Champions League

As I understand it, each of the ECNL teams will field a Champions League team. ECNL players can play on this team. With our club the idea is that some ECNL players who may not get as much playing time in the ECNL game will play with the CL team that week. I suppose potentially the club could have their ECNL team play some or all the CL games, but why would they?
Additionally, teams that won LH D1 last year qualified to play in CL and so will also field teams.
As I understand it, teams will have the ability to flex their rosters each week.

BurnOnYou wrote:As I understand it, each of the ECNL teams will field a Champions League team. ECNL players can play on this team.  With our club the idea is that some ECNL players who may not get as much playing time in the ECNL game will play with the CL team that week.  I suppose potentially the club could have their ECNL team play some or all the CL games, but why would they?
Additionally, teams that won LH D1 last year qualified to play in CL and so will also field teams.
As I understand it, teams will have the ability to flex their rosters each week.

I'm not entirely sure if the team selection was that limited.  A friend of my DD was slated to be on a team with a LH2 bye but went into CL instead.  That tells me it was open for applicants more that is being suggested on this board.

Wildone wrote:

BurnOnYou wrote:As I understand it, each of the ECNL teams will field a Champions League team. ECNL players can play on this team.  With our club the idea is that some ECNL players who may not get as much playing time in the ECNL game will play with the CL team that week.  I suppose potentially the club could have their ECNL team play some or all the CL games, but why would they?
Additionally, teams that won LH D1 last year qualified to play in CL and so will also field teams.
As I understand it, teams will have the ability to flex their rosters each week.

I'm not entirely sure if the team selection was that limited.  A friend of my DD was slated to be on a team with a LH2 bye but went into CL instead.  That tells me it was open for applicants more that is being suggested on this board.

Is that team from an ECNL club? If so, are you sure that team didn't receive one of their clubs "automatic" bids into TCL? There are some cases where the top LH team from an ECNL club last year didn't qualify for LH D1 this year, but still may end up in TCL because of the guaranteed spots the ECNL club have.

Where are the schedules?

Ark-Tex wrote:Where are the schedules?

RudyTCL Parent: Maybe I haven't prayed enough.
Father Cavanaugh: I don't think that's the problem. Praying is something we do in our time, the answers come in God's Lake Highlands time.

I'm still confused which teams will be competing in TCL from DFW.

I assume there are 8. 1 each from the 5 ECNL clubs (though probably not the ECNL squads) and then Solar, FCD and Sting get another team in for teams finishing 1-3 in LHGCL '03 from last season (Solar Chelsea, FCD Premiere and Sting Gutierrez). Or have I got this completely wrong?

Correct, but there has been some tweaking... I hear only 12-14 games now. Each team has to make their own home scheduled games... That's the problem.

A lot of promises have been made, a lot of money has been paid.....think anybody is beginning to get nervous?

No. If dd on a team playing Champions League you know all you need to know. The rest can go back to pot stirring.

abc000 - Are you stating that parents that have DDs in CHL teams (or promised CHL spots) have a gag order and all the rest of us are just wondering where and when the league information will become available? I personally don't buy the fact that parents of CHL players know what is going on (I know a few). I think that LH is finding out that it is much more complicated that initially thought....in the mean time, LH due to the CHL player drain, is a shadow of itself from a quality perspective and in a trickle down effect, PPL has a formally known as " pink tornados" team as a D1 PPL team, rec-select at its best.....so sad, even more so, when parents of these rec-select teams pay similar $$s for poor training and not having an established place to practice. I hope it pans out and CHL parents get their money's worth feeling "closer" to getting an ECNL or DA spot....at the end these players still need to try out as always...nothing is guaranteed. The allure of becoming a LH D1 team has disappeared...just go watch some of these games. I know I deviated from the main topic, but I couldn't help myself from stating the impacts that the "yet to exist" CHL / JDL leagues are having on the LH league...it will take years to recover, or it will eventually become irrelevant by being replaced by CHL / JDL as the leagues to be in....in similar fashion, DA replacing or eliminating ECNL....somewhat different animal due to the different requirements that DA will impose, non the less, will have player movement towards DA impacting ECNL quality.

Teufel Hunden wrote: I think that LH is finding out that it is much more complicated that initially thought....

lake highlands just wants the glory and not the accountability....................................they'll take credit for the league and hands off when it comes to decision making that causes lashing out of directors, coaches, parents, players......................................such as organizing schedules that will require travel....................................

OK. Full disclosure.

TCL is actually a secret society. We held an initiation ceremony on July 15th, where all of the players and parents drank the blood of the '99 USWNT (or at least that's what the Imperial Supreme Leader told us... it kinda tasted like cherry Kool-Aid to me).

We started playing league games immediately afterwards and our season is actually half-way done already. We could tell you what the schedule and standings are, but then we'd have to kill you, and ain't nobody got time for that.

We play on better fields than you do, our refs are better (and actually give out an average of 2.376 yellow cards per game), and there have been double digit college coaches at each of our games.

If your experience doesn't match ours, we're truly sorry... there's always next year if we deem you worthy of our secrets.

Will be interesting to see it play out over time.

Have the big clubs set in motion the killing of the golden goose (parents/players paying same/similar price for top teams and bottom teams) in order to gain more control and autonomy over the top 100-120 players in each age group?

With the number of leagues and layers making the stratification of talent much more visible, how long will it take parents to realize that anything other than DA or ECNL is really Rec+?  

With it clear the rest of the leagues do not really provide any upward mobility for teams, or a realistic chance of $/playing in college, parents are likely to look for more cost effective alternatives.

bwgophers wrote:OK.  Full disclosure.

TCL is actually a secret society.  We held an initiation ceremony on July 15th, where all of the players and parents drank the blood of the '99 USWNT (or at least that's what the Imperial Supreme Leader told us... it kinda tasted like cherry Kool-Aid to me).

We started playing league games immediately afterwards and our season is actually half-way done already.  We could tell you what the schedule and standings are, but then we'd have to kill you, and ain't nobody got time for that.

We play on better fields than you do, our refs are better (and actually give out an average of 2.376 yellow cards per game), and there have been double digit college coaches at each of our games.

If your experience doesn't match ours, we're truly sorry... there's always next year if we deem you worthy of our secrets.

I heard a rumor and didn't believe it so please confirm if you can...

Is it true you have better corner flags than D1 LHGCL.

Is it true???

Lefty wrote:Will be interesting to see it play out over time.

Have the big clubs set in motion the killing of the golden goose (parents/players paying same/similar price for top teams and bottom teams) in order to gain more control and autonomy over the top 100-120 players in each age group?

With the number of leagues and layers making the stratification of talent much more visible, how long will it take parents to realize that anything other than DA or ECNL is really Rec+?  

With it clear the rest of the leagues do not really provide any upward mobility for teams, or a realistic chance of $/playing in college, parents are likely to look for more cost effective alternatives.

As a B-School case you would project that to occur. History in NTX says otherwise. Before the big clubs eviscerated LHGCL, the same stratification was in place to anyone paying attention.

Teufel Hunden wrote:abc000 - Are you stating that parents that have DDs in CHL teams (or promised CHL spots) have a gag order and all the rest of us are just wondering where and when the league information will become available? I personally don't buy the fact that parents of CHL players know what is going on (I know a few). I think that LH is finding out that it is much more complicated that initially thought....in the mean time, LH due to the CHL player drain, is a shadow of itself from a quality perspective and in a trickle down effect, PPL has a formally known as " pink tornados" team as a D1 PPL team, rec-select at its best.....so sad, even more so, when parents of these rec-select teams pay similar $$s for poor training and not having an established place to practice. I hope it pans out and CHL parents get their money's worth feeling "closer" to getting an ECNL or DA spot....at the end these players still need to try out as always...nothing is guaranteed. The allure of becoming a LH D1 team has disappeared...just go watch some of these games. I know I deviated from the main topic, but I couldn't help myself from stating the impacts that the "yet to exist" CHL / JDL leagues are having on the LH league...it will take years to recover, or it will eventually become irrelevant by being replaced by CHL / JDL as the leagues to be in....in similar fashion, DA replacing or eliminating ECNL....somewhat different animal due to the different requirements that DA will impose, non the less, will have player movement towards DA impacting ECNL quality.

Pretty much agree with all you've said other than secret gag order. Parents apparently have something better to do than feed the trolls. Oh, and I dont think all parents of new league players are angling for ECNL, DA, or whatever alphabet league exists in the future. Some are doing it cuz coach and players on team seemed a good fit and playing what might be good quality soccer is what the kid wants.

MrRogers wrote:

bwgophers wrote:OK.  Full disclosure.

TCL is actually a secret society.  We held an initiation ceremony on July 15th, where all of the players and parents drank the blood of the '99 USWNT (or at least that's what the Imperial Supreme Leader told us... it kinda tasted like cherry Kool-Aid to me).

We started playing league games immediately afterwards and our season is actually half-way done already.  We could tell you what the schedule and standings are, but then we'd have to kill you, and ain't nobody got time for that.

We play on better fields than you do, our refs are better (and actually give out an average of 2.376 yellow cards per game), and there have been double digit college coaches at each of our games.

If your experience doesn't match ours, we're truly sorry... there's always next year if we deem you worthy of our secrets.

I heard a rumor and didn't believe it so please confirm if you can...

Is it true you have better corner flags than D1 LHGCL.

Is it true???

The College and MLS stadiums that we play all our games in provide the corner flags, and yes, they are better...

abc000 - my gag order statement was more to imply whether there was actually more information out there on CHL than there really is. I don't think CHL parents know more than the rest of us and I am basing it on asking CHL parents that I know directly. Also, I do not think I am feeding the trolls; my questions and concerns are serious and legitimate. You are correct in your statement regarding player and coach fit and seeking good quality soccer....the thing is that players / parents had that or could find that relationship in LH already...didn't have to create this CHL league to do so. In reality, the player/coach fit/relationship was reduced to 5 teams in each age group for CHL, leaving the rest of a particular age group trying to find better quality soccer/training with the bottom feeders of the big clubs and some independents.....very unfortunate.....and on top of that, paying similar $$s for an inferior service/product.

All I know is the age pure mandate created headaches and heartaches for parents/players.  The creation of a bunch of the new "super leagues" on top of that is a huge migraine - if we let it be. At end of day it is kids kicking a ball; just one small facet of the whole childhood experience.  If everybody stops jostling for position and worrying about justifying their team we might get through this with happy, productive kiddos

bwgophers wrote:OK.  Full disclosure.

TCL is actually a secret society.  We held an initiation ceremony on July 15th, where all of the players and parents drank the blood of the '99 USWNT (or at least that's what the Imperial Supreme Leader told us... it kinda tasted like cherry Kool-Aid to me).

We started playing league games immediately afterwards and our season is actually half-way done already.  We could tell you what the schedule and standings are, but then we'd have to kill you, and ain't nobody got time for that.

We play on better fields than you do, our refs are better (and actually give out an average of 2.376 yellow cards per game), and there have been double digit college coaches at each of our games.

If your experience doesn't match ours, we're truly sorry... there's always next year if we deem you worthy of our secrets.

Oh...if only I could get my hands on the TCL Secret Rapinoe Decoder Ring. And the secret handshake? I have not seen it, but thanks to my Sonic2000 hearing aid I heard it described.

Look at that, we are already into September, 2 months after signing day and still no news on schedules for CL

Just Curious wrote:Look at that, we are already into September, 2 months after signing day and still no news on schedules for CL

We have our schedule for the first 3 weeks. I'm not sure there is a full schedule online for public consumption anywhere, but our team knows who/where we are playing.

sleestack wrote:

Just Curious wrote:Look at that, we are already into September, 2 months after signing day and still no news on schedules for CL

We have our schedule for the first 3 weeks.  I'm not sure there is a full schedule online for public consumption anywhere, but our team knows who/where we are playing.

Same here. 5 games scheduled in Sept.

Are your scheduled games "official" CHL games or scrimmages? I have heard that to get things going (and relieve some of the anxiety), some clubs are playing games, but these are not actually official or CHL sanctioned. Please correct me if I am mistaken (I really hope I am wrong for the sake of all players and parents).
I guess you guys cannot / will not share your schedules in order to not to reveal your allegiance whether it is an official schedule or not.....

It still amazes me that so many players were absorbed by a league that is yet to exist with the promise to get a particular player closer to an ECNL / DA future opportunity. When tryputs come along, all players (and existing ECNL players) still need to try out. There are no guarantees. Many players (and parents) were sold that their player will have the opportunity to train with ECNL and even be "called up". As I have stated in other threads, this may be true for 2 or 3 players, but the great majority will probably stick around with their original team or even dual rostering with the LH D1/D2 team if the club has one. Good luck to you and your daughters.

Teufel Hunden wrote:Are your scheduled games "official" CHL games or scrimmages? I have heard that to get things going (and relieve some of the anxiety), some clubs are playing games, but these are not actually official or CHL sanctioned. Please correct me if I am mistaken (I really hope I am wrong for the sake of all players and parents).
I guess you guys cannot / will not share your schedules in order to not to reveal your allegiance whether it is an official schedule or not.....

It still amazes me that so many players were absorbed by a league that is yet to exist with the promise to get a particular player closer to an ECNL / DA future opportunity. When tryputs come along, all players (and existing ECNL players) still need to try out. There are no guarantees. Many players (and parents) were sold that their player will have the opportunity to train with ECNL and even be "called up". As I have stated in other threads, this may be true for 2 or 3 players, but the great majority will probably stick around with their original team or even dual rostering with the LH D1/D2 team if the club has one. Good luck to you and your daughters.

(a) Can't speak for other teams, but every player on my daughter's Champions League roster is dual-rostered on an existing team within the club, playing in LH.

(b) As I read through this thread, why are so many clamoring for information about the league and yet slamming it at the same time? If it is such a bad deal, why does everyone want to know details and to see a schedule?