Summer tournaments

[Guest]

We did Mt hood Challenge for the first time last year. From a managers standpoint it was really well run and organized. Good fields and even brackets for good competition. Nice to play some CA and OR teams

What level of competition would you compare Mt. Hood to? Was it similar to Rainier or Crossfire Challenge? ECNL and division 1 levels available there?

[Guest]

What level of competition would you compare Mt. Hood to? Was it similar to Rainier or Crossfire Challenge? ECNL and division 1 levels available there?

Step below rainer challenge. A few division 1 teams and mostly middle tier after that. 65-80% of the teams are Oregon teams which typically are weaker than the top 2 rcl leagues here in washington.

[Guest]

Probably closer to rush cup for comparison over rainer cup.

[Guest]

I would agree with the Adidas Clash at the Border being a good alternative to the Rainier Challenge. If you play in the top division there, you will get to match up with the top teams from many of the Portland area clubs and some strong Canadian teams (not last year due to Covid, but some will be coming back down again this year). Rainier is fine, but with only two divisions, it is just usually the same ECNL teams, and a few 2nd club teams competing in those top divisions..

Regarding the XFire Challenge, its by far the best (quality competition) Summer tournament in the NW. I guess the only option to this would be to travel across the country somewhere, or better yet, go the the Gothia Cup in Sweden (lots of logistics and flight $$ though).

[Guest]

Get real! Sounds like you would uncomfortable with your partner seeing you naked with the light off.

If your kid wants to play in college the crossfire tournaments are about the only local tournaments that has lots of college scouts and coaches.

Many non-profits have bylaws prohibiting the expenditure of funds in support of organizations that are contrary to the mission of the club. Maybe youth soccer clubs are not that sophisticated or political to have such prohibitions. If the bylaws do have such restrictions, then board members could be in trouble for allowing financial support of such organizations.

[Guest]

We have always had fun at Lake Oswego and Salmon Creek. Decent tournaments for lower level teams and doesn’t enable racist sexual abusers.

[Guest]

We did Mt hood Challenge for the first time last year. From a managers standpoint it was really well run and organized. Good fields and even brackets for good competition. Nice to play some CA and OR teams

We did MT Hood when the kids were younger and they had a blast. Very well run. Used to have a silver and gold division and they would drop the bottom gold teams to silver and take top silver to gold midway through. Not sure they still do that.

[Guest]

From my experience (a manager of two girls select teams in the Puget Sound area), the best travel (drive to) tournaments are the Mount Hood Challenge and Directors Mortgage Summer Slam. Lots of teams and multiple divisions. Fields are usually pretty good (mostly turf) and run well.

The one I would stay away from is the PCU Rose City Classic. Last year we played in it and they didn't have enough teams in our age bracket. Put us in the age bracket above. We ended up winning the tourney but had to play against PCU's supposedly B team which had at least 6 players from their ECNL Team. It was so nice to beat them!

[Guest]

From my experience (a manager of two girls select teams in the Puget Sound area), the best travel (drive to) tournaments are the Mount Hood Challenge and Directors Mortgage Summer Slam. Lots of teams and multiple divisions. Fields are usually pretty good (mostly turf) and run well.

The one I would stay away from is the PCU Rose City Classic. Last year we played in it and they didn't have enough teams in our age bracket. Put us in the age bracket above. We ended up winning the tourney but had to play against PCU's supposedly B team which had at least 6 players from their ECNL Team. It was so nice to beat them!

Wait!!! Are you saying a Select team beat a mostly-ECNL team from a higher age group??? Wow this belongs in one of those ECNLvsRCLvsNPSLvsWPL crazy threads!

[Guest]

Wait!!! Are you saying a Select team beat a mostly-ECNL team from a higher age group??? Wow this belongs in one of those ECNLvsRCLvsNPSLvsWPL crazy threads!

PCU team was same age group as us. Two of the 5 teams in the brackets were older age group.

[Guest]

PCU team was same age group as us. Two of the 5 teams in the brackets were older age group.

Unless you are going to a big tournament with multiple divisions in the same age group, unbalanced competition and mixed age brackets are common. Looking at the brackets from last year's tournament is a better way to check if your team will do OK there than whatever it says on the WYS list of sanctioned tournaments.

[Guest]

From my experience (a manager of two girls select teams in the Puget Sound area), the best travel (drive to) tournaments are the Mount Hood Challenge and Directors Mortgage Summer Slam. Lots of teams and multiple divisions. Fields are usually pretty good (mostly turf) and run well.

The one I would stay away from is the PCU Rose City Classic. Last year we played in it and they didn't have enough teams in our age bracket. Put us in the age bracket above. We ended up winning the tourney but had to play against PCU's supposedly B team which had at least 6 players from their ECNL Team. It was so nice to beat them!

PCU's ECNL team?

You state "at least 6 players from their ECNL Team."

hmmm...

[Guest]

Wait!!! Are you saying a Select team beat a mostly-ECNL team from a higher age group??? Wow this belongs in one of those ECNLvsRCLvsNPSLvsWPL crazy threads!

Yes, as a parent of an ECNL a player, very interesting comment.

[Guest]

I don't have proof but I heard PAC, WaPrem, and EastSide are boycotting the XF Challenge in July. Again I don't have proof - just spoke to a parent who has a daughter on PAC's G08 ECNL team...

[Guest]

I guess my point is that the host club decided to load up their B team to try to win their tournament that was marketed towards B level premier and select teams. Not cool to do. Also they are no longer an ECNL club.