The Untold Truth of PDA

[Unregistered]

You never experienced reputable coaches and clubs. You got involved early on with the wrong club. That is why you have resentments to players and parents. Coaches like you who can’t develop their own youth players, and constantly look poaching better players from real coaches and clubs don’t belong in youth sports.

If your kid wants to just play then by all means do whatever you want. If your kid has dreams of going to a specific school or schools then you need to look at how those before got their. Look at the rosters, what did those players accomplish before getting recruited? Were they ECNL, GDA, USYS or other? Was the team a national contender or middle of the pack type? Did the player(s) do ODP, regional ID camps or YNT? If you think you can simply show up to a camp for a top college and be recruited well, you better be heads and tails above every other person at that camp. When being recruited colleges put weights on what league your kid plays in and how far that team goes and how much they play. A bench player on an ECNL team will have more options then a stand out starter on a township team in the mid to bottom flights of EDP.

[Unregistered]

The analogy to military or college soccer is very misleading. Do you pay to serve? No. Do you pay to play college soccer. Well yes. Tuition. But not to play soccer.

Now do you pay to play youth soccer? Yes.

So when you pay, you don’t get the service you pay for and you do nothing about it. What does that make you? An idiot. A prey.

Do you have the option of leaving when you no longer get what you are paying for? Does the club have the option to refuse service to any player or parent?

People pay for PDA like people pay for Harvard. The people you have access to and the name itself has merit in the college soccer world. Same reason people fought against Rutgers Camden becoming part of Rowen. No one wanted a law degree from Rowen.

[Unregistered]

If your kid wants to just play then by all means do whatever you want. If your kid has dreams of going to a specific school or schools then you need to look at how those before got their. Look at the rosters, what did those players accomplish before getting recruited? Were they ECNL, GDA, USYS or other? Was the team a national contender or middle of the pack type? Did the player(s) do ODP, regional ID camps or YNT? If you think you can simply show up to a camp for a top college and be recruited well, you better be heads and tails above every other person at that camp. When being recruited colleges put weights on what league your kid plays in and how far that team goes and how much they play. A bench player on an ECNL team will have more options then a stand out starter on a township team in the mid to bottom flights of EDP.

This was all okay... until you claimed that a “bench player on ECNL has more options to stand out”- that’s the funniest thing I ever read. Didn’t know colleges were now looking at how well you sit on the bench!

[Unregistered]

Obviously you've never been in the military. Why do you have to be nuts to go above and beyond for your kids? I enjoy watching mine play at the level they are at. If that means paying $3k for a club and travel and they are playing good minutes and they are happy then it is worth it to me.

Great! You don’t belong on this board or you are in Denial- likely the latter. If You are happy with your club, getting what you want and enjoy it. why read this garbage?
I read it because we are not happy paying $3k +++++ for less than mediocre coaching, bloated teams where the players are only for themselves because they have to be, including my kid and I don’t like it. no planning pre or post game. Poor practice sessions that get cancelled and internal politics. And no I don’t want my kid side training with coach because it makes me uncomfortable, even though I really considered it when I saw what it was getting some players but then I came to my senses.
PS- Not sure what the military has to do with this.

[Unregistered]

Great! You don’t belong on this board or you are in Denial- likely the latter. If You are happy with your club, getting what you want and enjoy it. why read this garbage?
I read it because we are not happy paying $3k +++++ for less than mediocre coaching, bloated teams where the players are only for themselves because they have to be, including my kid and I don’t like it. no planning pre or post game. Poor practice sessions that get cancelled and internal politics. And no I don’t want my kid side training with coach because it makes me uncomfortable, even though I really considered it when I saw what it was getting some players but then I came to my senses.
PS- Not sure what the military has to do with this.

And because of your situation you think reading the personal rants of TS anonymous parents is beneficial? Your daughter should be attending training sessions for other clubs right now figuring out where she best fits. Listening to the personal rants of other anonymous parents gets you nowhere. You need to be proactive with your daughter and see for yourself instead of listening to the prejudices of others.

[Unregistered]

Every club and I mean every club near me ie within an hour would drop the worst player for a shiny new starter. Don't fool yourself, every coach wants to win and will bring in a new player they think is better at the expense of one that hasn't progressed while being on the team. The only teams being cautious are the ones in danger of folding because they can't replace key players and fear others leaving. Teams keeping 15-16 do so because they can't find more players, simple as that.

You should move out of your area then.

[Unregistered]

And because of your situation you think reading the personal rants of TS anonymous parents is beneficial? Your daughter should be attending training sessions for other clubs right now figuring out where she best fits. Listening to the personal rants of other anonymous parents gets you nowhere. You need to be proactive with your daughter and see for yourself instead of listening to the prejudices of others.

And allow PDA continuing their scam?

[Unregistered]

If your kid wants to just play then by all means do whatever you want. If your kid has dreams of going to a specific school or schools then you need to look at how those before got their. Look at the rosters, what did those players accomplish before getting recruited? Were they ECNL, GDA, USYS or other? Was the team a national contender or middle of the pack type? Did the player(s) do ODP, regional ID camps or YNT? If you think you can simply show up to a camp for a top college and be recruited well, you better be heads and tails above every other person at that camp. When being recruited colleges put weights on what league your kid plays in and how far that team goes and how much they play. A bench player on an ECNL team will have more options then a stand out starter on a township team in the mid to bottom flights of EDP.

LOL ECNL bench players get options. Your in lala land. Good luck at Rutgers. You earned it.

[Unregistered]

Every club and I mean every club near me ie within an hour would drop the worst player for a shiny new starter. Don't fool yourself, every coach wants to win and will bring in a new player they think is better at the expense of one that hasn't progressed while being on the team. The only teams being cautious are the ones in danger of folding because they can't replace key players and fear others leaving. Teams keeping 15-16 do so because they can't find more players, simple as that.

PDA knows “better” players. Your a PDA fool. They can’t tie their shoes.

[Unregistered]

And because of your situation you think reading the personal rants of TS anonymous parents is beneficial? Your daughter should be attending training sessions for other clubs right now figuring out where she best fits. Listening to the personal rants of other anonymous parents gets you nowhere. You need to be proactive with your daughter and see for yourself instead of listening to the prejudices of others.

Why are you here?

If you think this board is useless and no one cares about the opinions here, why are you spending time here and defending PDA?

Because you sincerely care about NJ youth soccer?

[Unregistered]

This was all okay... until you claimed that a “bench player on ECNL has more options to stand out”- that’s the funniest thing I ever read. Didn’t know colleges were now looking at how well you sit on the bench!

Point was that the bench player will at least be seen.

[Unregistered]

Point was that the bench player will at least be seen.

Yes. With binoculars. It’s all about posture. Practice sitting at ECNL. Look up towards the binoculars.

LOL

[Unregistered]

Point was that the bench player will at least be seen.

As in Beauty Contest?

[Unregistered]

Name the last player to play for a P5 college team that didn't play in ECNL, GA/GDA or a USYS D1 team from NJ. Players who play for township and low level clubs go to school and happen to play soccer. Some do ok but most will drop after a year or two. Those in higher level clubs go to school to play soccer and get an education. Some may sputter out after a year or two when they realize they no longer curry the coaches favor and don't get playing time. Other will stick it out all 4yrs because they love it regardless. A few will go one after college and continue in soccer either through pro/semi pro teams or becoming trainers or coaches themselves. Such is the way of things. No amount of complaining or bickering is going to change that. Players who want to compete at the next level will move to new teams/clubs and take the place of someone already their. For every person who moves up someone has to move back.

[Unregistered]

Name the last player to play for a P5 college team that didn't play in ECNL, GA/GDA or a USYS D1 team from NJ. Players who play for township and low level clubs go to school and happen to play soccer. Some do ok but most will drop after a year or two. Those in higher level clubs go to school to play soccer and get an education. Some may sputter out after a year or two when they realize they no longer curry the coaches favor and don't get playing time. Other will stick it out all 4yrs because they love it regardless. A few will go one after college and continue in soccer either through pro/semi pro teams or becoming trainers or coaches themselves. Such is the way of things. No amount of complaining or bickering is going to change that. Players who want to compete at the next level will move to new teams/clubs and take the place of someone already their. For every person who moves up someone has to move back.

Carly Lloyd.