Girls Academy League rules

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No different than ecnl. Good exposure

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No different than ecnl. Good exposure

Except for one thing, ECNL is riding high & growing and GDA doesn't exist anymore.

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Many other reasons the DA failed besides letting players play HS and for other club teams:

1. Poor training and coaching
2. Not following own rules including not regularly practicing 4x weekly
3. Touting it was the best when in fact far from it
4. Playing a lot of very weak competition

When US Soccer announced GDA the vast majority of ECNL Clubs immediately jumped in. Every one of those clubs showed no loyalty to ECNL who was going to be the direct competition. Few like MATCHFIT were smart enough to see that they would lack depth of talent to stretch themselves with both ECNL & DA. My daughter and the vast majority of her core group teammates were in because it was sold to them as the “A” team. The first season was a novelty and at the DA SHOWCASES college were attending just like an ECNL event But, you could start to see by the end of the season that GDA was very rigid with there rules and were not open to change or discuss how to improve as an alternative league. US Soccer wanted to put ECNL out of business that was there motivation and then clubs like PDA & FC Stars we’re smart enough to go back to ECNL when they saw how mismanaged GDA was from the start with no model to build on but rather to just over take ECNL and rule youth soccer. They failed.

[Unregistered]

When US Soccer announced GDA the vast majority of ECNL Clubs immediately jumped in. Every one of those clubs showed no loyalty to ECNL who was going to be the direct competition. Few like MATCHFIT were smart enough to see that they would lack depth of talent to stretch themselves with both ECNL & DA. My daughter and the vast majority of her core group teammates were in because it was sold to them as the “A” team. The first season was a novelty and at the DA SHOWCASES college were attending just like an ECNL event But, you could start to see by the end of the season that GDA was very rigid with there rules and were not open to change or discuss how to improve as an alternative league. US Soccer wanted to put ECNL out of business that was there motivation and then clubs like PDA & FC Stars we’re smart enough to go back to ECNL when they saw how mismanaged GDA was from the start with no model to build on but rather to just over take ECNL and rule youth soccer. They failed.

And this is exactly why everyone should realize that while ecnl is the big thing right now, there’s no guarantee it stays that way unless they make really smart decisions for their Clubs and players. They are successful now less from their product being better than for to USSF screwing up what could have been a total layup. Three years ago people were freaking about how ecnl suddenly was the B league and for a year that was true. Year two it was shifting and year three it was the other way. But there’s nothing written in stone that what we have today is what we will see three years from now. Point is, play where your kid is happy and having fun. Worry about recruiting when they are Soph or Juniors. Hope that as many kids play and enjoy the sport as possible.

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The lesson learned from the fall of GDA is why I believe this new league can be successful. If they are looking to compete against ECNL they will also not last. This league must learn to stand on it’s own as an alternative to ECNL but also as a better choice then all the other leagues out there. What will make this league a success is if they are more competitive both in training and in games. That they have good or better competition in the league so that league games are played with meaning and no blow outs. That the GAL showcases are well attended by colleges as well as allowing these clubs to play in other showcases around the country. For this league to be a success these clubs will want to continue to grow with this league and not play year to year hoping “next year ECNL”. Parents have to put the egos aside and be realistic about there daughters talent and potential as well. Would they rather see there daughter play quality time for a team in this league or be 1 of 25 on an ECNL roster hoping to get picked for a game since they can only dress 18 players or hope to play 20 minutes of a match. Think about it, with PDA now having 3 teams that means there is the potential of having up to 75 players in every age group on 3 teams. Think about the odds of your daughter being among the top group in every age group. Very slim!

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And this is exactly why everyone should realize that while ecnl is the big thing right now, there’s no guarantee it stays that way unless they make really smart decisions for their Clubs and players. They are successful now less from their product being better than for to USSF screwing up what could have been a total layup. Three years ago people were freaking about how ecnl suddenly was the B league and for a year that was true. Year two it was shifting and year three it was the other way. But there’s nothing written in stone that what we have today is what we will see three years from now. Point is, play where your kid is happy and having fun. Worry about recruiting when they are Soph or Juniors. Hope that as many kids play and enjoy the sport as possible.

I agree with you on the recruiting but then why do these academies try to sell you on recruiting when the girls are U12/U13....that’s what I hate about youth soccer it’s become very disingenuous.

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And this is exactly why everyone should realize that while ecnl is the big thing right now, there’s no guarantee it stays that way unless they make really smart decisions for their Clubs and players. They are successful now less from their product being better than for to USSF screwing up what could have been a total layup. Three years ago people were freaking about how ecnl suddenly was the B league and for a year that was true. Year two it was shifting and year three it was the other way. But there’s nothing written in stone that what we have today is what we will see three years from now. Point is, play where your kid is happy and having fun. Worry about recruiting when they are Soph or Juniors. Hope that as many kids play and enjoy the sport as possible.

ECNL was the undisputed top level of girls soccer for close to a decade. When the USSF came in and said top players, teams and clubs will all be playing under our direct guidance and that includes NT rostered players, pool players and YNT event attendees-of course that would unseat the top league, especially when the clubs were anointing these GDA participants as the "A" team. If all it took to dismantle the USSF GDA was a few ECNL clubs to leave, I doubt any other league is going to be able to compete with the ECNL strong hold.

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Only way anyone can compete with ECNL would be if the top D1 colleges started taking more players from non-ECNL clubs AND/OR direct path to pros, either US or Europe. They would also need rules that appealed to the players/parents. USYS COULD have competed better against ECNL had they jumped on folding the former DA teams into it better and brought in the DPL and other strong regional/local leagues.

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I agree with you on the recruiting but then why do these academies try to sell you on recruiting when the girls are U12/U13....that’s what I hate about youth soccer it’s become very disingenuous.

It will take a little time but I do think the change in recruiting rules (much later now) will help improve that major issue. The need to get on "the right team" by 7th or 8th grade so you can get recruited as a freshman is gone. Get on the right team for the coaching, not because a club talks about recruiting when they're 13. If your kid is a baller they'll get noticed by the time they start HS and should still be able to land on a quality team. Run away from a club that tells you you'd better lock in early.

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Question is what clubs provide good training. Thoughts?

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Check the supplemental training thread?

Question is what clubs provide good training. Thoughts?

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Question is what clubs provide good training. Thoughts?

The question should be what teams/trainers not what clubs. Look at the team and the coach/trainer specific to that team. How good are they and how committed are they to that specific team. Sometimes coaches that look after 4-5 teams get pulled in all kind of directions and become average and go through the motions across the board.

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what will the programming look like for the gal league at the club level? will they take time off in the summer and winter? does the league mandate this stuff?

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what will the programming look like for the gal league at the club level? will they take time off in the summer and winter? does the league mandate this stuff?

10 month program so not much of a break, allows for nice continuity.