ECNL Problems - Injuries and $

[Unregistered]

How is this different from GDA? We pay a small fortune to trounce teams 11-1. There is no objectivity here. My daughter is on GDA because that’s the club we picked. It is less inconvenient for us than Stars, the coaching is good, and she is happy. But if you think GDA is either less expensive than other leagues or strong across the board, you are wrong. To be perfectly honest, our best competition happened when she was in ECNL for a year, but I’m sure that’s diluted now too. All of the threads are designed to make one choice look great and the others look terrible. Instead we end up looking terrible.

Clubs are collections of players and leagues are collections of Clubs . it all starts with the players. our players are nowhere near as talented as parents want to believe. Its no different for any league.

all this talk about happy, with respect, most kids are happy anywhere. They adapt. The structure is all about selling an illusion of talent and college for as much as possible. Actual talent rarely enters the discussion.

[Unregistered]

Clubs are collections of players and leagues are collections of Clubs . it all starts with the players. our players are nowhere near as talented as parents want to believe. Its no different for any league.

all this talk about happy, with respect, most kids are happy anywhere. They adapt. The structure is all about selling an illusion of talent and college for as much as possible. Actual talent rarely enters the discussion.

Female soccer talent is not financially valuable outside of helping to get getting access to or some monetary help with college.

The value in girls soccer comes from providing soccer lessons and competitions to players form families that can afford it. That is a viable business.

[Unregistered]

It is just business but good business decisions doesn't equat to quality level of play. When there were fewer choices there was less dilution of talent. Now the motivation of the clubs is to fill rosters and maximize income because it is nolonger a side job for the club principles it has become their careers

True enough. It's a bad business decision to try to charge a huge premium (including travel costs) for a diluted, average product. Maybe part of the problem might the principles of the principals?

Not saying GDA is better.

[Unregistered]

True enough. It's a bad business decision to try to charge a huge premium (including travel costs) for a diluted, average product. Maybe part of the problem might the principles of the principals?

Not saying GDA is better.

The one advantage in the dilution will be some downward pressure on pricing.

[Unregistered]

The one advantage in the dilution will be some downward pressure on pricing.

I see no evidence that this will happen.

[Unregistered]

I see no evidence that this will happen.

Not a lot of pressure but at some point, families will say, screw you and go to the competition.

[Unregistered]

Female soccer talent is not financially valuable outside of helping to get getting access to or some monetary help with college.

The value in girls soccer comes from providing soccer lessons and competitions to players form families that can afford it. That is a viable business.

its a great business because there is ZERO accountability to actually deliver on the promises.

[Unregistered]

Not a lot of pressure but at some point, families will say, screw you and go to the competition.

who will charge the same price or more.

[Unregistered]

who will charge the same price or more.

We will see. Cant wait to see the first gda or ecnl Groupon offer!

[Unregistered]

its a great business because there is ZERO accountability to actually deliver on the promises.

To families the delivery is college placements. the actual development of talent is superfilous

[Unregistered]

To families the delivery is college placements. the actual development of talent is superfilous

Is it? the better the player, the greater the College choices. That is where the whole talent development thing becomes relevant. If you actually develop talent, you create more College opportunity.

Doing that is a lot harder than convincing some family that they are getting great value spending all this money to get access to the same level (or worse) of school they would otherwise get if they played soccer casually and did more academically.

clearly you choose how you spend your money, but Its a great deal for the Clubs

[Unregistered]

Is it? the better the player, the greater the College choices. That is where the whole talent development thing becomes relevant. If you actually develop talent, you create more College opportunity.

Doing that is a lot harder than convincing some family that they are getting great value spending all this money to get access to the same level (or worse) of school they would otherwise get if they played soccer casually and did more academically.

clearly you choose how you spend your money, but Its a great deal for the Clubs

Problem is plenty of families buy into the notion that you "Must" be this league or that league to get there when that isn't necessarily true. Much of a player's development comes from their own hard work. But that's how clubs (and leagues) get away with charging so much - they've convinced families a certain patch on the uniform will transform their player

[Unregistered]

I see no evidence that this will happen.

To be fair, the fees are the least of it. The travel costs trounce the fees.

[Unregistered]

They can't control the fees. A huge percentage of the cost is travel expenses and they don't control that. They likely get a kickback from hotels etc... so ladies and gentleman...I give you the Northeast NPL. Maybe you can play in our not really DA anymore ECNL league if you are lucky someday. We'll be watching you for that big promotion! Don't forget to book your room!

[Unregistered]

Is it? the better the player, the greater the College choices. That is where the whole talent development thing becomes relevant. If you actually develop talent, you create more College opportunity.

Doing that is a lot harder than convincing some family that they are getting great value spending all this money to get access to the same level (or worse) of school they would otherwise get if they played soccer casually and did more academically.

clearly you choose how you spend your money, but Its a great deal for the Clubs

That’s true to some extent but opportunity is huge. My daughter is on an upper tier college team. Their best player, hands down, is one that played for a club no one knows. From the sticks I guess. Had exactly one offer - a d2. Someone at the school caught wind of her before she signed and convinced here to come with no money Freshman year. All conference rookie, 1st team all conference the last 2 and should be so this year if she stays healthy through league play. I don’t think her story is as far fetched as the clubs and many club parents would like you to believe, but the point is she apparently never got the chance to show it when the recruiting game was in full swing for her class since she was probably playing on the secondary fields at tourneys. It was very much by chance that she got to where she is. Say what you want but opportunity has a value.