Tophat begging to get out

[Unregistered]

I get it. If GAL works for you that great. But there are many of us that are stuck in GAL because DA fell apart. We didn't choose GAL, it is what the DA clubs came up with out of desperation. Originally we chose DA because my daughter was looking for the highest level she could play in. Now with GAL it is a level down. alot of the best players at her club moved on to ECNL. One of my biggest concerns is there are many players on her GAL team that are NOT looking for the highest level. GAL is supposed to be a league for ELITE girls. but too many kids casually playing in GAL because they dont have many other options.

Define elite, and then tell us how many in your state fit your definition?

[Unregistered]

You’re absolutely right you can find a much better value (all in) than GA. The travel cost is completely unnecessary and the competition is very diluted. At least in the DA games we played some quality clubs which are no longer in GA and are now ECNL. Playing USYS/EDP is not a bad alternative compared to GA, but you have to find the right coach/team.

You hit the nail on the head with finding the right coach/team. My older D moved to NPL after 2 straight years of her USYS teams falling apart. Players leaving/dropping the sport all together, coaches/trainers moving on, etc. and the kids/families left scrambling to find a new home. Once she moved to an NPL club, we found a higher level of commitment from the players/families and the onus of keeping the team on track fell solely on the club. Probably the same with GAL clubs.

PS-my younger one plays ECNL, but I am rooting for GAL to succeed...like I said in an earlier post, necessary component of youth soccer landscape.

[Unregistered]

Define elite, and then tell us how many in your state fit your definition?

Why would it be how I define ELITE. Thats how GAL described their own league right on their website. The league is supposed to an ELITE Girls League. Obviously everyone knows its not

[Unregistered]

Why would it be how I define ELITE. Thats how GAL described their own league right on their website. The league is supposed to an ELITE Girls League. Obviously everyone knows its not

Avoids answering question because it threatens the agenda being pushed. Elite is a subjective word. There are nowhere near enough elite girls by my definition to support any of the leagues calling themselves such. Elite, is rare. Youth soccer for girls is trying to make people believe otherwise. You dont just train 3x per week, travel to events and become elite. You need to have that potential to begin with.

If you choose to define elite as capable of making a D1 roster, then so be it.

[Unregistered]

You’re absolutely right you can find a much better value (all in) than GA. The travel cost is completely unnecessary and the competition is very diluted. At least in the DA games we played some quality clubs which are no longer in GA and are now ECNL. Playing USYS/EDP is not a bad alternative compared to GA, but you have to find the right coach/team.

Lets be honest, GDA Atlantic and NE lost PF and Fury as well as the Pipeline players and replaced them with Baltimore Celtic Union, Sporting DE and the Ukies. So each div lost 1 good team and replaced them with average to poor teams. So it isn't like they were playing top clubs and half booked to ECNL. For the most part GA is playing most of the same middle of the road teams that DA did.

[Unregistered]

Avoids answering question because it threatens the agenda being pushed. Elite is a subjective word. There are nowhere near enough elite girls by my definition to support any of the leagues calling themselves such. Elite, is rare. Youth soccer for girls is trying to make people believe otherwise. You dont just train 3x per week, travel to events and become elite. You need to have that potential to begin with.

If you choose to define elite as capable of making a D1 roster, then so be it.

Not avoiding answering question. I stated what GAL says their league is supposed to be. Actually go to some of the GAL clubs such as STA and they use the term "elite" defining their players. And what agenda am I pushing? I am a parent that has a kid in GAL and from what I see I am concerned. As many other parents are. Some moved on already and some are looking to do the same. And yes some are willing to ride it out because they are not looking for the same level of play

[Unregistered]

Define elite, and then tell us how many in your state fit your definition?

Elite players or Elite teams or Elite clubs? There are a lot more elite players in NJ then what is on PDA Blue. Some play on other ECNL teams while others play on GA and EDP teams.

[Unregistered]

Avoids answering question because it threatens the agenda being pushed. Elite is a subjective word. There are nowhere near enough elite girls by my definition to support any of the leagues calling themselves such. Elite, is rare. Youth soccer for girls is trying to make people believe otherwise. You dont just train 3x per week, travel to events and become elite. You need to have that potential to begin with.

If you choose to define elite as capable of making a D1 roster, then so be it.

Potential is nothing without training. You can have all the potential you want but if you train 2x a week and your team doesn't play games what does it matter?

[Unregistered]

Elite players or Elite teams or Elite clubs? There are a lot more elite players in NJ then what is on PDA Blue. Some play on other ECNL teams while others play on GA and EDP teams.

You think every player on PDA Blue is elite?

[Unregistered]

Not avoiding answering question. I stated what GAL says their league is supposed to be. Actually go to some of the GAL clubs such as STA and they use the term "elite" defining their players. And what agenda am I pushing? I am a parent that has a kid in GAL and from what I see I am concerned. As many other parents are. Some moved on already and some are looking to do the same. And yes some are willing to ride it out because they are not looking for the same level of play

Your comment was unclear. Elite league or a league for elite players. I gave you an opportunity to define what you understand it to be. You refused. Your kid plays in GAL. Is she elite? Why are you concerned, because there are no elite players in the league? Or because its not the best option for your child and her aspirations? Either way, I dont get your point. Pick the best option for you and if its not working out, pick another. marketing is marketing, reality is up to you to define for you.

[Unregistered]

Potential is nothing without training. You can have all the potential you want but if you train 2x a week and your team doesn't play games what does it matter?

your point?

[Unregistered]

Your comment was unclear. Elite league or a league for elite players. I gave you an opportunity to define what you understand it to be. You refused. Your kid plays in GAL. Is she elite? Why are you concerned, because there are no elite players in the league? Or because its not the best option for your child and her aspirations? Either way, I dont get your point. Pick the best option for you and if its not working out, pick another. marketing is marketing, reality is up to you to define for you.

I can see you like to manipulate conversations. My point is simple. My D was on a DA team. She was brought to the club because of DA. Now DA club is now GAL. GAL is supposed to be a place for Elite Players (not my words but their marketing) but in reality what is left after the DA fall (at least in our club) are just regular kids. Their parents are on here defending GAL and all of the fun they are having while more kids are leaving or are looking to leave. Our club will take any player to fill the roster spots whether they are elite or not. As for My D she is a very good player. I just want to make sure she is in the best environment with like minded kids. Maybe that will be ECNL. Maybe not

[Unregistered]

I can see you like to manipulate conversations. My point is simple. My D was on a DA team. She was brought to the club because of DA. Now DA club is now GAL. GAL is supposed to be a place for Elite Players (not my words but their marketing) but in reality what is left after the DA fall (at least in our club) are just regular kids. Their parents are on here defending GAL and all of the fun they are having while more kids are leaving or are looking to leave. Our club will take any player to fill the roster spots whether they are elite or not. As for My D she is a very good player. I just want to make sure she is in the best environment with like minded kids. Maybe that will be ECNL. Maybe not

Please keep speaking the truth and sharing good information. The more you do the more the youth soccer propaganda machine will look to challenge it because it does not fit their narrative. We unfortunately had the same experience with DA/GA, brought our daughter over with the promise of a better league, environment blah blah blah. In reality the training and more importantly the competition was worse than the team she was on before. The teams we used to beat in tournaments now we were losing to. Needless to say we went back to her old team and glad they took us back. The last straw was when they kept adding girls from MOSA township teams just because they desperately needed numbers. How is that an elite team/league.

[Unregistered]

These last two posts are very informative as we head into tryout season.

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

[Unregistered]

I can see you like to manipulate conversations. My point is simple. My D was on a DA team. She was brought to the club because of DA. Now DA club is now GAL. GAL is supposed to be a place for Elite Players (not my words but their marketing) but in reality what is left after the DA fall (at least in our club) are just regular kids. Their parents are on here defending GAL and all of the fun they are having while more kids are leaving or are looking to leave. Our club will take any player to fill the roster spots whether they are elite or not. As for My D she is a very good player. I just want to make sure she is in the best environment with like minded kids. Maybe that will be ECNL. Maybe not

You just described my Ds ECNL team. Maybe 3 or 4 have the talent to be elite while the coach has added a few players at the start of the season that wouldn't make most B teams. And yes, my Ds age ECRL team couldn't compete in D4 of EDP.