Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously, the dynamics of all this have changed dramatically over the past 24 hours. With no alternatives for the entire week, it's clear why GDA parents may have considered ECNL their primary or only option. Now that it's becoming clearer that there will likely be a new league with essentially the same clubs and better rules, the thought process changes again.

To take a step above what this has descended into, let's do a thought experiment.

If I am a DA parent at FCV, for example, that says a few things. First, I am competitive. I want my DD in the best environment possible. This means quality teammates but also an intelligent playing style and high quality coaching. There's a reason I made the decision to abandon Loudoun, where my DD may have played as a youngster, to come to FCV. If I have the option of staying with my club, which plays a much more sophisticated style with better coaching than you find at run and gun Loudoun, why would I go back into that less advanced environment? How would that benefit my DD, who may not even fit in well with the style and coaching?

Now, if there are no alternatives and ECNL is the only game in town, I as a parent need to suck it up and go to the environment that is not, in my opinion, ideal. That isn't true anymore. It seems that the option to stay put in essentially the same environment I was in last year is the best choice. Loudoun's style and coaching didn't get an ounce better from the USSF's moment of weakness.

Replicate this thought process around the area and that will be how decisions turn out overall. There are reasons people choose certain clubs and against others, no matter what patch is on the jersey. Those don't change because the color of the patch changes, so long as there is a showcasing platform.

+1

The reason you left Loudoun (for example), at the time, was that FCV had higher level soccer (ECNL back in the day, DA more recently) and there was no path forward at Loudoun. If you stayed at Loudoun, all you had to look forward to was more CCL, etc. and the coaching that came along with that. The equation has drastically changed in many ways since then (DA folding, unknown path forward for some DA clubs, ECNL expansion from 2 to 4 clubs in the area, etc.). Just saying that decisions made years ago in a completely different landscape should have no bearing on decisions that need to be made in the future. The landscape has totally changed, ad everyone needs to make decisions that they feel are in the best interest of their daughter (not their daughter's current team). There is no right/wrong one-size fits all answer for everyone here.

Anonymous wrote:It comes down to arrogance...DA is the pathway to National Teams...really

ECNL put together a league that grew without having a ego

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously, the dynamics of all this have changed dramatically over the past 24 hours. With no alternatives for the entire week, it's clear why GDA parents may have considered ECNL their primary or only option. Now that it's becoming clearer that there will likely be a new league with essentially the same clubs and better rules, the thought process changes again.

It's unfortunate but it will not be essentially the same, though I do understand the thought process will change. The best bet would be for us (DA parents) to take the girls to one of the local ECNL clubs and watch as they make true high caliber teams. As a whole our talent is to spread out across the region across all age groups. we had kids that did not belong on DA teams and the ECNL clubs have girls who did not belong on those teams at those levels. Being humble and looking to build teams for true strength rather than just for club loyalty (that by the way usually does not go both ways) seems the best option. I've been embarrassed by the lack of humility across our club and many in the DA, The USSF Kool aid we've been drinking was rivaled by only Jim Jones.

Time for a change, that should be for the better.

The logic that all the ECNL teams are better caliber is flawed.

I didn't say they were better but I can say with near certainty they will be since the DA is gone. All clubs across both leagues were slightly diluted. Some clubs more than others, some age groups more than others but there you are letting your humility get in the way of really reading what I wrote. This is exactly what I was talking about.

Not necessarily.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously, the dynamics of all this have changed dramatically over the past 24 hours. With no alternatives for the entire week, it's clear why GDA parents may have considered ECNL their primary or only option. Now that it's becoming clearer that there will likely be a new league with essentially the same clubs and better rules, the thought process changes again.

To take a step above what this has descended into, let's do a thought experiment.

If I am a DA parent at FCV, for example, that says a few things. First, I am competitive. I want my DD in the best environment possible. This means quality teammates but also an intelligent playing style and high quality coaching. There's a reason I made the decision to abandon Loudoun, where my DD may have played as a youngster, to come to FCV. If I have the option of staying with my club, which plays a much more sophisticated style with better coaching than you find at run and gun Loudoun, why would I go back into that less advanced environment? How would that benefit my DD, who may not even fit in well with the style and coaching?

Now, if there are no alternatives and ECNL is the only game in town, I as a parent need to suck it up and go to the environment that is not, in my opinion, ideal. That isn't true anymore. It seems that the option to stay put in essentially the same environment I was in last year is the best choice. Loudoun's style and coaching didn't get an ounce better from the USSF's moment of weakness.

Replicate this thought process around the area and that will be how decisions turn out overall. There are reasons people choose certain clubs and against others, no matter what patch is on the jersey. Those don't change because the color of the patch changes, so long as there is a showcasing platform.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Logic that the DA is or will ever be the top league for the girls side has lead us to this moment...it is a total joke in my area

13 years on the boys side has done what...maybe a couple guys have gone overseas to play...how does the National Teams look from top to bottom...Certain NL boys teams beat most DA teams consistently

Stop being so gullible and believing in the next shiny object that someone puts in front of your face

I know, right?

I’m 50. I started playing travel in the 70s in the DMV, VA state teams, Gatorade champ, D1 soccer, etc. Do you know how many times everything is repackaged and sold as “the answer”, this will be it!

Soccer is a mess in this country. It gets more expensive each passing year for sub par/inferior results. Here’s the next shiny object !!

Anonymous wrote:The Logic that the DA is or will ever be the top league for the girls side has lead us to this moment...it is a total joke in my area

13 years on the boys side has done what...maybe a couple guys have gone overseas to play...how does the National Teams look from top to bottom...Certain NL boys teams beat most DA teams consistently

Stop being so gullible and believing in the next shiny object that someone puts in front of your face

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously, the dynamics of all this have changed dramatically over the past 24 hours. With no alternatives for the entire week, it's clear why GDA parents may have considered ECNL their primary or only option. Now that it's becoming clearer that there will likely be a new league with essentially the same clubs and better rules, the thought process changes again.

It's unfortunate but it will not be essentially the same, though I do understand the thought process will change. The best bet would be for us (DA parents) to take the girls to one of the local ECNL clubs and watch as they make true high caliber teams. As a whole our talent is to spread out across the region across all age groups. we had kids that did not belong on DA teams and the ECNL clubs have girls who did not belong on those teams at those levels. Being humble and looking to build teams for true strength rather than just for club loyalty (that by the way usually does not go both ways) seems the best option. I've been embarrassed by the lack of humility across our club and many in the DA, The USSF Kool aid we've been drinking was rivaled by only Jim Jones.

Time for a change, that should be for the better.

The logic that all the ECNL teams are better caliber is flawed.

I didn't say they were better but I can say with near certainty they will be since the DA is gone. All clubs across both leagues were slightly diluted. Some clubs more than others, some age groups more than others but there you are letting your humility get in the way of really reading what I wrote. This is exactly what I was talking about.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously, the dynamics of all this have changed dramatically over the past 24 hours. With no alternatives for the entire week, it's clear why GDA parents may have considered ECNL their primary or only option. Now that it's becoming clearer that there will likely be a new league with essentially the same clubs and better rules, the thought process changes again.

It's unfortunate but it will not be essentially the same, though I do understand the thought process will change. The best bet would be for us (DA parents) to take the girls to one of the local ECNL clubs and watch as they make true high caliber teams. As a whole our talent is to spread out across the region across all age groups. we had kids that did not belong on DA teams and the ECNL clubs have girls who did not belong on those teams at those levels. Being humble and looking to build teams for true strength rather than just for club loyalty (that by the way usually does not go both ways) seems the best option. I've been embarrassed by the lack of humility across our club and many in the DA, The USSF Kool aid we've been drinking was rivaled by only Jim Jones.

Time for a change, that should be for the better.

The logic that all the ECNL teams are better caliber is flawed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously, the dynamics of all this have changed dramatically over the past 24 hours. With no alternatives for the entire week, it's clear why GDA parents may have considered ECNL their primary or only option. Now that it's becoming clearer that there will likely be a new league with essentially the same clubs and better rules, the thought process changes again.

It's unfortunate but it will not be essentially the same, though I do understand the thought process will change. The best bet would be for us (DA parents) to take the girls to one of the local ECNL clubs and watch as they make true high caliber teams. As a whole our talent is to spread out across the region across all age groups. we had kids that did not belong on DA teams and the ECNL clubs have girls who did not belong on those teams at those levels. Being humble and looking to build teams for true strength rather than just for club loyalty (that by the way usually does not go both ways) seems the best option. I've been embarrassed by the lack of humility across our club and many in the DA, The USSF Kool aid we've been drinking was rivaled by only Jim Jones.

Time for a change, that should be for the better.