Girls DA travel is free???!!

[Unregistered]

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.

There is nothing wrong with Oregon clubs (of any sort) aspiring to compete on the national level and it should be commended.

I've outlined my questions/concerns about the girls USSDA above and the constant moving of platforms in this country (I'm not really anti-USSDA).

Beyond that, biggest gripes -

1. the non-stop anti-ECNL propaganda on here over the years, including arguments that ECNL was too expensive and then embracing USDDA for girls
2. systemic decisions that can damage independent clubs

[Unregistered]

There is nothing wrong with Oregon clubs (of any sort) aspiring to compete on the national level and it should be commended.

I've outlined my questions/concerns about the girls USSDA above and the constant moving of platforms in this country (I'm not really anti-USSDA).

Beyond that, biggest gripes -

1. the non-stop anti-ECNL propaganda on here over the years, including arguments that ECNL was too expensive and then embracing USDDA for girls
2. systemic decisions that can damage independent clubs

The ECNL is criticized for not doing any due diligence in recent years before making reckless decisions to add local unproven clubs into a so called Elite League. Good God, 2 neighborhood clubs from Oregon, one from Idaho and another from Utah they got carried away and lacked any quality control. That isn't propaganda that's pure insanity. The expense is related to the value of the product and does it really cost someone 10K to be part of the mountain division of the northwest conference of the ECNL? Embracing the USSDA will be easy for everyone it's legitimate and without rival, regardless of cost.

Most clubs in this area have systemic leadership problems that have caused all their self inflicted damage.

[Unregistered]

The ECNL is criticized for not doing any due diligence in recent years before making reckless decisions to add local unproven clubs into a so called Elite League. Good God, 2 neighborhood clubs from Oregon, one from Idaho and another from Utah they got carried away and lacked any quality control. That isn't propaganda that's pure insanity. The expense is related to the value of the product and does it really cost someone 10K to be part of the mountain division of the northwest conference of the ECNL? Embracing the USSDA will be easy for everyone it's legitimate and without rival, regardless of cost.

Most clubs in this area have systemic leadership problems that have caused all their self inflicted damage.

ECNL said no to THUSC twice before accepting, despite having a good track record on the girls' side here. FC had a pretty solid track record as well.

For all of these leagues they have to balance quality v. cost; more clubs clustered better way to manage cost (and theoretically allow more deserving players to play). One of the things that has hurt the Oregon ECNL clubs is that Washington probably had too few - only 2 in a very large metro - that is changing next year.

Assuming for a second that USSDA emerges as the sole "elite" league - they will face the same challenges ECNL in balance quality v. cost.

I commend THUSC and FC (and their families) for trying to step up on a national stage and commend Thorns for doing so.

But so much of the stuff spewed on here is hate at those that aspire . . . the dude can't abide that

[Unregistered]

ECNL said no to THUSC twice before accepting, despite having a good track record on the girls' side here. FC had a pretty solid track record as well.

For all of these leagues they have to balance quality v. cost; more clubs clustered better way to manage cost (and theoretically allow more deserving players to play). One of the things that has hurt the Oregon ECNL clubs is that Washington probably had too few - only 2 in a very large metro - that is changing next year.

Assuming for a second that USSDA emerges as the sole "elite" league - they will face the same challenges ECNL in balance quality v. cost.

I commend THUSC and FC (and their families) for trying to step up on a national stage and commend Thorns for doing so.

But so much of the stuff spewed on here is hate at those that aspire . . . the dude can't abide that

The ECNL should of stuck to their Guns and kept saying no to any local Portland Club, but Idaho and Utah wanted in, so what the heck.

What track record from the last 10 to 15 years would ever put any of our local clubs in the same breathe as Crossfire Premier, Surf, Slammers? That's where you lose us all. Sorry.

Due to the mass participation expansion by the ECNL FC Portland and Crossfire Utd never got to realize the experience of playing on a national stage, they got shipped out to the mountain division of the Northwest conference of the ECNL for the majority of it's matches playing Oregon club, Idaho club, Utah club and 2 washington clubs. Then when they went to showcases were matched up against some of the worst clubs/teams in the ECNL. Which was really unfair to the parents and kids who signed up to play the best clubs in the country. Bait and switch.

These clubs thought they would be racing against BMW's and Porches week in and week out but ended up playing Yugos and Pintos for the same price.

[Unregistered]

Travel is free for boys so I assume they will pay for girls too.

[Unregistered]

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.

To be fair, the increased cost of the GDA for Oregon is mostly due to the travel. With 15 planned trips that's going to spike north of $15,000 easily. No free lunch here.

[Unregistered]

Travel is free for boys so I assume they will pay for girls too.

That would be an incorrect assumption. They will charge full fare to girls. My guess is they will use those profits to can help fund boys travel.

No way that I see the girls get same treatment as boys.

[Unregistered]

That would be an incorrect assumption. They will charge full fare to girls. My guess is they will use those profits to can help fund boys travel.

No way that I see the girls get same treatment as boys.

The rules say the club is responsible for travel. Doesn't that mean the club will pay for it?

[Unregistered]

The rules say the club is responsible for travel. Doesn't that mean the club will pay for it?

That means you will pay for it. If your club organizes a bake sale to offset the $15,000 travel expense then they may help pay for some of it.

[Unregistered]

That means you will pay for it. If your club organizes a bake sale to offset the $15,000 travel expense then they may help pay for some of it.

They pay for the boys! They have to pay for girls. That would be unfair if they didn't.

[Unregistered]

That means you will pay for it. If your club organizes a bake sale to offset the $15,000 travel expense then they may help pay for some of it.

Slight correction - if the club organizes a bake sale to offset the $15,000 times 20 players travel expenses ($300,000 per year) then they may help pay it. Better brush up on your cupcake recipe.

[Unregistered]

Slight correction - if the club organizes a bake sale to offset the $15,000 times 20 players travel expenses ($300,000 per year) then they may help pay it. Better brush up on your cupcake recipe.

Must say there is much more transparency about the level of teams and clubs involved in the 2017-18 USSDA which is refreshing and a something Oregon hasn't been part of in the past with the OYSA, OPL or ECNL. Can't wait till the tryouts come and the squads are selected.

It good to know what your paying for and the level of teams you will be playing, especially when it's this high of a new standard.

[Unregistered]

Must say there is much more transparency about the level of teams and clubs involved in the 2017-18 USSDA which is refreshing and a something Oregon hasn't been part of in the past with the OYSA, OPL or ECNL. Can't wait till the tryouts come and the squads are selected.

It good to know what your paying for and the level of teams you will be playing, especially when it's this high of a new standard.

There's plenty of transparency for ECNL families. You wouldn't know since your kid doesn't do ECNL and you choose to believe the lies you read on this board.

[Unregistered]

They pay for the boys! They have to pay for girls. That would be unfair if they didn't.

Life is not always fair.

[Unregistered]

There's plenty of transparency for ECNL families. You wouldn't know since your kid doesn't do ECNL and you choose to believe the lies you read on this board.

You make a great point, it's crystal clear that the ECNL league has been gutted and marginalized with the creation of the Girls USSDA program. As a local parent I can read the press releases and know it's happening. Just wish our club would of let us know this was happening and our club who thought we had arrived at such a league with our placement in the mountain division of the northwest conference had no chance in hell of ever getting into the USDA. It is what it is. Just wish they would of told us before we spent all the monies at u14 travelling for better day in the ECNL. Maybe they didn't know, but they should of been realistic and honest about the changes coming. Now it's time to find a new path and level of competition.