Anonymous wrote: We cannot compete because of the weather.

A few pages up, I posted, I don't want to hear this as an excuse. Weather doesn't stop kids from playing indoor when it's cold outside. Plenty can still be taught indoor even without a ball. If Iceland can find a way to develop when it's cold outside, I think we can too.

If we ask those top players how they got to be where they are at - none of them would say just by training by the club. I guarantee ALL works outside of the club practices either on their own or with trainer.

It's not just about the clubs. Clubs do not have time to develop 12 player equally at the same time cuz they are all different. Think of them as a teacher has to teach the entire classroom. They just don't have enough time to make sure everyone is up to speed. Sure clubs can do better but it will still come down to coaches, parents, and the players themselves. There's no magic solution. Every club and every coach wants to have good team that play well and win. Reality is they have to work with the player pool they have and some just have better players than the other.

Anonymous wrote:I think what previous posters have said is that it take a club-wide effort/philosophy to commit to teaching players from the youngest through the oldest ages the ability to play all styles, possession and more direct, and not just kick and run. It also takes coaches at the older ages who can effectively assess and change tactics depending on the opponent and have situational awareness.

Bingo, now you know the secret.

Force Clubs to implement.

To add to that, this obviously takes players that have a strong technical foundation. The club must foster a culture where individuals continuously strive to achieve greater technical ability.

I think what previous posters have said is that it take a club-wide effort/philosophy to commit to teaching players from the youngest through the oldest ages the ability to play all styles, possession and more direct, and not just kick and run. It also takes coaches at the older ages who can effectively assess and change tactics depending on the opponent and have situational awareness.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how does further consolidation in the DMV happen? ECNL leadership decides it just like they did with Union and Brave? It would make sense to go down to two ECNL clubs in NOVA just outside of DC instead of three (counting NVA, Arlington, Union). VDA draws up and down 95 to Richmond. Southern California ECNL players travel really long distances too to their practices. No way we’re more congested than souther California. Parents would be willing to drive far for a really competitive club in the DMV.

Club consolidation doesn’t need to happen. One club just needs to rise above the rest in terms of coaching, philosophy and organization. Unless fields are an issue stunting growth, this is how talent, player and coaching. will consolidate.

Yes! Competition is a good thing. The last thing we want is just a couple of huge clubs that can do whatever they want because there is nowhere else to go

This is exactly the case now. Clubs will get money whether or not they win. There is no incentive to recruit better coaches and develop better overall training because they fill rosters no matter what.

So then more competition is actually better, not less. Agreed that clubs like Arlington have no incentive to improve as they have a captive audience and excess demand.

Not entirely true. Arlington pours resources onto that 2011 team but no one else.

How so? Extra trainings? Paying for speed/agility? Preferred practice times? More field space? Everyone is talking about how to improve coaching to make better DMV teams. Would be interesting to know if Arlington is doing more to support this team and how. (I actually think it’s fine to differentiate between teams in the same club if the team earns it and a little extra support will take them to the next level).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how does further consolidation in the DMV happen? ECNL leadership decides it just like they did with Union and Brave? It would make sense to go down to two ECNL clubs in NOVA just outside of DC instead of three (counting NVA, Arlington, Union). VDA draws up and down 95 to Richmond. Southern California ECNL players travel really long distances too to their practices. No way we’re more congested than souther California. Parents would be willing to drive far for a really competitive club in the DMV.

Who exactly would this consolidation benefit? ECNL loses member club team fees. Clubs lose their ECNL status. Fewer ECNL spots for local players. All so a DMV team might go deeper into the playoffs? Who does this help?

Maybe"ECNL status" doesn't mean much if you never advance to the finals.

Huh? ECNL is a college recruitment platform. It functions very well in that regard even if you never advance to the finals. Only crazy soccer parents care this much about advancing to the finals.

some crazy soccer parents want their kids to be recruited by more than va tech and other local schools. Man i wish this wasn’t so anonymous. Some of yall being ok w mediocre results and losing mentalities need to pool your kids together. This is why this area needs more consolidation. If your ok w not going to playoffs there is another league to play in…. And no its not GA

You are missing the whole point of ECNL. It is college. Soccer is just like American football for boys or Field Hockey or Hockey. It is a sport. The goal is college. For a few they could consider pro but only for a few. Would a player rather win a national championship or be be recruited and commit to the school they want. It is the school. Sure they would be happy to win. But not the primary goal. Life is not football. Football is a game.

You're missing the point.

If you don't win you don't get recruited by college coaches. You might be able to leech off better clubs by participating in showcases at national events. But soon with all the changes happening with NCAA coaches won't care about the also rans. Also consider that other leagues like GA are pushing for their players as well.

Take a step back and look at youth soccer from a coaches perspective. Would you take a player from a team that wins or one that loses? Sure coaches recruit players not teams. But the reality is that wins create visibility.

You miss the point. Every ECNL team gets recruited. There are P4 recruits off the worst teams. DDs team was mid and has averaged 100 coaches a game at showcases. From the coaches perspective you would take the best player -- a coach does not care if the team wins or not. They are recruiting players. ECNL is an individual sport. On the girls side -- coaches go see players they like. No one is just showing up for a game. GA is falling fast. More than 80% of D1 recruits this year were ECNL. No college coach is paying any attention to how the teams are doing. They are looking at players.

Make sure you stamp your feet while you're screeching. It will help you to believe your own BS.

What is BS?

So a lot of this is what what you measure/value. Lots of poster on here measure wins. That is the lens they see things through. And that is normal. But with ECNL in particular and GA also the measure is college commits. Can your DD get recruited and commit to a school they want? That is the test. Winning and not getting recruited would be a loss. Not winning but getting recruited is a win. It does turn things upside down but that is the reality.

And recruited by the best soccer schools is not the test. It might be for some. But others will have as a priority: staying local; high academic; military colleges; money from any D1. Some will pick the best they can get in D1 even if outside P4. As PP said above, soccer is not the be all and end all. It is a piece of someone planning their future.

Most girls playing soccer at ECNL or GA are not all in soccer. College and future is important as well. Soccer is a part but only a part of that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how does further consolidation in the DMV happen? ECNL leadership decides it just like they did with Union and Brave? It would make sense to go down to two ECNL clubs in NOVA just outside of DC instead of three (counting NVA, Arlington, Union). VDA draws up and down 95 to Richmond. Southern California ECNL players travel really long distances too to their practices. No way we’re more congested than souther California. Parents would be willing to drive far for a really competitive club in the DMV.

Who exactly would this consolidation benefit? ECNL loses member club team fees. Clubs lose their ECNL status. Fewer ECNL spots for local players. All so a DMV team might go deeper into the playoffs? Who does this help?

Maybe"ECNL status" doesn't mean much if you never advance to the finals.

Huh? ECNL is a college recruitment platform. It functions very well in that regard even if you never advance to the finals. Only crazy soccer parents care this much about advancing to the finals.

some crazy soccer parents want their kids to be recruited by more than va tech and other local schools. Man i wish this wasn’t so anonymous. Some of yall being ok w mediocre results and losing mentalities need to pool your kids together. This is why this area needs more consolidation. If your ok w not going to playoffs there is another league to play in…. And no its not GA

You are missing the whole point of ECNL. It is college. Soccer is just like American football for boys or Field Hockey or Hockey. It is a sport. The goal is college. For a few they could consider pro but only for a few. Would a player rather win a national championship or be be recruited and commit to the school they want. It is the school. Sure they would be happy to win. But not the primary goal. Life is not football. Football is a game.

You're missing the point.

If you don't win you don't get recruited by college coaches. You might be able to leech off better clubs by participating in showcases at national events. But soon with all the changes happening with NCAA coaches won't care about the also rans. Also consider that other leagues like GA are pushing for their players as well.

Take a step back and look at youth soccer from a coaches perspective. Would you take a player from a team that wins or one that loses? Sure coaches recruit players not teams. But the reality is that wins create visibility.

You miss the point. Every ECNL team gets recruited. There are P4 recruits off the worst teams. DDs team was mid and has averaged 100 coaches a game at showcases. From the coaches perspective you would take the best player -- a coach does not care if the team wins or not. They are recruiting players. ECNL is an individual sport. On the girls side -- coaches go see players they like. No one is just showing up for a game. GA is falling fast. More than 80% of D1 recruits this year were ECNL. No college coach is paying any attention to how the teams are doing. They are looking at players.

Make sure you stamp your feet while you're screeching. It will help you to believe your own BS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how does further consolidation in the DMV happen? ECNL leadership decides it just like they did with Union and Brave? It would make sense to go down to two ECNL clubs in NOVA just outside of DC instead of three (counting NVA, Arlington, Union). VDA draws up and down 95 to Richmond. Southern California ECNL players travel really long distances too to their practices. No way we’re more congested than souther California. Parents would be willing to drive far for a really competitive club in the DMV.

Who exactly would this consolidation benefit? ECNL loses member club team fees. Clubs lose their ECNL status. Fewer ECNL spots for local players. All so a DMV team might go deeper into the playoffs? Who does this help?

Maybe"ECNL status" doesn't mean much if you never advance to the finals.

Huh? ECNL is a college recruitment platform. It functions very well in that regard even if you never advance to the finals. Only crazy soccer parents care this much about advancing to the finals.

some crazy soccer parents want their kids to be recruited by more than va tech and other local schools. Man i wish this wasn’t so anonymous. Some of yall being ok w mediocre results and losing mentalities need to pool your kids together. This is why this area needs more consolidation. If your ok w not going to playoffs there is another league to play in…. And no its not GA

You are missing the whole point of ECNL. It is college. Soccer is just like American football for boys or Field Hockey or Hockey. It is a sport. The goal is college. For a few they could consider pro but only for a few. Would a player rather win a national championship or be be recruited and commit to the school they want. It is the school. Sure they would be happy to win. But not the primary goal. Life is not football. Football is a game.

You're missing the point.

If you don't win you don't get recruited by college coaches. You might be able to leech off better clubs by participating in showcases at national events. But soon with all the changes happening with NCAA coaches won't care about the also rans. Also consider that other leagues like GA are pushing for their players as well.

Take a step back and look at youth soccer from a coaches perspective. Would you take a player from a team that wins or one that loses? Sure coaches recruit players not teams. But the reality is that wins create visibility.

You miss the point. Every ECNL team gets recruited. There are P4 recruits off the worst teams. DDs team was mid and has averaged 100 coaches a game at showcases. From the coaches perspective you would take the best player -- a coach does not care if the team wins or not. They are recruiting players. ECNL is an individual sport. On the girls side -- coaches go see players they like. No one is just showing up for a game. GA is falling fast. More than 80% of D1 recruits this year were ECNL. No college coach is paying any attention to how the teams are doing. They are looking at players.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how does further consolidation in the DMV happen? ECNL leadership decides it just like they did with Union and Brave? It would make sense to go down to two ECNL clubs in NOVA just outside of DC instead of three (counting NVA, Arlington, Union). VDA draws up and down 95 to Richmond. Southern California ECNL players travel really long distances too to their practices. No way we’re more congested than souther California. Parents would be willing to drive far for a really competitive club in the DMV.

Who exactly would this consolidation benefit? ECNL loses member club team fees. Clubs lose their ECNL status. Fewer ECNL spots for local players. All so a DMV team might go deeper into the playoffs? Who does this help?

Maybe"ECNL status" doesn't mean much if you never advance to the finals.

Huh? ECNL is a college recruitment platform. It functions very well in that regard even if you never advance to the finals. Only crazy soccer parents care this much about advancing to the finals.

some crazy soccer parents want their kids to be recruited by more than va tech and other local schools. Man i wish this wasn’t so anonymous. Some of yall being ok w mediocre results and losing mentalities need to pool your kids together. This is why this area needs more consolidation. If your ok w not going to playoffs there is another league to play in…. And no its not GA

You are missing the whole point of ECNL. It is college. Soccer is just like American football for boys or Field Hockey or Hockey. It is a sport. The goal is college. For a few they could consider pro but only for a few. Would a player rather win a national championship or be be recruited and commit to the school they want. It is the school. Sure they would be happy to win. But not the primary goal. Life is not football. Football is a game.

You're missing the point.

If you don't win you don't get recruited by college coaches. You might be able to leech off better clubs by participating in showcases at national events. But soon with all the changes happening with NCAA coaches won't care about the also rans. Also consider that other leagues like GA are pushing for their players as well.

Take a step back and look at youth soccer from a coaches perspective. Would you take a player from a team that wins or one that loses? Sure coaches recruit players not teams. But the reality is that wins create visibility.

Do you realize how many college teams there are? The majority of ECNL players will end up playing outside P4 schools. Div 3 with top tier academics, Ivies, military academies, mid major div 1, regional state schools. Do you think these schools only take players from winning teams? Some of these schools even have players from - gasp! - RL teams. It’s a big world out there most will not be going to UNC and UCLA

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how does further consolidation in the DMV happen? ECNL leadership decides it just like they did with Union and Brave? It would make sense to go down to two ECNL clubs in NOVA just outside of DC instead of three (counting NVA, Arlington, Union). VDA draws up and down 95 to Richmond. Southern California ECNL players travel really long distances too to their practices. No way we’re more congested than souther California. Parents would be willing to drive far for a really competitive club in the DMV.

Who exactly would this consolidation benefit? ECNL loses member club team fees. Clubs lose their ECNL status. Fewer ECNL spots for local players. All so a DMV team might go deeper into the playoffs? Who does this help?

Maybe"ECNL status" doesn't mean much if you never advance to the finals.

Huh? ECNL is a college recruitment platform. It functions very well in that regard even if you never advance to the finals. Only crazy soccer parents care this much about advancing to the finals.

some crazy soccer parents want their kids to be recruited by more than va tech and other local schools. Man i wish this wasn’t so anonymous. Some of yall being ok w mediocre results and losing mentalities need to pool your kids together. This is why this area needs more consolidation. If your ok w not going to playoffs there is another league to play in…. And no its not GA

You are missing the whole point of ECNL. It is college. Soccer is just like American football for boys or Field Hockey or Hockey. It is a sport. The goal is college. For a few they could consider pro but only for a few. Would a player rather win a national championship or be be recruited and commit to the school they want. It is the school. Sure they would be happy to win. But not the primary goal. Life is not football. Football is a game.

You're missing the point.

If you don't win you don't get recruited by college coaches. You might be able to leech off better clubs by participating in showcases at national events. But soon with all the changes happening with NCAA coaches won't care about the also rans. Also consider that other leagues like GA are pushing for their players as well.

Take a step back and look at youth soccer from a coaches perspective. Would you take a player from a team that wins or one that loses? Sure coaches recruit players not teams. But the reality is that wins create visibility.

You must have a younger player who hasn’t gone through recruiting yet. Coaches do not care about your team’s record. Sometimes it’s actually better to be a standout on a bad team than an average player on a good one. Of course if you are a standout on a winning team that’s great but there can only be a couple of those.

Trust the process.

Follow the leader off a cliff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how does further consolidation in the DMV happen? ECNL leadership decides it just like they did with Union and Brave? It would make sense to go down to two ECNL clubs in NOVA just outside of DC instead of three (counting NVA, Arlington, Union). VDA draws up and down 95 to Richmond. Southern California ECNL players travel really long distances too to their practices. No way we’re more congested than souther California. Parents would be willing to drive far for a really competitive club in the DMV.

Who exactly would this consolidation benefit? ECNL loses member club team fees. Clubs lose their ECNL status. Fewer ECNL spots for local players. All so a DMV team might go deeper into the playoffs? Who does this help?

Maybe"ECNL status" doesn't mean much if you never advance to the finals.

Huh? ECNL is a college recruitment platform. It functions very well in that regard even if you never advance to the finals. Only crazy soccer parents care this much about advancing to the finals.

some crazy soccer parents want their kids to be recruited by more than va tech and other local schools. Man i wish this wasn’t so anonymous. Some of yall being ok w mediocre results and losing mentalities need to pool your kids together. This is why this area needs more consolidation. If your ok w not going to playoffs there is another league to play in…. And no its not GA

You are missing the whole point of ECNL. It is college. Soccer is just like American football for boys or Field Hockey or Hockey. It is a sport. The goal is college. For a few they could consider pro but only for a few. Would a player rather win a national championship or be be recruited and commit to the school they want. It is the school. Sure they would be happy to win. But not the primary goal. Life is not football. Football is a game.

You're missing the point.

If you don't win you don't get recruited by college coaches. You might be able to leech off better clubs by participating in showcases at national events. But soon with all the changes happening with NCAA coaches won't care about the also rans. Also consider that other leagues like GA are pushing for their players as well.

Take a step back and look at youth soccer from a coaches perspective. Would you take a player from a team that wins or one that loses? Sure coaches recruit players not teams. But the reality is that wins create visibility.

You must have a younger player who hasn’t gone through recruiting yet. Coaches do not care about your team’s record. Sometimes it’s actually better to be a standout on a bad team than an average player on a good one. Of course if you are a standout on a winning team that’s great but there can only be a couple of those.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how does further consolidation in the DMV happen? ECNL leadership decides it just like they did with Union and Brave? It would make sense to go down to two ECNL clubs in NOVA just outside of DC instead of three (counting NVA, Arlington, Union). VDA draws up and down 95 to Richmond. Southern California ECNL players travel really long distances too to their practices. No way we’re more congested than souther California. Parents would be willing to drive far for a really competitive club in the DMV.

Club consolidation doesn’t need to happen. One club just needs to rise above the rest in terms of coaching, philosophy and organization. Unless fields are an issue stunting growth, this is how talent, player and coaching. will consolidate.

Yes! Competition is a good thing. The last thing we want is just a couple of huge clubs that can do whatever they want because there is nowhere else to go

This is exactly the case now. Clubs will get money whether or not they win. There is no incentive to recruit better coaches and develop better overall training because they fill rosters no matter what.

Not true. We regularly see clubs, coaches, and players come and go. Just in this last year the changes have been significant. A club that gets complacent risks losing all their players (FCV), with other clubs just waiting to pick them up (SYC/VR) and try to do it better. It’s healthy competition

Players are moving around yes, but the clubs aren't dominating anything. SYC isn't a great example for a place where talent gathers and coaches are superior on the girls side.

No club from this area will dominate anything except this region. California and Texas dominate girls soccer. We cannot compete because of the weather. And we are not a destination for players. Also in this area, many of the best girl's athletes do other sports like LAX. While LAX is in Cali and Texas it is not like here. If there was just one elite club in the DMV that somehow got the best girls and had the best coaches --- they would not dominate anything.

Big fish, small pond. Our region is a pond not just because of the number of people but because of all the reasons mentioned above

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how does further consolidation in the DMV happen? ECNL leadership decides it just like they did with Union and Brave? It would make sense to go down to two ECNL clubs in NOVA just outside of DC instead of three (counting NVA, Arlington, Union). VDA draws up and down 95 to Richmond. Southern California ECNL players travel really long distances too to their practices. No way we’re more congested than souther California. Parents would be willing to drive far for a really competitive club in the DMV.

Who exactly would this consolidation benefit? ECNL loses member club team fees. Clubs lose their ECNL status. Fewer ECNL spots for local players. All so a DMV team might go deeper into the playoffs? Who does this help?

Maybe"ECNL status" doesn't mean much if you never advance to the finals.

Huh? ECNL is a college recruitment platform. It functions very well in that regard even if you never advance to the finals. Only crazy soccer parents care this much about advancing to the finals.

some crazy soccer parents want their kids to be recruited by more than va tech and other local schools. Man i wish this wasn’t so anonymous. Some of yall being ok w mediocre results and losing mentalities need to pool your kids together. This is why this area needs more consolidation. If your ok w not going to playoffs there is another league to play in…. And no its not GA

You are missing the whole point of ECNL. It is college. Soccer is just like American football for boys or Field Hockey or Hockey. It is a sport. The goal is college. For a few they could consider pro but only for a few. Would a player rather win a national championship or be be recruited and commit to the school they want. It is the school. Sure they would be happy to win. But not the primary goal. Life is not football. Football is a game.

You're missing the point.

If you don't win you don't get recruited by college coaches. You might be able to leech off better clubs by participating in showcases at national events. But soon with all the changes happening with NCAA coaches won't care about the also rans. Also consider that other leagues like GA are pushing for their players as well.

Take a step back and look at youth soccer from a coaches perspective. Would you take a player from a team that wins or one that loses? Sure coaches recruit players not teams. But the reality is that wins create visibility.