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End of the road for GA?

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    End of the road for GA?



    To: The GA Family
    From: Skip Gilbert, USYS CEO

    To All:

    When the Girls Academy launched in 2020, US Youth Soccer (USYS) put aside all competitive differences to our National League, an elite competitive environment established 15-years ago, consisting of 13 conferences, over 3,500 teams and 80,000 players to show unbridled support. Specifically, we built a national registration process to allow the GA to register its players in one fluid motion, through USYS to their respective State Association.

    Our goal was to support the GA off the field so they could create an elite environment to allow the players to succeed on it. We also hoped that given our 48-year history, that the GA would want to utilize many of our programming assets to complement their on-field efforts. For example, USYS offered all GA teams the opportunity to partner with our National League, to join forces with our National League P.R.O. and USYS National Showcase events, which would have provided incredible showcasing opportunities for all teams.

    We offered our Olympic Development Program (ODP). ODP has been active since 1977 and provides over 40,000 players each year an opportunity to take advantage of a high-performance training experience that helps every player elevate their game on and off the field.

    We opened the door for teams to enter our State Cup Tournaments. The State Cups represent the first-round action for our prestigious National Championship Series (NCS). The NCS is a competition that has earned its place as the premier National Championship in youth soccer since 1974.

    Finally, we are launching this fall, the National League Elite 64. This top-tier platform of the National League will invite the best 64 clubs across 8 geographic conferences to compete together. Every game will be a recruitable moment. Once the season begins this fall, only teams in the National League will have the right to be promoted into Elite 64. The National League will embrace a promotion/relegation system allowing USYS to live-up to its principles that every team must "Earn Your Place" and regardless of skill level, every team will "Have A Home".

    Our vision is to bring communities together through the power of soccer, making life-long fans of the game. As a part of that vision, we operate under four core priorities. One, to create programming that provides any child the opportunity to learn and love our game. Two, to create pathways that support any level of skill to encourage all players to stay playing straight through their teenage years. Three, to invest in player development platforms that will allow every player the ability to elevate their game to the highest level possible. Four, to invest resources behind the acquisition, retention and development of coaches, and referees while creating a learning center to help parents embrace positive support techniques and sideline behavior.

    Unfortunately, the GA has taken a stand to discourage any team or player from taking advantage of the USYS portfolio of assets and most recently, mandating that no club accept our invitation to join the USYS National League Elite 64. As I write this, the GA Board is planning to meet Wednesday to decide if they as a league should remain a part of the overall USYS Family or move over to a separate sanctioning body.

    To me, this simply does not appear to be a true partnership. Because of this, and beginning with the fall 2022 season, should the GA remain within the USYS Family, we will make one change in our offered support. We will no longer recognize the GA as a national platform. As such, we will no longer offer the GA a single registration process but ask that each team register directly with our National Network of State Associations. This is the same process that is embraced by tens of thousands of teams and over 2.3 million players every year.

    While we value the GA and what they are bringing to the sport, we must remain fair and consistent to the 2.3 million other players that do utilize our vast resources. Again, since most teams within the GA already had a direct relationship with its State Association, registering direct through them will not be a burden and will not impact any specific player.

    Have a great spring season and feel free to reach out with any questions. My email address is sgilbert@usyouthsoccer.org.

    #2
    Desperate times may call for desperate measures, either way not good. Could be a precursor for implosion 2.0.

    Comment


      #3
      How do you get that conclusion from that letter? It's end of the road for either Elite64 or PRO, which are now identical offerings by USYS.

      GA will just card with another organization, or locally through USYS.

      ELIte64 was an attempt by USYS to kick USSSA (I e. Specially Sports) out of youth soccer by killing their only program (DPL). And pull GA closer into their orbit at same time. Fail and fail.

      No major club-based soccer business would ever put up with USYS demands for promotion/delegation at team level. Doomed to fail.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Guest View Post
        Desperate times may call for desperate measures, either way not good. Could be a precursor for implosion 2.0.
        Such a screwed up landscape all designed to make money instead of unify platforms and develop talent. After the initial GDA implosion that should have been the end of it. We need one top tier league.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Guest View Post
          Such a screwed up landscape all designed to make money instead of unify platforms and develop talent. After the initial GDA implosion that should have been the end of it. We need one top tier league.
          The USSR tried something like that overall. Didn't go well.

          Turns out that competition in the market works best. Who knew, right?

          Comment


            #6
            Another sanctioning body will gladly take GAs money for player registration. GA is pretty well connected, I wouldn’t be surprised if USSF let them self sanction a la DA. Why would any GA club ever join this dumb Elite 64 experiment. GA has proactively been trying to reduce travel for clubs (and compete with ECNLR) why would they sign up for more in some random “National” league designed to line the pockets of US Youth. The fact the US Youth sent an email directly to all GA families that a juvenile and shows their true motivation. I don’t see GA staying US Youth based on the response Amber just sent but, if they do, this just creates more work for State Associations. It’s almost like US Youth is trying to proactively give away market share to US Club.

            Comment


              #7
              GA is effed.

              Comment


                #8
                GA Emailed this out:

                Dear GA Members,

                Many families received an email today from USYS regarding the Girls Academy. USYS is a player pass and secondary insurance provider for the GA. Nothing stated in the letter affects current or future GA programming including league games, events, or talent identification. The Girls Academy will remain the only female national league providing a pathway for female players across the country.

                The Girls Academy will be evaluating the sanctioning process with USYS as well as other sanctioning organizations that currently operate through U.S. Soccer. If a change is made it will not impact the player experience or current format of the Girls Academy..



                Should you have questions feel free to contact your Club’s Academy Director.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Guest View Post
                  GA is effed.
                  This has near zero effect on any players or teams. USYS is mad that GA didn’t buy into the National League and Elite 64 crap.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Guest View Post

                    This has near zero effect on any players or teams. USYS is mad that GA didn’t buy into the National League and Elite 64 crap.
                    US Club won’t take them on so now they either have to come up with their own carding solution or deal with state associations.

                    It is a bad look all around.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Stop it. It’s not a bad look for GA, USYS are the ones that look like petty fools. I guarantee USASA or AYSO would take them. GA has enough connections with USSF that they would probably be allowed to sanction themselves and they probably save a bucket of cash.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Guest View Post
                        Stop it. It’s not a bad look for GA, USYS are the ones that look like petty fools. I guarantee USASA or AYSO would take them. GA has enough connections with USSF that they would probably be allowed to sanction themselves and they probably save a bucket of cash.
                        so GAL has to pray that ussf will save them? Why not just move to ecnl?

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Guest View Post

                          so GAL has to pray that ussf will save them? Why not just move to ecnl?
                          ECNL doesn’t want GA, ECNL just wants GA to go away.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Guest View Post

                            so GAL has to pray that ussf will save them? Why not just move to ecnl?
                            Not the sharpest knife in the drawer here. GA still has almost every option available to them because everyone is willing to take their money.

                            1. Self Sanction
                            2. Sanction through USASA or AYSO
                            3. Sanction through USYS state associations

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Everyone should remember to think twice before using the word “sanction” in connection with what USYS, US Club and AYSO provide. GA has one thing absolutely correct: USYS is an insurance company. When USYS “sanctions” something, it just means they sold it insurance, and secondary insurance at that. Most player injuries are covered by primary insurance so it is exceedingly rare that USYS pays out on any injury claims. Leagues created or “sanctioned” by USYS are simply pools of secondary insurance policyholders Who have been allowed by USYS to pay USYS for secondary insurance. The USYS player card is simply an insurance card. There you have it!

                              Comment

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