How the USWNT’s pipeline got fractured by a youth soccer turf war

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:- The "turf war", first between ECNL and Girls DA and now between ECNL and GA, is extremely counterproductive. To produce the best talent you need to have the best against the best as much as possible. We need a more unified system.

- I don't think it's realistic to expect clubs to put player development over results. Their business model is based on keeping the customers (aka parents) happy. And that means winning games.

- Don't all youth sports in the US focus on results? I doubt there are many high school football coaches giving playing time to an undersized QB so that the team can compete for the title in 3 years.

- I would imagine NWSL clubs will start creating their own academies and the league will implement homegrown rules similar to what MLS uses. Their goals would be more about player development vs. results and those would be the players who would end up on the national team. So that could be a positive.

Why do you think producing the best talent is the goal? Clubs are all different- some are for profit and the goal is making money, some are community based and their goals are to serve local kids, other try to grow as big as the can. As far as the NWSL creating academies, they can't even pay players on rosters a living wage. Where do you think they will get the money to subsidize academies?

[Anonymous]

A common set of standards or guidelines would help. X practices per week; X games per year; X weeks of rest.

These teams do meet up at tournaments, do they not?

[Anonymous]

So I spent time in Spain recently. Their development is very different. There is less emphasis on the u-littles(u9-u12). That age is very relaxed and casual.

It is mostly about developing skills, learning the different positions, etc. Not much travel but more orientated to skill development. Just getting the kids ready for the next level with not much pressure. Many of the girls would not make a “top” u9-u12 team here. They just do not care about u9-u12 results.

Now u13 and up the girls have to have technical skills. That is first and foremost and then they look at athleticism. All the drills are against full pressure with quick transition from offense to defense to office.

Everything is a type of Rondo drill even the throw in drills. There is no space, every drill is in a compact area with limited space and defensive pressure. If you are watching from the sidelines it is confusing as all sh#t. It’s not dumbed down or simplify.

At u14-u16 they will move the better girls up to play with older groups but bring they back down after a time. They expose the girls to higher level of play/pressure and then bring them back down to relax and process.

The other thing is all the girls watch soccer, know the players, know the game, etc.

ECNL is just a feeder to college soccer. That is how it is set up and marketed. College soccer is not really that good- limited practice, coaches who have not had a winning season in 10 years, no pressure to change or to win. ECNL and college soccer have no pressure to change the current system.

There are 10-15 colleges that do well consistently. Those college have their pick of players. At every other college if you make the NCAA once and go out in the first round it is the high light of your soccer career. Rightfully so because the majority will never experience that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think producing the best talent is the goal?

From a USWNT perspective that is the the one and only goal of youth soccer.

[Anonymous]

This article explains a lot, but its completely just clickbait and has no depth/value. Girls soccer in the US will always be a top sport bc of the money involved and Title IX. There are not many other countries besides the heavy hitters who put forth the money and time towards investing in women's soccer. The landscape is currently GA and ECNL, before it was DA and ECNL, there's really not much of a difference. The girls will go through college and then get scouted by US Soccer.

Not only that, the level of female athlete the US produces in women's soccer as a team collective is not even close to majority of other countries. This article is just blown out of proportion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think producing the best talent is the goal?

From a USWNT perspective that is the the one and only goal of youth soccer.

Yes, but ECNL/GA have different goals. Local clubs have their own different goals. Why should they cater to USWNT’s goal ant their own expense and not their own?

The national team affects just a handful of talented players. I’m not sure I want my club and league doing everything to cater to those few at the expense of the rest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think producing the best talent is the goal?

From a USWNT perspective that is the the one and only goal of youth soccer.

Yes, but ECNL/GA have different goals. Local clubs have their own different goals. Why should they cater to USWNT’s goal ant their own expense and not their own?

The national team affects just a handful of talented players. I’m not sure I want my club and league doing everything to cater to those few at the expense of the rest

Like changing to Birthyear instead of school year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but ECNL/GA have different goals.

I honestly don't know what is different about the 2 leagues. Like, the goals of ECNL are ____ and the goals of GA are ___________.

What's different?

[Anonymous]

So few girls will make the USWNT- what is the roster-26?

We have been in GA and ECNL and prefer ECNL because of better path to college. But my u17 might decide the better college admission out weights playing soccer in college. Women’s soccer is not some giant money maker so it might just be for the fun of it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alex Morgan started playing Club soccer at 14.

Can you imagine her today? The big Clubs would be like “no sorry, we don’t have any roster slots for a freshman who never played Club. We have a bunch of girls already who’ve been with the Club for years and years.”

This is right. Good way of putting it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I spent time in Spain recently. Their development is very different. There is less emphasis on the u-littles(u9-u12). That age is very relaxed and casual.

It is mostly about developing skills, learning the different positions, etc. Not much travel but more orientated to skill development. Just getting the kids ready for the next level with not much pressure. Many of the girls would not make a “top” u9-u12 team here. They just do not care about u9-u12 results.

Now u13 and up the girls have to have technical skills. That is first and foremost and then they look at athleticism. All the drills are against full pressure with quick transition from offense to defense to office.

Everything is a type of Rondo drill even the throw in drills. There is no space, every drill is in a compact area with limited space and defensive pressure. If you are watching from the sidelines it is confusing as all sh#t. It’s not dumbed down or simplify.

At u14-u16 they will move the better girls up to play with older groups but bring they back down after a time. They expose the girls to higher level of play/pressure and then bring them back down to relax and process.

The other thing is all the girls watch soccer, know the players, know the game, etc.

ECNL is just a feeder to college soccer. That is how it is set up and marketed. College soccer is not really that good- limited practice, coaches who have not had a winning season in 10 years, no pressure to change or to win. ECNL and college soccer have no pressure to change the current system.

There are 10-15 colleges that do well consistently. Those college have their pick of players. At every other college if you make the NCAA once and go out in the first round it is the high light of your soccer career. Rightfully so because the majority will never experience that.

Aaa I love this. This would be a dream.
Love the drills you describe.

And yes, bring back relaxed soccer leagues for younger children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alex Morgan started playing Club soccer at 14.

Can you imagine her today? The big Clubs would be like “no sorry, we don’t have any roster slots for a freshman who never played Club. We have a bunch of girls already who’ve been with the Club for years and years.”

Big clubs cut (or demote) girls ALL THE TIME in MS and HS. If a player is fast and physical enough there will be a spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but ECNL/GA have different goals.

I honestly don't know what is different about the 2 leagues. Like, the goals of ECNL are ____ and the goals of GA are ___________.

What's different?

The individual clubs' goals may not be the same as ECNL, GA or the USWNT. A club may have the goal of generating the most profit- several are for profit and have PE investing in them. A club may have the goal of placing the most players that it can on college teams. A club may have the goal of serving the most kids in their geographic area. A club may have the goal of collecting as many trophies as possible...

[Anonymous]

Do a story on the harsh reality of kids in the European system.

99 percent drop rate

[Anonymous]

the kids don't want to be developed, their parents do. 1 out of several million might make money playing and 1 out of those very few might make enough to live off of while an educated kid will make more money than 99.999% of developed soccer players.