DA is HUUGGGEEE

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For those claiming DA is not worth anything or is not in fact the best thing ever to hit the youth soccer landscape, you must not have been at the DA Showcase last weekend.

If you were, you would have seen over 60 D1 college coaches at virtually every game that was played and over 150 coaches at some games. Put it this way, if your kid plays DA U18, he is getting a spot to play college soccer.

Why would anyone play non-DA if you have any hope of playing in college?

DA RULEZZZ

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And boom that is the issue with US soccer. All other countries have kids coming through prior to college age, by 22 some pros in other countries have 4 or more years under their belts. The DA system should be a fast track right into the pros not the college game.

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That is not a problem. The kids that are offered pro deals can sign and leave at 18 but for the rest, this is one stop shop for college coaches to see the best in the country.

Truly, the top 20 or so players in the country will probably go pro, but the rest are on display for coaches.

No where on the planet do kids get this kind of chance to showcase themselves to this number of coaches. Invaluable for the kid that wants to play in college.

[Unregistered]

For those claiming DA is not worth anything or is not in fact the best thing ever to hit the youth soccer landscape, you must not have been at the DA Showcase last weekend.

If you were, you would have seen over 60 D1 college coaches at virtually every game that was played and over 150 coaches at some games. Put it this way, if your kid plays DA U18, he is getting a spot to play college soccer.

Why would anyone play non-DA if you have any hope of playing in college?

DA RULEZZZ

Agree. I noticed so many college scouts. It was great for the players.

[Unregistered]

DA is a good path to college soccer, especially for top programs, but it isn't the only path. Look to see players depart to EPNL once it gets rolling.

[Unregistered]

DA is a good path to college soccer, especially for top programs, but it isn't the only path. Look to see players depart to EPNL once it gets rolling.

you mean that girls league? Are the boys going to have to wear skirts?

[Unregistered]

1399 men's college soccer teams. 150 coaches as the showcase. Just over 10%. Remember with the average overall soccer scholarship of $4815 it is not huge.

Please let me know where in the DA' mission statement is says anything about college.

Do not forget if you are not one of the starting 11 no one is looking anyway.

[Unregistered]

Even worse. some of the DA programs are not even getting looked at. There are to many bottom feeder DA's and some that have no talented players. So if you look at the kids from 2017 recruited you see yes a lot of DA but most from the very top DA's. Then some that are non DA. If you are non DA you just have to put in 3 times the effort to reach out to coaches and get in front of them. DA makes it easy because coaches line up at the showcase and see tons of kids at once. But they again are not always the best. It is easier for coaches and cheaper to hit a showcase of DA then fly all over to showcase tournaments.

[Unregistered]

1399 men's college soccer teams. 150 coaches as the showcase. Just over 10%. Remember with the average overall soccer scholarship of $4815 it is not huge.

Please let me know where in the DA' mission statement is says anything about college.

Do not forget if you are not one of the starting 11 no one is looking anyway.

Coaches are too busy recruiting foreign players. If DA was doing a better job developing players more spots would be getting filled with US trained players, not those from overseas. Top DA programs score, but take a look at commitment lists from lower ranked DA teams. Many of those kids would have ended up the same schools without DA, just playing on a good club team (and getting to play HS). and if they're a good student they'll get much more academic grants vs athletic anyway

[Unregistered]

1399 men's college soccer teams. 150 coaches as the showcase. Just over 10%. Remember with the average overall soccer scholarship of $4815 it is not huge.

Please let me know where in the DA' mission statement is says anything about college.

Do not forget if you are not one of the starting 11 no one is looking anyway.

It isn't in the mission statement but that's why most players are there. It isn't because they have illusions of playing pro or the MNT. It's a means to an end. It's a major conflict with the supposed mission of DA and what the participants want out of it.

[Unregistered]

It isn't in the mission statement but that's why most players are there. It isn't because they have illusions of playing pro or the MNT. It's a means to an end. It's a major conflict with the supposed mission of DA and what the participants want out of it.

I think this is partly true. For some, the main goal may be to have their kids on good path for college exposure/access. While for others, the goal seems to be to have their kids play against highest competition levels....ie...so they don't have to play with the "lesser" kids at club level.

[Unregistered]

It is for putas

[Unregistered]

all of these haters have not had a kid in the DA system because they weren't good enough. PERIOD.

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I have a child in DA. It's great that college coaches attend these events and my child will more than likely play college soccer, which is great thing for my son

BUT...........

The main purpose of the DA program was to turn out high level professional players and improve the US Men's National Team to the point where they can compete against anybody in the world. That is not happening.

Is the DA good? Sure. Is it doing what it was originally intended to do? No

[Unregistered]

I am shocked! Do you mean a league with many or most of the best players in the country would get a lot of interest from college coaches during their big events??? Wow, who would of ever predicted that?

College coaches are all about maximizing their recruiting budgets. They are going to naturally gravitate towards events like these. Does this mean that you can't get a scholarship if you are not DA? No, if you are a top player someone will find or notice you. But obviously having so many of the top players in one spot is something that no program (that has a chance of pulling such players) will pass up on.

It will be the same thing with Girls DA in a few years. ECNL events will still draw interest but as most of the top talent moves to DA the recruiting presence will also increase. It is all cause and effect.