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Does this mean that the elitist families will have to share a hotel with girls that are better than them but hadn't previously been able to buy their way on to the team?Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
This is horrible! I hope it never comes to OR. In the world of status symbols, buying your daughter a spot your in ECNL is right up there with buying her a pony and driving a Porsche. -
Way to go LA. Time for Timbers/Thorns to step up their committment to girl's soccer.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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"The LA Galaxy Girls’ Academy team will be the first and only program to be fully-funded by a Major League Soccer side, allowing talented local athletes to join free of charge."Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
Saying they will be the "first and only program" means that at least the Galaxy think no other MLS club will step up and fully fund a program. For what that's worth.
This is great for the kids of So Cal, and I certainly wish it could happen here. The barrier I see is travel. If you look at the regional bracket the Galaxy team will play in, all games are a very short drive from home for the players. The guidelines of their release say that all players must live within 75 miles of the Galaxy training headquarters, so they are obviously being mindful of travel and creating a team that will have to do very little traveling (which I assume will be the responsibility of parents and should be since it's not a big deal).
Contrast that with the Thorns league. No other Oregon teams. 6 teams in Nor Cal. 3 in Washington, 1 in Utah. That's a significantly greater amount of travel required than the Galaxy team will have to do. I would love to see the Thorns/Timbers step up and provide this level of subsidization for their GDA...but the dollar investment will be significantly greater.
Your move, Timbers...Comment
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No need to kick them when they are down and out. This is great for every single parent of a female player, ECNL, Timbers affiliated, or otherwise. Granted, the Timbers have not yet saidOriginally posted by Unregistered View Post
our GDA will be free, but it will be very difficult for any other MLS affiliate not to follow suit now.Comment
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You did read the article. LA Galaxy will be the first and ONLY MLS club to do thisOriginally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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The Timbers will not offer this. ReadOriginally posted by Unregistered View Post
The LA Galaxy Girls’ Academy team will be the first and only program to be fully-funded by a Major League Soccer sideComment
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They needed to. There is so much talent in So. Cal. They can drive 3 hours in any direction and find good teams. They don't need to fly to PDX to hammer on some crappy team.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Unless it's free all the way down to U8 it won't make any difference. The poor kids will still never get started in the sport.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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That would require Timbers to raise OYSA league and cup fees. Shouldn't be a problem...Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Exactly! This was the ONLY way they have any hope of attracting ANY talent at all.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Because for Oregon it would be hundreds of thousands of dollars every per, per team. Never going to happen.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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You have just explained the feeling of the Washington and California teams in ECNL. That .258 winning percentage for the Oregon teams only looks good to the dads who have daughters on the teams.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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There may be a club here or there that makes it free, but in the end if it's more than half a dozen I'd be amazed. LA Galaxy can afford it - or at least they can justify the expense vs the benefits. Very few clubs can, particularly any without deep MLS pockets which is pretty much all of GDA. Even on the boys side the only free-to-play clubs are MLS. All the rest, which is the majority of BDA are pay-to-play.
Also, as a poster above said, it will matter little since young kids are locked out of the system at a young age because of high costs. The rag-to-riches soccer player story is few and far betweenComment
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