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Post by rifle on Mar 28, 2024 20:47:02 GMT -5
I read “two GA clubs” on the GA soccer forum.. then I realize it meant Girls Academy not Georgia.
I don’t feel like I have standing to say anything in judgment. No personal experience other than knowing two families with trans kids (and my 19 year old knows a handful as well). I’m mostly sympathetic toward them. They’re not having an easy time at all. None of the ones I know are remotely close to leveraging their status to win a sport. I really wonder how this topic gains any momentum.. it mostly seems like grasping at straws.
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Post by rifle on Mar 27, 2024 15:20:04 GMT -5
Let me know when teams are promoted or relegated. You will see pro/rel end at the highest level in MOST of the rest of the world before you see it in MLS. Super League incoming. And that’ll be a shame. Money certainly tips the scales in Europe but an open pyramid that aligns like-level clubs to compete is a good thing not a bad thing. You’re free to like it or not like it but that’s my belief. MLS being run like NFL (minus the very important ability to sell advertising) is crippling the growth of the game in this country. Helping NY and LA make the playoffs is if no value if you can’t sell commercials - so you might as well grow the game in more markets. If USSF gives men’s USL the same D1 sanction they have given to USL women, good things will follow. Nevertheless… if Roswell builds it and they come, I’ll be among them.
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Post by rifle on Mar 26, 2024 20:35:30 GMT -5
I understand the news story is about women’s soccer. Let me know when MLS loses its grip on the good old boys club that is the US Soccer federation, and we get an open pyramid in men’s or women’s pro soccer. That's what USL is doing with women's soccer. It's an open pyramid. Let me know when teams are promoted or relegated.
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Post by rifle on Mar 26, 2024 19:53:32 GMT -5
I happen to live in Roswell and love soccer but I’m not holding my breath for **franchise ball** that is forever unable to climb a pyramid. At least (I think) it isn’t USL coming with some investor to try and steal a fanbase like they did in Chattanooga. Pro soccer in America is jacked up, and MLS isn’t going to let that change. If this was an entry into an open pyramid I’d be very excited. Otherwise it might as well be the Dutch Lions gimmick in Conyers. Maybe I'm misinterpreting you, but this thread seems to be geared more towards the potential of a women's team than a men's team. Which, if it happens, will include just about everything the you mentioned the situation lacking. I understand the news story is about women’s soccer. Let me know when MLS loses its grip on the good old boys club that is the US Soccer federation, and we get an open pyramid in men’s or women’s pro soccer.
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Post by rifle on Mar 26, 2024 18:06:57 GMT -5
I happen to live in Roswell and love soccer but I’m not holding my breath for **franchise ball** that is forever unable to climb a pyramid. At least (I think) it isn’t USL coming with some investor to try and steal a fanbase like they did in Chattanooga. Pro soccer in America is jacked up, and MLS isn’t going to let that change.
If this was an entry into an open pyramid I’d be very excited. Otherwise it might as well be the Dutch Lions gimmick in Conyers.
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Post by rifle on Mar 25, 2024 18:30:32 GMT -5
I refereed a low level U13G “select” game Sunday. One GK’s dad hung out on the sideline around the top of her penalty area. He literally joystick coached his daughter continuously and would not shut his mouth. Even after she was in tears after giving up soft goals number 3, 4, 5, 6. Her team was not good but her dad made it worse. I talked with the coach about it afterward and he just shook his head.
If you stand with other parents and get wound up: get away from them. If you get wound up standing by yourself, go put gas in your car and come back.
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Post by rifle on Mar 25, 2024 18:23:38 GMT -5
I’ll celebrate when we beat Uruguay and Chile back to back.
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Post by rifle on Mar 25, 2024 12:03:55 GMT -5
Highlights looked active which is positive. I was not aware of the game being played. Despite consuming several games and reading about soccer every week.
Hope it’s a trend that continues.
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Post by rifle on Mar 21, 2024 7:01:08 GMT -5
So the solution is for the cash cows to stop eating. Yeah that’ll never happen. No different from MLS next(non academy) and ECNL on the boys side. Pay to play is a detriment to all. You can’t un-ring the bell. Prove me wrong: About 25% of players are “select” quality. About 60% are good players and their parents money is being exchanged for some good “team sports” life lessons. The remaining 15% are purely being babysat. But the parents are willing to spend money and clubs are happy to take it. I call them willing suckers.
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Post by rifle on Mar 18, 2024 17:29:42 GMT -5
No question all of what you say is true for most. For my kids, having fun=being challenged so in the years they were placed on teams below what they (and we and once even their coach) perceived as their levels that was not fun. We have changed clubs to avoid coaches before. Having had coaches ruin the fun for my kids in previous years we made the decision that we are not going to pay thousands of dollars for a service that won’t be fun in one place if we can have the same/or nearly equal service somewhere else. My loyalty to the clubs ends when they do not have a coach or team for my player that I think matches what they need. This discussion ALWAYS includes my kids. We're on the same page. Admittedly I think my kid is a fringe player, and that makes it more complicated for him and the clubs. I'm less concerned about "first team/second team" designations than what the implications are for how it impacts his development. If the coaching was equal, the intensity of practice equal, the passion of the players equal regardless of which team I wouldn't care one lick. But seeing the difference and how little opportunity or interest there is to challenge those players who do need it is frustrating, and does end up impacting his enjoyment of playing. Been there. There isn’t much worse* than giving a dang and playing with others who really don’t... ..except when they make the HS team and you don’t because you haven’t even hit puberty before you get a drivers license. *that is worse. And knowing it’s gonna happen to your kid (because it happened to you) and having no way to change it sucks a fair bit as well.
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Post by rifle on Mar 18, 2024 17:24:05 GMT -5
I hear the Chattahoochee - Northview game had 5 red cards last night and something about a ball boy calling a player the N word. Anyone have any details on this? Is it sad that so many people have accused so many people of using the "N" word or being racist when it turns out it was false and the person accusing was lying that I have my doubts that really went down in this incident? I mean sure it could have and its sad that the tactic gets used so much when it is false that maybe a true issue will be doubted (Boy who cried wolf...), but I have seen so many in altercations who were in the wrong or at least equally in the wrong as the other party pull out the race card and accuse the other party of something that didn't really happen to try to get away with their bad behavior or knew they were in the wrong and were just trying to save face. So you don’t have any details then?
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Post by rifle on Mar 12, 2024 17:07:56 GMT -5
Ah. Exactly what I was worried about. Just hoping things were different now. They could be different now but CF is a destination club. Lots of players on lots of teams at lots of levels. I’m sure they’ll be happy to take your money and they definitely have high performing teams. My kid went to a tryout one year (it was probably 2017ish so not recent) and got moved around during the night - but no feedback at all so he went somewhere else for day two. I’ve seen some very low level teams wearing the same CF shirt, so some people definitely get a “destination club experience” that isn’t quite what they wished for. This isn’t sour grapes or intended to dissuade you. I just know that if they don’t know you before you arrive, chances are slim to get the hand of god necessary to be placed on a top team. My kid wasn’t in that category so it was mainly a learning experience.
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Post by rifle on Mar 12, 2024 12:22:25 GMT -5
Hi All, I'm sure this has been asked in the past but I could not find anything. Can anybody share their thoughts on the club? I have a couple of boys who plays academy and deciding on changing clubs at the end of the season. How's the communication and culture? Do the coaches ever put new kids on the top black and white teams or do new kids automatically start in the lower levels? Any thoughts or comments are appreciated! If this is your idea and nobody (kids, parents, other) from CF has reached out to you - prepare to be very disappointed with how tryouts go. They’ll run a big event and the coaches will talk to each other and move a handful of players around. Then many will be offered a spot on a team of unknown level.
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Post by rifle on Mar 11, 2024 16:45:43 GMT -5
Good grief
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Post by rifle on Mar 11, 2024 6:42:23 GMT -5
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Post by rifle on Mar 9, 2024 9:20:20 GMT -5
Sounds like you’re doing the right things waiting to see coach assignments and well positioned to lock in some options before tryouts. Thats a desirable place to be before tryouts.
(And I know.. I’m being “captain obvious is obvious”)
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Post by rifle on Mar 8, 2024 17:28:12 GMT -5
I can see why some MLS operators (they’re not clubs) choose not to have an academy. That’s a lot of expenses.
I also do not misunderstand the Wrexham success follows an enormous truckload of money showing up. When you can earn $750k for a tweet.. it definitely helps.
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Post by rifle on Mar 8, 2024 13:53:26 GMT -5
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Post by rifle on Mar 8, 2024 13:52:25 GMT -5
It depends on the club. Some clubs would rather bring in the new revenue than try to be better. I've seen clubs cut half a team in favor of new players that were lesser players. And some of the players cut were definitely top (almost full game minutes, top goal contributors, etc.) There were no reasons to be nervous. And the "new" team's records typically show you did bring in lesser players. If only we had true competition and communication. The only reason to have overlapping tryouts is to limit access and prevent players from leaving. By the time tryouts come around, no player should question where they stand – but coaches rarely communicate. You've had a player for a whole season (sometimes you've had them for 2 or 3). That player should know if they are in, on the bubble, or out. But if you give a player access to decide for themselves, you may lose revenue. Instead - leave them questioning. Bring in new players. Then, on the second or third night of tryouts - tell them they are cut and need to accept a spot on your lower team. Then you've added revenue! "It's all about development" lol. The best club I've seen handle the process is NASA Tophat. (From the outside looking in and hearing from ppl in the club.) They seem to favor their players over new ones (promoting from within and keeping theirs if all things are equal) and players typically know where they stand before tryouts. I've also heard they will help a player find a spot if they plan to cut them. Clubs have zero loyalty to players but expect that loyalty to be given to the club. dirty little secret.
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Post by rifle on Mar 8, 2024 13:49:23 GMT -5
For youth soccer, I remember, and understand the problems, but I miss Classic 1, Classic 2, Classic 3, etc. The current system of everyone on the boy's side trying to be elite, but not realizing none of them are elite until they turn 17/18 and ask themselves, what have I been doing all this for? Some hold out a little longer but after freshman year of college, most of them are like, yep time to move on with life. On the adult side, what is the point of leagues like USL? Our second division behind MLS is college. That is how we do it in America. May not be right, may not be perfect, but we should just embrace it and stop stressing. With an open pyramid we could have multiple levels (and regions of course) of professional teams. College soccer would be the consolation prize. Are you not inspired by Welcome to Wrexham?
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Post by rifle on Mar 8, 2024 12:48:01 GMT -5
I'm not an expert on English soccer but I have lived there so I know about the culture. Even the lower level teams have fans. People go to the games. It's so much fun! If a player is good on a lower level team, they have a chance to get noticed by a higher level team and given a better opportunity. I looked up the pyramid there and it looks like in the top 4 levels (Premier League, Championship, 1, 2) there are 92 clubs! This is in a country of 60M people. So it seems like the chance of playing professional soccer there is much bigger than in the US. Here we have 26 US teams in the MLS in a country of 330M. England chance of playing pro: (92*18)/30M = 0.00552% (18 is roster size, not sure if that's correct. Population half, as men only) USA chance of playing pro: (26*18)/165M = 0.00028% So around a 20 times bigger chance in England! This is simplified and not taking into account international players. No. You’re wrong. They can’t have fans at lower levels, they don’t have big enough stadiums. And the supporters all have to abandon their team when a club is relegated, according to MLS “journalists” (marketing).
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Post by rifle on Mar 8, 2024 4:41:31 GMT -5
MLS actively suppressing and interrupting the growth of other “lower” organizations with aspirations to compete professionally is The problem.
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Post by rifle on Mar 7, 2024 21:56:37 GMT -5
I think it all depends. Is the player on the top quarter of the roster or the bottom half? Top players get opportunities at tryout time. Bottom players get nervous. I like this comment and am going to steal it and tell it to parents. It is simply the truth. Tryouts were always the worst week when I had a kid playing club soccer. Met a lot of friends along the way though.
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Post by rifle on Mar 7, 2024 18:13:12 GMT -5
I think it all depends. Is the player on the top quarter of the roster or the bottom half? Top players get opportunities at tryout time. Bottom players get nervous.
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Post by rifle on Mar 6, 2024 20:41:13 GMT -5
Posting this study Alexi Lalas quoted on his show. Pretty interesting and staggering stats. Key Findings The share of US playing time in MLS has: Decreased 43.58% since the first season of MLS Decreased 29.53% in the last decade. runrepeat.com/us-players-mls IMO this frankly puts it all in perspective of just how behind soccer development is in the US compared to other countries over the last 10 years. There is a tremendous downward trend in the development of professional players in our own domestic professional league that reflects on everyone in the dysfunctional pyramid, including youth, amateur, lower division leagues, colleges, US Soccer Federation, MLS, etc. Everyone… I think it is because they want to put behinds in seats. Look at Inter Miami. They went from small crowds to sellouts. AU does the same thing. They have brought in the International players with few from their academy. Academy kids don't put behinds in seats. A well known older International player will. It is a proven recipe, no doubt. But lining these washed up old stars for one or two more laps .. alongside (mostly) defenders and other players earning ninety grand creates a JV league while Saturday and Sunday mornings we get to watch open systems showcase clubs that actually had to achieve something to get there and stay there. There is no comparison. Twenty five years in and all MLS has done is create a hedge for NFL owners, with some real estate opportunity on the side. Focus on the fans. Not the owners.
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Post by rifle on Mar 6, 2024 17:40:26 GMT -5
Agree somewhat…but MLS is still viewed abroad as the retirement home for older players who can’t cut it in Europe any longer. If/when that trend reverses, MLS will be a 1st tier league…until then, we are the geriatric league. For me, it’s hard to watch an MLS game after watching an EPL game. I hope it gets better. And for what it’s worth, I still buy ATL UTD tickets and am a supporter…although the last few seasons have been painful at best. MLS won’t catch EPL for another decade or two at best depending on when the spending caps come off. It’s already jumped the second tier leagues in Europe and is close to Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. China was, and Saudi Arabia is, the real retirement league with an unsustainable model. To somewhat circle back to the original point, five years ago every kid on my older son’s team dreamed of making it to AU but now my youngest and all his friends see US players playing for bigger clubs in Europe and see that’s a possibility (not realistic, but kids can dream). by what metric? And don’t tell me stadium value!
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Post by rifle on Mar 6, 2024 17:34:21 GMT -5
Totally agree with Futsal Gawdess 100% true .We've received multiple reports from concerned parents about recent changes in policies, including requests for parents to cover expenses for international trips. There is also growing conversation around the program's emphasis on physical measurements, notably in relation to height peak velocity (HPV), and how these factors influence team selection. While the intent behind these measurements is not always transparent, it's understood that they play a significant role in decisions at the end of each season.Moreover, there are observations and discussions about the apparent emphasis on size and race, as seen through team compositions from 2009 to 2011. These practices have raised questions about the inclusivity and fairness of the selection process.The Future Program and its management, particularly noted are the actions and decisions attributed to the head scout, Michael Lynch, have been a point of contention. It seems there is a need for a more transparent and inclusive dialogue between the program administrators and the parents to address these concerns comprehensively do you really think Inclusivity and Parents have anything to do with team selection in a pro team’s Academy? I lean (duh) pretty liberal..not cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs liberal.. but to me that sounds.. absurd
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Post by rifle on Mar 6, 2024 6:17:24 GMT -5
It’s all about development. Sarcasm font on? but of course
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Post by rifle on Mar 5, 2024 21:44:54 GMT -5
If we are going to play the percentages game what’s the percentage increase of American’s in top six European leagues in the same time frames? By the way I am 100% in agreement with the premise of terrible development in this country but on the other hand, I do think it shows growth of MLS that they are now getting players that are no longer insulted or embarrassed to play in this country. I would like to know that number. I suspect it is flat or just barely higher. Until there is an open pyramid, MLS will keep it stagnant. Or “parity”. Same thing.
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Post by rifle on Mar 5, 2024 18:25:32 GMT -5
Yep. Guys like Barco making it happen. Or falling down a lot and then going back home.
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