Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 16:49     Subject: VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Anonymous wrote:We have an 06 serious player and this recent discussion seems consistent to our thinking. No one we know inside the Beltway is going to travel and fight traffic to McLean or Braddock Road or Bethesda. If we have to do a drive, then it might as well be on a toll road to a DA. I think they will have single age groups for DA, maybe even starting thoughts of expanding at 13U and 12U like the boys. I am a little envious of those that came before and just had it simple with ECNL. But this is here and unavoidable. I hope the Spirit have better teams by then. Sounds like they do not have the best players right now based on the other message board.


Spirit will be fine. There is a lot of talent in the discussed geographic region in this thread and much of that talent it is assumed will migrate to Spirit if they want to play in DA.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 16:43     Subject: VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Anonymous wrote:We have an 06 serious player and this recent discussion seems consistent to our thinking. No one we know inside the Beltway is going to travel and fight traffic to McLean or Braddock Road or Bethesda. If we have to do a drive, then it might as well be on a toll road to a DA. I think they will have single age groups for DA, maybe even starting thoughts of expanding at 13U and 12U like the boys. I am a little envious of those that came before and just had it simple with ECNL. But this is here and unavoidable. I hope the Spirit have better teams by then. Sounds like they do not have the best players right now based on the other message board.


Last I checked, most of McLean was inside the Beltway. Lewinsville Park is inside; Spring Hill Rec Center is less than a mile outside.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 16:38     Subject: VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Anonymous wrote:
Now what would be cool is if ECNL does expand into NPL and then offers promotion/relegation with NPL. Doing this on a national youth level would be very interesting.


I like that idea (which means it will likely never happen). As it is today, I don't think there is a wide gulf between the local ECNL teams and the top local NPL squads for the reasons discussed above. A pro/rel system would help manage the competitiveness across the board.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 15:19     Subject: VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
We have an 06 serious player and this recent discussion seems consistent to our thinking. No one we know inside the Beltway is going to travel and fight traffic to McLean or Braddock Road or Bethesda. If we have to do a drive, then it might as well be on a toll road to a DA. I think they will have single age groups for DA, maybe even starting thoughts of expanding at 13U and 12U like the boys. I am a little envious of those that came before and just had it simple with ECNL. But this is here and unavoidable. I hope the Spirit have better teams by then. Sounds like they do not have the best players right now based on the other message board.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 14:05     Subject: VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Anonymous wrote:Another thing to consider is that in the past, some very talented players decided to stay at their local club on teams which were at what was essentially the second tier of the soccer pyramid (eg, the one good Vienna team, the BRYC teams, some of the Annandale and Loudoun teams, etc.). Now, if similarly-situated players stayed with those teams, they would now be on the third tier of the pyramid and would have a even harder time attracting college attention. And if they are serious about college, those players are going to be more likely to make that switch to ECNL and GDA. So while the very top players may decide to go GDA, ECNL will start drawing some high-quality players from non-ECNL/DA clubs that might not have moved before, in addition to the players who have to leave DAs due to the smaller player pool at U16/U17.

FYI, there are 3 local ECNL teams (Bethesda, BRYC and McLean).


This is where ECNL must prove that they hold a recruitment advantage over CCL and NPL options, understanding that NPL and ECNL are under the same U.S. Club Soccer umbrella. What I see happening is ECNL actually expanding into the NPL pool in order to reduce costs and remain attractive. I just don't see the current ECNL model staying sustainable with, at best splitting the overall player pool with DA, and at worst losing 65-75% of the top talent to DA. The cost of ECNL just would not be worth the trip to essentially play a NPL team at the end of a long bus ride.

ECNL still knows how to put on a quality showcase and how to attract college coaches to their events but they are going to take a major hit on player pool that most parents will not foot the bill for in the near future.

Now what would be cool is if ECNL does expand into NPL and then offers promotion/relegation with NPL. Doing this on a national youth level would be very interesting.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 13:54     Subject: VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Another thing to consider is that in the past, some very talented players decided to stay at their local club on teams which were at what was essentially the second tier of the soccer pyramid (eg, the one good Vienna team, the BRYC teams, some of the Annandale and Loudoun teams, etc.). Now, if similarly-situated players stayed with those teams, they would now be on the third tier of the pyramid and would have a even harder time attracting college attention. And if they are serious about college, those players are going to be more likely to make that switch to ECNL and GDA. So while the very top players may decide to go GDA, ECNL will start drawing some high-quality players from non-ECNL/DA clubs that might not have moved before, in addition to the players who have to leave DAs due to the smaller player pool at U16/U17.

FYI, there are 3 local ECNL teams (Bethesda, BRYC and McLean).
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 13:48     Subject: Re:VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Anonymous wrote:It sounds like alot of people think the talent level in ECNL, at least in the DMV, will diminish over the coming years because the best talent will go to DA. While I think this is generally true, the GDA age groupings (U14, U15, U16/17, U18/19) do force the bottom half of the DA rosters in the U16 and up to look elsewhere, and my guess is many of these girls will look to ECNL starting next year. This would have happened this past year, but instead of going to ECNL, these displaced girls just went down the road to fill the Spirit rosters. I don't think the extra commute to Mclean or BRYC from, Loudoun (FCV), or for Spirit VA girls is so far that they will stay with NPL or CCL. Some of these girls would rather quit soccer than be seen on an NPL roster after having played DA or ECNL for a time. So its quite possible the talent level in ECNL from U16 and up will be somewhat better than at U13-U15. Think about it... if there are 80 girls playing U15 DA this year, roughly half of those girls (40) will be finding new teams next year, enough to fill both ECNL team rosters from scratch.

If US soccer really wanted to put the screws to ECNL, they would separate out these age groupings. This may be a local thing though, since the DMV area is somewhat unique in that it has now quite alot of "elite" teams (4x GDA, 2x ECNL). This issue may not exist in may cities.


The combined age groups in DA will be broken up over the next two years in al likelihood. Either way the 05s will not have to worry about the combined age groups. That said, U18/19 could still exist due to trapped seniors
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 13:41     Subject: Re:VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Anonymous wrote:It sounds like alot of people think the talent level in ECNL, at least in the DMV, will diminish over the coming years because the best talent will go to DA. While I think this is generally true, the GDA age groupings (U14, U15, U16/17, U18/19) do force the bottom half of the DA rosters in the U16 and up to look elsewhere, and my guess is many of these girls will look to ECNL starting next year. This would have happened this past year, but instead of going to ECNL, these displaced girls just went down the road to fill the Spirit rosters. I don't think the extra commute to Mclean or BRYC from, Loudoun (FCV), or for Spirit VA girls is so far that they will stay with NPL or CCL. Some of these girls would rather quit soccer than be seen on an NPL roster after having played DA or ECNL for a time. So its quite possible the talent level in ECNL from U16 and up will be somewhat better than at U13-U15. Think about it... if there are 80 girls playing U15 DA this year, roughly half of those girls (40) will be finding new teams next year, enough to fill both ECNL team rosters from scratch.

If US soccer really wanted to put the screws to ECNL, they would separate out these age groupings. This may be a local thing though, since the DMV area is somewhat unique in that it has now quite alot of "elite" teams (4x GDA, 2x ECNL). This issue may not exist in may cities.


this is going to be a wild couple of years for these girls, trying to find their place.. going to be lots of disruption. I hope these DA clubs and coaches select appropriately and dont play dumb games. If they truly are moving away from the tryout style, like the USSDA site says, and ignore potential loyalty bias, they could really do something special.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 12:59     Subject: Re:VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
It sounds like alot of people think the talent level in ECNL, at least in the DMV, will diminish over the coming years because the best talent will go to DA. While I think this is generally true, the GDA age groupings (U14, U15, U16/17, U18/19) do force the bottom half of the DA rosters in the U16 and up to look elsewhere, and my guess is many of these girls will look to ECNL starting next year. This would have happened this past year, but instead of going to ECNL, these displaced girls just went down the road to fill the Spirit rosters. I don't think the extra commute to Mclean or BRYC from, Loudoun (FCV), or for Spirit VA girls is so far that they will stay with NPL or CCL. Some of these girls would rather quit soccer than be seen on an NPL roster after having played DA or ECNL for a time. So its quite possible the talent level in ECNL from U16 and up will be somewhat better than at U13-U15. Think about it... if there are 80 girls playing U15 DA this year, roughly half of those girls (40) will be finding new teams next year, enough to fill both ECNL team rosters from scratch.

If US soccer really wanted to put the screws to ECNL, they would separate out these age groupings. This may be a local thing though, since the DMV area is somewhat unique in that it has now quite alot of "elite" teams (4x GDA, 2x ECNL). This issue may not exist in may cities.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 10:22     Subject: VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:at the end of the day, its still the same group of players playing against the same group of players!


what are you specifically referring to? Once you enter the ECNL or DA, it's technically not the same group of players playing against the same group of players.

I watched the 60 mins ep with Christian Puliscic and the Kristen? Press interview recently. Both appear to state that "if you want to be the best, you have to train with and play against the best". At least we could support our girls to play/train in that paradigm.


Yes.

Pulisic in Germany and Press in Sweden.



that's not the point. the point is that having parents and media poo poo training commitments when America keeps complaining about not generating soccer stars needs to change. As a whole, we don't take it seriously and when people do, players and parents are shamed. I'd be happy to take my kid 30 miles away, if that was necessary to train and play with/against the best. Why would I keep her on a team that didnt have that capacity and then complain about the state of soccer in my area and america.

I think having an enthusiastic and knowledgeable "coach", whether unofficially or officially, is key to earlier development which needs to happen.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 08:55     Subject: VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:at the end of the day, its still the same group of players playing against the same group of players!


what are you specifically referring to? Once you enter the ECNL or DA, it's technically not the same group of players playing against the same group of players.

I watched the 60 mins ep with Christian Puliscic and the Kristen? Press interview recently. Both appear to state that "if you want to be the best, you have to train with and play against the best". At least we could support our girls to play/train in that paradigm.


Yes.

Pulisic in Germany and Press in Sweden.



For boys at least (I don't have daughters), there is nowhere in the DMV with an elite group of possession-playing, impeccable first touch group of players. To get that, you have to go.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 08:53     Subject: VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:at the end of the day, its still the same group of players playing against the same group of players!


what are you specifically referring to? Once you enter the ECNL or DA, it's technically not the same group of players playing against the same group of players.

I watched the 60 mins ep with Christian Puliscic and the Kristen? Press interview recently. Both appear to state that "if you want to be the best, you have to train with and play against the best". At least we could support our girls to play/train in that paradigm.


Yes.

Pulisic in Germany and Press in Sweden.

Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 08:26     Subject: Re:VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:^^^PP I don’t disagree in principle currently but that assumes ECNL maintains the same talent level both worth playing against and drawing the same number of college coaches to ECNL events. My point is based more on is the level of talent in ECNL 3 or 4 years from now worth the travel and cost? We have had pages long complaints about the in state travel for mediocre games in CCL. Will the talent be worth a bus trip to North Carolina when it isn’t worth it to go to Va Beach? It might be now, that I do not dispute but I doubt it will be in a few years.


Yes, this is what was focused on. I know folks are deabting the current situation but I was reflecting on the 06s, 07s, maybe even 08s (although their parents are not really tuned in) . . . . just seems to be that people think that the top handful of players on these First Teams are gonna try for these DAs, just like the boys, over going to mclean/braddock for whatever players want to take on ecnl travel . . .

05s are too close in them to all this shakeup so I think 6s and 7s will be the shift if there is one. parents think there are way too many options right now and hoping in 2 years the winner will be clear.

Guess some are assuming the top players will tryout for DA, and if they are not good enough, then maybe stick with a local A travel team and take some pressure off. parents not sure what to think, but it doesn't seem like ecnl is being viewed as some great destination because of high school sports. if high school is such a big influence for a kid, then they don't need ecnl, right?


For 05s I think we see a 65% tip in the scale for DA. The only area for a decision matrix would be McLean and BRYC area players. With FCV drawing even more mind share of kids and parents to DA those families will no longer be thinking ECNL. They’ll have 3 DAs to choose from location wise. FCV/Loudoun kids are not going to seek out BRYC or McLean for ECNL. PWSI/VSA kids will also not be seeking out McLean or BRYC for ECNL. Arlington kids have to drive somewhere anyways so they will likely choose a DA over ECNL.

Vienna kids will have DA mind share with VDA.

That leaves McLean and BRYC to draw only from their own zip codes where in the past without DA, ECNL did draw kids from all over.

So if you are a kid in Loudoun and you are a good player and you don’t make FCV, VDA or Spirit then you are likely staying in CCL or NPL vs bothering with trying out for ECNL especially if you have a good role on your current team. I just don’t see two ECNL clubs who are surrounded by DA having any reach beyond their own player pool going forward.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2017 07:27     Subject: VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
Anonymous wrote:at the end of the day, its still the same group of players playing against the same group of players!


what are you specifically referring to? Once you enter the ECNL or DA, it's technically not the same group of players playing against the same group of players.

I watched the 60 mins ep with Christian Puliscic and the Kristen? Press interview recently. Both appear to state that "if you want to be the best, you have to train with and play against the best". At least we could support our girls to play/train in that paradigm.
Anonymous
Post 10/05/2017 23:56     Subject: VA MD DC Girls soccer - thoughts, opinions
at the end of the day, its still the same group of players playing against the same group of players!