OPL Winter league schedule?

[Unregistered]

Scholarship $'s only part of the reason

I agree with this. It is dangerous how in our rush to simplify we over generalize. ECNL does not necessarily equal scholarship, or playing division 1. It is one route to go, but nothing is guaranteed.

I would suggest most of us are better off keeping our destiny in our own hands, rather than chasing after programs that require us to travel 4 hours one way. Clearly peoe can make whatever choice they want, but it is good to be aware that no path is automatic.

The reasons for going North are:

1. Better practice time with an entire team of top players dedicated to playing at a higher level.

2. Better coaching with proven winners.

3. Superior exposure to college coaches at ECNL showcases & Tournaments.

4. Superior game experience from playing against the best.

So if your DD wants to get better and play with an entire team of serious players and get college exposure not available to ANY Oregon team they should consider the opportunity.

Simply looking at the math would say to stay home and put the $'s in the 529 BUT that is true of OPL participation too.

[Unregistered]

I think your reasons listed could be correct with the exception of practice. Since the player has to travel so far they really don't practice all that often with the team. They do play with and against some of the best though.

[Unregistered]

The reasons for going North are:

1. Better practice time with an entire team of top players dedicated to playing at a higher level.

2. Better coaching with proven winners.

3. Superior exposure to college coaches at ECNL showcases & Tournaments.

4. Superior game experience from playing against the best.

So if your DD wants to get better and play with an entire team of serious players and get college exposure not available to ANY Oregon team they should consider the opportunity.

Simply looking at the math would say to stay home and put the $'s in the 529 BUT that is true of OPL participation too.

Some of what you're saying is correct but not all of it. If you're on a good team in Oregon that travels and does lots of showcase tournaments then you'll get plenty of exposure. If your daughter is good enough the coaches will notice her regardless of ECNL. Sodium and OSSA both do a lot of traveling and most of those players are rapping up their college commitments. The next girls team I see getting lots of exposure will be Onyx. If your daughter is lucky enough to be in that age group then I'd head there before traveling up North. No reason to go anywhere else.

[Unregistered]

The reasons for going North are:

1. Better practice time with an entire team of top players dedicated to playing at a higher level.

2. Better coaching with proven winners.

3. Superior exposure to college coaches at ECNL showcases & Tournaments.

4. Superior game experience from playing against the best.

So if your DD wants to get better and play with an entire team of serious players and get college exposure not available to ANY Oregon team they should consider the opportunity.

Simply looking at the math would say to stay home and put the $'s in the 529 BUT that is true of OPL participation too.

How many kids are we really talking about from Oregon? I know of only 6 Oregon girls who are playing as Discovery players with ECNL teams, and each of them also plays with quality Oregon teams. It seems the ECNL play is merely a good (even excellent) supplement and not a replacement. I'm not sure it ever will really be an issue unless and until Oregon gets an ECNL club, but maybe there are many more discovery players out there.

[Unregistered]

How many kids are we really talking about from Oregon? I know of only 6 Oregon girls who are playing as Discovery players with ECNL teams, and each of them also plays with quality Oregon teams. It seems the ECNL play is merely a good (even excellent) supplement and not a replacement. I'm not sure it ever will really be an issue unless and until Oregon gets an ECNL club, but maybe there are many more discovery players out there.

I think being a discovery player is an excellent idea but I think those that choose to join WPFC or Crossfire are just crazy. Well at least if your dd is U14, U16, or U17 as we have very good teams in Oregon at those age groups.

[Unregistered]

If you only knew what you were talking about!

Some of what you're saying is correct but not all of it. If you're on a good team in Oregon that travels and does lots of showcase tournaments then you'll get plenty of exposure. If your daughter is good enough the coaches will notice her regardless of ECNL. Sodium and OSSA both do a lot of traveling and most of those players are rapping up their college commitments. The next girls team I see getting lots of exposure will be Onyx. If your daughter is lucky enough to be in that age group then I'd head there before traveling up North. No reason to go anywhere else.

During the Christmas break ECNL had a college showcase in Florida and there were 20+ college coaches on the sideline of nearly every game. Where did your mythical Oregon team go to get that?

This will be the experience for each and every one of the four ECNL show cases plus at the regional and National tournaments. Not one single girls team in Oregon history has gotten that much exposure, not Ireland and not Neon had that level of exposure.

Don't forget that most but not all the ECNL teams also go to Surf so these show cases are "on top of" what you consider equal exposure.

[Unregistered]

During the Christmas break ECNL had a college showcase in Florida and there were 20+ college coaches on the sideline of nearly every game. Where did your mythical Oregon team go to get that?

This will be the experience for each and every one of the four ECNL show cases plus at the regional and National tournaments. Not one single girls team in Oregon history has gotten that much exposure, not Ireland and not Neon had that level of exposure.

Don't forget that most but not all the ECNL teams also go to Surf so these show cases are "on top of" what you consider equal exposure.

Exposure is not the end-all be-all. It is great to be seen by coaches, but you also have to be aware of what they are seeing. Are they seeing you sitting on the bench of this great team, or are you a star with a good team. Are you allowed to demonstrate what you can do?

Exposure does not guarantee anything.

[Unregistered]

And posting just to argue does not make you "correct"

Exposure is not the end-all be-all. It is great to be seen by coaches, but you also have to be aware of what they are seeing. Are they seeing you sitting on the bench of this great team, or are you a star with a good team. Are you allowed to demonstrate what you can do?

Exposure does not guarantee anything.

First if you your DD is making the trips North and she is not playing in the games then that IS a dumb move, however if she is good enough to make one of their teams and is on the field she will be showing more to more coachs than she would playing on the average teams in Oregon that we think are great.

Argue all you want but dem's da facts.

[Unregistered]

During the Christmas break ECNL had a college showcase in Florida and there were 20+ college coaches on the sideline of nearly every game. Where did your mythical Oregon team go to get that?

This will be the experience for each and every one of the four ECNL show cases plus at the regional and National tournaments. Not one single girls team in Oregon history has gotten that much exposure, not Ireland and not Neon had that level of exposure.

Don't forget that most but not all the ECNL teams also go to Surf so these show cases are "on top of" what you consider equal exposure.

I saw about that many coaches at the Final Four Showcase in California where both OSSA and Sodium attended.

Why not just play on a good Oregon team and be a discovery player?

[Unregistered]

First if you your DD is making the trips North and she is not playing in the games then that IS a dumb move, however if she is good enough to make one of their teams and is on the field she will be showing more to more coachs than she would playing on the average teams in Oregon that we think are great.

Argue all you want but dem's da facts.

Haven't some of these "average teams" from Oregon beaten the ECNL teams?

[Unregistered]

Why not just play on a good Oregon team and be a discovery player?

Because a few of the players that joined an ECNL team didn't make the best Oregon teams.

[Unregistered]

For the older kids the only reason they are playing as discovery players is because they enjoy playing with and against the best as most have already committed.

[Unregistered]

Haven't some of these "average teams" from Oregon beaten the ECNL teams?

No. Nor did Sodium or OSSA Blue at all but one age group.

[Unregistered]

No. Nor did Sodium or OSSA Blue at all but one age group.

Onyx has beaten both ECNL teams.

[Unregistered]

Yes, but....

No. Nor did Sodium or OSSA Blue at all but one age group.

Sodium and OSSA 95 Blue have been very successful the past couple years against many ecnl and other highly ranked teams at Surf, Vegas, Mustang, PDA , etc.
True , they both got beaten at the recent NWCL, but they can compete.