Scorecard: ECNL vs GDA

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More GDA clubs dropping out east

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Concorde definitely out. Possibly two NE clubs as well
Concorde Fire is ‘All-In’ for the 2018-19 Season

RICHMOND, VA (May 18, 2018) – The Girls Elite Clubs National League is excited to announce that Concorde Fire will join more than 80 other “All-In” clubs for the 2018-19 season. These clubs place the ECNL as the aspirational training and development environment for all female players within the club, and at the top of their competitive pyramid.

Concorde Fire is a founding member of the Girls ECNL, based out of Atlanta, Georgia, and has finished as a top 20 club in the Overall Club Rankings of the ECNL every year for the past five seasons. Since the 2015-16 season, Concorde Fire has won 1 Southeast Conference championship, and finished in the top 3 of the conference 7 times (from U14 – U18). In 2017, the Concorde Fire U17s advanced to the ECNL Final Four. In the past 2 years, Concorde has had 4 players drafted into the NWSL, including women’s national team goalkeeper Jane Campbell. Women’s national team star and World Cup winner Kelley O’Hara is also a Concorde alum.

The Girls ECNL is the nation’s top development and competition platform for female soccer players, with conference competition in six age groups (U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, and U18/19) and unmatched collegiate exposure through the ECNL National Events, the largest collegiate showcases in the country. In addition to the competition platform, the Girls ECNL offers player identification and development opportunities for top players in every conference, unique coaching education and club development programs, and player health and education resources.

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Concorde definitely out. Possibly two NE clubs as well
Concorde Fire is ‘All-In’ for the 2018-19 Season

RICHMOND, VA (May 18, 2018) – The Girls Elite Clubs National League is excited to announce that Concorde Fire will join more than 80 other “All-In” clubs for the 2018-19 season. These clubs place the ECNL as the aspirational training and development environment for all female players within the club, and at the top of their competitive pyramid.

Concorde Fire is a founding member of the Girls ECNL, based out of Atlanta, Georgia, and has finished as a top 20 club in the Overall Club Rankings of the ECNL every year for the past five seasons. Since the 2015-16 season, Concorde Fire has won 1 Southeast Conference championship, and finished in the top 3 of the conference 7 times (from U14 – U18). In 2017, the Concorde Fire U17s advanced to the ECNL Final Four. In the past 2 years, Concorde has had 4 players drafted into the NWSL, including women’s national team goalkeeper Jane Campbell. Women’s national team star and World Cup winner Kelley O’Hara is also a Concorde alum.

The Girls ECNL is the nation’s top development and competition platform for female soccer players, with conference competition in six age groups (U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, and U18/19) and unmatched collegiate exposure through the ECNL National Events, the largest collegiate showcases in the country. In addition to the competition platform, the Girls ECNL offers player identification and development opportunities for top players in every conference, unique coaching education and club development programs, and player health and education resources.

That is interesting news that should definitely be posted in Virginia Talking Soccer and has little to do with this site. Perhaps if we move to Virginia we will look into their program.

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That is interesting news that should definitely be posted in Virginia Talking Soccer and has little to do with this site. Perhaps if we move to Virginia we will look into their program.

Well except Mike Smith and Erick Lysko have been selling OYSA and families that Girls DA is the future - what we learned this spring is that a whole lot of very good clubs in this country disagree. Concorde is a good one (Burlingame on the other hand was not).

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That is interesting news that should definitely be posted in Virginia Talking Soccer and has little to do with this site. Perhaps if we move to Virginia we will look into their program.

Trends in other parts of the country will never impact Oregon, RIGHT? right? of course, everyone wants to be part of the EURO-GDA. We shan't stand for any BREXIT talk in the GDA. GDA is sanctioned by the United Nations and will never fail. High school soccer is a detriment to society! Some of the coaches are actually educators too!! WRONG!

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That is interesting news that should definitely be posted in Virginia Talking Soccer and has little to do with this site. Perhaps if we move to Virginia we will look into their program.

Look - we all know you are "all in" with GDA. You have invested your kid's future in this program succeeding and have put all your eggs in the GDA basket, so to speak. So of course you would prefer that this news not get out. But it IS newsworthy. GDA is a national program. Big clubs are determining that it isn't a good program and isn't a good fit for their players and they are pulling out. Every time a big club pulls out, it weakens the overall quality of GDA. Now, that might be good for your DD and the other Thorns players. But it is not good for GDA and it's something that all parents considering GDA should be aware of, so we can be informed consumers and choose the program that is best for our child.

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Well except Mike Smith and Erick Lysko have been selling OYSA and families that Girls DA is the future - what we learned this spring is that a whole lot of very good clubs in this country disagree. Concorde is a good one (Burlingame on the other hand was not).

Every club that thought it was DA worthy (FC & CU included) fought tooth and nail to be considered a DA club last year. Only 75-80 were chosen across the country and yes the NWSL Thorns were granted entry into this DA US Soccer youth Platform. Those year 1 gains for the DA were incredible, but losing a handful of clubs in year 2 is not the end of the DA and the emergence of a USYS or US Club league as an equal to the DA. It's called a business choice at a club level. Which has nothing to do with development of players.

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Prediction?

Given the writing on the wall and the inevitable end for GDA, it's worth considering what's next for those Thorns players who will foolishly hang on to the bitter end.

They have been brainwashed - I mean told - for years that ECNL is a scam and a terrible program. Do they go to ECNL when GDA folds? Will they be welcome? Will they want to go there given that they believe it's an inferior program?

They left their local OYSA teams, secure in the knowledge they were being "called up" to the academy team. In some cases the leaving was amicable, but in many cases it was not. Do they go back to those old OYSA teams, given that their skill level is likely higher than that pool of players and they've spent the last however many months being taught that the OYSA teams are the "JV" teams in their world? Will they be welcome? Will they want to go back given they believe those are inferior programs?

Here's my completely unsubstantiated and wild prediction. Some business-minded coach with a good pedigree swoops in and convinces them to join her club as a unit. The entire GDA teams move to this club and are pretty darn successful sandbagging in OYSA, winning state cups, and going to regionals and maybe beyond. And that, my friends, is how FC Salmon Creek and Tina Ellertson remain relevant players in youth soccer once her kids graduate and move on to college.

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Look - we all know you are "all in" with GDA. You have invested your kid's future in this program succeeding and have put all your eggs in the GDA basket, so to speak. So of course you would prefer that this news not get out. But it IS newsworthy. GDA is a national program. Big clubs are determining that it isn't a good program and isn't a good fit for their players and they are pulling out. Every time a big club pulls out, it weakens the overall quality of GDA. Now, that might be good for your DD and the other Thorns players. But it is not good for GDA and it's something that all parents considering GDA should be aware of, so we can be informed consumers and choose the program that is best for our child.

Last I checked the DA is still operational with a nationwide program for Boys & Girls, MLS & NWSL franchises have youth DA's as well as top youth clubs. This is about control and money of youth girls and the parents are tools for the high paid DOC's.

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Last I checked the DA is still operational with a nationwide program for Boys & Girls, MLS & NWSL franchises have youth DA's as well as top youth clubs. This is about control and money of youth girls and the parents are tools for the high paid DOC's.

I'm glad we both agree - EL is a scam artist.

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Given the writing on the wall and the inevitable end for GDA, it's worth considering what's next for those Thorns players who will foolishly hang on to the bitter end.

They have been brainwashed - I mean told - for years that ECNL is a scam and a terrible program. Do they go to ECNL when GDA folds? Will they be welcome? Will they want to go there given that they believe it's an inferior program?

They left their local OYSA teams, secure in the knowledge they were being "called up" to the academy team. In some cases the leaving was amicable, but in many cases it was not. Do they go back to those old OYSA teams, given that their skill level is likely higher than that pool of players and they've spent the last however many months being taught that the OYSA teams are the "JV" teams in their world? Will they be welcome? Will they want to go back given they believe those are inferior programs?

Here's my completely unsubstantiated and wild prediction. Some business-minded coach with a good pedigree swoops in and convinces them to join her club as a unit. The entire GDA teams move to this club and are pretty darn successful sandbagging in OYSA, winning state cups, and going to regionals and maybe beyond. And that, my friends, is how FC Salmon Creek and Tina Ellertson remain relevant players in youth soccer once her kids graduate and move on to college.

That's it either your a club team member or have been hand picked for a DA program. The league you play in is a club/team choice.

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I'm glad we both agree - EL is a scam artist.

I don't think they are scam artists, they have been exposed, they are simply selling travel at (CU & FC). You get what you pay so dearly for. Frequent flier miles.

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I don't think they are scam artists, they have been exposed, they are simply selling travel at (CU & FC). You get what you pay so dearly for. Frequent flier miles.

The scam is simple to define, whether ECNL or GDA. Both started with a core of strong clubs. There is then a fringe that sells itself by touting the accomplishments of the core clubs. The sales pitch AKA scam is about the accomplishments of clubs in the same league, while not being able to cite their own accomplishments. Just because Phil Knight is from Oregon, it doesn't mean you are anything like him. The same is true when some Oregon teams try to compare themselves with others.

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Ha, girls soccer.

It is so much fun to read about. Is there anyway we can get the ENCL clubs, DA clubs, and parent on the Jerry Springier show?

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The scam is simple to define, whether ECNL or GDA. Both started with a core of strong clubs. There is then a fringe that sells itself by touting the accomplishments of the core clubs. The sales pitch AKA scam is about the accomplishments of clubs in the same league, while not being able to cite their own accomplishments. Just because Phil Knight is from Oregon, it doesn't mean you are anything like him. The same is true when some Oregon teams try to compare themselves with others.

USYS & US Club offers leagues for clubs always have and always will.

US DA is a different animal.

Why clubs who elect to play in a US Club league need to compare themselves to the DA has more to do with pen1s envy and delusion.

Oregon clubs on the girls side of things are not even worth discussing, seriously. But the $$$ these parents spend for club soccer is the needle that is moving and scares the be jesus out of the scam artists. It's truly wonderful to watch the meltdowns.