DA vs ECNL vs everything else

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But it is worthy of note either way that 5 more clubs left the ECNL to be “all in” with the GDA

Lol..but you will never hear USSF brag about that like ECNL has been doing. Shows you who is desperate and who is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, this is not US Soccer Federation direct sanction like the DA. Per the website, the league is run through Cal South which is a state association of USYSA, which is one of the three national youth soccer organizations which are members of US Soccer.

Second, several of the leagues run by EDP have included secondary DA teams over the years.

So, it is sanctioned by USSF, but it is not run by USSF. I think we are actually saying the same thing.

To your second point, that is true, as has the US Club Soccer Pre-Academy league. What I think is different is that:
1. It's not just U16
2. As I understand it, there are not outside clubs. These are all DA clubs that want a place to put their feeder teams in where they compete with each other. US Club Soccer and EDP have several non-DA clubs and while there are feeder teams in them, they are not founded for that purpose.

This is my understanding, but of course, I'm still learning as this is new.

Are we saying the same thing? Probably, but using a word like "sanction" in the wrong context can cause confusion.

Saying this DP league is sanctioned by US Soccer is like saying it is sanctioned by FIFA, which is technically correct, but in this case it can be interpreted to mean something it doesn't - that it is run by US Soccer.

Under USSF you have three national youth organizations who are the sanctioning bodies for youth soccer in America. Its better to say that a league is sanctioned or organized under one of these organizations because anything else in this context would imply that it is being organized and run by US Soccer.

As for this league, again there is nothing inherently unique or new about it. As I posted above, over the years on the boys side there have been regional leagues for the secondary teams from the DA at most all ages (and not just the U16 age group you mentioned). Locally, the demand for this fell off a bit as the DA changed their roster rules and implemented single ages in the younger ages, but it still exists. DC United's secondary teams have long played in the NPL. Back when McLean had boys DA, they had secondary teams playing in EDP/NPL as well because CCL wouldn't let them join. Honestly, CCL had many opportunities to link into the DA over the years, but egos kept getting in the way.

What does appear to be new is that with ECNL moving aggressively into boys and adopting the "All In" concept, the fracturing of the local soccer scenes is picking up even more and it looks like USYSA is attempting to step in and mirror what US Club Soccer has done so as to preserve a viable regional competition for the non ECNL clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why create this league when you already have ECNL? Do you really need another league to prep girls for the DA? Seriously, if a girl does not make DA, give her feedback and tell her how to go improve. You don't need another league.


"Founded on the ideology of the full DA program, the FDL provides a development structure that focuses on playing more meaningful games with a highly professional game day environment, more training, high level coaching and top exposure in major college showcase events."

Because ECNL doesn't want their teams to be secondary to DA teams and has been pushing clubs to be "All In" with ECNL.

If ECNL is putting pressure on you to be "All In" at some point they are going to start excluding you if you don't.

As for "giving feedback..." to girls who don't make the DA squad, from be begiing, the goal of the DA is for clubs to be developing these players from start to finish. DA wants clubs to be moving players up from their secondary squads to the top DA squad, so to do this, they need more than just the DA squad at any given age group and those teams need a league to play games in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why create this league when you already have ECNL? Do you really need another league to prep girls for the DA? Seriously, if a girl does not make DA, give her feedback and tell her how to go improve. You don't need another league.


"Founded on the ideology of the full DA program, the FDL provides a development structure that focuses on playing more meaningful games with a highly professional game day environment, more training, high level coaching and top exposure in major college showcase events."

Because ECNL doesn't want their teams to be secondary to DA teams and has been pushing clubs to be "All In" with ECNL.

If ECNL is putting pressure on you to be "All In" at some point they are going to start excluding you if you don't.

As for "giving feedback..." to girls who don't make the DA squad, from be begiing, the goal of the DA is for clubs to be developing these players from start to finish. DA wants clubs to be moving players up from their secondary squads to the top DA squad, so to do this, they need more than just the DA squad at any given age group and those teams need a league to play games in.

And this secondary league is where ECNL wins out. Kids will get more bang for the buck in ECNL than they would on a DA B team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why create this league when you already have ECNL? Do you really need another league to prep girls for the DA? Seriously, if a girl does not make DA, give her feedback and tell her how to go improve. You don't need another league.


"Founded on the ideology of the full DA program, the FDL provides a development structure that focuses on playing more meaningful games with a highly professional game day environment, more training, high level coaching and top exposure in major college showcase events."

Because ECNL doesn't want their teams to be secondary to DA teams and has been pushing clubs to be "All In" with ECNL.

If ECNL is putting pressure on you to be "All In" at some point they are going to start excluding you if you don't.

As for "giving feedback..." to girls who don't make the DA squad, from be begiing, the goal of the DA is for clubs to be developing these players from start to finish. DA wants clubs to be moving players up from their secondary squads to the top DA squad, so to do this, they need more than just the DA squad at any given age group and those teams need a league to play games in.

And this secondary league is where ECNL wins out. Kids will get more bang for the buck in ECNL than they would on a DA B team.

I guess if the B team is now the dream ECNL customer. Not so great for the A team customers. A lot of time and money spent to be competing with b teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why create this league when you already have ECNL? Do you really need another league to prep girls for the DA? Seriously, if a girl does not make DA, give her feedback and tell her how to go improve. You don't need another league.


"Founded on the ideology of the full DA program, the FDL provides a development structure that focuses on playing more meaningful games with a highly professional game day environment, more training, high level coaching and top exposure in major college showcase events."

Because ECNL doesn't want their teams to be secondary to DA teams and has been pushing clubs to be "All In" with ECNL.

If ECNL is putting pressure on you to be "All In" at some point they are going to start excluding you if you don't.

As for "giving feedback..." to girls who don't make the DA squad, from be begiing, the goal of the DA is for clubs to be developing these players from start to finish. DA wants clubs to be moving players up from their secondary squads to the top DA squad, so to do this, they need more than just the DA squad at any given age group and those teams need a league to play games in.

just like ccl did with ccl2---ha!!! ha, ha, ha, ha....

God--I could get rich off of you idiots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is so much travel involved? I met a father last night who was havig his daughter tryout for an ECNL team. She is quite strong but the father is foreign and did not understand the travel commitment for ECNL. His daughter was good enough to make the team but want play because of travel constraints -- Has two sibblings. For those of us with more than two kids, ECNL and DA are impossible. Chnage the system so that DC area teams play each other during the regular season and reserve travel for tournaments and playoffs. Parents need to take soccer back from business side. There has to be a better way but each year, we are moving further away from a system that makes sense.

+100

We put both our boys in a development academy. Training is the focus. No games/no travel on the weekends. They have progressed more in 9 months than they did in several years on top teams in the area.

We are enjoying our weekends while all of their friends are at games in Delaware, VA Beach, NJ almost every weekend or every other in 8th grade.

STUPID. I say this as somebody who played D1 college.

My kids will not be doing this sh*t. I am only concerned about training right now. They aren't even in HS....which given they are very intelligent will be more difficult for weekend travel/out of state games with AP/IB courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is so much travel involved? I met a father last night who was havig his daughter tryout for an ECNL team. She is quite strong but the father is foreign and did not understand the travel commitment for ECNL. His daughter was good enough to make the team but want play because of travel constraints -- Has two sibblings. For those of us with more than two kids, ECNL and DA are impossible. Chnage the system so that DC area teams play each other during the regular season and reserve travel for tournaments and playoffs. Parents need to take soccer back from business side. There has to be a better way but each year, we are moving further away from a system that makes sense.

+100

We put both our boys in a development academy. Training is the focus. No games/no travel on the weekends. They have progressed more in 9 months than they did in several years on top teams in the area.

We are enjoying our weekends while all of their friends are at games in Delaware, VA Beach, NJ almost every weekend or every other in 8th grade.

STUPID. I say this as somebody who played D1 college.

My kids will not be doing this sh*t. I am only concerned about training right now. They aren't even in HS....which given they are very intelligent will be more difficult for weekend travel/out of state games with AP/IB courses.

Is this academy also for female players?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is so much travel involved? I met a father last night who was havig his daughter tryout for an ECNL team. She is quite strong but the father is foreign and did not understand the travel commitment for ECNL. His daughter was good enough to make the team but want play because of travel constraints -- Has two sibblings. For those of us with more than two kids, ECNL and DA are impossible. Chnage the system so that DC area teams play each other during the regular season and reserve travel for tournaments and playoffs. Parents need to take soccer back from business side. There has to be a better way but each year, we are moving further away from a system that makes sense.

+100

We put both our boys in a development academy. Training is the focus. No games/no travel on the weekends. They have progressed more in 9 months than they did in several years on top teams in the area.

We are enjoying our weekends while all of their friends are at games in Delaware, VA Beach, NJ almost every weekend or every other in 8th grade.

STUPID. I say this as somebody who played D1 college.

My kids will not be doing this sh*t. I am only concerned about training right now. They aren't even in HS....which given they are very intelligent will be more difficult for weekend travel/out of state games with AP/IB courses.

Is this academy also for female players?

My kids aren't doing this sh*t either. I have seen this poster before. Unfortunately, she won't name what she put her kids into instead of all this stupid elite sh*t with its long bus rides that she doesn't like.

Maybe she will tell us now? There are plenty who are not enamored with what the ECNL and USSDA offer elementary and middle schoolers. How about some help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why create this league when you already have ECNL? Do you really need another league to prep girls for the DA? Seriously, if a girl does not make DA, give her feedback and tell her how to go improve. You don't need another league.


"Founded on the ideology of the full DA program, the FDL provides a development structure that focuses on playing more meaningful games with a highly professional game day environment, more training, high level coaching and top exposure in major college showcase events."

Because ECNL doesn't want their teams to be secondary to DA teams and has been pushing clubs to be "All In" with ECNL.

If ECNL is putting pressure on you to be "All In" at some point they are going to start excluding you if you don't.

As for "giving feedback..." to girls who don't make the DA squad, from be begiing, the goal of the DA is for clubs to be developing these players from start to finish. DA wants clubs to be moving players up from their secondary squads to the top DA squad, so to do this, they need more than just the DA squad at any given age group and those teams need a league to play games in.

And this secondary league is where ECNL wins out. Kids will get more bang for the buck in ECNL than they would on a DA B team.

I guess if the B team is now the dream ECNL customer. Not so great for the A team customers. A lot of time and money spent to be competing with b teams.

And how is it that ECNL wins out with the B team?

In the clubs where the girls ECNL team was the top team for the club, they still had their own B team playing in another lower tier league, be it some US Club Soccer regional league or the local competitive travel league.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why create this league when you already have ECNL? Do you really need another league to prep girls for the DA? Seriously, if a girl does not make DA, give her feedback and tell her how to go improve. You don't need another league.


"Founded on the ideology of the full DA program, the FDL provides a development structure that focuses on playing more meaningful games with a highly professional game day environment, more training, high level coaching and top exposure in major college showcase events."

Because ECNL doesn't want their teams to be secondary to DA teams and has been pushing clubs to be "All In" with ECNL.

If ECNL is putting pressure on you to be "All In" at some point they are going to start excluding you if you don't.

As for "giving feedback..." to girls who don't make the DA squad, from be begiing, the goal of the DA is for clubs to be developing these players from start to finish. DA wants clubs to be moving players up from their secondary squads to the top DA squad, so to do this, they need more than just the DA squad at any given age group and those teams need a league to play games in.

just like ccl did with ccl2---ha!!! ha, ha, ha, ha....

God--I could get rich off of you idiots.

Then why don't you go get rich off of us instead of posting like the idiot that you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


Is this academy also for female players?

My kids aren't doing this sh*t either. I have seen this poster before. Unfortunately, she won't name what she put her kids into instead of all this stupid elite sh*t with its long bus rides that she doesn't like.

Maybe she will tell us now? There are plenty who are not enamored with what the ECNL and USSDA offer elementary and middle schoolers. How about some help?

I think my DD would blow her brains out without the competitive piece but to each his own. It has gotta be FCB Escola right? Thats the only academy I know of that does not compete in a league.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is so much travel involved? I met a father last night who was havig his daughter tryout for an ECNL team. She is quite strong but the father is foreign and did not understand the travel commitment for ECNL. His daughter was good enough to make the team but want play because of travel constraints -- Has two sibblings. For those of us with more than two kids, ECNL and DA are impossible. Chnage the system so that DC area teams play each other during the regular season and reserve travel for tournaments and playoffs. Parents need to take soccer back from business side. There has to be a better way but each year, we are moving further away from a system that makes sense.

+100

We put both our boys in a development academy. Training is the focus. No games/no travel on the weekends. They have progressed more in 9 months than they did in several years on top teams in the area.

We are enjoying our weekends while all of their friends are at games in Delaware, VA Beach, NJ almost every weekend or every other in 8th grade.

STUPID. I say this as somebody who played D1 college.

My kids will not be doing this sh*t. I am only concerned about training right now. They aren't even in HS....which given they are very intelligent will be more difficult for weekend travel/out of state games with AP/IB courses.

Is this academy also for female players?

My kids aren't doing this sh*t either. I have seen this poster before. Unfortunately, she won't name what she put her kids into instead of all this stupid elite sh*t with its long bus rides that she doesn't like.

Maybe she will tell us now? There are plenty who are not enamored with what the ECNL and USSDA offer elementary and middle schoolers. How about some help?

You don't think the "academy" she/he put her kids in doesn't cost money? Guarantee it cost a lot. Probably saving money on travel and freeing up personal time...which is important.

Kid is probably in Corver Academy or something like that. There are no secret academies out there. "Academies: exist to make money. They are advertised.

[Anonymous]

You people are so riled up. Such FOMO and anxiety on this thread.

If you could just get her seen in the right league she would be just like Mia Hamm.

Unclench. Have a Valium with a Grey Goose chaser.

[Anonymous]

Just wondering and sorry if this has already been discussed.

Could a club have its teams in DA and ECNL at the same time and/or for the same age group? For instance, Have its A team in the DA and B team in the ECNL. Wouldn't that attract a lot more players. For instance by do A team-DA and B team-ECNL for boys. For girls it seems there is more of a debate as to what is better ECNL vs GDA. But the girls could make A team-ECNL and B team-GDA. Or would DA/ECNL not allow that?