End of Club soccer as we know it in New England

[Unregistered]

Great theory, only we tried that - it didn't work. Small clubs were no more successful then than they are now.

Could it be because they are not actually that good? Certainly sounds like you want to create your own little monopoly outside the reaches of the big clubs. If you really cant produce good players and competitive teams why should anyone be sympathetic to your position?

[Unregistered]

Could it be because they are not actually that good? Certainly sounds like you want to create your own little monopoly outside the reaches of the big clubs. If you really cant produce good players and competitive teams why should anyone be sympathetic to your position?

And we wonder why people claim things are watered down. See it really is all about protecting roster spots. The small clubs don't have any more passion for what they are doing than the big clubs do, they just want to ensure they get to hold on to their players so they can collect their share of the booty.

[Unregistered]

Great theory, only we tried that - it didn't work. Small clubs were no more successful then than they are now.

What has changed over the years is now the small clubs have no real opportunity to advance anywhere even if they did produce a top level team. Right now they are relegated to second class citizen status by the whole set up. The best shot they have to remain relevant is by developing players and competitive teams. If a club cannot do that, why are they even in business?

[Unregistered]

Time to merge

[Unregistered]

This sounds like a union mentality being applied to soccer. Dead wood is dead wood. Half the problem with youth soccer right now is none of the kids have to work for anything to maintain their spot on a team. It is all wrong. In my eyes your thinking is every bit the source of the problem. This solution doesn't prevent a motivated player from playing soccer, it doesn't even automatically destroy teams. If a player wants to play there are plenty of options out there for them. If a team/coach is really committed to each other then there is nothing that says they have to disband. Worst case is they might be relegated out of a spot, but under this proposal there are still leagues for that team to go to. The issue is people like you really want to ensure that everyone stays committed to each other by not forcing them to produce and be accountable for their performance. This is a sport, not a social welfare program.

What a bozo. Get back to us when they get relegation in the NFL, NBA and MBL.

Half the problem with youth soccer is NONE of the kids have to work for anything??? Half? Exactly half of the problem? And what is the whole problem exactly? Is it possible for this poster to post something without gross hyperbole?

[Unregistered]

Lot of talk here that the problem with the pending US Club emphasis is a lack of promotion/relegation. Not everyone sees promo/rel as a good thing for YOUTH soccer. BAYS has it and MAPLE has it, so if you like that model, go there. Seems that US Club, like DAP, ECNL and Super Y before it, is going for the alternative. Yes, promo/rel has it's place. But promo/rel can also lead to the over emphasis on winning at the expense of development, size and speed at the expense of skill, direct vs creative style that others see as undesirable for youth soccer. If you like that philosophy, then go there.
On the boys' side, doesn't US Club look like a rival to DAP? Wonder if they'll emphasize participation in HS soccer as a plus that they allow, or de-emphasize it with an eye toward copying the DAP ban down the road.

[Unregistered]

There should be exclusive affiliations for clubs, their elite teams and the leagues they play in.

And there should be supply in the pay-to-play market to satisfy the demand from moms and dads to play the game...and boy oh boy there's plenty of supply.

Maybe the "problem" with youth soccer has nothing to do with what's happening with clubs, elite teams and the older age groups and maybe, just maybe the "problem" is at the other end, with parents and player development at the youngest ages.

[Unregistered]

What a bozo. Get back to us when they get relegation in the NFL, NBA and MBL.

Half the problem with youth soccer is NONE of the kids have to work for anything??? Half? Exactly half of the problem? And what is the whole problem exactly? Is it possible for this poster to post something without gross hyperbole?

Simple question for everyone else. Yes or no. Does the status quo work? If the answer is yes then there is nothing to discuss. If the answer is no then I would suggest someone put out another idea to make things better.

BTW, the NFL, NBA, and MLB all have a thing called a draft which is promo-relegation on steroids.

[Unregistered]

Simple question for everyone else. Yes or no. Does the status quo work? If the answer is yes then there is nothing to discuss. If the answer is no then I would suggest someone put out another idea to make things better.

BTW, the NFL, NBA, and MLB all have a thing called a draft which is promo-relegation on steroids.

No, the draft is the exact opposite of promo-relegation. Bad teams get rewarded.

[Unregistered]

This sounds like a union mentality being applied to soccer. Dead wood is dead wood. Half the problem with youth soccer right now is none of the kids have to work for anything to maintain their spot on a team. It is all wrong. In my eyes your thinking is every bit the source of the problem. This solution doesn't prevent a motivated player from playing soccer, it doesn't even automatically destroy teams. If a player wants to play there are plenty of options out there for them. If a team/coach is really committed to each other then there is nothing that says they have to disband. Worst case is they might be relegated out of a spot, but under this proposal there are still leagues for that team to go to. The issue is people like you really want to ensure that everyone stays committed to each other by not forcing them to produce and be accountable for their performance. This is a sport, not a social welfare program.

I don't know what team your kid plays for. D's team has tryouts every year and a whole lot of people are looking for spots on their team.

[Unregistered]

Lot of talk here that the problem with the pending US Club emphasis is a lack of promotion/relegation. Not everyone sees promo/rel as a good thing for YOUTH soccer. BAYS has it and MAPLE has it, so if you like that model, go there. Seems that US Club, like DAP, ECNL and Super Y before it, is going for the alternative. Yes, promo/rel has it's place. But promo/rel can also lead to the over emphasis on winning at the expense of development, size and speed at the expense of skill, direct vs creative style that others see as undesirable for youth soccer. If you like that philosophy, then go there.
On the boys' side, doesn't US Club look like a rival to DAP? Wonder if they'll emphasize participation in HS soccer as a plus that they allow, or de-emphasize it with an eye toward copying the DAP ban down the road.

There really are two element involved in this discussion. The pro participation element and the pro development element. People who want to see a lot of kids just playing soccer for whatever reason they deem want to see things as all inclusive as possible but that really works cross purpose to people who have kids playing soccer with a purpose in mind. One wants to broaden the herd, while the other wants to thin it. The thing is to say that one group is right over the other would be wrong because they are both entitled to their goals. The real issue is how to incorporate both goals into a system. The real problem with the whole issue is we have basically abandoned any attempt to level based upon skill and that is swinging the pendulum towards things being super inclusionary. That is where the dumbing things down comments come from because those super inclusionary themes do negatively impact the super motivated players because it makes it harder for them to stand out. That is why we always end up talking about the top end players because their needs are not really being met.

I agree that promo-relegation is not the be all end all but the present "multi-path" scenario on the girls side really just doesn't work for all the reasons previously discussed. I think the big difference between the boys and girls sides is DAP. Even though DAP is not perfect, it does have an awful lot of things that a serious player wants. I think that if US Soccer put together a DAP on the girls side it would give those top end players a place to shoot for and that would go a long way towards settling down a lot of the discord on the girls side.

[Unregistered]

No, the draft is the exact opposite of promo-relegation. Bad teams get rewarded.

Making the cut is making the cut. Wasn't the point that those pro leagues are not exactly all open to equal participation.

[Unregistered]

I don't know what team your kid plays for. D's team has tryouts every year and a whole lot of people are looking for spots on their team.

Love dumb comments like this. Who the hell wants 50-60 kids showing up for a tryout. The only ones who need that are the dopes who like to use those sorts of numbers to keep score in the club wars. Give me 3-4 solid players who are better than players we already have on the roster and I'll consider that a huge win. Forget volume.

[Unregistered]

The real problem with the whole issue is we have basically abandoned any attempt to level based upon skill and that is swinging the pendulum towards things being super inclusionary. That is where the dumbing things down comments come from because those super inclusionary themes do negatively impact the super motivated players because it makes it harder for them to stand out. That is why we always end up talking about the top end players because their needs are not really being met.

I agree that promo-relegation is not the be all end all but the present "multi-path" scenario on the girls side really just doesn't work for all the reasons previously discussed. I think the big difference between the boys and girls sides is DAP. Even though DAP is not perfect, it does have an awful lot of things that a serious player wants. I think that if US Soccer put together a DAP on the girls side it would give those top end players a place to shoot for and that would go a long way towards settling down a lot of the discord on the girls side.

An watered down system should make a star stand out more, no?

A girls DAP would look an awful lot like the ECNL.

[Unregistered]

An watered down system should make a star stand out more, no?

A girls DAP would look an awful lot like the ECNL.

Not really because the assumption that the Stars would automatically get the spot is probably short sighted. NEFC and MPS are both larger and relatively speaking producing equal if not greater results at this point. They would actually warrant equal if not greater consideration.

Unlike the ECNL, a girls DAP would have

-combined age groups
-a 6 day a week training program 10 months out of the year
-no requirement to travel to showcases