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Post by onekickpop on Aug 26, 2022 13:49:52 GMT -5
There was a time when I too would complain of the expense in DA/ECNL/MLS NEXT. Then I met a few families on a different path. Take a look at Overtime Elite Academt, IMG, Ross Tennis school, Burke school, etc. these elite schools and elite leagues exist because parents are willing to pay.
Now in my opinion ECNL is not the greatest structure, but it allows for a varied level of competition across the country, and one year playoffs are held on the West Coast followed by a year on the East coast. There was some solid soccer played in California and the way it was structured allowed for some downtime between games. Certainly not designed for everyone, but neither is an $80k per year sports focused high school. I suppose we all reserve the right to say no and pull our kids out if the costs to participate did not work for us.
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dc
Jr. Academy
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Post by dc on Aug 26, 2022 17:08:03 GMT -5
And think how much time and money could be saved if they would all just play each other. If we did combine up do you think we could still fly to San Diego and spend thousands of dollars on super meaningful games? There is nothing more special to me than saying the word, "nationals." I see lots of posts disparaging nationals. What about nationals did you not enjoy? |
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Post by newguy on Aug 26, 2022 18:20:50 GMT -5
And think how much time and money could be saved if they would all just play each other. If we did combine up do you think we could still fly to San Diego and spend thousands of dollars on super meaningful games? There is nothing more special to me than saying the word, "nationals." Sure you could. But during the regular season you wouldn’t have trips to Alabama to Florida or the Carolinas. Hey, I’m just starting to get into all this so I don’t know a lot more than I do but when it’s my turn to become benevolent dictator I’d establish a greater metro league. The rest of the state could partner up with closest neighboring states if they have good enough teams. You can keep your regionals and nationals. I just don’t see how parents with two kids in the system do it on a week to week basis. |
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Post by Brinker on Aug 26, 2022 18:31:50 GMT -5
Ambush, Santos and Rush are all located within the same area. They could very easily merge or have a cooperation agreement to form a club that could get in MLS Next/GA or get into ECNL. I just looked at MLS next, for some reason I have always discounted it as a second tier league in Georgia but with SSA, LSA, AFC, and ATL against NASA, Concord, UFA, GSA seems about even in terms of big clubs in Atlanta. I would argue that NASA, Concorde, UFA and GSA are bigger and better overall than SSA, LSA, and AFC. I could discuss some past USSDA and tournament results that support that. ATL Academy is certainly the best team in GA, but after that, there is a big drop off in MLSNEXT. That’s why ATL wins games by 5+ goals regularly. ECNL is a much stronger and more competitive boys league in GA. When ATL did the Unite Cup a couple years ago, the ECNL clubs and NASA specifically, was ATL’s only real competition. |
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Post by soccergurl on Aug 31, 2022 19:48:30 GMT -5
|me think 4 boyz mls-next best| |me think 4 girlz ecnl best| |me think ecnl boys n gal is 2nd class overall|
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Post by onekickpop on Aug 31, 2022 22:52:10 GMT -5
|me think 4 boyz mls-next best| |me think 4 girlz ecnl best| |me think ecnl boys n gal is 2nd class overall|
For clarification: MLS NEXT boys tops the list “if” you are part of a true MLS Academy. Non-MLS Academy teams while good likely will not be on part with top ECNL programs simply Due to the amount and type of competition they face. Of course this is just an opinion. Great to have a variety of options! |
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Post by Brinker on Sept 1, 2022 6:55:12 GMT -5
It is certainly possible that MLSNEXT is the best boys league in the country, but not in the Southeast. The strong boys programs (outside of ATL Academy) play in ECNL. ATL wins local MLSNEXT games fairly easily. NASA, CF, UFA, CESA, SC Surf and GSA are all strong programs and games between them are very competitive. It makes NASA’s accomplishment of National Club Champions in ECNL all the more impressive.
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Post by hammertime on Sept 1, 2022 10:10:07 GMT -5
Strip out the MLS Academy teams and boys ECNL far better than the rest of MLS Next teams. I'd also suggest that some of the ECRL teams in GA and Carolinas might be better than the non-MLS Academy teams. Primarily due to kids wanting to play high school.
Until NASA, UFA, CF or GSA join MLS Next (add NCFC, Charlotte SA, Charlotte Independence, Wilmington) I can' be convinced otherwise as those clubs are always going to attract the best kids not on an MLS Academy team...unless their high school situation is really, really bad.
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Post by randomparent on Sept 2, 2022 10:24:53 GMT -5
Strip out the MLS Academy teams and boys ECNL far better than the rest of MLS Next teams. I'd also suggest that some of the ECRL teams in GA and Carolinas might be better than the non-MLS Academy teams. Primarily due to kids wanting to play high school. Until NASA, UFA, CF or GSA join MLS Next (add NCFC, Charlotte SA, Charlotte Independence, Wilmington) I can' be convinced otherwise as those clubs are always going to attract the best kids not on an MLS Academy team...unless their high school situation is really, really bad. Some of the ECRL teams are better than the ECNL teams. But without promotion and relegation clubs keep their golden ticket. |
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Post by rifle on Sept 11, 2022 18:10:25 GMT -5
So if there was tournament with a top team from GPL, NPL, SCCL, GA and ECNL. Is it possible the l club from the “lowest” league could beat all the others? I know some people say play the highest league you can play but they are many reasons why some don’t. So the short answer is no. The top team from ECNL / MLS Next will beat the top team from ECNL-R and the top team from ECNL-R will beat the top team in SCCL. There is a bit of nuance; the higher in age you go, the more SCCL gets watered down (weaker), and the tighter ECNL-R and ECNL become. At U13 The top ECNL-R team would beat the bottom 25% of ECNL teams. The top SCCL team would beat 40% of the bottom ENCL-R teams. At U16 The top ECNL-R team would beat the bottom 40% of ECNL teams. The top SCCL would beat the bottom 25% of ECNL-R teams. Given what I know now, I would put my kid with coaches like DC at NASA or AD at Santos or BS out of Concord (there are others) in a heartbeat and never worry about the league level (of course they are typically coaching 1st/2nd team teams anyways). At U11/U12 big clubs go to small clubs for players or maybe flip a big club player. At U15/U16 big clubs watch what happens in high school to identify players. This is because "over-generalizing" all the top kids at U13 are big kids, tall kids, usually all talented, but usually not late bloomers. So if your kid makes a top team at U13, congrats. They were early bloomers. Probably a Jan-Mar birthday. Yeah there are exceptions we are talking about typically. By U15/U16 coaches have teams set, and since very few clubs have real ID sessions or actual tryouts (instead just random connections/scouting), they do not take new kids since the new kids are generally around the same level as who they got, maybe slightly better). Then coaches watch high school and say, well where did that kid come from? Let me add him to the ECNL team. That was the same kid btw they wouldn't consider at their tryouts/scouting that had played at their club on 2nd or 3rd team for the last four years (also, not my kid but saw personally four instances of this in the past two years). Again, the biggest problem to me is not MLSNext or ECNL; it is that ENCL-R takes so many second teams out of SCCL. Or, if they were going to have it they are so exclusive and prevent smaller clubs from entering it, it keeps good teams from staying together to keep the monopoly going. Heard tonight that Allen Davie (sp?) moved out of country. That’s a loss for Santos staff. |
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Post by soccerparentx on Sept 12, 2022 10:42:03 GMT -5
Disagree with comment on the big field as that was not our experience. Kid played in the back at ecnl at one of the Big 5. They were coached how to move the ball through the middle making overuns. It was a beautiful game to watch. Great coaches teach great fundamentals. Great players listen and apply that playing philosophy. If they dont, they dont play long. I'll ask the question another way. If you put an ECNL team against a SCCL Champions Team or NPL team (boy), would the quality of play be different (i.e., build / work out from the back, vs. "send it!") |
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Post by soccerloafer on Sept 12, 2022 14:16:28 GMT -5
Disagree with comment on the big field as that was not our experience. Kid played in the back at ecnl at one of the Big 5. They were coached how to move the ball through the middle making overuns. It was a beautiful game to watch. Great coaches teach great fundamentals. Great players listen and apply that playing philosophy. If they dont, they dont play long. I'll ask the question another way. If you put an ECNL team against a SCCL Champions Team or NPL team (boy), would the quality of play be different (i.e., build / work out from the back, vs. "send it!") In a high v. low situation, the lower team almost always has to shift style of play to survive. Even if they low team is a build it out team, the higher pressure from a more organized and athletic side would disrupt and force them to 'send it.' Most modern teams, regardless of level, aim for a similar style of play. The difference is in speed of play, athleticism, technical skill, etc. Back in the day, watching the TH girls, all teams from Gold / Navy / White / Blue played the same way, same patterns of movement, etc. Difference in level was primarily speed of execution based on athleticism and technical ability. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2022 6:57:58 GMT -5
So the short answer is no. The top team from ECNL / MLS Next will beat the top team from ECNL-R and the top team from ECNL-R will beat the top team in SCCL. There is a bit of nuance; the higher in age you go, the more SCCL gets watered down (weaker), and the tighter ECNL-R and ECNL become. At U13 The top ECNL-R team would beat the bottom 25% of ECNL teams. The top SCCL team would beat 40% of the bottom ENCL-R teams. At U16 The top ECNL-R team would beat the bottom 40% of ECNL teams. The top SCCL would beat the bottom 25% of ECNL-R teams. Given what I know now, I would put my kid with coaches like DC at NASA or AD at Santos or BS out of Concord (there are others) in a heartbeat and never worry about the league level (of course they are typically coaching 1st/2nd team teams anyways). At U11/U12 big clubs go to small clubs for players or maybe flip a big club player. At U15/U16 big clubs watch what happens in high school to identify players. This is because "over-generalizing" all the top kids at U13 are big kids, tall kids, usually all talented, but usually not late bloomers. So if your kid makes a top team at U13, congrats. They were early bloomers. Probably a Jan-Mar birthday. Yeah there are exceptions we are talking about typically. By U15/U16 coaches have teams set, and since very few clubs have real ID sessions or actual tryouts (instead just random connections/scouting), they do not take new kids since the new kids are generally around the same level as who they got, maybe slightly better). Then coaches watch high school and say, well where did that kid come from? Let me add him to the ECNL team. That was the same kid btw they wouldn't consider at their tryouts/scouting that had played at their club on 2nd or 3rd team for the last four years (also, not my kid but saw personally four instances of this in the past two years). Again, the biggest problem to me is not MLSNext or ECNL; it is that ENCL-R takes so many second teams out of SCCL. Or, if they were going to have it they are so exclusive and prevent smaller clubs from entering it, it keeps good teams from staying together to keep the monopoly going. Heard tonight that Allen Davie (sp?) moved out of country. That’s a loss for Santos staff. I had not heard that, but yes a loss for Santos and Atlanta. What some people may not realize is this, and I say this without a kid on either team if Santos had ECNL then two of Allen Davie's teams would have been top three in Georgia. |
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Post by atlsoccer123 on Sept 14, 2022 16:21:39 GMT -5
Well, somewhat of a controversial opinion also. if the mega clubs don't have enough field space for teams, they are carrying to many teams. Higher level older teams should NOT be training with 3 teams on a field, 1/2 a field minimum should be standard. That's how the money is made by the big boys at the expense of the players and the sport. It's called "process" by some. Completely agree. And these are kids. This isn't MLS/USNWT/USNMT or even college level. The clubs, coaches, and especially the DOC's and those higher up in the "chain of command" couldn't care less about the development. It's all about the Benjamins and politics. |
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