Anonymous wrote:It is all about speed of play. If your team is playing in ECNL, EDP DI or CCL, you are used to playing at the level. If you are coming from NCSL or lower division EDP or NPL, you will struggle in the top bracket of large tournaments, where you are going against teams ranked in the top 100 nationally. OBGC Capital Cup U15 girls has five teams ranked in the top 100 nationally. If you are coming from NCSL, you will find the weekend challenge.

Not true. My kid's team ended up being pushed up to the highest bracket. His team is barely NCSL D2 and played four teams—2 from CCL; 2 from NPL. We were competitive/even with all but one of the teams (the team that came in first).

It is all about speed of play. If your team is playing in ECNL, EDP DI or CCL, you are used to playing at the level. If you are coming from NCSL or lower division EDP or NPL, you will struggle in the top bracket of large tournaments, where you are going against teams ranked in the top 100 nationally. OBGC Capital Cup U15 girls has five teams ranked in the top 100 nationally. If you are coming from NCSL, you will find the weekend challenge.

I think it really depends on how close the talent is between these other clubs' first and second teams. We're with ASA and there doesn't always seem to be a noticeable difference between the girls' red and white teams at the lower levels. They're both coached by the same coach and practice together, so they're getting the same inputs, other than raw talent.

Good luck!!

Anonymous wrote:I rather my daughter’s team get crushed by a better team than crushing an inferior team. It’s much easier to motivate and encourage my daughter to practice harder and get revenge.

During the Fall 2017, my daughter’s team barely beat the best team in our division. After the game, my daughter & I overheard the opposing team parents said that our team was not that good and we were lucky to win. When we played the same team during Spring 2018, my daughter so was so motivated and focused. She scored 2 goals including the game winner.

I hate watching a team blowout every team in their bracket. The kids get nothing out of that with huge wins.

Give me a competitive bracket that requires effort. Hopefully, it’s not too far above their skill level. It’s still character building.

It’s those really close tournament Final wins that make my kids feel estatic. And, a close tournament loss (especially in Final minutes) is crushing, but so good for kids in the long run. They deal with disappointment and not giving up and that things don’t always go your way even when you give it everything you got. Or, that you never put in the work needed prior. All life lessons.

I rather my daughter’s team get crushed by a better team than crushing an inferior team. It’s much easier to motivate and encourage my daughter to practice harder and get revenge.

During the Fall 2017, my daughter’s team barely beat the best team in our division. After the game, my daughter & I overheard the opposing team parents said that our team was not that good and we were lucky to win. When we played the same team during Spring 2018, my daughter so was so motivated and focused. She scored 2 goals including the game winner.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then the top teams whine about how they aren't really that good so that sometimes they will be put in the second bracket so that they can more easily win.

Yes. And don't get me started on tournament hosts setting the brackets favorably for their own teams---times, strength of teams in their side of bracket, etc.

Instead of using tournaments for development---you get teams putting their A team players on B teams and lying with player cards, etc. As a manager, I would see the same kid play for multiple different teams. I had managers that refused to show their player cards and act all put out if asked to check them. There was always shuffling of papers and acting confused or not speaking English--seriously.

It's all ridiculous for kid sports.

If the tournament is all about development in your eyes then why do care what other teams are doing roster wise? just play who is in front of you.

Anonymous wrote: In the end, you play who's in front of you and if youre good enough, doesn't matter.

Yes, but we're not good enough.
It's going to be a massive waste of time and money for all of us to go and get crushed by teams that we know are a lot better.
Our second team will be playing a handful of teams that beat out first team last year.

It goes both ways. I've seen coaches put teams that should be in higher brackets into lower ones to win. I've also seen host clubs structure groupings in a way that puts all the strong teams in one group and their teams in the weaker grouping or even lower brackets. In the end, you play who's in front of you and if youre good enough, doesn't matter. Our coach pushes for the top brackets everytime, but it's a mix bag of teams in the local tournaments. It's not even perfect with the big ones like Jeff cup. Younger ages, the ranking system is gotsoccer, which isn't the most accurate depiction of a team's skill level.

I’ve been in a tournament in which an NPL team was put in the lowest bracket with the NCSL D6-4 teams. Guess who won...

Anonymous wrote:Then the top teams whine about how they aren't really that good so that sometimes they will be put in the second bracket so that they can more easily win.

Yes. And don't get me started on tournament hosts setting the brackets favorably for their own teams---times, strength of teams in their side of bracket, etc.

Instead of using tournaments for development---you get teams putting their A team players on B teams and lying with player cards, etc. As a manager, I would see the same kid play for multiple different teams. I had managers that refused to show their player cards and act all put out if asked to check them. There was always shuffling of papers and acting confused or not speaking English--seriously.

It's all ridiculous for kid sports.

Anonymous wrote:Then the top teams whine about how they aren't really that good so that sometimes they will be put in the second bracket so that they can more easily win.

Ha. In this case, our top team went to a much easier tournament instead.

Then the top teams whine about how they aren't really that good so that sometimes they will be put in the second bracket so that they can more easily win.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do teams get assigned brackets in tournaments...is it the team that requests it, or do the tournament pick?
Just saw that our team (club's 2nd team in age division) got assigned into the top bracket with everybody else's first team.
I'm afraid it's gonna be an ugly weekend.
Just wondering how this happens.

When the team applies to the tournament, they get to 'request' a bracket. But the tournament organizers are not obliged to meet that request and will place teams according to other factors (league ranking, division, past performances in other tourneys, etc).

In some cases if they are short a team in a top bracket, they will call clubs in the next highest bracket to see if someone is willing to step up into the top bracket as well. If no one wants to move up, I know that often the team sponsoring the tournament will put their 2nd team into the higher bracket.

Anonymous wrote:How do teams get assigned brackets in tournaments...is it the team that requests it, or do the tournament pick?
Just saw that our team (club's 2nd team in age division) got assigned into the top bracket with everybody else's first team.
I'm afraid it's gonna be an ugly weekend.
Just wondering how this happens.

When the team applies to the tournament, they get to 'request' a bracket. But the tournament organizers are not obliged to meet that request and will place teams according to other factors (league ranking, division, past performances in other tourneys, etc).

How do teams get assigned brackets in tournaments...is it the team that requests it, or do the tournament pick?
Just saw that our team (club's 2nd team in age division) got assigned into the top bracket with everybody else's first team.
I'm afraid it's gonna be an ugly weekend.
Just wondering how this happens.