NTH

We have a lot of parents on this forum that have kids who play on the Tophat DA team. I was wondering if TG has reached out to them with what they will be doing for the future.

TG is not the best at getting information down to the lower team because IMO if you don't play DA there no need to talk.

I am sure if Tophat doesn't get ECNL there will be a mass exodus of girls to other clubs. I don't want to leave Tophat but my daughter goal is to play in college so we want to be at a club that will give her exposure

“Hopefully it will filter down. I would love to see what it says”

Sorry, I’d prefer not to be the one to chum the water.

I’m still surprised at the negativity by some members here toward Tophat, and even the parents of kids that play for Tophat. It’s unclear to me what Tophat, or parents have done to deserve some of the vitriol they express.

No, I wouldn’t be surprised if some Tophat employees and parents have done reprehensible things. If they join the largest club in Atlanta they don’t stop being human, or lose the accompanying imperfections and differences. On the other hand, I’ve been exposed to bad behavior at other clubs. Coaches that belittle kids in front of their peers during practice. Coaches trying to screw each other over. I have voicemails and texts to my phone from the coaches where they contradict each other in blatant lies. I’ve seen some unbelievable behavior by parents too when we were with a smaller club. I’ve seen the dad of an opposition team player badger and scream at his own daughter so much while she was playing in a game that our coach eventually had to threaten him with removal from the facility. Her own coach was either a coward, or ok with the man’s behavior.

I guess I will eventually see the dark side of Tophat, and then I’ll understand why Tophat should be singled out. I’ll understand then why there are comments with what feels almost like a celebration of what’s about to happen to kids at Tophat if they get what they justly deserve and are excluded from ECNL.

I know I haven’t done anything personally to those members. Yet, my apparently undeserving kid has only been with Tophat for one and a half seasons. Maybe I’ll be corrupted over time into a person suitable for loathing and scorn. I need to start making more money though so I can buy her way on to the best team I can afford — since she couldn’t have worked hard, and sacrificed. Until then my intention is to just go on being friendly at her games, and refilling the first aid kit in my truck.

/rant off

Sorry. I didn’t start my reply intending to go there.

“Hopefully it will filter down. I would love to see what it says”

Sorry, I’d prefer not to be the one to chum the water.


I’m still surprised at the
negativity by some members here toward Tophat, and even the parents of kids that play for Tophat. It’s unclear to me what Tophat, or parents have done to deserve some of the vitriol they express.

No, I wouldn’t be surprised if some Tophat employees and parents have done reprehensible things. If they join the largest club in Atlanta they don’t stop being human, or lose the accompanying imperfections and differences. On the other hand, I’ve been exposed to bad behavior at other clubs. Coaches that belittle kids in front of their peers during practice. Coaches trying to screw each other over. I have voicemails and texts to my phone from the coaches where they contradict each other in blatant lies. I’ve seen some unbelievable behavior by parents too when we were with a smaller club. I’ve seen the dad of an opposition team player badger and scream at his own daughter so much while she was playing in a game that our coach eventually had to threaten him with removal from the facility. Her own coach was either a coward, or ok with the man’s behavior.

I guess I will eventually see the dark side of Tophat, and then I’ll understand why Tophat should be singled out. I’ll understand then why there are comments with what feels almost like a celebration of what’s about to happen to kids at Tophat if they get what they justly deserve and are excluded from ECNL.

I know I haven’t done anything personally to those members. Yet, my apparently undeserving kid has only been with Tophat for one and a half seasons. Maybe I’ll be corrupted over time into a person suitable for loathing and scorn. I need to start making more money though so I can buy her way on to the best team I can afford — since she couldn’t have worked hard, and sacrificed. Until then my intention is to just go on being friendly at her games, and refilling the first aid kit in my truck.

/rant off

Sorry. I didn’t start my reply intending to go there.

I think there are a lot of clubs amd coaches that are slow to communicate.

Tophat has great results and plays a great game (style of play). They produce many D1 and other college soccer players. Many very highly respected players in the college game played there. Whether it is due to recruiting, development or both is irrelevant to the quality that is present in their older teams.

I do not have a child that plays there, but have several friends with kids that did and do. I have a lot of respect for their older teams. It would be a shame for them to not be in ECNL with their top team. They should not get two teams, though.

I will do my best to share an honest, informed experience about the illusion of tophat and why the povs are so strong. Today a call was set up with the former DA ‘04’s & ‘05’s to explain that th knows nothing but plans are being discussed to form a new league if they can’t get ECNL. The messenger was a part time coach who took notes to deliver to TG. Why? Why set up a call with your teams that you chose to manage and coach on your own (4 teams) and then send the helper coaches to reassure the players? The new guys are not well versed in management and said things like “you guys won’t even be playing for a long time, I am not sure why you’re even bent out of shape”. Unbelievable you might say, but that happened. Also said “ECNL isn't even that good, I used to coach it last year.’” Talk about arrogance, ignorance and a complete elitist mindset!
The club has not developed players that translated into college signings the way the illusion appears. Tophat had connections with colleges that were built over time as one of the oldest clubs in atl by connected, wealthy families. They also had the benefit of a reputation built on recruits from other local clubs that helped them win who came around u14. So yes, they get to post about college signings, but ask the parents how much th was actually involved. Find out if the player and parents knew about ID camps from their own research, and went on their own to build connections if not already connected and spent money traveling to schools early and often to help their kids’ chances. Find out if the colleges called TG for input and never heard back. This is real. And yes, I can absolutely confirm having other kids at diff clubs in the area, TG is the worst with communication.
Another example - How do you not build connections with other local clubs? Anyone ever wonder why th never scrimmaged local teams, never attempted a friendly? Fear of losing. Fear of competition. Ever wonder why TG was only at 10% of the internal scrimmages? Fear of having to face older team players and push them to try. Instead the players who showed up, some barely gave any effort so that losing to the younger teams seemed like no big deal. Actually losing caused fear, So fake it. But th set up a structured buddy system where older players were supposed to mentor younger players about college and answer recruiting questions. Sounds like a great idea, right, a chance to give back, to take care of the younger ones. Real ones know that that starts by showing respect on the field to push the intensity and effort. Who wants advice from someone that wastes most Saturday’s half a$$ing a chance to get better ? It might sound trivial, but it’s an observation into the bigger problem. The club never wins at the highest levels, never when it really counted and it starts with the culture. We built a a great looking plan, but never executed on it. Just good enough, we got invited to the dance coaching is the best you’ll get. Just ask the oldest team, ask the parents or players. Never seen a more miserable bunch who cannot wait to get out. I would love to hear from someone who feels their daughter developed under TG.

The other part of the illusion is built around national camp invites. Your player doesn’t have to be at tophat for that opportunity if that is what your daughter is after. They need luck, and to bring the tools of a next level player to whatever club they end up at, it so happens the illusion brings a lot of hard working kids to the club hoping that skill and will is what it takes to get recognized. That isn’t developed by TG. They either believe in that and work hard outside of training and tophat just reaps the benefits of that mentality. That may be enough with luck and it may not be. Some others at the club, who paid their dues as a long standing member, a call can be made and we’ve seen that happen.
Life isn’t fair, but it helps to be informed.

Also check out this article for those curious about next steps.

www.soccerparenting.com/an-important-message-to-parents-as-the-us-soccer-da-dissolves/

Whats intresting is it sounds like they are pretty much getting ready for no ECNL. If you read the Florida Forum it sounds like JS down in Weston said some of the same things and some of the rumblings down there was that DPL was going to be the vehicle they would chose. That would include adding some more of the mid Atlantic DA teams that dont get into ECNL and I would assume the ones from last year (in TX and southwest) that didnt go ECNL.

That would be a lot of travel. Even worse than what was expected of DPL. Plus then what will they do with their current DPL team?

What do you mean when you ask what will they do with their current dpl team?