Doesn't even have to be at the ECNL level. Once you get to U13-14 it's very difficult to even get onto a solid EDP team from the travel level. In most cases the best you can do is move from travel to low level/pop-up premier and then move into higher premier later on if you work at it. The differences start to become greater each year. The landscape has changed from "the good old days"
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostMisleading. The reason the CFC rosters don't change much at the older ages is because no NEW talent tries out. It's not as if they turn away say 8 Oakwood players and 6 FSA players because they aren't good enough, They would be good enough. There isn't a lot of turnover because the same players try out.
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Originally posted by Unregistered View Post#Fakenews
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostJust using the two CT ECNL clubs as a reference, if you are not on one of their teams by u12, you are a longshot at best to make the top ECNL team at u14. There might be one rostered girl out of 20+ on the ECNL teams that wasn't on that club's u13 squads, and often that "outsider" got on via special circumstances (transferred from out of state with great credentials; at the request of a LOCAL college coach that is interested in her; is a national team prospect).
There is some SMALL degree of loyalty from the clubs to their loyal customer - and it's all marketing related....If they suddenly began replacing those who paid at u12 with outsiders at u14, the boatloads of u-little cash would dry up at those ages as parents began doubting the investment.
Look at CFC, they have a dozen or more teams at u13. That's 150+ kids conservatively. Let's say just 1/3 have dreams of making the u14 ECNL team - 50 kids - which means 25 will suffer the disappointment of not making it (getting the NPL roster spot). CFC would much rather disappoint an outsider than another paying customer, so the outsider better be damn worth it if they take her.
In short, Get in by u12!
Let's look at an actual example and the CFC United u16 ECNL team for next season. In the spirit of full disclosure my kid plays on the NPL team at this age and hasn't cracked a huge ECNL roster despite being in the club since u11. The ECNL team added 5 new players this year and none of them were from CFC branch teams. In fact, they have 15 players on the current roster that never played at CFC prior to u15.
My kid plays at the right level for her so no sour grapes here. The top teams take the top players when they become available. Certainly a homegrown player might get the benefit of the doubt if it can down to a final spot but that's it.
A more reasonable way to look at this would be that your kid should be looking for a higher end soccer option around u12. We've seen that the ECNL teams tend to take kids from Oakwood or Yankee and not necessarily homegrown kids looking to move up.
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostMisleading. The reason the CFC rosters don't change much at the older ages is because no NEW talent tries out. It's not as if they turn away say 8 Oakwood players and 6 FSA players because they aren't good enough, They would be good enough. There isn't a lot of turnover because the same players try out.
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostI'm not sure if you are the parent of a u13 kid that thinks your kid locked up a ECNL status for the next 5 years but let's end the scare tactics.
Let's look at an actual example and the CFC United u16 ECNL team for next season. In the spirit of full disclosure my kid plays on the NPL team at this age and hasn't cracked a huge ECNL roster despite being in the club since u11. The ECNL team added 5 new players this year and none of them were from CFC branch teams. In fact, they have 15 players on the current roster that never played at CFC prior to u15.
My kid plays at the right level for her so no sour grapes here. The top teams take the top players when they become available. Certainly a homegrown player might get the benefit of the doubt if it can down to a final spot but that's it.
A more reasonable way to look at this would be that your kid should be looking for a higher end soccer option around u12. We've seen that the ECNL teams tend to take kids from Oakwood or Yankee and not necessarily homegrown kids looking to move up.
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostI'm not sure if you are the parent of a u13 kid that thinks your kid locked up a ECNL status for the next 5 years but let's end the scare tactics.
Let's look at an actual example and the CFC United u16 ECNL team for next season. In the spirit of full disclosure my kid plays on the NPL team at this age and hasn't cracked a huge ECNL roster despite being in the club since u11. The ECNL team added 5 new players this year and none of them were from CFC branch teams. In fact, they have 15 players on the current roster that never played at CFC prior to u15.
My kid plays at the right level for her so no sour grapes here. The top teams take the top players when they become available. Certainly a homegrown player might get the benefit of the doubt if it can down to a final spot but that's it.
A more reasonable way to look at this would be that your kid should be looking for a higher end soccer option around u12. We've seen that the ECNL teams tend to take kids from Oakwood or Yankee and not necessarily homegrown kids looking to move up.
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostWell, you'd be wrong and out large sums of money,....
My three kids all played since they were 5 and all played college ball (2 in D2 and 1 in D1). None of them stepped an inch onto a travel team until they reached U11. They received excellent coaching from their in-house coaches at the recreation level. Coaches that worked through a solid DOC that set a training curriculum that was based on individual skill development first and foremost. They tried out for their local club travel team at U11 and were all playing at the premier level by the time they were at U13. Two of them captained their high school teams. All of them had all-league selections in their playing resumes.
I don't debate the importance of proper coaching focused on the proper priorities at the right age. I've been a travel, premier and high school coach myself going onto 30 years. I'm sure that helped us navigate the path for success better.
But I stand by my coaching philosophy that there is little need for travel, much less premier soccer, in any kid's soccer resume prior to them reaching that U11 year. There are plenty of good clubs these days that offer sound professional coaching at the recreation level. It's like credential inflation in the corporate world. The general quality of soccer coaching is better now across the board than it has even been. Any quality town club knows this and get those coaches on board.
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostIf your kids chose this path in my town, they would would have quit soccer by U11 and gone on to band camp, basketball, or softball.
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostMisleading. The reason the CFC rosters don't change much at the older ages is because no NEW talent tries out. It's not as if they turn away say 8 Oakwood players and 6 FSA players because they aren't good enough, They would be good enough. There isn't a lot of turnover because the same players try out.
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Every town is different. West Hartford, Old Greenwich, Stamford, etc. have strong travel programs with good coaching. I think the important thing is that players develop at an early age, but that doesn't have to be in premier, though it can happen there too.
The idea though that kids must get into a good premier team by 12 or 13 is only true if the kid is marginal. In other words, if the kid is a part-time player, coming off the bench, etc. for an ECNL/Academy team then yes, better get your foot in the door.
But is the kid is really strong (a stud), then the door is always open. High level premier teams want the best players period and they really don't care where they come from. The idea the rosters are more or less locked at a certain age is false. Clubs want their kids to be constantly fighting for their spot, and to fight complacency. Outside competition is good for them, as is competition within the club.
This past year my daughter's ECNL team had five players moved down to the NPL teams. In their place are two girls from the NPL team, one from out of state and two from mid-level premier teams.
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostMisleading. The reason the CFC rosters don't change much at the older ages is because no NEW talent tries out. It's not as if they turn away say 8 Oakwood players and 6 FSA players because they aren't good enough, They would be good enough. There isn't a lot of turnover because the same players try out.
But Beachside, Yankee, Rush, Shoreline, etc - all have big representation at CFCU tryouts on a regular basis.
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostGotta agree here, not at FSA or OW, but I think there's a perception that CFC is largely a closed system.
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostIn taking a look at the CFC u14 roster that was selected for this Fall, it appears that only 1 or 2 of the players were from outside the CFC branch system. The CFC South/Arsenal branch is the main contributor by far......
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