Ny gda

[Unregistered]

In other countries it can cost only a couple hundred bucks a year to play for a top team, travel included. Apples and oranges.

Charge 200 bucks a year and you will have lots of players willing to make the sacrifice.

Wrong...its not apples to oranges. It cost less because TALENT is the deciding factor, not size of wallet. Players that are actually talented often dont pay at all in the US system. Why? because they need them to keep selling the myth to those who would not win without them.

They charge as much as they can get away with.

[Unregistered]

You’re not wrong. However, the rare elite player, who does the extra training and watches soccer (very few girls do this), is a diamond in the rough. We can not make a team of these players in all of NY/NJ/CT.

I agree with you. Its a bunch of parents of average players trying to figure how to get an edge in every way EXCEPT actually making their kids put the time in to get better and dealing with the risk that they may not be good enough.

The kids who have done this dont suffer from the "problems" that plague this site. The patch, club, W/L record etc are irrelevant to the College coach who scouts them. But when you are trying to differentiate between 10 mediocre players, maybe politics is relevant.

Top school tend not to recruit mediocre players.

[Unregistered]

It would make it like any other league and there it cannot compete with ECNL.

USSF needs to decide what it wants GDA to be. Either be 1) a true top league with far fewer players/clubs/teams OR 2) be another mega league for the masses, hope you can compete and hope that it will help the NT (it won't).

If #1, USSF needs to fund it or at least substantially fund it. That's when the cream will start rising to the top.

Why does the USSF need to fund it ?

[Unregistered]

the truly elite should be on gda, ecnl will be gda2

hello ecnl troll.

so you think that every club has 18 truly elite players across 4 age groups ? I think there are maybe 18 elite prospects across ALL age groups in CT/MA/NJ/NY

[Unregistered]

If/when the Graduation Year teams from Ecnl want to play in a non-ecnl Showcase, they simply play up a year (technically more like play up about 1/3 of a year).
1)ECNL teams already often do this since playing on age with mere mortals isn’t as challenging.
2)Playing “up” a little in age in a non-ecnl tourney/showcase also gives a valid excuse if the ecnl team loses
3)The vast majority of ECNL games, tourneys and showcases are all ECNL anyway.
4)Instantly pull the 1/3 of “lost” players to ECNL where they won’t have problems due to no team/older team/younger team brought on by birth year age groups.
5)New recruiting guidelines and more to come push the recruiting timeline out to junior year. Birth year has forced juniors and seniors to have only one combined u18/u19 division. Grad Year opens that up to two full separate teams - one with all juniors and one with all seniors
6)College coaches don’t care what year a player was born; they only care what year they graduate
7)Easier to gauge talent. Won’t have the problem of Ex: Is the 8th grader that is a solid player but not a stand out playing with and against majority 9th graders (due to birth year) less than, greater than or equal to another 8th grader who stands out playing with and against younger 8th graders and one third 7th graders (due to birth year). How can the coach know for sure unless the two 8th graders are playing with and against similar/same division/competition
9)More opportunities for more players going Graduation Year (particularly at the crucial 8th & 9th year transition which currently leaves older 8th graders without a birth year team because the other 2/3 of players are in high school. Those top players would all choose ecnl if it was Grad Year. Same with the junior/senior dilemma-particularly with new recruiting timeline.
10)GDA could manage to allow high school to help draw players away from ecnl but can’t go Grad Year due to national team age groups so it’s a critical chess move Ecnl can make that GDA cannot counter.
11)More players with easier recruiting path to college in ecnl equals more commits, more money and more power for ECNL

A lot of good points. I’m not sure I’m buying graduate year teams though.

[Unregistered]

Wrong...its not apples to oranges. It cost less because TALENT is the deciding factor, not size of wallet. Players that are actually talented often dont pay at all in the US system. Why? because they need them to keep selling the myth to those who would not win without them.

They charge as much as they can get away with.

IT is 200 bucks for every player on the girls team at PSG outside Paris. Every single....player. And that is for the entire year including travel. It is like the boys have here at the MLS academies. That is apples to oranges. Boys MLS academies here bear to relation whatsoever to anything on the girls side.

[Unregistered]

so you think that every club has 18 truly elite players across 4 age groups ? I think there are maybe 18 elite prospects across ALL age groups in CT/MA/NJ/NY

Jeez that was a response to another poster claiming GDA should merge into ECNL and ECNL is elite.

[Unregistered]

A lot of good points. I’m not sure I’m buying graduate year teams though.

Since almost all female players only care about college using graduation year simplifies the recruiting process. It also eliminates trapped players in 8th and 12th grades

[Unregistered]

Why does the USSF need to fund it ?

Not the poster but removing fees means talent is selected, not just those who can afford it. Since GDA doesn't have free to play MLS clubs the league is just another expensive experience. That also means its competing for the same kinds of players ECNL has, many of whom want to play high school soccer. When a program is totally free then dropping HS is easier to accept. Pay virtually the same and you'll pick based on coaching and what you want to do

[Unregistered]

So isn’t then ECNL a better forum for these girls since colleges play two games week? Isn’t DA 4 to 1 ratio? That seems to be all I hear. But, then ECNL makes more sense. Am I wrong? Just trying to have a better understanding. My daughter is almost at the age to decide.

[Unregistered]

So isn’t then ECNL a better forum for these girls since colleges play two games week? Isn’t DA 4 to 1 ratio? That seems to be all I hear. But, then ECNL makes more sense. Am I wrong? Just trying to have a better understanding. My daughter is almost at the age to decide.

You would be crazy to choose because of a league designation. They are very very similar. Forget the league. look at the clubs within striking distance and choose based on coaching, distance, cost in fees time and travel burden.

Look at the calendars for older ages to see how many showcases are required, and their length and location they can be quite expensive if they are in the west or florida and extend over days. Sometimes they also conflict with the end of school or state exams. Go figure.

Good luck - you will need it!

[Unregistered]

ECNL to Graduation Year age groups

If/when the Graduation Year teams from Ecnl want to play in a non-ecnl Showcase, they simply play up a year (technically more like play up about 1/3 of a year).
1)ECNL teams already often do this since playing on age with mere mortals isn’t as challenging.
2)Playing “up” a little in age in a non-ecnl tourney/showcase also gives a valid excuse if the ecnl team loses
3)The vast majority of ECNL games, tourneys and showcases are all ECNL anyway.
4)Instantly pull the 1/3 of “lost” players to ECNL where they won’t have problems due to no team/older team/younger team brought on by birth year age groups.
5)New recruiting guidelines and more to come push the recruiting timeline out to junior year. Birth year has forced juniors and seniors to have only one combined u18/u19 division. Grad Year opens that up to two full separate teams - one with all juniors and one with all seniors
6)College coaches don’t care what year a player was born; they only care what year they graduate
7)Easier to gauge talent. Won’t have the problem of Ex: Is the 8th grader that is a solid player but not a stand out playing with and against majority 9th graders (due to birth year) less than, greater than or equal to another 8th grader who stands out playing with and against younger 8th graders and one third 7th graders (due to birth year). How can the coach know for sure unless the two 8th graders are playing with and against similar/same division/competition
9)More opportunities for more players going Graduation Year (particularly at the crucial 8th & 9th year transition which currently leaves older 8th graders without a birth year team because the other 2/3 of players are in high school. Those top players would all choose ecnl if it was Grad Year. Same with the junior/senior dilemma-particularly with new recruiting timeline.
10)GDA could manage to allow high school to help draw players away from ecnl but can’t go Grad Year due to national team age groups so it’s a critical chess move Ecnl can make that GDA cannot counter.
11)More players with easier recruiting path to college in ecnl equals more commits, more money and more power for ECNL

Good points. Bottom line is Ecnl needs to switch to grad year teams or risk being killed off by GDA.

[Unregistered]

Good points. Bottom line is Ecnl needs to switch to grad year teams or risk being killed off by GDA.

Nah, disagree. The 2 leagues will chug along, GDA stronger in certain regions, ECNL stronger in others. Most "true" NT prospects will stick with GDA in the hopes of pleasing USSF folks, but then there is a huge drop off in the quality of players. ECNL will struggle to retain "elites" that impress at NTCs and such who are hoping to get their shot with a camp invite, but will keep the rest of the bulk of the players GDA is trying to attract to strengthen the quality of their league.

Others have said it, but it bears repeating. Pick the club that is reasonable in price and distance and offers solid coaching & training. Another note-make sure the club/coach *believes in* and respects your kid-it can really make ALL THE DIFFERENCE! Keep your eyes wide open and remember-the highest scoring, most impressive YNT player plays for an NPL team...

[Unregistered]

So isn’t then ECNL a better forum for these girls since colleges play two games week? Isn’t DA 4 to 1 ratio? That seems to be all I hear. But, then ECNL makes more sense. Am I wrong? Just trying to have a better understanding. My daughter is almost at the age to decide.

Most ECNL clubs it's 3 practices/week, 2 games/weekend. With away games they pair up so that you get in two games in the same location that weekend. With GDA it's 4:1 so you may travel a very long way and it's also possible your kid hardly plays or even doesn't play at all (substitution rules are much more restrictive for DA). A college schedule is very intense, much like HS, so in that regard ECNL more closely mimics the game intensity of college. DA contends two games a week is too much and that the training 4 days a week is better. Each side has its pros and cons

But as another said there's a lot to consider and the most important thing is the quality of the coaching at whatever clubs you're considering. If the training isn't good then it doesn't matter how many days a week you practice. Where she fits on the roster matters too - bench warmers don't get much better no matter the league. Then there's the travel, costs, her interest in playing HS etc. Also, GDA is teetering around here. Personally I'd go ECNL for now and see where GDA shakes out. If she's a good player she'll find a good home

[Unregistered]

Good points. Bottom line is Ecnl needs to switch to grad year teams or risk being killed off by GDA.

No it doesn't. Switching would give it an additional advantage but it isn't a necessity. Some predicted ECNL would nearly instantly evaporate and that simply hasn't happened. The league remains strong overall and several very good clubs came back after just one year. Around here some of the GDA clubs are just terrible and region is very weak. Out West it's a totally different animal. But you pick what you have locally.