ECNL rising, GA falling . . . Where will the 06 and younger D1-thinking girls go?

[Anonymous]

With the announcement of the ECNL’s absorption of some of the better GA teams yesterday, it looks to me like the last nail is in the GA coffin. If that’s true, which I know some will debate, where will the younger girls currently on the good local GA teams go? Because if you’re 05-04-03 you’re not moving at this point, but younger than that you might as well try for a team in the league that is more likely to compete at the highest levels when you’re at a recruiting age.

Here’s my guess, almost totally based on commute times.
Arlington and Metro United will try for Mclean and agree to Bethesda or BRYC if they don’t make the Mclean roster.
FCV will try for Loudoun, or if they live south, VDA.
Baltimore Armour and Balt Celtic will try for Pipeline or MD United, depending which is a shorter drive.

And as the parent of a current GA player, I think the talent consolidation will be good in the long run.

Are there factors other than commute that parents are taking into consideration as they are contemplating making a move?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With the announcement of the ECNL’s absorption of some of the better GA teams yesterday, it looks to me like the last nail is in the GA coffin. If that’s true, which I know some will debate, where will the younger girls currently on the good local GA teams go? Because if you’re 05-04-03 you’re not moving at this point, but younger than that you might as well try for a team in the league that is more likely to compete at the highest levels when you’re at a recruiting age.

Here’s my guess, almost totally based on commute times.
Arlington and Metro United will try for Mclean and agree to Bethesda or BRYC if they don’t make the Mclean roster.
FCV will try for Loudoun, or if they live south, VDA.
Baltimore Armour and Balt Celtic will try for Pipeline or MD United, depending which is a shorter drive.

And as the parent of a current GA player, I think the talent consolidation will be good in the long run.

Are there factors other than commute that parents are taking into consideration as they are contemplating making a move?

Have you gone completely insane? The movement of six clubs in Utah, Iowa and a few other places far away from the mid-Atlantic will result in what? Why? How on earth does this make any sense?

[Anonymous]

It’s not insane. DD is moving to ECNL club, and many school friends are going with her as well. The problem is too many leagues and not enough player.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With the announcement of the ECNL’s absorption of some of the better GA teams yesterday, it looks to me like the last nail is in the GA coffin. If that’s true, which I know some will debate, where will the younger girls currently on the good local GA teams go? Because if you’re 05-04-03 you’re not moving at this point, but younger than that you might as well try for a team in the league that is more likely to compete at the highest levels when you’re at a recruiting age.

Here’s my guess, almost totally based on commute times.
Arlington and Metro United will try for Mclean and agree to Bethesda or BRYC if they don’t make the Mclean roster.
FCV will try for Loudoun, or if they live south, VDA.
Baltimore Armour and Balt Celtic will try for Pipeline or MD United, depending which is a shorter drive.

And as the parent of a current GA player, I think the talent consolidation will be good in the long run.

Are there factors other than commute that parents are taking into consideration as they are contemplating making a move?

Making a decision based only on the platform of ECNL is a mistake IMO. Need to look at the whole picture, coaching, strength of the teammates you train with every day, and interest in the recruiting process from your coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not insane. DD is moving to ECNL club, and many school friends are going with her as well. The problem is too many leagues and not enough player.

It is insane. You are simply lemmings with absolutely no idea how to guide your children. It’s embarrassing to live in an area where people are prone to herd mentality, especially when it is so obviously wrong. People need to think about these things a little less and focus more on whether their kids are learning how to play properly. Most of the lemming parents have no soccer acumen so will latch on to brands in the form of clubs or leagues because they have no idea about how to evaluate anything else. So one person makes a bad decision, and the rest follow? Have fun at your new club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the announcement of the ECNL’s absorption of some of the better GA teams yesterday, it looks to me like the last nail is in the GA coffin. If that’s true, which I know some will debate, where will the younger girls currently on the good local GA teams go? Because if you’re 05-04-03 you’re not moving at this point, but younger than that you might as well try for a team in the league that is more likely to compete at the highest levels when you’re at a recruiting age.

Here’s my guess, almost totally based on commute times.
Arlington and Metro United will try for Mclean and agree to Bethesda or BRYC if they don’t make the Mclean roster.
FCV will try for Loudoun, or if they live south, VDA.
Baltimore Armour and Balt Celtic will try for Pipeline or MD United, depending which is a shorter drive.

And as the parent of a current GA player, I think the talent consolidation will be good in the long run.

Are there factors other than commute that parents are taking into consideration as they are contemplating making a move?

Making a decision based only on the platform of ECNL is a mistake IMO. Need to look at the whole picture, coaching, strength of the teammates you train with every day, and interest in the recruiting process from your coach.

Level of quality of the league, win’s and loss’s against the league, how many players show up to a training. Yes, ECNL is better.

And there is the low quality of the program itself. I have two DC in a club and there is nothing to help them be better players or anything. Coach dont have a plan, and for all the directors around why do I not see them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not insane. DD is moving to ECNL club, and many school friends are going with her as well. The problem is too many leagues and not enough player.

It is insane. You are simply lemmings with absolutely no idea how to guide your children. It’s embarrassing to live in an area where people are prone to herd mentality, especially when it is so obviously wrong. People need to think about these things a little less and focus more on whether their kids are learning how to play properly. Most of the lemming parents have no soccer acumen so will latch on to brands in the form of clubs or leagues because they have no idea about how to evaluate anything else. So one person makes a bad decision, and the rest follow? Have fun at your new club.

OK and show up to 6, 7 players practice? No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not insane. DD is moving to ECNL club, and many school friends are going with her as well. The problem is too many leagues and not enough player.

It is insane. You are simply lemmings with absolutely no idea how to guide your children. It’s embarrassing to live in an area where people are prone to herd mentality, especially when it is so obviously wrong. People need to think about these things a little less and focus more on whether their kids are learning how to play properly. Most of the lemming parents have no soccer acumen so will latch on to brands in the form of clubs or leagues because they have no idea about how to evaluate anything else. So one person makes a bad decision, and the rest follow? Have fun at your new club.

Jumping into this conversation and I need to ask. What club are you at, and why should you stay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not insane. DD is moving to ECNL club, and many school friends are going with her as well. The problem is too many leagues and not enough player.

It is insane. You are simply lemmings with absolutely no idea how to guide your children. It’s embarrassing to live in an area where people are prone to herd mentality, especially when it is so obviously wrong. People need to think about these things a little less and focus more on whether their kids are learning how to play properly. Most of the lemming parents have no soccer acumen so will latch on to brands in the form of clubs or leagues because they have no idea about how to evaluate anything else. So one person makes a bad decision, and the rest follow? Have fun at your new club.

Jumping into this conversation and I need to ask. What club are you at, and why should you stay?

Tell you what, sock puppet, tell me how the weather is right now in Richmond and I will tell you all about my kid’s team (I don’t play, my kid does, and he plays for a team, not a club - seems a little hard for you to understand it is not about parents or clubs or leagues). If your kid is talented, none of this crap matters. You will be fine at any top team for recruiting.

[Anonymous]

^— found the anti-Trump vote

Btw your wife is cheating on you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^— found the anti-Trump vote

Btw your wife is cheating on you

Like I said, insane.

[Anonymous]

Kids will go to the better team/coach regardless of the league.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids will go to the better team/coach regardless of the league.

And the best players that have the highest ambitions will go to ECNL (for the girls). Best boys with highest ambitions go to European club academies.

[Anonymous]

Even 05s might jump ship. If you are goo enough to start, why stick around to participate in the collapse of GA. The reality is that Arlington and FCV have talent. The other local GA clubs are done. MU is a dead-man walking. UA is done. Celtic/BU is no longer a draw for kids who want to play at the next level. FCV and Arlington are better off playing in EDP and scheduling major showcases. The GA is done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Making a decision based only on the platform of ECNL is a mistake IMO. Need to look at the whole picture, coaching, strength of the teammates you train with every day, and interest in the recruiting process from your coach.

If there were some better coaches and the average level of players was higher, i’d agree. It isn’t, so your argument is pointless.

It is insane. You are simply lemmings with absolutely no idea how to guide your children. It’s embarrassing to live in an area where people are prone to herd mentality, especially when it is so obviously wrong. People need to think about these things a little less and focus more on whether their kids are learning how to play properly. Most of the lemming parents have no soccer acumen so will latch on to brands in the form of clubs or leagues because they have no idea about how to evaluate anything else. So one person makes a bad decision, and the rest follow? Have fun at your new club.

If the coaches really had the ability to develop the players and teams and were fair and transparent, and the players were motivated and invested in technical development, again I’d agree. But they arent, so the only remaining argument is reputation and connections.