Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older ECNL parent here. With the goal of college in mind, even the team performance isn't as important as the individual. It really is all about your DD and playing in ECNL and your club go to pedigree.

On social media I saw a class of 2025 Union player commit to UCLA but the team is nowhere near the top of the mid atlantic let alone nationally.

Agreed, with my DD already committed. She has less interest on showcases and winning nationals than she does to continue on what her college coach has asked her to work on. With 7 commits already on the team, no kid seems to care about winning/losing these games...focus is definitely shifted to individual improvement....I do not think USA youth soccer will ever be set up to give 2 sheets about team winning...it has turned into a college soccer recruiting swamp

And not to say anything is wrong with that in the current model but this is another reason why the women’s national team is on the decline when the top of the pyramid for youth soccer currently is collegiate rather than the senior national team. The collegiate game and the international game are different.

Sure. But the goal for most is college not the national team.

I'd even say the goal of "most" kids who play soccer is to enjoy playing a sport they like. What's the percentage of kids playing in DMV who will go on and play in college? 5%? Yeah, don't even bring up national team, where it's .(lots of zeros)1%

I don’t think the point of the national team being the top of the pyramid is some strange idea that everybody will make it. The point would be that the system is more consistent with less differences. The current model here that’s not elsewhere is that there’s a bunch of leagues between pro, college, semi pro, youth and most aren’t even fully open. A lot of times there’s different rules and standards, game style is different, etc.

Aren’t most sports like that here? Separate leagues, private clubs for the privileged, high school leagues, all with different standards. And with mkst sports the national team isn’t the top of the pyramid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older ECNL parent here. With the goal of college in mind, even the team performance isn't as important as the individual. It really is all about your DD and playing in ECNL and your club go to pedigree.

On social media I saw a class of 2025 Union player commit to UCLA but the team is nowhere near the top of the mid atlantic let alone nationally.

Agreed, with my DD already committed. She has less interest on showcases and winning nationals than she does to continue on what her college coach has asked her to work on. With 7 commits already on the team, no kid seems to care about winning/losing these games...focus is definitely shifted to individual improvement....I do not think USA youth soccer will ever be set up to give 2 sheets about team winning...it has turned into a college soccer recruiting swamp

And not to say anything is wrong with that in the current model but this is another reason why the women’s national team is on the decline when the top of the pyramid for youth soccer currently is collegiate rather than the senior national team. The collegiate game and the international game are different.

Sure. But the goal for most is college not the national team.

I'd even say the goal of "most" kids who play soccer is to enjoy playing a sport they like. What's the percentage of kids playing in DMV who will go on and play in college? 5%? Yeah, don't even bring up national team, where it's .(lots of zeros)1%

I don’t think the point of the national team being the top of the pyramid is some strange idea that everybody will make it. The point would be that the system is more consistent with less differences. The current model here that’s not elsewhere is that there’s a bunch of leagues between pro, college, semi pro, youth and most aren’t even fully open. A lot of times there’s different rules and standards, game style is different, etc.

Honestly ECNL or other expensive league is another club experience membership for privileged families. Compare it to a vacation club membership. Likely a low number players would make it and play one or two years at top colleges. The rest would go to low profile colleges or would prefer not to play.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older ECNL parent here. With the goal of college in mind, even the team performance isn't as important as the individual. It really is all about your DD and playing in ECNL and your club go to pedigree.

On social media I saw a class of 2025 Union player commit to UCLA but the team is nowhere near the top of the mid atlantic let alone nationally.

Agreed, with my DD already committed. She has less interest on showcases and winning nationals than she does to continue on what her college coach has asked her to work on. With 7 commits already on the team, no kid seems to care about winning/losing these games...focus is definitely shifted to individual improvement....I do not think USA youth soccer will ever be set up to give 2 sheets about team winning...it has turned into a college soccer recruiting swamp

And not to say anything is wrong with that in the current model but this is another reason why the women’s national team is on the decline when the top of the pyramid for youth soccer currently is collegiate rather than the senior national team. The collegiate game and the international game are different.

Sure. But the goal for most is college not the national team.

I'd even say the goal of "most" kids who play soccer is to enjoy playing a sport they like. What's the percentage of kids playing in DMV who will go on and play in college? 5%? Yeah, don't even bring up national team, where it's .(lots of zeros)1%

How did we get to a place where everything needs to have an end goal? What happened to just doing things for the enjoyment? I spend a lot of money on golf equipment, family vacations, video games, hobbies, eating out because I enjoy it. They aren’t investments that have an end goal. Soccer is the same thing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older ECNL parent here. With the goal of college in mind, even the team performance isn't as important as the individual. It really is all about your DD and playing in ECNL and your club go to pedigree.

On social media I saw a class of 2025 Union player commit to UCLA but the team is nowhere near the top of the mid atlantic let alone nationally.

Agreed, with my DD already committed. She has less interest on showcases and winning nationals than she does to continue on what her college coach has asked her to work on. With 7 commits already on the team, no kid seems to care about winning/losing these games...focus is definitely shifted to individual improvement....I do not think USA youth soccer will ever be set up to give 2 sheets about team winning...it has turned into a college soccer recruiting swamp

And not to say anything is wrong with that in the current model but this is another reason why the women’s national team is on the decline when the top of the pyramid for youth soccer currently is collegiate rather than the senior national team. The collegiate game and the international game are different.

Sure. But the goal for most is college not the national team.

I'd even say the goal of "most" kids who play soccer is to enjoy playing a sport they like. What's the percentage of kids playing in DMV who will go on and play in college? 5%? Yeah, don't even bring up national team, where it's .(lots of zeros)1%

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older ECNL parent here. With the goal of college in mind, even the team performance isn't as important as the individual. It really is all about your DD and playing in ECNL and your club go to pedigree.

On social media I saw a class of 2025 Union player commit to UCLA but the team is nowhere near the top of the mid atlantic let alone nationally.

Agreed, with my DD already committed. She has less interest on showcases and winning nationals than she does to continue on what her college coach has asked her to work on. With 7 commits already on the team, no kid seems to care about winning/losing these games...focus is definitely shifted to individual improvement....I do not think USA youth soccer will ever be set up to give 2 sheets about team winning...it has turned into a college soccer recruiting swamp

And not to say anything is wrong with that in the current model but this is another reason why the women’s national team is on the decline when the top of the pyramid for youth soccer currently is collegiate rather than the senior national team. The collegiate game and the international game are different.

Sure. But the goal for most is college not the national team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Older ECNL parent here. With the goal of college in mind, even the team performance isn't as important as the individual. It really is all about your DD and playing in ECNL and your club go to pedigree.

On social media I saw a class of 2025 Union player commit to UCLA but the team is nowhere near the top of the mid atlantic let alone nationally.

Agreed, with my DD already committed. She has less interest on showcases and winning nationals than she does to continue on what her college coach has asked her to work on. With 7 commits already on the team, no kid seems to care about winning/losing these games...focus is definitely shifted to individual improvement....I do not think USA youth soccer will ever be set up to give 2 sheets about team winning...it has turned into a college soccer recruiting swamp

And not to say anything is wrong with that in the current model but this is another reason why the women’s national team is on the decline when the top of the pyramid for youth soccer currently is collegiate rather than the senior national team. The collegiate game and the international game are different.

Anonymous wrote:Older ECNL parent here. With the goal of college in mind, even the team performance isn't as important as the individual. It really is all about your DD and playing in ECNL and your club go to pedigree.

On social media I saw a class of 2025 Union player commit to UCLA but the team is nowhere near the top of the mid atlantic let alone nationally.

Agreed, with my DD already committed. She has less interest on showcases and winning nationals than she does to continue on what her college coach has asked her to work on. With 7 commits already on the team, no kid seems to care about winning/losing these games...focus is definitely shifted to individual improvement....I do not think USA youth soccer will ever be set up to give 2 sheets about team winning...it has turned into a college soccer recruiting swamp

Older ECNL parent here. With the goal of college in mind, even the team performance isn't as important as the individual. It really is all about your DD and playing in ECNL and your club go to pedigree.

On social media I saw a class of 2025 Union player commit to UCLA but the team is nowhere near the top of the mid atlantic let alone nationally.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Outside of club directors, who really cares about clubs as a whole?

Care about your DD’s team.

Not saying you're wrong but, isn't it unfortunate that its come to this thinking particularly in this area? You have to care about just our own DD's team so each season you have to constantly evaluate if the next coach will be suitable for them. Rather than hope that club's are actually doing well as a whole and have a stable environment to train/play and grow in.

It’s unfortunate, but it’s reality. And it’s the nature of the market around here.

It’s hard to have and maintain top level coaches because of how competitive the market is, the cost of living in the area, and the lack of appropriate funding and resources. Almost all of the best ECNL coaches, and even some of the directors, at each of the clubs mentioned from northern Virginia have to work full time jobs to afford to coach here.

Anonymous wrote:Outside of club directors, who really cares about clubs as a whole?

Care about your DD’s team.

Not saying you're wrong but, isn't it unfortunate that its come to this thinking particularly in this area? You have to care about just our own DD's team so each season you have to constantly evaluate if the next coach will be suitable for them. Rather than hope that club's are actually doing well as a whole and have a stable environment to train/play and grow in.

So everyone is within 2 places of where they were last year. Ok, thanks.

Outside of club directors, who really cares about clubs as a whole?

Care about your DD’s team.

Maybe that’s why it’s been rather quiet around here. Not much for the Union and Arlington parents to talk about.

We are now roughly halfway through the ECNL Mid-Atlantic season so it's time to take stock. Some clubs have played as few as 4 games (Beach/Union/NVA), while others have played as many as 10 games (Charlotte SA/Charlotte Independence). Here is the club v club comparison by order of average place in the standings across the 6 age groups (with last years club ranking vs. the other 13 teams listed as a parenthetical so you can see if the club is doing better or worse this year):

3.00 Courage (3rd last year)
4.00 Charlotte SA (1st last year)
4.83 VDA (2nd last year)
5.00 Richmond (5th last year)
5.83 NVA (6th last year)
6.67 Union (4th last year)
7.17 Arlington (7th last year)
7.33 Brave (10th last year)
8.00 Wilmington (8th last year)
8.83 NC Fusion (9th last year)
9.17 Charlotte Independence (11th last year)
9.83 NCFC (13th last year)
11.33 Beach (12th last year)

Obviously some teams will move up and down, but this is the current snap shot.