yes, that's what i'm saying and that's what the article is saying. I'd rather have Hamm, Foudy, Lilly, Akers etc involved than April. And they would do a better job.
Sorry about bumping an old thread, but some big news on development was leaked earlier this week: There will be a girls' Development Academy, beginning by fall 2017, although an official announcement from USSF hasn't happened yet. What we know so far: http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/ecnl-seeks-balance-with-ussf-in-future_aid38750 http://www.soccerwire.com/blog-post...ew-girls-development-academy-bar-school-play/ And this tweet confirms the rumor that girls in the DA will not be allowed to play HS soccer (like the boys' DA): I've learned that Girls DA will follow Boys DA model-members will NOT be permitted to play high school soccer @NSCAAhs @USYouthSoccer— Glenn Crooks (@GlennCrooks) January 29, 2016
21/23 members of #USWNT that won 2015 World Cup played high school soccer. https://t.co/Y5XmWRqywT— John D. Halloran (@JohnDHalloran) January 29, 2016 The 2 that didn't play HS soccer are Rapinoe and JJ.
So, you've got two blogs and a tweet, and that determines "what [you] know"? It may be true, but it may not. If you take two blogs and a tweet as representing the truth, we're in big trouble!
The "what we know" was more to refer to the DA news in general and less so the high school play part, but looking back, I realize that was poorly constructed as both links had to do with the high school part. I'm more than happy to go with the high school part being a rumor and not take the tweet as confirmation (although it comes from an ODP coach and journalist, which makes it more credible to me), but also to say that I don't find it far-fetched as that's exactly what the Boys' DA does. As for the Girls' DA, yes, we know it. It is not a rumor. USSF voted to approve it in December (go back and look at the December board minutes); its just that the official announcement has been delayed a bit.
There's now been an official announcement of the Girls' DA by US Soccer: http://www.ussoccerda.com/USSoccer-to-Launch-Girls-Development-Academy-Fall-2017 It will begin in the fall of 2017.
I wonder if this is to keep the players from regressing (i.e., being taught bad technique or strategy) versus helping in their development. However, now that I think about it, it's probably so that the players get the rest they need between matches and training (i.e., by following a better training regiment, rather than allowing the student-athletes to burn out by being active on too many teams).
http://americansoccernow.com/articles/ussf-s-girl-s-development-academy-has-it-all-wrong Opinion piece on the DA
Nice article. It had a couple quotes I had not heard before from A. Heinrichs. First: "They’re still going to have that choice [to play high school] if they want to, but girls that want to play on a college track aren’t going to be able to do that." Second: “The [academy] games will be scouted by U.S. Soccer and the program will serve as a pathway to U.S. Soccer's Youth National Teams.” She also indicated that 80-90% of youth national team players will now come from U.S. Soccer’s internal system. How can she possibly say that anyone who chooses to play HS isn't going to be able to play in college? Isn't that up to the college coaches? Or is she speculating that top colleges will only want DA players -- kind of like an amped up version of what exists now where players that are selected for a YNT (and the system now is not a lot of pool turnover) are somehow deemed to be the best players and recruited first by the top colleges at ages of 14 or 15 or even younger. The second seems like an attempt to signal to players that if you want to be part of the NT system, by far the best chance is by being part of the DA. Thus they are hoping to aggregate more of the top players and give them better coaching than what has happened with ECNL and presumably making it easier to be seen more regularly and easier for US Soccer to scout and track players. As I think the article concludes, just let the players decide like they do now and don't somehow penalize a player that chooses to play HS. Only the player knows whether playing HS will be beneficial to them and I don't see why it's in US Soccer interest to effectively eliminate players from the pool. I can see the frustration with so many youth soccer organizations (ECNL, USYSA, etc.). But think a better use of resources would have been to build up or strengthen the scouting system.
Gee, if this had started last year and Pugh picked HS over DA club then she wouldnt be going to UCLA or starting on the NT.
NEWS: #LAGalaxy launch fully-funded Girls’ Academy teams: https://t.co/gtknvhssw0 https://t.co/jSmw2ABLL3
Holy sh!t. This is massive. I was willing to settle for slighlty less expensive than ECNL. If the Galaxy are going with free, the other MLS affiliates would have to follow suit at least...right?
and then there's this: One source told me this summer that Galaxy *might* still have a say on NWSL in LA, & club isn't just willing to concede the market to LAFC. https://t.co/4CZ2JkjwiN— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) October 11, 2016
Yeah seems pretty clear they would want to have an NWSL team if they are making their academy free. And if the Galaxy, without an NWSL team are going to have a free academy, then the Thorns, far and away the most popular and best supported NWSL team must make their academy free, right?
Right, assuming the other clubs are willing to give up the subsidies they are receiving from the Thorns. The Thorns, in fact, do have an academy, which I believe is not free to everyone. They have scholarships, I believe, but I don't know anything about them.
The existing "Thorns Academy" is not at all free, it is very much another pay to play revenue generator and is an academy in name only. It is really just an extension of some of their affiliate teams, it's also only for high school age players. They don't really have scholarships, at least nothing different than your usual run of the mill club. Moreover, it is pretty dreadful currently in terms of coaching, resources, talent and results. Between the 2 ECNL clubs and some other strong clubs in various age groups, whatever talent there is in Oregon is spread around all over the place. A truly well run, free or at least much less expensive than ECNL, option in the area could bring some much needed sanity and consolidation to our area.
I'm curious where you get your information. Can you give me a link to something specific and detailed? I'm asking because I'm aware of a combo DA effort, as part of the USFS DA program, between FC Portland and Northeast United. And, it's for younger players than you're mentioning. Plus, I'm aware of Thorns Academy teams that are younger than "high school age players." I know a bunch of players who have participated in it. I'm posting about girls only. I have no idea about the boys.
My information comes from coaching local teams and having 4 children of my own that all play. So between my own children, clubs I have coached for and players and parents I know I am pretty familiar with all the programs in our area. There is no Thorns DA for girls below U16, that is an unequivocal fact. Heck, they only added the U16's this season, last season they had only just created a U18 team. That is all spelled out in these specific and detailed links. Basically when they were turned down by ECNL and two other local clubs got in, they hastily threw together an "Academy Team" to try and compete. http://portland-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/elfinderimages/ThornsAcademyDocument2016-17.pdf http://www.timbersalliance.com/doclib/Portland Thorns Academy.docx.pdf You can only possibly be talking about the ODP and RTC programs and those definitly are not the Thorns or Timbers Academy in any sense, it is just the same ODP system that has always been around in every state. It has all been branded with the Timbers and Thorns logos, but those kids come from any and all local club teams and getting into an RTC just requires being able to dribble without falling over and writing a $400 check, absolutely not any sort of academy. Here are the specific links for that: http://www.timbers.com/youth/regional-training-centers http://portland-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/elfinderimages/2016-17GirlsODPInformation.pdf The ODP teams also have not been getting all the best players, because many were with competing clubs that were ECNL affiliated and used their ID2 program instead. Obligatory link to ID2: http://www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com/?p=3589 The rest of what you are talking about is muddled through no fault of your own, because our Oregon soccer scene is a mess. First off boys and girls are entirely different and even though you said you are posting about girls only and have no idea about the boys, that is confusing because the program you said you are involved in between FC PDX and NEU is absolutely boys only and has nothing at all to do with girls. This is what you are talking about right? http://www.fcportland.org/FCPNEU That is just this brand new U12 league for boys only and pretty much every decent boys club in the area got "in" and is fielding a team. In reality they just took the boys u12 premier division in OYSA and changed the name. It is just supposed to help the Timbers DA team scout better. Here is their schedule: http://www.ussoccerda.com/sam/standings/regevent/index.php?containerId=MTYyNzU4NQ==&partialGames=1 It is just the same local teams playing each other, just like they did last year. Anyway this already got really long and we didn't even touch on the actual clubs that have ECNL right now, FC PDX and Crossfire Oregon, where a lot of the best girls players are, I am sure no one but us needed all this Oregon minutuae, as every local area has all their own politics to deal with. Hopefully though this scratching of the surface into the nightmare landscape of "elite" youth soccer and the expensive and dizzying array of acronymns and options that are colluding to produce some pretty crap players overall, is helpful to you and at least a couple other people. A free, or at least lower cost option in a real development focused environment, for girls and at the younger ages, would be a breath of fresh air.
Thanks, sXeWesley, that actually was helpful and I was mixing up some different things (not intentionally).
Boy do I share your frustration sXeWesley. Here are the league options I theoretically had to choose for my kid (girls) this Fall. USYS National League Region III Premier League Southern Premier League State Classic League Prime Challenger Alpha D2 D3 US Club *2017 US GDA ECNL Texas Champions League USC Champions League USC West Division 13 different league levels (14 next season) We also have the ODP, Id2 dynamic here, not to mention the 150+ team club monopoly in my local city. And costs have tripled in 4 years, all with no improvement in customer service, performance, scheduling, etc.
I dislike how she so matter of factly dismisses ECNL. Never met her, but her public persona is very arrogant. She's like "ECNL is so great! But no way I'd ever have my child play in that pathetic league." Real team player there.