Seacoast Boys NPL teams moving to MA???

[Unregistered]

Came across this pretty easily. Not sure why the original poster didn't find this it's on the main site of Seacoast.

http://www.seacoastunitedma.com/about/news

Not the OP but affected by all this. This long blurb wasn't initially on the site. I think some things have changed behind the scenes this week. Without boring you with minute details, they were pushing one way and now they've backed off. I suspect they got resistance when they were trying to force their NH top teams to be DA and make their MA top teams NPL. They have changed their tune quite a bit this week.

[Unregistered]

Not the OP but affected by all this. This long blurb wasn't initially on the site. I think some things have changed behind the scenes this week. Without boring you with minute details, they were pushing one way and now they've backed off. I suspect they got resistance when they were trying to force their NH top teams to be DA and make their MA top teams NPL. They have changed their tune quite a bit this week.

That news has been up there for a few weeks now.

Nobody is forcing anyone to do anything. Play where you want.

It's not North Korea for fvcks sake.

[Unregistered]

I would think they could have a MA NPL team and a NH NPL team similar to GPS. Seacoast MA, ME, Express are already beating the highest level teams out of Epping in some younger age groups. Not sure how they could make those younger kids DA if they can’t even compete in NPL or the highest Premier league.

[Unregistered]

I would think they could have a MA NPL team and a NH NPL team similar to GPS. Seacoast MA, ME, Express are already beating the highest level teams out of Epping in some younger age groups. Not sure how they could make those younger kids DA if they can’t even compete in NPL or the highest Premier league.

I live on the NS and know a lot of club player families at Aztec and Seacoast. We used to be active in club soccer on the NS but now we travel far for practices and games (boys side). I don't have a dog in this fight. I think it is a good idea for them to consolidate the greater-Andover area teams and the NS-area teams. I also think it is a good idea to start a NS NPL team since the loss of Stars and Bolts to ECNL. Seacoast is a decent club...they just operate in a small market (NH/ME versus NYC in DA is crazy).

My guess is that they are using a DA tryout to identify top tier players and convince them to play NS NPL. Just a guess...

[Unregistered]

Not the OP but affected by all this. This long blurb wasn't initially on the site. I think some things have changed behind the scenes this week. Without boring you with minute details, they were pushing one way and now they've backed off. I suspect they got resistance when they were trying to force their NH top teams to be DA and make their MA top teams NPL. They have changed their tune quite a bit this week.

Can you elaborate on what you heard? Any insight would be helpful.

[Unregistered]

That news has been up there for a few weeks now.

Nobody is forcing anyone to do anything. Play where you want.

It's not North Korea for fvcks sake.

The information on the site has been changed and updated several times since the initial announcement. Even the league they were hosting ID day for has changed from NPL to DA. Not believing that doesn't make it untrue. Sorry you haven't kept up. Obviously doesn't stop you from spewing misinformation though.

[Unregistered]

Seacoast MA, ME, Express are already beating the highest level teams out of Epping in some younger age groups. Not sure how they could make those younger kids DA if they can’t even compete in NPL or the highest Premier league.

Just curious where are you seeing this? At the younger age groups that actually have scores/standings listed in the NEP (for non-DA age groups), I only see one case where a Seacoast top satellite team is ranked higher than the top Epping team. I know that particular Epping team (and there are others, as well) has their best kids playing up. Those are the players who will most likely be forming the core of the DA team when they reach U13.

[Unregistered]

The information on the site has been changed and updated several times since the initial announcement. Even the league they were hosting ID day for has changed from NPL to DA. Not believing that doesn't make it untrue. Sorry you haven't kept up. Obviously doesn't stop you from spewing misinformation though.

What I don't understand is that the DA teams are still going to be based out of Epping. Do families realize, that just holding a DA tryout close to their area doesn't mean that's where they will be traveling to practice four days each week if they make the team. Wouldn't players already willing to travel to Epping for practice have been to tryouts up there in previous years? It makes perfect sense for NPL if it will be based out of the North Shore/Andover region, but not sure where they are going with the DA angle.

[Unregistered]

What I don't understand is that the DA teams are still going to be based out of Epping. Do families realize, that just holding a DA tryout close to their area doesn't mean that's where they will be traveling to practice four days each week if they make the team. Wouldn't players already willing to travel to Epping for practice have been to tryouts up there in previous years? It makes perfect sense for NPL if it will be based out of the North Shore/Andover region, but not sure where they are going with the DA angle.

In terms of funneling talent throughout the system - US Soccer wants top talent to be in the DA. Epping is more central as the DA teams have kids from Maine. Also - DA has certain requirements for coaching that most local coaches don't have and Decker is based in Epping.

If you are in the NPL/DA arena I'm sure you understand that practice is going to be in Epping. As with any club - I am sure Seacoast wants to make sure they get all their top talent on the DA team. Better for development and competition.

[Unregistered]

What I don't understand is that the DA teams are still going to be based out of Epping. Do families realize, that just holding a DA tryout close to their area doesn't mean that's where they will be traveling to practice four days each week if they make the team. Wouldn't players already willing to travel to Epping for practice have been to tryouts up there in previous years? It makes perfect sense for NPL if it will be based out of the North Shore/Andover region, but not sure where they are going with the DA angle.

10 new NPL level kids from outside the club show up wanting a D.A spot...walk off the field with a seacoast ma NPL contract. Come on, Stars and NEFC D.A and ECNL have done this for years

[Unregistered]

In terms of funneling talent throughout the system - US Soccer wants top talent to be in the DA. Epping is more central as the DA teams have kids from Maine. Also - DA has certain requirements for coaching that most local coaches don't have and Decker is based in Epping.

If you are in the NPL/DA arena I'm sure you understand that practice is going to be in Epping. As with any club - I am sure Seacoast wants to make sure they get all their top talent on the DA team. Better for development and competition.

This. It's actually a centralized location, all within an hour +/- (depending on traffic) from Maine, North Shore-MA, Central NH.

[Unregistered]

In terms of funneling talent throughout the system - US Soccer wants top talent to be in the DA. Epping is more central as the DA teams have kids from Maine. Also - DA has certain requirements for coaching that most local coaches don't have and Decker is based in Epping.

If you are in the NPL/DA arena I'm sure you understand that practice is going to be in Epping. As with any club - I am sure Seacoast wants to make sure they get all their top talent on the DA team. Better for development and competition.

DA doesn't give a rat's @$$ about coaching levels ... never has .... not even on the boys side ... it is a convenient excuse. In terms of adding a more rural club with mediocre success in NPL, there is no reason other than adding a club and more $!

[Unregistered]

10 new NPL level kids from outside the club show up wanting a D.A spot...walk off the field with a seacoast ma NPL contract. Come on, Stars and NEFC D.A and ECNL have done this for years

Yup.

If you can't see that this is their plan then you haven't been in club soccer long enough. All the clubs do it. They will also make promises that even though you are on the next level below elite (DA where applicable) you will still be able to practice with or scrimmage against elite (DA). True but very, very rare. We learned the hard way.

In addition, there's already Group B NPL for boys on the north shore (Aztec). Maybe not putting out high quality teams but there are NPL teams. So the only way you can show an advantage for Seacoast over Aztec is to talk about the DA path. So they have a DA tryout to draw people in and then push all the kids to NPL. (Not saying there isn't one or two diamonds in the rough that make it to DA and are willing to drive from MA to Epping).

All clubs that have DA have been spinning this story forever. Kids from inside the club rarely move up...usually move down from DA.

[Unregistered]

Yup.

If you can't see that this is their plan then you haven't been in club soccer long enough. All the clubs do it. They will also make promises that even though you are on the next level below elite (DA where applicable) you will still be able to practice with or scrimmage against elite (DA). True but very, very rare. We learned the hard way.

In addition, there's already Group B NPL for boys on the north shore (Aztec). Maybe not putting out high quality teams but there are NPL teams. So the only way you can show an advantage for Seacoast over Aztec is to talk about the DA path. So they have a DA tryout to draw people in and then push all the kids to NPL. (Not saying there isn't one or two diamonds in the rough that make it to DA and are willing to drive from MA to Epping).

All clubs that have DA have been spinning this story forever. Kids from inside the club rarely move up...usually move down from DA.

Yeah, but what about this is a great starting point for your kid to get into our club and move up to our top team shortly?!?!

[Unregistered]

Yeah, but what about this is a great starting point for your kid to get into our club and move up to our top team shortly?!?!

My kid did this and moved up from within a club. So it is possible. But it takes a long time...you usually have to go through at least an entire season and demonstrate your abilities.

But it isn't as common as you would think. It's probably 2 our of 20 kids that move up within a club. A lot of times it seems its easier to move to a new club to move up.

My point was more that a lot of clubs use DA tryouts as a tool to bring new $$ in to the club for lower levels. I get it...clubs need to make money. Just seems that a Seacoast DA tryout is misleading...they sort of imply that there is going to be a DA team in Mass...that's not the case...there's probably going to be a NS NPL team in Group B but they are having a DA tryout to draw people in to fill the new NPL team spots. Just my opinion...I could be wrong.