you actually get something. Paying that much for club soccer and you get no guarantees of scholarship money at the end of the road or that your kid will even decide to play in college...

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