Will ECNL survive?

Spolar wrote:Yes, I believe ECNL will survive if DA stays the same. If DA adapts with some key changes, then ECNL may suffer.

Good DMN read today on this topix:
https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/high-school/high-schools/2018/01/03/not-just-losing-seniors-anymore-us-soccer-draining-talent-dallas-area-high-schools

The most significantly authentic statement from this article ...

"High school coaches worry that DA events will eventually be where most of the recruiting takes place. College scouts have a travel budget to adhere to and will flock to where they can see a multitude of elite recruits at one time."

... is the one that makes this absolutely the case, without the question of "may".

Three Women's College Head Coaches DI ( Big 12, Mountain -West and Southland Conference ) advised me that the NCAA is trying to push for soccer year round. The article is wishy washy on if DA is following this movement in accordance to the amount of games NCAA will be making this push too.

The three DI coaches I spoke too advised they want the youth players playing as much soccer as possible and of course with the best talent they can surround themselves with.

I would think any dual rostering you can do will be impressive to the college coaches in the know. But as far as going full year soccer in college or longer time period of games It was stated to me about 2-4 years out for the changes if all works out well. Does anyone have any input or did college coaches mention the same on your visits?

If college is what the DA was created for then it would be jumping all over what the college coaches were asking for. But it wasn’t and it won’t so.....
Now if the National Team committee wants something....

Dazed and Confused makes it even more dramatic. The forum will only will get more exciting.

Isn’t there a Beavis & Butthead marathon going on somewhere that can occupy your time?

Hang1053 wrote:Did the Dfeeters just buy the Dallas Kicks out?

No. Considering what they will be calling the club next year, one could infer that it was the other way around. However it was just a merger.

KeeperCommander wrote:If college is what the DA was created for then it would be jumping all over what the college coaches were asking for.  But it wasn’t and it won’t so.....
Now if the National Team committee wants something....

Certainly wasn't but that doesn't mean that it's Showcase events won't take over ECNL events as the primary recruiting ground for top college program coaches.  And I believe 4+ training days per week for 10 months out of the year plus traveling via bus or plane with teammates away from parents for a single match is very attractive to college coaches ... exactly what their kids do isn't it?

Playing soccer year round in college won't become a reality. A couple of reasons why:
1. Seniors typically are looking for jobs and interviewing in the spring of their senior year
2. The spring is when athletes catch up on learning and getting their GPA where it needs to be
3. College parties and weekend trips to the lake/river are better in the spring
4. If soccer were a year round thing in college it would be considered a job and thus the colleges would have to pay athletes.
5. If soccer were year round, then why not football, or basketball, or volleyball, or baseball? The other sports would want to play year round as well.

Year round soccer in college is a pipe dream.. If you want to smoke some of that stuff move to Colorado or California.

I can see an increase in the spring season, but not a full season. Three team tournaments strategically planed friendlies and trips abroad and to the Carribian nations to play and recruit.

Sophomore year college made a trip to the Cayman Islands to play their local club team, National team, and the the PO PO better none as the the police or the britts. Young an to nieve to know that it was a recruiting trip more than anything.

TxFutbol: "Year round soccer in college is a pipe dream.. If you want to smoke some of that stuff move to Colorado or California".

KC working on his Spring Crop.

Watch "Brewer And Shipley - One Toke Over The Line (Rare Original Music Video Clip)" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/MNKL9onYB_8

Year round college soccer is not occurring ever. Let’s be honest most college soccer teams are funded by football. How much does college soccer generate? Nada. Now you want to make it year round. Rumors. Half of the NCAA football teams are struggling to fill seats. Title 9 is what allows quite a bit of female soccer and other sports to take place. Year round college soccer....LMAO

What is the D’Feeters new name next year? Do you play for them and have some kind of inside scoop?

OdoyleRules wrote:

Hang1053 wrote:Did the Dfeeters just buy the Dallas Kicks out?

No. Considering what they will be calling the club next year, one could infer that it was the other way around.  However it was just a merger.

Hmmm ... ?

Sounds a skosh like you're suggesting that after 40 years of glory the D'Feeters are going to take on the Kicks name?  Cuz that'd be super!

And should we call it a merger ... or ...  more of a desperate, under the table agreement in which both (er ... all, if we're including Dallas Rush) parties were able to improve their situations by loopholing the system?

I only read a few pages of this thread so forgive me if this has already been brought up. DA and ECNL are not the end all be all, to play soccer in college. Plenty of players I know that play LH, or as some refer to as Rec. Soccer, have received college offers. We all know there are non ECNL teams that can whoop up on ECNL teams. Not all ECNL teams are good. I have only seen one DA team play and it was a scrimmage against a D1 LH team and it was a very close game with the DA team winning 3-2. I don't want you to think that I don't believe that DA does not have the top players. I am positive they do. I guess my thinking is even though the DA is so new on the girls side, all you have to do is look at the Men's National team to see that the design may be flawed. Someone mentioned that 99.9% of DA players, won't make the National Team. I would add several 9's to that number. I am all for setting goals and getting after it. I just believe that our daughters continue to play this game because it is fun. Not getting to play high school soccer doesn't seem like fun to me and I am sure many girls in the DA program feel the same way. If your daughter is good, colleges will find her.....the National team will find her. I saw on this forum that a girl that plays in Plano or Arlington, committed to West Virginia. WEST VIRGINIA!!! You don't have to have a DA or ECNL patch on your jersey to make your soccer dreams come true.

UTrippin wrote:I only read a few pages of this thread so forgive me if this has already been brought up. DA and ECNL are not the end all be all, to play soccer in college. Plenty of players I know that play LH, or as some refer to as Rec. Soccer, have received college offers. We all know there are non ECNL teams that can whoop up on ECNL teams. Not all ECNL teams are good. I have only seen one DA team play and it was a scrimmage against a D1 LH team and it was a very close game with the DA team winning 3-2. I don't want you to think that I don't believe that DA does not have the top players. I am positive they do. I guess my thinking is even though the DA is so new on the girls side, all you have to do is look at the Men's National team to see that the design may be flawed. Someone mentioned that 99.9% of DA players, won't make the National Team. I would add several 9's to that number. I am all for setting goals and getting after it. I just believe that our daughters continue to play this game because it is fun. Not getting to play high school soccer doesn't seem like fun to me and I am sure many girls in the DA program feel the same way. If your daughter is good, colleges will find her.....the National team will find her. I saw on this forum that a girl that plays in Plano or Arlington, committed to West Virginia. WEST VIRGINIA!!! You don't have to have a DA or ECNL patch on your jersey to make your soccer dreams come true.

Blasphemy!

The men's national team is an embarrassment to the USA. Most women on the USNT will tell you they played multiple sports and still do play multiple sports outside soccer. Last I checked, USWNT is one of the most respected teams in the world. I know many fine young women who have received top D1 school scholarships by only playing highschool and rec soccer. Club soccer let alone ECNL/DA are not the only paths to college. They also have this ting in college called open tryouts/walk on scholarships.. If your DD is player and wants to play college there will be an opportunity.

DA was only created because ODP failed and it's a pure and simple money/power grab between competing soccer bodies. It's sick and sad..

I have heard stories about some of the smaller clubs who's top players didn't make ODP, yet girls who hardly get playing tome on the same team, were selected to ODP. Hearing it is a conspiracy theory to drive the better players to one of the Big 5.....if we can still call it that.

TxFutbal wrote:The men's national team is an embarrassment to the USA.  Most women on the USNT will tell you they played multiple sports and still do play multiple sports outside soccer.  Last I checked, USWNT is one of the most respected teams in the world.  I know many fine young women who have received top D1 school scholarships by only playing highschool and rec soccer.  Club soccer let alone ECNL/DA are not the only paths to college.  They also have this ting in college called open tryouts/walk on scholarships.. If your DD is player and wants to play college there will be an opportunity.

DA was only created because ODP failed and it's a pure and simple money/power grab between competing soccer bodies.  It's sick and sad..

It seems you have all the answers on why you should for go a spot on a ECNL or DA team and just play LHGCL and high school. It seems this is the right path for your family and DD. This is what is great about NTX soccer is you have choices. Good luck to you and we will see you on the pitch. Well maybe not.

UTrippin wrote:I have heard stories about some of the smaller clubs who's top players didn't make ODP, yet girls who hardly get playing tome on the same team, were selected to ODP.  Hearing it is a conspiracy theory to drive the better players to one of the Big 5.....if we can still call it that.

So what you are saying is ODP was responsible for its own implosion to make way for DA and push players into the larger clubs? Like ODP is and has been in bed with the larger clubs this whole time.

TxFutbal wrote: I know many fine young women who have received top D1 school scholarships by only playing highschool and rec soccer.  Club soccer let alone ECNL/DA are not the only paths to college.

Before I call fake news on this, can you define "top D1 school." List for us the names of any top D1 school from which a player from NTX received a SCHOLARSHIP in the last 5 years having never played club soccer.  Scholarship in all caps because I'm sure you're aware a verbal commit does not equal scholarship.

UTrippin wrote:I only read a few pages of this thread so forgive me if this has already been brought up. DA and ECNL are not the end all be all, to play soccer in college. Plenty of players I know that play LH, or as some refer to as Rec. Soccer, have received college offers. We all know there are non ECNL teams that can whoop up on ECNL teams. Not all ECNL teams are good. I have only seen one DA team play and it was a scrimmage against a D1 LH team and it was a very close game with the DA team winning 3-2. I don't want you to think that I don't believe that DA does not have the top players. I am positive they do. I guess my thinking is even though the DA is so new on the girls side, all you have to do is look at the Men's National team to see that the design may be flawed. Someone mentioned that 99.9% of DA players, won't make the National Team. I would add several 9's to that number. I am all for setting goals and getting after it. I just believe that our daughters continue to play this game because it is fun. Not getting to play high school soccer doesn't seem like fun to me and I am sure many girls in the DA program feel the same way. If your daughter is good, colleges will find her.....the National team will find her. I saw on this forum that a girl that plays in Plano or Arlington, committed to West Virginia. WEST VIRGINIA!!! You don't have to have a DA or ECNL patch on your jersey to make your soccer dreams come true.

U absolutely right trippin ... There are players not participating in ECNL or GDA that will receive a college soccer scholarship.  This was especially true just a few years ago before ECNL, but with the onset of GDA now as well, the chances of this happening aren't promising, and you can expect those chances to become even more miniscule in the near future ... Just the harsh reality of tomorrow's recruiting landscape.  This is because 90+% of kids participating in ECNL until at least U17 over the past 4 years have received college soccer scholarships ... with 90+% of those being at D1 schools.  GDA is only a few months in but those numbers are likely going to come in even higher due to it being a bit more exclusive with fewer programs + a higher level of talent in general.  These numbers are due to both tremendous exposure and tremendous need.  At ECNL and GDA Showcase events, there are 100+ college coaches scouting the talent.  Those leagues regularly have college coaches at standard league matches, and while this may sound insane, I've seen multiple college coaches (not all local) attending multiple GDA training sessions this Fall to scout talent.  

More reality ... If a player that wants to play in college is good enough to make an ECNL or GDA team, she will.  And if her parents can't afford it, she will be offered financial assistance from the club.  If she isn't good enough, she will struggle to get any exposure while playing in LH, PPL, Arlington, or HS ball.

Another tidbit ... Despite what you many of you may believe, the girls playing in GDA are still playing because the game is fun.  It's all relative to the level that the girls are playing at.  For example -- In general, a GDA athlete doesn't have fun playing at the level that most HS teams play at.  Conversely, a kid playing at the LH/HS level probably won't have much fun playing at the GDA level.  

Almost forgot ... While it isn't an expectation for 99.99% of the kids participating in GDA to make at NT roster, with roughly 4,800 kids participating in GDA with ~216 roster spots on US NTs = 4.5% could end up on one.

BigE you been hangn w Willie smokn that wacky weed again haven't you. The whole point of the discussion will be the value of ECNL versus DA not trying to upsell a high dollar patch.

Medicine Man wrote:BigE you been hangn w Willie smokn that wacky weed again haven't you. The whole point of the discussion will be the value of ECNL versus DA not trying to upsell a high dollar patch.

That was 2 pages and 2 months ago BigBoy --

You'd know ...

1) That the conversation has recently moved on a bit from the original topic if you had read trippin's post, and

2) That I am not selling anything (merely shedding some light on a bit of darkness) if you had read my post here this lovely mornin'

You need a vacation BigE take a break relax and rejuvinate. Come back refreshed and gather your senses.

UTrippin wrote:I have heard stories about some of the smaller clubs who's top players didn't make ODP, yet girls who hardly get playing tome on the same team, were selected to ODP.  Hearing it is a conspiracy theory to drive the better players to one of the Big 5.....if we can still call it that.

Speaking of, "if you had read" -- I am 100% guilty of that here ^ ...

This is up there with the best of 'em when it comes to pure entertainment value.  Assuming you are under the impression that making an ODP team here in NTX is a impressive feat, you're contradicting your own argument here.  The really priceless part is your 'conspiracy theory' contention ... As if any of the bigs spend a single second even thinking of ODP, let alone being concerned that it will keep players away.  

You'd have to go back a decade or so for this to be true --