Please get rid of GDA and ECNL

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Honestly the worst part of travel is the team travel requirements. The hotels are ridiculous in general, but the worst part is doing it through the required team booking. I can always boost he same hotels for 15% cheaper. It's a racket. If it weren't for that, I'd save a ton every trip. Let me get my child there however I choose, house my child however I choose, and I could cut my expenses by 40%.

Seriously..just book it yourself. Enough is enough.

You can't. If you, the team, the club get caught, the team has to forfeit. How sick is that? It's the youth sports travel cartel who controls it.

A certain number need to stay. Once the team has that, the cartel is satisfied. Many teams have enough families that can't be bothered to bargain hunt to satisfy the cartel. The rest can use points, or stay with relatives, or find a cheaper rate.

The cartel is abusive but there are ways to resist.

And. Kicking a team out of an event screws up the schedule and the event.

True but why are those travel agencies so weak? My teen can find a better deal on the phone in 5 minutes every time. What a scam.

10 years in travel never used the agencies.

Ignorance is the problem with complainers lie this.

It's not ignorance. You were protected by other families who complied. If everyone did what you did, you'd see what would happen.

It is ignorance. The only requirement is that you stay in the specific hotels. You do not need the travel agency for that.

You are ignorant

Done leagues require a block of rooms through Anthony travel.

Yep, he doesn't get it. It's called Stay to Play. He got lucky so he assumes it's ok. It's not. It should be, but it is explicitly against the rules with actual consequences. Anthony Travel doesn't try to catch a few strays, but if everyone did it, they would notice and there would be consequences.

"All accepted teams are to book hotel reservations through Anthony Travel to ensure their participation in the visitRaleigh.com Showcase Series events. Teams found to be in violation of the Stay to Play requirement are subject to disqualification without refund of their entry fee and will jeopardize their
participation in future tournaments with NCFC Youth."


"All teams participating in the Tennessee Invitational 2018 that require lodging accommodations are REQUIRED to book through Anthony Travel."

"Stay to Play Policy

All teams are required to "Stay to Play", which means teams must stay in an Anthony Travel-approved (NCFC's travel partner) hotel for the duration of the showcase. Stay to Play allows teams to receive the best available hotel benefits and ensures all teams receive the protections NCFC and travel partner Anthony Travel have established with the hotels."

And a lot of ECNL teams go to further events as a team. You have to book through the team manager. Period.

Incredibly unpopular feature of these leagues. I have yet to attend an event where a team was booted but we discuss it on our team. There is one almost one hundred percent agreement that there would be outrage with the league if they do it

[Anonymous]

Never been consequences. Simply show your receipt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never been consequences. Simply show your receipt.

Do what you have to do and the leagues know where they can shove this policy. EVERYONE hates it.

[Anonymous]

Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

Dare them too. Surely they know all their customers detest this travel slap around. If they are unaware be of this they are really oblivious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

Dare them too. Surely they know all their customers detest this travel slap around. If they are unaware be of this they are really oblivious.

The control happens generally through the clubs. They won't risk it. They require players to travel as a team. That solves the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

Dare them too. Surely they know all their customers detest this travel slap around. If they are unaware be of this they are really oblivious.

The control happens generally through the clubs. They won't risk it. They require players to travel as a team. That solves the problem.

The clubs don't control the players. Maybe one or two could pull that off. Most want to keep their paying customers and will not stand up to the families. The system is not designed to give the clubs a lot of control. Follow the money

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

Dare them too. Surely they know all their customers detest this travel slap around. If they are unaware be of this they are really oblivious.

The control happens generally through the clubs. They won't risk it. They require players to travel as a team. That solves the problem.

The clubs don't control the players. Maybe one or two could pull that off. Most want to keep their paying customers and will not stand up to the families. The system is not designed to give the clubs a lot of control. Follow the money

Either your kid is young or doesn't play for a top club. Top clubs will not roster players that don't travel with the team. And that actually does happen. So you can skip the showcase, but the only one you punish is your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

Dare them too. Surely they know all their customers detest this travel slap around. If they are unaware be of this they are really oblivious.

The control happens generally through the clubs. They won't risk it. They require players to travel as a team. That solves the problem.

The clubs don't control the players. Maybe one or two could pull that off. Most want to keep their paying customers and will not stand up to the families. The system is not designed to give the clubs a lot of control. Follow the money

Either your kid is young or doesn't play for a top club. Top clubs will not roster players that don't travel with the team. And that actually does happen. So you can skip the showcase, but the only one you punish is your kid.

The poster said that maybe a club or two may have this control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

Dare them too. Surely they know all their customers detest this travel slap around. If they are unaware be of this they are really oblivious.

The control happens generally through the clubs. They won't risk it. They require players to travel as a team. That solves the problem.

The clubs don't control the players. Maybe one or two could pull that off. Most want to keep their paying customers and will not stand up to the families. The system is not designed to give the clubs a lot of control. Follow the money

Either your kid is young or doesn't play for a top club. Top clubs will not roster players that don't travel with the team. And that actually does happen. So you can skip the showcase, but the only one you punish is your kid.

The poster said that maybe a club or two may have this control.

More than one or two. Most clubs, except I can't say about a VD. McLean, FCV, BRYC, RU, they all require it. A lot of those clubs (maybe not all) get a little incentive kickback themselves to enforce the policy.

So, can a handful color outside the lines? Yes, especially if they are playing at a smaller or newer club. Most cannot, so calling people ignorant is itself ignorance. All the families hate the system, but the system of clubs, leagues and travel agencies love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

Dare them too. Surely they know all their customers detest this travel slap around. If they are unaware be of this they are really oblivious.

There was a team a few years back who got kicked out of Jeff Cup for not following the “stay to play”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

Dare them too. Surely they know all their customers detest this travel slap around. If they are unaware be of this they are really oblivious.

There was a team a few years back who got kicked out of Jeff Cup for not following the “stay to play”

That is ridiculous but still......sounds like pretty good odds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

Dare them too. Surely they know all their customers detest this travel slap around. If they are unaware be of this they are really oblivious.

There was a team a few years back who got kicked out of Jeff Cup for not following the “stay to play”

That is ridiculous but still......sounds like pretty good odds.

You would jeopardize an entire club? If you are NCLS or it is some tiny little local event, it doesn't matter much. A major national ECNL or DA showcase, they are big enough they can kick a team or club out. Easy decision for them. I hope you do convince some club to boycott the cartel. Let us know how that goes.

And before you think soccer is special, it's so rampant it's in lacrosse, hockey, and across the board. You are a plankton in an ocean of youth sports. Go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

Dare them too. Surely they know all their customers detest this travel slap around. If they are unaware be of this they are really oblivious.

There was a team a few years back who got kicked out of Jeff Cup for not following the “stay to play”

That is ridiculous but still......sounds like pretty good odds.

You would jeopardize an entire club? If you are NCLS or it is some tiny little local event, it doesn't matter much. A major national ECNL or DA showcase, they are big enough they can kick a team or club out. Easy decision for them. I hope you do convince some club to boycott the cartel. Let us know how that goes.

And before you think soccer is special, it's so rampant it's in lacrosse, hockey, and across the board. You are a plankton in an ocean of youth sports. Go for it.

Soccer is not special at all. Participation is down across the board and it is easy to see why

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like I said, if a few brave souls color outside the lines, it will work. If we all did it, that's when they would crack down.

Dare them too. Surely they know all their customers detest this travel slap around. If they are unaware be of this they are really oblivious.

There was a team a few years back who got kicked out of Jeff Cup for not following the “stay to play”

That is ridiculous but still......sounds like pretty good odds.

You would jeopardize an entire club? If you are NCLS or it is some tiny little local event, it doesn't matter much. A major national ECNL or DA showcase, they are big enough they can kick a team or club out. Easy decision for them. I hope you do convince some club to boycott the cartel. Let us know how that goes.

And before you think soccer is special, it's so rampant it's in lacrosse, hockey, and across the board. You are a plankton in an ocean of youth sports. Go for it.

Soccer is not special at all. Participation is down across the board and it is easy to see why

Yep, it sure is. They've got all the major youth sports sectors participating in Stay to Play. They often try to sell it as a money saver, which is hilarious.