Can someone clue me in on the City FC "Elite" program…?

I just heard about this: Five clubs have joined dribble with one mission in mind, to help their playing members achieve greater competition while still representing their home team/club.

Texas Spirit (and Tx Sporting FC Boys), Odyssey SC, Storm FC, Triumph FC and Mustangs FC have created a joint venture to allow their players to tryout for an academy level team without the need to leave their present coach or team. The new club is called City FC.

http://www.cityfcacademy.com/news/

I guess I was surprised to just learn about it, will these new teams be allowed to apply or enter into the Premiere League? or just enter into many of the more popular tournaments?

More soccer….    

Interesting concept I look forward to seeing how it develops.

Looks like an excellent game plan?  Where will the consolidated practices be held since everyone's from all over the Metroplex?

Looks like a creative and interesting alternative to the existing environment.

Like most new business endeavors, the devil will be in the operational details and in this case, if they can all play nice with each other and treat each other as partners.

Hope it works out, as alternatives to the existing structures would be great.

Excellent that clubs outside the big four/five have recognized a need to offer a path to higher level play without joining one of the behemoth organizations. Hopefully they can make this work for everyone - the clubs involved have some great coaches & players.

Doesn't seem like they could play in anything other than the affiliated tournaments.

This sounds like an amazing idea. Hope it works out. Small clubs workingn together for the betterment of the kids. This idea of cooperation is so new in North Texas seems almost scary. I wish those clubs the best of luck.

so where will dues be paid or is the "academy team" free? so all the better players from each of the respective clubs will freelly give up those kids to play for City?

Looks like a great idea and I hope they can make it work. The non ECNL clubs have a choice. Innovate or die off.

tschlurker wrote:Doesn't seem like they could play in anything other than the affiliated tournaments.

That's wrong as most tournaments allow US Club Soccer rosters and Sting USA 03 took advantage of that in Puma Cup

Borussia wrote:so where will dues be paid or is the "academy team" free?  so all the better players from each of the respective clubs will freelly give up those kids to play for City?

Borussia I'm not giving away our secrets but this will be run, cost wise, very similar to ODP. The players will continue to play for their respective teams and clubs in Lake Highlands and then tryout for the Elite City FC team and if they make the squad will play for the City FC team in the NPL games and tournaments.

Doesnt NPL require qualification? Premier tournaments require a prior game history to be reviewed for admission. Good example, Surf Cup... They dont let just anyone in.

Borussia wrote:Doesnt NPL require qualification? Premier tournaments require a prior game history to be reviewed for admission.  Good example, Surf Cup... They dont let just anyone in.

NPL is a league and win the league you go to NPL Champions Cup and play against the rest of the country. We are in NPL South Central Division and been approved!
http://www.cityfcacademy.com/news/2014/7/29/city-fc-joins-npl-south-central-league

Its Me wrote:Looks like an excellent game plan?  Where will the consolidated practices be held since everyone's from all over the Metroplex?

Practices will be based upon where the squad has majority of the players. Some of the ID camps will be based out of our Facility next to Railroad Park

Best of luck to these clubs.

Thanks JM, I think it's going to be a good thing for all the clubs involved.

Yet another foot in the North Texas door for US Club. They now have relationships with 5 Clubs on the girls side including ECNL.. This plan seems similar to the initial ECNL set up. Instead condensing 5 smaller Clubs into one to large "City FC" Club.. Great idea for US Club. I'm sure they're not done either. Also a great thing for the kids IMO....

Great Idea for US Club?
We went to them with our proposal not them coming to us. This has been in the works for 2 years

soccersounder wrote:Yet another foot in the North Texas door for US Club. They now have relationships with 5 Clubs on the girls side including ECNL.. This plan seems similar to the initial ECNL set up. Instead condensing 5 smaller Clubs into one to large "City FC" Club.. Great idea for US Club. I'm sure they're not done either. Also a great thing for the kids IMO....

Good for the clubs. Wonderful for the kids IMO. I think that goes without saying.

Great concept on paper, but it will be interesting to see how the logistics of this play out when the rubber hits the road...

You've got City FC playing in a US Club league, but the girls that make up that team play for multiple teams/clubs that will likely span at least 2 if not 3 separate NTX leagues that are all associated with USYSA. Be interesting to see how scheduling conflicts are resolved.

Also, it's only a matter of time before you encounter the scenario where one of the member club teams that has 3-5 players (maybe more) on a City FC team, is in a promotion/relegation battle in LHGCL. Where do loyalties lie when it comes to direct schedule conflicts, or having to play multiple games in a day/weekend with the NPL game scheduled first, risk/concern of injury?

As with everything, the devil is in the details...

I do agree the devil is in the details. Working through that process is part of the challenge. Moving it from paper to reality will be the key. Based on the NPL schedule from last season. Conflicts should be minor. However, I am not the scheduler. Just a very interested party....

Borussia wrote:Doesnt NPL require qualification? Premier tournaments require game history to be reviewed for admission. Good example, Surf Cup... They dont let just anyone in.

People mix up NPL and national league quite a bit. NPL is national premiere league. It is run by us club soccer. It has some strong teams in northeast, but is second, third and sometimes lower level teams everywhere else. They hold their own national championship. Ecnl clubs are looking at putting their B teams in a league called EGSL...its running in socal already. If that takes off, NPL will likely be a questionable value proposition as a national platform. Think Presidents Cup, but you don't earn your way in, and potentially C and D teams instead of B teams.

NL is national league, run by USYS. Has maintained strong fields and usually represents the best non ECNL teams. Entry is earned by results in regional league or nationals...a few slots are offered by invitation. Re-Entry is not guaranteed. One threat to national league is ECNL clubs qualifying with their pre ecnl teams, then switching it up and putting their us club B teams in national league. If that happens often enough, national league could get watered down to the point coaches don't consider it quality as a national platform.

I believe tryouts are at Moss Park, practices are to be every Sunday with tournaments every quarter?? something to that effect. Each age group will use coaches not affiliated with that age group in their club which is good for the girls to work under different coaches and such. My dd plays for one of the associated clubs and wants to try out. I'm just not sure about the commitment with all her other activities. Sounds interesting...only question is how competitive will the team be? And due to the variance of levels of the teams from each club, will one club end up with all their members making the Elite team and none of the lower level teams able to be represented? example in 02's...Arlington teams, PPL teams and LHGCL teams from these clubs. Do any girls on the Arlington team have a chance to make Elite or will all spots go to LHGCL team? Maybe it is an opportunity for a talented girl that likes her Arlington or PPL team but wants an opportunity to play at a higher level. Will be interesting to see.

FINALLY! moving toward a true "ALLSTAR" TEAM SIMILIAR TO BASEBALL. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE TRULY BEST TOGETHER

I wouldn't consider it an allstar team, with such a small group of clubs, but it is a step in the right direction. I'm all for anything giving players more opportunity. Hopefully it will draw some of the players from Arlington, as mommabear said, there are some very good athletes that it might open something up for. Hopefully everyone will be patient until all the bugs are worked out.