Girls DA/ ECNL

[Unregistered]

Still less than the ECNL though. Also 33 games is a lot less than what most of these kids are playing now so that should help to cut down the number of injuries as well.

since injuries never happen in practice....

[Unregistered]

Development players, practicing with the DA team and playing on another team in the same club, only eligible to play 6 GDA games a year, will be how clubs like Stars fielding both ECNL and GDAP teams will manage the rosters. This provides the flexibility to move kids around, the carrot for individual players to improve, as well as a huge reason for parents hoping to place their kid on a top team to join the club.

Explains why others keep strongly predicting the demise of Stars, when in fact, if managed properly, the club is just as likely to get stronger. Luckily my kid is already out of this mess.

[Unregistered]

since injuries never happen in practice....

or regular games. Nope. Never happens.

Also, take a look at at typical U16 schedule. 19 games not including all showcases or playoffs (but some of it). Yes more often it's two per weekend vs one, but even in DA some games will also be paired up to reduce travel. Like someone said at best GDA will be one less showcase. Big deal - $1000 in saved costs. That's nothing to the average soccer family. Families will decide based on fit. Travel is the same, cost very similar.

http://www.eliteclubsnationalleague....ast-schedules/

[Unregistered]

Development players, practicing with the DA team and playing on another team in the same club, only eligible to play 6 GDA games a year, will be how clubs like Stars fielding both ECNL and GDAP teams will manage the rosters. This provides the flexibility to move kids around, the carrot for individual players to improve, as well as a huge reason for parents hoping to place their kid on a top team to join the club.

Explains why others keep strongly predicting the demise of Stars, when in fact, if managed properly, the club is just as likely to get stronger. Luckily my kid is already out of this mess.

Totally incorrect. If you had attended the Stars info session last Friday night you would know this, since a parent asked this exact question. Stars not allowing it. Once a player practices with DAP, they have to be on roster. No dual between ECNL/DAP period.

[Unregistered]

Totally incorrect. If you had attended the Stars info session last Friday night you would know this, since a parent asked this exact question. Stars not allowing it. Once a player practices with DAP, they have to be on roster. No dual between ECNL/DAP period.

That's not what I heard. And anyone can practice.

[Unregistered]

That's not what I heard. And anyone can practice.

As long as they are not playing high school. High school students who are playing can only practice with the club one time per week, I believe.

[Unregistered]

As long as they are not playing high school. High school students who are playing can only practice with the club one time per week, I believe.

Could you let me know where to find this information? I had not seen this info before. Thank you.

[Unregistered]

I think that the sooner folks realize that both the DA and ECNL leagues are very similar, and will both viefor the top dog status nationally, with the winner TBD. Beyond that, it is a choice as to the path you want to take. Most NT prospects will likely converge to DA teams, with the rest of the top level players splitting between the two leagues. Those players will just have to decide which club, coach, team they prefer, which is no different than what you had this year with three local ECNL teams.

What you see on TS is folks bashing the other leagues, to help sell their own league, or justify their choices. It's the old Potato-potahto scenario like it is every single year before it.

But if the NT prospects converge to DA teams, will that not be the top league competition-wise? I think that's what most would call the winner.

[Unregistered]

I think that the sooner folks realize that both the DA and ECNL leagues are very similar, and will both viefor the top dog status nationally, with the winner TBD. Beyond that, it is a choice as to the path you want to take. Most NT prospects will likely converge to DA teams, with the rest of the top level players splitting between the two leagues. Those players will just have to decide which club, coach, team they prefer, which is no different than what you had this year with three local ECNL teams.

What you see on TS is folks bashing the other leagues, to help sell their own league, or justify their choices. It's the old Potato-potahto scenario like it is every single year before it.

The leagues are not anywhere near as similar as some want to paint. Me thinks someone desperately wants to minimize obvious differences and call it a draw in order to either protect a revenue stream or justify a personal choice.

[Unregistered]

The leagues are not anywhere near as similar as some want to paint. Me thinks someone desperately wants to minimize obvious differences and call it a draw in order to either protect a revenue stream or justify a personal choice.

So please point out the REAL differences to help me and my child make her choice

[Unregistered]

But if the NT prospects converge to DA teams, will that not be the top league competition-wise? I think that's what most would call the winner.

There are a bunch of reasons why those NT (and high level D1) prospect will converge on the DA. Here are two.

#1 - The program is a 6 day per week schedule that increases the number of hours a player spends with a ball at their feet and also provides time for strength and conditioning. It is a schedule that more closely resembles a college player's schedule than most teams have.

#2 - Since players and teams are limited in the amount of "outside" games they are allowed to playing so the level of competition is much more tightly controlled. The net effect will be a lot less "dog" games which plague both the NPL and ECNL.

[Unregistered]

Totally incorrect. If you had attended the Stars info session last Friday night you would know this, since a parent asked this exact question. Stars not allowing it. Once a player practices with DAP, they have to be on roster. No dual between ECNL/DAP period.

I read it in the GDAP link provided earlier. It is allowed. Whether Stars utilize it is their internal policy. I would advise them to do it as necessary to keep ECNL, DAP and other teams as competitive as possible. Winning attracts customers. Tough to develop high end players on a sinking ship.

[Unregistered]

So please point out the REAL differences to help me and my child make her choice

Though a couple of zipper heads refuse to accept that 3 is less than 4 and because of that costs are going to be less, the reality is a family doing the DA will spend less not only for travel but they won't have to spend money on "private" coaching. The amount of training will be significantly higher and the schedule will be more sane because the players won't be asked to double up practices or go find outside trainers. The only ones who think the two are the same are the ones who don't want to see the obvious differences. They are there if one does their homework and is willing to accept information instead of reject it out of hand.

[Unregistered]

There are a bunch of reasons why those NT (and high level D1) prospect will converge on the DA. Here are two.

#1 - The program is a 6 day per week schedule that increases the number of hours a player spends with a ball at their feet and also provides time for strength and conditioning. It is a schedule that more closely resembles a college player's schedule than most teams have.

#2 - Since players and teams are limited in the amount of "outside" games they are allowed to playing so the level of competition is much more tightly controlled. The net effect will be a lot less "dog" games which plague both the NPL and ECNL.

Ughh. Clearly you haven't had a child in a top college program. Little development happens. Not what I'd want to emulate.

There's no guarantee there want be any "dog" games. In fact, with the size of the league and dilution of talent across country and between "elite" leagues It seems dog games will increase at least for the near future.

[Unregistered]

Though a couple of zipper heads refuse to accept that 3 is less than 4 and because of that costs are going to be less, the reality is a family doing the DA will spend less not only for travel but they won't have to spend money on "private" coaching. The amount of training will be significantly higher and the schedule will be more sane because the players won't be asked to double up practices or go find outside trainers. The only ones who think the two are the same are the ones who don't want to see the obvious differences. They are there if one does their homework and is willing to accept information instead of reject it out of hand.

Not every player hires private trainers. In fact, the most skillful players on my kids club and college squads never had private training. They learned by playing the game on their own, whenever possible, obsessively. Private training is another organized ploy to separate parents from their money.

If GDAP protects against this practice and guarantees kids get as much time on the ball as possible, then I agree. We will have seen a slight improvement in overall development practices.