Losing 90 - 95% of games for 3 - 4 years running

[Unregistered]

Our U15 ECNL team has settled into a wierd place.

For the most part, the team has been together since they were very young.
Young as in the U12 DA young and before.

At first, in those earlier years, it was very much a status thing to have made that team (looking back I realize how riduculous even saying that is).
The stated focus was on developing those early players and not so much looking to the outside to recruit. I agreed with this at the time and still see the logic. The club was developing players which would take some time but with the right coaches in place would bear fruits.

However, what followed was that our team 'self-isolated' in a way.
There has been very little turnover over the years.
Little to no attempt at recruiting was made.
Outside players would try out, not make it and move on.
Players / parents on our team would not attempt to recruit players out of fear of losing their own role on the team.

Fast forward and the majority of the players have not developed at a pace you would expect in this envirnoment for whatever reason. The team has developed a reputation as a poor team and a team who refuses to change. It's kind of a catch 22 for both the players (and parents) and club leadsership. The players are increasingly content that they play in the highest league and even though losing are fine doing so with their friends. And the club does not want to lose what they have.

Occasional questioning of direction is met with the 'development' and 'best possible pathway' mantras by club leadership.

I don't really have a question, more of a rant. It's on us that we keep doing the same year after year. Kids on the team are now high school age, time to start a focus on winning. Anyone else been in this strange situation?

[Unregistered]

Puberty separates the men from the boys. Speaking generally, the kids that were superstar early bloomers at U12 enjoyed success in sports because they developed faster, not because they have more raw athletic talent. Other kids at u12 appeared to be average athletes but were late bloomers. Now the kids that were average athletes are big, fast and have been working harder than the early bloomers the last 3 years because they needed to just to compete.

[Unregistered]

why would you stay there man

[Unregistered]

why would you stay there man

Because he is in ECNL. All that matters is the badge. The ECNL teams only play each other and while some of them are better, there are teams that can compete at the ECNL level but they don't get the opportunity because they are small clubs and don't have the badge. It would be embarrassing and damaging for them to play a small club and lose so they don't take the chance.

[Unregistered]

why would you stay there man

I stay so I can tell my friends, my kid plays in the ecnl league. Before my son made the team, when I would mention he plays on a cdl team. Their reaction was oh that's nice. Anyway soccer is not always about winning, player development is very important.

[Unregistered]

Our U15 ECNL team has settled into a wierd place.

For the most part, the team has been together since they were very young.
Young as in the U12 DA young and before.

At first, in those earlier years, it was very much a status thing to have made that team (looking back I realize how riduculous even saying that is).
The stated focus was on developing those early players and not so much looking to the outside to recruit. I agreed with this at the time and still see the logic. The club was developing players which would take some time but with the right coaches in place would bear fruits.

However, what followed was that our team 'self-isolated' in a way.
There has been very little turnover over the years.
Little to no attempt at recruiting was made.
Outside players would try out, not make it and move on.
Players / parents on our team would not attempt to recruit players out of fear of losing their own role on the team.

Fast forward and the majority of the players have not developed at a pace you would expect in this envirnoment for whatever reason. The team has developed a reputation as a poor team and a team who refuses to change. It's kind of a catch 22 for both the players (and parents) and club leadsership. The players are increasingly content that they play in the highest league and even though losing are fine doing so with their friends. And the club does not want to lose what they have.

Occasional questioning of direction is met with the 'development' and 'best possible pathway' mantras by club leadership.

I don't really have a question, more of a rant. It's on us that we keep doing the same year after year. Kids on the team are now high school age, time to start a focus on winning. Anyone else been in this strange situation?

Are you at FESA or JFC?

[Unregistered]

No, not at FESA or JFC.

Not trying to name clubs either.

Just was wondering if this scenario of what you might call an overly insulated envirnoment, one which ultimately is proving to be counter-productive in my opinion happens elsewhere.

Seems to be a delicate balance but a balance is needed nonetheless.

How to create an inclusive envirnoment that attracts outside talent while at the same time fostering and remaining loyal to deserving home grown talent.

[Unregistered]

No, not at FESA or JFC.

Not trying to name clubs either.

Just was wondering if this scenario of what you might call an overly insulated envirnoment, one which ultimately is proving to be counter-productive in my opinion happens elsewhere.

Seems to be a delicate balance but a balance is needed nonetheless.

How to create an inclusive envirnoment that attracts outside talent while at the same time fostering and remaining loyal to deserving home grown talent.

It would seem that 2-3 kids would naturally leave each year through natural attrition or not getting playing time. Is that not happening? That opens the door to bring in some fresh talent.

[Unregistered]

You would think but no. Same group largely intact through all these years, hardly any have left. And the club hardly promotes tryouts, knowing the same team will return.
This year's tryouts were unusual of course due to the circumstances but not sure it would have made a difference.

[Unregistered]

I am surprised a club would let an ECNL team
Lose for that long and the club won’t fix the coach or team makeup?

I have seen this exact thing happen but with a non-ECNL team at the same age group with a daddy coach that has kept the same core players since Rec. The players haven’t improved and have peaked in their abilities years ago while other players who are more skilled come fill in the holes the tenured ones can’t fill. The problem is two fold.

1) The club is to blame for letting a daddy coach have such an influence on keeping core players (Rec quality) together that long when the team can’t compete. New people figure out the scam after being with the team and the process just repeats itself. Because it isn’t the top team, the club looks the other way since the money is coming in.
In reality - it is selfish of the club for the few players that are working hard for a team that the core players don’t have to do anything since they are “tenured” to return.

2) for the coach it is selfish because of all the issues it brings by not just having his kid and that kids friends on the team and refusing to get rid of the dead weight.

Best thing to do is get away from the team to one that tryouts actually mean what they say and a club that won’t put up with daddy ball. Because the truth is if it wan’t for the system that particular daddy coach has in place, those kids would have stopped playing all-together if it meant having to move on and try out for another team. Coddling by the coach and parents is a disservice to the players that care about competing and improving and the parents paying for and expecting that environment.

It should be the club’s team, not the coaches team. When you do that you are playing Rec in a club environment.

[Unregistered]

Our U15 ECNL team has settled into a wierd place.

For the most part, the team has been together since they were very young.
Young as in the U12 DA young and before.

At first, in those earlier years, it was very much a status thing to have made that team (looking back I realize how riduculous even saying that is).
The stated focus was on developing those early players and not so much looking to the outside to recruit. I agreed with this at the time and still see the logic. The club was developing players which would take some time but with the right coaches in place would bear fruits.

However, what followed was that our team 'self-isolated' in a way.
There has been very little turnover over the years.
Little to no attempt at recruiting was made.
Outside players would try out, not make it and move on.
Players / parents on our team would not attempt to recruit players out of fear of losing their own role on the team.

Fast forward and the majority of the players have not developed at a pace you would expect in this envirnoment for whatever reason. The team has developed a reputation as a poor team and a team who refuses to change. It's kind of a catch 22 for both the players (and parents) and club leadsership. The players are increasingly content that they play in the highest league and even though losing are fine doing so with their friends. And the club does not want to lose what they have.

Occasional questioning of direction is met with the 'development' and 'best possible pathway' mantras by club leadership.

I don't really have a question, more of a rant. It's on us that we keep doing the same year after year. Kids on the team are now high school age, time to start a focus on winning. Anyone else been in this strange situation?

What you describe is fairly common. Teams grow stagnant. Legacy A team players will always keep spots as long as they keep paying. Clubs claim to be competitive but they very rarely demote any players when the bottom 1/3 should turnover every year. It is a sign of a healthy club, not one fostering politics and trying to keep the money and gravy flowing.

[Unregistered]

No, not at FESA or JFC.

Not trying to name clubs either.

Just was wondering if this scenario of what you might call an overly insulated envirnoment, one which ultimately is proving to be counter-productive in my opinion happens elsewhere.

Seems to be a delicate balance but a balance is needed nonetheless.

How to create an inclusive envirnoment that attracts outside talent while at the same time fostering and remaining loyal to deserving home grown talent.

Seems to me this is a girls team and sounds like OCYS ECNL

[Unregistered]

Seems to me this is a girls team and sounds like OCYS ECNL

Seem to me parents are stupid. All the clubs has to do is say the three magic words. Growth, development, and next level. Once these words are mention, parents will get out their checkbook right away.

[Unregistered]

Because he is in ECNL. All that matters is the badge. The ECNL teams only play each other and while some of them are better, there are teams that can compete at the ECNL level but they don't get the opportunity because they are small clubs and don't have the badge. It would be embarrassing and damaging for them to play a small club and lose so they don't take the chance.

It's a money maker So no of course they won't play the smaller clubs.

[Unregistered]

No, not at FESA or JFC.

Not trying to name clubs either.

Just was wondering if this scenario of what you might call an overly insulated envirnoment, one which ultimately is proving to be counter-productive in my opinion happens elsewhere.

Seems to be a delicate balance but a balance is needed nonetheless.

How to create an inclusive envirnoment that attracts outside talent while at the same time fostering and remaining loyal to deserving home grown talent.

There should be no delicate balance. Sports are a meritocracy and the club and the player enter a one year agreement.

Get better. Produce. Improve and stay on the team.

Stay the same. Stagnate. Get worse. Get cut from the team.

This is how meritocracy and sports work. If the coach or club aren’t providing the environment to improve and get better, then CUT them and move on to one that will.

This is the way. Anything else is a social club disguised as a sports team.