Elite Academy League

[Guest]

Those OR clubs need to come together to offer a competitor to Timbers' bad development practices.

How would this work?

I'm assuming to be a useful competitor--and I'm speaking about the boys' side of things--the following would be requirements.

1) The Alternate Academy (let's call it AA) would be separate from any existing club, though it might feature coaches from existing clubs. Would probably have the rule that AA coaches don't coach the same age groups at any other clubs they happen to work for. (ODP should have the same practice BTW; to discourage shenanigans of the sort that got the UPDX 04s so good so quickly).

2) The AA would be open to players from any local clubs, participating or not. (I'm assuming that Timbers Alliance clubs would not participate; instead sending their players to the Timbers). Participating clubs would be expected to refer top players to the AA, and willingly support their transfer if they make an AA team, and to welcome back players who are later cut. (I'm not aware of any clubs that refuse to welcome back players that are cut from TA, but the possibility of some a-hole coach threatening a kid in that matter isn't out of the question).

3) The AA would not participate in OYSA. Not sure where it would go... MLS Next would be a possibility, though if Crossfire Premier can't get in, I'm not sure a direct competitor to the Timbers' Academy would be let in either. A pity, as having two additional clubs in the PNW would be useful. WA BECNL is the other obvious possibility, but it would require Oregon boys to forgo high school soccer, because the WA BECNL plays its game in the fall (as boys' soccer is a spring sport in Washington). Games against WashT would be local, but some of the Seattle clubs might object--they certainly didn't like coming down to Portland to play the Timbers when the TA was in the Washington state DA because they thought the Oregon DA would have been a cakewalk. (And DA rules, to be fair, were supposed to limit travel distance to 50 miles; trips from Puget Sound to Portland clearly exceed that. BECNL has no such limitation).

4) The big question mark: How much does it cost, and who pays? TA is free for players. If someone (say Nike) were to fund it, this could be a game-changer. If it's another pay-to-play outfit, it could get expensive quickly given the travel involved, and turn into just another club competing for players in a saturated local market, just another escalation in the travel league wars. (Though ECNL at least would be a credibly higher level of competition, whereas EAL isn't). I'm sure at least one ambitious DOC out there has tried to get their club into WA BECNL already.

5) If it's a true all-star team, meant to be on par with TA (or better than it), it probably shouldn't be participating in OYSA State Cup.

A middle-ground option might be a BECNL team that plays in the fall (when OR clubs, at least at HS ages, shut down) and then stops playing in the winter/spring (during the WA high school season), with players returning to their local clubs--kind of an "extended ODP". Not sure ECNL would go for that model though.

[Guest]

After the weekend at the laughable Lakewood scrimmages you could of played-- Oak Hills, Mt. Tabor & Clackamas United teams locally and found out how you rated vs teams outside your normal group.
Only for the price of intelligence with the same score lines.
Money aint a thing....

Do you ever add anything WORTH reading. Your dribble gets old. Post something that is informative or adds to the conversation instead of being a D bag once in a while.

From what I am gathering the EAL is unessential, expensive, a marketing ploy and if developing better skills for players at younger ages is counterproductive. Yet, some agree that it is fun for the teams while playing teams that are out of location provides a more meaningful experience.

Why do we have kids in soccer?
- We think they will be a pro some day
- We think they will get a scholarship (money burned could be put in an account and saved and likely be more than any scholarship most kids get)?
- We do it for personal development of our kids, builds character?
- We do it because they like soccer and have fun playing?

Pretending our kids will be the next great hope in soccer is unrealistic and good scholarships are few and far between. If you are not in it for the fun or the character building then we as parents are missing the boat. The guy I am responding to here is an example of a parent gone wrong and a person, quite frankly, I feel sorry for. Your kid isn't special. Neither are you. But you know that and that's why you and your dribble are here.

[Guest]

I see both sides.

Beyond Westside UPDX and Capital are two of the top clubs in most age groups. Not all. But most. If they are not Oregon elite then I would assume that only Westside would be considered elite? OPFC is a midrange club with most teams in the top 4-7 in each age group. Not quite Oregon elite but knocking on the door. The Washington teams are not good as all the good teams are in the ECNL. Boise is Idaho elite. If you look at the rest of the teams in these showcases there are several high quality clubs.


~ I guess we would need to define what is considered elite? Are we looking at Oregon elite, regional elite or nationwide elite and what percentile would be elite vs not elite. The top 5%, 10% or just the top team? Objectively this would be where the argument should start. In all honesty Oregon does not have a club that would be considered elite regionally so this conversation would be a quick one of we choose anything except Oregon elite.

- Once the above question is answered should non elite teams be discouraged from traveling for games? If not, how much travel is considered acceptable?

- I certainly would choose a club based on their EAL status. The cost of participation in the league is cheap but the travel component is not. If a parent is cost conscious I would certainly avoid one of these clubs. As a parent that has a kid on one of these clubs we were presented with estimates of cost prior to try outs (Have been with the club for 3 years). The estimates were quite lower than the cost incurred. We enjoyed this season so far and our son has enjoyed the travel experience. My wife and I have discussed the cost as a reason to look at non EAL clubs next season. There are other issues with our club that we are not happy with as well and we may move to a EAL club next year based on all factors considered. But the next team being in the EAL will be a small minus for them in our decision.

- Oregon soccer is too diluted, too many teams for the population. We all see this. If your kid is an average kid on a premier gold club he probably isn't good enough to be called elite. Each team I have seen has maybe 2-4 kids that flash as being good while others are just there. It is good that Westside attracts top player to their team from across the Portland Metro. But they typically do not do well at regionals. Again, showing Oregon elite vs real elite.

- Westside, being the top club in Oregon, should find a way to make ECNL work. If they did I have no doubt my son would try out with them next season along with his friends from other clubs. This is where a positive from EAL comes in- The EAL allows teams to play teams outside of the normal groups of teams we see year after year while maintaining membership in OYSA. A compromise of sorts.

There is value in the EAL, is it worth the cost is the question that so far, for us, is not fully answered.

The value isn't in EAL. In fact EAL steals value. It's supports some notion that forming a super team and traveling across the country is better than focusing on community based soccer.

[Guest]

The value isn't in EAL. In fact EAL steals value. It's supports some notion that forming a super team and traveling across the country is better than focusing on community based soccer.

To paraphrase Syndrome in _The Incredibles:_ If everyone is super, then nobody is.

[Guest]

To paraphrase Syndrome in _The Incredibles:_ If everyone is super, then nobody is.

I like watching my son play soccer. It won’t last forever, so I’m enjoying while I can. If he travels a bit for games, so what, I can afford it.

Doesn’t matter one itty bitty bit what anonymous ahole thinks.

[Guest]

Says the guy with the itty bitty brain, who is only following the edicts of hopeless soccer bums.

priceless.

[Guest]

I like watching my son play soccer. It won’t last forever, so I’m enjoying while I can. If he travels a bit for games, so what, I can afford it.

Doesn’t matter one itty bitty bit what anonymous ahole thinks.

This is the point. I enjoy watching my son grow up, from a little boy on his bike, kicking the ball around to a teen soccer player whom is kinda good. Good on the bicycle, basketball and tennis too. People here are so caught up in the whole "I'm better than you" insecurities that they miss the real meaning behind sports. It is fun. Meant for fun. Few kids make it to the pro's. I can't imagine being so insecure that I would hate on kids traveling to play soccer. Again, I feel sorry for the clowns. But then I sit back and understand that this is likely all they have. That their kids soccer is so meaningful to their existence that they feel the need to bash other soccer clubs for doing something different.

[Guest]

Confusing stupidity as something 'different'.

Epic spin.

[Guest]

This is the point. I enjoy watching my son grow up, from a little boy on his bike, kicking the ball around to a teen soccer player whom is kinda good. Good on the bicycle, basketball and tennis too. People here are so caught up in the whole "I'm better than you" insecurities that they miss the real meaning behind sports. It is fun. Meant for fun. Few kids make it to the pro's. I can't imagine being so insecure that I would hate on kids traveling to play soccer. Again, I feel sorry for the clowns. But then I sit back and understand that this is likely all they have. That their kids soccer is so meaningful to their existence that they feel the need to bash other soccer clubs for doing something different.

Gaslighting anyone?

[Guest]

This is the point. I enjoy watching my son grow up, from a little boy on his bike, kicking the ball around to a teen soccer player whom is kinda good. Good on the bicycle, basketball and tennis too. People here are so caught up in the whole "I'm better than you" insecurities that they miss the real meaning behind sports. It is fun. Meant for fun. Few kids make it to the pro's. I can't imagine being so insecure that I would hate on kids traveling to play soccer. Again, I feel sorry for the clowns. But then I sit back and understand that this is likely all they have. That their kids soccer is so meaningful to their existence that they feel the need to bash other soccer clubs for doing something different.

Nobody hates you or your kids; we're concerned that you--or possibly other parents at the club, if not you--might be being ripped off.

Of course, if you know and understand that the travel doesn't really get you a better soccer match, just a different one, than that's fine. My DS has been to tournaments that were full of teams his side could beat, playing for a trophy that had little meaning beyond bragging rights. And yes, that cost some money. It was fun, but it was just a weekend. And the tournaments weren't at all part of the club's sales pitch.

But if you think that EAL is something that is highly coveted and has been to denied to the other clubs in town, and/or DOES provide a better soccer experience than the local competition, then you've been sold a bill of goods.

[Guest]

Nobody hates you or your kids; we're concerned that you--or possibly other parents at the club, if not you--might be being ripped off.

Of course, if you know and understand that the travel doesn't really get you a better soccer match, just a different one, than that's fine. My DS has been to tournaments that were full of teams his side could beat, playing for a trophy that had little meaning beyond bragging rights. And yes, that cost some money. It was fun, but it was just a weekend. And the tournaments weren't at all part of the club's sales pitch.

But if you think that EAL is something that is highly coveted and has been to denied to the other clubs in town, and/or DOES provide a better soccer experience than the local competition, then you've been sold a bill of goods.

Are you ****ing kidding me. You are concerned I’m getting ripped off, so your answer is to post on an anonymous forum. Hahahahahahaha. Dumbest comment yet on TS.

[Guest]

Are you ****ing kidding me. You are concerned I’m getting ripped off, so your answer is to post on an anonymous forum. Hahahahahahaha. Dumbest comment yet on TS.

But you ARE getting ripped off. Hahahahahaha.

[Guest]

Nobody hates you or your kids; we're concerned that you--or possibly other parents at the club, if not you--might be being ripped off.

I have zero concerns how a parent spends their money on their children. You earned it - spend it however you want. As an observer and a soccer parent, however, I struggle to see where the value for money is. I'm hearing from horses' mouths that parents expect to have dropped 8-10k for the year at their EAL club by next spring. I'd get it if they were going head-to-head with truly elite PNW clubs but the majority of the opposition appears no better, if not worse, than what they will continue to face in OYSA. To paraphrase the late Johnny Cochrane, it does not make sense.

[Guest]

I have zero concerns how a parent spends their money on their children. You earned it - spend it however you want. As an observer and a soccer parent, however, I struggle to see where the value for money is. I'm hearing from horses' mouths that parents expect to have dropped 8-10k for the year at their EAL club by next spring. I'd get it if they were going head-to-head with truly elite PNW clubs but the majority of the opposition appears no better, if not worse, than what they will continue to face in OYSA. To paraphrase the late Johnny Cochrane, it does not make sense.

It's pretty simple: EAL was created for clubs that aren't good enough for MLSNext or ECNL (particularly girls as boys ECNL quality is highly variable based upon location - WA is good, Mountain Conference is Bad). These clubs needed a league to market that sounded better than their local state league and thus EAL is created.

Is this bad? Not sure. Is it needed for competition for these clubs/teams? Probably not as they can likely find appropriate competition locally and less expensively. Does it help justify higher fees? Sure. Does it help develop players? It's more match experience and as long as the level is pretty equitable and players are under appropriate pressure, it probably aids their development. I think the question is Return on Investment; It's probably low. But that's not the only measure.

[Guest]

I have zero concerns how a parent spends their money on their children. You earned it - spend it however you want. As an observer and a soccer parent, however, I struggle to see where the value for money is. I'm hearing from horses' mouths that parents expect to have dropped 8-10k for the year at their EAL club by next spring. I'd get it if they were going head-to-head with truly elite PNW clubs but the majority of the opposition appears no better, if not worse, than what they will continue to face in OYSA. To paraphrase the late Johnny Cochrane, it does not make sense.

6-8 grand? Not true. That would be cost prohibitive for most people.

Travel cost for utah was about 900 for younger boys and for Florida was about 950 for the older boys to cover airfare, rooms and food.

Travel to play PDX teams is nil.

Travel to play seattle teams is quite minimal. Think for one night it is around 75 plus the cost of dinner for weekend set of games.

Now if parents go you need to include their tickets, rooms and food.

Club fees went up by about 100 if I remember correctly. Wasn't a large amount.

I think the added cost for our child is probably around 1000 all in more than last year which is a really not a lot of money. There might be some ages or teams that are spending more money but our club has kept things as inexpensive as possible.