ECNL vs GDA Pro's and Con's

[Unregistered]

So much for GDA being less expensive than ECNL - with all that travel?!

GDAs are supposed to pick up the travel expenses.

Now what GDAs charge players will be another story. Has anyone announced any pricing or fees? FC Fury? EM? WC? All we know is that Cedar Stars will be free for the 16/17 and 18/19 age groups.

[Unregistered]

GDAs are supposed to pick up the travel expenses.

Now what GDAs charge players will be another story. Has anyone announced any pricing or fees? FC Fury? EM? WC? All we know is that Cedar Stars will be free for the 16/17 and 18/19 age groups.

In boys DA the pick up some travel to showcases. League play is on parents

[Unregistered]

In boys DA the pick up some travel to showcases. League play is on parents

Doesn't ECNL do round-robin like weekends for games against several teams? I'd expect the GDAs to do that as well to minimize travel costs.

[Unregistered]

In boys DA the pick up some travel to showcases. League play is on parents

That varies by club - many still have to pay full out of pocket but the clubs try to arrange group travel, book 4 kids/room etc to help lower the cost. The clubs are not charged tournament fees by USSF

[Unregistered]

Doesn't ECNL do round-robin like weekends for games against several teams? I'd expect the GDAs to do that as well to minimize travel costs.

No they try to arrange the schedule so that if teams have to overnight they play two teams from the same area. Even without travel it's normally two games per weekend which is contrary to what DA wants (more training, less games). Normally DA will have only one game per weekend, occasionally two. that's part of the reason the schedule is ten months long - spreads games out over ten months while ECNL crams them all in a shorter time frame

[Unregistered]

Matchfits rationale for ditching GDA.

http://www.soccerwire.com/news/clubs...cks-with-ecnl/

[Unregistered]

No surprises here. MF has financial issues. They lost good coaches. Being sandwiched between PDA and WC reduces the number of paying players they could draw for both ECNL and GDA.

[Unregistered]

No surprises here. MF has financial issues. They lost good coaches. Being sandwiched between PDA and WC reduces the number of paying players they could draw for both ECNL and GDA.

It is an interesting read -- those clubs who do stay in both GDA and ECNL will have an internal issue to deal with. Clubs probably think they can max it out by offering both, but the reality may be that players may not want to be playing in whatever is perceived as the "B" team (nor parents shelling out large $$ for that either).

Until a few things are understood such as costs, roster size, playing time, etc., it will be difficult to really know which one is really the better choice.

[Unregistered]

It is an interesting read -- those clubs who do stay in both GDA and ECNL will have an internal issue to deal with. Clubs probably think they can max it out by offering both, but the reality may be that players may not want to be playing in whatever is perceived as the "B" team (nor parents shelling out large $$ for that either).
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Until a few things are understood such as costs, roster size, playing time, etc., it will be difficult to really know which one is really the better choice.

Not many clubs are big enough or have a deep enough player pool to do both. MF is definitely one one that can't. But their point about the region having too many clubs and how it defeats the premise is a very valid one

[Unregistered]

Not many clubs are big enough or have a deep enough player pool to do both. MF is definitely one one that can't. But their point about the region having too many clubs and how it defeats the premise is a very valid one

It's clear the clubs in the area who were awarded the GDA were clubs who have produced girls and womens team national players.

Clubs will not have a problem filling up "B" teams as those girls will be the ones hoping to get selected to the GDA at some point.

I wouldn't diss B teams like they are bad. Top ECNL A players have already been recruited to go to top soccer or academic schools. The B team players are also recruited by plenty of colleges. But these are the clubs are ones that have deep rosters - like SD Surf and PDA - and their B team players are not that far off from their A team counterparts.

[Unregistered]

We were talked to about GDA/ECNL and the differences, knowing there would only be one a decision needed to be made. Parents, players, coaches and directors together chose ECNL. At least for my daughter it was because of HS ball.

[Unregistered]

We were talked to about GDA/ECNL and the differences, knowing there would only be one a decision needed to be made. Parents, players, coaches and directors together chose ECNL. At least for my daughter it was because of HS ball.

You're with MF? ECNL is a smart decision for them. Hopefully they've worked out their coaching issues. Last year was a disaster for the older teams - 1 practice/week if Dom didn't cancel. Soooo glad we bailed.

[Unregistered]

MF has had a lot of changes and problems over the years.

They were Match Fit Chelsea until they dropped the Chelsea part.

They had a boy's DA but that is gone.

They had 4 affiliates but 3 left this past year. Mercer is the only one that remains.

They had teams out of Denville and Holmdel until they finally consolidated this year at Denville. One of the affiliates - NJX in Holmdel - is one of the affiliates that is gone. NJX used to have good teams prior to their affiliation with MF.

They had problems paying coaches.

One of their coaches was supposed to build a new practice facility that MF would use but that fell through.

Same coach was doing separate summer teams that MF players played on until MF said no more and do their own summer teams. Same coach also did winter training. That coach left for WC and took players with them.

PDA has set up a Bergen County, NJ training and ID Center that will surely draw some players away from MF. Ironically a lot of cut PDA players head to MF.

[Unregistered]

MF has had a lot of changes and problems over the years.

They were Match Fit Chelsea until they dropped the Chelsea part.

They had a boy's DA but that is gone.

They had 4 affiliates but 3 left this past year. Mercer is the only one that remains.

They had teams out of Denville and Holmdel until they finally consolidated this year at Denville. One of the affiliates - NJX in Holmdel - is one of the affiliates that is gone. NJX used to have good teams prior to their affiliation with MF.

They had problems paying coaches.

One of their coaches was supposed to build a new practice facility that MF would use but that fell through.

Same coach was doing separate summer teams that MF players played on until MF said no more and do their own summer teams. Same coach also did winter training. That coach left for WC and took players with them.

PDA has set up a Bergen County, NJ training and ID Center that will surely draw some players away from MF. Ironically a lot of cut PDA players head to MF.

Sounds like not doing GDA was the best decision for the clubs financial health.

[Unregistered]

We were talked to about GDA/ECNL and the differences, knowing there would only be one a decision needed to be made. Parents, players, coaches and directors together chose ECNL. At least for my daughter it was because of HS ball.

I do know, as a parent, that ECNL will be a lot more fun as there will be more games and tourneys. DA is mostly about training and few games. I know you can say it's about development, I do get that, but there will be a lot less games. Also, the substitutions will lead to a lot less PT for a lot of players. I could see ECNL being a better option for the bottom half of GDA teams.