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Post by Soccerhouse on Apr 17, 2018 10:52:47 GMT -5
Another club made the switch today -- Michigan hawks leaving GDA for ECNL -- I'm not savvy at all with soccer outside of the southeast, but they have the #1 team in u19 in their division, and the #2 u15 team. So no slouch. "After several months of discussion, we have decided that the Michigan Hawks will not play in the US Development Academy League in 2018-2019. We will commit our first and second team into the ECNL for this next season, joining several other top clubs across the country who are doing the same. We believe that the ECNL platform will allow us to address the game day needs of all of our players by placing us against the most competitive regional competition possible" "There are risks involved with making this decision much like when we implemented 10-month programming. But, after weighing out the pros and cons, I believe that this is the right decision for our players and our club. It will be up to us, players, parents, and staff to make this work" and an impressive ppt from them: hawks.soccer/wp-content/uploads/Information-meeting-April-2018.pdf
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Post by Keeper on Apr 17, 2018 11:07:12 GMT -5
Yeah I heard more rumors at a coaches clinic last night that Concorde is having to drop DA if they want to keep ECNL. Not just parent talk, but from higher up coaches and directors.
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Post by zizou on Apr 17, 2018 11:12:45 GMT -5
I find this shocking. One year and out of the USSDA. It does not provide much detail on the reasons for the decision. Travel? Competition platform? Money? The money part I can believe. You should also look at the slideshow that accompanies the announcement. In 2015 Michigan Hawks had the most YNT players of any club in the country if I read that slide correctly.
A few other interesting tidbits from the announcement. It sounds like they will have two teams in ECNL and it sounds like there are other big clubs around the country who will be following suit (dropping GDA for ECNL). If they are all allowed to have two teams in ECNL that will be an interesting model. Huge clubs with big player pools will be able to offer more players access to what they want, and travel will be reduced.
I don't know if anyone has noticed, but ECNL has announced the addition of 10 clubs since January. That brings the total to 90 in the league as of now (91 if Hawks have two teams). At some point, they may get enough clubs and enough teams to have pro/rel. If I was US Club, the next thing I would do is immediately go back to school years!
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Post by Soccerhouse on Apr 17, 2018 11:16:38 GMT -5
Very interesting for sure -- maps of the conferences look very similar with regards to travel. 2 year age groups vs single year could have been a big issue as well along with substitution restrictions.
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Post by Keeper on Apr 17, 2018 11:27:09 GMT -5
I think the push back about playing Rec err I mean High School has hit DA harder then they thought. Plus with MLS dictating US Youth Soccer after that Pres. Vote might have made other clubs realize that the MLS DA programs are going to completely dominate those players. I mean GB at concorde knows he can’t go head to head with Blank’s money at AUFC so why try? Especially if USClub is wising up and seeing they can make a run at becoming the new dominate youth soccer program in the US.
What was the thread about the civil war that’s coming to US Soccer? Could be coming with the first battle being ECNL vs DA.
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Post by Soccerhouse on Apr 17, 2018 12:06:16 GMT -5
This club is more interesting the more you read ---
Hopefully we find out more-
8 national championships in the last 6 years! 12 players invited to youth camps in 2017 alone!
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Post by soccerdaddy on Apr 17, 2018 12:10:50 GMT -5
This club is more interesting the more you read --- Hopefully we find out more- 8 national championships in the last 6 years! 12 players invited to youth camps in 2017 alone! Wow! That’s quite a resume for a club! I’m going to throw money and control as to why the decision, especially if we can’t find out for sure.
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Post by zizou on Apr 17, 2018 12:11:39 GMT -5
Sent the announcement to one of my kids, who said the link was inactive. Sure enough, you get a 404 at that link now. So either they are redoing the page or USSF made them an offer they couldn't refuse (if you know what I mean).
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Post by Soccerhouse on Apr 17, 2018 12:15:10 GMT -5
Sent the announcement to one of my kids, who said the link was inactive. Sure enough, you get a 404 at that link now. So either they are redoing the page or USSF made them an offer they couldn't refuse (if you know what I mean). I was just wondering the same thing!!
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Post by soccerdaddy on Apr 17, 2018 12:28:41 GMT -5
They were called a founding DA member club for Girls 2016 USWNT Hawks are invited to be a founding member of US Soccer development Academy
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 17, 2018 12:50:29 GMT -5
Maybe... just maybe, these clubs that are dropping out made this decision without any input from their members/parents/players, and now after getting feedback, they are changing their tune??
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Post by Futsal Gawdess on Apr 17, 2018 12:53:35 GMT -5
Getting word from a contact that this may have been partially or wholly as a result of the Parents aka the Customers, pushing back and the club(business) listening to their customers.
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Post by zizou on Apr 17, 2018 12:58:16 GMT -5
Maybe... just maybe, these clubs that are dropping out made this decision without any input from their members/parents/players, and now after getting feedback, they are changing their tune?? Apparently, they had an information meeting last night and then posted the announcement after. The link to the Information meeting slideshow still appears to work: hawks.soccer/wp-content/uploads/Information-meeting-April-2018.pdfI still find the whole thing very surprising.
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Post by soccerdaddy on Apr 17, 2018 12:59:11 GMT -5
Makes sense and this is why we have SCCL coming. Or is it? 😜
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Post by zizou on Apr 17, 2018 13:01:22 GMT -5
Getting word from a contact that this may have been partially or wholly as a result of the Parents aka the Customers, pushing back and the club(business) listening to their customers. What action reflected listening to their customers?
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Post by atlsoccer on Apr 17, 2018 13:05:35 GMT -5
Is this a possibility for Georgia DA clubs? Tophat was just featured on the DA Instagram, would UFA and Concorde be offered multiple ECNL slots to leave DA?
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Post by Futsal Gawdess on Apr 17, 2018 13:24:16 GMT -5
Leaving GDA
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Post by soccerdaddy on Apr 17, 2018 13:28:44 GMT -5
I think this is why, “The Board Members representing the Midwest Conference are Rory Dames, President and Director of Coaching for Eclipse Select Soccer Club, Doug Landefeld, Vice President and Director of Coaching for Michigan Hawks, and ECNL President Christian Lavers, President and Director of Coaching for FC Wisconsin. www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com/midwest-conference/Was anyone affiliated to USSF from the Hawks? Also, the 99’ Girls won back to back ECNL National Champions. The conference in ECNL looks pretty solid with not as much travel as DA would be for the Hawks. Still ??
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Post by soccerdaddy on Apr 17, 2018 13:37:52 GMT -5
Ok I had it opposite looks like DA was less travel
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Post by soccerdaddy on Apr 17, 2018 13:42:30 GMT -5
Another reason: RICHMOND, VA (Via ECNL) – The Michigan Hawks have claimed the ECNL Overall Club Championship title for the second time in three years. The Hawks claimed three Midwest Conference Championships this season, at U15, U16 and U18/U19, and had no team finish lower than third in one of the most difficult conferences in the country. Overall, the club qualified all five age groups for the top tier of the ECNL post-season, and it was in the post-season where the Hawks made their biggest statement yet. www.soccerwire.com/news/clubs/youth-girls/michigan-hawks-win-second-ecnl-overall-club-championship-in-three-years/
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 17, 2018 14:39:15 GMT -5
Just curious, has anyone heard of rumors going the other way? Dropping ECNL to be exclusively GDA?
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Post by oraclesfriend on Apr 17, 2018 17:39:44 GMT -5
Getting word from a contact that this may have been partially or wholly as a result of the Parents aka the Customers, pushing back and the club(business) listening to their customers. What are the parents pushing back about? The high school thing? I have heard a lot of kids who play ECNL now and did in the past that skipped high school soccer because they did not enjoy the lower level of competition. Travel? Seems like it is pretty similar as far as quantity and distance. I HAVE heard complaints from DA people that "the federation schedules our games" so there is less flexibility to change things around. Substitution rules? That I can COMPLETELY understand. I know a kid that played nearly every minute of the last two years on the top team at her club. This year on DA at the same club, mostly same team, but different coach and she has not started very often. She gets pulled after halftime if she did start and when she gets subbed in as a reserve player she gets 25 minutes usually. She is not playing a lot and not enjoying her overall experience. Is that the sub rules or did she suddenly get worse than all of her last year's teammates...I don't know. I just think if I thought my kid wasn't going to be a regular starter I would probably not let her play DA even if she made the team. I would rather she made the second team and be a DP on DA.
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Post by soccerdaddy on Apr 17, 2018 18:02:03 GMT -5
Parents are probably stating the obvious that they already had a good thing going before DA. I’m sure the first year was the trial run for the club and I they made a decision to go with the ECNL. Back to back Champs wwinning the League in 3 age groups and all teams qualified for the playoffs. I mentioned before the Hawks Director of Coaching is the Vice President of the ECNL Division they are in. Why leave a great thing and you have the VP of your conference looking out for your club. Makes perfect sense to me. Why jump ship to DA and start new with no control of what they do. By the way they were top in 3 age groups for DA.
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Post by oraclesfriend on Apr 17, 2018 18:18:53 GMT -5
Parents are probably stating the obvious that they already had a good thing going before DA. I’m sure the first year was the trial run for the club and I they made a decision to go with the ECNL. Back to back Champs wwinning the League in 3 age groups and all teams qualified for the playoffs. I mentioned before the Hawks Director of Coaching is the Vice President of the ECNL Division they are in. Why leave a great thing and you have the VP of your conference looking out for your club. Makes perfect sense to me. Why jump ship to DA and start new with no control of what they do. By the way they were top in 3 age groups for DA. I am not arguing that ECNL was a good league. I think one year for a "trail run" is idiotic though. Nothing new is smoothly run in one year. Girls DA has a lot to work out kinks-wise. I am shocked any DOC on the ECNL conference board would have joined girls DA to begin with. Seems like ECNL would have frowned upon that. I guess a club like Michigan Hawks can get away with doing what they want with that history. Does anyone believe that ECNL will win out in the long term and force the federation to quit girls DA? Or will girls DA force ECNL to shut down or accept "second best" status? Or will they both stay around vying for "top level" status???
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Post by soccerdaddy on Apr 17, 2018 18:29:47 GMT -5
Great points and questions!!! Maybe in 10 years we will know? For the boys it’s pretty much DA and they just hit 10 years.
Hey your friends with the Oracle so ask them 😜
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Post by oraclesfriend on Apr 17, 2018 18:38:23 GMT -5
Great points and questions!!! Maybe in 10 years we will know? For the boys it’s pretty much DA and they just hit 10 years. Hey your friends with the Oracle so ask them 😜 I am afraid my oracle just has great advice about girls soccer around here and seems to know nearly every coach at many of the big clubs. She doesn't tell the future unfortunately. Wish she did! The name was a joke I played on my husband and her.
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Post by zizou on Apr 18, 2018 8:15:39 GMT -5
A story about this issue. Michigan Hawks, PDA, and FC Stars supposedly going ECNL. Quite a few YNT players from these three clubs. Still not sure what to make of this. There are also rumblings that this is not the end of the shuffling. Can you imagine another Federation anywhere getting this kind of challenge? Goes to show a fractured youth landscape and probably the arrogance and ego of lots of participants.
Clubs leaving GDA
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Post by Soccerhouse on Apr 18, 2018 9:00:28 GMT -5
You can disagree with the substitution rules in college etc, too much, to open etc --
But the substitution rules for Girls DA are foolish -- There is no reason in youth soccer in my opinion, that open subs can't be made at halftime of a game, kids should be able to re-enter, who have been taken out etc. You can still limit the number of subs during regular play, ie moments etc, ( I think its 7 subs at a defined number of moments and half time does not count as a moment), but allow re-entry in the 2nd half.
And exchanging a keeper should not be considered a sub etc, when a keeper gets injured -- some coaches are worried about not having a sub in case their keeper gets hurt late in the game. Also keepers should not count against your 18 man roster. If a back up keeper is just there in case of injury, and there is no intention of the 2nd keeper playing, but there as a precaution, they should not count against your 18.
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Post by Soccerhouse on Apr 18, 2018 9:05:58 GMT -5
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Post by zizou on Apr 18, 2018 9:43:07 GMT -5
That is pretty damning. Some time ago, I ran across this report on another board from someone who claimed they were at the meeting between the Fed and ECNL after the Fed announced they were doing GDA. Here is what the person said:
The thing that still frustrates the heck out of me (I work in the sport on the sanctioning body side of things), is the way the whole Girl's DA went down. I think most would agree that ECNL was leading the way, and though not perfect, doing a very good job, and U.S. Soccer felt they needed a piece of the pie. ECNL invited them in for a meeting in Houston at the ECNL event there, after U.S. Soccer had already made the announcement, with zero communication to ECNL. C. Lavers and his Board sat down with A. Heinrichs and Staff, for meaningful conversation, try to discuss working together, and basically Heinrichs and staff smugly and arrogantly said "thanks but no thanks" and "are you done yet," and walked out, leaving us in the position we are in today.
I heard a similar story from a D1 college head coach buddy of mine and the way the Fed handled this whole thing. It is the arrogance, thinking they know best, that they do not need any help, no input. Every operation like this has problems, no question about it. But when you had something that was doing a decent job for years and had unquestionably improved the youth soccer landscape on the girl's side (maybe at increased cost), why not learn from what they learned? You ask for conflict, chances are you are going to get conflict. We need an understandable and integrated pyramid. A domineering attitude and arrogance do not project leadership. Hopefully, this can get worked out before too long. Wonder how that meeting between Anson Dorrance and Carlos Cordeiro on getting GDA and ECNL to work in concert turned out?
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