1st world considerations

[Unregistered]

1) How is ODP "ruined"?
2) But y'all keep telling us Thorns Academy (which is what I assume you are talking about) is terrible, just terrible--now they are a behemoth crushing OYSA?
3) When did they say that, and which TA teams are on record as objecting?
4) I'll grant you this, but hardly the destruction of youth soccer.

If the DA is "siphoning off top talent" from local clubs, then what about ECNL? When it's ECNL doing it, not only do y'all boast about it, but y'all loudly proclaim the OYSA clubs to be "rec", and imply that if a girl is still doing OYSA it's because she isn't any good. Granted, ECNL doesn't play in OYSA competitions, but still--you don't seem to mind it when it's FC or CU stripmining other clubs of their top talent. It's only when the shoe is on the other foot do you scream bloody murder.

In short: You want your club on the top of the local pyramid, and don't want the Timbers to knock you off your perch. That's all this is about, and we know it.

1) I am not going to dignify this with a response. Any thinking person knows ODP has been run into the ground in Oregon. Couldn't even field full 00 and 01 teams this year.

2) I personally never said Thorns academy was terrible and needed to be destroyed. I think competition is good - for ECNL and for Thorns academy. We - the consumers - deserve a choice. We - the consumers - deserve a market where each entity strives to improve their product so we - the consumers - will choose that product.

3) Already been addressed but I will repeat. Thorns academy had on their website for at least two years that 100% of TA clubs fully supported sending their best players to play for Thorns academy. This was pre-GDA and this was a flat out lie. Ask any TA DOC - they are furious. I know this for a fact. They were not happy that those girls were put together to form super teams then came back and played in the same league as the teams they came from. The irony is they may now support the GDA - but it was an absolute flat out bald faced lie to say they supported the Academy teams pre-GDA. But Thorns Academy left that flat out lie on their website for over two years.

4). Thank you for acknowledging I'm right.

The obvious difference (which you sort of acknowledged) is that ECNL clubs don't form "superteams" that they then place right back in OYSA. ECNL clubs form their teams and 99.9% of their games are played against each other or out of state opponents. We've never played for an ECNL team although both clubs have encouraged my DD to try out - it's not for us. My DD's team has lost two players to ECNL and one to Thorns academy. None of us bear any of those players grudges - they wanted something different and more power to them. But we don't have to see the two girls from the ECNL club show up and play against us in league, with a team formed from the strongest players from Portland, Vancouver, Salem, Eugene, and Bend. We don't go on social media and see their mom tagged in posts by some psycho mom saying things like "we won the OYSA league with a +78 goal differential."

In short: I don't care about where my club sits on the "local pyramid." I want my DD to be well coached. She wants to play in college, and I want to support her goals. She can achieve her goal staying with her TA/OYSA team, so that's where we are. She is happy there. She has a fantastic coach and her team is doing just fine. I just don't like feeling scammed and giving money to support an organization that is being dishonest. Luckily for me, I only have to do that for two more years.

[Unregistered]

There was Thorns marketing materials that indicated all OYSA clubs supported sending their top players to the Thorns Academy.

It was a false statement.

Some clubs complained to OYSA who addressed it with the Thorns.

The Thorns' pulled it down.

Seriously, what club wouldn't support sending their best players to the MLS Timbers Dev. Academy or the NWSL Thorns Dev Academy. Any club like that wouldn't (send their best) don't have the best interests of the player in mind, which is disgusting. BTW, at least 6 or 7 local clubs have their own state level 'DA' for boys league and they totally understand they are in the pyramid to feed the Timbers MLS DA program and they support it full steam ahead.

What club in their right mind would complain about a US Soccer subsidized Development Academy.

Very interested to read about those clubs as they should be ashamed of themselves deny kids the chance to have their soccer experience payed for and overseen by US Soccer.

Something is amiss here.

[Unregistered]

Seriously, what club wouldn't support sending their best players to the MLS Timbers Dev. Academy or the NWSL Thorns Dev Academy. Any club like that wouldn't (send their best) don't have the best interests of the player in mind, which is disgusting. BTW, at least 6 or 7 local clubs have their own state level 'DA' for boys league and they totally understand they are in the pyramid to feed the Timbers MLS DA program and they support it full steam ahead.

What club in their right mind would complain about a US Soccer subsidized Development Academy.

Very interested to read about those clubs as they should be ashamed of themselves deny kids the chance to have their soccer experience payed for and overseen by US Soccer.

Something is amiss here.

There needs to be multiple development paths; a single pyramid in Oregon isn't healthy for children, parents, or clubs.

The Timbers are quite wealthy and powerful; they should be able to build a powerful pyramid without misleading parents.

The clubs objected because the statement was false. Some of those clubs will call Larry if they think a player is appropriate for the Timbers Academy.

While Thorns' charge 4x more than the Timbers Academy, not sure that is going to happen.

[Unregistered]

There needs to be multiple development paths; a single pyramid in Oregon isn't healthy for children, parents, or clubs.

The Timbers are quite wealthy and powerful; they should be able to build a powerful pyramid without misleading parents.

The clubs objected because the statement was false. Some of those clubs will call Larry if they think a player is appropriate for the Timbers Academy.

While Thorns' charge 4x more than the Timbers Academy, not sure that is going to happen for the Thorns Academy.

[Unregistered]

The thorns this year was a poor program.

Many teams in Oregon played much tougher schedules. Thorns lined up the lightweight competition like the way promoters have the champ play creampuffs to build their record up.

Beaverton cup?

Los Angeles against C level teams.

Vegas against weak teams.

[Unregistered]

There needs to be multiple development paths; a single pyramid in Oregon isn't healthy for children, parents, or clubs.

The Timbers are quite wealthy and powerful; they should be able to build a powerful pyramid without misleading parents.

The clubs objected because the statement was false. Some of those clubs will call Larry if they think a player is appropriate for the Timbers Academy.

While Thorns' charge 4x more than the Timbers Academy, not sure that is going to happen.

You keep jumping all over the place.

Development paths and pyramids- The TA/GDA has a pyamid. OYSA has a pyamid. ECNL has a pyamid. Some clubs have pyramids and have teams in different leagues, different cup play. There are multiple development paths for the entities mentioned above. Our DOC and board are well aware of options.

Our club knows that we will lose best players to academy teams. We still focus on the remaining team members, because they want to train, develop and play. Our job is to coach our teams. Anyone that left for an academy team did so by their choice. Sometimes we suggest that a player be watched. We do the same thing by suggesting players to college recruiters.

Charges? The GDA hasn't even happened yet. The TA is not the GDA.

[Unregistered]

The thorns this year was a poor program.

Many teams in Oregon played much tougher schedules. Thorns lined up the lightweight competition like the way promoters have the champ play creampuffs to build their record up.

Beaverton cup?

Los Angeles against C level teams.

Vegas against weak teams.

Who are the "many teams?"

What in-state tournament would you have suggested in summer, since the newly-formed teams were just getting started? Were you at the Beaverton Cup? What team is your DD on that you consider the competition to be so lightweight? How are those lightweight teams doing now?

[Unregistered]

1) I am not going to dignify this with a response. Any thinking person knows ODP has been run into the ground in Oregon. Couldn't even field full 00 and 01 teams this year.

2) I personally never said Thorns academy was terrible and needed to be destroyed. I think competition is good - for ECNL and for Thorns academy. We - the consumers - deserve a choice. We - the consumers - deserve a market where each entity strives to improve their product so we - the consumers - will choose that product.

3) Already been addressed but I will repeat. Thorns academy had on their website for at least two years that 100% of TA clubs fully supported sending their best players to play for Thorns academy. This was pre-GDA and this was a flat out lie. Ask any TA DOC - they are furious. I know this for a fact. They were not happy that those girls were put together to form super teams then came back and played in the same league as the teams they came from. The irony is they may now support the GDA - but it was an absolute flat out bald faced lie to say they supported the Academy teams pre-GDA. But Thorns Academy left that flat out lie on their website for over two years.

4). Thank you for acknowledging I'm right.

The obvious difference (which you sort of acknowledged) is that ECNL clubs don't form "superteams" that they then place right back in OYSA. ECNL clubs form their teams and 99.9% of their games are played against each other or out of state opponents. We've never played for an ECNL team although both clubs have encouraged my DD to try out - it's not for us. My DD's team has lost two players to ECNL and one to Thorns academy. None of us bear any of those players grudges - they wanted something different and more power to them. But we don't have to see the two girls from the ECNL club show up and play against us in league, with a team formed from the strongest players from Portland, Vancouver, Salem, Eugene, and Bend. We don't go on social media and see their mom tagged in posts by some psycho mom saying things like "we won the OYSA league with a +78 goal differential."

In short: I don't care about where my club sits on the "local pyramid." I want my DD to be well coached. She wants to play in college, and I want to support her goals. She can achieve her goal staying with her TA/OYSA team, so that's where we are. She is happy there. She has a fantastic coach and her team is doing just fine. I just don't like feeling scammed and giving money to support an organization that is being dishonest. Luckily for me, I only have to do that for two more years.

1. ODP is a USYS program that is mandated to be in place at the state association level. It's like saying the United States Senate has been run into the ground and didn't elect any decent candidates. ODP & the US Senate are fixtures in each institution they belong to and aren't going away. What are you doing to make it better (ODP) other than bitch?

2. Understand that in certain populated US Markets with a robust supply of USWNT hopefuls and D1 studs the US SOccer GDA program and the clubs who play in the US Club Soccer ECN League, could be considered competition for the top players . But, here in Portland's market we just have local clubs and the Thorns GDA as options now. We have no presence or footing in the ECNL league other than 2 of our local clubs being fodder in a remote division of the nationwide league. The GDA is a US Soccer program that was granted to our NWSL franchise for youth and they are paying for kids to be part of it.

3. No NWSL Portland Thorns US Soccer GDA team has ever been created yet. The DA status was just granted to the Pro franchise and now they are forming teams with a subsidized platform to turn the play to pay model on it's head. Someone else mentioned what type of club loon would complain about this opportunity for the girls in the area. A HS coach would be the only dissenter I could think of and eventually they do about faces on the DA program as it's in the kid's best 'soccer' interest to follow this path. Think about all clubs should really care about what's best for their players and take pride if they help them reach their goals by playing at the Dev Academy level.

4. Nobody in Oregon or SW Washington has ever been taken by the ECNL, they could of gone to another club in Oregon that choose to play in the league you mention. If that's what your trying to say. You don't have to worry about seeing any of the NWSL Portland Thorns GDA players in the OYSA or ECNL leagues, US Soccer doesn't allow them(USDA players) to play in other leagues, unless they get released or cut from the DA. That one is solved for you.

5. When you give money to Peregrine Thorns/Timbers it's called purchasing a product: a match ticket, a foam finger, a t-shirt, a cold beer, a Timbers/Thorns youth league schedule and refs or a coach for a Timbers/Thorns RTC/ODP team. You aren't giving any monies to the NWSL Portland Thorns GDA team unless you pay them $2000 after tryouts selections and then they front you $8000 to cover the associated costs of travel for said team.

If you feel any of that is a scam, don't spend your money on their products. Which brings us back to your current reality, you're not, so why so torn up over something that doesn't even involve you or your monies?

[Unregistered]

You keep jumping all over the place.

Development paths and pyramids- The TA/GDA has a pyamid. OYSA has a pyamid. ECNL has a pyamid. Some clubs have pyramids and have teams in different leagues, different cup play. There are multiple development paths for the entities mentioned above. Our DOC and board are well aware of options.

Our club knows that we will lose best players to academy teams. We still focus on the remaining team members, because they want to train, develop and play. Our job is to coach our teams. Anyone that left for an academy team did so by their choice. Sometimes we suggest that a player be watched. We do the same thing by suggesting players to college recruiters.

Charges? The GDA hasn't even happened yet. The TA is not the GDA.

Seriously good for your club. Different clubs are going to look at the landscape and draw different conclusions on how to proceed. Some are going to do that in partnership with the Timbers; others are not; some are going to pick and choose how they partner with the Timbers.

Some clubs are going to reach different conclusions on the boys' side than the girls' side.

None of these are inherently right or wrong.

However, the Timbers communicated that all OYSA clubs support sending their best players to the Thorns Academy. They communicated that while administering the OYSA statewide league.

The Timbers/Thorns/ statement was false, pure and simple.

[Unregistered]

Seriously good for your club. Different clubs are going to look at the landscape and draw different conclusions on how to proceed. Some are going to do that in partnership with the Timbers; others are not; some are going to pick and choose how they partner with the Timbers.

Some clubs are going to reach different conclusions on the boys' side than the girls' side.

None of these are inherently right or wrong.

However, the Timbers communicated that all OYSA clubs support sending their best players to the Thorns Academy. They communicated that while administering the OYSA statewide league.

The Timbers/Thorns/ statement was false, pure and simple.

It's all in the interpretation.

[Unregistered]

The thorns this year was a poor program.

Many teams in Oregon played much tougher schedules. Thorns lined up the lightweight competition like the way promoters have the champ play creampuffs to build their record up.

Beaverton cup?

Los Angeles against C level teams.

Vegas against weak teams.

Vancouver, Eastide, Salem and Eugene all played tougher schedules.

[Unregistered]

Vancouver, Eastide, Salem and Eugene all played tougher schedules.

Sure they played tougher schedules but they didn't get as many wins. Success is defined as winning. Play weaker teams and win and you are better off.

[Unregistered]

There needs to be multiple development paths; a single pyramid in Oregon isn't healthy for children, parents, or clubs.

The Timbers are quite wealthy and powerful; they should be able to build a powerful pyramid without misleading parents.

The clubs objected because the statement was false. Some of those clubs will call Larry if they think a player is appropriate for the Timbers Academy.

While Thorns' charge 4x more than the Timbers Academy, not sure that is going to happen.

Right now in the United States we have one governing body for all of Soccer, called US Soccer. They form all of our National teams for boys/girls and Men/Women, until this changes it will remain the only path for available for players to be part of a bona fide authentic National team. That's not changing. Unless FIFA itself blows up

Words like 'misleading' makes me think you don't understand how US Soccer and the DA program work, which could be a source of your confusion.

No club is on record saying they don't support the DA platform for the elite players, that's would be club suicide in Oregon and would drive families and players away from any club that came out with that statement. Basically, we don't support US Soccer and our National team infrastructure for youth and adult players.

Both the MLS Timbers USDA and the NWSL Thorns USDA are responsible for paying for the players cost of participation in their academies, it's true, both ask for a nominal fee, relative to the amount they are spending on each player, perhaps to offset just a smidgen of the millions they are investing in the kids, annually. Which is more than reasonable considering how much this platform would cost if they tried to travel and train with a local club stuck in the pay to play model.

[Unregistered]

Vancouver, Eastide, Salem and Eugene all played tougher schedules.

That is highly irrelevant. If you care about the level of competition you are on the wrong track.

[Unregistered]

The thorns this year was a poor program.

Many teams in Oregon played much tougher schedules. Thorns lined up the lightweight competition like the way promoters have the champ play creampuffs to build their record up.

Beaverton cup?

Los Angeles against C level teams.

Vegas against weak teams.

Playing the Balloon Fest this summer?