NSCAA Convention Session in LA: https://www.nscaaconvention.com Role of Academies in the development of US Female Players Anson Dorrance, Head Women's Coach, University of North Carolina Christian Lavers, Executive Vice President, US Club Soccer April Heinrichs, Technical Director, US Women's National Team Jared Micklos, Girls Development Academy Director, US Soccer Tom Byer, Founder, T3 As I said, I saw this on the schedule and thought there would be more sparks then there where in the end. AD had his issue with April about the U20s and that took 20 minutes of the time.
No national team on the planet should be 'responsible for developing players'.....they should already be well on the way to being 'developed', that is why they were selected for the national team in the first place. It is highly unlikely that the Spanish national team (men's) or the German national teams (either gender) do much 'developing' at all. One of the big problems in this country at every level is the continuing idiotic fixation on 'bigger, faster, stronger' type players (many of the college coaches are notorious for this approach)....and, certainly in North Texas, the ECNL clubs 'style of play' (best described as kick the shit out of it, battle and fight) is the reason so few girls represent the national teams at any age level. ECNL in North Texas is ALL about the $$$ (yours) moving to them (the clubs) and no-one will EVER convince me differently. There is too much evidence to support my position on this.
What do you think about Solar Chelsea 02 ECNL if anything? They are an excellent team for age. Their best player is a tiny, technical, play up. 03 and doesn't fit your model.
It's unfortunate that Dorrance usurped the discussion. Clearly college players weren't on topic. The USSF can be very spiteful. Wouldn't be surprised if they only take kids from DA clubs or possibly also the hinterlands where no DA option is present, into YNT camps next year. I am hearing rumors of mass pull outs from the DA among ECNL clubs. The exception being among clubs that merged 2 ECNL/and or DA clubs, they are keeping the ECNL under one brand and the DA under another. Also the mega clubs will keep both. Might get closer to a more reasonable 20-40 when the dust settles.
The exception to the general rule then...? I am more familiar with the older age ECNL teams in this area.....many of my high school players have quit ECNL for the reasons I stated....and the fact they have seen a 'better way' and are having way more fun (and success) playing for their school team.
The reality check - If a majority of YNT call ups come from the Girls DA in 17-18 and/or a good % of the consensus Top-100 recruits come from Girls DA teams, the DA will have enough "clout" going forward to manage itself in an orderly way and serve its purpose. These facts will make the ECNL perceived as the "2nd Tier" of Club soccer and so many kids/families will question its value going forward. In other words, without those top-tier players, the ecnl will become much closer to many local/regional USYS teams but with a broader schedule and travel requirements. Only the best ecnl teams will draw the best college coaches at less of their events. The top-50 or so of the P5 will recruit where the best players are at the GDA events........maybe. A common perspective now for boys will become similar for girls - If I can't get into an MLS DA team, why go to a 2nd tier DA (or boys ecnl)? If I can't get into the Girls DA team, why do ECNL? when my local club team is pretty close in level to the 2nd choices. I think more and more college coaches are relying on their own ID camps to actually recruit/evaluate kids and all this youth soccer bs is a big reason. Frankly, All of this Chaos is crazy for the average D1 level player looking for a college in the next couple years or trying to be seen by a US Soccer scout.
Bingo...!! The absolute best way to get noticed is to attend the camps of the schools you are really interested in...provided you are good enough and your parents aren't too delusional...
Well it depends on the level of the kid. May be good way for average D1 kids at mid majors. Not the best for P5s. They want to see a kid play against top competition at a showcase. The top programs know which kids they are targeting from YNT/ECNL id2 even Regional ODP play etc. way before anyone shows up at ID camp. maybe an 8th grader or a low scholarship kid- walk on first appears at ID camps, but they know the market well in advance. I agree that if the USSF wants the GDA to succeed in the face of an ECNL mutiny, that for the next year or two they only take kids from GDA and the hinterlands with no GDA into YNT camps. If that is made known soon, Kids will flood to GDA from ECNL believing they have a chance at earning the badge. Frankly i think the vast majority of the YNT regulars play at the super clubs that were awarded both GDA and ECNL so probably won't make a difference if they make that decree. There are more than enough kids willing to give up high school for a chance at YNT camp to stock GDA teams I would predict. Honestly given the performances this year, the YNT could only do better with new crops of kids, but alas same old-same old.
P5 coaches regularly attend a training session even when they are getting close to forwarding an offer to one of the kids on the field..
True that many players are still initially "ID'ed" at competitive events. ID Camps/Clinics are run differently all over for sure but I know some coaches who ask their committed kids to come back again and again so they do get to a very good high level 11-a-side game at every clinic they host. What they do want of course, is that "their kids" get good training with good players and competitive games throughout the year. Most don't care much in the end what league you call it. We are very good in the US at getting in each others way, in so many ways. Youth soccer is just the latest great example.
What do you think about Solar Chelsea 02 ECNL if anything? They are an excellent team for age. Their best player is a tiny, technical, play up. 03 and doesn't fit your model. @olelaliga Sorry quote thing isn't working... My dd's team played this team at the Dallas International Girls Cup last year. Great team with a good mix of players. Had 2 or 3 outstanding, technical players, 2 lightning fast wingers and the rest were solid players. They lacked a good
Let me try this again... My dd's team played an 03 Solar Chelsea team at the Dallas International Girls Cup last year. Well coached team with a good mix of players. Had 2 or 3 outstanding, technical players, 2 lightning fast wingers and the rest were solid players. They didn't play thug ball or kick and chase. That day they lacked a striker/MF who could finish - but they seem to have got that sorted because my dd said she saw on Instagram that they ended up becoming national champs or something like that.
Here is more bad news for the ECNL: http://lapremierfc.com/football/girlsacademy/-01-14-17-2003-and-2004-single-age-groups
The really good 03 ACM and Striker kids on solar Chelsea plays up on the 02 ECNL team, but played with the u13 state cup team that went to nationals last year. I don't remember if they won the u13 USYSA championship or not, but I am pretty sure they went to the final. Those 2 03s may be the best players on the 02 team. So what do you do with a kid who has been in the YNT mix, loves her club, but it's ECNL and not going to have DA? 2 years left.
There is no guarantee that when she changes club she will still get to play her preferred position and get the same amount of playing time. She may never even get passed the ball because some of her new teammates may see her as a threat. But the most important thing is that she currently has a coach who knows her well and (hopefully) will help her advance her soccer career. A new coach may already have his favourites. However, if she has had the same coach for years as some teams seem to do in the US - change can be good. My dd has learned so many different positions and playing styles playing with different coaches in her current academy. And if US soccer mandates that all YNT pool players have to play DA or if they give her any indication that her current club/coach/team isn't a strong enough level for her to grow as a player then I think that I would definitely switch.
So is the goal to get called into the YNT or to go to college, play pro and then get called in aka Lynn Williams? In the real scheme of things the YNT is an ego deal. There are no guarantees that you get to the first team thru the YNT. Go to where she will best be prepared for college. Do well in college you get called in. There were many players in the NWSL draft that weren't in the YNT.
While I agree there are alternative, if less likely successful pathways to the top, Carli Llyod details in her book the advantages to the players who went through the YNT programs and went to the "right" colleges. The "right" colleges are heavily loaded with YNT kids. My kid pointed out that section in her book to me. Seems like human nature to me. They keep in the same kids to validate their initial selections rather than admit they did not project the kids' abilities forward accurately. Personally, I think they don't do a good job with YNT selection or development as evidenced by the recent performances, and therefore inclusion in YNT programming is kind of a catch 22. They seem to either fail to pick, quickly dismiss, or try and "coach out" creativity. Do I even want my uber creative and technical, late bloomer, kid in that mix? Alas, she wants it and that will probably win the day. Independently, she wrote the emails to the GDA club advertising pre-tryout GDA ID clinics to get an invitation. I said you are happy with your team; are you sure you want to go? She said, I want the best chance to make it as far as I can with my soccer and I think a bunch of us are going. So I guess I will drive her to check it out...
In Carli's day there were less quality programs. Now they are all over the place. Anson doesn't get the best players anymore, etc. You mention coach out creativity? I will say it again, do you want the YNT responsible for developing the player? No other world soccer power does that. We think we are different.
Maybe someone can show us the number of NWSL draft picks by experience in YNT, ECNL, ODP, USYSA National League, etc. Some likely spent time in all these leagues/programs at some point. Wonder if any did none? Just got discovered or changed sports late? Unfortunately, the NWSL is still like playing in grad school. A couple years making 30K, if lucky, and most players 'retire'. The Elite College/YNT/ECNL vs GDA thing is chicken and egg isn't it? When the best players end up in the GDA, the best college coaches will be at those events. The best players will then go to the GDA to be seen by the best coaches. This will occur in some areas better/faster then in others, maybe not at all in others. Some areas still don't have good ecnl coverage. The YNT staff would never restrict selections to one particular league and I do wonder how much they can really encourage YNT incumbents to go to GDA teams. Clearly, they will hear that if your club has a GDA team or, if you have any choices, go to the GDA. The Club folks that put their necks out early to support the GDA will expect that to be said. I imagine they will still do the regional Training Centers to 'keep up appearances' that there are multiple paths to the YNT pools. No question that some of these NWSL teams are not prepared for this GDA thing for sure. The Washington Spirit has not done much at all yet for example. I do believe there are a group of colleges that the YNT pool players regard as "safe schools" to be. Wonder if that's from peer pressure, staff influence, or the true merit of each college situation. It is strange how they end up at so few schools and so many at Stanford when we know they all can't be getting scholarships. I do believe a more diverse pool, in many ways, would be better for the program.
I never said I "wanted" the YNT coaches developing players, but the fact remains that they have significant influence on player development. Several of us have direct experience with YNT coaches ignoring an amazing and unexpected feat of creativity resulting in a goal chance or even a goal and have the YNT coaches saying something along the lines of "play simple" or "too many touches" or "play faster". I am not talking about circus tricks, I have seen a player perform a scorpion kicks to herself to beat the player marking her, beat the next defender with a shimmy--> roulette resulting in space and then an incisive reverse through ball pass by the same player to a #9 to put her in 1vgoal. Opposing coaches thumping kid on the back after game saying nice things, her coach overly happy with performance and YNT coach/scout says "play faster" next time. So the kid next time either chooses to play the US game and turn back to goal/marker and play the ball down and back safely to the 6 instead of the scorpion and resulting goal scoring magic. Still acceptable in maintaining possession, but no magic and no immediate goal. Youth club coach now says, if you want to stay in the YNT program you will need to play one or two touch (FYI they actually keep touch totals for midfielders) . That's how they develop/influence kids. They change their games if they have a bit of creativity in them or they don't call them back. I want to help support my kid to achieve whatever goals she sets for herself; she hasn't given up her little kid dreams of the WNT. I am conflicted because I don't think the current USSF influence is best for her development, but to deny her the best path to access future success doesn't seem right either. I think there is a mutiny afoot. I predict that many ECNL clubs will pull out of the GDA rather than give up their ECNL affiliation. What will be left in the DA is the mega clubs and the clubs who previously weren't awarded ECNL. The USSF will be dissed over all of this and possibly spend a year or more solely "rewarding the GDA" clubs with YNT camp invitations. That won't change the mix too much since most of the kids are from mega clubs anyway so there is no transition there for them. The USSF will want to take credit for any GDA success ASAP. Hence the influence of participating in the early GDA could be longstanding. My kid sees that possibility and doesn't want to be on the political out. That's why she wants me to take her to the clinic.
Sorry you are speaking to the choir. My kid has been in every situation you are talking about. She is that creative player with an IQ that has intimidated coaches and players. And finally they don't call them back. That's why I have said focus on college and the pros and make so much noise there with your talent that they look like morons if you don't get an invite.
Have to say there is some comfort in your confirmation- thank you for that. I wish our kids could play together; there would be jaw dropping results I think. Good luck to her and I hope she makes it to the top. I appreciate very much what you said about the intimidating quality that players like this have. Regarding the players: I personally think it is because they make a lot of kids look bad. Defenders falling down without contact. Defenders crashing into each other and falling down. Midfielders losing their marks, Goalkeepers caught frozen in place as the ball sails to the back of the net. Even teammates get caught on their heels when the unexpected flick, back heel or lightning quick pass goes by ... and then their is the parent pollution to the kids about the "show off ball hog" who is stacking up points on the ledger and who creates buzz on the sideline from the opposition. This hasn't completely affected my kid's recruitment. There are many top coaches who love the magic and for that we are very grateful. There is a big part of me that thinks that we would be stupid to allow our kid to move out of a supportive environment cultivating her creativity for the remote possibility to improve her status within the USSF women's hierarchy especially when I have such little respect for it at least at the youth levels.
A pretty good summary of where we are today. Still TONS of variables and moving parts. If US Soccer doesn't put the right folks in charge, and the local club-level GDA folks are not prepared to hit the ground running and kick ass, the ecnl spin machine and 'strong man' tactics will be harder to overcome in many areas. http://www.soccerwire.com/blog-posts/games-thrones-ecnl-vs-girls-development-academy-cold-war-rages/
Another Update. Any thoughts on this coach? http://www.soccerwire.com/news/club...ctor-of-u-s-soccer-girls-development-academy/