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    Boys DA clubs

    #5 - our kids are 2003 and our town team recently had THREE players return from one of the local DA clubs where they had been playing the past 2-3 years. Kids did not make the high-profile academy teams so gave up the chase.

    Each of the parents, and these are not the manic type A obsessive kinds, have told me that the DA clubs gave their kids zero feedback on how they could improve and what their weaknesses and strengths were.

    Parents are not allowed to talk to the coaches (unless you really work at brown-nosing and I guess either walk them to their cars after practice or tip them over the holidays) so the kids and parents are left clueless.

    There aren't that many academy clubs but i was still surprised to learn that there was so little feedback.

    Is that because the DA clubs are soccer clubs and as such staffed by folks with zero education other than what they've learned on the pitch? Or is it really a business decision - because if they honestly communicated to their players/parents about their kids skills and soccer potential, that they would lose all their customers ? So the tactic is shut up and don't talk to them because then they'll just leave?

    I've worked hard in this post to not mention the club because i don't think this is club specific.

    #2
    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
    #5 - our kids are 2003 and our town team recently had THREE players return from one of the local DA clubs where they had been playing the past 2-3 years. Kids did not make the high-profile academy teams so gave up the chase.

    Each of the parents, and these are not the manic type A obsessive kinds, have told me that the DA clubs gave their kids zero feedback on how they could improve and what their weaknesses and strengths were.

    Parents are not allowed to talk to the coaches (unless you really work at brown-nosing and I guess either walk them to their cars after practice or tip them over the holidays) so the kids and parents are left clueless.

    There aren't that many academy clubs but i was still surprised to learn that there was so little feedback.

    Is that because the DA clubs are soccer clubs and as such staffed by folks with zero education other than what they've learned on the pitch? Or is it really a business decision - because if they honestly communicated to their players/parents about their kids skills and soccer potential, that they would lose all their customers ? So the tactic is shut up and don't talk to them because then they'll just leave?

    I've worked hard in this post to not mention the club because i don't think this is club specific.
    It's a business decision to not get caught up in parental politics. They run DA clubs similar to college or professional ranks if you aren't good enough then we will find a replacement for. PS. Thanks for giving up HS

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      #3
      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
      #5 - our kids are 2003 and our town team recently had THREE players return from one of the local DA clubs where they had been playing the past 2-3 years. Kids did not make the high-profile academy teams so gave up the chase.

      Each of the parents, and these are not the manic type A obsessive kinds, have told me that the DA clubs gave their kids zero feedback on how they could improve and what their weaknesses and strengths were.

      Parents are not allowed to talk to the coaches (unless you really work at brown-nosing and I guess either walk them to their cars after practice or tip them over the holidays) so the kids and parents are left clueless.

      There aren't that many academy clubs but i was still surprised to learn that there was so little feedback.

      Is that because the DA clubs are soccer clubs and as such staffed by folks with zero education other than what they've learned on the pitch? Or is it really a business decision - because if they honestly communicated to their players/parents about their kids skills and soccer potential, that they would lose all their customers ? So the tactic is shut up and don't talk to them because then they'll just leave?

      I've worked hard in this post to not mention the club because i don't think this is club specific.
      From what I've seen at our club and heard from other parents at others it is very common, especially at the MLS clubs. It seems their thinking is your kid is playing for free so S T F U. But even non MLS clubs as well. Some coaches will be more approachable or put more effort into providing player feedback, but certainly plenty do not. Also, don't forget even though you're talking about a younger age the expectation in DA is players have to prove themselves on the field. If you can't you're out. They want no parent involvement and players have to self advocate. Finally, turnover at the younger ages is somewhat expected simply because some "stars" plateau and puberty can greatly change a player's physicality relative to teammates (or not change if they are late bloomers). It's a league with a great deal of churn and it isn't pretty.

      As for losing their customers? It's DA. Clubs can pick up new players with the snap of a finger. That may change once ENPL gets started but for now DA is perceived to be THE best league to be in. It really is the best in terms or training and competition, but it isn't necessarily the best for every good player.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
        #5 - our kids are 2003 and our town team recently had THREE players return from one of the local DA clubs where they had been playing the past 2-3 years. Kids did not make the high-profile academy teams so gave up the chase.

        Each of the parents, and these are not the manic type A obsessive kinds, have told me that the DA clubs gave their kids zero feedback on how they could improve and what their weaknesses and strengths were.

        Parents are not allowed to talk to the coaches (unless you really work at brown-nosing and I guess either walk them to their cars after practice or tip them over the holidays) so the kids and parents are left clueless.

        There aren't that many academy clubs but i was still surprised to learn that there was so little feedback.

        Is that because the DA clubs are soccer clubs and as such staffed by folks with zero education other than what they've learned on the pitch? Or is it really a business decision - because if they honestly communicated to their players/parents about their kids skills and soccer potential, that they would lose all their customers ? So the tactic is shut up and don't talk to them because then they'll just leave?

        I've worked hard in this post to not mention the club because i don't think this is club specific.
        No end of year evaluation? Surprising.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
          No end of year evaluation? Surprising.
          DA doesn't care about the players. Their goal is to develop national team players and win games.

          Their evaluation is playing time. Are you getting the minimum or maximum. There's your evaluation.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
            DA doesn't care about the players. Their goal is to develop national team players and win games.

            Their evaluation is playing time. Are you getting the minimum or maximum. There's your evaluation.
            And the GDA is supposed to replicate the GDA? ECNL is looking better and better!

            Comment


              #7
              *BDA not 2nd GDA

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                No end of year evaluation? Surprising.
                Surprising but I might suffer through that for access to a free DA team.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                  Surprising but I might suffer through that for access to a free DA team.
                  #5 Again, I heard this from 3 parents who gave it 2 or 3 years and suffered through all of it. The kids were probably not good enough ultimately and parents probably had to deal with kids not being told by the coach what they weren't doing enough of ... Kills a parents.

                  They had 60 kids on 4 U13 teams and I'm sure the ones that made it were told they were on the right track it's just the ones that weren't that got the silent treatment.

                  I would have thought that the Academy Police who supposedly review what the clubs are doing would have mandated written feedback but I guess not.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                    #5 Again, I heard this from 3 parents who gave it 2 or 3 years and suffered through all of it. The kids were probably not good enough ultimately and parents probably had to deal with kids not being told by the coach what they weren't doing enough of ... Kills a parents.

                    They had 60 kids on 4 U13 teams and I'm sure the ones that made it were told they were on the right track it's just the ones that weren't that got the silent treatment.

                    I would have thought that the Academy Police who supposedly review what the clubs are doing would have mandated written feedback but I guess not.
                    Another poster chiming in - feedback is pretty much how it's been described. If you play you're doing well; you don't, you're not. A player needs to talk to the coach themselves about issues. Discussions with parents is not encouraged. Some coaches will give the player feedback, some will not. Overall DA is only concerned about the very top players. If you get a coach that cares it's the exception. It is not for the faint of heart and yes hearts are often crushed

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                      Surprising but I might suffer through that for access to a free DA team.
                      Only about 1/3 of DA teams are free. GDA will not be free.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                        Only about 1/3 of DA teams are free. GDA will not be free.
                        Even if it is free, how is player supposed to improve if they don't know what to work on? It is supposed to be about development right? Seems they only want to develop certain players and the rest are just practice players

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Any idea of how many boys there are in the DA system overall?

                          And then how many have made it to a NT camp? Any NT overall?

                          And how many have gone onto play professionally here or elsewhere?

                          If it's a low percentage then why bother?

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Random

                            % of NCAA male soccer players going pro http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/...onal-athletics

                            Top US states for developing pro soccer players http://the18.com/news/what-us-states...soccer-players

                            Guardian article about why the U.S. cannot produce a stud male soccer star https://www.theguardian.com/football...-a-soccer-star

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                              Any idea of how many boys there are in the DA system overall?

                              And then how many have made it to a NT camp? Any NT overall?

                              And how many have gone onto play professionally here or elsewhere?

                              If it's a low percentage then why bother?
                              74 clubs. Pick a low number of 22 players per team X 3 teams per club = 4,884 players in any given year. (I'm not going to count the U12s and 13s because they're young and NT/pro isn't relevant yet).

                              From the DA website (so you can't argue these numbers)

                              The Development Academy offers various talent identification opportunities for Academy players through both league play and at events. Since the 2007-08 Development Academy season, 19 Academy alumni have earned Men's National Team Call-Ups and 1,250 Academy players earned Youth National Team call-ups. Over 160 Development Academy alumni have played in Major League Soccer, with approximately another 50+ alumni at professional environments overseas.

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