Reign FC moving to Tacoma. What happens to Reign Academy?

[Unregistered]

Reign Doesn't Take Just Anyone

Kinda of true. Lots of former B team girls from Crossfire and Eastside.
They are starting to get big rosters. Probably a hedge against girls
who will be leaving end of season. Crossfire is guilty also.

Bottom line is that there is no way in our little snowy part of the
world can support 6 "elite" teams. No wonder soccer numbers are
down 15% in the younger age groups.

Where do you get that information? That is a completely false statement to think that the Seattle Reign is full of B-team girls from XF and Eastside. I work with the Reign and I know where the players came from. Practically all of them have played on an A-team at their respective clubs. In fact, a few of XF's best Academy players in the 04 and 03 age groups have transferred over the last season.

Look at their results. They compete with the best Academies in the country. There is no way in hell they could compete on this level with B-team kids. In fact, many of the XF DA players would not make the Reign teams-especially in the 04 age group, which has not lost to XF since early 2017. The 02-03 age group has been on par with the rest of the country while fielding the team with mostly 03 players.

The only roster that is large at the Reign is the 05 age group. The 04's have 15. The 02-03's have 14. The 00-01's have 14. Only XF blows up their roster. The reason for this is that they are investing in their players and have been a development-first program from day-1. If they took anyone, their rosters should be bigger. I have been at many of their identification days and they turn most players that attend-some of which were EPD players that did not fit at the time.

[Unregistered]

It doesn't make them stronger

Stronger. So true, especially the #19-25 girls who don't get to suit up
or travel with the team. #14-18 get to play 10-20 minutes.
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!
-Kelly Clarkson...or was that Nietzsche?

It doesn't make them stronger. It stunts their development. Kids live to play. XF dangles an unobtainable carrot to the lower players with promises of higher training and "opportunities." In reality, many kids never play and don't develop. They attempt to win by any means possible (which they don't always do) and don't care how they achieve that. They will only play the 13 or so players that will help them do that. Many of these kids that aren't playing should find teams that they can contribute to and grow from there, even if it means ECNL or RCL. Is all of this wrong? That depends on who you ask. If a child is playing all the time, parents overlook the damaging philosophies XF practices. Others hold on for free club fees. Others tolerate horrible coaching and horrible treatment by those coaches. Parents need to call that out and place their child in a program that encourages growth. There are many out there.

[Unregistered]

Eastside is wanting to cut ties with reign and reign wont survive with just one team at each age group. Seattle untied saw the writing on the wall and pulled out last year. Reign is already charging more to play Da than crossfire did and now on the girls side crossfire will keep just the ecnl which allow girls to play high school soccer which has been a huge deal for the girls. Its general knowledge by all the other local clubs that reign wont survive on it's own and Eastside feels like the da is just sucking money from them.

[Unregistered]

Where do you get that information? That is a completely false statement to think that the Seattle Reign is full of B-team girls from XF and Eastside. I work with the Reign and I know where the players came from. Practically all of them have played on an A-team at their respective clubs. In fact, a few of XF's best Academy players in the 04 and 03 age groups have transferred over the last season.

Look at their results. They compete with the best Academies in the country. There is no way in hell they could compete on this level with B-team kids. In fact, many of the XF DA players would not make the Reign teams-especially in the 04 age group, which has not lost to XF since early 2017. The 02-03 age group has been on par with the rest of the country while fielding the team with mostly 03 players.

The only roster that is large at the Reign is the 05 age group. The 04's have 15. The 02-03's have 14. The 00-01's have 14. Only XF blows up their roster. The reason for this is that they are investing in their players and have been a development-first program from day-1. If they took anyone, their rosters should be bigger. I have been at many of their identification days and they turn most players that attend-some of which were EPD players that did not fit at the time.

Tell me lies, sweet little lies.
The 04 girl? You can keep her and her
crazy joysticking sideline yelling coach
dad from Surf.

The 03 left because she couldn't get minutes
versus the USC bound 02 girl.

The rosters are small because girls have left
during or before the season.

For the 05, you have 2 from SU,
2 from up north, which 1 is from Bellingham. WTH.
3 from Pac, 2 Eastside B team,
3 current/former B team Crossfire, and the
rest are Eastside A-ish players which some
were Gunners.
The 3 Crossfire came over mid season.
1-2 girls quit.
I heard that there are skill differentials
and they can not play effectively as a team.
Definitely not Pre-DA ECNL level teams.

Should I do more?

[Unregistered]

Where do you get that information? That is a completely false statement to think that the Seattle Reign is full of B-team girls from XF and Eastside. I work with the Reign and I know where the players came from. Practically all of them have played on an A-team at their respective clubs. In fact, a few of XF's best Academy players in the 04 and 03 age groups have transferred over the last season.

Look at their results. They compete with the best Academies in the country. There is no way in hell they could compete on this level with B-team kids. In fact, many of the XF DA players would not make the Reign teams-especially in the 04 age group, which has not lost to XF since early 2017. The 02-03 age group has been on par with the rest of the country while fielding the team with mostly 03 players.

The only roster that is large at the Reign is the 05 age group. The 04's have 15. The 02-03's have 14. The 00-01's have 14. Only XF blows up their roster. The reason for this is that they are investing in their players and have been a development-first program from day-1. If they took anyone, their rosters should be bigger. I have been at many of their identification days and they turn most players that attend-some of which were EPD players that did not fit at the time.

Reign lost all of their games to XF last week

XF 00/01 and 02/03 are all fully funded at the DA level

You do need to have larger groups at the younger age groups because you don't know how the girls are going to turn out so you don't want to cut their soccer careers pre puberty. Al Most girls know where they stand and it is up to them to decide if they want to stay with XF or more on to a different club. Also there is a certain amount of fallout as girls get older so you need the larger player pools at the younger age groups.

Reign does have some good players and some good players that used to play at XF. Reign have also made some questionable pick ups as well.

[Unregistered]

And boom!!! That's reign academy exploding after Eastside fc cuts ties today. Ain't no chance they survive now.

[Unregistered]

And boom!!! That's reign academy exploding after Eastside fc cuts ties today. Ain't no chance they survive now.

So, is Eastside supporting Reign until end of the season or is it effective immediately?

[Unregistered]

And boom!!! That's reign academy exploding after Eastside fc cuts ties today. Ain't no chance they survive now.

What does that mean, that Reign is exploding? Our DD doesn't play for them or Crossfire but I am hearing about many girls attending Reign practices or considering moving over there for the DA experience .

[Unregistered]

What does that mean, that Reign is exploding? Our DD doesn't play for them or Crossfire but I am hearing about many girls attending Reign practices or considering moving over there for the DA experience .

It means that Reign does not have the money and infrastructure to run a youth club by themselves, which is why they had partnered with Seattle United and Eastside in the first place. With Seattle United leaving last year, and Eastside abandoning them this year they will need another partner in order to continue. The problem is all of the quality clubs that could support that kind of operation are now in ECNL, so it will be tough for them to get a partner that they desparately need to continue.

[Unregistered]

Exactly! Cant survive on one team at every age group and have enough money to support the club, coaches, administrators, etc. They are going to have to charge a 20k club fee per player just to get by next year.

Still think Washington premier would be the front runner and maybe Sound fc trying to jump back on the DA train, eventhough they are no where big enough. Washington premier has a good thing going so I'm not sure they would be up for so much change. If Eastside and Seattle u couldn't make it work I'm not sure any club could.

[Unregistered]

Reign struggles

Former Reign Academy parent. It's not true the "Reign will take anyone" they cut a lot of strong players last spring, yet continue to invite new players to try out. It''s a new organization with growing pains and I don't see how they survive without the Eastside funding. My kid is now ECNL with better coaching, more playing time, and a more balanced life. She's on track to play in college with coaching interest. There were positives to her time with Reign but overall negative coaching led to stalled development. Glad we left. I hope they can work out something for the players still there -- a lot of great kids

[Unregistered]

Former Reign Academy parent. It's not true the "Reign will take anyone" they cut a lot of strong players last spring, yet continue to invite new players to try out. It''s a new organization with growing pains and I don't see how they survive without the Eastside funding. My kid is now ECNL with better coaching, more playing time, and a more balanced life. She's on track to play in college with coaching interest. There were positives to her time with Reign but overall negative coaching led to stalled development. Glad we left. I hope they can work out something for the players still there -- a lot of great kids

Some of those new players come with questionable baggage.

[Unregistered]

I'm not sure kids have baggage...

I don't know anything about the new players that have been added in the last year... hard to imagine a child having baggage, unless that means a problem parent. I do know the Reign let a lot of talented girls go/pushed them out during tryouts last year. Where players stood was poorly communicated, which steered a lot of girls to ECNL and then the spring tryouts weren't well-attended by new talent. There are many great players still at Reign -- it will be interesting to see what happens this spring

[Unregistered]

I don't know anything about the new players that have been added in the last year... hard to imagine a child having baggage, unless that means a problem parent. I do know the Reign let a lot of talented girls go/pushed them out during tryouts last year. Where players stood was poorly communicated, which steered a lot of girls to ECNL and then the spring tryouts weren't well-attended by new talent. There are many great players still at Reign -- it will be interesting to see what happens this spring

I knew Reign was in big trouble when they started to poach players
mid-season this year. Very bad form, but perhaps things to come
with so many ECNL teams looking for good players.

On the flip side, maybe the DOCs and BoDs will have to step
up their game to attract and to keep good players, instead of
keeping rosters of 23+, not let kids travel and general
d0uchebaggery. Hmm I wonder which club could CROSS my mind.

[Unregistered]

I knew Reign was in big trouble when they started to poach players
mid-season this year. Very bad form, but perhaps things to come
with so many ECNL teams looking for good players.

On the flip side, maybe the DOCs and BoDs will have to step
up their game to attract and to keep good players, instead of
keeping rosters of 23+, not let kids travel and general
d0uchebaggery. Hmm I wonder which club could CROSS my mind.

It is not poaching if the player was kicked off her team for doing some very bad things to her former teammates. It is more of a case of no morals that bad form for the Reign.