"All in clubs"

[Unregistered]

But USSF is the one that allowed in too many clubs that shouldn't have been there in the first place. Because there were too many clubs all the club had to take whatever talent they could to fill rosters. Sorry, leadership comes from the top.

Not really. leadership comes from leaders.

[Unregistered]

Why exactly should clubs have power over the very top of the pyramid? Seriously, as long as USSF focuses on developing the very top tiers catering exclusively to the pro and international levels why should the clubs have any say there? Take a step back for a moment and look at some of the characters running clubs in this market then ask yourself whether you see them doing anything that would indicate that they are doing anything in anyone's best interest other than themselves? If you have a top level kid why in the world would you trust any of them?

Why should the top of the pyramid control all of youth soccer? If USSF really only cared about NT and professional development they wouldn't be involved with youth soccer at all. They wanted power and control and a few extra bucks was a nice added bonus.

[Unregistered]

Exactly. Wild west. No one is loyal to a club and no clubs are loyal to players. Whole thing is like like buying an expensive cup of coffee. This year Dunkin, next year Starbucks.

Gross generalization. there are some very loyal coaches at some Clubs.

[Unregistered]

Not really. leadership comes from leaders.

and USSF has no real leaders. The new leader is a money guy.

[Unregistered]

But the clubs didn't institute Birth Year, and the clubs didn't ask for DA and its restrictions. That was all the hand of USSF. Clubs are taking power back and implementing what the market wants. USCS and ECNL should further distance themselves from USSF by adopting recruiting year

please tell me why the markets wants are good for the long term developemnt of better soccer players? Im not saying they should be, just pointing out that the road to that is not going to be easy for the vast majority becasue guess what - the Club model is built on telling average players they are great. some of these teams suddenly realize that without 2 or 3 players they are just another average team. Thats not what they are paying for at Stars or PDA. they are paying for the prestige of winning.

The reality is for all the use of the word development, very few actually want that. People talk about the sub rules more than they do practices. the focus is all on one 90 min game as opposed to everything else that goes on. HS is another prime topic. its easier to talk about emotive issues like PT and HS than accept the fact that more practice is potentially a good thing and to do that may require sacrifice.

Its telling.

[Unregistered]

and USSF has no real leaders. The new leader is a money guy.

your focus is all on apportioning blame. we lack leaders in the US game period.

[Unregistered]

please tell me why the markets wants are good for the long term developemnt of better soccer players? Im not saying they should be, just pointing out that the road to that is not going to be easy for the vast majority becasue guess what - the Club model is built on telling average players they are great. some of these teams suddenly realize that without 2 or 3 players they are just another average team. Thats not what they are paying for at Stars or PDA. they are paying for the prestige of winning.

The reality is for all the use of the word development, very few actually want that. People talk about the sub rules more than they do practices. the focus is all on one 90 min game as opposed to everything else that goes on. HS is another prime topic. its easier to talk about emotive issues like PT and HS than accept the fact that more practice is potentially a good thing and to do that may require sacrifice.

Its telling.

Practice time is good. ECNL teams should practice 4 times a week when possible. I think most of us are just fed up that the best group of kids are being split up because of the turf war among leagues. USSF did not do what is best for development -- they went after control and $$, instead of putting $$ towards creating the best environment possible.
ECNL is far from perfect, and GDA did not deliver on the improvements over ECNL. Most of us with teenage daughters do not have time for this to play out.

[Unregistered]

But the clubs didn't institute Birth Year, and the clubs didn't ask for DA and its restrictions. That was all the hand of USSF. Clubs are taking power back and implementing what the market wants. USCS and ECNL should further distance themselves from USSF by adopting recruiting year

If the ECNL adopts recruiting year, the DA is done. Over 99% of the kids playing are more interested in playing in college than for the National team. For these kids, it's best to play with your recruiting year. Not to mention that it would make things much easier for college coaches.

[Unregistered]

If the ECNL adopts recruiting year, the DA is done. Over 99% of the kids playing are more interested in playing in college than for the National team. For these kids, it's best to play with your recruiting year. Not to mention that it would make things much easier for college coaches.

Going back to school year and the ability to play HS would give them two distinct advantages.

Really the age mandate should be eliminated for all teams except DA.

[Unregistered]

Why should the top of the pyramid control all of youth soccer? If USSF really only cared about NT and professional development they wouldn't be involved with youth soccer at all. They wanted power and control and a few extra bucks was a nice added bonus.

And what exactly do the clubs want? Of course the USSF wants control of the money and the player development of the top tier players in this country. Why is that a bad thing. They are going to use the money generated to pay for national team operations and running of the country's soccer infrastructure. What are guys like JD doing with the money their clubs generate?

[Unregistered]

Going back to school year and the ability to play HS would give them two distinct advantages.

Really the age mandate should be eliminated for all teams except DA.

Advantages in getting customer. Sure. Producing better players? I dont see how any of this helps. All the things you propose seem centered om making sure kids can continue to play with friends. Do we go to the same lengths to make sure our kids are in the same classes becasue they are good friends? or is that done by ability and interests?

[Unregistered]

Practice time is good. ECNL teams should practice 4 times a week when possible. I think most of us are just fed up that the best group of kids are being split up because of the turf war among leagues. USSF did not do what is best for development -- they went after control and $$, instead of putting $$ towards creating the best environment possible.
ECNL is far from perfect, and GDA did not deliver on the improvements over ECNL. Most of us with teenage daughters do not have time for this to play out.

Here is your mistake. Unless you can honestly say that your kid is on the radar screen of the national team then you really shouldn't be looking at them as in the "best" player group. They are really in a lower level group and that group actually has much different needs and expectations than what the players in that actual "best" group do. Your mistake is a big part of what is wrong with this whole set up. Unfortunately folks like you have drunk way too much of the Kool-Aid and are living in that delusional world that the clubs have created where parents have been conditioned to think their "B" or "B+" student is in the gifted and talented group when they are not. The hard reality that most of you don't see is that ECNL has always been a flawed model for your kids and the DA was just plain over kill. Think about it for a moment, the clubs don't need to be in a special program or belong to a special league to justify holding 4 practices a week. They could do that any time they see fit. The real issue is not enough parents want to commit to bringing their kids to 4 practices a week and then amongst the ones who are willing to commit to it only a very small percentage of the kids actually have the talent to benefit from the additional training. That is where the pedal hits the metal. Parents need to understand that just because their kid is willing to show up for a bunch of extra practice sessions that doesn't mean it will significantly alter the trajectory of their soccer career. The clubs realize this and that is why they don't offer the additional training sessions, it doesn't make any sense from a business standpoint. The biggest problem with club soccer right now is there is absolutely no objectivity in it.

[Unregistered]

Here is your mistake. Unless you can honestly say that your kid is on the radar screen of the national team then you really shouldn't be looking at them as in the "best" player group. They are really in a lower level group and that group actually has much different needs and expectations than what the players in that actual "best" group do. Your mistake is a big part of what is wrong with this whole set up. Unfortunately folks like you have drunk way too much of the Kool-Aid and are living in that delusional world that the clubs have created where parents have been conditioned to think their "B" or "B+" student is in the gifted and talented group when they are not. The hard reality that most of you don't see is that ECNL has always been a flawed model for your kids and the DA was just plain over kill. Think about it for a moment, the clubs don't need to be in a special program or belong to a special league to justify holding 4 practices a week. They could do that any time they see fit. The real issue is not enough parents want to commit to bringing their kids to 4 practices a week and then amongst the ones who are willing to commit to it only a very small percentage of the kids actually have the talent to benefit from the additional training. That is where the pedal hits the metal. Parents need to understand that just because their kid is willing to show up for a bunch of extra practice sessions that doesn't mean it will significantly alter the trajectory of their soccer career. The clubs realize this and that is why they don't offer the additional training sessions, it doesn't make any sense from a business standpoint. The biggest problem with club soccer right now is there is absolutely no objectivity in it.

I'm not sure what you are saying them, that unless you are the on the "radar screen of the national team" then you should not be in the GDA? If so, then pool is way too small to run as a team-based league.

USSF can't rely on clubs to provide the development without incentivizing them to do it. So they either need to create their own outposts (via franchises they control) or make it way, way smaller.

[Unregistered]

If the ECNL adopts recruiting year, the DA is done. Over 99% of the kids playing are more interested in playing in college than for the National team. For these kids, it's best to play with your recruiting year. Not to mention that it would make things much easier for college coaches.

Wow, just wow. You are so far out in left field its sad. Do you actually think recruiting is driving the DA? If your kid is marked at a true DA level talent then their college career is basically a forgone conclusion. They'll be snapped up by one of the top programs in the country with almost zero effort on either of your parts. That is just what happens. The problem is parents who's kids are destined for lower level college programs think that they can manufacture recruiting interest like that simply by joining an ECNL teams and travelling all over the country with them. That's a gross miscalculation. The simple truth is if their kids work real hard on their soccer game and they realistically target an appropriate level program within this region things will fall in place much easier than they think. Look at the college ranks once you get outside the top 25 D1 teams 95% of all college rosters are comprised of kids from either the same state as the school or one touching it. You don't need the DA or ECNL, what most of your kids need is a 3rd or 4th training session a week and some objective advice about where your kids project in the college game.

[Unregistered]

I'm not sure what you are saying them, that unless you are the on the "radar screen of the national team" then you should not be in the GDA? If so, then pool is way too small to run as a team-based league.

USSF can't rely on clubs to provide the development without incentivizing them to do it. So they either need to create their own outposts (via franchises they control) or make it way, way smaller.

That's exactly what I saying. That was the problem with the GDA from the get go. It was too big. The DA is specifically for the pro and international level prospects. You are 100% correct, there aren't many of them and when you start dropping the bar to include enough players to make the program work economically it starts to degrade the training environment.