I completely agree with you that some of the parents are delusional, especially the longtime players at the club that thought if they started early there, they would secure a position on the ECNL team. Those parents need the reality check. After this year it should be better, but I've heard that the players don't know what team they made during tryouts...just received an offer from the club. That could cause some parent friction, haha. Giving credit to the players, the 06 team started out slow because they haven't played together. From what I have gathered, Seven of the 11 2006 starting line up were players that were from other clubs. Good players from other clubs that the coaches at E didn't develop. They play at E not because of the coaching and development, but because they are an ECNL club. So if these parents really want there kids to play ECNL, then they have to put up with the harsh language. It's not necessary, though. There has been a million times that I THOUGHT "What the f^%K was that?", but never said it!
Excited for you and your daughter. As I have said before - change can be a great means of driving back passion and a love for the game!
Any athletic kid who starts early at a club which boasts to be the best and participates 100% should be prepared to play at the highest level if the training has value. If they are not then the club should be asking why - long before the parent. Yes some of them are there for vanity - some for social reasons. But the ones who are not and are giving 100%... I frankly don't think that that sort of expectation is unrealistic at all.
It is hard to track the #’s because there have not been announcements for every international trip or domestic camp. But I think... Boys Fire: 5 or 6 Sockers: 3 FC United: 1 Girls Sockers: 2 Eclipse: 1 There have been many more boys camps than girls. Girls have only had 3 camps so far.
Good background on the current situation. Can't be easy to build a cohesive team when almost all the kids are new to the club. But still, how does being in the ECNL justify this type of coaching? It's not like ECNL is the only national platform in the area and I haven't heard about FCU or Sockers coaches cussing at kids, although I admit it could happen I just don't know.
Fire cleaning house on the boys side now that they're actually scouting and recruiting. Two of those NT players they have weren't wearing Fire red last year. Never thought I'd see the day where Eclipse doesn't have the most YNT girls players in Chicago. Maybe political fallout from them leaving DA? Love a good conspiracy theory lol!
It is not justified. It is unnecessary at any level of sports. FCU had issues with this last year. Eclipse’s owner is well know for doing the same thing so it is not surprising that it has been allowed by this coach and others at that club.
Didn't Sockers "recruit" 2 National players from Eclipse at the begining of the year though? I know at least 1.
We were discussing Eclipse at practice last night. There are a lot of "OK" teams there. Few are outstanding and none of them compare to the rest of the region or country. I'd say of all 4 (including Firs Jr's) that Sockers has the deepest and most consistent group of coaches - by quite a bit.
Not sure what ages you are talking about but Eclipse 03 ECNL girls are easily one of the top 10 teams in the country and more likely one of the top 5 teams in the country. I am not an Eclipse fan (quite the opposite) but the 03 team is absolutely one of the best in the country.
I heard that the 03 and 05 teams were really good but I did not know the 05 team stacked up that well.
I would assume because they were not interested in playing high school and wanted year round high level training to stay ready for national team duties
The 2 girls who have been to YNT camps this year for Sockers are HR with U20 and DL with U17. AA and HB have trained with Sockers and are listed on the USSDA roster but have not played any games with them.
So let me get this straight: they cuss at kids and call it coaching, don't train enough, and many of their NT players left in the last 12mo? I wonder if there's a correlation there I'm told Chicago Fire will not field a U19 team next year. After graduating a large group and most of their 2002's left with the old coaches, they don't have enough players to field a team. You'd think that'd be the top destination for players in Chicago since they have the only pro pathway. Anyone know about this?
I just looked at their roster on the USSDA site. They currently have 14 2001 / 2002 players on their U19 and U17 rosters which is the age group for U19 next year. So they only need a few more. And I am sure they could pull those from their 2nd team if needed. I’m not saying the rumor is wrong but they would have to figure out what to do with those kids.
I know what you're saying (pro club, pro pathway), but I'd argue that more pros have come out of Sockers...that up to today they have a far more established route to playing professionally (and even college) than Fire. Even taking into account the same amount of time. Challenge for Fire is their (training) location for many to get to...not an easy commute for a lot of families.
Not surprising considering the Fire tried to give up their academy program all together but was told no by MLS
What year is daughter potentially playing at Eclipse and is she playing at NB or OB? Depending on the coach, he should be able to tell what team she’s on.
I'm sure the poster was speaking of FCU's GDA u19s, and if so, he's probably right. Only six of the eight clubs in the midwest currently field a u19 team so it's not unheard of, and FC has struggled to field a team both years. Arguably, their "pre-DA" teams at that age level have been in much higher demand and as good if not better than the DA teams. The launch of an ECNL club in their back yard is going to make it that much more difficult to even field a team next year. I don't know how FCU can gracefully drop fielding a U19 GDA team, but I expect they would prefer to avoid a third year of having to search and beg players to join for the privilege of cutting checks, traveling too far, and getting beat... and watching their friends have fun playing high school.