Changing Landscapes - Chicagoland

Discussion in 'Youth & HS Soccer' started by VolklP19, Dec 28, 2016.

  1. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    Sockers have two - three coaches for u13 and up on PDA teams - Albert Adade and Jeremy Ngameni are excellent coaches.

    At the DA level there are multiple assistant coaches as well.

    I believe all the assistant coaches are very active and involved for training session and games. Rarely - last year was there ever just one coach at any match with exception of tourneys.
     
  2. keeper dad

    keeper dad Member

    Jun 24, 2011
    Once the NLI is signed a college coach can not pull the offer for the upcoming year. The NLI specifies the scholarship amount for the upcoming year and that is a commitment from both sides. Granted the college coach could tell her that she will not receive the same deal going forward if she chooses not to play at the highest level her senior year in HS but the reality is that will most likely be an empty threat as the decision on years 2-5 will be made once the player is on campus and demonstrating what they can do at the college level.
     
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  3. SpiceBoy

    SpiceBoy Member

    Barcelona
    United States
    Aug 2, 2017
    I am not sure it would even take anything this dramatic. I know when I was younger if the future college coach even said "I prefer you to stay in club" that would have been all it takes. Although right now it seems the majority of the college coaches are carefully staying neutral on High School vs. Year round club.
     
  4. YNWA1986

    YNWA1986 Member

    Apr 22, 2011
    Last year IU de-committed an FCU player who left DA for HS Soccer. It does happen.
     
  5. keeper dad

    keeper dad Member

    Jun 24, 2011
    I would be surprised if IU did that if a NLI had been signed. I have no knowledge of the situation so am just guessing that if it did happen after a NLI there is more to it such as student was not admitted to the school or they were willing to give up the scholarship/roster spot for a year to honor the NLI and just did not place the player on the team.
     
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  6. upper left

    upper left Member

    Crystal Palace
    Uruguay
    Jan 27, 2018
    Unless talking about your own kid, these details are probably best left off a public forum.
    Yes, I've taken my meds today, have you? Carry on.
     
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  7. YNWA1986

    YNWA1986 Member

    Apr 22, 2011
    #957 YNWA1986, Nov 7, 2018
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2018
    (Intentionally left off name of player) Ok, next time I'll just keep information that is relevant to the conversation to myself because it offends you. Truth hurts.

    A scholarship is an investment by the institution. You think they're going to throw $100k at a player and just say, "F*ck it, do whatever you want before you step foot in our program. We don't care whether you're best prepared."? Maybe those dosages aren't quite right after all...
     
  8. mwulf67

    mwulf67 Member+

    Sep 24, 2014
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    And a NLI is a binding contract the ceases all recruitment of said player…I believe that standard letter specifically spell out what is allowable by both parties, what is considered a breach, and how either party might seek to terminate said agreement…

    As Keep Dad suggests, playing HS their Senior year would NOT be grounds for a breach…it would simple be a risk in signing a high-level recruit in November (assuming a spring HS season)…
     
  9. keeper dad

    keeper dad Member

    Jun 24, 2011
    I agree in the real world a $100k commitment comes with strings attached, the problem is the NCAA does not really operate in the real world. I competed under a NLI back when it was a 4 year commitment by the school so you kept the scholarship regardless of what you did and believe me there were athletes that did not hold up their end of the bargain and essentially "stole" the money, it was a part of recruiting at that time. Today it is a 1 year contract so yes the kid still gets the money if he decides to play high school but the coach is under no obligation to put him/her on the roster, play him/her, or renew the scholarship the next year. It is better now but still near impossible to yank an offer after the NLI is signed. The catch is so many kids "commit" to a school and have a verbal scholarship offer "in hand". Should that get pulled because they play high school it looks and feels an awful lot like they were de-commited by the school but in reality it was just talk until the NLI is signed.

    I am sure coaches tell kids you will play DA so you are most prepared and put the fear of god into them so they play DA and truly believe if they don't the scholarship is gone, we are dealing with 17 - 18 year old kids, not experts in contract law but that doesn't change how restricted things are once the NLI is signed.
     
  10. Gilligan Rocks

    SASA
    Canada
    Aug 6, 2018

    No. The specifics of your citation were wrong.

    Might have been ok if you deleted the club name and said "Big Ten school". That would have made your "relevant point" without revealing too much.
     
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  11. upper left

    upper left Member

    Crystal Palace
    Uruguay
    Jan 27, 2018
    #961 upper left, Nov 7, 2018
    Last edited: Nov 7, 2018
    I think it is really fantastic that you kept the kid's name off your post. That was super thoughtful of you. You still put out other information that is probably better left unsaid, and unnecessary to the conversation. Not only do I doubt you know all the facts, but putting stuff out there causes others to speculate like this...

    At least Keeper Dad had sense enough to say he doesn't know what he is talking about before providing his insight.

    You have said in the past "I know for a fact... that Sockers [blah blah blah]." That's great. Stay in your lane, or at least put the same disclaimer as KeeperDad did before you post stuff you don't have first hand knowledge of..
     
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  12. OrangeCard

    OrangeCard Member

    Brazil
    Mar 14, 2018

    Lighten up, Francis. I think is was pertinent information to know the school (IU) and the caliber of club (FCU) for various reasons.

    And I was unable to find out name, year, Which FCU team, and even sex via quick google search. So no new person, outside the REAL NSA, finds out.

    So your concern is that a subset of people that knew of the commitment, but were unaware of the circumstances surrounding the decommitment, now know. Given that news like this spreads pretty quickly in soccer circles, my sense is that anyone who cared to know already knew.

    And it’s not like YNWA said the kid lost the scholly due to any number or more serious offenses.

    No harm. No foul.
     
  13. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    #963 VolklP19, Nov 16, 2018
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2018
    So MI Jags look no better than Schattuck IMO - no big loss there either way. Illinois teams on the girls side did not dominate at all in either of the Prem Divisions. And being in the Prem 2 Division - I disagree that we are going to get better competition locally - where? Northwind in the A division of 2005?

    I watched the 2005 Team Chicago (Prem1 and Club Open) rip apart Sockers PDA girls 8-0. That game could have easily been 20-0 had the coach not started to delegate the play to trim his crew back. I highly doubt the 05 DA team would beat that TC group either - and they finished mid pack in Prem 1.

    We played Sporting in our last game - beautiful soccer - they stuffed us and rightfully so. Got to give them credit along with SC Waukesha who IMO could compete against a handful of lower DA teams that I have seen at Canlan and they are Prem 2. As far as Prem 1 and Prem 2 teams vs ECNL B teams??? Easy pickings IMO. Why parents would pay all that money for an ECNL sticker is beyond me.

    I honestly think the level of play in MRL Prem 1 and 2 was pretty good.

    You want to talk about meaningless games - look no further then NPL. Someone should take the girls side of that league out back and put an end to it. I mean what's next - win 2 games and you automatically qualify for Nationals :eek:
     
  14. lncolnpk

    lncolnpk Member+

    Mar 5, 2012
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  15. Gilligan Rocks

    SASA
    Canada
    Aug 6, 2018

    Its hard to extrapolate off of a win over a B team (especially a Sockers B team), and I am not sure about your gushing over that TC team. They are 2-5 in top U14 MRL division that has 4 ECNL or DA "B" Teams in it.

    It seems to be a perfect storm...a dip in midwest and IL talent from U14 to U18 coupled with an increase in "elite" teams that cannot be fully rostered (see Eclipse, Campton, etc.).

    So yes, ENCL is a shadow of its former self, and USDA seems to have taken a step back, but I believe that over the last 2 years, MRL has taken the biggest hit by far in quality of play, both from top teams leaving (FCU, Midwest United, Nationals, CUP, etc..) and kids making the jump to DA and ECNL teams.
     
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  16. upper left

    upper left Member

    Crystal Palace
    Uruguay
    Jan 27, 2018
    Is there anything positive to say about Super Y? It's just a summer league right? Is it supposed to be a great league? Do engaged parents patch together composite teams for summer play, or is it driven by a few clubs directing their kids to participate for summer touches? Who drives the league and is it worthwhile or a waste?

    What do you all think is the best option for summer training? Or should the summer be used to take a break and play a different sport for a while?
     
  17. lncolnpk

    lncolnpk Member+

    Mar 5, 2012
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There is a club by me all over it. They got to Nationals and are using it as PR to recruit players. BTW the club charges $3500 which includes Super Y
     
  18. CornfieldSoccer

    Aug 22, 2013
    My 2005 son has done it the past two summers as part of summer-only teams put together by a group of five downstate IL clubs. I've generally liked it, but mainly for him to be able to keep playing and practicing through the summer, face teams he doesn't typically see with his club, work with different coaches, ... It also meant a small handful of fun summer weekends for games here and there.

    The combo team he was on the first summer competed reasonably well (drawn from a player pool that was deep enough to form A and B teams), while the second-summer version (drawn from a much smaller player pool and just one team) did not.

    It cost us an extra few hundred dollars, and I'd say it's generally been worth it, though several other families from his club team who only did the first summer and had kids on the B team disagree with me on that.
     
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  19. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    There is some truth to this for sure.

    That said I do think the TC is a solid team. Yes they played what amounts to a B team for that game but they played a very fast and smart game. I think the fact that they are 2-5 shows there is some talent in the Prem divisions.

    But yes - FCU/Nationals and some others that had no ECNL or DA in the past were bound to leave - everyone knew that. But in the end - those teams were MRL teams from the get go - so are they any better just because the league name is different? Did the coaches all change or just the competition?

    Sure they will increase in play based on competition but certainly not light years from the top teams in Prem who were their main competition I would say. Yes DA/ECNL are overall better leagues - but amongst them there are plenty of teams that would be mid-pack in Prem as well - as I mentioned in my earlier post.

    It would seem in the long run however, that MRL will continue to weather as more girls move up to DA/ECNL - which again, is one reason I would like the divisions (Club Open/ NPL and so on) to move into the conference qualifier to help stablize MRL into the best of the rest.
     
  20. mwulf67

    mwulf67 Member+

    Sep 24, 2014
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Being part of that same group of five, I would tend to agree…

    Great in theory; sometimes lacking in execution…

    Some teams/age groups have reported wonderful experiences…others not so much…

    A bit of crap shoot, but at least a relatively inexpensive one…
     
  21. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    I believe it is growing so it may get better.
     
  22. upper left

    upper left Member

    Crystal Palace
    Uruguay
    Jan 27, 2018
    I have also heard they are trying to grow the number of teams based in Illinois. Not sure if that makes the product better or not, but one club is trying to promote the fact that travel should get a little better (shorter) as a result.
    Not sure I understand the need for Super Y "Nationals", but whatever makes the parents happy.
     
  23. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    My only problem is that it a good start but in the wrong direction. $500-$600 is too much. Also - what is the point of making this yet another pointless national championship?

    I would like to see a free - or at least cheaper league that organizes friendlies between teams that are competitive. Two training sessions a week. No travel beyond 1 hour.
     
  24. CornfieldSoccer

    Aug 22, 2013
    From a downstate perspective, we have to drive 90 minutes or more for almost every game that isn't at home, anyway, so Super Y travel wasn't a big problem for us. Over two summers, three(?) trips to the Chicago suburbs, a trip to Kalamazoo, and one to South Bend.

    But I wholeheartedly agree on the national championship. That's pure vanity.
     
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  25. YNWA1986

    YNWA1986 Member

    Apr 22, 2011
    Took a little self-imposed exile after getting a bit heated in my last exchange. Not sorry for the information but the delivery. Apologies to those involved...

    Interesting note: Campton U19s played Sockers DA in a friendly last weekend, 4-1 Sockers and heard it could've been more. Word is the game was decent until Campton went to their bench...sounded like Sockers had more depth in quality. Sockers 17s went unbeaten this fall and their 19s are sitting top 10 in the nation. Pretty good considering last year their 15s and 17s were bottom 3 in the region. Younger teams having a tougher time, tho. 05s still have no GK and 04s bleeding goals.

    Have also heard that Eclipse Solar (2nd teams) are having a hard time getting enough players for their matches, having had to postpone/cancel a number of games. Many players allegedly having already left the club. Looks like their Lunar teams are having decent results, but the 03 girls doing really well. Looks like losing a NT player didn't really hurt them too bad. Not much noise out of a normally outspoken outfit.

    The FCU front has also been pretty quiet lately, after their 19s dropped points to Shattuck and Sockers in the same weekend. Rumor is they're losing players to HS soccer and Pre-Academy teams (by players choice). Their 17s are sitting in playoff position and 15s in wildcard so things can't be too bad.

    The winter period always has its share of drama, some players tending to make moves during this time. Interesting to see how things settle...
     
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