Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've heard, Arl U12 DA is a mix of Arl and non-Arl. I heard they were having a hard time filling the spots. It seems weird to me, as I thought these were coveted spots, but maybe it was diluted since McLean got a U12 DA this year?

I don't know for sure, I'm only going on rumors I heard - but I heard they had to have extra tryouts after the DA tryouts and even then they couldn't find people, and they started re-scouting at practices from their top teams and during the regular travel tryouts. So there were kids in the club that didn't try out for DA that are on DA now because there were still spots available. I don't know if that's because they were being highly selective or because there wasn't interest or what the reason was. I have heard, though, that the pool isn't as strong as you would think/expect when people talk about DA.

All of this dilution of talent is ridiculous. I have not heard great things about the Club pre-DA (U12-14). The number of different leagues and kids split all over the place does not afford for talent to be all in one place like the good 'ol days.

This is the only place in the world that runs youth soccer in such a shitty way.

Frankly the talent today even at B and C team levels would likely run circles around your travel kids in the "good 'ol days". The number of kids playing today is greater, the amount and breadth of quality training opportunities is better. The fields are better. Kids have Futsal, extra training companies, camps, huge rec programs and more. Is much of it a money grab? Yes, but there are more kids playing now than ever before and the system is growing to include as many players as possible.

Many that didn't play college/pro level back then like to tell themselves that all of this specialized paid training in the younger years is creating better US soccer players. Many of the good 'ol day players are still considered the best ever (or were prodigy of the good 'ol day players).

My kids watched a replay of the Wake Forest v Stanford college cup and were appalled at what shitty, ugly soccer was on display.

The more structure and $ and dilution of talent does not result in better. We have more kids playing, yes. That is great. Sheer numbers and kids that no longer are allowed to play American football are in the player pool. Kids do have more basic technical ability in the younger years. I am not seeing what is born and bred in the US (not trained in Europe in the teens) any better on the National teams of late.

Schweinsteiger is appalled at how absolutely shitty the MLS is and has been quoted as saying the player's listen in the locker room and then can't go out on the field and execute any of it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've heard, Arl U12 DA is a mix of Arl and non-Arl. I heard they were having a hard time filling the spots. It seems weird to me, as I thought these were coveted spots, but maybe it was diluted since McLean got a U12 DA this year?

I don't know for sure, I'm only going on rumors I heard - but I heard they had to have extra tryouts after the DA tryouts and even then they couldn't find people, and they started re-scouting at practices from their top teams and during the regular travel tryouts. So there were kids in the club that didn't try out for DA that are on DA now because there were still spots available. I don't know if that's because they were being highly selective or because there wasn't interest or what the reason was. I have heard, though, that the pool isn't as strong as you would think/expect when people talk about DA.

All of this dilution of talent is ridiculous. I have not heard great things about the Club pre-DA (U12-14). The number of different leagues and kids split all over the place does not afford for talent to be all in one place like the good 'ol days.

This is the only place in the world that runs youth soccer in such a shitty way.

Frankly the talent today even at B and C team levels would likely run circles around your travel kids in the "good 'ol days". The number of kids playing today is greater, the amount and breadth of quality training opportunities is better. The fields are better. Kids have Futsal, extra training companies, camps, huge rec programs and more. Is much of it a money grab? Yes, but there are more kids playing now than ever before and the system is growing to include as many players as possible.

Many that didn't play college/pro level back then like to tell themselves that all of this specialized paid training in the younger years is creating better US soccer players. Many of the good 'ol day players are still considered the best ever (or were prodigy of the good 'ol day players).

My kids watched a replay of the Wake Forest v Stanford college cup and were appalled at what shitty, ugly soccer was on display.

The more structure and $ and dilution of talent does not result in better. We have more kids playing, yes. That is great. Sheer numbers and kids that no longer are allowed to play American football are in the player pool. Kids do have more basic technical ability in the younger years. I am not seeing what is born and bred in the US (not trained in Europe in the teens) any better on the National teams of late.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've heard, Arl U12 DA is a mix of Arl and non-Arl. I heard they were having a hard time filling the spots. It seems weird to me, as I thought these were coveted spots, but maybe it was diluted since McLean got a U12 DA this year?

I don't know for sure, I'm only going on rumors I heard - but I heard they had to have extra tryouts after the DA tryouts and even then they couldn't find people, and they started re-scouting at practices from their top teams and during the regular travel tryouts. So there were kids in the club that didn't try out for DA that are on DA now because there were still spots available. I don't know if that's because they were being highly selective or because there wasn't interest or what the reason was. I have heard, though, that the pool isn't as strong as you would think/expect when people talk about DA.

All of this dilution of talent is ridiculous. I have not heard great things about the Club pre-DA (U12-14). The number of different leagues and kids split all over the place does not afford for talent to be all in one place like the good 'ol days.

This is the only place in the world that runs youth soccer in such a shitty way.

Frankly the talent today even at B and C team levels would likely run circles around your travel kids in the "good 'ol days". The number of kids playing today is greater, the amount and breadth of quality training opportunities is better. The fields are better. Kids have Futsal, extra training companies, camps, huge rec programs and more. Is much of it a money grab? Yes, but there are more kids playing now than ever before and the system is growing to include as many players as possible.

Many that didn't play college/pro level back then like to tell themselves that all of this specialized paid training in the younger years is creating better US soccer players. Many of the good 'ol day players are still considered the best ever (or were prodigy of the good 'ol day players).

My kids watched a replay of the Wake Forest v Stanford college cup and were appalled at what shitty, ugly soccer was on display.

The more structure and $ and dilution of talent does not result in better. We have more kids playing, yes. That is great. Sheer numbers and kids that no longer are allowed to play American football are in the player pool. Kids do have more basic technical ability in the younger years. I am not seeing what is born and bred in the US (not trained in Europe in the teens) any better on the National teams of late.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've heard, Arl U12 DA is a mix of Arl and non-Arl. I heard they were having a hard time filling the spots. It seems weird to me, as I thought these were coveted spots, but maybe it was diluted since McLean got a U12 DA this year?

I don't know for sure, I'm only going on rumors I heard - but I heard they had to have extra tryouts after the DA tryouts and even then they couldn't find people, and they started re-scouting at practices from their top teams and during the regular travel tryouts. So there were kids in the club that didn't try out for DA that are on DA now because there were still spots available. I don't know if that's because they were being highly selective or because there wasn't interest or what the reason was. I have heard, though, that the pool isn't as strong as you would think/expect when people talk about DA.

All of this dilution of talent is ridiculous. I have not heard great things about the Club pre-DA (U12-14). The number of different leagues and kids split all over the place does not afford for talent to be all in one place like the good 'ol days.

This is the only place in the world that runs youth soccer in such a shitty way.

Frankly the talent today even at B and C team levels would likely run circles around your travel kids in the "good 'ol days". The number of kids playing today is greater, the amount and breadth of quality training opportunities is better. The fields are better. Kids have Futsal, extra training companies, camps, huge rec programs and more. Is much of it a money grab? Yes, but there are more kids playing now than ever before and the system is growing to include as many players as possible.

Anonymous wrote:Went to U10 boys tryouts last night at LMVSC. They had about 50 kids. I wasnt expecting so many. Is that normal?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be curious to hear how many kids from "outside the system" are making U13 DA teams for next year. That is, kids who did not play U12 DA this year. The sales pitch for the U12 teams is that you need to get your kid in sooner, rather than later, or he may have trouble breaking in.

There were spots for rising U13s from outside the DA but that's really the wrong question this year. Because of the way the DA s phased in the age group change, this year's U12s (04s) will be next year's U14s.

U12 DAs are 2 x 9v9 teams (24-26 players) then they cut it down to one 11v11 team (16-18) players for U13 & above. The cut isn't as sharp for clubs which mixed in a lot of 05s with their 04 groups (or next year will have a lot of 07s with their 06s), but for clubs which didn't do that, Arlington for example, they are going to be dropping a lot of their existing U12s anyway. On top of that you have all of the McLean current U12 DA players (mostly 04s) looking to move to another DA. The advantage those players have by being "in the system" is that they already have had multiple opportunities to try out during matches against the other DA clubs throughout the year.

So yeah, with so many 04s being cut lose, it was hard for 04s from outside the system to break in this year, just as it will be hard for 06s next year (and 04s again, since they will age out Arl and Loud DAs, unless they get expanded).

It's an extremely competitive process, as it's designed to be.

Hopefully the cream will rise to the top, rather than just the early developers, but that comes down to the individual clubs.

This happens so less frequently in the U.S. these days. For the cream to make it, it needs a strong advocate with history in the sport that will protect it the entire way. A lot of the cream with this type of advocate isn't even doing DA.

It seems odd to me that people would write off every single DA program without having spent any time in the system. My thinking is that if it's good enough for Gio Reyna and Efrain Alvarez, it's good enough for my kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be curious to hear how many kids from "outside the system" are making U13 DA teams for next year. That is, kids who did not play U12 DA this year. The sales pitch for the U12 teams is that you need to get your kid in sooner, rather than later, or he may have trouble breaking in.

There were spots for rising U13s from outside the DA but that's really the wrong question this year. Because of the way the DA s phased in the age group change, this year's U12s (04s) will be next year's U14s.

U12 DAs are 2 x 9v9 teams (24-26 players) then they cut it down to one 11v11 team (16-18) players for U13 & above. The cut isn't as sharp for clubs which mixed in a lot of 05s with their 04 groups (or next year will have a lot of 07s with their 06s), but for clubs which didn't do that, Arlington for example, they are going to be dropping a lot of their existing U12s anyway. On top of that you have all of the McLean current U12 DA players (mostly 04s) looking to move to another DA. The advantage those players have by being "in the system" is that they already have had multiple opportunities to try out during matches against the other DA clubs throughout the year.

So yeah, with so many 04s being cut lose, it was hard for 04s from outside the system to break in this year, just as it will be hard for 06s next year (and 04s again, since they will age out Arl and Loud DAs, unless they get expanded).

It's an extremely competitive process, as it's designed to be.

Hopefully the cream will rise to the top, rather than just the early developers, but that comes down to the individual clubs.

This happens so less frequently in the U.S. these days. For the cream to make it, it needs a strong advocate with history in the sport that will protect it the entire way. A lot of the cream with this type of advocate isn't even doing DA.

It seems odd to me that people would write off every single DA program without having spent any time in the system. My thinking is that if it's good enough for Gio Reyna and Efrain Alvarez, it's good enough for my kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've heard, Arl U12 DA is a mix of Arl and non-Arl. I heard they were having a hard time filling the spots. It seems weird to me, as I thought these were coveted spots, but maybe it was diluted since McLean got a U12 DA this year?

I don't know for sure, I'm only going on rumors I heard - but I heard they had to have extra tryouts after the DA tryouts and even then they couldn't find people, and they started re-scouting at practices from their top teams and during the regular travel tryouts. So there were kids in the club that didn't try out for DA that are on DA now because there were still spots available. I don't know if that's because they were being highly selective or because there wasn't interest or what the reason was. I have heard, though, that the pool isn't as strong as you would think/expect when people talk about DA.

All of this dilution of talent is ridiculous. I have not heard great things about the Club pre-DA (U12-14). The number of different leagues and kids split all over the place does not afford for talent to be all in one place like the good 'ol days.

This is the only place in the world that runs youth soccer in such a shitty way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be curious to hear how many kids from "outside the system" are making U13 DA teams for next year. That is, kids who did not play U12 DA this year. The sales pitch for the U12 teams is that you need to get your kid in sooner, rather than later, or he may have trouble breaking in.

There were spots for rising U13s from outside the DA but that's really the wrong question this year. Because of the way the DA s phased in the age group change, this year's U12s (04s) will be next year's U14s.

U12 DAs are 2 x 9v9 teams (24-26 players) then they cut it down to one 11v11 team (16-18) players for U13 & above. The cut isn't as sharp for clubs which mixed in a lot of 05s with their 04 groups (or next year will have a lot of 07s with their 06s), but for clubs which didn't do that, Arlington for example, they are going to be dropping a lot of their existing U12s anyway. On top of that you have all of the McLean current U12 DA players (mostly 04s) looking to move to another DA. The advantage those players have by being "in the system" is that they already have had multiple opportunities to try out during matches against the other DA clubs throughout the year.

So yeah, with so many 04s being cut lose, it was hard for 04s from outside the system to break in this year, just as it will be hard for 06s next year (and 04s again, since they will age out Arl and Loud DAs, unless they get expanded).

It's an extremely competitive process, as it's designed to be.

Hopefully the cream will rise to the top, rather than just the early developers, but that comes down to the individual clubs.

This happens so less frequently in the U.S. these days. For the cream to make it, it needs a strong advocate with history in the sport that will protect it the entire way. A lot of the cream with this type of advocate isn't even doing DA.

Anonymous wrote:From what I've heard, Arl U12 DA is a mix of Arl and non-Arl. I heard they were having a hard time filling the spots. It seems weird to me, as I thought these were coveted spots, but maybe it was diluted since McLean got a U12 DA this year?

I don't know for sure, I'm only going on rumors I heard - but I heard they had to have extra tryouts after the DA tryouts and even then they couldn't find people, and they started re-scouting at practices from their top teams and during the regular travel tryouts. So there were kids in the club that didn't try out for DA that are on DA now because there were still spots available. I don't know if that's because they were being highly selective or because there wasn't interest or what the reason was. I have heard, though, that the pool isn't as strong as you would think/expect when people talk about DA.

Anonymous wrote:From what I've heard, Arl U12 DA is a mix of Arl and non-Arl. I heard they were having a hard time filling the spots. It seems weird to me, as I thought these were coveted spots, but maybe it was diluted since McLean got a U12 DA this year?

I don't know for sure, I'm only going on rumors I heard - but I heard they had to have extra tryouts after the DA tryouts and even then they couldn't find people, and they started re-scouting at practices from their top teams and during the regular travel tryouts. So there were kids in the club that didn't try out for DA that are on DA now because there were still spots available. I don't know if that's because they were being highly selective or because there wasn't interest or what the reason was. I have heard, though, that the pool isn't as strong as you would think/expect when people talk about DA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be curious to hear how many kids from "outside the system" are making U13 DA teams for next year. That is, kids who did not play U12 DA this year. The sales pitch for the U12 teams is that you need to get your kid in sooner, rather than later, or he may have trouble breaking in.

There were spots for rising U13s from outside the DA but that's really the wrong question this year. Because of the way the DA s phased in the age group change, this year's U12s (04s) will be next year's U14s.

U12 DAs are 2 x 9v9 teams (24-26 players) then they cut it down to one 11v11 team (16-18) players for U13 & above. The cut isn't as sharp for clubs which mixed in a lot of 05s with their 04 groups (or next year will have a lot of 07s with their 06s), but for clubs which didn't do that, Arlington for example, they are going to be dropping a lot of their existing U12s anyway. On top of that you have all of the McLean current U12 DA players (mostly 04s) looking to move to another DA. The advantage those players have by being "in the system" is that they already have had multiple opportunities to try out during matches against the other DA clubs throughout the year.

So yeah, with so many 04s being cut lose, it was hard for 04s from outside the system to break in this year, just as it will be hard for 06s next year (and 04s again, since they will age out Arl and Loud DAs, unless they get expanded).

It's an extremely competitive process, as it's designed to be.

Hopefully the cream will rise to the top, rather than just the early developers, but that comes down to the individual clubs.

That is very informative. Thank you for the response. I always forget that US Soccer didn't adopt the birth year mandate for the DAs yet. Don't even get me started on that.