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Post by spectator on May 28, 2014 9:17:27 GMT -5
Here's how it was when my player (rising U15) was in Academy U9-U10 - 6v6 U11 - 8v8 U12 - 8v8 Fall - 11v11 Spring for Academy Cup I, too am a big fan of the small sided games - the skills used there make for a better overall player and transfer easily to the big field. I am NOT - repeat NOT - in agreement that U12's need to jump into 11v11 but every club in GA does that now so it's a done deal. I don't think most 11 year olds have the skills or maturity to play the big field -and by that I mean the strength to pass to change direction of the game or the ability to not make 'self centered' decisions (ball hogging, not spacing out effectively, etc.) An 11 year old is still learning those small sided skills and most are not ready for the full field. But -soccer has become such a business of which club or which team can field the most elite level players at U13 that sometimes we get away from teaching the game and working those skills. Just my two cents as a soccer parent - when and if I'm ever elected queen of GA Soccer, I'll change those rules!
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Post by spectator on May 28, 2014 8:37:38 GMT -5
The best advice I ever got or will give regarding soccer tryouts - drop off and leave - go have a beer with some other parents, run some errands, do anything but set up your chair to watch every second of tryouts and guess about where your kid will land. From Academy through Select - don't subject yourself to the three nights of speculation and stress. The single greatest nugget from that advice - "This is your kid's thing - you ain't nuttin but the ride there for a while." I thank a former coworker/seasoned soccer parent for that advice every year about this time. He saved me a lot of stress over the years. As long as your kid is happy and enjoying the game, that's the most important part. And for those going through it this week - Academy is a training ground - it's about learning and honing those skills. Sometimes your kid will get the best opportunity to do that in a slower game so don't get caught up on whether he or she is on the top team at U10. The game is the best teacher - just play! Good luck to all the kids this week - stay hydrated and have fun. Parents - drop and go - trust me on this!
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Post by spectator on May 27, 2014 13:59:22 GMT -5
I guess the real question about emerging clubs is how will they be placed? You don't want to leave a strong team in a high level to go to a team that may end up Classic 4 or Athena D.
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Post by spectator on May 26, 2014 19:52:25 GMT -5
One correction - Savannah is first in Athena A not the second NASA team. My bad - that seals it for Savannah then on both counts - hope they get it!
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Post by spectator on May 26, 2014 19:15:47 GMT -5
Word is that the Ambush coach is taking the entire R3PL team over to AFU to become their ECNL team. Apparently the coach sold it as 'more exposure and opportunity'. OK - I'm not qualified to argue the RPL vs ECNL debate but Ambush finished 8th out of 12 teams in R3PL play - not exactly tearing it up so what other opportunity are they looking for? Or do they think they'll have it easier in ECNL? Regardless, I'm never a fan of an entire team picking up and leaving a club - although the current TH -18 Gold team is mostly the old Cobb FC girls who came over with their coach years ago so maybe there's something to be said for that based on their successes. Add to that that NASA Elite lost to SSA Elite - not making the final four in state cup after finishing 11th out of 12 in R3PL play, they're most likely out unless the club has one hell of an argument to keep them there. SSA Elite in RPL now based on final four in State Cup - BUT . . if Ambush goes to ECNL, they lose R3PL leaving another spot if GA presents four teams again for fall play. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't teams earn RPL and Clubs are awarded ECNL - if the entire former RPL team leaves, wouldn't Ambush lose that spot? So who fills it? Fifth place finisher at State Cup - again not NASA but most likely Savannah - two wins, one tie - no goals against. Or would it be the #1 finisher in Athena A - currently the second NASA team? Or would SSA just get screwed and Georgia only presents two teams for RPL this fall? This is playing out like a bad reality TV show right now - stay tuned! Lots of chatter and talk this weekend about who's leaving, who's staying, who's vying for an elite elite level team? Day one of tryouts should be interesting - the last day will just be a bloodbath of desperation. Gosh, just can't wait for all this, can you? ? (that's dripping sarcasm down your screen about now, folks). We're staying put barring some weird implosion, mass exodus or influx of amazing talent. Our core group is sticking together and it's a great bunch of girls and families - hope it sticks! Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend - fun starts in June....
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Post by spectator on May 26, 2014 19:02:06 GMT -5
Lesson learned - if you're going to Vegas with Fan, make it a two day trip - sucks on that third day! LOL Amazing picks, dude - you were on a roll!!!
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Post by spectator on May 25, 2014 17:54:31 GMT -5
Not all the scores are up but it looks like Fan is still on a roll. So who is this Tiger Soccer Club and why on earth are they in State Cup? They finished third in Athena E. So far twenty goals against in two games at State Cup. I get that you want to play with the best to be the best but they are so far out of their league in this, it's really sad and frankly irresponsible of that coach/club for putting them in there. Why didn't they just do President's Cup - they'd have had a better chance and more even competition.
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Post by spectator on May 24, 2014 19:28:51 GMT -5
Day One actuals vs fan's picks
Fan said TH 6 - Tiger 0 - actual was TH 10 - Tiger 0 Nice first win, fan - -4 on the goal differential though Norcross 2 - CF Black 0 - actual was Norcross 1 - CF Black 0 - oh - so close on the goal difference, try again! GSA Premier 3 - Roswell 1 - actual GSA Pre ECNL 2 - Roswell 0 - oh - so close on the goal difference, keep going! SSA 2 - NASA Premier 0 - actual SSA 2 - NASA Premier 0 - WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER! SPOT ON, FAN!! UFA 2 - GSA Red 0 - actual UFA 2 - GSA 0 - WINNER WINNER ANOTHER CHICKEN DINNER!!! NASA Elite 3 - Chiefs 1 - actual - NASA Elite 0 - Chiefs 0 - JUST a bit outside - keep trying - your only 'loss' so far CF Elite 2 - AFC 0 - actual CF Elite 8 - AFC 0 - looks like some teams are gunning for the goals scored tie breakers early on AFU 1 - DSC 1 - actual AFU 4 - DSC 2
Fan goes 7 out of 8 on the picks - goal differencial prevented a perfect day but still! GOOD JOB! I'm taking you to Vegas when I go! LOL
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Post by spectator on May 21, 2014 12:16:39 GMT -5
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Post by spectator on May 20, 2014 19:47:37 GMT -5
I know a kid who made huge strides in competitive soccer after spending a week here: nunosoccerexperience.com/camps.htmlMaybe just a coincidence. But this kid had a hunger and seemed to thrive in that environment and thereafter. I've heard the nuno camp is amazing - our problem is that it falls smack in the middle of UGA camp. Wish they had a July session - she'd probably want to go there (albeit with her UGA crew - they love that dorm life LOL)
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Post by spectator on May 20, 2014 15:14:39 GMT -5
U9 is usually too young for the overnight camps. UGA will take campers that young only for the commuter camp. At U9-U10, my female player did the following camps: Kennesaw State University - several sessions -all day - GREAT CAMP for younger ages - after U12, it's mostly rec but at the younger ages, it is outstanding. KSU coaches and players run it, the final day is spent with campers vs coaches in the beautiful stadium and parents can come watch. The staff is outstanding and my daughter went to multiple sessions the summer starting at U9 up through U12. Highly recommend - it's very affordable and convenient (if you're on this side of town). At that age, she also did Future Stars camp at Oglethorpe - it's day and residential - she liked that one a lot, too. Great coaching and a fun time (haul of a drive for us from where we are but we made it work). For the past three years, she's done the residential camp at UGA - the rules changed just as she turned 12 about the commuter age - she would not have been allowed to be residential the first year she attended. She has loved this camp. part of it is the excitement of being away from home but she's gotten great instruction and even more important, had such fun it just enhances her love of the game. This is what she looks forward to every year - that time at UGA with her soccer friends from her own club and others she's met over the years. UGA has one co-ed session in early June - the rest are girls for the residential - I think the commuters are still co-ed. Yuo can look on the UGA website for details - www.georgiasoccercamp.comMy advice - from a formerly crazed pushy soccer mom - U9 is too young for the residential camps. Even if your kid isn't one who would get homesick, at that age, they're not going to make the best choices about what they're eating or doing. My daughter saw a handful of U9-10 girls get pretty sick at UGA camp because they were eating all the junk they probably couldn't have at home. One girl spent two days in the infirmary - which equates to a total waste of her parents money if they paid for a soccer camp. At U9 - try Kennesaw or Oglethorpe first -have your player do some pick up games for fun with friends and teammates over the summer. Skills will come with play - let them enjoy it now and continue to love the game when they're older. We also saw some kids quit completely after their parents burnt them out with a soccer camp a week over summers. It's a fine line between using the summer to hone skills and burning the kid out with a zillion camps and sessions. No personal experience but I hear the Lundy camps are good, too. I've heard mixed reviews about the FC Barcelona camps - I think boys enjoy it better than girls. Good luck
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Post by spectator on May 20, 2014 8:16:24 GMT -5
Oy - the season that will not end - our make up game is either June 1 or 2! Then the madness of tryouts starts. Then soccer camp - then team camp - squeeze a family vacation in there and by the time all this is over, the kids will be headed back to school in early August - IT. NEVER. ENDS!
Calgon (or tequila) - - take me away!!!!
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Post by spectator on May 19, 2014 12:05:14 GMT -5
not for us - our makeup game from a earlier rainout got rained out yesterday. Scrambling to find a dry field, time and officials to complete it. This same thing happened last year with a Savannah team - had to take a 0-0 tie and call it incompleted game. At least this club is local but still scrambling
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Post by spectator on May 15, 2014 16:38:58 GMT -5
For Vulcan Cup in AL, we had to use a specific agency that messed up so badly we were scrambling for rooms at check in! If they're going to mandate who and how you book, they need to hire competant companies.
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Post by spectator on May 13, 2014 22:15:55 GMT -5
Thanks to everyone for the advice! I think we are at the exact type of Club spectator described: One where the second team folds (or is just really weak) because there's not enough talent or warm bodies after the 1st team. So now we're thrown into looking at clubs based on location, where your kid's other school teammates play, what teams and coaches we liked when our kids played them and reputation, just in case things don't work out. Right now, my kid's immediate goal is to start as a freshman on the high school team. And so I guess the larger question is if you are coming from the lower end of a top team at a smaller club, think GFC, Dacula or NSA (pre-UFA) and you are looking at the bigger clubs, AFU, GSA and CF, how would someone decide amongst them, if location isn't a big deal? And does the difference between Classic I/Athena A and Classic II-IV/Athena B-E matter that much in terms of talent, speed of play and that your teammates may be less serious? Or is playing on an Classic III/Athena C team after 8th grade mean that your kid will never become used to the speed of play needed to play high level soccer? It depends on the school. Some high school teams take rec players . It depends on the coach and the tryouts
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Post by spectator on May 13, 2014 19:41:26 GMT -5
WE ROCK!
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Post by spectator on May 13, 2014 19:39:15 GMT -5
Well - your coach absolutely cannot recruit until after a certain time -I think either after state cup or a few days before tryouts. He can lose his coaching license or job if he does. So be careful. Last year a coach with rising a rising U13 team got busted and fired for just that and the entire team broke up and scattered to other clubs.
What you as a parent can do is reach out to any players you know personally from school or former teams and tell them your situation - specifically anything positive or key points that would pull them to your club. if you have friends at one of the clubs you want to recruit from, get them to get the word out about your specific age group/gender and position it as a move to a higher level team but at a smaller club. The fact you're moving up though, I bet you'll get kids coming to tryouts anyway. Good luck
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Post by spectator on May 13, 2014 19:32:33 GMT -5
I'll take the other side of what lovethegame said. My kid was that bubble player who faced the disappointment of not making the top team. She became one of the strongest on the lower level team, though and in the end learned more and got more from that year of experience than she would have on the bench of a higher level team. Her coach told her the game was the best teacher and he'd play her until she raised her hand to come out. I think she played all but 10 minutes in an entire season and had the opportunity to be a leader on that team - something that really can't be taught except by doing and rarely does a young player get that opportunity. Playing at a lower/slower level also helped her hone skills for a variety of positions - she played every one except goalie and I'd bet you had he needed her in there, the coach would have given her that chance too.
We were at a small club and unfortunately too many girls left the game, the club didn't draw any new talent so that little team disbanded. BUT she and some of her teammates went to other club's tryouts and what they learned helped them all make a higher level team. They've made new friends, done very well and are a very tight group. And she's at an age where this is all her choice - for the next several years, I'm just the vehicle to get her where she needs to be - she's putting in the work.
One other thing - look at the size and depth of the club you are at or are considering. The talent differential at our smaller club was vast - we were crippled by our subs and it was painfully obvious that some kids were there for the social aspect not to learn and grow as a player. On her current team, it doesn't matter who subs in - they're all about equal. in fact almost every girl on her current team has scored a goal at some point in the season and many are interchangeable at any position. The depth has gotten them far and bonded them together well. No one feels like the 'star' or the last one picked.
But in the end, you know your kid - what he or she will respond to and work with. If at tryouts you hear a certain coach barking at kids and your child is sensitive to that, don't play there. If your kid has close friends at one club or another and has the opportunity to play with them, let him or her make that choice.
Also opposite of lovethegame, my kid has announced she probably DOESN'T want to play in college because the career she's aspiring to will be hard academically. She knows there are soccer clubs on campuses and would probably love that instead but she's not aspiring to get a soccer scholarship and play for 4 years. (She's not in high school yet so we'll see what changes but again, it's her life - her decision - I'm just the spectator in that part of it now! (And now y'all know the origin of my user name LOL)
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Headers
May 13, 2014 9:38:20 GMT -5
Post by spectator on May 13, 2014 9:38:20 GMT -5
First, I see very little need to head a towering punt, despite having done it a thousand times myself. The ones I remember (no pun intended) stinging the most are the line drive crosses or shots coming from close range. Absorbing that kind of energy comes at a price. S o take the punt with your feet or chest, play it first touch to a teammate's foot and get busy. Only problem there - GIRLS SOCCER! They've taken a few to the chest before and come up with 'Owwwww' afterwards. LOL I hear you on the hard punts - that ER doc may want to go check out the U14 Athens girls in about 5-10 years - every single punt they took it with their heads - we even commented on it during our game that it was really really a lot of heading when it didn't need to be. And in our game Sunday, there were a lot of pop up balls the girls were taking with their heads -I didn't think any of them were that hard but they must have been. I think when they practice header drills, the ball isn't as hard as it'd be in a game so maybe they get too comfortable and fearless when they're in a game taking those hits? Who knows - I think their competitive spirit takes over most times and they play like they're all nine feet tall and bulletproof!
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Headers
May 12, 2014 13:53:57 GMT -5
Post by spectator on May 12, 2014 13:53:57 GMT -5
our club does the concussion baseline testing - we hadn't gotten around to it so I wonder how this will affect any baseline?
I've seen the headbands and told the ER doc about them, He said that may cushion a blow but would not prevent a concussion and that no company or product should ever say they can 'prevent' anything like that. This guy was vehemently anti-header. He basically said no headers or no soccer at all. The second ER doc wasn't as militant but did say to avoid all activity if she had headaches this week.
My daughter is fine today - she was fine last night after she had the IV fluids so we're thinking it was more heat and dehydration. She doesn't sub out and it was hot as Hades yesterday - and muggy! Several of our players said they felt sick during/after the game. The only symptom of a concussion my kid had was the headache - no nausea or dizzyness - just a hurt head - which honestly, could have been taking a header the wrong way, getting shoved down to the ground a few times or pollen (we all have allergies). She ate (a lot) last night, kept everything down and felt good - albeit sore - this morning.
She's sitting out today and we'll see how she feels the rest of the week for activities. I need to tell her coach what the ER doc was saying and get the coach's take on how to protect kids while still playing the game. We don't want to wait until we have a bunch of kids with severe brain damage to prove this doctor was right - but surely there's some way to protect players without padding them up like football players or banning headers entirely.
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Headers
May 12, 2014 9:08:15 GMT -5
Post by spectator on May 12, 2014 9:08:15 GMT -5
My daughter suffered heat exhaustion and a mild concussion yesterday in our game. We went to the ER as a precaution - she wasn't showing the symptoms of a concussion initially but she was definitely out of it and not herself. It was a very physical game and she did take a hard hard hit and came up woozy. NOT the Mother's Day present I wanted but she's OK now so I'm grateful! The ER doc lectured - I mean strongly reprimanded and lectured - us on the dangers of headers citing 'recent articles'. The most recent I could find is this one: www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2014/02/soccer_headers_and_children_why_kids_shouldn_t_be_allowed_to_hit_the_ball.htmlI know as they get older, the force of the ball is much stronger but honestly, how do you avoid a header when everyone in the game is taking them? When she was feeling better and the ER doc had left, my daughter asked how was she supposed to play the ball if it's in the air? And how would a 'no headers' rule ever be enforced - would the ref call it like an offsides and allow the other team to kick from the mark? Above all I want to protect the players but these kids play hard - I can't see them not going all out and trying to win the ball even if it involves their head. Your thoughts?
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Post by spectator on May 9, 2014 13:54:23 GMT -5
Answering your RPL/ECNL questions
Fall 2014 - all ECNL clubs will take those teams and only play ECNL - no regular season games via Georgia Soccer however, they are able to move ECNL rostered girls to any other team on their club regardless of level. Concorde and AFU will do this to get their teams promoted. It sucks but it's 'legal' by GA soccer rules. For now.
RPL is determined any of three ways
First - winner of state cup - automatic berth in RPL (pending some disaster in Fall play) Second - the 1-4 finishers in fall play at U13 determine the rest of RPL. Nine time out of ten the top four has the state cup winner already in there so you're just filling in the gaps. Third - your club DOC can lobby for placement based on national play - this happened on the boys side with Concorde leapfrogging over the #4 team to scoot into RPL
ECNL and RPL are two totally separate entities and never the twain shall meet (except in State Cup or National matches) - meaning the GSA Pre-ECNL team right now at U13 will not be the same GSA team you would meet in Athena A this fall. In some cases, that may mean the club won't have an "A" level team - AFU's Elite team at U14 started at Athena C and moved up to B - whereas last year the AFU Elite team (name) was in Athena A.
And if this isn't enough for you - let's play out a mind blowing scenario regarding current U13 girls.
We've stated here several times that the Roswell U13 girls were obviously misplaced by being put in CD in Fall. They stormed through there and were promoted to Athena B for spring. Showing strong again and most likely will move to Athena A for Fall 2014.
BUT - Remember, the winner of State Cup gets an automatic berth in RPL. Should Roswell win State Cup (and I believe they can make a good run at it) they will be in RPL without ever playing an Athena A game! Stay tuned, folks - this is gonna get interesting in Columbus!!!
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Post by spectator on May 7, 2014 13:19:43 GMT -5
Fall of U13 is a crapshoot. Too many variables in placements and those placing the teams are not psychic. For the most part, teams will be properly placed but there are always a few who are way over or way undersold. You'll see that clearly with the final results in Fall. Come Spring, it starts to even out a little but there are still misplaced teams scattered among the brackets.
Rifle is right - at U14 and beyond - unless teams completely implode with new or leaving players of different levels - you are where you are. Go look at the scores in Classic and Athena U14-U15 brackets - most games are 1-2 goal differentials not blowouts like you see at U13.
But yeah - don't worry about it and don't get caught up in whatever number or letter is on the bracket. They're still kids at U13 - they're not vying for scholarships at U13 and I guarantee you at least 1/4 of the players you see at U13 will not still be playing by U16. Kids develop different interests, start to concentrate more on schoolwork or activities or just burn out.
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Post by spectator on May 7, 2014 13:10:37 GMT -5
good summary. stressful time. what teams are certain coaches coaching. fear of the unknown. i'm 99.99% confident on what teams my kid will be on come tryouts, but still you never know. i've always said, that if you have been at a club for the entire year and longer, there is no reason your fate should be decided by 3 days in may/june. now, if you are a borderline player, that would be an exception. part of the problem of what i've noticed is --- when new players show up at tryouts, they are new, look different, and look better (even if they are not). they kind of have a glow to them... We were the 'newbies' last year and you're 100% correct - those players do get the hardest look because coaches know what they have and don't have. However - a good coach will also realize that to knock an existing player off a roster, the newbie has to be "better than" not "as good as" the existing player. Unless the newbie is really glowing, most coaches will show loyalty to team chemistry - at least at our club they did. Here's what I really dislike about tryouts - they should END when they END! If cupcake isn't selected for the elite team at your own club, don't go shopping for a private tryout to get on another club's elite roster. I think that's incredibly unfair and unethical to do that once tryouts are over!
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Post by spectator on May 7, 2014 9:28:35 GMT -5
New coaches, rumors, who's leaving, who's staying, ECNL, RPL . . . .GAH!!!
Parents are already jockeying to suck up to coaches or scout out new clubs since 'THEIR PLAYER' is just too good for the team they're on now.
Newsflash - not every player is DA, ECNL. RPL, Classic 1 or Athena A material and there are way way way more teams below those levels than there are at those levels so basic economics of supply and demand comes into play here. JUST PLAY SOCCER! Why do parents get so uber competitive and start shopping teams every single year??
My kid is a good solid player - she's not elite, she won't get a D1 scholarship - she's even said she doesn't think she wants to play in college and just hopes to make her high school team one day. She's on a pretty good team now - not tearing up the bracket - not sucking either. The other girls on the team are great kids, the parents are fun and for the most part not overly psycho (come one, every team has at least one so if you have less than two, that's amazing! LOL). We like the coaches in the club and overall it's been a good experience. And even if her team was not doing well, it's HER DECISION as to whether to stay or go. She's the one playing, practicing and spending time with the other players - she gets to make that call unless something illegal or immoral is going on and then we as her parents will step in.
And yet, every single year, tryouts become this stressful week of wondering and watching multiple players hop to multiple clubs to try to collect as many offers as they can get. 99.99% of the time, it's their parents making that call. JUST LET THEM PLAY!
Sorry - just venting/ranting - dreading the process again this year!
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Post by spectator on May 5, 2014 14:33:05 GMT -5
It really depends on the year. When my daughter was playing Academy Cup - three Top Hat teams were there but no Concorde, AFU, UFA, or GSA - all but UFA are ECNL clubs so maybe that's the factor there. Your placement for U13 is really about how your club or DOC presents the teams. They can use how you finished in Academy cup at U12 plus your other record plus how well your DOC presents or lies about the teams. Or in some cases, IF he shows up at all. Academy Cup isn't what it used to be - I liked it better when it was U12 only and was the main way teams got placed for U13. Now it's just another money maker for the state by letting the younger age groups play. President's Cup used to be for Academy teams as well as Select/Athena - not it's just B/Classic 2 and below.
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Post by spectator on Apr 15, 2014 10:12:53 GMT -5
Have to share this story since you mentioned UNC. A former co-worker of mine has a daughter who played all through high school and was given offers at many D2-D3 level schools in NC (where they live). She had her heart set on UNC and knew there was no way she would be able to play there but decided to go for the academics. Once there, she (and a group of other former soccer players) discovered club rugby and fell in love with the sport. She played club rugby all four years she was at UNC and was scouted by the US Women's Rugby Team. Fast forward a few years, she's on the US team winning a world cup! Point is - go to school to go to school - you may find a new passion in a new sport while there but at least you'll get a good degree!
One more thing - our coach said to a group of parents recently that in our age group at our club, she doubts there's but 1-2 players that will ever see a D1 scholarship. That's not a slam on any player's abilities or desires, but the cold truth of the depth and competition at this age group. She also said to pick the school for the degree not the soccer.
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Post by spectator on Apr 15, 2014 10:02:39 GMT -5
My daughter did a few camps at that age - KSU Soccer camps are great for younger ages - especially for girls. The final day they get to play against coaches in the KSU stadium and it's great fun. Very affordable camp - we've done multiple sessions when she was U9-U11. She did Future Stars at that age, too. www.fssoccercamps.com/camps.php little further of a drive since it's down at Oglethorpe but a good camp. UGA Camp is awesome. This will be my daughter's fourth year going. They did change the residential rules that a camper must be 12 years old to stay in the dorms so you've got a few years before doing that one but I highly recommend. I've heard good things about Lundy camps and you can be as young as 9 to do the overnight camps. Honestly for your daughter's age and if you're up in the Canton area, KSU is a great deal and a great camp!
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Post by spectator on Apr 14, 2014 11:51:00 GMT -5
At the fields yesterday there were some 'Little Kickers' games going on as well. Their games were on the lower fields so they had to walk by our field to leave. Cute cute cute kids and for the most part all smiles with their juice boxes and snacks. EXCEPT:
One heavy set father in a red shirt totally berating his 3 or 4 year old daughter. Saying things like "If you don't want to play serious soccer, we won't waste our time here>" "You missed a few shots - pay attention!". The little girl was in tears walking about two feet behind her dad who never shut up the entire time. By the time he reached the end of our parents, one of our fathers said "Chill, Dude - at that age, it's not that serious!" The psycho dad glared at our dad but did shut up. I just wanted to go hug that little girl.
Seriously - this little girl was probably still in pre-school - it IS supposed to be just a fun day in the sun when you're 3 or 4. What an ass of a father to fuss at her - even if she was in 'picking daisies' mode during the game, it's little kids soccer - just an activity to get them to like the game and want to continue. I bet that little girl quits and never comes back to the game - sad!
As for our game, I'm much more aware of parents on the sidelines now since my kid has continued with her referee assignments. The 'coaching' from the sidelines is ridiculous - especially after the Academy ages (or even Academy for the most part). By then, the coaches/kids have an idea what they're doing right and wrong and are capable of making their decisions to help them learn. You really should not tell them every single move to make!
But if I could find that father who was yelling at his little girl, I'd smack him upside his head and say 'GET A CLUE! - you just ruined a great game for your daughter!!!" Jerk!!!
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Post by spectator on Apr 3, 2014 14:05:54 GMT -5
Spring of U14.
The ECNL teams don't even play in GA Soccer - they have their own schedule of teams so it's completely separate. Supposedly the top finishers in Fall play at U14 are the RPL teams - GA is guaranteed two teams but usually sends four. They play teams in SC, NC and FL - Region 3. At U15, depending on how you place there, you move to Southern Premier League and play other state's top teams.
U14 Spring and forward, the 2-4 RPL teams only play RPL but return for State Cup. You can 'lose' your spot in RPL based on performance. I think that even if a team from a club with ECNL finished in the top four spots, they cannot go RPL but if I'm wrong someone can jump in and correct me. Example - if Concorde Elite had finished #1 at U14 Girls, they wouldn't be eligible for RPL since Concorde is an ECNL club and has a team playing there.
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