Scorecard: ECNL vs GDA

[Unregistered]

Nobody blames FC or CU for ECNL.

What we get annoyed about is the constant stream of "Thornz Asylum!!!" from boosters of these clubs, openly rooting for the GDA (and/or the Thorns or NWSL) to fail, just so the local ECNL clubs will be unopposed at the top of the food chain.

Look, ECNL views the Girls Development Academy as a threat. US Club has the attitude that "we got there first", therefore US Soccer should cede the field of elite girls training to ENCL. It has taken a scorched-earth view towards the GDA and is trying to sabotage it in any way it can. And while ECNL is an excellent option for many, it has quite a few flaws that make it less-than-desirable for training international-caliber players. Many ECNL clubs are good enough to train such players, but they were good enough before and will be good enough no matter where they play. Other clubs, including both local ECNL entries, are basically local youth clubs with all the limitations inherent in shoestrong nonprofits with a shallow talent pool.

Running a proper academy is expensive. And for many clubs, especially on the girls side (where there's little chance to recoup the investment in the pros), it's not worth it--so I'm not surprised that quite a few clubs are opting for the cheaper (lower technical standards, take high school season off, etc.) ECNL program. And that's fine. GDA is not likely to exist on the same scale that Boys DA does; simply because of the different economics of women's soccer.

But some people seem unhappy that it exists at all. Again--ECNL has been attempting to monopolize the college recruiting pipeline; to tell girls who are interested in college play that to have a real shot at a good scholarship, you HAVE to go through ECNL (and put up with the travel schedule and the ridiculous combine model), otherwise you'll be left behind. College coaches, with limited recruiting budgets, love ECNL because the players come to them rather than the other way around. But it sucks for families who can't afford it--for this reason, making sure that alternatives remain--and college recruiters can't simply ignore other programs--is essential.

We all should be encouraging as many options as possible. No organization has the credibility to be handed the keys to the kingdom unchallenged. But ECNL and US Club need to accept that the USWNT has different needs than Anson Dorrance does--what is good for the UNC Women's Soccer team may not be good for US women's soccer as a whole.

The only reason ECNL has taken the approach it has is simply because US Soccer tried to kill it off. Too bad for US Soccer that they don't have the skills or intelligence to do so. ECNL leadership is so far ahead of US Soccer on this one that it's like a cat toying with a mouse. Soon enough that mouse ends up dead - just like Thornz Asylum.

[Unregistered]

They could be the former if they shrink down by half, concentrating the truly top clubs and talent. USSF got too ambitious in trying to steal market share from ECNL. Too many mediocre clubs that needed lots of variable talent to fill rosters. There's a place for GDA, just not as big as USSF wants it to be.

Too bad that even the best of the best clubs are abandoning GDA. When the big guys say no thanks, it doesn't take long for the rest to wise up.

[Unregistered]

Thorns are hardly "professional". How much are those girls getting paid again? Peanuts?

Girls simply don't care about a pro path, Thorns or elsewhere. They just don't. It's all about college. Same with boys DA for the vast majority of players. The sales pitch of NT or professional path falls on deaf ears. Most families know their kid isn't good enough and-or doesn't want it. They see DA as a path to college soccer. How can an organization with one goal accomplish what it wants when almost all of its participants have a different goal?

[Unregistered]

Too bad that even the best of the best clubs are abandoning GDA. When the big guys say no thanks, it doesn't take long for the rest to wise up.

Honestly the Slammer announcement surprised me - it seemed like the bleed had stopped a few weeks ago - and they were doing so well in SoCal which everyone holds up as the gold standard for GDA divisions. Now several good clubs are out but poor ones are let in (on top of some poor ones that are already in). Next year will be very ugly. Hopefully clubs announce their departures with more notice for players to make other arrangements.

[Unregistered]

Girls simply don't care about a pro path, Thorns or elsewhere. They just don't. It's all about college. Same with boys DA for the vast majority of players. The sales pitch of NT or professional path falls on deaf ears. Most families know their kid isn't good enough and-or doesn't want it. They see DA as a path to college soccer. How can an organization with one goal accomplish what it wants when almost all of its participants have a different goal?

The goal is to try to find that one kid who might make it to the national team level. The rest will go on to college. It’s fine! It’s also cheaper than boys club and girls club/ecnl.

[Unregistered]

Thorns are hardly "professional". How much are those girls getting paid again? Peanuts?

Unlike parents of girls in the local club 'nutz' for travel.

The club gets paid by ignorant parents who love just the smell of nutz.

Fly away!!

[Unregistered]

Real Madrid doesn't have a monopoly in Madrid, nor does Barca have one in Catalonia. They also don't control the local youth leagues. There are some top academies in spain (i.e produce La Liga level players) that aren't under the banner of pro club.If Peregrine offers the top academy the rest will follow. However, local leagues/associations should absolutely not be putting a finger on the scale (or allowing Peregrine to do so) to help pick winners. Not sure why it always returns to blaming CU and FC for choosing ECNL or insulting the parents who made that choice. It gets old, really old.

Portland, Oregon is not Madrid or Barcelona, Spain.

What does that mean?

Soccer and especially girls soccer is irrelevant in this town and it's easy for the only Professional sports team outside of the NBA blazers to run this show without any real concrete push back.

The choice to travel for giggles, on the parents dime is beyond reproach it's truly comical from any angle.

How Peregrine can run youth soccer is the same virus that allows parents to spend thousands on useless travel, nobody cares.

No leadership and no integrity to be found in the backwoods.

[Unregistered]

Portland, Oregon is not Madrid or Barcelona, Spain.

What does that mean?

Soccer and especially girls soccer is irrelevant in this town and it's easy for the only Professional sports team outside of the NBA blazers to run this show without any real concrete push back.

The choice to travel for giggles, on the parents dime is beyond reproach it's truly comical from any angle.

How Peregrine can run youth soccer is the same virus that allows parents to spend thousands on useless travel, nobody cares.

No leadership and no integrity to be found in the backwoods.

If parents choose to travel it is none of your business. That critique is rather hypocritical given how much Westside Thorns will travel this year.

Capitulating to the desires of Peregrine reflects neither leadership nor integrity. Take your judgement and **** off you sellout.

[Unregistered]

If parents choose to travel it is none of your business. That critique is rather hypocritical given how much Westside Thorns will travel this year.

Capitulating to the desires of Peregrine reflects neither leadership nor integrity. Take your judgement and **** off you sellout.

Clubs choose to have ignorant parents pay to travel.

Peregrine pays for DA travel.

Better luck next year....

[Unregistered]

24 per team on the roster. $2,950 plus $1,200 for showcases and $125.00 for tryouts. $2,950+$1,200+$125=$4,275 per player x 24 players x 4 teams = $410,400.00 in travel costs paid for by parents. Parents pay the first $410,400.00 per year. That is a lot of travel.

[Unregistered]

24 per team on the roster. $2,950 plus $1,200 for showcases and $125.00 for tryouts. $2,950+$1,200+$125=$4,275 per player x 24 players x 4 teams = $410,400.00 in travel costs paid for by parents. Parents pay the first $410,400.00 per year. That is a lot of travel.

Or that fictional amount, covers the wholesale field rental cost of the first 25 training sessions (4 hr blocks) at Providence Park this summer/fall.No matter, this other real expense (professional stadium usage)allows all travel cost to br covered, which is refreshing.





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[Unregistered]

24 per team on the roster. $2,950 plus $1,200 for showcases and $125.00 for tryouts. $2,950+$1,200+$125=$4,275 per player x 24 players x 4 teams = $410,400.00 in travel costs paid for by parents. Parents pay the first $410,400.00 per year. That is a lot of travel.

$900 for showcases, $50 for tryouts

[Unregistered]

$900 for showcases, $50 for tryouts

So the information provided on the Thorns academy website is inaccurate? Shocking.

[Unregistered]

So the information provided on the Thorns academy website is inaccurate? Shocking.

Returning players paid $50 for the tryouts, some paid nothing.
Cost of each showcase is $300 flat fee.

[Unregistered]

Honestly the Slammer announcement surprised me - it seemed like the bleed had stopped a few weeks ago - and they were doing so well in SoCal which everyone holds up as the gold standard for GDA divisions. Now several good clubs are out but poor ones are let in (on top of some poor ones that are already in). Next year will be very ugly. Hopefully clubs announce their departures with more notice for players to make other arrangements.

Thought the spring drama was over, but not looking like it. The Slammers rumor has been floating for weeks but announcing at the end of June? Wonder if fed fought hard to keep them (arguably the best club in the best region for GDA), because this is very late in the game.