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Post by SoccerMom on Feb 24, 2016 13:25:12 GMT -5
Interesting article, it makes it sound like clubs will have to choose one or another? I was under the impression that clubs would be able to offer both *Over the last several weeks, TopDrawerSoccer.com spoke with a battery of coaches within the ECNL, all of whom will have the freedom to leave the league and choose U.S. Soccer next year. All of them - 100 percent - expressed reservations about moving, and nearly all of them said they’d prefer the ECNL and U.S. Soccer to work together in lieu of establishing competing leagues. Some flat out said they’d refuse to join.
*For the coaches, there’s a sense of being caught in the middle of a tug-of-war that could end with the closure of the ECNL.
*But whether it can stem the growing tide roiled up by the resources at the federation's command, the ECNL faces an uncertain future. In the face of a choice between two leagues, how many clubs will stay put, and how many will jump to the other side of the fence? www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/ecnl-us-soccer-da-face-uncertain-future_aid38902
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Post by Soccerhouse on Feb 24, 2016 14:35:06 GMT -5
I would think most ecnl coaches and clubs would show hesitancy about any new league, because their are no guarantees they get accepted. With ECNL, to my knowledge their are no current concerns of a club losing ECNL status, where as for DA, its very possible for DA to be dropped. Clearly size will not be a criteria based upon prior comments....
However, I bet if you asked those same coaches off the record if they would leave their current club for an opportunity to coach at a new girls club and coach one of the teams for an increase in pay along with other responsibilities, they would gladly accept. Not saying GDA coaches will get paid more money, but it would probably change their decisions. But I personally think a big part of the US Soccer process will be ensuring clubs are properly staffed and properly funded and paying coaches vs having them volunteer coach with minimal pay....Many coaches, coach for various reasons, but many also coach with goals at coaching at the highest level possible, and this could be perceived as movement up the coaching ladder and if done properly, the coaches are given continuing education access to MLS coaching resources etc.
It all depends on the number of clubs accepted in a area, if only 2 teams get GDA, the impact on ecnl could be very minimal, the big change will just be the perception of the league if it loses its top 5% in each area. However, if there are 3 or 4 teams, thats a different story. Similar to boys, they are thinking "the best of the best etc" I will say many markets probably deserve 3+ clubs and could adequately field that many teams at each group especially given it combines 2 year age groups.
This community probably has a deeper girls player pool than boys, because from what I've heard and from what we have all heard in the past is this community can really only produce 2 high quality u16/u18 squads with expectations of competing and an acceptable level.
With all this being said, I think US Soccer is being foolish trying to re-create top level girls soccer vs working together with ECNL. ECNL isn't perfect, but its shown to be extremely productive and the vast majority of the top players in this community gravitate towards ecnl teams/clubs by u15. Could the problem stem from ECNL being tied together with US Club soccer vs USYS?
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Post by jetta25 on Feb 24, 2016 17:08:42 GMT -5
So what is the reason for the creation of the girl's DA? Improper training methods in the ECNL system? The lack of qualified coaches? Mass substitutions during games? Am I crazy to assume that the USWNT is #1 in the world with sustained success (2 world cups,Olympic championship, winning other international tournaments). So what is so broken that needs fixing? Is it because of the great success of the men's DA ? You know where all the players on the MNT are from the DA program. Am I missing something? The truth is women's soccer was an afterthought for years, now all of a sudden the more successful program needs fixing? Fixing things that are not broken is a great recipe for disaster.
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Post by rifle on Feb 24, 2016 21:48:01 GMT -5
I'd like to see only Atlanta United with DA. For boys and girls - inviting only the best and putting them on a path to pro soccer. College soccer is a hindrance to world class, IMHO.
You can start a college degree at any age.
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Post by zizou on Feb 25, 2016 7:31:37 GMT -5
College soccer is a hindrance to world class, IMHO. You can start a college degree at any age. Respectfully disagree. Maybe an impediment for men but our women still kick everyone all over the pitch. Pretty much everything is an impediment for the USMNT. Don't know why we should highlight this one thing. And you may be able to attend college later but not for significantly reduced cost. Although being a high level college athlete is like having 2 jobs, it is also a pretty cool experience.
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Post by TheMadOx on Feb 25, 2016 10:51:32 GMT -5
I would venture to say that most girls play at a high level to achieve spots on college teams and get degrees at a discounted cost to their families...I could be wrong, but I don't think the parents or players are thinking PRO soccer in the women's arena...now Men, that's an entirely different beast!
Quote from article in 2014 article about NWSL:
"The minimum salary for an NWSL player is $6,842 for the course of the six-month season; the maximum is $37,800, made primarily by international-level players. The team salary cap for 20 players is $265,000, which doesn’t include the top U.S., Canadian and Mexican players who play on club teams but whose salaries are paid by their respective federations."
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Post by youthsoccerdad on Feb 25, 2016 13:31:54 GMT -5
I'd like to see only Atlanta United with DA. For boys and girls - inviting only the best and putting them on a path to pro soccer. College soccer is a hindrance to world class, IMHO. You can start a college degree at any age. There is not a professional league for girls to aspire to play in. College then the national team.
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Post by spectator on Feb 25, 2016 14:35:46 GMT -5
There is not a professional league for girls to aspire to play in. College then the national team. And if not the National team, then start a career. Makes a great resume builder - shows that the young woman was able to balance work and other obligations, team player, hard worker - all qualities I'd be willing to hire versus the young woman coming out of college with her sorority on her resume. (No offense to sororities -I was in one myself but it didn't burst open doors for me in my male dominated chosen career). I've heard countless hiring managers say that a candidate who comes out of college with a viable degree and played a sport during that time gets a look before most other graduates. There is a lot to be said for playing at the collegiate level and hiring managers really don't care if it was D1 or NAIA - the character traits are the same.
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