Coaches Intel - The Demise of GA...possibly
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Anonymous
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Good Afternoon Everyone! This is just a more of a opinion piece based on a few conversations I had with coaches from around the states at the SoccerPlex over the weekend.
All of them, and I mean every one I talked to are seeing an increase in abandonment at GA Clubs towards ECNL. This is especially common in the Midwest apparently. It is also affecting Tophat now as I understand. The other piece of information is it's heavily affecting talent at the younger ages, U15 and below even into the 7v7 age groups. Lastly, many said that if Tophat, CUP, South Shore, Nationals or a few others move to ECNL, it could be the nail in the coffin for the League. What I find more interesting was the opinion of where the money would go. My thoughts were toward ECNL RL but many of the coaches think there will be a shift towards USYS/DPL leagues. I actually hope for that USYS shift only because less fortunate families would be able to afford the experience with less travel. Regardless, in our current environment, I don't see our GA league lasting past Spring '23. Don't shoot the messenger, again, this is just from feedback I got from both ECNL and GA coaches. I'd like to hear your thoughts on what would happen if in fact GA folds. |
Anonymous
| Seriously, it’’d be a good outcome because local leagues will become more competitive. |
Anonymous
I see that but I would rather have more choices vs less…specially with traffic in this area. |
Anonymous
How is that less choice? Other leagues are accessible to clubs who cannot put teams on ECNL and GA because of their requirements. Many more clubs can play in other leagues as opposed to the big clubs that play ECNL and GA. It's more choice because families don't have to join big clubs to get more competitive play. |
Anonymous
Correct and teams in local leagues would have talents players because ECNL teams can’t handle more than 18 players (realistically). And because it seems that ECNL is creating a monopoly they should be forced to cap the # of players per team. This would allow non ECNL teams to form competitive teams that could even give a fight to an ECNL average team. |
Anonymous
| GA is already a non-factor. It should have never existed in the first place |
Anonymous
| ECNL can’t be taken too seriously when year after clubs SUCK and nothing is done about it. Everybody knows which two NOVA clubs suck @ss in NOVA. |
Anonymous
| One GA club is hiding a harassment claim and moving coaches around to minimize |
Anonymous
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My girls play with one of the clubs listed in the op and we haven’t heard a peep, no whispers on the sidelines. My neighbor is tight with local soccer crew and will ask him.
We also aren’t the club moving coaches because of a harassment claim. Our coaches have been here for years. |
Anonymous
Because US Soccer ruined it with the creation of the GDA and age mandate. They blew everything up and walked away. |
Anonymous
I haven't heard anything but this does make sense. I believe GA was never really to be intended to be much more than a bridge league to make sure 05's and older all had showcasing opportunities. GA could still survive but ECNL will end up taking clubs like TopHat killing any semblance of eliteness about GA. |
Anonymous
| There is a lot of money with no place to go if GA goes away. ECNL will try to capture it with ECNL-r but it’s not really working. They only really care about ECNL. |
Anonymous
What do you expect ECNL R to be to say that it isn't working? |
Anonymous
It’s called pre-DA. Nothing new |
Anonymous
| ECNL would get a little stronger. Not too much stronger in Virginia. The current GA teams would stay the same until the older kids age out. It’s the youngers that would get a little stronger as the elite kids would find a home on 1 of 5 ECNL teams in the Northern va area. |