This is the head of the NWSL talking to US Soccer (the group that created DA) and she's saying "The next thing we have to tackle is the Domestic player pipeline". To me that's where my ears perk up. |
The domestic player pipeline at the moment is through the ecnl. Not clear to me what anyone can do about that. Longer term making GA closer to ecnl would seem to be the key. Back in the day DA started kicking ecnl butt. Their product at the end may have been better. 80% of the YNT came from DA. Nothing can be done until the GA product is close to the ECNL product. I don't know how you do that in the short term. GA is great at the top. But the middle is not great. |
You are correct. But forget about leagues for a sec and think. If girls start showing interest in this new product, it will cause clubs to have to make a switch to GA. |
Well said, wake up people we are the consumers, we drive the market. All it takes is a group of parents with legit ballers to make any GA team legit overnight |
The problem is the GA doesn't have an equivalent for boys. MLS next is far choosier about expansion, so as long as ECNL holds to line on requiring both genders, it is very hard for a club to move from ECNL to GA without leaving the boys behind and most clubs will not do that. |
And hopefully parents will recognize which league is actually looking out for female players. Sure, currently ECNL is the top dog as far as college recruiting but there is a larger picture even beyond that. GA is built in a way that empowers its players and helps shape players off the field as well as people, not just players. ECNL historically has had these issues. Even around here, some soccer environments girls are in have some sort of toxicity. And even in the most recent Yates' investigation, the comments about the problems make me feel like what GA did by becoming a full US Soccer member just gives them that much more control over how to align their vision and bring their ideas of fixing this to the table without having to work with a sanctioning body to do so. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/11/18/ecnl-girls-soccer-male-coaches/ https://sports.yahoo.com/us-soccer-nwsl-abuse-investigations-response-recommendations-152648149.html |
Good one, St. James marketing team. |
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Another great aspect to GA as opposed to ECNL.
https://girlsacademyleague.com/advisory-panel/ |
Thank you! |
Education will be key. A lot of parents are okay with what is being provided currently because they just don't understand the game of soccer outside of the US. If/or when that begins to happen and people understand the nuances to the game, things may change for the better. |
And suspiciously the only Women’s Amateur league that has connections with youth club was just sanctioned by US Soccer as a Division 1 professional league. This seems like an already established and previously untapped pipeline to me? https://www.protagonistsoccer.com/coverage/usl-super-league-sanctioning-ussf-soccer-womens-launch |
When are the clubs supposedly leaving GA for ECNL being announced? |
The same clubs rumored every year. Top Hat, Ukies, Nationals, etc. This rumor has popped up every single year. |
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GA just added Seattle Celtic to the Pacific Northwest Conference.
https://www.instagram.com/girlsacade...L/?img_index=1 |
I don’t think anyone put an immediate timeline on it and if GA clubs were leaving why would they want to announce to far ahead of GA events that they would still be 100% committed to attending. This isn’t an unaffiliated club situation like SYC or Revolution who need to be announced ahead of tryout season. |