U-14 gnt heads to colorado for 36-player camp

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Ya and she's only a U12! Conrats

I've seen her play and she is really good. There are other players her age in New England that are just as talented but seem to play a more team oriented type of soccer. Before anyone goes crazy it is an observation and not necessarily a bad thing because she does get noticed. It will be interesting to see if she can handle the size difference at the camp because most of those players there will be 2002. For sure she has a strong ability to make things happen offensively. She is listed as a midfielder not a forward. I wonder why.

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Can you clear some things up? In the fall of 2017 what will the birth year's be for U14/U15?
Does that mean they are 2004 and 2003??
Or is it a 2002/2003 mix?

For fall of 2016 the 2002's are now U15's so does that mean they become the 16/17 team in the fall of 2017?
For this fall of 2016 the 2003 team are U14's.

Last question will Dap provide ample opportunities for colleges to look at players as well or are you better off in the ECNL?

You need to keep in mind that US Soccer is not interested in recruiting for college they are interested in the best players for the national team and developing them mentally and physically under their roof with their philosophies and coaches.

Most kids playing in the ECNL are not necessarily the best kids in the country, they are good players and some are great but it takes a lot of time and money to move on those teams regardless if your child actually pays to play, the commitment to and from training and traveling to tournaments is a burden and expense that a lot of families just can not afford.

If a player makes it on to one of the national teams all cost are included and there are no travel expenses for these players.

To get and invite to one of the camps your coach must recommend the player and from all that I can read now the best way to get invited is through a club that holds a GDAP lic.

I am sure there will be other ways to get an invite, but if that is the path you child is on I would think you would align yourself with one of the 25 clubs that hold such lic.

If your child has no interest in the national teams then there is no reason to go this route and they should stay with the club that best fits their wants and needs.

Some it is just social, others it is to keep up with the rest and hopefully make varsity, some it is to play in college, others are looking for a scholarship to college, some just want D1 only others want to make it on to the national team.

[Unregistered]

You need to keep in mind that US Soccer is not interested in recruiting for college they are interested in the best players for the national team and developing them mentally and physically under their roof with their philosophies and coaches.

Most kids playing in the ECNL are not necessarily the best kids in the country, they are good players and some are great but it takes a lot of time and money to move on those teams regardless if your child actually pays to play, the commitment to and from training and traveling to tournaments is a burden and expense that a lot of families just can not afford.

If a player makes it on to one of the national teams all cost are included and there are no travel expenses for these players.

To get and invite to one of the camps your coach must recommend the player and from all that I can read now the best way to get invited is through a club that holds a GDAP lic.

I am sure there will be other ways to get an invite, but if that is the path you child is on I would think you would align yourself with one of the 25 clubs that hold such lic.

If your child has no interest in the national teams then there is no reason to go this route and they should stay with the club that best fits their wants and needs.

Some it is just social, others it is to keep up with the rest and hopefully make varsity, some it is to play in college, others are looking for a scholarship to college, some just want D1 only others want to make it on to the national team.

Sorry, GDAP matters just as little as ECNL does. Players were making it to the NT before either came to be so those programs aren't some magic potion that transforms players into international soccer players. What it takes to make it to the NT is god given talent and the ambition to get there. If your kid actually has those things, the road they might take to the NT doesn't matter much at all because they have the ingredients that the NT wants and their scouting program has evolved to such a degree that they will absolutely know who your kid is well before your kid even figures out how much they like the game. On the flip side, if they don't have the actual talent the NT is looking for, putting them in a program like GDAP or on a team like an ECNL isn't going to help them at all because no one actually pays any attention to them. They are just the equivalent of practice players.

[Unregistered]

Sorry, GDAP matters just as little as ECNL does. Players were making it to the NT before either came to be so those programs aren't some magic potion that transforms players into international soccer players. What it takes to make it to the NT is god given talent and the ambition to get there. If your kid actually has those things, the road they might take to the NT doesn't matter much at all because they have the ingredients that the NT wants and their scouting program has evolved to such a degree that they will absolutely know who your kid is well before your kid even figures out how much they like the game. On the flip side, if they don't have the actual talent the NT is looking for, putting them in a program like GDAP or on a team like an ECNL isn't going to help them at all because no one actually pays any attention to them. They are just the equivalent of practice players.

LMAO. Not loving GDAP as much as you did a week ago, huh, BTNT. Can you very carefully describe again what really matters.

[Unregistered]

How big are the rosters for each gdAp team? I would think 22 maybe that would only be 66 kids from 6 age groups. So right now with just 2 teams that's 132 players in all of Massachusett playing gdAp. I'm just guessing encl will still do okay.

[Unregistered]

Sure there are plenty of sap parents around here that will always think their kid has to play in San Diego to land at Stone Hill. The Kool-Aid is particularly sweet in this part of the country.

[Unregistered]

Sorry, GDAP matters just as little as ECNL does. Players were making it to the NT before either came to be so those programs aren't some magic potion that transforms players into international soccer players. What it takes to make it to the NT is god given talent and the ambition to get there. If your kid actually has those things, the road they might take to the NT doesn't matter much at all because they have the ingredients that the NT wants and their scouting program has evolved to such a degree that they will absolutely know who your kid is well before your kid even figures out how much they like the game. On the flip side, if they don't have the actual talent the NT is looking for, putting them in a program like GDAP or on a team like an ECNL isn't going to help them at all because no one actually pays any attention to them. They are just the equivalent of practice players.

Read the US Soccer site where it clearly states that this will be the primary pathway to the national teams.

True that before these programs esisited the National Team coaches did not use them, why? Because they did not exist. Then came the ECNL and now there is GDAP which if you take the time to read what they have wrote US Soccer will focus on GDAP and push these teams to play less games and more development by training 4x per week.

True that DNA plays a large role in natural talent but if you are not training under the right coaches and learning the intellecutal pieces of the game you will not make it to the National level. Just because someone is an athlete does not make them a great soccer player.

Focus, training, drive and commitment are also part of the piece they need to make it.

[Unregistered]

How big are the rosters for each gdAp team? I would think 22 maybe that would only be 66 kids from 6 age groups. So right now with just 2 teams that's 132 players in all of Massachusett playing gdAp. I'm just guessing encl will still do okay.

That sounds about right but you need to multiply that by 25 clubs in the country, so that is a pretty large group of kids per each age group.

[Unregistered]

Sure there are plenty of sap parents around here that will always think their kid has to play in San Diego to land at Stone Hill. The Kool-Aid is particularly sweet in this part of the country.

More BTNT. What a world class a-hole.

[Unregistered]

Sorry, GDAP matters just as little as ECNL does. Players were making it to the NT before either came to be so those programs aren't some magic potion that transforms players into international soccer players. What it takes to make it to the NT is god given talent and the ambition to get there. If your kid actually has those things, the road they might take to the NT doesn't matter much at all because they have the ingredients that the NT wants and their scouting program has evolved to such a degree that they will absolutely know who your kid is well before your kid even figures out how much they like the game. On the flip side, if they don't have the actual talent the NT is looking for, putting them in a program like GDAP or on a team like an ECNL isn't going to help them at all because no one actually pays any attention to them. They are just the equivalent of practice players.

Know one such player who just committed to Wagner after chasing ODP, Stars and ECNL. Nice kid, Ok player, brutal soccer Mom.

[Unregistered]

That sounds about right but you need to multiply that by 25 clubs in the country, so that is a pretty large group of kids per each age group.

They're already up to 53 clubs with more to be announced soon

[Unregistered]

Know one such player who just committed to Wagner after chasing ODP, Stars and ECNL. Nice kid, Ok player, brutal soccer Mom.

Why on earth would anyone go to Wagner if they invested time in ODP and ECNL? That league does not represent the top of any ECNL roster or ODP players. Wouldn't a brutal soccer mom aim for something higher?

[Unregistered]

Know one such player who just committed to Wagner after chasing ODP, Stars and ECNL. Nice kid, Ok player, brutal soccer Mom.

For a forum that generally tries to avoid slamming individual kids or parents, what you have written is reprehensible. Why don't you just name the player, the mom, and give out their addresses and phone numbers? They, like every other family, make decisions that work for their specific circumstances. You have NO idea what variables impacted their decision to play for a club, choose a college, or make the commitments they make.

Here is why you are a great, f-ing moron who should unplug your computer and jump in front of a moving train:

1) do you know what soccer options the player had?
2) do you know the player's grades, SAT's?
3) do you know the family's financial circumstances?
4) do you know the player's career or academic interests?
5) have you researched all the soccer playing colleges with programs that match that player's interests?
6) do you know whether the family has a history with a particular school?
7) do you know what other college interest the player had?
8) do you know the player's playing history?
9) do you know the player's injury history?
10) do you know the family's relationship with the coaches at various schools?
11) do you know the player's other interests outside of soccer?
12) do you know where the player's relatives live, and whether an elderly grandmother might live right near a particular school?
13) do you know - anything other than a short bio entry about a league and a college commitment?

I don't know any of this information, so I'll just say that I hope the kid is happy with her choice and has a great experience.

You know nothing. A person with any hint of class would apologize.

[Unregistered]

For a forum that generally tries to avoid slamming individual kids or parents, what you have written is reprehensible. Why don't you just name the player, the mom, and give out their addresses and phone numbers? They, like every other family, make decisions that work for their specific circumstances. You have NO idea what variables impacted their decision to play for a club, choose a college, or make the commitments they make.

Here is why you are a great, f-ing moron who should unplug your computer and jump in front of a moving train:

1) do you know what soccer options the player had?
2) do you know the player's grades, SAT's?
3) do you know the family's financial circumstances?
4) do you know the player's career or academic interests?
5) have you researched all the soccer playing colleges with programs that match that player's interests?
6) do you know whether the family has a history with a particular school?
7) do you know what other college interest the player had?
8) do you know the player's playing history?
9) do you know the player's injury history?
10) do you know the family's relationship with the coaches at various schools?
11) do you know the player's other interests outside of soccer?
12) do you know where the player's relatives live, and whether an elderly grandmother might live right near a particular school?
13) do you know - anything other than a short bio entry about a league and a college commitment?

I don't know any of this information, so I'll just say that I hope the kid is happy with her choice and has a great experience.

You know nothing. A person with any hint of class would apologize.

Rather sad but why don't you also address this to Perspective for all his reprehensible bashing of btdt's kid for her choices. This is example why you Stars parents get no slack on this forum. Your moral indignation only cuts one way.

[Unregistered]

Rather sad but why don't you also address this to Perspective for all his reprehensible bashing of btdt's kid for her choices. This is example why you Stars parents get no slack on this forum. Your moral indignation only cuts one way.

Not from Stars. Too far away for us. I bash Perspective quite a bit, especially when he accuses me of being his white whale.

There is a key difference at play here, however. BTDT has spoken frequently and candidly about the choices he's made for his kids. He's shared way too much, in my opinion, but it opens him up for criticism. It's like he's become a public figure on this forum, due to his own actions.

The people that were so obviously identified and criticized in this particular case did nothing to invite it. There is no way they should be treated in the same way as someone like BTDT. BTW - I've never seen BTDT's kids get criticized here. They seem to be lauded as good kids who happen to have a crazy dad.