ECRL vs GA

[Unregistered]

Of course that's not the only way, but if I'm a coach, and employer, whatever, I want to be held accountable for what I can control. If I train someone to do X, and for 1/3 of their time they are doing Y, their failure to do X isn't going to fall on me.

That was their model. Total control of a player and their development. Did it fail? Yes. Could it have worked? I believe so, yes. But, the market didn't want that. That's OK, too.

Some liked it, too many others didn't. We move on. Doesn't take away from what we perceived as positive experience and allowed my kid to go to a different level than what was available to them.

So again, failure of the GDA did not prove there was no market, but rather it proved that the USSF put forth a faulty product that was no better than the other products out there.

[Unregistered]

So again, failure of the GDA did not prove there was no market, but rather it proved that the USSF put forth a faulty product that was no better than the other products out there.

Certainly your view.

My view is they put out something that would improve the game, and the market told them they didn't want it. Again, so, we move on.

[Unregistered]

Certainly your view.

My view is they put out something that would improve the game, and the market told them they didn't want it. Again, so, we move on.

Yes, the market didn't want that specific product. It didn't prove that the market for improved player development doesn't exist, but just that that specific product did not satisfy the demand.

[Unregistered]

Yes, the market didn't want that specific product. It didn't prove that the market for improved player development doesn't exist, but just that that specific product did not satisfy the demand.

I don't agree. The market is there for players to enjoy the game (I love that, don't get me wrong), but not for development.

No person with any seriousness would acquiesce to high school play and say they want improved development. It can't exist in the same sentence. Again, that's OK. We will just accept it as a reality, and know we aren't putting our best product out there.

[Unregistered]

I don't agree. The market is there for players to enjoy the game (I love that, don't get me wrong), but not for development.

No person with any seriousness would acquiesce to high school play and say they want improved development. It can't exist in the same sentence. Again, that's OK. We will just accept it as a reality, and know we aren't putting our best product out there.

So enjoying the game is not important for development? Interesting...

Lots of players signed up for GDA, so plenty out there willing to give up high school soccer for a product that helped improve their soccer development. But unfortunately what the GDA ultimately offered was not enough of a step up from the alternatives like ECNL. The complaints I heard from families in the GDA had to do with traveling hours to play against terrible teams, substitution rules that kept too many players on the bench, training was no better than what they were getting in their previous teams (just more of it), no additional/independent training allowed outside of the club, no playing on other non-GDA teams (for players who were not getting much playing time on their GDA team, etc). For the vast majority of these families/players, not playing HS was not high on the list of reasons why they thought GDA was not worth it.

[Unregistered]

And also high on the complaint list was that is was very expensive.

[Unregistered]

And also high on the complaint list was that is was very expensive.

Paying more for less potential playing time, more restrictions on what else you can do, worse travel and blowout games. HOw could it ever go wrong.

[Unregistered]

And also high on the complaint list was that is was very expensive.

I actually didn't hear that one. It was more expensive than ECNL, but it offered 4 more months of training and games and was appropriately proportionally-priced.

[Unregistered]

Paying more for less potential playing time, more restrictions on what else you can do, worse travel and blowout games. HOw could it ever go wrong.

Sounds like the recipe for success! I mean disaster. The sad part is the GA has not learned from the mistakes of its old and failed predecessor in GDA. No one wants to have playing conflicts during the HS season. Just copy the ECNL model and be done with it. Instead they try to differentiate all for the wrong reasons. And to make the statement that they are the best platform in the country for girls soccer is the cherry on top. You have to be a fool to believe that.

[Unregistered]

I actually didn't hear that one. It was more expensive than ECNL, but it offered 4 more months of training and games and was appropriately proportionally-priced.

If you did not hear that it was very expensive, I am not sure you were listening. Lots of travel, high fees, new uniforms, etc. etc.

Common complaint because it was partly sold as trying to do something about the crazy high costs to play youth soccer and yet it was the biggest offender.

[Unregistered]

Sounds like the recipe for success! I mean disaster. The sad part is the GA has not learned from the mistakes of its old and failed predecessor in GDA. No one wants to have playing conflicts during the HS season. Just copy the ECNL model and be done with it. Instead they try to differentiate all for the wrong reasons. And to make the statement that they are the best platform in the country for girls soccer is the cherry on top. You have to be a fool to believe that.

GA is as good as toast with this 10 month season nonsense. These are kids not pros that you own. They have other lives, want to play HS sports, want to hang with their friends. At least the ECNL and ECRL allow for that.

[Unregistered]

I know of exactly ZERO parents who joined GDA due to YNT spots. It was never a factor. Not a once.

That is exactly why clubs like FCV and Tophat joined DA.

[Unregistered]

So enjoying the game is not important for development? Interesting...

Lots of players signed up for GDA, so plenty out there willing to give up high school soccer for a product that helped improve their soccer development. But unfortunately what the GDA ultimately offered was not enough of a step up from the alternatives like ECNL. The complaints I heard from families in the GDA had to do with traveling hours to play against terrible teams, substitution rules that kept too many players on the bench, training was no better than what they were getting in their previous teams (just more of it), no additional/independent training allowed outside of the club, no playing on other non-GDA teams (for players who were not getting much playing time on their GDA team, etc). For the vast majority of these families/players, not playing HS was not high on the list of reasons why they thought GDA was not worth it.

I don't get it. In ECNL you can travel to play terrible teams. Substitution rules were there for a reason. Training was way ahead of what we had previously. We were allowed to do extra training, as long as it didn't conflict (i.e. 1/3 of our team played futsal all winter), but yes...if someone is controlling your development they should include ALL your development...but I do agree players not playing a lot should be able to play on a lesser team (valid point).

Funny, far and away the #1 reason discussed, without question, was HS. Now somehow it's a non-starter? My how the conversations changes...

[Unregistered]

And also high on the complaint list was that is was very expensive.

Paid the same tuition as when in NPL, and same as comparable ECNL teams.

[Unregistered]

If you did not hear that it was very expensive, I am not sure you were listening. Lots of travel, high fees, new uniforms, etc. etc.

Common complaint because it was partly sold as trying to do something about the crazy high costs to play youth soccer and yet it was the biggest offender.

Nope.

Same travel.

Same fees.

Same uniform schedule.

etc

etc

(I never heard it had anything to do with the crazy costs of youth soccer. Same as every other league)


As a price comparison, we actually paid LESS in year 1 of GDA vs. our last year in NPL. Why?

With less training on the NPL team, that meant more private training or other club fees. Since we travelled as a team in GDA, we paid a fee and parents didn't need to go. With NPL, we did, so travel costs were more. Tuition was exactly the same.

Really, I get some of the complaints and opinions, and they are valid depending on your situation. But, costs vs. comparable per hour activities were not the case. I was talking to someone during a friendly, who's kid plays in another league (not sure which). I told him the cost when asked, and he was floored. "Geeze I heard it costs like $10,000 to play?"

"Nope, same as you. Down to the dollar."