The Girls Academy League is adding clubs

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Level is not defined by a league. Many highly skilled players have found a better path for development and a better coaching fit at other MA clubs.

My kid is in GAL, and it's OK for us to admit that top to bottom, across the country, ECNL is the leader. Perfectly fine with that. Means absolutely nothing to her, us, our are experience, but it is what it is.

Here, in the Northeast, it's not the gap many make it out to be. We've always played competitive games overall, and have enjoyed the experiences. My D turned down an ECNL offer (which was more us then her since we had no way of getting her to Lancaster at the time), and I ask her every year if she wants to reconsider as circumstances have changed for us. She's 100% happy where she is. The schools she talks to are happy where she is. The club is happy where she is.

It appears the only people who are not happy where she is are those with no vested interest in the league who come on here daily to take a massive dump on it. That's for them to sort out on their own.

[Unregistered]

My kid is in GAL, and it's OK for us to admit that top to bottom, across the country, ECNL is the leader. Perfectly fine with that. Means absolutely nothing to her, us, our are experience, but it is what it is.

Here, in the Northeast, it's not the gap many make it out to be. We've always played competitive games overall, and have enjoyed the experiences. My D turned down an ECNL offer (which was more us then her since we had no way of getting her to Lancaster at the time), and I ask her every year if she wants to reconsider as circumstances have changed for us. She's 100% happy where she is. The schools she talks to are happy where she is. The club is happy where she is.

It appears the only people who are not happy where she is are those with no vested interest in the league who come on here daily to take a massive dump on it. That's for them to sort out on their own.

Just like there's a college for everyone so is there a club/level for everyone. Find what's best for your kid in terms of fit, goals, exposure, location, teammates. If there was one perfect thing, everyone would be there.

[Unregistered]

My kid is in GAL, and it's OK for us to admit that top to bottom, across the country, ECNL is the leader. Perfectly fine with that. Means absolutely nothing to her, us, our are experience, but it is what it is.

Here, in the Northeast, it's not the gap many make it out to be. We've always played competitive games overall, and have enjoyed the experiences. My D turned down an ECNL offer (which was more us then her since we had no way of getting her to Lancaster at the time), and I ask her every year if she wants to reconsider as circumstances have changed for us. She's 100% happy where she is. The schools she talks to are happy where she is. The club is happy where she is.

It appears the only people who are not happy where she is are those with no vested interest in the league who come on here daily to take a massive dump on it. That's for them to sort out on their own.

Curious--what schools is she talking to?

[Unregistered]

Curious--what schools is she talking to?

UNH, BC, BU, University of Richmond, Siena, Yale, a few DIII's.

[Unregistered]

UNH, BC, BU, University of Richmond, Siena, Yale, a few DIII's.

No one talking to Yale is talking to UNH or Siena.

[Unregistered]

No one talking to Yale is talking to UNH or Siena.

Different reasons, law or looking at costs or where she wants to play or where the BF is going or wants the city, etc.

Lots of reasons to look at various schools. If they want to call, she'll listen.

[Unregistered]

Different reasons, law or looking at costs or where she wants to play or where the BF is going or wants the city, etc.

Lots of reasons to look at various schools. If they want to call, she'll listen.

If a kid has the academics for yale, bc even bu then a school like siena shouldn't be in the mix. there's many other schools in between all of those with better academics where they can get good merit$.

[Unregistered]

No one talking to Yale is talking to UNH or Siena.

You don't know that...one of my D's teammates who is committed to a solid Ivy entertained some real humdingers both in academics and athletics, but that was back in July/August, not now.

[Unregistered]

If a kid has the academics for yale, bc even bu then a school like siena shouldn't be in the mix. there's many other schools in between all of those with better academics where they can get good merit$.

Examples?

[Unregistered]

Examples?

Not the poster but Ivy kids often are usually also looking at top academic D3s and a few top academic D1s. My D's teammate last year turned down an Ivy offer - no athletic $ obviously and the family didn't qualify for much FA (not all the Ivies are as generous as the others) so the student was going to have to take out substantial loans. She wound up at a top D3 where they offered her an absurd academic grant. The family can manage nearly all of it now and she only has taken some of the federal loans she qualified for. Plays a ton, has that good D3 academic and athletic balance. The financial piece is tough in high cost areas like MA - many families make too much too qualify but live a solidly middle class existence.

I agree kids will and should look at a variety of academic and soccer options (safeties and stretches) but is a kid that can get into Yale or Brown really going to go to UNH (#143) or Siena (#15 in the North East, not even national ranking)? Possibly yes, likely not, but all options should be on the table, and pros and cons debated. I've seen other top students get accepted to coveted schools only to turn them down for a school that has a highly ranked specialty major they want, or they really want a certain on campus experience. Everyone has their own criteria.

[Unregistered]

Using that Soccer Wire list from before the pandemic, GA really needs to hold on to Top Hat & FCV, as every other top 25 club has their top teams in ECNL/ECNL-R already:

1. Top Hat
2. Solar
3. PDA
4. So Cal Blues
5. FC Dallas
6. San Diego Surf
7. Real Colorado
8. Legends
9. Beach
10. San Joe Earthquakes (Discontinued girls program)
11. Concord Fire
12. Michigan Hawks
13. MVLA
14. LAFC Slammers
15. NC Courage
16. FC Virginia
17. San Juan Soccer Club
18. St. Louis SG
19. Mustang
20. Eclipse Select
21. Sting
22. Real So Cal
23. Ohio Premiere
24. Crossfire Premiere
25. NEFC

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NEFC about to be the top ranked program in GA!

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NEFC about to be the top ranked program in GA!

According to this list, the top team in New England, no matter the league.

Go figure.

[Unregistered]

According to this list, the top team in New England, no matter the league.

Go figure.

"from before the pandemic" aka only GDA teams had played a season. ECNL teams like PDA were included because having multiple teams winning the ECNL National Championship leaves little room for dispute of strength.

[Unregistered]

ECNL league can’t be that strong if NEFC is ranked highest.

According to this list, the top team in New England, no matter the league.

Go figure.