Will Boys ECNL deplete the DA?

[Unregistered]

Unhappiness with DA takes many forms - any one or all can apply

- lack of PT
- disappointment in training
- travel/commitment
- missing HS sports
- college placements sometimes no different than high level club players

It all leads to some folks questioning if it's worth it

As much as I hate to write this it all really comes back to parent's improperly assessing the amount of their kid's talent and just how much potential is there. What everyone has now learned thanks to the DA and ECNL is that the clubs will let you burn as much money as you are willing to burn and they'll encourage the hell out of you doing it with overly optimistic assessments of your kid's upside until you are in so deep it makes no sense to fold.

[Unregistered]

As much as I hate to write this it all really comes back to parent's improperly assessing the amount of their kid's talent and just how much potential is there. What everyone has now learned thanks to the DA and ECNL is that the clubs will let you burn as much money as you are willing to burn and they'll encourage the hell out of you doing it with overly optimistic assessments of your kid's upside until you are in so deep it makes no sense to fold.

Please post your phone number and website so that others may have you assess their kids for them.

[Unregistered]

As much as I hate to write this it all really comes back to parent's improperly assessing the amount of their kid's talent and just how much potential is there. What everyone has now learned thanks to the DA and ECNL is that the clubs will let you burn as much money as you are willing to burn and they'll encourage the hell out of you doing it with overly optimistic assessments of your kid's upside until you are in so deep it makes no sense to fold.

I guess that makes sense seeing as MLS clubs are free and cut players all the time ;)

[Unregistered]

I think the flexibility afforded to players of ECNL teams to compete in high school athletics may cause a talent shift in boys soccer.

Agreed

[Unregistered]

As much as I hate to write this it all really comes back to parent's improperly assessing the amount of their kid's talent and just how much potential is there. What everyone has now learned thanks to the DA and ECNL is that the clubs will let you burn as much money as you are willing to burn and they'll encourage the hell out of you doing it with overly optimistic assessments of your kid's upside until you are in so deep it makes no sense to fold.

As much as you hate to write this??! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!!

That's all you ever want to write! This post has all the classic BTDT themes! Your kid is no good/has no talent, parents are burning money/buying their talentless kid a spot on a top team, and coaches pull the wool over your eyes, and everyone is miserable.

I will be interested to see if BTDT keeps posting after his daughter ages out of youth soccer. Sadly, I expect he probably will.

[Unregistered]

I guess that makes sense seeing as MLS clubs are free and cut players all the time ;)

Look at this list from the Rev's thread. Keep in mind that at this age each club will only have roughly 10 players per graduation year. Forget about which schools kids are going to or what the rankings of the programs are and focus on the fact that only a little more than half of the players are being passed on to the top level of the college game. For a program that is supposedly designed to turn out future pro prospects this has to viewed as a major failure especially when you factor in that only 1 of the 3 local programs is subsidized which means that 2/3 of the parents are specifically paying for an outcome. If anyone actually thinks that there is a whole lot of objectivity involved in this picture they are mistaken. All the Boys ECNL is going to do is acerbate the problem because considering that the DA IS the top level and therefor home of the majority of the best prospects, the Boys ECNL can't even hope to approximate these weak results.

Revs 2017s

JB University of North Carolina at Charlotte
IJ University of Louisville
TM University of Louisville
MR Dartmouth College
JR Indiana U
AS Michigan State
EW Xavier
NW Michigan State
CA Tufts (D3)
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Bolts 2017s

JW Duke
FC Bryant
RC Harvard
EJ Holy Cross
KA Bentley (D2)
BM Bates (D3)
AC Bowdoin (D3)
DM Denison (D3)

************************************************** *****************
Seacoast 2017s

SLL Harvard
EC UMass Amherst
CP UNH
? UNH
GL Coastal Carolina
SJ Assumption (D2)
JM Swartmore (D3)
MD Springfield (D3)

[Unregistered]

Look at this list from the Rev's thread. Keep in mind that at this age each club will only have roughly 10 players per graduation year. Forget about which schools kids are going to or what the rankings of the programs are and focus on the fact that only a little more than half of the players are being passed on to the top level of the college game. For a program that is supposedly designed to turn out future pro prospects this has to viewed as a major failure especially when you factor in that only 1 of the 3 local programs is subsidized which means that 2/3 of the parents are specifically paying for an outcome. If anyone actually thinks that there is a whole lot of objectivity involved in this picture they are mistaken. All the Boys ECNL is going to do is acerbate the problem because considering that the DA IS the top level and therefor home of the majority of the best prospects, the Boys ECNL can't even hope to approximate these weak results.

That is more of an indictment of the Revs - which we know does a pi$$ poor job relative to its other MLS counterparts, even some non MLS clubs. Other MLS clubs are turning out (some) pro talent, investing in residency programs, etc. There was an article showing the Revs spent the least out a survey of 10 clubs which is not at all surprising if you've been involved with their program. Unfortunately we're stuck with who we're stuck with in this area. For some the benefits of doing DA are in question given the track record of development and college placements. If DA was delivering on promises then ECNL wouldn't even see an opportunity. They think there is one. Remains to be seen if it succeeds. Absolutely everything will be more watered down that it already is. Good for the kids, bad for the game.

[Unregistered]

That is more of an indictment of the Revs - which we know does a pi$$ poor job relative to its other MLS counterparts, even some non MLS clubs. Other MLS clubs are turning out (some) pro talent, investing in residency programs, etc. There was an article showing the Revs spent the least out a survey of 10 clubs which is not at all surprising if you've been involved with their program. Unfortunately we're stuck with who we're stuck with in this area. For some the benefits of doing DA are in question given the track record of development and college placements. If DA was delivering on promises then ECNL wouldn't even see an opportunity. They think there is one. Remains to be seen if it succeeds. Absolutely everything will be more watered down that it already is. Good for the kids, bad for the game.

The point really was, how is the boys ECNL going to help the situation? Even though I agree that the DA program is not working, none of the NPL programs (which the ECNL would mirror) do anywhere near as much training as the DA clubs do so what is spending a ton of money on exposure really going to solve? The basic problem is there are not a lot of funded scholarship opportunities out there and a sizable portion of the ones that are out there are going to international students because they are evaluated to be better players. How is marketing a player better going to solve this problem? At the heart it's really a talent issue, so how is spending more money on exposure going to solve anything? To me that like spending a fortune trying to market an entry level vehicle up against luxury ones. It's a losing proposition.

[Unregistered]

The point really was, how is the boys ECNL going to help the situation? Even though I agree that the DA program is not working, none of the NPL programs (which the ECNL would mirror) do anywhere near as much training as the DA clubs do so what is spending a ton of money on exposure really going to solve? The basic problem is there are not a lot of funded scholarship opportunities out there and a sizable portion of the ones that are out there are going to international students because they are evaluated to be better players. How is marketing a player better going to solve this problem? At the heart it's really a talent issue, so how is spending more money on exposure going to solve anything? To me that like spending a fortune trying to market an entry level vehicle up against luxury ones. It's a losing proposition.

Boys ECNL is a new patch for existing NPL clubs to wear. It will give those kids a tad more exposure than they already are getting. It maybe a fall back for a few DAP players who aren't getting a lot of play time

It's not a game changer for anyone including: colleges, DAP, the clubs, players or US soccer in general.

[Unregistered]

Boys ECNL is a new patch for existing NPL clubs to wear. It will give those kids a tad more exposure than they already are getting. It maybe a fall back for a few DAP players who aren't getting a lot of play time

It's not a game changer for anyone including: colleges, DAP, the clubs, players or US soccer in general.

^^^^ this is about right. More options for all but it won't do much for men's soccer. we're just moving deck chairs on the Titanic

[Unregistered]

Boys ECNL is a new patch for existing NPL clubs to wear. It will give those kids a tad more exposure than they already are getting. It maybe a fall back for a few DAP players who aren't getting a lot of play time

It's not a game changer for anyone including: colleges, DAP, the clubs, players or US soccer in general.

Agreed, the ECNL will not affect DAP at all, as DAP will still draw most of the top players. I think it will be a relief to have another option in ECNL for those players who don't make DAP or who entered into the DAP system early but ended up not making the cut or not getting the playing time as they progressed through the age groups. I assume all those players have been ending up on NPL teams in the current system? ECNL would be smart to offer a U13 age group, since there will be quite a number of U12 DAP kids without DA homes for their U13 year and could be directed straight to the ECNL clubs.

ECNL will be a small step up from NPL in terms of getting exposure. The second half of the ECNL rosters will be filled with NPL players, so that everything NPL and below will be back-filled with lower level players, weakening the whole pyramid somewhat, but that's to be expected when inserting yet another level toward the top of the pyramid.

[Unregistered]

Agreed, the ECNL will not affect DAP at all, as DAP will still draw most of the top players. I think it will be a relief to have another option in ECNL for those players who don't make DAP or who entered into the DAP system early but ended up not making the cut or not getting the playing time as they progressed through the age groups. I assume all those players have been ending up on NPL teams in the current system? ECNL would be smart to offer a U13 age group, since there will be quite a number of U12 DAP kids without DA homes for their U13 year and could be directed straight to the ECNL clubs.

ECNL will be a small step up from NPL in terms of getting exposure. The second half of the ECNL rosters will be filled with NPL players, so that everything NPL and below will be back-filled with lower level players, weakening the whole pyramid somewhat, but that's to be expected when inserting yet another level toward the top of the pyramid.

Don't follow your point of the second half of the roster being filled by NPL players. The Boys ECNL clubs are already NPL. If they add a few former DAPers this would bump the lower players off. The top half would still be NPL players mixed with a few former DAPers

[Unregistered]

The point really was, how is the boys ECNL going to help the situation? Even though I agree that the DA program is not working, none of the NPL programs (which the ECNL would mirror) do anywhere near as much training as the DA clubs do so what is spending a ton of money on exposure really going to solve? The basic problem is there are not a lot of funded scholarship opportunities out there and a sizable portion of the ones that are out there are going to international students because they are evaluated to be better players. How is marketing a player better going to solve this problem? At the heart it's really a talent issue, so how is spending more money on exposure going to solve anything? To me that like spending a fortune trying to market an entry level vehicle up against luxury ones. It's a losing proposition.

I don't think ECNL ever intended to solve the development situation of the boys side. It is a shot at USSF for bringing on GDA. USSF causes girls ECNL to be watered down with GDA. Boys ECNL causes DA to be somewhat watered down. Not an improvement on either side.

[Unregistered]

I don't think ECNL ever intended to solve the development situation of the boys side. It is a shot at USSF for bringing on GDA. USSF causes girls ECNL to be watered down with GDA. Boys ECNL causes DA to be somewhat watered down. Not an improvement on either side.

Anyone who is a decent to excellent athlete and skips the high school sports experience is an an utter fool.

[Unregistered]

Don't follow your point of the second half of the roster being filled by NPL players. The Boys ECNL clubs are already NPL. If they add a few former DAPers this would bump the lower players off. The top half would still be NPL players mixed with a few former DAPers

I was referring to those clubs entering the actual Boys ECNL Northeast Conference (looks like this would only be the case for FC Boston & FC Stars, I had thought there were more clubs in there), not those clubs that only have the opportunity to do the EPNL post-season championship. I guess I was assuming the ECNL conference teams would add a team at the ECNL level, but still keep their NPL teams to play in the NEP NPL. Maybe I'm wrong and they'll only field ECNL conference teams? In that case, you'd be right.