Seacoast United to join GDA

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We are on one of their NPL teams and if we are selected we will be all in. We are a family who have have bugged the club constantly about why they don’t have a higher level. We love what the club does on girls side, but always wanted something more from a league perspective. Everyone has their opinion if it works for them or not, but some of the posts about accepting just staying at a certain level is not a good message either. Whether it works or doesn’t, like anything in life you have to always try and aim higher, and that is what the club have done.

[Unregistered]

We are on one of their NPL teams and if we are selected we will be all in. We are a family who have have bugged the club constantly about why they don’t have a higher level. We love what the club does on girls side, but always wanted something more from a league perspective. Everyone has their opinion if it works for them or not, but some of the posts about accepting just staying at a certain level is not a good message either. Whether it works or doesn’t, like anything in life you have to always try and aim higher, and that is what the club have done.

There is not a single NPL team that should be competing in GDA. If YOU wanted that for your kid, you could have gone elsewhere. Now a whole host of girls are either going to leave the club or be made fools of. GDA is for elite level palyers, supposedly, not kids whose parents want to "try".

Seacoast has always been bad about giving the parents with the biggest mouths what they want with zero regard for what is actually appropriate for the players. This is just another example.

[Unregistered]

We are on one of their NPL teams and if we are selected we will be all in. We are a family who have have bugged the club constantly about why they don’t have a higher level. We love what the club does on girls side, but always wanted something more from a league perspective. Everyone has their opinion if it works for them or not, but some of the posts about accepting just staying at a certain level is not a good message either. Whether it works or doesn’t, like anything in life you have to always try and aim higher, and that is what the club have done.

Question. Do you think that most of the girls and parents from your team know that GDA involves a lot of travel and that the girls can't play HS? In my experience, girls care more about HS than boys. I'm a family who is saying no as I do not think this is in the best interest of my daughter, but so far, I am finding many don't even understand what GDA is. Maybe other teams are different and ready to give up HS.

[Unregistered]

We are on one of their NPL teams and if we are selected we will be all in. We are a family who have have bugged the club constantly about why they don’t have a higher level. We love what the club does on girls side, but always wanted something more from a league perspective. Everyone has their opinion if it works for them or not, but some of the posts about accepting just staying at a certain level is not a good message either. Whether it works or doesn’t, like anything in life you have to always try and aim higher, and that is what the club have done.

You must be the same guy on the other thread saying how NEP NPL is so strong. And the guy who thinks SU caters to the girl’s side when it’s the complete opposite. You also must have a good player - impact player on the team and think that the higher league will get her more attention. It will if she were on a good team. It won’t if the team loses every game. She will regress and panic under pressure and resort to high school tactics of kick and run. That won’t go over well with college coaches you invite to come see her.

You can aim higher but as suggested you need to switch clubs. The league isn’t going to make your player better or noticed. The training, the team, the environment, the coach, etc and that’s only going to change for the worse when they start losing.

I highly doubt SU will get entire teams to give up high school and train 4 days a week and drive 4 hours one way almost every weekend to play NY teams and so that means weaker wanna be players with crazy parents will sign on. They will think because their daughter is on GDA that it means they are an elite player.

[Unregistered]

Question. Do you think that most of the girls and parents from your team know that GDA involves a lot of travel and that the girls can't play HS? In my experience, girls care more about HS than boys. I'm a family who is saying no as I do not think this is in the best interest of my daughter, but so far, I am finding many don't even understand what GDA is. Maybe other teams are different and ready to give up HS.

No they don’t. Vast majority of players on GDA don’t know what it is, in fact I’m not sure USSF knows what it’s for since it supposed to be catering to NT prospects and that’s like 25 kids per birth year across the entire country. So why the need for all these teams? Oh yeah to make money.

[Unregistered]

We are on one of their NPL teams and if we are selected we will be all in. We are a family who have have bugged the club constantly about why they don’t have a higher level. We love what the club does on girls side, but always wanted something more from a league perspective. Everyone has their opinion if it works for them or not, but some of the posts about accepting just staying at a certain level is not a good message either. Whether it works or doesn’t, like anything in life you have to always try and aim higher, and that is what the club have done.

That’s great for you But are you being realistic? Serious question. It’s one thing to want to aim higher, but you have to also be realistic. I want to be a millionaire with my own private jet, but that’s not realistic for me right now. 😃

[Unregistered]

You must be the same guy on the other thread saying how NEP NPL is so strong. And the guy who thinks SU caters to the girl’s side when it’s the complete opposite. You also must have a good player - impact player on the team and think that the higher league will get her more attention. It will if she were on a good team. It won’t if the team loses every game. She will regress and panic under pressure and resort to high school tactics of kick and run. That won’t go over well with college coaches you invite to come see her.

You can aim higher but as suggested you need to switch clubs. The league isn’t going to make your player better or noticed. The training, the team, the environment, the coach, etc and that’s only going to change for the worse when they start losing.

I highly doubt SU will get entire teams to give up high school and train 4 days a week and drive 4 hours one way almost every weekend to play NY teams and so that means weaker wanna be players with crazy parents will sign on. They will think because their daughter is on GDA that it means they are an elite player.

This nailed it. Everything that is wrong with this Seacoast GDA idea. You are correct...I have spent the past 24 hours talking to NPL families. Almost across the board, the ones most excited about this are the ones with the weakest players currently on the NPL teams. The others had no idea they'd be giving up HS and heading out to NY and expensive showcases.

I only hope that more NPL families say no way and Seacoast continues to offer NPL teams. Not the best teams or the strongest league, but definitely the right place for the talent Seacoast has.

[Unregistered]

We are on one of their NPL teams and if we are selected we will be all in. We are a family who have have bugged the club constantly about why they don’t have a higher level. We love what the club does on girls side, but always wanted something more from a league perspective. Everyone has their opinion if it works for them or not, but some of the posts about accepting just staying at a certain level is not a good message either. Whether it works or doesn’t, like anything in life you have to always try and aim higher, and that is what the club have done.

Please tell us how you think your kid's midlevel NPL team, in a league that is #3 by a mile, will be competitive in GDA? If you wanted something better why didn't you do it before? Does your daughter even want this, or is it just you?

[Unregistered]

No they don’t. Vast majority of players on GDA don’t know what it is, in fact I’m not sure USSF knows what it’s for since it supposed to be catering to NT prospects and that’s like 25 kids per birth year across the entire country. So why the need for all these teams? Oh yeah to make money.

First year has shown GDA was far too big and had many clubs and players that never should have been in what was supposed to be the "Best" league. Clubs and players are leaving, and that is good for the league. It should be whittled down to a smaller group of quality clubs and players who really want it. Instead, many good clubs are leaving and they're adding SU as a replacement? It doesn't bode well for the league.

To anyone considering it, do your homework. Look at where you'll be traveling too - including a few showcases that require flights and multiple days of missed school. Add up all the expenses. Look at the clubs you'll be playing - some really aren't good at all. Carefully examine the rules, including no HS soccer or other outside training, and the substitution rules. Does your kid want to practice 4/week and spend multiple weekends away (which also means doing other school sports becomes almost impossible)? Will it eat into her time with friends or to get homework done or family time? Lastly, what does your kid really want now and in the future? Are their goals realistic? Very few players in the state are top D1 material. If mid to lower D1 or D3 is a realistic target you don't need GDA to reach that.

[Unregistered]

Please tell us how you think your kid's midlevel NPL team, in a league that is #3 by a mile, will be competitive in GDA? If you wanted something better why didn't you do it before? Does your daughter even want this, or is it just you?

Completel my agree. If Seacoast were like SSS and consistently on top of division and competing with ECNL teams in tournaments then the jump would be justified. USSF is hoping to concentrate the talent in one club but so many despise Seacoast and it’s coaching philosophy and wanna be parents who are so delusional about their kid and their team that the true elite players will stay away...far away.

[Unregistered]

Completel my agree. If Seacoast were like SSS and consistently on top of division and competing with ECNL teams in tournaments then the jump would be justified. USSF is hoping to concentrate the talent in one club but so many despise Seacoast and it’s coaching philosophy and wanna be parents who are so delusional about their kid and their team that the true elite players will stay away...far away.

There are a lot of kids in DA now that couldn't scratch an ECNL roster before, or were consistent ECNL benchwarmers. There are some very talented players, but not enough of them in any consistent manner. Too many leagues are fighting over the same players. OW is another club that was ok in NPL before but not a league leader. They got no top ECNL players at all, pretty much kept their NPL rosters. They're middle of the pack in GDA now just like they were in NPL. This is the nation's top league?

[Unregistered]

Completel my agree. If Seacoast were like SSS and consistently on top of division and competing with ECNL teams in tournaments then the jump would be justified. USSF is hoping to concentrate the talent in one club but so many despise Seacoast and it’s coaching philosophy and wanna be parents who are so delusional about their kid and their team that the true elite players will stay away...far away.

What is Seacoast's coaching philosophy that is different than other clubs? Honest question as this is our only experience in club soccer. Wondering what is different elsewhere?

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What is Seacoast's coaching philosophy that is different than other clubs? Honest question as this is our only experience in club soccer. Wondering what is different elsewhere?

I'm curious as well. We have experience with a few different clubs and from what I see, they are all dependent on the individuals. And, not any individual works for all the players. I don't see Seacoast being any different.

I will say they SEEM to favor bigger kids, but otherwise I see no difference.

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Anyone attend tonight's info session? Wondering what was said about the future of NPL and if the crowd was enthusiastic.

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Still having it

and, I think so