Seacoast United to join GDA

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They are going to pull kids up if deserving/needed. Since there is no straight U13 team, it's an easier sell. Not sure how many would be deserving, but I will say the 2006 team is pretty good.

Ahhhh, that makes sense. Thanks.

So there will be an 06 NPL team then, and probably an 07 too? I know U12 isn't actually NPL but that's when they pool players from the satellites. I would assume that won't change.

Maybe I should have gone to the info night! GDA isn't in the cards for us, but I do find it interesting!

[Unregistered]

Ahhhh, that makes sense. Thanks.

So there will be an 06 NPL team then, and probably an 07 too? I know U12 isn't actually NPL but that's when they pool players from the satellites. I would assume that won't change.

Maybe I should have gone to the info night! GDA isn't in the cards for us, but I do find it interesting!

It was pretty informative. You just had to weed out the Sales job (which every club does) but the details were good.

I assume there's an 07 "NPL" team. Not really sure as it wasn't mentioned.

Some seemed to use it as a sounding board from satellite clubs about off-topic things, which was interesting.

[Unregistered]

Some seemed to use it as a sounding board from satellite clubs about off-topic things, which was interesting.

Well now, if I had known that, I would have cleared my calendar! I know quite a few people who are at our nearest satellite and are disgruntled.

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Well now, if I had known that, I would have cleared my calendar! I know quite a few people who are at our nearest satellite and are disgruntled.

It wasn't the appropriate venue for it.

[Unregistered]

Don't tell me to simmer down. You've done nothing buy badmouth my kid for over a day now. Frankly, it pisses me off as I've never done anything you accuse me of, yet you continue to look down on others who think differently.

Who is going to be on the team? I don't know...really curious to find out. I expect this year to be very thin for both this team and the NPL team. Those who shouldn't be there now, or who aren't dedicated to try it, will falloff. That's perfectly fine. I can guarantee the sidelline will be much more pleasant

It's way too late to form the team, so it's going to be a struggle. That's fine. Why do you think I don't see it? When have I ever made any implication they will be great? Why keep hanging your hat on that? Why do you think the results of the games will matter this year? I get it now...you are in for the results. That's fine, I guess.

But...I still can't get past this point: Why do you care?

Yes...I've been hearing about "my kid's getting a scholarship" crowd for ten years now. Those who have any shot, and I don't see any around us, aren't the one's who say anything. I have zero expectations on anything other than her desire to push herself. Why is that bad?

Is this country so pussified that we are ready to settle? Why not push yourself outside the comfort zone? What's the worst that happens...she fails and goes back to what she's doing?

Problem is that having shaky teams year one will make it even more difficult to get quality players year two. The demand isn't great to begin with but if you want DA you're going to try for the best club you can first. In some cases the best club might be an ECNL club. Seacoast isn't exactly a rock star in BDA (or even NPL) so that's not going to bring in talent either

[Unregistered]

It wasn't the appropriate venue for it.

Agreed! Nothing like airing dirty laundry. Especially when there might be prospects from outside the club there.

But like a train wreck, I know I couldn't have looked away.

[Unregistered]

Good thing searching for talent does't stop at the NH border....


Why do people have such wood for pointing out how competitive they may or may not be? I thought the point of youth soccer in development stages are learning, not the score?

Mr. Club Coach...you should know that.

We are discussing GDA - the score and the competitive nature does matter and will matter. If you think that colleges offering money (DII & DI) will go look at these girls getting beat 4-0, 6-0 or worse, you are kidding yourself.

[Unregistered]

Please itemize how you come up with $15k. I'm very interesting in seeing it as my initial estimates are 1/3 of that.

Every reply back adds a few $k. By the time the season starts I'll be hearing of parents taking out a second mortgage just to cover the costs....

Minus the fee & uniform cost(last years schedule):
Hotels (14 trips, 5 two night stays, at an average of $160 night = 3040
Food (just using two of us as an average) at $40 each - breakfast, lunch, dinner: 760

Miscellaneous: water, snacks, socks, headbands, shin guards: (est.) $100

Gas: Our trips typically cost us $110 per trip in gas - 2090

that's already $6K without the fees.
We played the entire GDA schedule last year. Add fees in and we are at $15K -

You're welcome!

[Unregistered]

Minus the fee & uniform cost(last years schedule):
Hotels (14 trips, 5 two night stays, at an average of $160 night = 3040
Food (just using two of us as an average) at $40 each - breakfast, lunch, dinner: 760

Miscellaneous: water, snacks, socks, headbands, shin guards: (est.) $100

Gas: Our trips typically cost us $110 per trip in gas - 2090

that's already $6K without the fees.
We played the entire GDA schedule last year. Add fees in and we are at $15K -

You're welcome!

My D just uses a rubber band, instead of those expensive brand name headbands. Socks come with her uniform, which she's careful to keep in good shape (her feet don't sweat much, which helps), so no expense there. We also keep snacks to a minimum. Ever heard of tap water? It's free! So, I'd knock that $100 Misc figure down to $40.

[Unregistered]

My D just uses a rubber band, instead of those expensive brand name headbands. Socks come with her uniform, which she's careful to keep in good shape (her feet don't sweat much, which helps), so no expense there. We also keep snacks to a minimum. Ever heard of tap water? It's free! So, I'd knock that $100 Misc figure down to $40.

I bet you could also pitch a tent in the parking lot and save some $ on hotels too. Pack PB&J for the entire weekend and shave some $ off that food bill. Also make sure you're buying the Walmart brand of elastic hair bands. Misc figure is down to $37. You're welcome!

[Unregistered]

My D just uses a rubber band, instead of those expensive brand name headbands. Socks come with her uniform, which she's careful to keep in good shape (her feet don't sweat much, which helps), so no expense there. We also keep snacks to a minimum. Ever heard of tap water? It's free! So, I'd knock that $100 Misc figure down to $40.

Boy - thank you for showing me (M.BA) how to save $60 in misc... sorry - now its only $14,940!

[Unregistered]

My D just uses a rubber band, instead of those expensive brand name headbands. Socks come with her uniform, which she's careful to keep in good shape (her feet don't sweat much, which helps), so no expense there. We also keep snacks to a minimum. Ever heard of tap water? It's free! So, I'd knock that $100 Misc figure down to $40.

owd
You will fit right in with the arrogant high level girls soccer crowd. Gas up the imported SUV, stop and Starbucks for your mocha lokka chokka whatever and off you go.

[Unregistered]

Boy - thank you for showing me (M.BA) how to save $60 in misc... sorry - now its only $14,940!

See! He knew you were inflating costs to try to steer him away!

[Unregistered]

owd
You will fit right in with the arrogant high level girls soccer crowd. Gas up the imported SUV, stop and Starbucks for your mocha lokka chokka whatever and off you go.

And, there we have it. This is really about the soccer culture and the average income of those who play. As someone mentioned yesterday...if the costs were $10k, someone would complain. If they were $5k, someone would complain. If it were $1k, someone would complain. If it was subsidized...someone would complain.

Each family should do what they want to do that fits within their means and values. One thing about soccer, though, is that there is a league for every income level and skill level. Rare is the sport that can say that.

Just love the game and play it. Otherwise, ignore the noise.

[Unregistered]

Sounds like there might be one or two anxious NPL parents out there. It's understandable, and if you look back at some of the threads from last year when Stars & BBA were granted GDA, you'll see that parents of NPL & ECNL teams went through the same thing. You have a nice team that plays well together and saw a great future going forward into next year (all the way through high school for the younger set). Your daughter and your family has no interest in GDA, whether she wants to play high school, doesn't want the extra travel, or the expense is beyond the family's budget. Now GDA is introduced. Whether your player is the top scorer on her NPL team, relying on players 2-8 to get the ball up to field to her feet, or the bottom of the team, relying on the better players around help improve her game, you see the quality of the team falling a bit with some players moving to GDA and being replaced by premier team players next fall. So, you try to do everything you can to convince parents that a move to GDA is the wrong choice.

If you step back, you'll realize a couple of things. First, if some players leave your team for GDA, and the experience is as bad as some posters are making it sound, then the following year, they will be back on your team again (there is often turnover on the boys side during the winter break, so you may even have them back by spring!). Second, as someone else mentioned, there probably isn't a huge difference between the bottom of the NPL roster and the top of the premier roster. The top of premier may even be better players, but aren't able to show it surrounded by lower level players, so may really be able to improve quickly and make solid contributions in the midst of higher level players after replacing those leaving for GDA.

You and you player have made your choice to stay in NPL, as you feel it is right for your daughter and your family. Other players and families may feel it would be a lost opportunity not to at least try GDA for a year and see how it goes, always having the option to move back to NPL the following year if it doesn't work out. Let people make their own decisions and don't begrudge those who decide differently.