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**Unregistered** · 11-22-2019, 02:40 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

In Tophats (very) short time in ECNL before GDA was formed (before top clubs were split between ECNL and GDA), they were Ranked #11 in 2016-2017 Final ECNL Club Rankings' which I believe gives points for Season finish and Championship place finish across all age groups. Everybody has their own definition of "elite' but #11 in ecnl (pre-GDA) is pretty good

Tophat is one of only two GDA clubs in a very large metro area (almost 6M people). It's an example of doing GDA right - very few clubs so it's more about talent than filling rosters + well managed club. Can't say the same about a lot of other areas.

**Unregistered** · 11-22-2019, 03:16 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

What�s embarrassing is your butt-hurt whining about a league that clearly you weren�t qualified to coach in, or your kid wasn�t good enough to play in! No ego here. Just facts. The DA has produced more kids that are moving on to Europe than at any other time in US history. As that ramps up and continues to grow, the results will follow. At the end of the day, the DA is producing the players that is getting those opportunities. Please tell me a better place for a kid in this country to play that has talent than the DA. Can�t wait for your answer!

I think you been playing with yourself too much..

**Unregistered** · 11-22-2019, 08:20 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I think you been playing with yourself too much..

If DA is the best option, then soccer in the US is screwed.

**Unregistered** · 11-22-2019, 10:34 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

If DA is the best option, then soccer in the US is screwed.

Agreed.

**Unregistered** · 11-22-2019, 10:39 PM

Agree!

**Unregistered** · 11-22-2019, 11:29 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

If DA is the best option, then soccer in the US is screwed.

The DA isn�t a bad idea it�s supposed to bring country together and the top players and coaches should be in it. That�s where it stops the coaching in Florida as example is terrible clubs like SFFA and the like should not be participating. For them or clubs like it it�s just a business and parent buying a badge. It needs to be regulated and it�s not other than a stupid rule book! We don�t know how to ID players which makes things worse. We have players turned away from our national team only for these players to end up playing for M�xico as example. Then the federation tosses there hands up in the air and says hey hey hold on who is this kid!! I know many players that have left 14-15 yrs old to go to another country because they hold a second passport one in paticular where he couldn�t even get on a dA program and took off to Portugal for sporting academy. So what do they see what we can�t . Crappy coaches and a federation that is a political mess. We repeat this cycle over and over again.

**Unregistered** · 11-23-2019, 06:29 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

The DA isn�t a bad idea it�s supposed to bring country together and the top players and coaches should be in it. That�s where it stops the coaching in Florida as example is terrible clubs like SFFA and the like should not be participating. For them or clubs like it it�s just a business and parent buying a badge. It needs to be regulated and it�s not other than a stupid rule book! We don�t know how to ID players which makes things worse. We have players turned away from our national team only for these players to end up playing for M�xico as example. Then the federation tosses there hands up in the air and says hey hey hold on who is this kid!! I know many players that have left 14-15 yrs old to go to another country because they hold a second passport one in paticular where he couldn�t even get on a dA program and took off to Portugal for sporting academy. So what do they see what we can�t . Crappy coaches and a federation that is a political mess. We repeat this cycle over and over again.

Agreed completely.

**Unregistered** · 11-23-2019, 07:34 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

The DA isn�t a bad idea it�s supposed to bring country together and the top players and coaches should be in it. That�s where it stops the coaching in Florida as example is terrible clubs like SFFA and the like should not be participating. For them or clubs like it it�s just a business and parent buying a badge. It needs to be regulated and it�s not other than a stupid rule book! We don�t know how to ID players which makes things worse. We have players turned away from our national team only for these players to end up playing for M�xico as example. Then the federation tosses there hands up in the air and says hey hey hold on who is this kid!! I know many players that have left 14-15 yrs old to go to another country because they hold a second passport one in paticular where he couldn�t even get on a dA program and took off to Portugal for sporting academy. So what do they see what we can�t . Crappy coaches and a federation that is a political mess. We repeat this cycle over and over again.

On paper it's a good idea. But when you get the execution stage it all falls apart. It fine to want to emulate what top international clubs do to develop talent. There is learning to be found and applied there. But they've made few adjustments for the realities of the U.S.

- pay to play model (MLS clubs are a fraction of all DA clubs, the majority all charge + travel)
- MLS clubs are the top of our pyramid, but face it, they are not Barca or AJAX or.....
- emphasis on education here. Not only is college the end goal for most families but few are willing to hand their kids over to professional clubs during their high school years in the hopes they might have a professional career
- lack of soccer culture
- terrible development at the youngest ages means lost development time and bad habits to break
- lack of free play and players working on their own
- massive geography makes it challenging to play others without extensive travel

**Unregistered** · 11-23-2019, 07:37 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

If DA is the best option, then soccer in the US is screwed.

Nearly twelve years in and I think that is readily apparent. While we have made some progress it is wholly insufficient to get us to where we need to be. For every step we take forward, other countries are taking two. We can't even qualify for the international events we used to qualify for before DA. More and more international players, rejected by pro clubs abroad, are taking spots from US players in college and the MLS.

**Unregistered** · 11-23-2019, 08:41 AM

Let face it the DA coaches and staff are leftovers. They had there shot coaching at the next level and could not cut it. All the better coaches move on from DA to bigger better things. Take a look at your local clubs. You find coaches with a great looking resume. So you ask your self, why are they not at the professional level? Answer is theses coaches have grear lip services. All talk, no result.

**Unregistered** · 11-23-2019, 02:00 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Let face it the DA coaches and staff are leftovers. They had there shot coaching at the next level and could not cut it. All the better coaches move on from DA to bigger better things. Take a look at your local clubs. You find coaches with a great looking resume. So you ask your self, why are they not at the professional level? Answer is theses coaches have grear lip services. All talk, no result.

I totally agree...wff is a prime example in boys DA and girls ..horrible coaches . They give A licenses out of cracker jack boxes

**Unregistered** · 11-23-2019, 02:12 PM

Let's say for instance your wanting a scholarship from DA for college ..you would have to be the top 1% to get that. Best of the best ...ok if we started at 12 years old playing da at 5000.00per season that inclues traveling and all the other bull**** that goes with the package...that's on the cheap side..now we play up to 19..that's 7years ..now lets say you would have spent around 35,000 on a program that doesn't work..that 35,000 would be a great payment for your education...I always thought a scholarship is for kids who academically deserve it...stop with these fantasy's of playing over in Europe ,enjoy the game and get a good education..a great goal would be playing in college..mom n dad stop it!!!