I left before the session started but it looked like they were setting up 8 55 x 35 yard fields. Definitely not 180 kids in attendance at 6:30. Maybe 100. That is a reasonable number to accommodate on 8 fields if you are playing 4v4. I am sure traffic played a part with people arriving later.
There was a coach from Lake Forest College there. Her bio says she has been involved with a few clubs in that area so likely good for recruiting
One of the big questions is whether OB will hire coaches in NB good enough to develop players who are equal or better then their OB counterparts. There is a good deal of talent in the area and more willing to make the commute to NB then OB - one of the few reasons you saw many Eclipse bags last night. Some long standing Eclipse families have suggested that the program has had issues since a few coaches have been moved over to RedStars and not focusing as much or at all on Eclipse - including RD. This move, with good coaches could have the potential of transforming OB more then anything that comes out of FCU or Sockers. Definately a huge impact on FCU however. It will be interesting too see how they react over the next 2 years.
Sounds like Meredith Vail to me-she’s a fantastic coach. Years at Schwaben. Talk about development she implemented playing out of the back with her little ones and stuck with it as they were learning (ie lost a lot for a year or two). Then they dominated. That’s development.
High numbers does not = high talent. ECNL platform is difficult for those without it. Small numbers and talent in 04 groups - high school conflicts? or spots already spoken for and those players not attending. Waste of time for others?
Agree. I think it's a good opportunity to have a decent ECNL group but then if possible go with MRL for all else. IWSL and NPL is just garbage IMO. MRL is the closest league of any value (for girls) after ECNL/DA. But from what I understand it's just MRL for high school. This is odd IMO because FCU has many teams in the MRL and it would seem that - that concept would keep players not capable of ECNL away from Eclipse. I also heard recently that they will be putting together teams of 22... I guess they were doing this in OB. That's really bad IMO.
Agree. Thought ECNL had roster limitation of 18 Hope parents do their homework- substitution rules different than MRL FCU MRL got tricky this year because of the league breakout. Some teams had barely 5 or 6 games
A lot of damage can happen in less than two years. Only one FCU GDA team is currently qualified for end of season playoffs, and that is as the final wildcard. Regardless of how successful Eclipse North might be, just their existence makes things much tougher for FCU girls' program which already has talented players choosing MRL over GDA. How about competing on price?
MRL wins on price for sure. Don't get me wrong. There are some teams who do not belong in MRL but there are some really good teams as well. There is filler everywhere but I see IWSL as just an un-organized mess and the NPL (on the girls side) is terrible. Shit like Oh your team is not good enough to win 1 game at regionals but since you won your division you can still go to Colorado for the National Title...
So she wouldn't have anything to do with ECNL as that starts at U13 (which is ridiculous in itself). I guess we are back to square one on who will coach the 180 players.
I don't think ECNL coaches have been decided or released yet - lean more towards the former. But MV will likely just be u12 (pre-ECNL) coach. Someone close to JS will be running the high school MRL teams - I honestly do not know who that will be.
I’m going to regret saying this but it has to be said... Meredith is awesome but not a better coach than Brian C at Sockers. Sorry. (Go ahead and tell me how wrong I am-my punishment for even broaching the subject) Sockers FC plays out of the back and has for a long time as you well know. Only club in country that hosts highest level of La Liga formation methodology each year.(level 3 or 4 forget what level is highest).
Actually I do disagree. Brian would make a great coach for DA/ECNL - where you have a set of developed players. MV can develop and will at the younger ages. She has better experience from a coaching and personal level which gives her patience and a better understanding of how to get through to players. Ex: Brian refused to allow a group of 05/04/03 to practice with their team for more then half a season. Why? Because they were not good enough??? Because they would have held the better players back??? What's the point of those kids even being there then? All those girls (when they realized this) went through periods of "What did I do wrong?" to "The coach doesn't like me" to "I suck at soccer" to "I no longer want to play" THAT is how a young girls mind works - and that was the impact Brian left on MANY players. As a manager, I provide opportunities for people to move forward in my organization. As a coach - I do the same thing. Players and people develop at different points in time - for different reasons. To completely ignore that is a sign of a bad coach. As a parent - I would not let him around my daughter ever again. Again - his lane should be DA/ECNL - despite how bad he was from a development perspective as a coach, he would do wonders with a set of girls who are essentially developed and just need an organized and efficient trainer and coach - that's his sweet spot.
Sounds like this Brian character is a carbon copy of my daughters last coach at her previous club. I also 100% agree with you on the children thing. Especially a male coach who coaches girls. Nobody without kids knows how to motivate or reach 10,11,12 year old girls. Especially ass*ole men who you describe above. In fact, the owner, DOC and my daughters coach were all without kids and all were terrible to deal with.
Yes - no kids for this coach (at the time). Same for the coach the year prior - but in that case with no experience with girls. I remeber him yelling at a kid we used to drive about not wearing the proper uniform for training. Gee I wonder if he bothered to ask that 2006 player why? Maybe he would have found out her parents just got divorced and half her gear was at one house and the rest at the other. Experience with girls and having your own kids makes a HUGE difference!
When Brian left Celtic nearly an entire team came over with him of young girls to Sockers FC. And most (all?) those girls not even close to ecnl/da talent. Know people who have him now. All of these people say the *exact* same thing “Brian is a coach that really improves your kid...more so than any other coach ‘we’ve’ had”. I have no idea. Don’t have kids who played for him. But what I tell you is 100% truth from multiple sources. He’s one of the few coaches in my travels where the praise has been that uniform. Meredith Vail the other. You are, by far, the exception to that rule. I know this is a sensitive topic for you. Didn’t mean to drag up old wounds and didn’t realize your kids played for him. You’ve stated your opinion many times. Noted.
Coming from Celtic why would that be a surprise? Again if you are a top player that gets additional play time/training you are set - I would agree. If you are a kid who is not - and on that same team - best bet is to go train somewhere else - and fast. Plenty of players who left after last season on higher ranking teams who have developed more this season then with him. I have actual experience with this coach. Not sensitive at all. As I have stated, we were not on the path to ECNL or DA. I just expected that with payment and dedication, we would get services which the club clearly outlined. That was not the case. We left and that is a change that in of itself - just getting away from BC and Sockers, has made the sport better for my daughter. The challenges and mates where she is at now have made her a better player. No wound here - I don't hold a grudge. In fact I do business with the Richardson famiy and a few Sockers coaches directly - how is that for a shocker?
That’s great to hear about your daughter. Sincerely. No shocker, you’ve mentioned it before. When did you leave the club? What year?(if you don’t mind me asking)
Midwest United (MI) opened a branch here in Illinois - in the hottest location in the state IMO. They have not been able to attract any decent teams. Now they are opening another branch in Gurnee.
I was looking a little bit at CSA's facebook page and saw a link to their 2019 College Commitments. Boys side impressive commits: University of Colorado, Arizona State, Miami University and Indiana University.A lot Less commits on Girls side but includes University of Texas & Northern Illinois. https://mailchi.mp/csasoccer/httpswwwcsasocceracademycompageshow4122381-2019-20-tryouts