My Kid Left the DA structure and is Playing 1)ECNL 2)Club 3)Out of Soccer 4)HS Soccer

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GDA has been in existence for a total of 4 months, but is now the ONLY place for competitive soccer?

Don't listen to this dumbazz. There are plenty of competitive leagues and teams out there. The GDA is not the ONLY option.

NOT a GDA thread. It was a DA thread. There is a difference.

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I personally like the comments so far my child was just not getting enough playing time and the results made my child not want to play or practice. I had to make a choice to remove my child and now trying to figure a new approach that’s all . I thank you all for the input and knowledge I wish the best for all . The DA system was just not the path for us for others it might be fine . I am going to check with local clubs and watch a few practices and talk with coaching and see if they have a curriculum. In our area there are no ECNL clubs near us so that’s not an option at this point. Thanks again for the input .

Almost nothing is worth your player being unhappy and losing his love of the game. Another thought to seal the deal: DA clubs don't care about the bottom half of the roster. At non MLS clubs they are there to help pay the bills, and at both MLS and non MLS they are practice cones.

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Son gave it all up and joined the circus. Much more sane world.

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This moron is an example of what is wrong with soccer in this country. You have it ass backwards. First you play soccer for fun. Typically the more a player likes the game the better they get - whether they are an elite player or not. Then the player progresses. DA is a joke - it was put together by a bunch of "experts" who have not advanced the game in this country at all - look at the most recent world cup "effort". DA has turned into a country club where rich white kids run around and act like they are great players because mommy and daddy can foot the bill. The idea that some minimally qualified idiots can look at a bunch of 7 year olds and decide which ones are going to be elite players ten years from now is a joke. The reason Latin American and European teams are great is because the players played as kids - wherever and whenever they could - because it was fun. That's what made them great. Does Africa have DA? No. But look at how many great players come out of African countries and are playing in Europe. You guys are a bunch of rich suburbanites jacking each other off because you live near a DA club and can afford it.

Tell that to the parents of an "average" team who think their kid is a D1 future prospect. These folks ruin the game for all the other kids out there who are just playing for fun. Usually the coach isn't too far behind either, as they need to keep the con game going. After all they are getting paid to rip off these stupid parents. My advice is to realize you will not have much fun playing soccer after U15 with all the crazy people. Find another more American sport and play that in High School where your friends will actually want to come and watch you play. Not much fun being had at the older ages, everyone is trying to cuck block each other. Mostly because they haven't done any real planning for their kids college expenses and they are now desperate to not be that "loser" parent who saddles their kid with big student loans while they live at home after graduation. Avoid these people.

[Unregistered]

Boom. End the thread. Answers provided.

hmmm. so according to you guys, all the future national team (mens and younger ages) and D1 men's players will come from DA. i'm gonna go out on a limb here and predict this won't pan out.

I do agree with the advice to go check out other teams. My player did this when we needed a new experience and after practicing with three different teams my player found a great fit. It's tough to leave a team, but once you make the leap, soccer really gets fun again.

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hmmm. so according to you guys, all the future national team (mens and younger ages) and D1 men's players will come from DA. i'm gonna go out on a limb here and predict this won't pan out.

I do agree with the advice to go check out other teams. My player did this when we needed a new experience and after practicing with three different teams my player found a great fit. It's tough to leave a team, but once you make the leap, soccer really gets fun again.

Just was told of a kid that got almost 12k per year to play out of state at a school that costs 35. Congrats on that. You could go in state and no scholarship for half of that. But nobody is going to say parents who have spent 30k on youth soccer have good financial planning skills anyway.

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hmmm. so according to you guys, all the future national team (mens and younger ages) and D1 men's players will come from DA. i'm gonna go out on a limb here and predict this won't pan out.

I do agree with the advice to go check out other teams. My player did this when we needed a new experience and after practicing with three different teams my player found a great fit. It's tough to leave a team, but once you make the leap, soccer really gets fun again.

Actually, that is not what his post said. Recommend you re-read it more carefully. Kids can absolutely make D1 schools via high school and club....many have and many will continue to do so. A few might even get on the USMT radar, although they would most likely need to get to at least region 3 team level via ODP before they would gain any notice. DA is just currently the best league/route available to get noticed by USMT and College coaches as well. DA, (which is far from perfect/ideal) also provides the best training and competition for your kid as well.

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It’s seems clear to me that the intent of the DA structure is to develop MNT players . The issue is how do they know how to select a player at lets say u12 level or even a u13 or u14 it is puzzling to me not looking to bash the system. I alway thought some great players at u12 might not be a player at all at age u15 so how does this process work ?
Unless your god how can one tell even in this process ? And if this system was so great why does the USMNT never use the players it’s developed the US mNT seems to be lined with older players and not DA system players with the purpose it was intended for ? I am just trying to understand the justification of putting a kid in a system they might not even be harvesting for .

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Actually, that is not what his post said. Recommend you re-read it more carefully. Kids can absolutely make D1 schools via high school and club....many have and many will continue to do so. A few might even get on the USMT radar, although they would most likely need to get to at least region 3 team level via ODP before they would gain any notice. DA is just currently the best league/route available to get noticed by USMT and College coaches as well. DA, (which is far from perfect/ideal) also provides the best training and competition for your kid as well.

Have to dispute that last sentence because not all DA clubs are very good. The competition is there (although also inconsistent because some are not good) but some can't seem to develop their way out of a paper bag. Pick the best program for your player that fits his training needs and goals.

As for MNT and DA? Because it's the highest league out there of course it attracts the mot talented players and hence the most attention from USSF. However, those players with NT aspirations are also pressured to play DA. Also, because of geographic limitations some players will never get on the radar.

[Unregistered]

It’s seems clear to me that the intent of the DA structure is to develop MNT players . The issue is how do they know how to select a player at lets say u12 level or even a u13 or u14 it is puzzling to me not looking to bash the system. I alway thought some great players at u12 might not be a player at all at age u15 so how does this process work ?
Unless your god how can one tell even in this process ? And if this system was so great why does the USMNT never use the players it’s developed the US mNT seems to be lined with older players and not DA system players with the purpose it was intended for ? I am just trying to understand the justification of putting a kid in a system they might not even be harvesting for .

Yes many young players will flame out. That happens regardless of whatever league they play in. Most times the true super studs that are standouts when younger will remain so, in part because they are given better opportunities to develop (play up, do DA etc). But even then some will still plateau - puberty, work ethic, a bit of luck also play a role.

Overall, USSF really only cares about the NT prospect players. The rest are of little concern other than to sustain the league. The pay to play clubs care about the non-studs only to the extent they help pay the bills. It's a business. Dont' ever forget it

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Interesting point is it better then to find a few good players leave the DA system and go to club soccer and try for state cup ? Can anyone tell us if you play for state cup and get noticed is that scouted and by whom ?

I guess what’s the point of passing the ball to the few feature players and help them along and just move on and put your kid in the best chance to college soccer or lower level of pro .

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Interesting point is it better then to find a few good players leave the DA system and go to club soccer and try for state cup ? Can anyone tell us if you play for state cup and get noticed is that scouted and by whom ?

I guess what’s the point of passing the ball to the few feature players and help them along and just move on and put your kid in the best chance to college soccer or lower level of pro .

You can't just play any club soccer if you aspire to college soccer. It has to be pretty high level (ECNL, NPL) club at strong clubs. The teams have to go to highly competitive tournaments and showcases to get in front of college coaches. You'll probably also have to do ID events/camps on campuses. You don't have to do DA for college but 1) you probably won't do top 50% D1 without it and 2) you'll have to hustle more to get seen. But if you're fine with lower level D1, D2 and D3 then high level club, hustle and having fun with HS soccer can work.

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How good are clubs now ? The DA has taken a percentage of good players away so I am wondering how good can they be (skill,speed of play,etc.) Need a good honest answer and are they harder to find. Are clubs loosing money because of the DA ? Are clubs loosing coaches of quality because of the DA local Clubs ? What is the future of clubs ? Why is ECNL not helping clubs in DA areas ?

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Have to dispute that last sentence because not all DA clubs are very good. The competition is there (although also inconsistent because some are not good) but some can't seem to develop their way out of a paper bag. Pick the best program for your player that fits his training needs and goals.

As for MNT and DA? Because it's the highest league out there of course it attracts the mot talented players and hence the most attention from USSF. However, those players with NT aspirations are also pressured to play DA. Also, because of geographic limitations some players will never get on the radar.

Some DA's are stronger than others at least in Florida, I doubt too many people, including you or I can really speak fairly about the quality of DA clubs elsewhere or out of the Southeast Region. I would still say the weakest DA team is of higher quality overall then the strongest club teams. Absolutely US Soccer encourages top tier players to play DA - that's where their scouts will be. They want to see them compete against the best competition available

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Some DA's are stronger than others at least in Florida, I doubt too many people, including you or I can really speak fairly about the quality of DA clubs elsewhere or out of the Southeast Region. I would still say the weakest DA team is of higher quality overall then the strongest club teams. Absolutely US Soccer encourages top tier players to play DA - that's where their scouts will be. They want to see them compete against the best competition available

There's more overlap between low DA and top other club; same with the players as well.