Girls DA travel is free???!!

[Unregistered]

That's chump change to a millionaire. Timbers will find this like they do for boys. I'm sure of it.

Merritt's a millionaire and he threw his dollars behind this so expect him to throw some cash money to cover the girls travel costs.

[Unregistered]

Merritt's a millionaire and he threw his dollars behind this so expect him to throw some cash money to cover the girls travel costs.

Yes because most millionaires made there money spending it foolishly. This guy isn't daddy more bucks.

Girls will be paying for travel and it will be expensive. Get over it. Girls soccer in US is pay to play.

[Unregistered]

Yes because most millionaires made there money spending it foolishly. This guy isn't daddy more bucks.

Girls will be paying for travel and it will be expensive. Get over it. Girls soccer in US is pay to play.

He'd have to go back to daddy to get more bucks.

[Unregistered]

I'm glad the GDA will be free. That way the parents can travel.

[Unregistered]

I'm glad the GDA will be free. That way the parents can travel.

elect Bernie Sanders and GDA will be free as will ECNL and everything else. He will make Donald Trump pay the bill.

[Unregistered]

Can someone help me reconcile how the bashers of ECNL were saying that it was too expensive and everyone was throwing their money away, but now those same people are excited about GDA even though it appears that travel cost will be more expensive than ECNL

[Unregistered]

girls DA travel is free

can someone help me reconcile how the bashers of ecnl were saying that it was too expensive and everyone was throwing their money away, but now those same people are excited about gda even though it appears that travel cost will be more expensive than ecnl

troll !

[Unregistered]

Can someone help me reconcile how the bashers of ECNL were saying that it was too expensive and everyone was throwing their money away, but now those same people are excited about GDA even though it appears that travel cost will be more expensive than ECNL

Because they are hypocrites.

[Unregistered]

Can someone help me reconcile how the bashers of ECNL were saying that it was too expensive and everyone was throwing their money away, but now those same people are excited about GDA even though it appears that travel cost will be more expensive than ECNL

I am not a troll and I have this question also. I know of one family who turned down a spot in ECNL to join thorns specifically because they couldn't afford ECNL and didn't qualify for a scholarship. I don't see them much these days since our kids left our local club and went their separate ways but I am very curious to know what they are thinking.

You can't really think some magic hand is going to come out of the sky and make girls DA super cheap, right? You do realize this is girls playing soccer and even our world beating national team is grossly underpaid, right? So there is no money to pay for a girls DA and even if there was, that money would be funneled to either the WPSL to pay their players a living wage (WPSL practice players don't even get paid - but you think DA players will get free travel?), or funneled to the boys program because that's what the national powers that be really care about.

Think about it. Our women are world champs. Nothing needs fixing. They come up through a pay to play system like club and/or ECNL and dominate the world. The men's side, on the other hand, is a hot mess. Soccer doesn't have enough money to pay for a true boys academy like is done in Europe. So...what to do? I know! Capitalize on parent gullibility and the success of the women's team. Create a girl's DA, charge a little bit more then you need to per player (times a minimum of 75 teams times 20 players per team) and use that extra cash for the boys side. Genius!

So I will repeat the original poster's question. How can you go from bashing ECNL costs, when ECNL has a proven track record of getting girls to college, and yet embrace academy costs, when the academy system has a proven track record of nothing?

[Unregistered]

I am not a troll and I have this question also. I know of one family who turned down a spot in ECNL to join thorns specifically because they couldn't afford ECNL and didn't qualify for a scholarship. I don't see them much these days since our kids left our local club and went their separate ways but I am very curious to know what they are thinking.

You can't really think some magic hand is going to come out of the sky and make girls DA super cheap, right? You do realize this is girls playing soccer and even our world beating national team is grossly underpaid, right? So there is no money to pay for a girls DA and even if there was, that money would be funneled to either the WPSL to pay their players a living wage (WPSL practice players don't even get paid - but you think DA players will get free travel?), or funneled to the boys program because that's what the national powers that be really care about.

Think about it. Our women are world champs. Nothing needs fixing. They come up through a pay to play system like club and/or ECNL and dominate the world. The men's side, on the other hand, is a hot mess. Soccer doesn't have enough money to pay for a true boys academy like is done in Europe. So...what to do? I know! Capitalize on parent gullibility and the success of the women's team. Create a girl's DA, charge a little bit more then you need to per player (times a minimum of 75 teams times 20 players per team) and use that extra cash for the boys side. Genius!

So I will repeat the original poster's question. How can you go from bashing ECNL costs, when ECNL has a proven track record of getting girls to college, and yet embrace academy costs, when the academy system has a proven track record of nothing?

I think there are two answers to that question.
1) Timbers Alliance parents - who blindly follow wherever they are led, all for the glory of the Timbers patch. They will not be swayed from their conviction that all things Timbers Alliance are the best.
2) Parents who are legitimately looking for a lower cost option than ECNL and either have, or think they have, a player who is top tier. There's been a lot of marketing from the TA side to suggest that Thorns Academy is cheaper, and hopefulness that the same sponsorship that exists for Timbers Academy would apply to the girls side. Some parents/kids don't really care about playing high school sports so would be willing to give that up, but the fact is that there is no Bernie Sanders at the end of the GDA rainbow to spend other peoples money on their travel. That only works on the boys side where there is real money to be made by the Timbers organization in the end.
In short, blind allegiance or uninformed parents are the two reasons for interest in Thorns Academy.

[Unregistered]

I am not a troll and I have this question also. I know of one family who turned down a spot in ECNL to join thorns specifically because they couldn't afford ECNL and didn't qualify for a scholarship. I don't see them much these days since our kids left our local club and went their separate ways but I am very curious to know what they are thinking.

You can't really think some magic hand is going to come out of the sky and make girls DA super cheap, right? You do realize this is girls playing soccer and even our world beating national team is grossly underpaid, right? So there is no money to pay for a girls DA and even if there was, that money would be funneled to either the WPSL to pay their players a living wage (WPSL practice players don't even get paid - but you think DA players will get free travel?), or funneled to the boys program because that's what the national powers that be really care about.

Think about it. Our women are world champs. Nothing needs fixing. They come up through a pay to play system like club and/or ECNL and dominate the world. The men's side, on the other hand, is a hot mess. Soccer doesn't have enough money to pay for a true boys academy like is done in Europe. So...what to do? I know! Capitalize on parent gullibility and the success of the women's team. Create a girl's DA, charge a little bit more then you need to per player (times a minimum of 75 teams times 20 players per team) and use that extra cash for the boys side. Genius!

So I will repeat the original poster's question. How can you go from bashing ECNL costs, when ECNL has a proven track record of getting girls to college, and yet embrace academy costs, when the academy system has a proven track record of nothing?

Having a top league for development and competition is all that's really being created.

Why do you care what group has it? USYS had it for decades and ECNL and USYS shared the torch for just over 5-7 years now their is a new tier dedicated to only the Best Clubs and players in the nation. It's selective and they didn't choose any local clubs from Oregon as they didn't provide US Soccer with an infrastructure, coaching staff or talent base to be relevant in this top level.

The pay to travel Model in the ECNL worked and the last few years, unfortunately all of the efforts in the league were centered around keeping the best clubs away from the bottom rung clubs in showcases and league play. They were not a comprehensive quality program anymore. Time for change says US Soccer.

American girls have been world champs from the organic roots of no club teams in the 80's with a championship in 1001 to world champs in 2015 with USYS, ODP, HS and US Club Soccer, NWSL players filling out rosters. No method, no design just better athletes than the rest of world can put together for the fledgling sport of women's worldwide soccer.

Embrace change or get left behind.

[Unregistered]

Having a top league for development and competition is all that's really being created.

Why do you care what group has it? USYS had it for decades and ECNL and USYS shared the torch for just over 5-7 years now their is a new tier dedicated to only the Best Clubs and players in the nation. It's selective and they didn't choose any local clubs from Oregon as they didn't provide US Soccer with an infrastructure, coaching staff or talent base to be relevant in this top level.

The pay to travel Model in the ECNL worked and the last few years, unfortunately all of the efforts in the league were centered around keeping the best clubs away from the bottom rung clubs in showcases and league play. They were not a comprehensive quality program anymore. Time for change says US Soccer.

American girls have been world champs from the organic roots of no club teams in the 80's with a championship in 1001 to world champs in 2015 with USYS, ODP, HS and US Club Soccer, NWSL players filling out rosters. No method, no design just better athletes than the rest of world can put together for the fledgling sport of women's worldwide soccer.

Embrace change or get left behind.

Its unproven, you don't who has or has not applied from Oregon, and the big clubs have not yet decided to support it (notwithstanding the implications of the press release).

One reason to resist - many clubs and people put in a great deal of time and energy into ECNL. We have a federation that jumps from one gimmick to another and expects the entire federation to follow; it makes it difficult to invest and plan (frankly it discourages investment).

But at the end of the day it will be the Crossfire's and So. Cal Blues of this country that will decide what the elite platform will be - because they are in the press release does not mean it has been decided.

[Unregistered]

Having a top league for development and competition is all that's really being created.

Why do you care what group has it? USYS had it for decades and ECNL and USYS shared the torch for just over 5-7 years now their is a new tier dedicated to only the Best Clubs and players in the nation. It's selective and they didn't choose any local clubs from Oregon as they didn't provide US Soccer with an infrastructure, coaching staff or talent base to be relevant in this top level.

The pay to travel Model in the ECNL worked and the last few years, unfortunately all of the efforts in the league were centered around keeping the best clubs away from the bottom rung clubs in showcases and league play. They were not a comprehensive quality program anymore. Time for change says US Soccer.

American girls have been world champs from the organic roots of no club teams in the 80's with a championship in 1001 to world champs in 2015 with USYS, ODP, HS and US Club Soccer, NWSL players filling out rosters. No method, no design just better athletes than the rest of world can put together for the fledgling sport of women's worldwide soccer.

Embrace change or get left behind.

Lots of words but you didn't answer the question. Or maybe you did by saying "the pay to travel model in the ECNL worked." So I guess what you're saying is the criticism directed at ECNL over costs the last few years was all about hypocrisy. Got it. Because there is no way you can possibly say with a straight face that a league who accepts the far west thumped, Beaverton cup playing, OYSA mid packers, Vegas silver bracket Sandbagger thorns is the best ever. You just can't make that argument.

[Unregistered]

Its unproven, you don't who has or has not applied from Oregon, and the big clubs have not yet decided to support it (notwithstanding the implications of the press release).

One reason to resist - many clubs and people put in a great deal of time and energy into ECNL. We have a federation that jumps from one gimmick to another and expects the entire federation to follow; it makes it difficult to invest and plan (frankly it discourages investment).

But at the end of the day it will be the Crossfire's and So. Cal Blues of this country that will decide what the elite platform will be - because they are in the press release does not mean it has been decided.

I may not like the NFL as we have no local team in the league and probably never will. I still respect it's the platform for the best American Football players on the globe. Others tried to compete the AFL, USFL, Arena League and put in a great deal of time and energy with their efforts but could never become the NFL.

A new league has been created and US Soccer is deeming it the top platform, just like they deem MLS the top pro league and the NASL the 2nd level, it is what it is.

It's really that simple.

Oregon surprisingly has a place in this league and will do everything to stay relevant in this league and players and parents will get their kids to the tryouts and cross their fingers they can get in for the competition and experience. So be it.

What's wrong with that? It's actually an incredible opportunity that no one every imagined for little ole Oregon.

[Unregistered]

Lots of words but you didn't answer the question. Or maybe you did by saying "the pay to travel model in the ECNL worked." So I guess what you're saying is the criticism directed at ECNL over costs the last few years was all about hypocrisy. Got it. Because there is no way you can possibly say with a straight face that a league who accepts the far west thumped, Beaverton cup playing, OYSA mid packers, Vegas silver bracket Sandbagger thorns is the best ever. You just can't make that argument.

The reality is the THORNS got Oregon into the USSDA, the local clubs had diluted the talent pool and not consolidated talent as to be relevant in the USYS or ECNL. It's time for a change and a chance for Oregon's best player to get under one banner and represent what a real talented team from Oregon can do on a National Stage. That's exciting!!

If you pay thousands now and don't get to play with and against the best, wouldn't your feel like your getting real value if you pay thousands and actually play with and against the best in the country? It's not that tough of a sell considering what some have been paying for at their local clubs. Better value is always better value.