Girls Development Academy Clubs Announced

4-3-3 wrote:

newbiefornow wrote:So does the fact that there are 7 CA teams already in indicate that US Soccer is still a West Coast oriented organization? I think if that's it for NTX then it's because those teams held out rather than  couldn't get in. TSC isn't there either, for now.

Why should TSC be in DA? From what I can tell, OFC has as much or better claim. Can't speak for all their teams (other than their ECNL results), but in my dd's age group TSC teams have been nowhere remotely close to OFC in terms of style of play or having the kind of attributes USSF is looking for.

CA is the biggest market. If the best in CA are in, the best in Northeast are in, the best in Midwest are in, the best in Southeast are in, USSF is banking the rest will follow.

newbiefornow wrote:
The possibility of playing DA will be a draw for ECNL caliber players (that's a lot of players). Just as ECNL hasn't really harmed LHGCL except to cream off a relatively small number of kids I think DA will do the same. My money is on at least one and possibly two more NTX Clubs joining but the odds wouldn't by much more than even. The paperwork and loss of control will be a disincentive for some.

Not sure how anyone concludes ECNL hasn't harmed LHGCL. LHGCL is a shadow of itself after u14. And you make it seem like DA spots are being handed out willy nilly and NTX clubs are declining DA offers. I don't think you understand the hierarchy of the parties involved here. USSF is the big dog. I don't buy in much to the structure of the DA since it is yet another closed system, but USSF is still the top dog, and that's where the top players will go. Maybe not all of them right away year 1, but eventually, yes, big dog gets the bone.

You are right though, DA will impact a small # of kids, and those kids should be the best players willing to make the required sacrifice.  ECNL budgets and # of teams won't change anymore than LH has lost total # of teams or total $$, but ECNL quality at the top will be impacted just the same as LH's quality. IMO, the only delta right now today between ECNL and the USYS national league caliber teams is mostly those top of the heap clubs DA just announced (surf, slammers, concorde,etc. are a cut above USYS national level teams...the rest of ECNL, not so much).

newbiefornow wrote:
ECNL will survive as a show case for College coaches simply because of numbers. There will never be enough kids in DA to fill enough of the College slots.

My impression is the DA is being designed as a path to professional play. I hope that path is through college but it's not in the men's game. Now if Soccer could break the NCAA monopoly on access to professional Sports that would be cool.

I doubt it. I think GDA will be the path to the top college programs, simply because college coaches will go where the talent is. The girls game is still all about college no matter how you slice it. College coaches don't limit their scouting to ECNL today, and I doubt they'd limit their scouting to DA in the future.  They look to ECNL first now, but likely, they will look to DA first because the level in ECNL won't have the same concentration of top players. Rather than these composite teams or us club B leagues, I predict the big historical showcases will still be the big draws...Disney, Jefferson, Surf, etc.... the leagues behind DA will be so diluted, it won't be worth the travel budget for college coaches to spend a ton of time with any given league.

newbiefornow wrote:
The DA is a risk but one worth taking. If it works the US will be able to compensate for the lack of extremely wealthy men's professional teams (extending their brands to women) by leveraging the Club infrastructure we have here. My hope is the WPL becomes it's own thing and we all buy tickets and tune in for games. It's a long game but one worth playing.

Despite USSF wanting to align these DAs with NWSL teams, again, still think DA for the majority will be about becoming the best player they can be for college. A tiny # of national team caliber players may get opportunities with YNTs, and an even smaller # will be interested in becoming pro soccer players. Leagues still don't make players, IMO.

Net DA positives for NTX I could see are 1) talented players may get relief from the ridiculous scheduling of high school games while club is still in season, which I'm sure correlates to the epidemic of knee injuries in teenage competitive soccer players, and 2) MAYBE USSF can enforce some standards to encourage development of individual players. Other than that, can't see where the league has much to do with the success of players. People complaining about 4 times a week practice probably don't need to worry about their kids playing DA (I'd put money most kids at that level practice at least that much already anyway).

4-3-3 wrote:

newbiefornow wrote:So does the fact that there are 7 CA teams already in indicate that US Soccer is still a West Coast oriented organization? I think if that's it for NTX then it's because those teams held out rather than  couldn't get in. TSC isn't there either, for now.

Why should TSC be in DA? From what I can tell, OFC has as much or better claim. Can't speak for all their teams (other than their ECNL results), but in my dd's age group TSC teams have been nowhere remotely close to OFC in terms of style of play or having the kind of attributes USSF is looking for. - quote by 4-3-3

4-3-3, first lets shut your trap. TSCH is in the DA, and it also has had ECNL for years. Now lets get to your reasoning of OFC being better than TSCH. OFC has no claim to anything at all they play the 2nd to 3rd teams from TSCH in State and Cups and they still have trouble against those. All TSCH's top teams play ECNL so 4-3-3 your DD has never played The Big Dogs as you like to state. Second, OFC has yet to prove anything, they can do this next year in Champions League which they should feel fortunate to have been invited too. So maybe you should stop dogging TSCH ECNL results when your club isn't even able to get accepted to any elite league. Sad that your best players have to go to N Texas ECNL clubs to get noticed since OFC did not get in even during the second round this should say enough about OFC's style of play or attributes as considered by USSF. That should conclude this discussion.

TulsaFootballDad wrote:

4-3-3 wrote:

newbiefornow wrote:So does the fact that there are 7 CA teams already in indicate that US Soccer is still a West Coast oriented organization? I think if that's it for NTX then it's because those teams held out rather than  couldn't get in. TSC isn't there either, for now.

Why should TSC be in DA? From what I can tell, OFC has as much or better claim. Can't speak for all their teams (other than their ECNL results), but in my dd's age group TSC teams have been nowhere remotely close to OFC in terms of style of play or having the kind of attributes USSF is looking for.

4-3-3, first lets shut your trap. TSCH is in the DA, and it also has had ECNL for years. Now lets get to your reasoning of OFC being better than TSCH. OFC has no claim to anything at all they play the 2nd to 3rd teams from TSCH in State and Cups and they still have trouble against those. All TSCH's top teams play ECNL so 4-3-3 your DD has never played The Big Dogs as you like to state. Second, OFC has yet to prove anything, they can do this next year in Champions League which they should feel fortunate to have been invited too. So maybe you should stop dogging TSCH ECNL results when your club isn't even able to get accepted to any elite league. Sad that your best players have to go to N Texas ECNL clubs to get noticed since OFC did not get in even during the second round this should say enough about OFC's style of play or attributes as considered by USSF. That should conclude this discussion.

TulsaFootballDad wrote:Zizou, Accusations towards a Young Woman? What woman? Do you read? I don't know where you read bashing at all in my post EXCEPT where i do bash OFC and 4-3-3's description of TSCH in comparison, from most of the posts here thats all you guys do in N TX, should be able to take it without whining. Like I said OFC club doesn't have anything to offer. If 4-3-3's DD needs to come to N TX to play ECNL, Zizou you just proved my point. I never bashed his DD, and I never would, read the post, but now that I know his DD played ECNL, good for her but my post was about OFC NOT having ECNL or DA and 4-3-3's notion that OFC are better than TSCH which obvious is not true since they are not included in either league as of yet. Maybe you should READ what was posted and understand the meaning before you respond.

5050Ball wrote:This dude ^^^ is beyond help...

TulsaFootballDad wrote:The funny thing about OFC parents is that they truely  BELIEVE they did not receive ECNL in the state of Oklahoma because TSCH requested The ECNL to hold off picking any other clubs in the state for 5 years. We are beyond that point now.  I doubt The ECNL gets dictated to by clubs.
      I usually don't post on TX Soccer boards but I do like to read parents posts and my family in the future may move  to TX. It's a great state with a lot of good soccer. But when someone continually bashes my DD's club (TSCH) which may not be up to N TX standards yet, but is trying to fill a positive role for girls soccer (ECNL & DA) and then to try to bring them down, can't stand for that.

Zizou wrote:That is where you are wrong again. 4-3-3 is not from OK nor has he ever been associated with a Oklahoma club. He was just giving his opinion on his observation of differences between the two clubs and in his mind why one might be more deserving of DA over the other,

TulsaFootballDad wrote:

Zizou wrote:That is where you are wrong again. 4-3-3 is not from OK nor has he ever been associated with a Oklahoma club. He was just giving his opinion on his observation of differences between the two clubs and in his mind why one might be more deserving of DA over the other,

Well now thats cleared up! A person that thinks he knows OK soccer from TX, great just like he was rating Cali teams, i'm from San Diego! LOL maybe i should just make up observations about N TX teams I know nothing about to place it in the ether. Either way he knows nothing about these clubs other than his so callled OBSERVATIONS and JUDGEMENTS! The good old folks at The ECNL and USSF must not have realized they need the input on who to place in their own leagues. Stick to what ya know!

Zizou wrote:Welcome to any soccer board on the Internet full of observations and judgements. Well good luck to you and your club. Keep up all the good work and development of young soccer players in Oklahoma. Lol.