Thorns Academy $8000 / Year? Really??

[Unregistered]

Agree! But my dd is one of the "filler". She's totally into it but I keep thinking she should just play on a cheaper regular league team. Save the money for college. Ecnl/ThornsA/travel teams are all really benefitting the top couple players. We are paying so your dd can showcase. But all the other "filler" parents are buying in so my dd wants to also. If all the "filler" parents could just agree to step out together we could have good teams and the very few superstars could have one true elite team. Better for all, but parent egos will never let it happen.

I think this is where coaching and league leaders could have much influence. ECNL should stay elite and its headed on the same path that has killed every other league. Mediocrity. Coaches and Docs know when a team or a club isn't up to the level of play needed to truly be elite. But, they don't create momentum or buy in by sharing these thoughts. The FWRL use to be every bit as elite as the ECNL was last year. Both are going down hill quickly. What is the next best thing??? I am certain there is one around the corner.

Meanwhile parents of good solid players who don't have a snowball's chance in hell of playing D1 soccer are practically bankrupting themselves by believing in the dream. I am not saying everyone is but we know many kids that are playing and honestly it is the last thing their parents should be spending money on. OYSA would be enough.

[Unregistered]

Oh, so this is how you justify staying on a TA club team. More power to you. Yeah, I see all of those DII & DIII coaches just clamoring to see local showcases around here. Hard not to bump into one. It was nice just going to a local reg. season ECNL game and seeing just a dozen DI & DII coaches there. Much more room to watch the game and not have to look over the shoulder of all those coaches at the other local tournaments.

FC Showcase had plenty of them. Eastside did as well. Plus Tacoma is full of them as well. If you are not a D1 prospect, especially top D1, ECNL isn't the right way to go. Waste of money. Just wait, in a couple of years, the parents will all figure this out, if not sooner. If you think tryouts were sparse this year, wait for the coming years.

[Unregistered]

FC Showcase had plenty of them. Eastside did as well. Plus Tacoma is full of them as well. If you are not a D1 prospect, especially top D1, ECNL isn't the right way to go. Waste of money. Just wait, in a couple of years, the parents will all figure this out, if not sooner. If you think tryouts were sparse this year, wait for the coming years.

Tryouts were sparse? Looked pretty full. And more moving over all the time.

[Unregistered]

Tryouts were sparse? Looked pretty full. And more moving over all the time.

I know because they figured out that if the parents are willing to pay then very few will be turned away. It wasn't the original mission of ECNL but money got in the way of a good thing.

[Unregistered]

Agree! But my dd is one of the "filler". She's totally into it but I keep thinking she should just play on a cheaper regular league team. Save the money for college. Ecnl/ThornsA/travel teams are all really benefitting the top couple players. We are paying so your dd can showcase. But all the other "filler" parents are buying in so my dd wants to also. If all the "filler" parents could just agree to step out together we could have good teams and the very few superstars could have one true elite team. Better for all, but parent egos will never let it happen.

You need to talk to Angry ECNL Poster because he thinks that there is no such thing as a filler player. Apparently he has one, which would explain his confusion.

This is what is happening at U18 this year. They are having to grab players from everywhere to get enough to play. I don't blame ECNL however because U18 is always difficult. But if it's difficult to get enough girls to form a team where the cost is maybe $2,000 tops, then something that is going to cost $6,500 or so is going to be impossible.

[Unregistered]

Actually if you look at WA Premier and CF Premier commits, many are not going to D1. Some (for example to UW, great achievement) but of course not all by a long shot. So no need to obsess on the D1 thing. At the same time the ECNL league says 90% of its players will play in college. That is a strong stat in itself.

[Unregistered]

Actually if you look at WA Premier and CF Premier commits, many are not going to D1. Some (for example to UW, great achievement) but of course not all by a long shot. So no need to obsess on the D1 thing. At the same time the ECNL league says 90% of its players will play in college. That is a strong stat in itself.

You can quote statistics all day long but it doesn't change the level of play in Oregon and the fact that it is brought way down by overselling the so called "elite" market. Oregon's level of play could be better... like in a lot better. But, given the fact that the Elite Club National League wants two clubs per area and the local DOCs see $$$$ better isn't going to happen. In my opinion it is a lose lose for all concerned.

[Unregistered]

You can quote statistics all day long but it doesn't change the level of play in Oregon and the fact that it is brought way down by overselling the so called "elite" market. Oregon's level of play could be better... like in a lot better. But, given the fact that the Elite Club National League wants two clubs per area and the local DOCs see $$$$ better isn't going to happen. In my opinion it is a lose lose for all concerned.

Stay with Rec than!

[Unregistered]

Stay with Rec than!

Sorry the choice isn't ECNL or Rec? Until last year the teams playing in the ECNL league were playing in our current league structure. Sure players have moved around, but by no means have FC and CU's TTPIE cornered the market on talent. There is a lot of talent that held out, or chose differently.

Also keep in mind the TTPIE teams PLAY in ECNL. They have not magically benn transformed into some mystical beast.

Don't believe the hype.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1v...the-hype_music

[Unregistered]

Sorry the choice isn't ECNL or Rec? Until last year the teams playing in the ECNL league were playing in our current league structure. Sure players have moved around, but by no means have FC and CU's TTPIE cornered the market on talent. There is a lot of talent that held out, or chose differently.

Also keep in mind the TTPIE teams PLAY in ECNL. They have not magically benn transformed into some mystical beast.

Don't believe the hype.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1v...the-hype_music

You sound like you are trying to convince yourself, poorly.

[Unregistered]

Sorry the choice isn't ECNL or Rec? Until last year the teams playing in the ECNL league were playing in our current league structure. Sure players have moved around, but by no means have FC and CU's TTPIE cornered the market on talent. There is a lot of talent that held out, or chose differently.

Also keep in mind the TTPIE teams PLAY in ECNL. They have not magically benn transformed into some mystical beast.

Don't believe the hype.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1v...the-hype_music

Very true. But the ECNL people will never believe this. They think the ECNL patch automatically makes them one of the best players. So laughable.

[Unregistered]

Very true. But the ECNL people will never believe this. They think the ECNL patch automatically makes them one of the best players. So laughable.

Not as bad as the Thorns Academy people who think playing OYSA and wearing a Timbers patch automatically makes them better than the ECNL teams. Now that is so ridiculous that it's not even funny.

[Unregistered]

Not as bad as the Thorns Academy people who think playing OYSA and wearing a Timbers patch automatically makes them better than the ECNL teams. Now that is so ridiculous that it's not even funny.

Actuall, I've not seen one person claim that. I have seen ECNL people claim that their dds are all now Pac 12 players.

[Unregistered]

Actuall, I've not seen one person claim that. I have seen ECNL people claim that their dds are all now Pac 12 players.

No. You have seen TA people post that ECNL kids won't make the Pac 12.

[Unregistered]

No. You have seen TA people post that ECNL kids won't make the Pac 12.

No one has said that. You are biased in what you read. I've seen people say that few ECNL kids will make the Pac 12. It won't be any different with ECNL as it has been in past years, 2-5 in an age group. More likely 2-3, but some years may be a bit higher. And in some years there might not be any. I don't believe any ECNL players in the U17 age group are committed to the Pac 12. Two Thorns players however are, at least, maybe more. So perhaps saying that no ECNL players will be going to the Pac 12, at least in certain years, is accurate.