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Post by greenmonkey on May 4, 2018 14:51:11 GMT -5
Why wouldn't the ECNL team pull the best from both locations??? NOW that is a very good question. Regardless of boys or girls teams! UFA, CF, GSA and NTH all have multiple locations (no idea about SSA or AFU) so one would "assume" that one reason for these strategic mergers, partnerships, and alliances is so that: the "top 18" from the club who are interested and talented enough regardless of location would be rostered DA(GDA), then next 18 (players 18-36) ECNL(girls - are boys considering ECNL the second level after DA), then next 18 (players 36-54) would be rostered on level 3 But then you read comments all throughout this thread about all the "which team is that playing what level out of which location". So I have to remind myself to stop looking for logic and reason it what appears to be a very unlogical and unreasonable system. But I AM VERY INTERESTED in hearing if anyone has a real answer to you why not both question?
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Post by greenmonkey on May 3, 2018 11:50:34 GMT -5
So now all of a sudden u13/u14 are a combined team? HHMMM??? That's new. I am not sure That is true. Both Tophat and Concorde had U13 girls playing with the U14 DA in 2017-2018. I think it is just to encourage 06 girls that are qualified to tryout . Still questioning the U13/14 GDA Was under impression GDA was a single age group at U14 only (unless USSDA has changed and not informed the general public) and also under impression no play-ups in GDA? This GDA/ECNL girls U13/U14 years are so confusing until any decisions are or are not finalized with which 3 do or dont have DA which 2 do or dont have both GDA and ECNL if anyone is all inECNL and how AFU with ECNL and not part of big 5 SCCL and GSA with ECNL and yes they are part of big 5. Just speculation and indecision ... Welcome to May Madness!
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Post by greenmonkey on May 2, 2018 22:39:45 GMT -5
So grumpy if AU trys to field GDA before Atlanta gets an NWSL team. You hear me Mr B?! The Boston Breakers were ripe for the picking!
smiles
GM
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Post by greenmonkey on May 2, 2018 20:33:15 GMT -5
AFU has positioned themselves wisely by keeping ECNL and SRPL. The question is weather their coaches are motivated enough to recruit girls being relegated to the new club league. The big clubs will delay an announcement to confuse current members. Time is running out quickly. A serious question. Why do the AFU coaches need to be motivated to "recruit". Who do they recruit? How do they recruit? Mostly we are talking girls age 12-15 right? Are the girls really driving themselves, paying for their own soccer, making the final decisions? Unless you are brand new to Georgia Soccer (and bless your heart if you are) by the time your girl is age 12-15 and you live driving distance to any of these big six clubs you have figured out the 3 that have DA (for now) and the 4 that have ECNL (for now) Did you mean recruit the next level team SRPL etc? And at that level why do coaches need to recruit players? There are certainly plenty of clubs in this town to support every single 12-15 year old girl who wants to play soccer at whatever level of play their skill, talent, interest, and desire. How about instead of recruiting (which frankly happens to us as and by parents than it does way more than coaches) what if clubs were just transparent with basics like who is coaching, what tournaments they expect to play in, etc. And coaches were honest about what skills the individual player has, needs to develop, and made parents aware of the plan? Again my honest questions no sarcasm or attitude. GM
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Post by greenmonkey on May 1, 2018 18:23:52 GMT -5
greenmonkey for the first two years GDA is a single year(14, 15), it's the U17s and U19s that are double years. That’s the conflicting info ... GDA website and the current year was 14,15 single year But Concorde is posting www.concordefire.com/tryouts Girls 2005/2006 Central location USSDA and NTH Top is posting pricing for GDA as U13/14 GDA versus the U13 ECNL pricing
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Post by greenmonkey on May 1, 2018 18:11:57 GMT -5
Really? If TH and CF choose girls ECNL over GDA that makes UFA the only GDA in town?! Imagine the FOMO 400 North Commute LOL okay but seriously Why would ECNL want two TH teams and two CF teams (like the Michigan Hawks) per age group and then AFU and GSA now that makes 6 ECNL teams in metro atlanta?! Does ECNL girls have two divisions an upper and a lower? Plus a few mergers and aquisitions (nasa/th/lsa) and (gsa/davula) plus alternate locations (concorde central/north/south/west/ais and UFA forsyth/nprcross/milton/lawrencville/) oh and of course the age mandate ... and I forgot the move for 06s now from Academy to whatever alphabet soup and I think somewhere along the line they are moving to 11v11 this year too. Seriously lets just take all the girls to mercedes benz and do a u13 and up soccer combine and draft. LOL
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Post by greenmonkey on May 1, 2018 14:59:06 GMT -5
So with 3 weeks before camps no one seriously has a clue if TopHat and Concorde are keeping DA AND ECNL?
It is hard enough with the fact that the Girls DA is not single age groups.
So is 1/2 the DA team playing ECNL every other year or playing SCCL the non DA year?
So if you are an ENCL player at TH or CF then every other year when the DA girls get pushed down to ECNL now the lower half of the ECNL team moves down to SCCL? Then the lower half of the players on THAT team get pushed down to Athena?
So if you are at UFA and there in no ECNL then you play every other year at DA and then move to Norcross the next year for SCCL and then back to UFA for DA the following year?
At least at GSA or AFU if a girl is ECNL then they know they what level they are playing at and with who (as far as teammates for the next few years).
If there is no TEAM development then why play as a team ... Maybe they should just run Skills Camps and Clinics and Player Development Training all year long and forego TEAM play. (okay that last one was just ranting but I am curious if everyone says its about player development and the quality of your coach how do any of these split age groups in DA help anyone on the bubble and the second teams?)
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Post by greenmonkey on May 1, 2018 13:56:03 GMT -5
Why do they have to choose? Granted I am not "in the know" but the Concorde Tryout Pages are updated and state: When registering for DA, select Central as your tryout location When registering for ECNL, select Central as your tryout location www.concordefire.com/tryoutsGM
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Post by greenmonkey on Jun 7, 2017 15:54:27 GMT -5
It's the time of year for this to make its way around the internet and it's definitely a great reminder of why many parents choose to allow their kids to play club sports.
One of my friends asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kids to do all their sports”? Well I have a confession to make; I don't pay for my kids to to do sports. Personally, I couldn't care less about what sport they do.
So, if I am not paying for sports what am I paying for?
- I pay for those moments when my kids become so tired they want to quit but don't.
- I pay for those days when my kids come home from school and are "too tired" to go to their training but they go anyway.
- I pay for my kids to learn to be disciplined, focused and dedicated.
- I pay for my kids to learn to take care of their body and equipment.
- I pay for my kids to learn to work with others and to be good team mates, gracious in defeat and humble in success.
- I pay for my kids to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don't get that placing or title they'd hoped for, but still they go back week after week giving it their best shot.
- I pay for my kids to learn to make and accomplish goals.
- I pay for my kids to respect, not only themselves, but other athletes, officials and coaches.
- I pay for my kids to learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years of hard work and practice to create a champion and that success does not happen overnight.
- I pay for my kids to be proud of small achievements, and to work towards long term goals.
- I pay for the opportunity my kids have and will have to make life-long friendships, create lifelong memories, to be as proud of their achievements as I am.
- I pay so that my kids can be out on the field or in the gym instead of in front of a screen...
...I could go on but, to be short, I don't pay for sports; I pay for the opportunities that sports provides my kids with to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their lives and give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others. From what I have seen so far I think it is a great investment!
~Unknown
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Post by greenmonkey on May 25, 2017 14:15:06 GMT -5
Competition: Not just Athena/Select levels but add the additional leagues AND then add DA, ECNL, ENCL, etc.
Clubs: Now there are even "pre-ECNL" and "pre-DA" teams at U12/13 girls and two clubs only have one or the other (UFA girls DA and AFU with ECNL) And 2 other clubs TopHat and Concorde have both. Not sure on the boys side. Also there are many many great clubs depending on your grading scale that probably make lots of soccer players and their families very happy.
Coaches: Many of the "top team" coaches at the "top clubs" seem to come with diverse parent opinions. Lots of you either love them or you don't.
So how do YOU prioritize?
As for us we are Coach, Competition, then Club
GM
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Post by greenmonkey on May 15, 2017 9:12:05 GMT -5
I forgot to mention in my long reply that many clubs will be having open house pretryout camps next week. That's a way for your player to get a small feel for the coach.
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Post by greenmonkey on May 13, 2017 22:33:27 GMT -5
When we moved to Atlanta from out of state we were overwhelmed by the sheer number of great clubs and teams in the U8-U12 age groups. Lots of advice and most of it great advice but sometimes it wasn't the "right" advice for either my daughter or our family.
Things to think about: Do you prefer her to have the same coach and the same team all season or would you rather she was part of a pool of players that had access to multiple coaches during training and games. There are pros and cons to both scenarios but one may work better for her player development than the other.
Does she want the flexibility to play other sports or activities? Some clubs may only have 2 mandatory trainings but the "optional" or "additional" trainings or development opportunities may not be as optional as you would prefer.
As for our player we made the "mistake" of choosing a "great club" and assuming that a strong performing club would give her the best coaching experience and learned in our case finding the right coach was more important to her player development than finding the right club.
Some clubs will start listing "coaching" projections on their website. Some clubs you just know who the coaches will be for the "top teams". Some parents may have started hearing "rumors" of which coaches at their clubs are taking which age groups. Etc etc etc
There are two bigger tournaments coming up next weekend. The UFA extreme cup and The NASA TopHat Tournament. If your daughter isn't already playing go watch a few of the coaches at the clubs you think you are thinking about. Ask the parents on the sidelines what they like about their coaches. Etc etc etc
One last thing you posted she is 11 is she 06 or 05?
The U12 Academy versus U13 Athena might make a difference in recommendations depending on her skill level.
Keep asking questions here now that you have had a chance to see a few responses. We just went through this ourselves so I can share more insight if you have more specific questions.
GM
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Post by greenmonkey on Mar 2, 2017 18:25:47 GMT -5
I love travel soccer because of the travel ... I think it's a primary reason a player (or their family) plays or pays for travel soccer. The opportunity to travel, out of state, around the region, and hopefully even out of the region is in theory the point behind travel soccer. Notice I didn't say competition soccer. Yes there is plenty of competitive soccer locally. And certainly enough teams and "talent" that you can stay local and play competitively at just about any level at any age and it would likely be less expensive to do so. Unfortunately my player is not on the top team at their club and therefore is not scheduled to travel to tournaments or games out of the local area. In youth sports it's impossible to make everyone (or sometimes to make anyone) happy. Too much travel or not enough travel? I guess it comes down to what are you trying to achieve? You are right competitive soccer at any level can be accomplished without travel but it seems for us travel soccer can not be accomplished without being on a top level team.
Bottom line as with anything else in parenting is you just make the decision that works best for your family! Have a great spring season regardless of how far or close to home field you play!
Cheers,
GM
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Post by greenmonkey on Dec 6, 2016 15:34:59 GMT -5
Oh I didn't realize that Atlanta United was adding a NWSL team too?! How did I miss that?! That is going to be AMAZING! Makes sense tho that they would add women's teams to the existing markets.
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Post by greenmonkey on Dec 5, 2016 23:32:18 GMT -5
We have no super y experience in our household ... we were "told" 3v3 summer leagues were "the way to go" I love your "pro" reasoning of "regardless of club affiliation (besides DA) kids could go play with their buddies/friends or even a coach they like at club that offered super y. It was a more casual experience ... " But I think the same soccer "goals" were accomplished during our 3v3 summers and plus the benefits of Fun Fast games with tons of touches while hanging out all day with friends ... plus Koana Ice GM
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Post by greenmonkey on Dec 5, 2016 23:21:33 GMT -5
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Post by greenmonkey on Nov 15, 2016 13:38:03 GMT -5
Lots of trainings cancelled this week due to smoke and air quality. Hope we get a wind change or something before tournaments this weekend. Usually we are watching the weather for COLD and RAIN and MORE RAIN this time of year never figured we would be cancelling soccer because of a drought. Keep safe everyone.
GM
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Post by greenmonkey on Oct 13, 2016 13:04:23 GMT -5
SEEKING SOCCER PLAYERS!!
For a FEATURE FILM, New Life Casting is seeking REAL soccer players!!!! MUST HAVE SOCCER SKILLS.
MALES, ages 10 to 13 and
MALE AND FEMALES 16+ ADULTS PLAYING YOUNGER IS A PLUS!!!
HOMESCHOOLED children a plus due to scheduling purposes!
This will be filming in the NORTH ATLANTA area between mid-October and December.
Please send 3 photos, one headshot, one full body against a blank wall and one in uniform ( if you still have one) - include age, height, weight, and clothing sizes - please list all soccer experience - please note if you are homeschooled and how flexible your schedule is. - please list any acting experience -list city of residence ( must work as local in GA)
submit to: Unitedextras@gmail.com
subject line: Soccer age/sex example: Soccer M/ 12 yrs ( please note in subject line if you are homeschooled)
** Feel free to share with your soccer friends!
** We are booking this ASAP, so get your submissions in.
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Post by greenmonkey on Aug 13, 2016 9:19:10 GMT -5
speechless
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Post by greenmonkey on Aug 13, 2016 9:03:44 GMT -5
Just curious if anyone puts any "credibility" behind the commentary that no team has won the Olympics the year after they won the World Cup?
I understand taper and recovery process etc. But there are a lot of players who retired or on maternity leave and lots of talented additions to the team. But there is also a lot to be said for the fact the Pia coached so many of our players previously.
GM
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Post by greenmonkey on Aug 7, 2016 8:16:44 GMT -5
Fingers crossed "we" don't have a soccer game scheduled that afternoon ... Any chance all the DOCs could just agree not to play that day?? GM Attachments:
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Post by greenmonkey on Aug 7, 2016 8:09:50 GMT -5
Missed Julie Johnson last night and Mallory Pugh. But I think Tobin Heath was MVP ... Wow she looked solid and loved seeing her footwork. Looked like France plays a pretty fast physical game and was a great matchup for USA!
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Post by greenmonkey on Jun 30, 2016 15:40:28 GMT -5
nwslsoccer.com/six-nwsl-clubs-admitted-to-u-s-soccer-girls-development-academy?sf30039383=1U.S. Soccer is excited to welcome the following clubs: Beach SC (Calif.) Boston Breakers (Mass.) CASL (N.C.) Cincinnati Development Academy (Kings Hammer/CUP) (Ohio) Colorado Rush (Colo.) Concorde Fire (Ga.) Crossfire (Wash.) De Anza Force (Calif.) FC Dallas (Texas) LAFC Slammers (Calif.) Lamorinda (Calif.) Michigan Hawks (Mich.) Mustang (Calif.) Tophat NTH (Ga.) Orlando Pride (Fla.) Penn Fusion SA (Penn.) Portland Thorns (Ore.) Real Colorado (Colo.) San Diego Surf (Calif.) Seattle Reign (Wash.) Sky Blue - PDA (N.J.) So Cal Blues (Calif.) Sockers FC (Ill.) Solar Chelsea SC (Texas) Washington Spirit Academy (Md.)
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Post by greenmonkey on May 7, 2016 21:47:19 GMT -5
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Post by greenmonkey on Apr 16, 2016 20:08:18 GMT -5
You go GIRL ... Why not start the NWSL season off with a bicycle kick?!
Washington Spirit @washspirit 3' GOALLLLLL Joanna Lohman with the bicycle kick goal to start the season off in style. Dunn with the assist #WASvBOS
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Post by greenmonkey on Apr 16, 2016 18:44:10 GMT -5
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Post by greenmonkey on Apr 16, 2016 18:10:50 GMT -5
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Post by greenmonkey on Apr 13, 2016 21:54:24 GMT -5
Crazy that I know this but Kid Uber is a thing on the west coast already ... GM shuddle.us
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Post by greenmonkey on Apr 13, 2016 15:30:50 GMT -5
Batgirl saves the day and explains equal pay. GM
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Post by greenmonkey on Mar 31, 2016 11:40:20 GMT -5
Thank you so much for the more in-depth resources ... My only "news source" on this came from Alex Morgans Facebook post this morning ... Today, I joined my teammates to file an action with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions, accusing the US Soccer Federation (USSF), of wage discrimination on behalf of our entire US Women’s National Team. This is not only about equal pay – we get paid less than half of our male counterparts – but also equal treatment. We deserve to play in top-notch, grass-only facilities like the U.S. Men’s National Team, not dangerous turf fields. We want to have decent travel accommodations. We have dedicated our lives to this sport and our country and we love soccer and our fans. We think it’s high time for employers to truly address the inequality and do not only what is fair, but what is right. We decided to do this for all of the little girls across the country and around the world who deserve to have a voice, and if we don’t leverage the voice we have, we are letting them down. We hope you’ll join us in learning more about the issue and supporting us as we push forward. #equalplayequalpay I wasn't convinced about the "altruistic" its not us we are doing it for the little girls rhetoric until I hear my ten year old watch the USMNT game in Columbus on TV and shockingly exclaim "That's not fair ... How come "THEY" get to play on such a nice field?! ... and the women have to play on all those yucky dirt fields?" I missed the appearance on the Today Show this morning but did read the article online from The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/03/31/five-u-s-womens-soccer-players-file-wage-discrimination-complaint/What is that old adage about there is no such thing as bad publicity? I hope that is true regardless of how this turns out ... And I have no doubt it will be long and drawn-out and air much bureaucratic dirty laundry. GM
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