How did thornz acad end up such a mess?

[Unregistered]

The issue is really about Erik and Mike's credibility. A number of things that have said about the Thorns program over the years have turned out to be untrue (i.e. all of OYSA members' supported sending their best players to Thorns Academy - most outside of Westside look pretty dimly on it; showcases, etc.).

ECNL clubs have certainly been attacked on here for "unkept" promises. Given Timbers stranglehold on this state, they should be called on the carpet when things turn out not to be true. In part because it isn't just girls on the thorns that are impacted.

Good luck to your daughter though.

I agree. I hope your daughter has a better experience with thorns than last year's teams. As consumers we have the right to question broken promises. My alliance club absolutely did not support sending girls to thorns. Our DOC feels we have HS teams that can get players in front of college coaches without leaving our TA club and giving up high school sports. That particular lie, that TA clubs unanimously supported players going to academy, did affect our club, because when a few girls opted to leave, they were told by Erik and Mike that our DOC lied to them and had promised to support academy. This was a flat out lie and affected our club's credibility. Because of this I feel that we all have a vested interest in holding the thorns leaders' feet to the fire and calling out their lies. Which to date are:

TA clubs unanimously support sending girls to academy.
Academy teams will do a college showcase tournament. (Beaverton)
GDA clubs won't charge a tryout fee.
GDA clubs will practice four times a week.
No one will play HS soccer.
Only rising seniors will play HS soccer (current 02 and 01 stars are telling friends they've been given permission to continue playing HS soccer).

Did I miss any?

[Unregistered]

The issue is really about Erik and Mike's credibility. A number of things that have said about the Thorns program over the years have turned out to be untrue (i.e. all of OYSA members' supported sending their best players to Thorns Academy - most outside of Westside look pretty dimly on it; showcases, etc.).

ECNL clubs have certainly been attacked on here for "unkept" promises. Given Timbers stranglehold on this state, they should be called on the carpet when things turn out not to be true. In part because it isn't just girls on the thorns that are impacted.

Good luck to your daughter though.

Latest news...........surprise surprise DA doing their best to go back on the exemption for HS players to play for their teams this year. Girls need to stand up together and say this is bull you lied to us. Kids meeting the waiver criteria and being told no or you need to jump through this other hoop.

[Unregistered]

Latest news...........surprise surprise DA doing their best to go back on the exemption for HS players to play for their teams this year. Girls need to stand up together and say this is bull you lied to us. Kids meeting the waiver criteria and being told no or you need to jump through this other hoop.

Thorns said only HS seniors whose teams made it to quarterfinals could apply for exemptions. They didn't say they would get the exemption.

The previous poster says 01/02 Academy players are even going to get to play HS. Which is it?

My wish is that Thorns GDA would stick with the GDA curriculum & best practices so Oregon girls can finally have a place to develop into truly elite players that can compete with California girls. Why does Thorns GDA seem so afraid of implementing a GDA system? Here's a chance for Oregon to do right by our soccer serious girls and they just keep wavering and picking away at all the things that will make GDA a standout success for girls soccer.

[Unregistered]

Thorns said only HS seniors whose teams made it to quarterfinals could apply for exemptions. They didn't say they would get the exemption.

The previous poster says 01/02 Academy players are even going to get to play HS. Which is it?

My wish is that Thorns GDA would stick with the GDA curriculum & best practices so Oregon girls can finally have a place to develop into truly elite players that can compete with California girls. Why does Thorns GDA seem so afraid of implementing a GDA system? Here's a chance for Oregon to do right by our soccer serious girls and they just keep wavering and picking away at all the things that will make GDA a standout success for girls soccer.

I say BS. Everyone knows what was being insinuated for HS seniors. The player I know meets all the requirements and is still getting the run around. All they wanted to do was get their money to lock them in. Now its the guilt trip about "well if we release players how are we supposed to have a fall DA team". Should have thought about that before conning these girls into trying out, guess these players should have figured it would be more of the same lies, lies, lies. Hope all the younger ages are paying attention.

[Unregistered]

I say BS. Everyone knows what was being insinuated for HS seniors. The player I know meets all the requirements and is still getting the run around. All they wanted to do was get their money to lock them in. Now its the guilt trip about "well if we release players how are we supposed to have a fall DA team". Should have thought about that before conning these girls into trying out, guess these players should have figured it would be more of the same lies, lies, lies. Hope all the younger ages are paying attention.

They have other options of course, they could pay $10,000 to play at CU or FC and not miss any HS play. Not a great option is it. Poor families and kids being abused by local clubs dangling the opportunity to play HS, which is something they were trying to distant themselves from prior to US Soccer's DA (See Phoenix showcase for example). Desperate spin, baby. Funny logic once again from the CU & FC PDX 'elite crowd'.

[Unregistered]

They have other options of course, they could pay $10,000 to play at CU or FC and not miss any HS play. Not a great option is it. Poor families and kids being abused by local clubs dangling the opportunity to play HS, which is something they were trying to distant themselves from prior to US Soccer's DA (See Phoenix showcase for example). Desperate spin, baby. Funny logic once again from the CU & FC PDX 'elite crowd'.

Yep agree 100%. Its really a shame, I feel for these girls as well and wonder at the set backs and damage all this does to our national programs. The women's side was winning everything in the world when US soccer didn't give two cents about them, now that they pretend to the women are slowly becoming the men's program. Last night was another embarrassment by the men's side, stats said Mexico with 75% possession I think they were way low.

[Unregistered]

I say BS. Everyone knows what was being insinuated for HS seniors. The player I know meets all the requirements and is still getting the run around. All they wanted to do was get their money to lock them in. Now its the guilt trip about "well if we release players how are we supposed to have a fall DA team". Should have thought about that before conning these girls into trying out, guess these players should have figured it would be more of the same lies, lies, lies. Hope all the younger ages are paying attention.

The seniors were the only ones to be eligible to play HS, but I don't think it was guaranteed. However, if Thorns aren't letting the seniors get the waivers they were promised but are letting 01/02 players play in high school (which they are currently bragging about) then that is total BS and the seniors and all the other players should throw a fit. If no one is being allowed to play HS, then that is fair and a leading tenet of Academy play. The players will all benefit more from Academy than HS play. At least that's why players signed up for GDA in the first place. Not only that, GDA is paying the way for the academy girls. More than a fair trade off. The SoCal, NorCal, AZ & UT Academy teams are all not allowing girls to play in high school for good reason.

[Unregistered]

I say BS. Everyone knows what was being insinuated for HS seniors. The player I know meets all the requirements and is still getting the run around. All they wanted to do was get their money to lock them in. Now its the guilt trip about "well if we release players how are we supposed to have a fall DA team". Should have thought about that before conning these girls into trying out, guess these players should have figured it would be more of the same lies, lies, lies. Hope all the younger ages are paying attention.

I think it depends on how bad they want you in the program. If you are a top player they will let you do high school all 3-4 years so you don't drop out. If you are not a top player they will hold you in so they have a full roster for the fall season.

[Unregistered]

The seniors were the only ones to be eligible to play HS, but I don't think it was guaranteed. However, if Thorns aren't letting the seniors get the waivers they were promised but are letting 01/02 players play in high school (which they are currently bragging about) then that is total BS and the seniors and all the other players should throw a fit. If no one is being allowed to play HS, then that is fair and a leading tenet of Academy play. The players will all benefit more from Academy than HS play. At least that's why players signed up for GDA in the first place. Not only that, GDA is paying the way for the academy girls. More than a fair trade off. The SoCal, NorCal, AZ & UT Academy teams are all not allowing girls to play in high school for good reason.

Wrong, it is not all fair. HS seniors were promised that if they met the waiver criteria they would be allowed to play. No one is talking about 01/02's that was their own decision and a key reason many of the top players chose to not come out or opted to pay ridiculous ECNL prices. None of these programs are about development anyway, its all just about money and power. Mia and the rest of the 99's did just fine when no one was forcing these dumb decisions on them Where has it gotten the mens side after all these years?

[Unregistered]

I think it depends on how bad they want you in the program. If you are a top player they will let you do high school all 3-4 years so you don't drop out. If you are not a top player they will hold you in so they have a full roster for the fall season.

GDA is paying for all travel, lodging & other expenses for all these girls. Trust me, no one is dropping out. If playing HS was that big of a deal to them, they wouldn't have joined GDA. The other GDAs are all foregoing HS for good reason. I thought theses girls wanted to join an elite Academy program. Timbers boys don't play HS either. Enforce the rules and they'll be fine. Keep breaking GDA rules and best practices and GDA will fail. Why should OR GDA be any different than CA GDA?

[Unregistered]

I think it depends on how bad they want you in the program. If you are a top player they will let you do high school all 3-4 years so you don't drop out. If you are not a top player they will hold you in so they have a full roster for the fall season.

Regardless of the reason it is still lies. None of these programs are necessary they were bought into by naive parents with good intentions, Same as all these private trainers charging $75 an hour, the more people buy in the sillier things get.

[Unregistered]

Wrong, it is not all fair. HS seniors were promised that if they met the waiver criteria they would be allowed to play. No one is talking about 01/02's that was their own decision and a key reason many of the top players chose to not come out or opted to pay ridiculous ECNL prices. None of these programs are about development anyway, its all just about money and power. Mia and the rest of the 99's did just fine when no one was forcing these dumb decisions on them Where has it gotten the mens side after all these years?

I saw the senior waiver info in writing so they should get to play HS if they qualify. My bigger question is why are they going back on promises to seniors but handing out waivers to 01/02 players that it said in writing couldn't play HS period?

[Unregistered]

GDA is paying for all travel, lodging & other expenses for all these girls. Trust me, no one is dropping out. If playing HS was that big of a deal to them, they wouldn't have joined GDA. The other GDAs are all foregoing HS for good reason. I thought theses girls wanted to join an elite Academy program. Timbers boys don't play HS either. Enforce the rules and they'll be fine. Keep breaking GDA rules and best practices and GDA will fail. Why should OR GDA be any different than CA GDA?

Most of the girls wanted to join an "elite Academy program" but since they had to settle for the Portland Thorns DA they still want to play HS soccer. What do you not understand about that Timbers puffy jacket guy?

[Unregistered]

GDA is paying for all travel, lodging & other expenses for all these girls. Trust me, no one is dropping out. If playing HS was that big of a deal to them, they wouldn't have joined GDA. The other GDAs are all foregoing HS for good reason. I thought theses girls wanted to join an elite Academy program. Timbers boys don't play HS either. Enforce the rules and they'll be fine. Keep breaking GDA rules and best practices and GDA will fail. Why should OR GDA be any different than CA GDA?

You keep talking about all these other states when we really have no idea what tier players they are getting either. None of us up here know how its been received elsewhere. I can tell you though that is Oregon is competing with CA they are not getting their top players.

[Unregistered]

GDA is paying for all travel, lodging & other expenses for all these girls. Trust me, no one is dropping out. If playing HS was that big of a deal to them, they wouldn't have joined GDA. The other GDAs are all foregoing HS for good reason. I thought theses girls wanted to join an elite Academy program. Timbers boys don't play HS either. Enforce the rules and they'll be fine. Keep breaking GDA rules and best practices and GDA will fail. Why should OR GDA be any different than CA GDA?

Thorns/Timbers have subsidized Boys & girls DA programs now. They will have no problem getting top players. The boys don't play high school & the girls won't have problems following the rules either. Now, if the girls can whine & get rewarded, then I'll be surprised. Timbers/Thorns is a professional organization. Additionally, if they cave to girl's demands to play high school, the boys will cry discrimination. Timbers/Thorns have the power to do it right since they are paying for it.