Questions to all ECNL parents who have daughters riding the pine

[Unregistered]

Prediction:

50 percent will go to GDA
30 percent will stay on diluted ecnl teams
20 percent will stay on high level club teams

The math doesnt work out. If the GDA will have 80% of the Thorns back and they surely were in the bottom 25%, how does GDA end up with 50% of the talent.

[Unregistered]

The math doesnt work out. If the GDA will have 80% of the Thorns back and they surely were in the bottom 25%, how does GDA end up with 50% of the talent.

Because we both know that many new non-TA players are closely considering this program.

[Unregistered]

Correct there over 100 non-ECNL teams better ranked than the Crossfire teams. I believe GPS 03s for example are ranked in the top 50.. so ahead of about 30 ECNL teams in the same age group. This is no anomaly as there are fantastic non ECNL club teams everywhere and college coaches/scouts know this.

The real anamoly is how you get ranked in the top fifty without ever playing a single team ranked in the top 50?? Gotta play the best to be considered one of the best. The rest is just an algorithm.

[Unregistered]

The math doesnt work out. If the GDA will have 80% of the Thorns back and they surely were in the bottom 25%, how does GDA end up with 50% of the talent.

I do not think there will be an 80% return rate on the 2 current Thorns teams. We also need to recognize that there are some good players on both those teams. Not as bad as some folks would have you believe. Regardless of the entity - ECNL or Thorns, it would be good to see some pooling of the top talent under one banner. Right now the 3 club dilution is not helping players have the right environment to develop and compete.

[Unregistered]

I do not think there will be an 80% return rate on the 2 current Thorns teams. We also need to recognize that there are some good players on both those teams. Not as bad as some folks would have you believe. Regardless of the entity - ECNL or Thorns, it would be good to see some pooling of the top talent under one banner. Right now the 3 club dilution is not helping players have the right environment to develop and compete.

Agreed. Top soccer junkies should go to GDA. All the other top players who want to play high school soccer and can afford it can do ECNL or club. There should only be one ECNL team. Given development and track records, Crossfire is the weaker and should fold in.

[Unregistered]

Again, the coaching. Talent identification in Oregon is poor. Talent identification is politicized here.

I agree to a certain point about letting the kid decide for herself. Sometimes kids make poor decisions. They make decisions on their friends and aren't open to meeting new players or teams. They don't know how to assess their value. They don't know how to make educated decisions. Again, don't make rash decisions based on syrupy BS. You are in the Honeymoon phase of a relationship. Have her meet the players, play with the players, spend time with the coach, evaluate the training. Now I know doing all of this before tryouts is next to impossible. The problem is that if this keeper is being courted by KL and he seems all fine and dandy, but you are also hearing some horrible things about him, you need to do the research and find out the truth. Does KL really want to develop you, respect you as a player, or just use you to increase rankings for the team? What if somebody better comes along in a year from now? Will he still be there to support you? The answer is obvious to me. He is opportunistic and will use and abuse, recruit players instead of developing them. If I were KL, I'd give the CU ECNL 03 girls the love and attention they deserve. If he were a good coach, he can prove that he can develop them by not replacing them with new recruits, but by investing in them as players and loving them and them proving his worth.

Sadly, this won't happen because he has no integrity.

It's no integrity mom again... thanks for the lecture. I know your DD did not make the CU team last year and you are bitter. This is not a good excuse to come on here yet again and rag on someone's character. Hold yourself to a higher standard, you sound desperate.

[Unregistered]

The GDA isnt taking the top of anything. I will guarantee you the bait and switch everyone involved. By next year at this time, we will be saying where did the GDA go.

Instead of a new national league, the Thorns are going to try and start up some International League. You heard it hear first.

[Unregistered]

The real anamoly is how you get ranked in the top fifty without ever playing a single team ranked in the top 50?? Gotta play the best to be considered one of the best. The rest is just an algorithm.

Spoken like a true ECNL salesman. Not play, the saying is "Gotta beat the best to be the best". Of course that doesn't work when you win 2 games in 8 months. They have beaten a number of teams ranked higher than our local ECNL teams.

[Unregistered]

I do not think there will be an 80% return rate on the 2 current Thorns teams. We also need to recognize that there are some good players on both those teams. Not as bad as some folks would have you believe. Regardless of the entity - ECNL or Thorns, it would be good to see some pooling of the top talent under one banner. Right now the 3 club dilution is not helping players have the right environment to develop and compete.

The $2000 price tag is the same or even less than some of the local clubs. My bet is you will see more of the talent that was not able to afford to play the money game of ECNL. We all know ECNL and the Past Thorns Academy drew in players that could afford or scrap up that kind of money. The lower price tag of the new Thorns GDA will draw in more players

[Unregistered]

The GDA isnt taking the top of anything. I will guarantee you the bait and switch everyone involved. By next year at this time, we will be saying where did the GDA go.

Instead of a new national league, the Thorns are going to try and start up some International League. You heard it hear first.

There will be a draw starting with the 03/04/05 birth years. You would be surprised how many top notch players there are nationwide whose families do not want to pay or cannot afford the exorbitant price of ECNL.

[Unregistered]

The $2000 price tag is the same or even less than some of the local clubs. My bet is you will see more of the talent that was not able to afford to play the money game of ECNL. We all know ECNL and the Past Thorns Academy drew in players that could afford or scrap up that kind of money. The lower price tag of the new Thorns GDA will draw in more players

Hence the reason why you wont see many college coaches at the GDA showcases. It is much easier to recruit out of ECNL because they know more than likely their parents can afford to pay for college. If you have to girls of equal ability, who do you think is going to get that partial athletic scholarship?

Truth!!!!!!!!

[Unregistered]

Hence the reason why you wont see many college coaches at the GDA showcases. It is much easier to recruit out of ECNL because they know more than likely their parents can afford to pay for college. If you have to girls of equal ability, who do you think is going to get that partial athletic scholarship?

Truth!!!!!!!!

Dumbest statement I've read all day. True ECNL kids usually only get partial scholarships or in the case of Oregon girls $1k a year from PSU, but for higher level GDA soccer junkies that get partial scholarships and who's parents cannot afford to pay cash on remaining tuition, that's what college loans are for sweetheart.

[Unregistered]

Hence the reason why you wont see many college coaches at the GDA showcases. It is much easier to recruit out of ECNL because they know more than likely their parents can afford to pay for college. If you have to girls of equal ability, who do you think is going to get that partial athletic scholarship?

Truth!!!!!!!!

Can go the other way also. Mommy and Daddy can afford to move college when little sammy/suzie isn't the star of the team. I would rather have the child that is more likely to stay. College's are looking for players that can be a good marketing tool of success, not parents with money. Success is what draws more players to their college.

[Unregistered]

Dumbest statement I've read all day. True ECNL kids usually only get partial scholarships or in the case of Oregon girls $1k a year from PSU, but for higher level GDA soccer junkies that get partial scholarships and who's parents cannot afford to pay cash on remaining tuition, that's what college loans are for sweetheart.

Loans....hahaha. No one is loaning your kid 100K. The purpose of GDA is to find that diamond in the rough. What do you really think is going to happen to the other 99%?

[Unregistered]

Spoken like a true ECNL salesman. Not play, the saying is "Gotta beat the best to be the best". Of course that doesn't work when you win 2 games in 8 months. They have beaten a number of teams ranked higher than our local ECNL teams.

And both those ECNL clubs have wins against teams in the top fifty in the country. But to belong you have to do it week in and week out which is very hard to do. Playing against top teams with very different styles, size, speed and depth is a huge learning experience. OR isn't there yet, none of the teams are, we need to get over ourselves and learn what it takes to compete out of state!