Either way there needs to be something to rival FCU. Their coaching staff is very poor (apart from a couple on the boys side), yet they have created a monopoly on the North Shore.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/14/sports/world-cup/soccer-youth-decline.html Not sure if posted before. But it does raise questions about the effect of super clubs expanding and fate of smaller, community clubs.
US Soccer has spent so many years focusing on a top down approach. This is essentially the result. It's a garbage organization run by morons colluding with a variety of other organizations to strip parents of their savings.
Had some club players this weekend on the pitch. Parents asked no pics be added to fb or online because they are not allowed to play for anyone else - ever! Anyone else had to deal with this sort of business - either have their kid in such a club or impacted? I know of other clubs who were also fine with kids playing Super Y outside of the club but refused to allow those same kids to play in the National Tourney (finals for Super Y). Frankly I think this is BS - kids need to play more and in different environments. These very same parents who ask for no pics on social media always come back and say that this sort of play is the most enjoyable for their players. So why not acknowledge that and allow them to play pic up games so long as it does not get in the way of their club obligations?
I have not heard of the extreme of not playing with anyone else ever. What I do think is fair is that clubs ask players not to play league games for anybody else in season. Most leagues have their own rules about playing for two different clubs within the same league but I would also agree with clubs not wanting players to play for different club even in a different league in the same season. i.e playing for Club ABC in a USYS league and also playing for club XYZ in a USCS league in the same season. I am guessing you are talking about a non"formal" type of league like an indoor in house league not affiliated with with USYS, USCS, etc. which I do not see an issue with. On the Super Y finals I believe those are early December so once again if that is "off-season" I do not know why a club would prohibit players from going. If the club team is still in-season I could see clubs not wanting players to participate.
I agree on all counts. I think those are common sense remarks and in fact leagues have rules set up to prevent this. What I am talking about is pick up futsal - playing up on rec teams 2 or 3 ages. 3v3 summer programs and more. I know this happens because we've been there before. What I don't understand is why parents deal with it - is it just the fear of being removed from a position on a top team? Even more so, why would clubs not encourage more play - after all is this not what we often bring up as one of the major points of problem with youth soccer - just going out and playing for fun?
I know a boy who got suspended from Sockers for playing as a guest player for a team for futsal. So, if the kids you are talking about play on a DA team, then it is possible. One word to US Soccer and they are suspended
Well these players were not from Sockers but there are 10-20 kids with Sockers back packs playing on Rec high school teams at the facility all night. I imagine most are not on DA. To be fair there are a multitude of clubs being represented - which I think is great. If kids want to play more and it equates to fun then that's what we need. I don't think Sockers or any club can preclude outside play - I believe it's only the leagues that do this.
Any more on this? It's approaching high school season, and one would think that a North ECNL team would want to make itself known sooner than later which would allow any DA players to quit DA this spring and to play high school THIS year knowing that they had a club alternative to DA for next year. I would think that anyone involved would know that and be "in market" now? Are the DA teams seeing girls bolt?
My source has gone quiet over the winter. Probably means no to the ECNL north. I would still bet several FCU GDA players leave because they would like to play high school especially the ones that will be seniors. Many already will have a scholarship secured. Not sure if that means they will do ECNL, FCU usysa or create a new team with some of their former coaches.
The only one bolting so far is the FCU head coach of the U15 and U17 GDA teams. I heard the guy was in the second year of a two-year contract... even if the writing is on the wall, it seems odd to ditch two playoff-eligible teams mid-season instead of sticking it out and perhaps leaving with a cleaner resume a few months later. Did he really quit or was he forced out? Who is going to take over those two teams for the spring, Erin Chastain? Why is FCU having such a hard time keeping its GDA staff around -- these are supposed to be the best gigs around, no?
It’s not like it’s the Trump White House or the ALabama football staff. Coaches leave clubs. Not sure 2 or so departures is that uncommon. But I am sure you will run some sort of internet scraping algorithm showing that FCU is in the upper 3 percent of DA coaching departures.
Spoke with an Eclipse ECNL A team parent this wknd and she said the girls on her daughter's team were told or asked not to play HS Soccer this year! I was surprised to hear that given ECNL's and Eclipse's many statements to the contrary. Will try to clarify whether it was told to or asked.
From what I understand that is what the A teams are for. B teams are glorified ECNL teams that are allowed to play HS. Prior to this A and B team "stuff" - at least at Sockers when they were ECNL, coaches always discouraged HS play with the same comment at the end "Your spot is not guaranteed when you come back."
No. The A and B teams for older 2 teams are off for spring. I believe being able to play hs is an ECNL marketing tool for older girls and Eclipse (half-heartedly?) has abided.
Looking at the Midwest ECNL conference schedules, it looks like most high school aged teams might have the spring off, or at least have schedules that don't include division games. There are still a few more ECNL showcases scheduled this spring that will be filled with clubs from states where the hs season is in the fall, and whose ECNL clubs have barely played any games yet this season. Teams that are qualified will get back together at the end of spring for playoffs. Perhaps teams that stick together during hs season may find a tournament or two to participate in as well. I have no idea what Eclipse is communicating to their individual teams about this spring. I just know that they stated kids having the choice to play hs was one reason why they returned to ECNL after trying out GDA last year. As for an '04 U15 player, if the kid is an 8th grader, and the bulk of their team bolts for hs, ECNL does allow for defining those kids as "trapped players" and they are actually allowed to play DOWN with their club's U14 team during the high school season. It is actually a pretty cool rule they put in place after the geniuses at USSF made everyone flip to birth years. I wouldn't be surprised to see ECNL unilaterally scrap the birth year framework and go back to school year. Their league, after all, claims to be all about accommodating college recruitment and less about identifying the 2 or 3 unicorns per birth year that might some day play on the WNT.
That would eliminate the double-aged teams on top; now 00/01 is needed due to half the 00s already being in college. More teams and spots for more girls. The dirty little secret of birth year groupings is when the bottom-half A team players get pushed down when age groups combine junior and senior year. So stupid. I think they would only do it only if USYSA did it too, right?
Heard tonight that Spartan FC will be running Eclipse North out of Northbrook next season. That will be a big time competitor for FCU boys and girls players next year, especially if they have ECNL. Can Anyone confirm this ??
Yup that is what I was hearing as well, but I have not heard that confirmed. It makes sense because of JS former relationship with FCU - ought to bring over many players if this happens. If this does happen - could we see FC1 and other clubs merging into the program. Pegasus is growing on both sides for example. It would be bold if Eclipse could get that done. They would have all but the NW and St Charles/Naperville area covered - the latter with likely the most depth around IMO.
I read this - this morning. So reminded me of the DA program in that it's a style of play - not individual development.
No chance FC1 and Spartan FC will work together. Still lots of bad blood from their breakup a few years back. I think initially it would be only SFC with the goal to attract players from other clubs to fill out rosters and add quality.