Questions to all ECNL parents who have daughters riding the pine

[Unregistered]

All great questions. Free rides from Crossfire and delusions of grandeur perhaps? This group has a good thing going at GPS. Only a fool would walk out on it this May.

To the GPS 03 players considering ECNL:

1. I learned early in my life that when you have something good going on, don't abandon it. That goes with relationships, jobs, etc. So, in the case of GPS, if you like playing with your teammates, if you like MJ, and if you are learning and getting better, don't leave.
2. If you want tougher competition and you want college exposure, then ask MJ to travel to the best showcases where there are lots of coaches. Then, ask MJ to set up friendlies in CA, WA, and TX. The local teams would love to play you guys in friendlies. Just go to the ECNL website, look for the teams in your age group, then call the team manager and set it up. These ECNL teams in CA set up friendlies all the time with other teams.


To any prospective CU ECNL player:

-If you aren't sure how your daughter compares to the other ECNL kids on her team, and if don't know if she will be a starter, then don't invest in the program. Here's why. How is KL able to give out full rides/scholarships to GPS players? There are no angel investors who are dumping money into CU ECNL (nor at FCP for that matter), so how can KL offer full rides to these players? KL "robs from Peter to pay for Paul." So, that means that if your daughter will be a pinerider, then she will be subsidizing those players/recruits. Don't be a sucker. He won't care about your kid; he just needs you to support the program.

I'm curious though. Perhaps I am wrong. Calling all pineriders out there at CU ECNL. Did KL make a positive impact on your daughter Did he have an interest in your daughter and make it obvious that he wants her to be successful?

[Unregistered]

To the GPS 03 players considering ECNL:

1. I learned early in my life that when you have something good going on, don't abandon it. That goes with relationships, jobs, etc. So, in the case of GPS, if you like playing with your teammates, if you like MJ, and if you are learning and getting better, don't leave.
2. If you want tougher competition and you want college exposure, then ask MJ to travel to the best showcases where there are lots of coaches. Then, ask MJ to set up friendlies in CA, WA, and TX. The local teams would love to play you guys in friendlies. Just go to the ECNL website, look for the teams in your age group, then call the team manager and set it up. These ECNL teams in CA set up friendlies all the time with other teams.


To any prospective CU ECNL player:

-If you aren't sure how your daughter compares to the other ECNL kids on her team, and if don't know if she will be a starter, then don't invest in the program. Here's why. How is KL able to give out full rides/scholarships to GPS players? There are no angel investors who are dumping money into CU ECNL (nor at FCP for that matter), so how can KL offer full rides to these players? KL "robs from Peter to pay for Paul." So, that means that if your daughter will be a pinerider, then she will be subsidizing those players/recruits. Don't be a sucker. He won't care about your kid; he just needs you to support the program.

I'm curious though. Perhaps I am wrong. Calling all pineriders out there at CU ECNL. Did KL make a positive impact on your daughter Did he have an interest in your daughter and make it obvious that he wants her to be successful?

Your bias is showing.

[Unregistered]

Your bias is showing.

Not OP but those are good points. Hard not to lean one way when looking at both options. If I were at GPS and wanted for whatever reason to move to a team in the ECNL league I would go to FC Portland. Those Crossfire ECNL teams are a ***show.

[Unregistered]

To the GPS 03 players considering ECNL:

1. I learned early in my life that when you have something good going on, don't abandon it. That goes with relationships, jobs, etc. So, in the case of GPS, if you like playing with your teammates, if you like MJ, and if you are learning and getting better, don't leave.
2. If you want tougher competition and you want college exposure, then ask MJ to travel to the best showcases where there are lots of coaches. Then, ask MJ to set up friendlies in CA, WA, and TX. The local teams would love to play you guys in friendlies. Just go to the ECNL website, look for the teams in your age group, then call the team manager and set it up. These ECNL teams in CA set up friendlies all the time with other teams.


To any prospective CU ECNL player:

-If you aren't sure how your daughter compares to the other ECNL kids on her team, and if don't know if she will be a starter, then don't invest in the program. Here's why. How is KL able to give out full rides/scholarships to GPS players? There are no angel investors who are dumping money into CU ECNL (nor at FCP for that matter), so how can KL offer full rides to these players? KL "robs from Peter to pay for Paul." So, that means that if your daughter will be a pinerider, then she will be subsidizing those players/recruits. Don't be a sucker. He won't care about your kid; he just needs you to support the program.

I'm curious though. Perhaps I am wrong. Calling all pineriders out there at CU ECNL. Did KL make a positive impact on your daughter Did he have an interest in your daughter and make it obvious that he wants her to be successful?

To the couple GPS parents considering ECNL: Please go.

[Unregistered]

No they aren't. They have a couple GPS girls coming in. Problem solved.

Has Crossgire ECNL coach broken it to the 03 goalie, entire defense (except one) and his center midfielders and his right forward that he has already offered their starting positions to outside players? Apparently has been relentless in replacing the goalie espescially. I feel sorry for her.. a terrible season with a terrible club. So much nasty back room dealings by adults and these girls are only 13. Anything to win at Crossfire ECNL. It's a shame the coaches there are incapable of developing their own players. How much money did those families spend on that garbage last year?

[Unregistered]

Has Crossgire ECNL coach broken it to the 03 goalie, entire defense (except one) and his center midfielders and his right forward that he has already offered their starting positions to outside players? Apparently has been relentless in replacing the goalie espescially. I feel sorry for her.. a terrible season with a terrible club. So much nasty back room dealings by adults and these girls are only 13. Anything to win at Crossfire ECNL. It's a shame the coaches there are incapable of developing their own players. How much money did those families spend on that garbage last year?

Please take your personal issues up directly with whomever you have those issues with and stop spewing garbage on an anonymous forum.

[Unregistered]

Please take your personal issues up directly with whomever you have those issues with and stop spewing garbage on an anonymous forum.

Spewing garbage? Reads like they are speaking truth. Given the ECNL season ends long after tryouts are over for everyone else this could be a very complicated situation for existing Crossfire players. Do they go back to Thusc or stay on ECNL as training partners for the top 11?

[Unregistered]

Has Crossgire ECNL coach broken it to the 03 goalie, entire defense (except one) and his center midfielders and his right forward that he has already offered their starting positions to outside players? Apparently has been relentless in replacing the goalie espescially. I feel sorry for her.. a terrible season with a terrible club. So much nasty back room dealings by adults and these girls are only 13. Anything to win at Crossfire ECNL. It's a shame the coaches there are incapable of developing their own players. How much money did those families spend on that garbage last year?

It's always assumed at the elite levels that you're playing for your spot on the roster every game, every practice. Only shoddy, rec-level Alliance-type programs give preference to those currently on a roster.

[Unregistered]

Spewing garbage? Reads like they are speaking truth. Given the ECNL season ends long after tryouts are over for everyone else this could be a very complicated situation for existing Crossfire players. Do they go back to Thusc or stay on ECNL as training partners for the top 11?

Not really a problem. ECNL tryouts are before OYSA tryouts. If your kid doesn't make the cut this year, then go to regular club tryouts the week after. No big deal.

[Unregistered]

No they aren't. They have a couple GPS girls coming in. Problem solved.

How ironic that Crossfire ECNL has spent the last year snubbing GPS 03s and now here we are with GPS 03 ranked in the top 50 nationwide.. Crossfire ranked around 203.. and now the Crossfire ECNL coach is falling all over himself trying to recruit GPS players and Crossfire parents are salivating at the mouth at the prodpect of replacing their own with GPS girls. Sounds like a typical spring out at Hazelia.

[Unregistered]

How ironic that Crossfire ECNL has spent the last year snubbing GPS 03s and now here we are with GPS 03 ranked in the top 50 nationwide.. Crossfire ranked around 203.. and now the Crossfire ECNL coach is falling all over himself trying to recruit GPS players and Crossfire parents are salivating at the mouth at the prodpect of replacing their own with GPS girls. Sounds like a typical spring out at Hazelia.

I think a couple GPS players will go and both teams will be stronger for it. CU will get a couple of good players and GPS will have better chemistry. Win-win.

[Unregistered]

I think a couple GPS players will go and both teams will be stronger for it. CU will get a couple of good players and GPS will have better chemistry. Win-win.

As long as the GPS players that are leaving get to play when and where daddy wants. Is there an open job at Crossfire for team manager?

[Unregistered]

Spewing garbage? Reads like they are speaking truth. Given the ECNL season ends long after tryouts are over for everyone else this could be a very complicated situation for existing Crossfire players. Do they go back to Thusc or stay on ECNL as training partners for the top 11?

Yes, absolutely. Any time a coach or DoC hears anything negative or gets unsolicited feedback, they call the parent toxic or they call their claims garbage. All they want to hear is positive comments about how awesome they are. They don't want to hear the truth because of their arrogance and massive egos. Grow up coaches and learn how it is in the real world!

The existing CrossFire players are great kids. Really nice kids and they have endured so much hell in the past year and sadly, they are used to it. They want to keep living the dream, and they will keep hoping they will get that roster spot. My prediction is that IF they do get a roster spot, they will be training partners for the top 11. What KL does in practices is he separates the kids in A and B teams, so the pineriders always feel inadequate and they know that they will never get those minutes in the matches because KL thinks they are no good. When he stops the play, he only gives advice to the A team players while the B team players are ignored. Aside from the humiliating and berating comments I've seen him make to some players in the past, he'll ignore these B team practice players and act as they don't exist. He is indifferent. If he plays with the kids, he will only pass to the starters even if the B team players are available to receive a pass. So, if he has the ball, he'll look to the outside, see an available B team player, and then pass to the starter who has two defenders on her. He's top notch that KL. Lots of integrity and character for sure.

[Unregistered]

It's always assumed at the elite levels that you're playing for your spot on the roster every game, every practice. Only shoddy, rec-level Alliance-type programs give preference to those currently on a roster.

So far from the truth. Your assumption is completely wrong. Those starters are protected and entitled. Now, in the case of the CU ECNL 03s, I'm not sure what's going on but in the older age groups like the 01s and 02s, JK definitely protects those starters and gives them nearly 100% playing time. He can't see that the reason why the games they play don't result in wins is because those starters can't play the full 80 minutes at optimal speed and they make a lot of mistakes. He won't even give the opportunity (well maybe 5 minutes) to the pineriders so he can never test out their skills and abilities. Unfortunately, it's difficult to tell who makes all the decisions on those teams because KL micromanaged JK all year.

[Unregistered]

Has Crossgire ECNL coach broken it to the 03 goalie, entire defense (except one) and his center midfielders and his right forward that he has already offered their starting positions to outside players? Apparently has been relentless in replacing the goalie espescially. I feel sorry for her.. a terrible season with a terrible club. So much nasty back room dealings by adults and these girls are only 13. Anything to win at Crossfire ECNL. It's a shame the coaches there are incapable of developing their own players. How much money did those families spend on that garbage last year?

Predictable from KL. I am not surprised. Instead of developing his current players, he wants to recruit players that were developed from another coach. It would be too hard for him to develop his current players because he doesn't have the ability to do that. He is treating his ECNL players like the MLS draft only these players aren't getting paid for it, they get to pay the $6K to $8K a year for subpar training and constant fear that he is going to axe them, except for the players who have some political ties to him.