SSA meeting [ssa]

I have a daughter on this team. Yes we have some very fast girls up top. Yes the majority of our girls are fairly tall. Yes they are strong and physical. We do have plenty of girls who are technically skilled as well. It takes a combination of all of these things plus excellent coaching to be successful. The team is undeniably very good. But I will tell you all that the number one thing this team has going for it is love. These girls truly love and support each other through thick and thin. I have never been a part of anything like this with my other kids. Never an unkind word spoken to each other only support and kindness. Its remarkable. The parents and kids are like a big family and we all love each other. I know that sounds crazy but in the alphabet soup of soccer (ecnl, da, etc) we are all united in the fact that there are more important things than a label on a team. I know people will comment saying everyone thinks their team will stay together etc.. only time will prove it but these girls and their families are committed to each other and are not going anywhere. It is rare to find a team that is good and has this dynamic.

Soccerfan is a coach at NTH. He might have coached against that particular team you're speaking about. As a coach he has watched more games than you and I together.

You started by saying that any of those girls on your kids' team could have any spot on any DA team, that's your opinion. He is also entitled to his own opinion.

Is he right? Are you right? No idea, but I would try to be a little more humble going forward

soccermom - I appreciate that.

Let me expound on my previous post. On the girls side I have seen many of the SSA girls 1st and 2nd teams over the last five plus years and 90% of them play the same style of play, that's not a generalization, that's an informed observation based on what I've seen in person dozens of times. Not much sustained possession, defenders that are athletically gifted but are not adept at building out of the back, typically do not build through the three lines (bypassing the midfield) and play with three forwards who are athletically gifted in a direct manner (I use the term direct but direct implies intent, often times there isn't any intent) play a 50/50 ball and hope they can latch onto it. I see this all the time with most of SSA's 1st and 2nd teams on the girls side. The 05 team may be an exception but they are playing RPL against NTH's second team.

That style of play can be successful at younger age groups but is it sustainable against top teams in the future? I would say no. Hard work, athleticism, togetherness, etc can only carry you so far, ask the USMNT how that's working out for them.

How many National Level teams does SSA have at the U15 and above levels, which I think is a better measure of club/team depth? I don't put a lot of stock into U13 and U14 results because kids mature at different rates. How many players does SSA typically put into Girls National Team camps? Again their style of play while effective isn't sustainable at the highest levels and the quality of their U15 and above teams give credence to that on the national level. Once Abby Wambach retired the USWNT got away from their direct style and changed their philosophy because they had to, the rest of the world was closing the gap.

As for the comment that the entire team could make any DA/ECNL this summer, that's not credible. Let me ask you this- if they were that good why didn't they try out for ECNL teams this summer? Maybe a handful could but the entire team? As a coach let me explain something to you, if someone from outside NTH is coming to tryout for a team they have to be better than what I currently have, even then that's not enough. What are their work habits, whats their psychological makeup (do I have to push them or are they self motivated), surprisingly there are great players that get by on their athletic abilities, can I push them to work hard and get better? How are their parents? A coach will be reluctant to take a good player if their parents are toxic, the soccer community is smaller than you think, word gets out. If players are equal I'm keeping the known entity vs the unknown one.

The 05 team is good but they will be hard pressed to keep that team together, the better players will seek out better opportunities elsewhere in the future.

And to the other poster that said if God created a club it would look like Tophat- We have probably one of the best Technical Directors in the southeast and the Nation, he never played soccer (basketball) and has a C License, while the SSA Coaches have A Licenses and played professionally in England. TC pretty much put Tophat on his back and built a National Program when he came over from GSA and arguably the best girls academy in the state year after year. 

This is an SSA thread. It has evolved into a SSA vs Tophat discussion somewhat but it is mainly just about SSA. We have already had a discussion about this 05 team before. They are good. Parents on the team want them to stay together, others think people will leave over time. Same old argument. Only time will tell.

All I want to know is when will TH play the infamous SSA team? They silenced CF at disney but they haven't squared off with TH to officially claim the #1 spot in GA. I will bring the popcorn.

Im bummed that this may never come to fruition, as the team will breakup (according to the blogs) before this ever happens.😓

So surely you must be in the ECNL and/or DA staff for how fervently you support and promote NTH's missions and vision as a program? It seems like you've been there a while and obviously believe in the brand, so how have they repaid this loyalty to you? Hopefully they've moved you up the ladder to better, higher profile teams with all your success? Or to SCCL at worst next year? If not, then NTH'S biggest advocate obviously isn't even being valued internally by the organization that you present to the forum as the "Beacon of all that is right and positive" in the crazy world of Georgia Soccer.

That said, this is my understanding of how SSA is run...they try to promote from within and develop coaches like JH and JD on the girls side to develop players, and take them to the highest level they can despite being shut out from other leagues like ECNL (because of those leagues' board members like TG that I doubt will ever let on a club like SSA regardless of merit). You mentioned that their players will "seek better opportunities" but is that the club's fault if parents leave for others programs as a result of their being blocked from acceptance to a higher profile league due to bureaucracy? At the end of the day I'd think more families than not will follow the brand equity that clubs with access to higher profile leagues have, and if SSA can retain these teaks more consistently without that, then even more power to them.

Also, I'd say the 00's that JD coaches are on the level with some (not all, obviously) ECNL teams as well as the aforementioned 05's.