ECNL Problems - Injuries and $

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You say that GDA doesn't do two games in a weekend - I know for a fact they do. As an example, United Soccer Academy (Clay) U16/17 girls schedule - look at March - they have six games scheduled from March 1 to March 31. The weekend they are in the Carolinas they play two games.

The other thing they do is when they have their showcases they play three games in four days. They will have two of these. Their "strict" enforcement bends for their benefit.

So the kids can miss more school and families have to spend more money.

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How are they going to scout a girl who’s playing against inferior competition? And it’s not like they have unlimited travel dough, they have to pick and choose their showcases and guess where they are going , google college attendance GDA San Diego

I would preface by saying my daughter plays in the GDA, but I would not say ECNL is not an inferior league. Even for argument sake we say nationally it is a half step bellow the DA; that would still make it a place for plenty of talented soccer players. The GDA just does national showcases so theirs events did draw a larger pool of colleges than the ECNL regional showcases. But ECNL national events like their playoffs were pretty comparable.

Also it is less likely a kid is going to go play at a school because a coach randomly saw them play at any showcase. They come to watch players they have on their lists, sure a few surprises will happen but odds are in the 2 or 3 showcases they play at, be it DA or ECNL, the school they are interested will be there.

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Last year was essentially the same as ECNL. They didnt plan better, just less teams out of state.

Last year DA traveled 3 times
Nc teams
2 GA teams
Then a separate day weekend 1 GA team

It’s less travel for GDA because Concorde pulled out of DA. not because DA planned better.

[Unregistered]

You say that GDA doesn't do two games in a weekend - I know for a fact they do. As an example, United Soccer Academy (Clay) U16/17 girls schedule - look at March - they have six games scheduled from March 1 to March 31. The weekend they are in the Carolinas they play two games.

The other thing they do is when they have their showcases they play three games in four days. They will have two of these. Their "strict" enforcement bends for their benefit.

Reading comprehension seems to be a big problem for you. I said that playing 3 games a weekend (tournaments) or twice a weekend for out of state trips (travel efficiency) can happen but the overall ratio for the season (4 to 1) is also important.

You literally took the EXACT OPPOSITE understanding of what I said. Is there a different language I should type this in for you to grasp it better?

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USSF does not "strictly" enforce it. In addition there are several BDA and GDA clubs that don't practice the required days/week either. Some clubs fudge the required start numbers, add players after the HS season is done. Many cases of the HS rule being broken. DA rules are more suggestions than enforced rules.

Really? There are a lot of Boy's DA kids playing High School soccer?

You don't have to practice 4 days a week all year long to be largely in compliance with their rules. They do have hard limits in the number of games you can play per month and things like that but they don't play games EVERY weekend so the training sessions that occur in non game weeks still factor into the 4-1 training to game ratio that is espoused by the European Soccer Academies.

We are basically emulating the European model. That's because their player seem to develop a lot faster and better than ours. That may not be enough games for Helicopter Dad to appreciate but it doesn't make the development model wrong.

[Unregistered]

Last year was essentially the same as ECNL. They didnt plan better, just less teams out of state.

Last year DA traveled 3 times
Nc teams
2 GA teams
Then a separate day weekend 1 GA team

It’s less travel for GDA because Concorde pulled out of DA. not because DA planned better.

It also depends on the ECNL club, some do 2 or 3 showcases over the winter break, where as the GDA teams do 2 or 3 total for the year. In Florida the location they travel is pretty much the same, ECNL makes less trips for away games but plays 2 games back to back so what is saved in gas is taken away sometimes by hotel fees.

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At least in Florida anyway, the way the travel is done is much better in GDA than it was ECNL. Only 2 out of state trips, plus late game times makes travel to away Florida game a breeze. One game and back, weekend over, no hotel needed for a Sunday game.

As for college opportunities not sure if it is that much of a difference. This is just year 2, so maybe, we will see. I think the no HS rule, and the extra night of training, as well as the combined birth year teams will keep the DA from being the sole top league.

Only because the Fl GDA is so bad that the GA and NC teams are forced to fly to Dallas and
Virginia to get competitive games. Soon it will become a state league and you can play each other 6 times a season

[Unregistered]

That is a good point traveling is easier for some FL teams.

fact is that your team is no competition for the GA and NC teams so they rather travel to TExas and incur more expenses than play your team GDA just knows your team is vastly inferior to the out of state teams...

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Only because the Fl GDA is so bad that the GA and NC teams are forced to fly to Dallas and
Virginia to get competitive games. Soon it will become a state league and you can play each other 6 times a season

Maybe that is so, but what does that say about the ECNL FL teams when these same clubs you mention either don't play in that league or send their B teams to play ECNL?

SE region in ECNL seems pretty top heavy in the standing with non-Florida teams. Maybe they too will get to add on Texas games to beef up their schedule, or maybe ECNL will allow them to enter their C team next year to keep them around.

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All it says is that they are only in it because Gda has a strong hold on who’s selected for the National team nothing more.

Which for girls is silly there are no other avenues to go since professional soccer pays maybe $40k for women if not national team which is what 20 girls across all women in the US that play soccer?

Gda Is pointless for now which is why a few top clubs pulled out. Not to mention the clubs can make a little more money since no combined age groups. ECNL wasn’t broken since the women’s team are basically dominating on a global landscape where most came from ECNL. Now with da , basically isolating half the player pool because why would Gda not select from their league ? It would make them look inferior

Men at least their are other leagues and avenues outside USMNT that will pay around $100 k for mls which is considered an inferior league

[Unregistered]

Maybe that is so, but what does that say about the ECNL FL teams when these same clubs you mention either don't play in that league or send their B teams to play ECNL?

SE region in ECNL seems pretty top heavy in the standing with non-Florida teams. Maybe they too will get to add on Texas games to beef up their schedule, or maybe ECNL will allow them to enter their C team next year to keep them around.

Tophat is the only club that has B teams in ECNL and you play each other 4 times lol. The SEast is the only conference in the country that teams have to leave to get games. FL GDA is pathetic and you break all the rules and still are a joke

[Unregistered]

All it says is that they are only in it because Gda has a strong hold on who’s selected for the National team nothing more.

Which for girls is silly there are no other avenues to go since professional soccer pays maybe $40k for women if not national team which is what 20 girls across all women in the US that play soccer?

Gda Is pointless for now which is why a few top clubs pulled out. Not to mention the clubs can make a little more money since no combined age groups. ECNL wasn’t broken since the women’s team are basically dominating on a global landscape where most came from ECNL. Now with da , basically isolating half the player pool because why would Gda not select from their league ? It would make them look inferior

Men at least their are other leagues and avenues outside USMNT that will pay around $100 k for mls which is considered an inferior league

By your definition of pointless then besides GDA, you can include ECNL and just about all forms of club soccer.

ECNL is not broken, that is why it still exists. But nobody forces anybody to play in either league so they are not isolating anyone.

99 percent of the girls that play in the DA are doing so,outside their love of the sport, because they hope to play in college, the same with the girls playing ECNL. Actually many of the girls in the DA were girls in ECNL 2 years ago.

Most boys will never make it to the MLS or earn anything close to 100K a year even if they do play professionally for a few years. If someone's only concern is how much they earn, than for 99 percent of the boys or girls will be disappointed. That is fine if that is their dream, go for it, same with any other sport. But why does what "avenues" are available have to dictate the worth of playing a sport or a league in that particular sport?

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Tophat is the only club that has B teams in ECNL and you play each other 4 times lol. The SEast is the only conference in the country that teams have to leave to get games. FL GDA is pathetic and you break all the rules and still are a joke

Doesn't Concorde also send their B team as well? I believe nationally some other ECNL clubs field 2 teams in their respected conference.

Also if ECNL FL was so superior you would think TopHat would put their first team in ECNL instead of GDA. Or it could be that TH and some of the other clubs outside of Florida in the southeast be it DA or ECNL, are so superior to FL teams it would not matter if they played the DA or ECNL teams they would still crush them.

[Unregistered]

Tophat is the only club that has B teams in ECNL and you play each other 4 times lol. The SEast is the only conference in the country that teams have to leave to get games. FL GDA is pathetic and you break all the rules and still are a joke

Concorde has "A" teams and "B" teams playing in ECNL this year.

[Unregistered]

Doesn't Concorde also send their B team as well? I believe nationally some other ECNL clubs field 2 teams in their respected conference.

Also if ECNL FL was so superior you would think TopHat would put their first team in ECNL instead of GDA. Or it could be that TH and some of the other clubs outside of Florida in the southeast be it DA or ECNL, are so superior to FL teams it would not matter if they played the DA or ECNL teams they would still crush them.

Tophat will have to choose between DA and ECNL and the end of this season. It will be interesting to see what they decide.

1. FL DA clubs play each other 4 times per year. What league in the world does that lol
2. The Southeast is the only conference that teams have to fly to other regions to get competitive games because FL sucks
3. No FL DA club can adhere to the DA rules.
4. No club trains 4 times per week
5. kids all still play high school
6. Weston has all-star teams with kids from other clubs guest playing under FT player restrictions.