Changing Landscapes - Chicagoland

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

  1. upper left

    upper left Member

    Crystal Palace
    Uruguay
    Jan 27, 2018
    ...and that square peg usually comes in the form of $3,000 - $5,000 per year expense for your kid's soccer experience.
     
    mwulf67 repped this.
  2. upper left

    upper left Member

    Crystal Palace
    Uruguay
    Jan 27, 2018
    HS season is 3.5 months, tops.

    Just keeping 'em honest.
     
  3. mwulf67

    mwulf67 Member+

    Sep 24, 2014
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    I think you are a spot-on regarding the motivation and rational…and it’s not completely off-base or crazy thinking, at least on the surface…

    I’ve said this before and say it again, other countries don’t love soccer because the produce world class players/teams….they produce world class players/team because the love soccer…

    Gotta’ find the love…and there ain’t no love in the current model…
     
    VolklP19 repped this.
  4. ppierce34

    ppierce34 Member

    Aug 29, 2016
    Fort Wayne, IN
    There's also a whole lotta shi**y coaching even at the so called "high end clubs". Go observe training sessions around the country and you will most likely be disappointed. There are only a handful of coaches out there that know how to run a proper training session. Most just scrimmage the kids due to laziness.
     
  5. illinisoccer

    illinisoccer Member

    Aug 15, 2005
    Chicago, IL
    An accent can get you a long way with parents in this country especially for non-“American” sports like soccer, hockey, skating, gymnastics, tennis
     
  6. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    Parents can help guide players to find that however. Just have to be realistic and do your homework. 99% don't do either because they think the system is built to make their kids great players.
     
  7. Toe Poke

    Toe Poke Member

    Manchester United
    United States
    Dec 11, 2018
    I think that the seasons (literally) and the season in which high school soccer is played is a factor.

    In basketball you can take off 3 months in the winter, which is uniform across the U.S., and play AAU the other 9 months.

    Baseball and softball are also played in just the spring.

    In soccer we have both Fall and Spring high school soccer so that makes it hard on a national platform. Also, in the cold weather states if you play spring high school, take off a month in the summer (because right now we do), then that leaves only 3 or 4 months of good club outdoor training before moving indoors.

    I guess what I am saying is that I understand why it does not make sense for more elite players and many focused on college (bc there is no recruiting from high school). But to give it a chance with US Soccer and many clubs the high schools / states would have to cooperate and line up just 1 season to play high school.
     
  8. Brace Yourself

    Chelsea
    Turkey
    Jan 19, 2019
    No. CA and TX have winter soccer seasons, and for years ECNL (with clubs playing HS throughout the year) was able to manage the division/conference schedules, showcases and league championships such that teams across the country would end up in June championships.

    Girls soccer players could be allowed to play HS and get recruited during club the same way. Only the northern kids (MW, NE) would be at a disadvantage given up 1/2 their outdoor year to HS. But it's their call.

    That is why Eclipse up to about 3 years ago had success keeping kids away from HS; they would not give up 50% of their possible exposure to college scouts.
     
  9. CornfieldSoccer

    Aug 22, 2013
    True enough. But heading into my son's first season of HS soccer in fall '19, his primary organized soccer activity this summer will be ("optional") off-season practices with that team three days a week (he'll play pickup as often as he wants, do a camp, ..., too). And from that point on, his club coach -- who is pretty good -- will have him for springs and parts of winters only (his club's DOC loves doing winter workouts where the players aren't grouped by their teams and don't always work with their own coaches, and I have become less and less of a fan of that approach as my son has gotten older).

    Here's hoping his HS coaches know what they're doing. Sorry, end of tangent.
     
  10. Toe Poke

    Toe Poke Member

    Manchester United
    United States
    Dec 11, 2018
    This is my point. If MW and NE give up 1/2 of their club season then they are at a big disadvantage to the warm weather states.

    Also 1 other thing I have noticed, and please check me on this as I have heard it and recently read it as a HS coach alluded to it, on the girls side if you don't make varsity freshman year you are likely not going to make it. So the HS soccer experience for girls, if varsity is the goal, is really reserved for 5 or 6 girls per class??
     
  11. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    Not only that but I know of many kids who made varsity and got 25 minutes or less of play time. These kids were better then the upper classman but were constantly told - you'll get your time when you are a junior and senior.

    May as well play JV and get the time on the ball.

    I know my kid wants to play. If she is Varsity her freshman year, she'll be sure to have that conversation with the coach before she commits to anything. Frankly she would like to stay with her club team but I think that will change.
     
  12. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    Chicago Empire FC Announces Partnership With Professional Team Chicago Red Stars As Its First Ever Youth Affiliate Club!

    https://www.chicagoempirefc.com/RedStars

    Not sure if the announcement means much. Seems like just a way for Red Stars to sell more tickets.

    Needless to say - my kid really enjoyed playing for WL in the past.
     
  13. illinisoccer

    illinisoccer Member

    Aug 15, 2005
    Chicago, IL
    Must have been ODP. I have heard the opposite from several Empire parents
     
  14. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    Two Nike camps... She always went over too say hi at Olympic after her Sockers NPL games.
     
  15. Gilligan Rocks

    SASA
    Canada
    Aug 6, 2018

    Any color on the FCU-Eclipse Northbrook north suburban turf wars? Heard a coach was caught on tape offering a parent $100K :D
     
  16. illinisoccer

    illinisoccer Member

    Aug 15, 2005
    Chicago, IL
    Eclipse North has their first ECNL ID clinic next weekend so should give an early indication of the interest in the location.
     
  17. ppierce34

    ppierce34 Member

    Aug 29, 2016
    Fort Wayne, IN
    56 pages on soccer in Illinois. Incredible. Meanwhile does anyone know about or have any opinion of good clubs in the NE Ohio area?
     
  18. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
  19. illinisoccer

    illinisoccer Member

    Aug 15, 2005
    Chicago, IL
    Internationals has always been a strong club in NE Ohio.
     
  20. Toe Poke

    Toe Poke Member

    Manchester United
    United States
    Dec 11, 2018
    CSA Impact, a new combined club. And Internationals.
     
  21. upper left

    upper left Member

    Crystal Palace
    Uruguay
    Jan 27, 2018
    I think a small handful of 02 or 03 FCU GDA players have made it clear they will flip to ECNL, but as of yet there doesn't seem to be great interest. I've been told the 02 (or was it 03?) MRL team took a vote and decided as a group to stay put. Probably a case of the 'devil you know and the devil you also know'.

    I still haven't heard of any news out of Eclipse North regarding their coaching staff -- while that's not surprising, hopefully it will eventually dawn on them that it might be an important factor for players and parents.

    Their pitch for college recruitment was pretty much contained to the fact that ECNL showcases may be a little bit better than GDA showcases. Not much mention of support beyond that.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of Northbook FCU has recently announced (another) launch of staff dedicated to helping with recruiting, and they are hosting a pretty strong college coaches showcase tonight.

    So to answer your question... not a whole lot of buzz yet. I guess it is still early as FCU backed down on the idea of forcing ridiculously early deposits on spots for next year.
     
  22. ShepR

    ShepR New Member

    Manchester United
    France
    May 18, 2018
    Merger is off.
     
  23. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    Asked a few players if they wanted to attend a few high school aged (mixed) games - pick up soccer - no league play or coach. I have found this format to be very fun and helpful so I just figured I would ask them if they cared to play for the hell of it.

    I was told the coach for the had a meeting with parents this week and said: Absolutely no playing outside of the club - none!

    While the rest of the world plays pick up soccer :rolleyes:

    It's try out season - circle the wagons because we cannot afford to piss away anymore players then we already have.

    Pretty sad how these kool aid drinking parents just buy into this shit as well - as if it's some sort of twisted message that means - "You're kid is so good we don't want to lose her!"

    Well to Sockers defense - at least they are not asking for $400.00 deposits.

    :confused:
     
  24. TIMFA

    TIMFA New Member

    Red Stars
    United States
    Apr 4, 2019
    Yes. We are friends with girls on team. I believe it was 4 girls, all very good players, and all already committed. One of the group is an 02, others 03. All are are now actively recruiting their teammates- which is a little awkward.

    Our friends are unaware of any other secret commits.
     
  25. Driven

    Driven Member

    USWNT
    United States
    Apr 6, 2019
    Any idea on what it looks like for the 04 girls?
     

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