Yet they blamed the coronavirus pandemic! "This was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but the extraordinary and unanticipated circumstances around the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a financial situation that does not allow for the continuation of the Development Academy program into the future. We know that suddenly discontinuing a program that has been with U.S. Soccer for many years is shocking, but these unprecedented times required acting now." Definition of financial FAILURE. |
| I wish I understood the point of the GLA. Youth soccer does not need more leagues. That was one of the reasons US Soccer removed itself from the DA. They couldn't work with US Youth Soccer to create a league. These teams would hve fit nicely within EDP. Our parents and club leadership that stupid that they feel the need to create another DA league that actually removed two of the rules (no HS and limited subs) that set it apart from other leagues. Why? |
You want someone to blame this on, blame ECNL. In this area, it is obvious that clubs like FCV and Arlington belong in that league - more so than several other clubs who are already in. Had the ECNL taken in clubs like these two, and done the same in other areas of the country, there would be no GA today. I’m guessing you could make a list of 30 or so DA clubs that are at least as good as the average ECNL club. Instead, you have some very good clubs that had a place to play with DA, and when not offered entry into the other comparable place to play, went about replicating their previous platform, new and improved. The thought that quality clubs were just going to roll over, and that quality players on those clubs would be dying to leave clubs, coaches and teammates with whom they were very happy, that was hubris on the part of the ECNL. And the ECNL boosters on this board hoping for all of these happy young athletes to have to move are kind of sad. You could have taken these teams in with no damage to your current clubs because the players weren’t there anyway, and without damage to your platform because the top 2/3 of the DA would make ECNL a stronger league, not a weaker one. They had the chance and they blew it, at least for now. |
LOL. You are a gullible one, aren't you? Guess this is your first rodeo. |
Not sure if this will be the same, but I am assuming they will have to add a few more. The Girls Academy League is a new competition platform launched by members of the Development Player League (DPL). The DPL was originally created through a collaboration of Southwest Division DA clubs, with a national leadership group consisting of representatives from LA Surf (Barry Ritson), Legends FC (Kevin Boyd), Tophat Soccer (Troy Garner), Lonestar SC (Wes Schevers) and FC Dallas Youth (Matt Grubb). |
Couldn't agree more!!! 100% on the ECNL. What were all of these players and coaches supposed to do, take their ball and go home. The ECNL had the chance to consolidate everyone under one umbrella, but they chose to turn their back and hold grudges against DA clubs. ECNL had every right to act in the way they did, but that doesn't make it right and now you have the GA. Every action as a reaction. GO GA!! |
Actually it does make it right . But it does NOT make it smart. ECNL - or perhaps just some of the member clubs - got greedy and/or vindictive. Or maybe they just had a decision making process which was too slow/cumbersome to adapt to a fast changing situation.
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ECNL was here before the DA ECNL was here during the DA ECNL is here after the DA 90 percent of the ECNL clubs that went DA have been excepted back. The EDP filler clubs that turned DA to fill in holes have not been offered a bid. Facts over emotions |
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^^^So your DD is going to ECNL I gather?
I don’t think that is a bad move-clearly ECNL has established themselves as the superior club. We will see where loyalties lie in the next week or so since GAL offers going out now and ECNL offers too on Friday!! |
Don't understand your point. There are two leagues "TODAY" because the ECNL didn't take in all of the DA clubs or at least enough to prevent them changing the D to a G and moving on. Those are the facts. It's not up to me to decide what they should or shouldn't have done. I am just stating that their actions are the reason for the GA. |
There are TWO leagues today because the USSF decided to start their own league verse working with ECNL, the only true elite national league for girls at the time. Facts over emotions |
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An technically, GAL is not a rival national elite league to ECNL for girls.
Its another league that rivals EDP. facts over emotions |
No, they are all leagues. Actually the only way ECNL or any league can claim to the one true top league is that no less than 2/3s of all ECNL teams would be capable of beating ALL GAL teams. As long as there is a level of comparative parity all ECNL is is the BIGGEST national league. |
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And technically, all you DA families are in this position because of USSF. This has nothing to do with ECNL as a league or with the parents and players. Some of you are looking for someone to be angry at. We, "ECNL'ers" don't have that type of power. We are just paying customers like everyone else. We are all expendable commodities.
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It’s kind of hard to claim a league is elite if the local clubs, teams aren’t the best teams in the region. Maybe we can call it the equivocal/exhausting/exaggerated club national league? Facts over emotions |