Timbers tryouts?

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2. Timbers/Thorns Manipulate. They take the same coaches from local clubs, place them in their academy, and wahlah - those coaches are something new and shiny. Closed leagues drive a perception that achievement (from a coaching perspective) is not earned. Throw in that the Academy coaching staff tends "take" without working with local clubs, it breads resentment (will say, boys' side does better job working with local clubs than Thorns side).

6. Thorns is Expensive. In Thorns case, even with subsidy, the cost to play is at a materially higher cost then what you pay in a local club (maybe less than in an ECNL environment).

2. Timbers Boys DA doesn't have any cache of former local club coaches in their stable, hardly the pay is so low and the demands so high from the club, it's basically volunteer coaching or an internship level position. Outside of the Director of course. Nothing shiny or new. You have a coach on this staff who is funded by a local parent, not the club otherwise nobody would apply to work for peanuts with 11 & 12 year old boys. Furthermore the Timbers DA has not evidenced itself as stepping stone to any jobs in the real world of professional soccer. Local clubs have no resentment towards their DA coaching staff, they actually fill pity for them doing so much work and getting so little pay. Parents whose kids don't make it or get selected actually are the only with resentment. Which is foolish.

Thorns DA have to use the local club coaches absolutely. Steering towards female leadership is difficult since the female coaches have families to raise at home and actual jobs outside of the Thorns. Thorns DA isn't offered some sort of accomplished female or even male club coach from the local club ranks to pluck out, any interested adult that likes soccer and coaching girls and is willing to work with the likes of MS & EL are the placeholders. It's girls soccer. Thorns DA is reliant on having locals not the Timbers DA that's why they have to reach out to the local clubs.

Cost of Thorns DA, they have a flat yearly fee for those selected which in the end this fee covers about 30% to 40% of the actual cost. You are correct the actual cost per play is expensive in the range of 12k to 14k Per player, but the Thorns club covers the difference. Making it a remarkable deal.

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Any updates on the second round of 07 TA try-outs from last night? How many they called back? How many they plan to take?

Our Son said about 30 kids there last night (so half ?)

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While we seem to have a romantic notion of them, go read about the experiences of academy dropouts in other countries.

This varies widely across the globe. The idea that you can't give kids a top football education without damaging them is ridiculous. It's lazy and a justification to do a bad job.

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This varies widely across the globe. The idea that you can't give kids a top football education without damaging them is ridiculous. It's lazy and a justification to do a bad job.

. . . and there are lots of horror stories about professional youth academies so how about we leave it at:

(i) know what you are signing up for: identifying a very small % for professional ranks and everyone else can have a tough ride,
(ii) not for all kids, even some talented ones, and
(iii) we shouldn't be designing the whole youth soccer system around what the local pro program wants at any given time (in part because the commercial and academy side of Peregrine may be in conflict).

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Our Son said about 30 kids there last night (so half ?)

There's no place for this team to play. What gives?

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There's no place for this team to play. What gives?

Let the kids and families that make it worry about that.

At least it won’t be oysa

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Let the kids and families that make it worry about that.

At least it won’t be oysa

Not everything is an attack on you, pal.

Would just be good to know where an MLS academy team would play in the absence of DA.

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Not everything is an attack on you, pal.

Would just be good to know where an MLS academy team would play in the absence of DA.

Not an attack on me, I’m just pointing out your kid won’t make it so it's a moot point

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Not an attack on me, I’m just pointing out your kid won’t make it so it's a moot point

lol....let me guess, your kid is making it, BUT it's not a relevant concern to him either? I wish him and ththe other boys well.

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lol....let me guess, your kid is making it, BUT it's not a relevant concern to him either? I wish him and ththe other boys well.

I wish all the boys well, and would love to hear where they are playing.

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If my kid gets offered a spot I’ll ask the coach before signing.

Still cuts to be made though.

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This is a very talented group of kids. Hope TA does the right thing to develop these kids as well as the current 06 groups.

[Unregistered]

This is a very talented group of kids. Hope TA does the right thing to develop these kids as well as the current 06 groups.

Agreed. Looks like same coach and support staff so hopefully this is the case

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This is a very talented group of kids. Hope TA does the right thing to develop these kids as well as the current 06 groups.

Which group, the 07's?

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Which group, the 07's?

Yes, 07s