What's best for the kids?

[Unregistered]

After reading the entire 16 pages of the OPL-OYSA post, i decided to start a new thread, with the emphasis on what is best for the kids, as opposed to the clubs, coaches, opl, oysa, etc.

It seems to me that kids benefit from playing soccer when the league/tournament they play in offers an appropriate level of competition, based on the ability of the teams in that league. The only way I can think of to determine whether or not a league is provides a competitive experience is to look at the scores. So, I went to the OYSA website Fall league, and did some math. It was very interesting:

At U14 girls, there were 51 teams placed in 6 leagues. I don't know all the rules, but I believe the qualifying tournaments were used to place the teams in the various leagues. From what I could tell looking at the standings and scores, all 6 leagues were very competitive, with very few lopsided scores, which I define as 4 goals or more differential. At U14 Girls Premier gold, for example, they played 63 games, only four had a goal differential of more than 3, none more than 4. The lowest U14 girls league, Classic 2, played 48 games, and had 5 games with a goal differential of more than 3, one with a goal differential of 5, the rest 4.

Then I looked at U12 Boys. Figured that would be a good comparison since both OYSA and OPL ran U12 leagues. At OYSA, 19 teams in 2 leagues. Premier gold played 56 games, 11 with GD of 4, 4 with GD of 5, 5 with GD of 6, 1 with GD of 7, 1 with GD of 8. The other league played 66 games, 6 with GD of 4, 3 with GD of 5, 6 with GD of 6, 2 with GD of 7, 3 with GD of 8, 2 with GD of 9.

Seemed like a good idea to do the same evaluation of OPL U12 fall leagues for boys, but could not find any links to standings or schedules for the fall. Maybe somebody can post a link. I did find the spring league schedules, but no standings. Does OPL really use excel spreadsheets for schedules? Do they do standings? Hard to imagine a Premier League without standings. Anyway, in looking at the scores that were posted for the spring league, saw a large number of lopsided games, up to GD of 8, very similar to OYSA fall league.

Seems pretty obvious to me that having two organizations running Premier leagues will result in a much lower level of competition in both leagues. I don't see how that benefits the kids.

I also noticed a post that stated the U15 - U19 OYSA Winter leagues were formed through a coaches meeting, where the coaches decided which teams went in which leagues. That apparently is what OPL will also do with the younger ages. Once again, I went and looked at the Winter League standings. Yikes, that did not work out very well.

Looking at how competitive the U14 girls fall league worked out, and State cup results so far, it seems pretty clear that having all the competitive teams in the state in one organization, and using qualifying tournaments to determine league placement, results in the most competitive leagues for the kids. Doesn't mean OYSA can't do things better, but we should be careful in going away from a system that seems to work.

I am very interested to hear how having two separate Premier leagues, given the small number of teams in Oregon, will benefit the kids. That should be the basis used to make decisions.

[Unregistered]

Who knows why clubs do the things they do. They tell themselves they are doing it for the players, but there is a lot of negative to this.
Washington clubs created the PDL league. There is a lot of controversy with this. Sounds like Oregon will do the same, calling it a different name but the same outcome.

For the most part their gain is for better competition, so in their eyes it is for the better of the player.

[Unregistered]

Seems pretty obvious to me that having two organizations running Premier leagues will result in a much lower level of competition in both leagues. I don't see how that benefits the kids.

I think what you're failing to realize is that both organizations want to "win". OPL doesn't think they will only have eight teams in their leagues - they believe other clubs that want to play the good teams so will be forced to join OPL.

[Unregistered]

After reading the entire 16 pages of the OPL-OYSA post, i decided to start a new thread, with the emphasis on what is best for the kids, as opposed to the clubs, coaches, opl, oysa, etc.

It seems to me that kids benefit from playing soccer when the league/tournament they play in offers an appropriate level of competition, based on the ability of the teams in that league. The only way I can think of to determine whether or not a league is provides a competitive experience is to look at the scores. So, I went to the OYSA website Fall league, and did some math. It was very interesting:

At U14 girls, there were 51 teams placed in 6 leagues. I don't know all the rules, but I believe the qualifying tournaments were used to place the teams in the various leagues. From what I could tell looking at the standings and scores, all 6 leagues were very competitive, with very few lopsided scores, which I define as 4 goals or more differential. At U14 Girls Premier gold, for example, they played 63 games, only four had a goal differential of more than 3, none more than 4. The lowest U14 girls league, Classic 2, played 48 games, and had 5 games with a goal differential of more than 3, one with a goal differential of 5, the rest 4.

Then I looked at U12 Boys. Figured that would be a good comparison since both OYSA and OPL ran U12 leagues. At OYSA, 19 teams in 2 leagues. Premier gold played 56 games, 11 with GD of 4, 4 with GD of 5, 5 with GD of 6, 1 with GD of 7, 1 with GD of 8. The other league played 66 games, 6 with GD of 4, 3 with GD of 5, 6 with GD of 6, 2 with GD of 7, 3 with GD of 8, 2 with GD of 9.

Seemed like a good idea to do the same evaluation of OPL U12 fall leagues for boys, but could not find any links to standings or schedules for the fall. Maybe somebody can post a link. I did find the spring league schedules, but no standings. Does OPL really use excel spreadsheets for schedules? Do they do standings? Hard to imagine a Premier League without standings. Anyway, in looking at the scores that were posted for the spring league, saw a large number of lopsided games, up to GD of 8, very similar to OYSA fall league.

Seems pretty obvious to me that having two organizations running Premier leagues will result in a much lower level of competition in both leagues. I don't see how that benefits the kids.

I also noticed a post that stated the U15 - U19 OYSA Winter leagues were formed through a coaches meeting, where the coaches decided which teams went in which leagues. That apparently is what OPL will also do with the younger ages. Once again, I went and looked at the Winter League standings. Yikes, that did not work out very well.

Looking at how competitive the U14 girls fall league worked out, and State cup results so far, it seems pretty clear that having all the competitive teams in the state in one organization, and using qualifying tournaments to determine league placement, results in the most competitive leagues for the kids. Doesn't mean OYSA can't do things better, but we should be careful in going away from a system that seems to work.

I am very interested to hear how having two separate Premier leagues, given the small number of teams in Oregon, will benefit the kids. That should be the basis used to make decisions.

To be fair the some of the teams that played in the U12 Boys OPL Spring league; played in the lower level during the Fall. But jumped up a level so that they could get games in before State Cup. Fall League (as you stated didn't have the information to make a comparison) was a better representation of how the league was evenly split between the different levels.