This whole mess is caused by-----

[Unregistered]

You have a lot of time on your hands. You must get paid for this.

Anyone who says that GDA has all the top players is a liar. Anyone who says ECNL has all the top players is a liar. Anyone who says only girls who set soccer as a priority play GDA is a liar. Anyone who says only girls who set soccer as a priority play ECNL is a liar. Anyone who says training is better in GDA is delusional. Anyone who says training is better in ECNL is delusional. Anyone else getting tired of the league debate? There are great players in every league. Do what you want for your kids.

I didnt. i said some. the issue is many dont read. they simply insert their own bias. Both leagues are worse for this. The GDA is not a great league in its current form and the ECNL is not a great league for the truly elite player.

[Unregistered]

You have a lot of time on your hands. You must get paid for this.

Anyone who says that GDA has all the top players is a liar. Anyone who says ECNL has all the top players is a liar. Anyone who says only girls who set soccer as a priority play GDA is a liar. Anyone who says only girls who set soccer as a priority play ECNL is a liar. Anyone who says training is better in GDA is delusional. Anyone who says training is better in ECNL is delusional. Anyone else getting tired of the league debate? There are great players in every league. Do what you want for your kids.

This is all true. Doesn't say great things about pay-to-play and, at best, being more than an exercise of navigating fools and liars.

[Unregistered]

I have a genuine question. How do you know there is more training? My daughters friends on Stars seem to have a lot of training too.

Some clubs don't do the 4/week so then yes it's still the same amount of training and one game less/week. At some GDA clubs the 4th is fitness training. Granted many players won't train on their own, but mine does and doesn't need to go to an official training day to do so. I'd rather have her train with a qualified trainer as well, not a soccer coach pretending to be a trainer

[Unregistered]

I agree with this poster. The changes were minimal at best. USSF said that ECNL did not meet their standards, that they could not negotiate with the directors, and we should cut them slack when they don't meet their own standards?

This is another issue. The blanket statements .say the changes were minimal at XYZ Club. The Cubs implemented. Some better than others. it seems to me that Clubs with both had very little desire to actually implement and every incentive not to.

[Unregistered]

I didnt. i said some. the issue is many dont read. they simply insert their own bias. Both leagues are worse for this. The GDA is not a great league in its current form and the ECNL is not a great league for the truly elite player.

I'd argue in its present for GDA isn't great for the truly elite player either. There aren't enough quality players/competition to challenge them, coaching quality is highly variable as is the competition.

[Unregistered]

No we shouldn't cut them any slack. If they want to proclaim themselves the guardians of soccer then their actions should support that. Actions speak louder than words.

I think it was also an unfunded mandate. All that gda stuff sounds great but is just too costly. Around me, it was not a cheaper option. I think in places where the gda was able to compete better on price, they probably attracted more players.

[Unregistered]

This is another issue. The blanket statements .say the changes were minimal at XYZ Club. The Cubs implemented. Some better than others. it seems to me that Clubs with both had very little desire to actually implement and every incentive not to.

Perhaps at the ones that also had ECNL (although I don't think that's universally true). But other clubs were all in for GDA so they had every incentive to make it work for them and every desire for the league to succeed

[Unregistered]

Some clubs don't do the 4/week so then yes it's still the same amount of training and one game less/week. At some GDA clubs the 4th is fitness training. Granted many players won't train on their own, but mine does and doesn't need to go to an official training day to do so. I'd rather have her train with a qualified trainer as well, not a soccer coach pretending to be a trainer

Again ..implementation. Something the CLUBS controlled. We have no idea what the penalty for failure will or wont be. its not even thru year one.

To some, one game less is a good thing.

[Unregistered]

I think it was also an unfunded mandate. All that gda stuff sounds great but is just too costly. Around me, it was not a cheaper option. I think in places where the gda was able to compete better on price, they probably attracted more players.

Best case GDA costs aren't that substantially less and probably won't sway the average middle to upper income soccer family - even less so if they think the coaching or competition isn't any better, travel basically the same for $ and distance. You get what you pay for.

[Unregistered]

I'd argue in its present for GDA isn't great for the truly elite player either. There aren't enough quality players/competition to challenge them, coaching quality is highly variable as is the competition.

Ok. I didnt say the GDA was.

[Unregistered]

Again ..implementation. Something the CLUBS controlled. We have no idea what the penalty for failure will or wont be. its not even thru year one.

To some, one game less is a good thing.

Yes in theory but it makes that one away game just too costly.

[Unregistered]

Best case GDA costs aren't that substantially less and probably won't sway the average middle to upper income soccer family - even less so if they think the coaching or competition isn't any better, travel basically the same for $ and distance. You get what you pay for.

the reason in our clubs case is that travel is still the bulk of the cost. fees are materially cheaper than ECNL

[Unregistered]

Again ..implementation. Something the CLUBS controlled. We have no idea what the penalty for failure will or wont be. its not even thru year one.

To some, one game less is a good thing.

Revs have gotten away with 3/week for years, no punishment since they're MLS. Supposedly OW does as well, boys and girls. Face it, USSF needs volume to make it work. As long as a club does ok in the league USSF is not going to crack the whip. If you're a consistent non performer then things like that will bite you in the azz.

[Unregistered]

Yes in theory but it makes that one away game just too costly.

there si no price on my kid giving herself the best chance to enter College, healthy, fit and with tread left on the tires

[Unregistered]

the reason in our clubs case is that travel is still the bulk of the cost. fees are materially cheaper than ECNL

For many soccer families $1500 isn't material to them - like the other poster said that cost plus what isn't always a better product won't get them to move. Great club + coaching? Obvious choice. Not every GDA club fits that bill.