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Post by fridge on Apr 28, 2020 13:04:44 GMT -5
So, I was just sent the TH GAL announcement authored by TG from over the weekend. I don't know how to post it, but it begins by stating:
"After evaluating the options that were available to us, we are excited to announce that Top Hat has decided to accept entry into the new Girls Academy League (GAL)... GAL will consist primarily of former DA clubs and we believe will be the highest level and most competitive platform to develop and showcase our players throughout the country." (I bolded this.)
Ignoring the fact ECNL made the decision for TH as related to its "options" and "decision," the real doozy is the declaration that GAL will be the "highest level and most competitive platform to develop/showcase our players throughout the country." I am on record that this sucks for TH, but its leadership needs to get real as TH (mis)representations strip them of total and complete credibility as they prepare for tryouts.
There is no way GAL is the highest and most competitive platform. While GAL will have several DA teams, a large portion of the top 25% of DA clubs switched to ECNL which waters down competition enormously. I just did a quick review. First, in the SE division of DA (excluding TH), based on division standings, the division lost 2 of the top 4 teams in CSA and NC Courage in each age group. That is a huge competitive loss as once you get outside the top 4 or so teams, the competition dilutes significantly. I bet if you look at the TH goal differential against teams 5th and lower, it is substantial. In sum, competition locally is much much worse.
Second, I just did a quick look at the SW conference (California). Of the top 5 teams in the standings for each DA age group in Cali (20 teams total), I came up with 13 of the 20 have left DA--mostly going to ECNL. Further, GAL doesn't even have NW conference leaving out clubs in northern Cal, Washington and Oregon.
Third, we haven't even discussed the likely player out flux from GAL teams to ECNL teams. In the SE alone, there is a solid chance USA (GAL) will lose kids to Armada (ECNL), Orlando GAL to Orlando City (ECNL) and Weston (GAL) to Sunrise (ECNL). (PS--now you see why ECNL was not interested in a package deal w/ TH And the Florida clubs--they would eat into local ECNL clubs.) And of course, that will likely occur nationwide.
Does this mean TH can't find some competitive games? No it does not. Competitive games, however, will be few and far between. Bottom line, it is ridiculous for TH to proclaim GAL is the "highest level and most competitive platform." I give it 4 Pinocchio's.
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Post by mightydawg on Apr 28, 2020 13:16:07 GMT -5
I don't like Tophat but I think that you are taking the statement out of context. If the statement was purely, "we believe this is the highest level of soccer" and nothing else, then your points are valid. However, the first sentence is a huge qualifier. After evaluating the options that were available to Tophat. It is not a secret that ECNL is not available to Tophat. Therefore, out of the available league, they selected the league that will provide the highest level and most competitive platform.
What do you want them to say? We have selected an inferior league because ECNL would not accept us.
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Post by fridge on Apr 28, 2020 13:28:49 GMT -5
I don't like Tophat but I think that you are taking the statement out of context. If the statement was purely, "we believe this is the highest level of soccer" and nothing else, then your points are valid. However, the first sentence is a huge qualifier. After evaluating the options that were available to Tophat. It is not a secret that ECNL is not available to Tophat. Therefore, out of the available league, they selected the league that will provide the highest level and most competitive platform. What do you want them to say? We have selected an inferior league because ECNL would not accept us. I must not have explained it well enough. This quote was 3 or 4 sentences down. (And hence, why the ....) "GAL will consist primarily of former DA clubs and we believe will be the highest level and most competitive platform to develop and showcase our players throughout the country." (I bolded this.)So TH is explicitly saying in TH's opinion GAL is the highest and most competitive platform. And to answer your question, NO I would not have said they got stuck in an inferior platform. However, I would not have made this clearly not credible statement either. It's not all or nothing. As they try to get people to stay, credibility is very important. This sort of exclamation strips them of it--at least in my book. |
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Post by mightydawg on Apr 28, 2020 13:34:34 GMT -5
Write the press release for them. What should it have said.
Let's breakdown the sentence that you take issue with:
GAL will consist primarily of former DA clubs (statement of fact) and we believe (statement of opinion) will be the highest level and most competitive platform to develop and showcase our players throughout the country."
When the caveat is added about options available, there is nothing wrong with the statement.
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Post by dadofthree on Apr 28, 2020 14:03:49 GMT -5
So, I was just sent the TH GAL announcement authored by TG from over the weekend. I don't know how to post it, but it begins by stating: "After evaluating the options that were available to us, we are excited to announce that Top Hat has decided to accept entry into the new Girls Academy League (GAL)... GAL will consist primarily of former DA clubs and we believe will be the highest level and most competitive platform to develop and showcase our players throughout the country." (I bolded this.) Ignoring the fact ECNL made the decision for TH as related to its "options" and "decision," the real doozy is the declaration that GAL will be the "highest level and most competitive platform to develop/showcase our players throughout the country." I am on record that this sucks for TH, but its leadership needs to get real as TH (mis)representations strip them of total and complete credibility as they prepare for tryouts. There is no way GAL is the highest and most competitive platform. While GAL will have several DA teams, a large portion of the top 25% of DA clubs switched to ECNL which waters down competition enormously. I just did a quick review. First, in the SE division of DA (excluding TH), based on division standings, the division lost 2 of the top 4 teams in CSA and NC Courage in each age group. That is a huge competitive loss as once you get outside the top 4 or so teams, the competition dilutes significantly. I bet if you look at the TH goal differential against teams 5th and lower, it is substantial. In sum, competition locally is much much worse. Second, I just did a quick look at the SW conference (California). Of the top 5 teams in the standings for each DA age group in Cali (20 teams total), I came up with 13 of the 20 have left DA--mostly going to ECNL. Further, GAL doesn't even have NW conference leaving out clubs in northern Cal, Washington and Oregon. Third, we haven't even discussed the likely player out flux from GAL teams to ECNL teams. In the SE alone, there is a solid chance USA (GAL) will lose kids to Armada (ECNL), Orlando GAL to Orlando City (ECNL) and Weston (GAL) to Sunrise (ECNL). (PS--now you see why ECNL was not interested in a package deal w/ TH And the Florida clubs--they would eat into local ECNL clubs.) And of course, that will likely occur nationwide. Does this mean TH can't find some competitive games? No it does not. Competitive games, however, will be few and far between. Bottom line, it is ridiculous for TH to proclaim GAL is the "highest level and most competitive platform." I give it 4 Pinocchio's. Fridge......where should I start....basically if you dont like TH or are against GA then just say it (and it ok to have that opinion). But lets look at several of your points. 1) TG says in his email that for the options available to us we chose GA and we believe GA will be the highest level. The operative word is WILL. I dont know anyone who has to sell anything would start out saying well gee whiz we are going to take this option and it really sucks and so please stay with us to suck as well. As I have said before right now GA to any objective person is the 2nd league and not because of the teams or the play but because it is the new kid and needs to prove itself but in 3 to 5 years lets see. If they make good decisions, make parents feel the fees are worthwhile and most importantly how they do placing kids in college then they will probably be successful, if not then they will go the way of DA. Again everyone who doesnt have a convient memory has to remember when DA came the talk was ECNL was dead. 2) The clubs announced as a general rule so far have been former DA clubs. They fit all the requirements set forth by US Soccer (which were very stringent) to be DA clubs so this makes them some of the best clubs in the country. Looking at individual teams and how they did is disingenious to being added to this league. While performance is always a part of soccer life (and it ebbs and flows at every level of sport) other thing are just as important to making a successful competative league. In business as a whole when you take successful organizations and tell them to figure out how to be successful they will find a way to do it. 3) As I said in another thread, the total number of "top" teams is staying the same so while there will be movement from one to the other. There will be movement back the other way as well since good players at ECNL teams will be displaced. Other than the very special few girls across the country most girls have some flaws in their game and these flaws are in the eyes of the beholder or they are a square peg in a round hole for the system at a given club (ie possession versus being direct). So someone who is percieved not good or at the bottom of an ECNL team may actually thrive on a GA team. This point is conviently lost every time anyone says that there will be an exodus from GA teams. 4) While I do believe that ECNL is the better league as noted above. Growth can kill organzations. No one is actually talking about what this does to ECNL. As an example several girls went to UFA from ECNL teams to play DA. Do these girls stay at UFA? Now their original club is the same as UFA so do they return? What about the showcases. Getting them too big might make it that you play at multiple locations thus who decides where your team plays. Just look at CASL, if you are at the WRAL fields you get 50 college coaches if you are at a field in APEX no one is coming to see you. If the dont fulfill the items to be succesful above listed in item 1 they will faulter. In full disclosure as you can tell I have one daughter at TH and in further disclosure one at UFA. I am actually for GA for TH. If it is successful then in the future it will set them apart. It is a risk but one that was forced on them by US Soccer so trying to say someone is not being forthright in my opinion doesnt hold water. |
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Post by Goalkeeper Dad on Apr 28, 2020 14:13:00 GMT -5
I think we all need to relax and see what plays out in the next year. ECNL in my mind is the better league right now because of name recogonition, but we can not assume that GAL will be a disaster until we play out some games. We already pressume we have girls transfering out of Tophat and other GAL teams to go to ECNL and we are still (hopefully) 1 month out from tryouts. I agree with both Fridge and mightydawg in your comments, but we wont know who has the prettier penny until 2 or 3 years from now. (Thank God I will be out by then)
Remember when ECNL started? Everyone was talking about how much of a train wreck that was going to be, but look at it now. 2 years ago we thought SCCL was going to be a train wreck, but look at it now. Let see what happens and we can have this discussion next year on which league is better.
Also please keep in mind if I did have my choice I would have 1 league for all the teams to play in. I miss playing against other players and families that I have known for many years. I am also glad DA is gone, because I'm happy the girls will be able to play in HS. As well we don't have these silly rules saying what tournaments clubs can play in or not play in. Hopefully clubs will accept TG calls as well as TG accepting calls from other clubs for friendlies and tournments. We no longer have rules against that
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Post by atlfutboldad on Apr 28, 2020 15:31:27 GMT -5
The league will be fine from a competitive standpoint, generally better than SA NPL on the girls side i think. But I think it's likely that one or both Tophat teams dominate it at every age group.
I think it would have been smart for NTH to approach SSA, AFC and maybe Inter (unlikely) about joining it also. IMO Tophat's desire to set themselves above and apart from ALL of GA soccer is one of their problems. I don't know that they even tried to include anyone else in DPL. Adding even one other local club would reduce travel while. IMO club soccer is better the more inclusive it is.
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Post by justadad on Apr 28, 2020 15:55:30 GMT -5
The league will be fine from a competitive standpoint, generally better than SA NPL on the girls side i think. But I think it's likely that one or both Tophat teams dominate it at every age group. I think it would have been smart for NTH to approach SSA, AFC and maybe Inter (unlikely) about joining it also. IMO Tophat's desire to set themselves above and apart from ALL of GA soccer is one of their problems. I don't know that they even tried to include anyone else in DPL. Adding even one other local club would reduce travel while. IMO club soccer is better the more inclusive it is. Having been at a few clubs here in Atlanta on the girls side (at the highest level); including TH, one difference is that the other clubs compare themselves with the other clubs in GA. TH on the other hand does not look inward at GA, but rather the entire country. They are looking, comparing, and competing with the likes of Solar, SC Blues, FC Dallas, Surf, Legends, etc. Concorde does as well to a certain extent and fares well against the other top national clubs. GSA at a couple of levels as well. So when the discussion focuses on league (branding), locality, how much travel, etc.; I think you will find that most, not all, TH parents are okay (not enthusiastic) with the slightly more travel they might incur to play the best clubs/teams in America. Now there are always exceptions and all that, but generally speaking, that is the difference I see IMO. |
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Post by Futsal Gawdess on Apr 28, 2020 17:56:00 GMT -5
Before this thread gets 27,000 replies and 100k views, can I ask that we don't diminish opposing or contrary views. I'm not calling anyone out specifically, but many a times we start a rebuttal with a dismissive phrase "I know you just hate TH/UFA/CF/SSA/etc" All that does is lead the respondent to dig in. Yes there are those who have an axe to grind and are obvious, while there are others who are apologists for specific clubs(UFA 4 Life). State your points, add in a few facts and share your experiences. We're all old enough and savvy enough to know if we're being sold a bridge or if your comments et.al. carry weight. So back to the topic at hand. Any info on location and dates of the showcase(s) for GAL, how many, who pays for it, where they will be and and more importantly, will college programs flock to it or spend more of their time and resources going to the myriad of ECNL Showcases and National Events???
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