High school girls soccer

[Unregistered]

Gonnam is proof that if a HS coach is capable of forging cooperation between his HS team, local youth program and local clubs, you can routinely produce successful teams at the High School level. He isn't everybody's cup of tea and some of what goes on up there may be viewed as questionable (it appears to be sort of cultish and there have been claims of activities that at least violate the spirit of MIAA rules) but there has never been an allegation of wrong doing that was proven to be true. And there are lots of people who are in Newburyport and have played club for him that are enormous supporters - and not just because he wins.

Whether they can dominate in D2 the way they did in D3 remains to be seen, but I agree with HSH about the apparent changing landscape in D2 North. Those changes will help Newburyport. Along with the Town/ Club/ HS integration, they rarely lose players to private and parochial schools. Those two things are going to be key to future success.

[Unregistered]

Any quotes from Newburyport coach? What was his take on the game? Was it as one sided as suggested?

One, who cares what this jackass said? Two, see #1. Three, it easily could have been 5-0.

[HS Harry]

I just saw an interesting set of stats from the Google Recruiting Commitment website that helps me understand my observances that the quality of play is down this year. According to that web-site, there were 57 girls from the '011 class in Massachuchusetts that appeared on D1 rosters this fall. 41 of them were from Greater Boston. In the '010 class there were 37 Massachusetts girls that appeared on D1 rosters the next fall, 20 were from Greater Boston. This year, there are 35 girls total from Massachusetts committed to D1 programs. That is a sizeable drop-off, although more "normal" for our state. There was little overlap of multiple players and I suspect that the '013 class will continue the slight downward trend of top level talent. Look at it this way, in the 2010 season there were about 145 girls playing on MIAA teams with D1 talent (I know not all "D1" players go D1, but you get my point). In 2012 that number will be down to about 100. Why? Part is that talent runs in cycles and the 2011 class represented a big bubble that moved through the system, but another part is the stronger chance that tp players will go the private school route. The traditional draw off to Privates was probably about 18-20%, but I will bet that the number is closer to 25% with the class of 2014, and rising. That's why I don't see a likelihood that we will ever see another MIAA team that features not only all club players, but 5-7 D1 calibre players - which is what the '08 AB team featured.

[Unregistered]

I just saw an interesting set of stats from the Google Recruiting Commitment website that helps me understand my observances that the quality of play is down this year. According to that web-site, there were 57 girls from the '011 class in Massachuchusetts that appeared on D1 rosters this fall. 41 of them were from Greater Boston. In the '010 class there were 37 Massachusetts girls that appeared on D1 rosters the next fall, 20 were from Greater Boston. This year, there are 35 girls total from Massachusetts committed to D1 programs. That is a sizeable drop-off, although more "normal" for our state.

I appreciate that your expertise is high school Harry - but to support your contention on with data from the club side -

Many believe that the GU18 teams that competed last spring/summer boasted some of the best talent assembled over the years in Massachusetts. The queens of the group were the Stars and Scorps top teams with the Stars Rovers just behind (at least through 2010). Stars and Scorpions met in the regional semifinals after they had met in the state cup for six some years. Most of these players graduated in 2011 with a few NCAA D1 players that graduated the year before. I would expect that in MIAA D2 and D3 - just one of these players could make a team depending on the competition and in MIAA D1 several of these players on a high school team could make them a contender.

[Unregistered]

I just saw an interesting set of stats from the Google Recruiting Commitment website that helps me understand my observances that the quality of play is down this year. According to that web-site, there were 57 girls from the '011 class in Massachuchusetts that appeared on D1 rosters this fall. 41 of them were from Greater Boston. In the '010 class there were 37 Massachusetts girls that appeared on D1 rosters the next fall, 20 were from Greater Boston. This year, there are 35 girls total from Massachusetts committed to D1 programs. That is a sizeable drop-off, although more "normal" for our state. There was little overlap of multiple players and I suspect that the '013 class will continue the slight downward trend of top level talent. Look at it this way, in the 2010 season there were about 145 girls playing on MIAA teams with D1 talent (I know not all "D1" players go D1, but you get my point). In 2012 that number will be down to about 100. Why? Part is that talent runs in cycles and the 2011 class represented a big bubble that moved through the system, but another part is the stronger chance that tp players will go the private school route. The traditional draw off to Privates was probably about 18-20%, but I will bet that the number is closer to 25% with the class of 2014, and rising. That's why I don't see a likelihood that we will ever see another MIAA team that features not only all club players, but 5-7 D1 calibre players - which is what the '08 AB team featured.

The prior post was based on your original quote but it looks like we're headed the same direction - talent goes up and down year to year. I had not appreciated the draw off to privates, but that too could go up and down year to year as well.

[Unregistered]

Never fear! U14's will soon appear and save the day. ;)

[Unregistered]

Never fear! U14's will soon appear and save the day. ;)

Oh Geez.

Also Harry did you mean the 2007 AB team that won the championship (with a bunch of talented 2008 graduates?) Or did you mean the one after that had a large number of freshman now playing their freshman year in college?

[Unregistered]

Gonnam is proof that if a HS coach is capable of forging cooperation between his HS team, local youth program and local clubs, you can routinely produce successful teams at the High School level. He isn't everybody's cup of tea and some of what goes on up there may be viewed as questionable (it appears to be sort of cultish and there have been claims of activities that at least violate the spirit of MIAA rules) but there has never been an allegation of wrong doing that was proven to be true. And there are lots of people who are in Newburyport and have played club for him that are enormous supporters - and not just because he wins.

Whether they can dominate in D2 the way they did in D3 remains to be seen, but I agree with HSH about the apparent changing landscape in D2 North. Those changes will help Newburyport. Along with the Town/ Club/ HS integration, they rarely lose players to private and parochial schools. Those two things are going to be key to future success.

Newburyport has always had multiple indoor U14 / HS teams at SUSC arena and I have never seen Rob at a game either as a coach or a spectator.

[Unregistered]

One, who cares what this jackass said? Two, see #1. Three, it easily could have been 5-0.

You couldn't hold Gonnom's j-strap. He has forgotten more about soccer than you will ever know. My daughter learned more in one 2 hour clinic he ran when she was a U12 than she did in full seasons from other coaches.

The only people who don't like him are parents who can't come to terms with the fact that he could care less what you think about him. Or whose kids don't get any playing time.

[Unregistered]

You couldn't hold Gonnom's j-strap. He has forgotten more about soccer than you will ever know. My daughter learned more in one 2 hour clinic he ran when she was a U12 than she did in full seasons from other coaches.

The only people who don't like him are parents who can't come to terms with the fact that he could care less what you think about him. Or whose kids don't get any playing time.

Cujo has a man crush!

[Unregistered]

Why? Part is that talent runs in cycles and the 2011 class represented a big bubble that moved through the system, but another part is the stronger chance that tp players will go the private school route.

Interesting. But who knows if athletic talent runs in cycles? Is that a natural law? I can more willingly believe that soccer popularity runs in cycles. (Maybe intellectual talent runs in cycles too, and we're currently seeing a smarter class of girls who have outgrown the desire to devote so much of their college years to a sport with no future.)

[HS Harry]

Obviously the concept that some classes are better than others is only supported by anecdotal or subjective evidence, but it certainly is witnessed on the team level and my suspicion is that Massachusetts is a small enough state that it applies system wide as well. My assertion that more top soccer players are going the private school route doesn't mean they are getting smarter or less committed to the all important D1 scholly, Far from it. I think that the evolution of club soccer as the engine that produces college players is a bad direction and I am happy that we didn't feel obligated to join a certain club program to try to better position our daughters for a chance to play in college. However, acknowledging and understanding that things have, and continue to change doesn't mean you support it.

I stand by my assertion that the overall quality of girls soccer in the MIAA ranks was lessened this year and that we should anticipate that quality to continue to fall. But that doen't make HS soccer less enjoyable or worthwhile for the players or the games less ecxiting, Again, far from it. 35 years ago the MIAA hockey tournament featured some the best hocky talent in the country, but the sytem has changed and that no longer is the case. The drain to private schools and Jr. A teams has meant that players rarely go directly from a local HS team into the D1 college ranks. But that doesn't mean that the current MIAA Toureny doesn't draw great interest or that it isn't a great experience for the players, families and fans.

[Unregistered]

1-0 Peabody over East Longmeadow, near end of 1st half

[Unregistered]

Peabody hangs on and wins 1-0

[Unregistered]

You couldn't hold Gonnom's j-strap. He has forgotten more about soccer than you will ever know. My daughter learned more in one 2 hour clinic he ran when she was a U12 than she did in full seasons from other coaches.

The only people who don't like him are parents who can't come to terms with the fact that he could care less what you think about him. Or whose kids don't get any playing time.

hahahah!

a. Your kid obviously had really crappy coaches before the clinic.

b. I totally agree that he is very good at teaching thug soccer. How many of his players go on to play D1??