Npl/ecnl

[Unregistered]

I know there is sarcasm in the post, but let me respond by saying if this isn't the epitome of "Country Club" soccer, what is? The reality is that professionals all over the world started playing soccer on dirt fields with makeshift goals. Hell, Pele grew up playing with a soccer ball made of rolled up clothes and learning to juggle fruit.

Right, we also used to send communications out via telegraph, drove buggies which were led by horses, watched 3 channels on a black and white TV, and just tossed the kids on the back of the station wagon when we went on road trips.

Nothing wrong with evolving.

[Unregistered]

I know there is sarcasm in the post, but let me respond by saying if this isn't the epitome of "Country Club" soccer, what is? The reality is that professionals all over the world started playing soccer on dirt fields with makeshift goals. Hell, Pele grew up playing with a soccer ball made of rolled up clothes and learning to juggle fruit.

That's a stereo-type trope that doesn't hold up quite the same as when Pele played. Young talent is quickly scooped up by clubs that at least have some type of facility. Almost no one plays on dirt fields in Europe. What young talent around the world does do is play far more often in unstructured and unsupervised play. That's where they learn creativity; ages are mixed with whoever can play so younger players get challenged by older ones; no adult is telling them what to do; they have the ball at their feet all the time; they watch games with friends and families learning from the pros. By and large our kids don't do any of that

[Unregistered]

Hey, I'd love if my employer sent me to the Bahamas or Hawaii every year, but they don't (and I can work from anywhere). For families with big check books who want to travel all over the country, great for them. That isn't most families I know and it isn't mine. If we take a vacation, we don't want to go play soccer... we want to relax and decompress and enjoy where ever we visit. Add to that, my kid hates playing soccer in high heat/humidity. Prefers playing in the cold. Takes all types I guess.

What really grabs me is the marketing around the leagues and teams and the travel. I know families playing ECNL and paying upwards of 15k or more per year when travel is included. This isn't a "wealthy" family, but the parents are hell bent on being in ECNL and playing in college. The system is screwed up and is heavily weighted towards financial benefit to clubs paid for by wealthy parents. It doesn't work for the majority of families that I know. The rest of the world, which has surpassed us in Men's and has caught up in Women's soccer, doesn't operate this way. Parents are the ones in charge... they pay the bills. As long as they believe "this is the only path", nothing changes. Really time to wake up... though I don't have much faith that will happen. The same club shills will tow the usual "pathway" marketing BS and the same wealthy families will say "it's our money and no one is forcing you to play soccer".

I agree too expensive, and absolutely unnecessary considering those in the northeast dont NEED to travel very far to see desirable colleges nor play competitive teams. So why does the market WANT to do that?

Are you solely blaming the clubs/providers, when in reality the parents/customers equally shape the market.
As it relates to rest of world, are parents really in charge?

[Unregistered]

I agree too expensive, and absolutely unnecessary considering those in the northeast dont NEED to travel very far to see desirable colleges nor play competitive teams. So why does the market WANT to do that?

Are you solely blaming the clubs/providers, when in reality the parents/customers equally shape the market.
As it relates to rest of world, are parents really in charge?

Parents are only in charge in that they write the checks. They accept the terms. However, when there aren't many options then they have to pick the best of the worst. Parents don't set up the leagues and they're not the ones fighting over a limited talent pool. Yes there are lower priced options out there with less travel. But they offer lower quality and less frequent training and weaker competition. They certainly minimal exposure for those wanting to play in college. If your player wants more you have to pay and travel more. If there were fewer leagues teams wouldn't have to travel so much to find decent games. Fewer leagues and teams would weed out weaker players instead of just taking those who can pay.

[Unregistered]

Parents are only in charge in that they write the checks. They accept the terms. However, when there aren't many options then they have to pick the best of the worst. Parents don't set up the leagues and they're not the ones fighting over a limited talent pool. Yes there are lower priced options out there with less travel. But they offer lower quality and less frequent training and weaker competition. They certainly minimal exposure for those wanting to play in college. If your player wants more you have to pay and travel more. If there were fewer leagues teams wouldn't have to travel so much to find decent games. Fewer leagues and teams would weed out weaker players instead of just taking those who can pay.

Why are we looking to weed out weaker players? The goal is to grow the game, so we can enhance our culture and spread it around throughout the country. We want to find the gems we can't get into the game today.

[Unregistered]

If we take a vacation, we don't want to go play soccer... we want to relax and decompress and enjoy where ever we visit. Add to that, my kid hates playing soccer in high heat/humidity. Prefers playing in the cold. Takes all types I guess.

But there are kids who love to play soccer ALL the time and arguably those are the kids who continue to improve and end up being great soccer players in college. My kid goes on soccer vacations. It's also a way for this kid to connect with a dad who works long hard hours. Soccer is the thing they share and going to games and tournaments is what my husband lives for, it's his break from work + time with his kid. Maybe not for everyone but for some it's an awesome part of their lives.

[Unregistered]

What young talent around the world does do is play far more often in unstructured and unsupervised play. That's where they learn creativity; ages are mixed with whoever can play so younger players get challenged by older ones; no adult is telling them what to do; they have the ball at their feet all the time; they watch games with friends and families learning from the pros. By and large our kids don't do any of that

And they aren't terrified of making a mistake and being benched for the rest of the game so they learn to take chances and that's what pushes their game to the next level.

[Unregistered]

But there are kids who love to play soccer ALL the time and arguably those are the kids who continue to improve and end up being great soccer players in college. My kid goes on soccer vacations. It's also a way for this kid to connect with a dad who works long hard hours. Soccer is the thing they share and going to games and tournaments is what my husband lives for, it's his break from work + time with his kid. Maybe not for everyone but for some it's an awesome part of their lives.

Bait and switch. They say it is about soccer but it as much or more about travel. U get in, realize that but then it hard to take it away from the player. Frustrating. Just market it as soccer tourism from the start instead of suckering families into it.

[Unregistered]

Why are we looking to weed out weaker players? The goal is to grow the game, so we can enhance our culture and spread it around throughout the country. We want to find the gems we can't get into the game today.

The weaker players need to be weeded out of the supposed top leagues. There's so many "top" leagues that they have to lower standards to fill rosters. I'm all for more players playing but if everyone can play in a top league, it's not really that is it? There is an insufficient number of lower priced/less travel options out there, especially for HS aged players. In other words, the soccer pyramid needs to be much smaller at the top and the rest of the pyramid needs to be much bigger. It's no wonder soccer participation is in decline - everyone is getting sick of the cost and the travel.

[Unregistered]

And they aren't terrified of making a mistake and being benched for the rest of the game so they learn to take chances and that's what pushes their game to the next level.

That too. Nor is there a constant emphasis on wins/losses and coaches losing their jobs if they don't deliver. They're in it for the long haul and certainly not for friggin' got soccer points.

[Unregistered]

The weaker players need to be weeded out of the supposed top leagues. There's so many "top" leagues that they have to lower standards to fill rosters. I'm all for more players playing but if everyone can play in a top league, it's not really that is it? There is an insufficient number of lower priced/less travel options out there, especially for HS aged players. In other words, the soccer pyramid needs to be much smaller at the top and the rest of the pyramid needs to be much bigger. It's no wonder soccer participation is in decline - everyone is getting sick of the cost and the travel.

Sick of the cost and travel but we still sign up our kids to do it. If we want a stronger local league, we have to buy that. Parents made the soccer market look like this.

Only when these laeagues lose their perceived exclusivity, will they begin to decline because that is really want they are selling like any other status symbol.

[Unregistered]

Sick of the cost and travel but we still sign up our kids to do it. If we want a stronger local league, we have to buy that. Parents made the soccer market look like this.

Only when these laeagues lose their perceived exclusivity, will they begin to decline because that is really want they are selling like any other status symbol.

You say it's only a status symbol, but if a kid wants to play college soccer (notice I said kid--not kid's parent), the exposure they get with DA/ECNL is very helpful. Is it possible for a kid to play at a lower level and still be seen? Yes. But that kid will need to do much more proactive leg work.

If talented kids were getting interest from top colleges in droves by just playing town travel soccer and then HS, then people wouldn't be spending $$ on DA/ECNL (or even NPL)... That's just not reality.

[Unregistered]

You say it's only a status symbol, but if a kid wants to play college soccer (notice I said kid--not kid's parent), the exposure they get with DA/ECNL is very helpful. Is it possible for a kid to play at a lower level and still be seen? Yes. But that kid will need to do much more proactive leg work.

If talented kids were getting interest from top colleges in droves by just playing town travel soccer and then HS, then people wouldn't be spending $$ on DA/ECNL (or even NPL)... That's just not reality.

Top teams get it and lower level teams don’t.

[Unregistered]

You say it's only a status symbol, but if a kid wants to play college soccer (notice I said kid--not kid's parent), the exposure they get with DA/ECNL is very helpful. Is it possible for a kid to play at a lower level and still be seen? Yes. But that kid will need to do much more proactive leg work.

If talented kids were getting interest from top colleges in droves by just playing town travel soccer and then HS, then people wouldn't be spending $$ on DA/ECNL (or even NPL)... That's just not reality.

Spoken like one in the biz.

[Unregistered]

Spoken like one in the biz.

No... just someone who does my research.