BS is BS

[Unregistered]

Yes. It will be a rocky start for OW and the rest of GDA. Once the league gets its footing, it will rise to the top no doubt. You have some MLS clubs, most NWSL clubs and the USSF all behind it in an effort to make it work. And it will likely be the case that over time, most all players in the national team pool will be selected from GDA.....so from a quality stand point GDA will rule and college coaches (looking for the top talent) will naturally follow. ECNL will be relegated to Tier II status in the pecking order.

Also, GDA pro-sponsored academies will be free-to-play - so our top players will be selected on skills, not on whether mommy and daddy can write the big check.

I think it will get way worse after the first year when parents and kids realize they are paying a ton to give up HS money, travel a lot, and sit on the bench; especially when the real players come back from their fall HS soccer season. What kid is going to give up HS to play on the odd-year NPL team in hopes that they make the real academy team next year? Lots of people are going to get a real taste of this mess come November when the waiver-kids return and 5 kids per composite team get relegated to a huge NPL roster. Tons of kids playing up in the fall so teams can just field a team (let alone be competitive) ..... and, for what? A pro career? USWNT? The best you can HOPE for is a little athletic money for college. You dont think lots of kids will regret sitting in the stands watching their HS teams/friends play under the lights on a Friday night in front of their home town and getting write-ups in the local papers? ..... and just so they can drive down to Maryland the next day to play a game that no coaches will be at? .... especially the 10 on the roster that split time? I think a lot of people that are gung-ho now will get a huge wake-up call after this season. I also think a lot of people that "committed" did so to bide time to reserve a spot, learn more as more data came to light, and see if their kid could score another opportunity. Again, I guess we will all have to wait and see how it all plays out this year and down the road, but I just don't think it is worth it for my middle-schooler to give up so much for no guarantees in return. She can get where she can on an alternate path and, if she is good enough, I don't see why the sky is still not the limit. Fast is fast, and colleges care about little else.

[Unregistered]

totally agreed - but it will be virtually non existent on the girls' side. It's barely existent on the boys side, where there's 22 and growing MLS club and way more money involved. There was a survey done of MLS DA clubs on how much they spend. Ten responded with a high of $4M to a low of $1M (NE Revs no shocker they were the lowest). What women's teams can afford that kind of outlay? Pro women's teams are barely afloat financially and few and far between. Simple geography will mean it won't work for many talented players. Support for talented players will have to come from the clubs themselves - the ability to do so will vary greatly club to club

https://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2016/1...-academy-teams

This is what is beginning to happen on the girls side. You are too pessimistic! Think positive and roll with it.

[Unregistered]

https://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2016/1...-academy-teams

This is what is beginning to happen on the girls side. You are too pessimistic! Think positive and roll with it.

Woot woot. Less than a handful of women's programs doing this. There's no money in women's soccer beyond the national teams during world cup and Olympic years.

A different realistic poster

[Unregistered]

Little of the ECNL vs GDA debate matters when it comes to Beachside. They have neither and won't possibly get GDA for awhile.

[Unregistered]

Woot woot. Less than a handful of women's programs doing this. There's no money in women's soccer beyond the national teams during world cup and Olympic years.

A different realistic poster

I don't care if there is any money in women's soccer - as that is not the point. The point is that resources are being made available to girls to learn the game in a professional environment - for FREE! How can you not appreciate that?

....aren't you getting tired of writing those checks?

[Unregistered]

I don't care if there is any money in women's soccer - as that is not the point. The point is that resources are being made available to girls to learn the game in a professional environment - for FREE! How can you not appreciate that?

....aren't you getting tired of writing those checks?

Again it's so few and far between that it will have little impact. Even on the men's side 2/3s of players are still paying.

[Unregistered]

I think it will get way worse after the first year when parents and kids realize they are paying a ton to give up HS money, travel a lot, and sit on the bench; especially when the real players come back from their fall HS soccer season. What kid is going to give up HS to play on the odd-year NPL team in hopes that they make the real academy team next year? Lots of people are going to get a real taste of this mess come November when the waiver-kids return and 5 kids per composite team get relegated to a huge NPL roster. Tons of kids playing up in the fall so teams can just field a team (let alone be competitive) ..... and, for what? A pro career? USWNT? The best you can HOPE for is a little athletic money for college. You dont think lots of kids will regret sitting in the stands watching their HS teams/friends play under the lights on a Friday night in front of their home town and getting write-ups in the local papers? ..... and just so they can drive down to Maryland the next day to play a game that no coaches will be at? .... especially the 10 on the roster that split time? I think a lot of people that are gung-ho now will get a huge wake-up call after this season. I also think a lot of people that "committed" did so to bide time to reserve a spot, learn more as more data came to light, and see if their kid could score another opportunity. Again, I guess we will all have to wait and see how it all plays out this year and down the road, but I just don't think it is worth it for my middle-schooler to give up so much for no guarantees in return. She can get where she can on an alternate path and, if she is good enough, I don't see why the sky is still not the limit. Fast is fast, and colleges care about little else.

IMO I think you're giving too much credit to HS soccer. I coached and the fans are mostly parents, and night games are few and far between. Write-ups in the local paper are a joke. If there's any coverage it's minimal, unless you're Gbury on a long win streak. Otherwise it's just a box score in the Courant. 99% of the kids won't even get mentioned unless they happen to score a goal. Is there value to playing HS? Absolutely. The social aspect for an underclassmen playing up on Varsity is usually a big deal for that kid. Social acceptance into a bigger group at school can go a long way. But this isn't Friday Night Lights where hundreds of kids are fans at these games and banners are waving. Even Gbury doesn't get that.

[Unregistered]

Again it's so few and far between that it will have little impact. Even on the men's side 2/3s of players are still paying.

You seem to have a static view of the situation. Things are evolving before your eyes, albeit too slowly for you.

I consider the 1/3 of boys playing for free as clear progress in eliminating the pay-to-play system. Look how far we have come in just the last 10 years.....what will this look like 10 years from now?

[Unregistered]

You seem to have a static view of the situation. Things are evolving before your eyes, albeit too slowly for you.

I consider the 1/3 of boys playing for free as clear progress in eliminating the pay-to-play system. Look how far we have come in just the last 10 years.....what will this look like 10 years from now?

The same

[Unregistered]

IMO I think you're giving too much credit to HS soccer. I coached and the fans are mostly parents, and night games are few and far between. Write-ups in the local paper are a joke. If there's any coverage it's minimal, unless you're Gbury on a long win streak. Otherwise it's just a box score in the Courant. 99% of the kids won't even get mentioned unless they happen to score a goal. Is there value to playing HS? Absolutely. The social aspect for an underclassmen playing up on Varsity is usually a big deal for that kid. Social acceptance into a bigger group at school can go a long way. But this isn't Friday Night Lights where hundreds of kids are fans at these games and banners are waving. Even Gbury doesn't get that.

Not the poster and I agree it's far from glamorous. But it does have a strong draw, especially at better HS programs. Many strong players are also multisport athletes. Tough choices to make

[Unregistered]

I don't care if there is any money in women's soccer - as that is not the point. The point is that resources are being made available to girls to learn the game in a professional environment - for FREE! How can you not appreciate that?

....aren't you getting tired of writing those checks?

Awesome, so in all of America, a free spot just opened up for 10 kids per age group from U15-U18 and 18 spots for U13, U14. Oh yeah, you should probably live close to LA or be rich enough to fly in whenever.

[Unregistered]

I don't care if there is any money in women's soccer - as that is not the point. The point is that resources are being made available to girls to learn the game in a professional environment - for FREE! How can you not appreciate that?

....aren't you getting tired of writing those checks?

FREE! FREE !

Really, you need to get a grip on reality.

Just from the article linked, one can learn that the team draws from a 75 mile radius, practice four times a week .

If you are 50 miles away, and have to get your child there, how long will it take? In California traffic ? That's 400 miles a week . That's quite a bit of time and mileage for " FREE" .

Regardless, any endeavor has to have benefits. The benefits have to out weigh the liabilities. After around 10 years the DAP is still burdened with liabilities that prevents large numbers of applicants from showing interest. We're talking single digit percentages of interest from athletes in the sport.

[Unregistered]

You seem to have a static view of the situation. Things are evolving before your eyes, albeit too slowly for you.

I consider the 1/3 of boys playing for free as clear progress in eliminating the pay-to-play system. Look how far we have come in just the last 10 years.....what will this look like 10 years from now?

Dead in the water.

[Unregistered]

You seem to have a static view of the situation. Things are evolving before your eyes, albeit too slowly for you.

I consider the 1/3 of boys playing for free as clear progress in eliminating the pay-to-play system. Look how far we have come in just the last 10 years.....what will this look like 10 years from now?

That number hasn't budged much in those ten years. Non mls clubs will continue to charge. On the opposite side some mls clubs are starting residential programs. That is grwat progress but will exacerbate the growing divide between mls vs non mls clubs

[Unregistered]

FREE! FREE !

Really, you need to get a grip on reality.

Just from the article linked, one can learn that the team draws from a 75 mile radius, practice four times a week .

If you are 50 miles away, and have to get your child there, how long will it take? In California traffic ? That's 400 miles a week . That's quite a bit of time and mileage for " FREE" .

Regardless, any endeavor has to have benefits. The benefits have to out weigh the liabilities. After around 10 years the DAP is still burdened with liabilities that prevents large numbers of applicants from showing interest. We're talking single digit percentages of interest from athletes in the sport.

I believe they are starting a residency program for girls DA, just like on the boys side. That should help mitigate your concern.