Thoughts on BU12-14 age group?

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Anyone have anything productive to input as to the quality and competitiveness of this last few months of OYSA or ECNL games? Predictions on how groups will finish up the season?

Best age groups and teams in OYSA? Who was most improved? Was it specific to clubs, development and cultures therein or was it arbitrary and based on in-migration within the pool?

Special players that moved entire squads or carried them on their back?

With there not being any more DA did the group get more competitive?

What was the impact of Timbers Academy entries and exits to the group? Is TA disruptive or an asset to the local pool? Should TA move to more of the successful Sounders model (no U12-U14 teams - just a training pool) for this age group?

How do BECNL and OYSA compare? Would BECNL be a better answer for the top tier Oregon teams?

As these boys age out of their group and into HS and U15, can a large pool still compete at an advanced level or will excellence become more rarified? I am asking that especially as a parent from this age group with no experience of the road forward.

Plugged in a gender and age range to make it more focused. Don't want to discuss Title IX or High School teams. Extra points for not letting this thread just devolve into an exercise in internet mean-spirited-ness.

[Unregistered]

Anyone have anything productive to input as to the quality and competitiveness of this last few months of OYSA or ECNL games? Predictions on how groups will finish up the season?

Best age groups and teams in OYSA? Who was most improved? Was it specific to clubs, development and cultures therein or was it arbitrary and based on in-migration within the pool?

Special players that moved entire squads or carried them on their back?

With there not being any more DA did the group get more competitive?

What was the impact of Timbers Academy entries and exits to the group? Is TA disruptive or an asset to the local pool? Should TA move to more of the successful Sounders model (no U12-U14 teams - just a training pool) for this age group?

How do BECNL and OYSA compare? Would BECNL be a better answer for the top tier Oregon teams?

As these boys age out of their group and into HS and U15, can a large pool still compete at an advanced level or will excellence become more rarified? I am asking that especially as a parent from this age group with no experience of the road forward.

Plugged in a gender and age range to make it more focused. Don't want to discuss Title IX or High School teams. Extra points for not letting this thread just devolve into an exercise in internet mean-spirited-ness.

Which club is your son with? We'll make sure we say nice thing about them.

[Unregistered]

Anyone have anything productive to input as to the quality and competitiveness of this last few months of OYSA or ECNL games? Predictions on how groups will finish up the season?

No, and no. Don't pay much attention to Seattle.

Best age groups and teams in OYSA? Who was most improved? Was it specific to clubs, development and cultures therein or was it arbitrary and based on in-migration within the pool?

I suspect the latter. At this level, you're mainly teaching the game; the issue is not in finding that special coach (despite lots of coaches who might claim otherwise), but in avoiding the bad ones. And finding one that is a good fit for your kid.

But usually if a team is good, it's because it had talented players at the start of the season, not because a genius coach took a roster full of B-teamers and made them into an elite squad. (And quite a few clubs at this age group don't give a *@#$ about winning games, and focus on technical development--you can tell those teams when you hear the clueless parents scream "boot it!" and the kids, who have been told to listen to the coach and ignore the opposite sideline, instead try and play it out of the back).

As a parent, it's hard. You want your kid's team to win, if for no other reason than losing isn't fun for the kid. Sometimes it's easy to conclude that if the team isn't winning, the coach isn't doing his job, when in fact the coach is doing a fine job improving the skills of the players he has, but against competition that challenges the players consistently.

Special players that moved entire squads or carried them on their back?

Don't know, not commenting on specific players.

With there not being any more DA did the group get more competitive?

What was the impact of Timbers Academy entries and exits to the group? Is TA disruptive or an asset to the local pool? Should TA move to more of the successful Sounders model (no U12-U14 teams - just a training pool) for this age group?

I think TA should move to the Sounders model--in large part because figuring out who the top 12-year-old is, in most cases, a fools errand. (The consensus top 05 from 2-3 years ago spent one year with the academy and is now back at his old club, though in large part by personal choice--he didn't want to commit to soccer full-time; that's his decision and I support it. Still a good player, but no longer considered the "top" 05).

The 06TA, based on last year's squad, did an excellent job of identifying the top players (and one of them has been spotted playing up with the 05TA recently). Don't know about the 07TA, mainly because the loss of the Washington DA program means they haven't had any competitive matches, though there are certainly some good players on that roster.

How do BECNL and OYSA compare? Would BECNL be a better answer for the top tier Oregon teams?

Not really. If BECNL is like girls ECNL--with only a small number of local clubs who then travel regularly, it
can provide a better soccer experience by aggregating top talent, but risks becoming a way for rich kids to self-aggrandize. (Lots of top players simply cannot afford that; and many top boys players come from low-income households). If it is like Washington's BECNL--it's just another league, little different from DA the year before or RCL a couple years ago: what is the point?

Outside the Timbers, or another fully-funded academy (if Nike wanted to spring for such a thing, for instance), pay-to-play travel clubs are pointless. At least from a soccer perspective.

Now if someone were to fund a fully-funded travel academy, that a) does not compete in OYSA and b) if it is hosted by an extant youth club, does not give preference to that club's players (but instead recruits from all over the area), that would be very beneficial. Timbers could use some competition.

As these boys age out of their group and into HS and U15, can a large pool still compete at an advanced level or will excellence become more rarified? I am asking that especially as a parent from this age group with no experience of the road forward.

Players don't suddenly start to suck when they reach high school--but many drop out of soccer, especially club soccer, when the more stringent academic demands of HS take affect, not to mention increased interest in the opposite sex, the possibility of having a job, and other such things. Many of the players who are left are dedicated, but the pool definitely gets smaller.

Plugged in a gender and age range to make it more focused. Don't want to discuss Title IX or High School teams. Extra points for not letting this thread just devolve into an exercise in internet mean-spirited-ness.

I purposely avoided mentioning any specific clubs for that reason.

[Unregistered]

Anyone have anything productive to input as to the quality and competitiveness of this last few months of OYSA or ECNL games? Predictions on how groups will finish up the season?

Best age groups and teams in OYSA? Who was most improved? Was it specific to clubs, development and cultures therein or was it arbitrary and based on in-migration within the pool?

Special players that moved entire squads or carried them on their back?

With there not being any more DA did the group get more competitive?

What was the impact of Timbers Academy entries and exits to the group? Is TA disruptive or an asset to the local pool? Should TA move to more of the successful Sounders model (no U12-U14 teams - just a training pool) for this age group?

How do BECNL and OYSA compare? Would BECNL be a better answer for the top tier Oregon teams?

As these boys age out of their group and into HS and U15, can a large pool still compete at an advanced level or will excellence become more rarified? I am asking that especially as a parent from this age group with no experience of the road forward.

Plugged in a gender and age range to make it more focused. Don't want to discuss Title IX or High School teams. Extra points for not letting this thread just devolve into an exercise in internet mean-spirited-ness.

**Stop Thread** ip-tracker.org api

Done. Mr. Robot.

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SCA has been amazing.

[Unregistered]

Enjoy watching your kid(s) play. Half will be out of the sport by HS and won't even play. Nobody will get a D1 scholarship or play for the USMNT. Focus on integrity, ethics, staying away from drugs and getting good grades. Soccer is just a game.

The best kids at this age are latino and don't even play TTL. They play in an league in Salem/Woodburn you have to be "in" to get in. Sometimes these kids will moonlight with UPDX South.

[Unregistered]

Anyone have anything productive to input as to the quality and competitiveness of this last few months of OYSA or ECNL games? Predictions on how groups will finish up the season?

Best age groups and teams in OYSA? Who was most improved? Was it specific to clubs, development and cultures therein or was it arbitrary and based on in-migration within the pool?

Special players that moved entire squads or carried them on their back?

With there not being any more DA did the group get more competitive?

What was the impact of Timbers Academy entries and exits to the group? Is TA disruptive or an asset to the local pool? Should TA move to more of the successful Sounders model (no U12-U14 teams - just a training pool) for this age group?

How do BECNL and OYSA compare? Would BECNL be a better answer for the top tier Oregon teams?

As these boys age out of their group and into HS and U15, can a large pool still compete at an advanced level or will excellence become more rarified? I am asking that especially as a parent from this age group with no experience of the road forward.

Plugged in a gender and age range to make it more focused. Don't want to discuss Title IX or High School teams. Extra points for not letting this thread just devolve into an exercise in internet mean-spirited-ness.

It is hard to comment on TA because of how unstable their playing environment has been (by that I mean their league status, etc. at the middle school years).

The top half of the boys ECNL NW in any age group is good - basically the old RCL D1/Boys DA. Tip my hat to Washington Timbers trying to hang up there - not easy and good amount of travel.

Locally, there are 3 groups that seem to be thriving in this new world order:
United - Premier (06s and 07s should win division)
ADF - 2nd or 3rd in pretty much ever division
United - South (06s f/k/a farmers will finish 2nd or 3rd; 08s doing well)

For United -Premier this is primarily a continuation of their DA teams. For ADF, they have been strong for a number of years at these younger ages. United - South - combo of former farmers and other valley teams that can flat out play.

Oregon Premier and Westside still have some good teams here.

Capital also seems to be stronger then they were a year ago and Eastside seems to be doing better in the post-DA world then they did in it.

Simple equation: DA + best of old OYSA = a pretty good league (even without Washington Timbers).

I liked the training mandates and other quality aspects of the DA - but honestly, these combined leagues are little more fun.

[Unregistered]

It is hard to comment on TA because of how unstable their playing environment has been (by that I mean their league status, etc. at the middle school years).

The top half of the boys ECNL NW in any age group is good - basically the old RCL D1/Boys DA. Tip my hat to Washington Timbers trying to hang up there - not easy and good amount of travel.

Locally, there are 3 groups that seem to be thriving in this new world order:
United - Premier (06s and 07s should win division)
ADF - 2nd or 3rd in pretty much ever division
United - South (06s f/k/a farmers will finish 2nd or 3rd; 08s doing well)

For United -Premier this is primarily a continuation of their DA teams. For ADF, they have been strong for a number of years at these younger ages. United - South - combo of former farmers and other valley teams that can flat out play.

Oregon Premier and Westside still have some good teams here.

Capital also seems to be stronger then they were a year ago and Eastside seems to be doing better in the post-DA world then they did in it.

Simple equation: DA + best of old OYSA = a pretty good league (even without Washington Timbers).

I liked the training mandates and other quality aspects of the DA - but honestly, these combined leagues are little more fun.

Farmers?

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Farmers?

4h appears to have shut down. Don't know why.

[Unregistered]

It is hard to comment on TA because of how unstable their playing environment has been (by that I mean their league status, etc. at the middle school years).

The top half of the boys ECNL NW in any age group is good - basically the old RCL D1/Boys DA. Tip my hat to Washington Timbers trying to hang up there - not easy and good amount of travel.

Locally, there are 3 groups that seem to be thriving in this new world order:
United - Premier (06s and 07s should win division)
ADF - 2nd or 3rd in pretty much ever division
United - South (06s f/k/a farmers will finish 2nd or 3rd; 08s doing well)

For United -Premier this is primarily a continuation of their DA teams. For ADF, they have been strong for a number of years at these younger ages. United - South - combo of former farmers and other valley teams that can flat out play.

Oregon Premier and Westside still have some good teams here.

Capital also seems to be stronger then they were a year ago and Eastside seems to be doing better in the post-DA world then they did in it.

Simple equation: DA + best of old OYSA = a pretty good league (even without Washington Timbers).

I liked the training mandates and other quality aspects of the DA - but honestly, these combined leagues are little more fun.

Hispanic boys teams are usually very good from u11 to u14 but pretty much irrelevant in club soccer after u15. ADF & United 'whatever' have documented the same trajectory as the 'Hispanic' teams.

Is this really a thread? or just another exercise in describing the inevitable outcomes.

Captain Obvious.

[Unregistered]

Hispanic boys teams are usually very good from u11 to u14 but pretty much irrelevant in club soccer after u15. ADF & United 'whatever' have documented the same trajectory as the 'Hispanic' teams.

Is this really a thread? or just another exercise in describing the inevitable outcomes.

Captain Obvious.

What are the inevitable outcomes? Maybe that's what the question is. If ADF, United 'whatever' and all hispanic youth teams document the same trajectory according to your assessment, what is that trajectory? How does that trajectory differ from the clubs and ethnicities you didn't include? Is there a positive outcome to be had for these kids and the passion they have? I have guided other of my own children through their teenage years successfully, so I am aware of the changes and challenges that come for them. I see the seeds of brilliance in kids that are going to be 17-19 years old when the World Cup is played in North America. That will be the crest of these boys' crescendo as they become adults. How do we keep their soccer passion alive and what is the best means to aid them with their goals? Where or how does a meaningful sporting education continue past U15 locally? Does it?

Also, my assessment was that the OYSA groups I watched this season were quite competitive despite the changes that happened. I have been rather impressed. The seemingly strong groups were not always the sum of their parts. I saw glimpses of young men playing the beautiful game. There were dirty fouls and there were floppers and there were clueless refs and crazy parents (not innocent here). But there were give and gos through the wings and the mid that belied their years. There were defenders who maintained a line that could not be penetrated. There were first touches and 180 degree turns that made me smile ear to ear.

As an aside, it is possible to ask questions and have discussions that "you" may have already had without being filed under "Captain Obvious" and invoking your condescending keyboard tone. It is unfortunate you feel the need to be unpleasant, but if it makes you feel better - have at it.

[Unregistered]

What are the inevitable outcomes? Maybe that's what the question is. If ADF, United 'whatever' and all hispanic youth teams document the same trajectory according to your assessment, what is that trajectory? How does that trajectory differ from the clubs and ethnicities you didn't include? Is there a positive outcome to be had for these kids and the passion they have? I have guided other of my own children through their teenage years successfully, so I am aware of the changes and challenges that come for them. I see the seeds of brilliance in kids that are going to be 17-19 years old when the World Cup is played in North America. That will be the crest of these boys' crescendo as they become adults. How do we keep their soccer passion alive and what is the best means to aid them with their goals? Where or how does a meaningful sporting education continue past U15 locally? Does it?

Also, my assessment was that the OYSA groups I watched this season were quite competitive despite the changes that happened. I have been rather impressed. The seemingly strong groups were not always the sum of their parts. I saw glimpses of young men playing the beautiful game. There were dirty fouls and there were floppers and there were clueless refs and crazy parents (not innocent here). But there were give and gos through the wings and the mid that belied their years. There were defenders who maintained a line that could not be penetrated. There were first touches and 180 degree turns that made me smile ear to ear.

As an aside, it is possible to ask questions and have discussions that "you" may have already had without being filed under "Captain Obvious" and invoking your condescending keyboard tone. It is unfortunate you feel the need to be unpleasant, but if it makes you feel better - have at it.

❤ Like button smashed.

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Liking your own posts.
With No replies to your weird obsession, except your own.
Same ole, Same ole.
.

Like

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❤ Like button smashed.

I liked it too.

[Unregistered]

Hispanic boys teams are usually very good from u11 to u14 but pretty much irrelevant in club soccer after u15. ADF & United 'whatever' have documented the same trajectory as the 'Hispanic' teams.

Is this really a thread? or just another exercise in describing the inevitable outcomes.

Captain Obvious.

I'm sorry, but this is stupid and wrong.

First of all, what do you mean by a "Hispanic" team? Is that limited to teams like 4H or LAFC or Santos, where the coach speaks Spanish to the players? What about teams like Capital or HSC? Or for that matter, the traditional alpha dogs of the boys HS ranks, Westside? Lots of Latino players on all of these. Looking at recent state cup results, there always seems to be at least one "Latino" team on the leaderboard (either as champion or runner-up).

Second, neither 4H nor UPDX have been around long enough to have "documented" any trajectory in high school at all. ADF's 04 team got to the semis last spring, they don't really have any team older than that. Their 05s are easily one of the favorites this year (along with Westside, Eugene, OPFC if they can recover from a poor summer season, Cuervos if they can keep out of the referee's book, and possibly UPDX who I haven't yet seen play this season but now has a dungeon full of Slytherins). And UPDX did have a state cup finalist in the high school ranks in the club's first year of existence--the big question is whether their recruiting spree will lead to a sustainable foundation. Many players and families from the old BSC and NEU seem to be annoyed that their kids aren't being developed and promoted as promised, instead the club seems more interested in poaching established players from other clubs and giving Timbers castoffs a home, so mommy won't have to endure the humiliation of going back to the old club.