DA Teams Selected- 25 Teams Initially

ENERGYFC04 wrote:Its a philosophy that will not change until such time as soccer becomes a legitimate top 3 sport in the US.  

As for ECNL I personally go back forth.  I truly believe USYS has the money and ability to eradicate ECNL and/or severely diminish it if they wish.  I see the beginnings of this with SRPL changing structurally.    

Further, ECNL is dependent on USCLUB which has shown with the composite teams and anything other than ECNL that it struggles both in structure and communication.  You want to roll with this format?   Tough decisions are forthcoming for clubs.  

Well I guess TSCH has the best of both worlds now. Im sure certain people on this board will have something negative to say about it. It was hard to keep this a secret. Hopefully OFC will get in next.

As far as practicing 4 times a week Academy's overseas practice 5 days a week and do schooling in between. TSCH has a program such as this already in place. I can understand some parents qualms especially when kids play 2-3 sports but for these girls that soccer is it for. I don't think getting burned out is a problem its supposed to be fun, people make it sound like WORK. If this isn't for you then DA and ECNL are not for those girls that aren't committed, everyone should know that the younger you are the easier it is train and learn, teaching the right habits early and understanding philosophy are not above 10 Year olds. Unfortunately you see 13-14 year olds that can't pass a ball correctly and don't even know who to mark up. These are things that should have been taught earlier. It's a sad fact. You only need to spend a Saturday on the fields to see it.
ECNL and DA were both created to find the talent within a club and pool them together to improve and develop. Why is doing this at 10 such a problem? Jr ECNL seems to be a great tool that I am glad is finally getting developed. During these awkward growth years 10-14 it is especially important for the club to raise the bar so these girls are better equiped for the 15-18 trials. It will make them stronger and better equiped to play the powerhouse clubs. I am personally happy with TSCH's model, it seems to be looking towards the future.

Like I said, everyone will have their disagreements/opinions/etc...Viva la difference! But burn out was only one of my concerns. My daughter, for instance, is a soccer fanatic and loves playing AND practice and it is currently not a problem. I have an older daughter, though, and have seen the burnout not only on her team, but ECNL players and high level players we have "known" over the years from other teams, even in NTX. My main concern is putting 10 and 11 year olds into a $ times a week practice regimen...seems kinda early for such restriction for MOST girls, even ECNL/DA types. 3-4 years later, not so much. Kids need plenty of non-adult supervised, non-athletic, non-competitive time to just be a kid and grow into who they will be. Soccer, while great for 'em, can't take up 80% of their free time without consequences...consequences that I would wager to be negative long-term at that young of an age. Who knows, I may be way off here. I would just say that your daughter, if she's meant to make it and already knows how to pass and when to pass and how/who to mark at 10-11, will make it all in good time. Everyone's in such a hurry for these kids to grow up. Let me tell you, it happens too fast and once they're gone to college, it all changes and you realize how fast it went. I would hate to have spent nearly all of it ONLY doing soccer with my kids. I sometimes feel that that happens at times even though I try to guard against it! Again, I'm only speaking to my opinion and only about starting them in DA that young.

Bird, agree that kids need down time but 1:30 practices 3 times/wk for 10-12 yr old DA might be good for them at that level. ECNL already does this 14-18, jr's 2 times/wk but optional 3rd practice. Touches, as many as they can get. Some clubs also don't have both ECNL and DA. Better Soccer than Boyfriends, lol , dreading that day!

Agree with that last part, for sure!!!!

Bird, all valid arguments. I can understand your perspective.

Yellowcard wrote:That is exactly right Bird...  Does anyone know when Alex Morgan started playing competitive?  14 years old.  Trust me when I say that a lot happens to kids as they hit puberty and sometimes it's for the better and sometimes it isn't.  That's just another reason to wait until that age before making these type of decisions.  Just think...  It will open up about 8 ECNL spots per age group!  Lol

In some age groups this loss of 8 players to DA may weaken the overall ECNL AP teams. Unless there are players of the same caliber to take the place of the lost players this may weaken the league overall especially to the detriment of smaller town clubs with both DA and ECNL like TSCH. Talent pool is not like Dallas or other large metros, hard to replace top team players anywhere really.

Enter those composite teams... Those kids in most instances were right on the edge of being AP ECNL and I think there are a few they probably got wrong and they should have made it. So it will all be ok... There isn't enough drop off to make us not be competitive.

Yellowcard, I cant say about the older groups in ECNl and Composite but its not there in younger ages but there's still time to develop them and to bring players in from other clubs to make up the difference, maybe. It will be interesting to see as DA states teams must be balanced for each age group and that would probably breakdown to 1 forward, 3 mid/wingers, 3 defenders, 1 goalie. 8/8 from each age group. Hard to fill all those positions with quality talent across the board. It's not like they are a dime a dozen, players yes, as they say in TX, studs No.

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