GDA tryouts coming up... please read

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On the flip side, alot of high school coaches (some that played different sports other than soccer) are trying to direct players to forget GDA/ECNL and think about high school soccer only. Like they're treasonous to their teammates. Telling them to forget about their club priorities. As if they understand the dynamic of trying to get girls into college. What a joke...

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You might be right. I was looking at the 01/02 match reports and they are consistently playing 14/game. I assumed that was a rule and not a strategy but i could easily be wrong. Of course Thorns pays for travel for their GDA teams (players pay a flat $2000 fee which includes uniforms and all travel), so maybe they feel like they can travel a player and not play her.

That takes a little of the sting of out not playing but again, if they are not good enough to give you 20 dependable min off the bench, they should not have made that particular team. The drop off should not be so dramatic that you are forced to play your stating 11 a full 90 min to stay competitive.

Still sounds like poor game management.

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ECNL is still plenty competitive and some DA teams and games are terrible. A college coach worth his salt can focus on the player of interest, not the noise around them

Are you a college coach??? No. Can they focus on a player and not "the noise around them?" Of course they can, but that's NOT what they want to do.

They want to see the most possible good players at the same time playing against each other. Biggest bang for their scouting buck and they can really evaluate how talented and skilled a prospect is.

These are facts.

If GDA overcomes the HS issue and sticks....then ECNL will be relegated to clearly second tier (instead of argruably second tier) in a matter of a couple seasons.

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If GDA overcomes the HS issue and sticks....then ECNL will be relegated to clearly second tier (instead of argruably second tier) in a matter of a couple seasons.

After 2+ years of my predictions that HS soccer will be a big problem for GDA, and 2+ years of listening to the GDA apologists ridicule HS soccer, the pro-GDA propagandists finally admit they have to overcome this issue to prevail over ECNL.

I feel vindicated. Thank you.

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After 2+ years of my predictions that HS soccer will be a big problem for GDA, and 2+ years of listening to the GDA apologists ridicule HS soccer, the pro-GDA propagandists finally admit they have to overcome this issue to prevail over ECNL.

I feel vindicated. Thank you.

As someone who hopes for GDAs success, I don’t think HS is that big anhuge issue in soccer Florida. I believe the substitution rules are a bigger issue. The ultimate goal for 99 percent of females is college. College soccer allows unlimited subs. Why not allow this with 13 year olds?

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After 2+ years of my predictions that HS soccer will be a big problem for GDA, and 2+ years of listening to the GDA apologists ridicule HS soccer, the pro-GDA propagandists finally admit they have to overcome this issue to prevail over ECNL.

I feel vindicated. Thank you.

Glad you feel vindicated.

HS soccer is an issue for GDA for sure. Quite honestly, it might be the only thing that keeps ECNL alive.

There are some decent HS teams. I understand the allure of "playing for your school" and "with your friends." School spirt and desire to be involved is a draw and will keep HS soccer alive on some level forever.

The vast majority of HS soccer teams are poor quality, though. The majority of the schedule is full of weak teams. I understand US soccer wanting to push "top training" (debatable) and top competition almost year round and get rid of HS soccer for the top tier players. Objectively, from a pure talent development perspective, it makes sense. They had poor execution on the roll out though.

Should have eased GDA in and allowed HS soccer in beginning. Once ECNL was buried and GDA had truly taken over (probably a couple years) they could have transitioned to no HS soccer and still dominated the soccer landscape.

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Glad you feel vindicated.

HS soccer is an issue for GDA for sure. Quite honestly, it might be the only thing that keeps ECNL alive.

There are some decent HS teams. I understand the allure of "playing for your school" and "with your friends." School spirt and desire to be involved is a draw and will keep HS soccer alive on some level forever.

The vast majority of HS soccer teams are poor quality, though. The majority of the schedule is full of weak teams. I understand US soccer wanting to push "top training" (debatable) and top competition almost year round and get rid of HS soccer for the top tier players. Objectively, from a pure talent development perspective, it makes sense. They had poor execution on the roll out though.

Should have eased GDA in and allowed HS soccer in beginning. Once ECNL was buried and GDA had truly taken over (probably a couple years) they could have transitioned to no HS soccer and still dominated the soccer landscape.

Hunh GDA is allowing HS soccer from the beginning. Any GDA player can play high school soccer without a waiver and no GDA clubs are telling them they can not play high school. Quite a few GDA players who started playing soccer at the beginning of their high school teams tryouts and a few rebels who bucked the system by manipulating their high school and GDA coaches to start playing high school after the GDA showcase and are still playing high school soccer even though GDA practices and games have started up for the spring. When players around Florida see what GDA players are doing they know they can go tryout for GDA and play high school too. If one does it then they can too.

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Hunh GDA is allowing HS soccer from the beginning. Any GDA player can play high school soccer without a waiver and no GDA clubs are telling them they can not play high school. Quite a few GDA players who started playing soccer at the beginning of their high school teams tryouts and a few rebels who bucked the system by manipulating their high school and GDA coaches to start playing high school after the GDA showcase and are still playing high school soccer even though GDA practices and games have started up for the spring. When players around Florida see what GDA players are doing they know they can go tryout for GDA and play high school too. If one does it then they can too.

Can't play both at the same time. This means you miss some of both teams seasons. Far from ideal. U14 not going to be allowed HS next season.

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If you are thinking about GDA for your girl next year, please know

- You will play about 25 games from September to June.
-There are 3 showcases (sites TBD)
-Florida teams travel as far north as Charlotte (once a year)
-same price as non gda teams, travel isnt too bad. If you want to take entire family , then yes its in the 10s of thousands. But they have videos of every game availableif you cant go
-unless you are one of the 5-6 studs, you will NOT play the entire game. Most likely your kid will play half the game. There is no in and out and back in sub rules.
-training is 4 days a week and its based off a curriculum all gda's use. (thats their main selling point, games are just an afterthought
-GDA teams do not play tournaments (exception would be disney but teams are burnt out during thanksgiving)
-They do not allow school soccer, it is what it is, your kid can go play but if caught and reported the team is fined and the team retaliates by sitting the girl a couple of games.

Im sure im missing alot of other cons and pros but its not for everyone, so if your girl is good but not awesome she will NOT be playing entire games. If you are lucky enough to have a stud, there is nothing better, no better competition or showcasing ability than GDA.

Another pro- rosters are all published online to include who’s rostered, how many minutes each person played and who scored goals. Great to have transparency in today’s day and age

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Can't play both at the same time. This means you miss some of both teams seasons. Far from ideal. U14 not going to be allowed HS next season.

Greek. Must play high school from the beginning of the high school season until the playoffs are done or the players is looked upon as a GDA diva who can do what no other girls can do because she is more of a special GDA HS stud.

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Another pro- rosters are all published online to include who’s rostered, how many minutes each person played and who scored goals. Great to have transparency in today’s day and age

or have your kid's name on a public website. awesome.

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Hunh GDA is allowing HS soccer from the beginning. Any GDA player can play high school soccer without a waiver and no GDA clubs are telling them they can not play high school. Quite a few GDA players who started playing soccer at the beginning of their high school teams tryouts and a few rebels who bucked the system by manipulating their high school and GDA coaches to start playing high school after the GDA showcase and are still playing high school soccer even though GDA practices and games have started up for the spring. When players around Florida see what GDA players are doing they know they can go tryout for GDA and play high school too. If one does it then they can too.

Orlando Pride GDA didn't allow high school from day 1.

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Orlando Pride GDA didn't allow high school from day 1.

Not true. There are girls playing high school right now. Joined after the showcase

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Not true. There are girls playing high school right now. Joined after the showcase

Which is a loophole USSF didn't anticipate. That will be gone next year. It was a FL specific glitch. The rest of the country, due to when HS seasons run, it will be one or the other and never during the "quiet time."

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or have your kid's name on a public website. awesome.

Yeah , u will never see my home schooled tin foil cap wearing kid near a GDA program ...