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Post by spectator on Apr 9, 2018 8:04:04 GMT -5
Anyone else feel like the new future of youth soccer in Georgia is a messed up version of The Sneeches? Champions league has 'stars on thars'
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Post by spectator on Apr 9, 2018 7:51:50 GMT -5
I've asked a few times for someone to write it up. No way am I going to take the time to learn this mess that youth soccer has become :-) Here you are - or at least my tongue in cheek attempt! Effective Fall 2018, a new youth soccer league, Champions League, will begin competition in Georgia. The league will comprise of the six (6) largest and therefore best clubs in the state: GSA, NTH, SSA, NTH, UFA and Concorde – hereby referred to as “CF” to stay consistent with the alphabet soup theme. These six (6) will compete only at the DA (Development Academy) and new BTRPL (Better Than RPL) levels. Any other teams at these six (6) clubs will be relegated to play in Athena/Classic for Georgia Soccer although the six (6) clubs are in talks with Super Y to create another elite league so the players and their parents can continue to act and feel superior to all Georgia Soccer teams. The new Champions League will have the following rules and regulations: 1. All games will be played on home field or no further than 12.87 miles from any member club’s home field. This does mean that NTH will be forced to play OTP but the league will provide armed security escorts from Buckhead to Metro North for games as well as sanitary wipes to ensure no OTP bacteria infect the ITP families and players. 2. All games will have no fewer than four (4) referees – a center, two ARs and one referee’s referee to man the instant replay feature available only to Champions League teams. 3. All referees will have no less than 10 years experience and/or have refereed at least two World Cups without incident. Additional requirements for referees in Champions League are never having missed an offside call, foul or handball in any game AND never having received a single parent complaint for bias, home grown, or nearsightedness. 4. All games will be held on Saturdays with mandatory weather conditions between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny to partly cloudy conditions. If any games are threatened by a chance of rain, all clubs and parents will be given a cash stipend of $100 per game to ensure the required ROI as promised by the league. 5. All players participating in Champions League are guaranteed no fewer than two (2) invitations to National Training Camp (NTC), at least three full D1 scholarship offers, and/or a MLS contract no later than their 18th birthday or graduation of high school whichever comes first. In the unlikely event a player does not receive at least one of the aforementioned items, his or her parents will be immediately refunded any and all monies paid during the lifetime career of the player plus pain and suffering in the amount of $120,000 per player (limit of 3 players per family). 6. Champions League players will not be permitted to play in State Cup with their home team however during the free agency period (August 1 – May 20th) any player may act as guest and savior to any non Champions League team for a nominal fee of $50 per game paid in cash to the parents of said player 24 hours prior to game time preferably in a dark alley with no security cameras. Until such time that another elite league is established for any of the non Champions League teams at the six (6) member clubs, all players and parents on those teams will receive the following: 1. A minimum of 40 hours counseling and therapy to improve the loss of self esteem brought upon by playing in a Georgia Soccer league 2. Game day tee shirt and ball 3. Participation trophy after every game 4. Juice boxes and healthy snacks for all players, drink vouchers for parents 5. Alternative career counseling for all players of high school age if they have not yet been called up to Champions League. This includes but is not limited to: a. Vocational training b. College placement at the D3 or NAIA school of their choice c. Monetary compensation in the amount of $50,000 per player (limit 3 players per family) Champions League does not discriminate on gender, race, religion, parental political views or uniform brand.
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Post by spectator on Apr 3, 2018 17:06:56 GMT -5
Good points. Gag the parents and it will work. FYI my kid quit after being berated and sworn at by U11 Top Hat dads! Real classy folks there -not! As a parent... were you there? The reason I'm asking is that my daughter refs and I have hung around to watch her and pick her up after games. Thankfully she hasn't had anyone "go off" or berate her, but it would be hard to sit back and watch something like that happen to your kid. Have you (or anyone on here) had an experience as a parent of a ref and confronted parents of a game your kid was doing? Again, it hasn't happened to me, but I can easily see it happening at some point with the way some people behave at games. My guess is there has to have been some interesting stories/experiences on this. Yes I was and I let her and the center ref handle it. It really is an entirely different perspective when you have no dog in the hunt and honestly I am a better sideline parent after watching the idiocy from my chair at the far end of the field not giving a flying flip who wins the game The only time I intervened was when those same Top Hat dads were criticizing the other team’s players during pre game and called 10 year old girls”fat cows”. Thats when I interrupted and reminded those fine “gentlemen” those were somebody’s daughters and ten year old children. They huffed off but I had to say something- they were three arogant jerks.
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Post by spectator on Apr 2, 2018 18:24:08 GMT -5
Well -- I was talking about this with someone, they should be more lenient with refs for the younger age groups u8 to u11s and not require annual ref re-certification. Then at u12+, require annual re-certification. Good points. Gag the parents and it will work. FYI my kid quit after being berated and sworn at by U11 Top Hat dads! Real classy folks there -not!
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Post by spectator on Apr 2, 2018 18:19:42 GMT -5
I agree with you.....I’d like to know how other bigger clubs view their second and third teams and whether there is a system in place for these players to move up levels based on their performances. My kids team does not typically have much to do with our second level team- I’d imagine scrimmages would be very lopsided results. Ultimately if players find themselves on a third team at the likes of UFA it’s highly unlikely they’ll be working their way up to a top level team. If you’re practicing with mediocre players and competiting against lower level teams it doesn’t take long to be left behind. One other assumption here is that the big clubs willpromote from tgat third team. They won’t- they will recruit to replace top players - always happens. If you are on the #3 team at a big club you will only move up by leaving. The big clubs will be playing musical chairs with players. Thats not development- that’s positioning
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Post by spectator on Apr 2, 2018 13:52:59 GMT -5
There is a severe referee shortage not just in GA but across the country. You're probably seeing inexperience more than lack of quality - problem is parents and coaches aren't patient enough to let the young referees get their experience and most will quit in their first year anyway.
Offside is a tricky thing to call - there's some new 'intent' rule in there that I don't understand either so I'm sure it's confusing.
I've only seen one really blatant offside missed call - that was in High school this year when every player on the field knew the striker was off - including the striker and they all looked to the AR to call it - when he didn't, the striker took advantage and shot.
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Post by spectator on Apr 1, 2018 12:36:43 GMT -5
The two leagues are not in competition with each other. The champion league is only for 5 clubs. Every other club in Georgia will be in RPL. If US club soccer made their leagues merit based yes us youth soccer and state leagues would be in trouble. US Club Soccer has gone after the most lucrative niche in kids soccer and by design is not trying to run the whole show. They just want to run the show where the money is. And exactly HOW are these big clubs different than US Club Siccer with regard to fillowing miney over development? This is Academy soccer 2.0. Big club play each other because they have numbers. Smaller clubs are shut out At least have the decency to call this what it is - end of the line for any club not in the “big 6”
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Post by spectator on Mar 31, 2018 8:55:12 GMT -5
Execpt that it will be club specific. What about the smaller clubs or is the ultimate plan to suck all them in with the mega clubs? This new league is about greed not what is best for players. The arrogance of these larger clubs assuming they are superior to smaller ones is ridiculous. Just because a club is big or has a reputation for some successful teams does not equate to better. A good coach far outweighs the “reputation” of a club. We know many girls from a team at a “top” club who all quit this year because the coach they had last year was so bad. The team won games but they all hated him and the majority of them all quit playing soccer completely this year because of it. I for one would love to know how tournaments will be run for the Big 5 as well as the excluded clubs and who comes out on top ? Seems like Big and Small clubs can benefit if they work together. I sense a lot of haste between all clubs. It’s a pay to play world and if you are running a business you buy low and sell high to keep a profit. How can you blame five clubs with 20,000 potential players wanting to pay less and control more versus paying Georgia soccer to stay in control of their profit? Profit means expansion and longevity. Not necessarily greed as this is the American Dream, right? I get it, why they’re doing it. Protect the ones who invest and create a better return of service. If Parents and players don’t like their return on investment then as you mentioned, they will go somewhere else if the club doesn’t do anything about correcting the situation. Yup. The American Dream is about money for the shareholders. But this at its core - is youth soccer - not a corporation. Poor kids are just collateral damage here. Like I have said before - so glad to be aging out and that my kid had success and a great coach at a small club.
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Post by spectator on Mar 31, 2018 7:37:16 GMT -5
I might miss big time here...but if Champions League is run similar to ECNL...RPL won't survive...it will be replaced. The reason this league was formed was due to the frustrations with RPL Execpt that it will be club specific. What about the smaller clubs or is the ultimate plan to suck all them in with the mega clubs? This new league is about greed not what is best for players. The arrogance of these larger clubs assuming they are superior to smaller ones is ridiculous. Just because a club is big or has a reputation for some successful teams does not equate to better. A good coach far outweighs the “reputation” of a club. We know many girls from a team at a “top” club who all quit this year because the coach they had last year was so bad. The team won games but they all hated him and the majority of them all quit playing soccer completely this year because of it.
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Post by spectator on Mar 17, 2018 23:40:08 GMT -5
OK - it's late, I have no dog in this hunt any longer, but I'm confused. Correct me if this is wrong but: 1. The largest clubs in metro Atlanta are breaking away from GA Soccer only for their top teams? 2. They will play DA, ECNL and some home grown version of RPL in their own playground because they are tired of travelling? 3. They will send the rest of their teams to play in GA Soccer - same entity they are huffing off from - in Classic and Athena only? (#sloppyseconds) 4. Small clubs are pissed and don't want DA or ECNL players from these clubs rostered on State Cup teams ever again. Because we KNOW how saying 'don't do that' has worked so well in the past (talking to you, Concorde!!!!) 5. And somehow this is supposed to be a good thing for whom exactly? How will this work with the multiple RPL teams from a club like UFA - example - in the 2000 age group this year, UFA Milton, UFA Forsyth and UFA Norcross all had teams in SRPL or RPL. Who keeps that spot? Who gets relegated back down to Athena as the sloppy second/third/fourth/fifth team from that club? Not sure if this is a factor in other age groups since most of the 00''s are aging out, but if so, expect parents to blow a gasket and players to flock to other 'elite' clubs or teams at tryouts - further displacing players if they take spots and the domino effect takes place. From my - no dog in this hunt any longer- perspective, the larger clubs are just trying to kill the smaller clubs and run the show. We've been at both and my preference will always be an exceptional coach at a smaller club over a 'top' team at a larger club. But how many great coaches will stay at smaller clubs now that this will be in place? GA Soccer will do nothing - they never did about illegal recruiting or ECNL players playing in State Cup. ODP is dead now that DA is in play for both genders. And GA Soccer will do nothing to protect smaller clubs from being completely obliterated - even when their cash cows leave the farm. Wow - seriously, good luck you guys! This really sucks for so many people - especially kids that want to just play soccer while they're young So yeah - happy to be aging out but really disappointed and sad at what this has become for the kids left in the program.
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Post by spectator on Mar 17, 2018 7:50:03 GMT -5
The more I read aout this, the happier I am that my kid is aging out and headed to play college soccer.
Best of luck to all still left treading these muddy waters.
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Post by spectator on Mar 16, 2018 22:39:18 GMT -5
Ironic to mention this game while discussing 'best level' of soccer in another thread. One can argue that the ACC Conference would be the 'DA' or ECNL in this example while UMBC would be - Classic 1 or 2. And what I saw was a team playing together versus some elite players on the same court. They passed to each other rather than run to the goal. No wonder basketball is such a great compliment sport to soccer!
I have never heard of this school but I was grinning ear to ear watching that team skip off the court and celebrate with the fans! I'll even forgive them for totally blowing my bracket. Good for them! It's one of the reasons I love March Madness - on any given day, any team can pull it off! Good for them - I hope they can keep the momentum!
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Post by spectator on Mar 16, 2018 22:30:28 GMT -5
OH WOW! How many brackets will be blown by this one?
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Post by spectator on Mar 15, 2018 22:15:53 GMT -5
My daughter played SRPL for 3 years, and it was a cluster! The last year being the worse of them all, they added another person to help in the middle of the season and they were even more clueless than the last person. I was TM so I am telling you first hand that they SUCKED. I am not blaming them for the weather, its their lack of plan of action that it was the problem. They had a very hard time rescheduling games...they simply took too long in planning it and by the time they would wake up the weekends were filled. It got to the point where the the coaches and TM's basically rescheduled their own games and just let them know when it was happening, because whenever they tried to "help" they would just mess it all up. We had to play some games in the middle of the spring during HS soccer season, it was a mess! The competition was just ok, I never saw a single college coach at any games...even the games that they would do in long weekends where they had everyone out there. It was a lot of travel with almost no benefit. Traveling out of state to play GA teams was very idiotic in my opinion. NL was a different story, those events were filled with coaches and really good competition. The whole relegation or promotion in SRPL lost all respect when it added first division, when it allowed clubs 2nd teams who hadn't earned to take spots and when it would just add teams that were not up to par just to fill spots. Well we had completely different experiences - not sure why you think that being the TM gives you better first hand knowledge about whether or not they 'sucked' or not, though - we all saw what was good, bad and ugly with regard to SRPL scheduling and management. It wasn't perfect but we have enjoyed it. As for college coaches, we saw them all the time so I'm not sure if your players/coach weren't promoting the games to coaches in the area or what, but we had great turnout because our players would reach out to coaches in the area where we were playing and/or any they'd already committed to to let them know game locations and times. Our club coach was amazing at notifying college coaches of our schedule and many times schools the girls hadn't even contacted were there watching. There IS a level of effort that needs to be put out by the player/club coach to promote themselves/the team. We had a great champion in our coach and he taught the girls how to email and communicate with their prospective colleges. Honestly, I never minded the travel, we've had a great team with girls who genuinely love each other and bond and also a great group of parents who also enjoy our time together. For me, it has been a great experience and I will miss these folks when our girls go off to play in college next year. Agree with you about first division, though - that is nothing more than a money grab for clubs to charge parents more and based on teams playing that in our age group throughout the years was nothing more than Athena A+. Biggest offenders in that mix were when clubs who had SRPL teams got ECNL or later DA and kept those spots but gave them to lower teams. That did water down competition tremendously but it is slowly evening out - still your best competition is any club with an SRPL team that doesn't have ECNL or DA - and there are still enough of them out there to make SRPL competitive - not for every game - but at least for half or more of them. We found Florida and North Carolina teams were the most competitive in our age group. Honestly, the GA teams - especially if they were from the larger clubs, were the least competitive so I'd rather see those mega clubs out of the mix if they have DA or ECNL or both. Playing a third team - even at a good club - isn't competitive and it ends up like high school soccer -more of a risk for injury than an opportunity to see good soccer and develop a player. As much as I will miss what we've had for the past 3+ years, I'm glad to be aging out of this craziness. Layer upon layer of 'elite' level leagues is not going to produce better players - it's just going to drain parents' wallets!
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Post by spectator on Mar 14, 2018 21:40:53 GMT -5
That was the point I was trying to make and apparently failed. It seems like the restructured RPL would solve the complaints of travel. I don't have a child playing RPL currently, but several of our friends do and we have not heard any complaints about it being poorly run from them. Several people have touted the proposed champions league as being a superior idea, but from a recruiting standpoint that new league has no reputation for quality whereas RPL and NL do. I understand that DA and ECNL teams are better and talent in RPL will be watered down to some extent, but there are still kids playing in RPL that are getting to play D1 and D2 soccer. Some of that is on the strength of the teams they are on. Won't the "champions league" take away that part of their resumes? Youth soccer is such a mess of leagues and "elite" level play it seems like to add the champions league makes it a bigger mess. If RPL is trying to improve and restructure shouldn't the clubs in Georgia check it out first before starting a new league? Aren't we all complaining that it is a convoluted mess and some are arguing that boys ECNL and girls DA weren't necessary to add, but you want to add another layer that is also separate and doesn't do promotion/relegation? I am asking honestly because I am new to the forum and I am interested to hear opinions on what is the problem with RPL and why do people want to add something else instead?
Personally, we have enjoyed SRPL play. Yes you have to travel but you go play two to three games depending on the weekend and you know your schedule well in advance to plan accordingly. Athena and Classic can travel upwards of 4+ hours for a single game in a weekend depending on which GA club is in the bracket. Back in the day, we hauled it to Savannah or Augusta or Tipton for games - single games and came back. That's 'travel', too. For SRPL, we always made our own travel arrangements and found good deals at hotels so it wasn't a burden. Yes, it's a pain to drive to Florida only to be rained out but most of the time, the games were cancelled well in advance if the weather was really looking nasty. Sometimes that weather report was wrong and the days we were cancelled were clear blue skies - just like some weekends we were one ended up being total washouts. RPL can't control the weather. Competition wise, it's been pretty competitive unless you end up with clubs that have ECNL and/or DA which makes the RPL teams the second or third team at certain clubs. But for clubs without those two leagues, it has always been good competitive soccer. I never 'got' the whole 'RPL is run by a bunch of idiot's vibe. The truth is you have more teams from metro Atlanta in RPL or SRPL and there will be times you drive 4+ hours to play the team that's 15 minutes from your club. That can't be helped in some cases - and you do have the opportunity to reschedule if the two clubs agree on a location. For the most part, we played local games locally - only exception was Labor Day weekend when some clubs didn't mind the travel - especially if was to a coastal location. Ultimately the benefit to RPL is that it gives the smaller club the opportunity to earn the spot. Its based on the team's performance and good or bad that translates to relegation or promotion year after year. Until ECNL can give that same kind of accountability, I prefer RPL - you do see college coaches at games and it is a higher level than Classic or Athena so it benefits the player with their own development.
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Post by spectator on Mar 11, 2018 18:40:35 GMT -5
Because she doesn’t want to be? Because she would rather play high school soccer? Because it’s not convenient for her family to have to drive to where there is a DA team?
The best players aren’t always on DA teams. It could be a personal decision for her and her family and I’m sure college coaches will be seeing her and club coaches will try to recruit her but I hope she and her family do what they want to do
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DA
Mar 4, 2018 22:49:14 GMT -5
rifle likes this
Post by spectator on Mar 4, 2018 22:49:14 GMT -5
So let me get this one straight - NTH has DA, ECNL and RPL and they keep all three. Concorde has DA, ECNL and RPL and they are losing DA.
Personally, I don't think any club should have DA and ECNL because it waters down the rest of their teams and that affects everyone. Any club that has DA - technically ECNL is the second team but kids do have a choice of where they want to play. So if the top 5-6 players decide they want to play high school soccer, they choose ECNL not DA, how strong is the DA team? Then if that club has RPL teams, those are now filled by former Athena players and depending on the quality of those players and mix of the team, and based on what we saw this year in SRPL, it's a crap shoot of who you play and how challenging that team will be. This doesn't make for good soccer for anyone no matter where you are or what you play. And how exactly is this supposed to strengthen the National teams - especially on the women's side - who've won World Cups prior to the calendar year change and introduction of DA to girls - and now struggle? Who wins here? Oh yeah - the only winners in this multi elite league format are the clubs cashing the checks.
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Post by spectator on Feb 26, 2018 22:07:45 GMT -5
Yes, we played in the SSA tournament and got all games in including playing in the final on the turf fields. Kudos to them for figuring this out! When TA ran Norcross he gave out 100% refunds on one of their key tournaments was rained out. Without forward thinking like this it seems like most clubs are back to the bad old ways of limited or no refunds. It cost Norcross, but was the right thing to do. If you were an out of town club coming to a tournament guess which one you'd pick? A friend of mine is team manager for a club here and flat our refuses to enter any Concorde tournaments for the reasons listed here. If more team managers took the same stance then things would have to change... TA purchased insurance so that he could guarantee refunds - and that year our club opted for the Norcross tournament over Concorde because of it. Has Concorde ever purchased that insurance to guarantee refunds or are they just that blatant about this being their annual fundraiser every year? I don't think they even bother to print the years on the medals anymore so they can use next year what got rained out this year. Yes they rent fields and it is the owner of the field or parks and rec entity that can say yay or nay to them using them but you'd think by now, they'd at least attempt to rent out some turf fields. Lake Pointe can't be that expensive - much smaller less wealthy clubs have used it for their tournaments, too. And no, Concorde cannot control the weather but when this happens year after year after year for as many 'generations' of players that have come through, you'd think someone in that organization would wake up and do something.
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Post by spectator on Feb 25, 2018 10:49:06 GMT -5
From their rules TERMINATION of Games or Tournament DUE TO WEATHER/ACT OF GOD If the tournament is canceled due to inclement weather or any act of God, a refund will be issued. If the tournament is canceled after a team has played in 2 games, no refund will be issued to that team.
Why Concorde wont rent Lake Pointe for this tournament is beyond me. They dont own fields and rent grass ones every year. But this has always been more about money than soccer for Concorde. Pity it used to be a good local tournament
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Post by spectator on Feb 19, 2018 23:27:44 GMT -5
The road to play soccer in college is a journey - a marathon not a sprint. Cliche, yes but truth. The kid who is the standout at 11 or 12 years old may not be the key recruit at 16 or 17. How kids develop physically and mentally from 11 - 18 is all over the board.
The road to that top level in youth soccer is also a journey and so much sweeter when it's earned - especially with a team they love. I have seen and known parents and kids who constantly seek out that top level - going from multiple tryouts every year, hopping from club to club just to bump up a level - and truth be told, not one of those kids I know is about to go play in college next year. They didn't burn out - they just never got better - granted they were on 'top' level teams, but they were on the bench or non contributors who didn't catch the eye of college coaches; they were the divas who never passed or always tried to show in tournaments rather than play as a team.
So my advice - from the old soccer mom with a kid aging out this year - enjoy the journey. Let her play with kids and coaches she likes and trusts. Find that team with the same level of commitment - it will bring out her best and keep the joy in the game for her. She's 11 - with at least six crazy more years of this ahead. Finding that coach and team that fits her is way more vital at this age. Focus on developing the player.
Best thing that ever happened to my kid was her heartbreak at 12 when she didn't make that top team. She played on a second team with a coach who taught her well and played her every minute of every game to teach her the best of this game. Those skills, that lesson have made her resilient, strengthened her resolve when she's overlooked for larger players, and made her more determined to succeed. And she did. As her mom, I have been privileged to be part of this journey - this crazy marathon to where she will be next year and luckily we did it with an amazing coach and group of fellow players she trusts and loves.
So let your kid make her decision - ECNL or DA at 12 shouldn't be the end goal - or yes, she will burn out or like the kids I've seen, just stagnate and not get significantly better.
Again - just the two cents of the weathered soccer mom about to leave this madness. And I will miss it so! Enjoy the journey!
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Post by spectator on Feb 14, 2018 15:37:27 GMT -5
By the way, college coaches do come to high school games. Let me clarify - college coaches do not come to high school games to recruit or see a host of players. I've never seen a college coach at our high school games and the coaches we spoke with during my daughter's recruiting process all stated they did not go to high school games nor did they want to see videos of high school play because they know it's not the level they wanted. These were D1 and higher level D2 coaches. Not to say a coach from a college in close proximity to a specific high school may go watch a specific high school prospect, but typically college coaches are fully aware of the varying levels of high school soccer players and it's not worth their time to recruit there.
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Post by spectator on Feb 14, 2018 0:09:04 GMT -5
NO - no stats or playoffs for JV.
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Post by spectator on Feb 14, 2018 0:07:07 GMT -5
NO - no stats or playoffs for JV.
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Post by spectator on Feb 14, 2018 0:04:13 GMT -5
$375 plus the mandatory $300 fundraising thing -sell them or buy them so total cost max would be $675. Based on what our boosters have done for seniors in the past, this year we are just in it for the perks! Make that four years of payments worth it LOL
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Post by spectator on Feb 14, 2018 0:00:09 GMT -5
One freshman ECNL player made varsity this year and has gotten playing time in one game so far but three of her teammates on that same ECNL club made JV. One quit in a huff - the other two are playing and seem to be enjoying it.
I suppose our high school team is probably a 'powerhouse' - or close to it - but the politics of the rosters varies from year to year. My daughter's freshman year, the coach didn't take any freshman on varsity until a couple of moms threw fits and their kids practiced with Varsity but never played a minute the entire season - let me repeat - NOT. ONE. MINUTE. Their daughters sat the bench for three months, meanwhile the other ECNL and SRPL girls who did play JV played every game and are now the starters on Varsity as seniors after doing their time on JV. Only one of the girls who were on the Varsity roster as freshmen from that year is still playing at all. Just putting that out there for the freshmen parents who get that hung up on their kid being on Varsity versus JV. A 14 year old and an 18 year old are different animals - especially on the boys side but also for girls too.
My point - high school ain't club - and unless you are all that and the bag of chips on the field as a 14 year old, no, you don't belong with the seniors and juniors on Varsity. The whole "Freshmen on Varsity' thing is more for parental bragging rights. Trust me, your kid would rather play than sit. If you honestly have the decision to make between ECNL and playing high school and DA - I'd go DA - especially if your kid has aspirations of playing in college. You have to weigh out the risk of injury due to the fact that the high school teams are all over the board and your kid's ultimate goals for after high school. I've never seen a college coach at a high school game and top college coaches prefer their recruits to NOT play high school - especially if they can continue to play DA or ECNL instead.
Don't mind me, though -I truly despise high school soccer. You can put the studs from all metro Atlanta clubs on one team and it still doesn't guarantee you good soccer.
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Post by spectator on Feb 6, 2018 22:04:33 GMT -5
Then even more reason for the clubs to be able to do a signing if the schools dont want to do it. I am not familiar with the process, my kids are still young. UFA is holding the seniors college signing tomorrow night, i guess that answers that question. Most of the UFA girls I know are signing at their schools. Cobb, Cherokee and Fulton are all signing in the morning. Forsyth is in the afternoon. The final signing date for soccer is August 1 so I guess it really doesn't matter what day or time - tomorrow is the first date they can sign - earliest time is 7am. I am 99.99% sure my kid will set her alarm and sign her copy at 7 sharp! I know my daughter's college coach wants the document scanned or faxed back to him by mid afternoon so the signing at the club at night may be more ceremonial - which is great and gives them the opportunity to celebrate with their club teammates. Our club is sending a representative to each signing and the photos will be on the website later. Regardless of where and what time they sign, congratulations to all players signing tomorrow.
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Post by spectator on Feb 6, 2018 15:05:48 GMT -5
I think it depends on the school? I know of one school in who brags about a player and her recent commitment and she never played for them nor had any interest to. Maybe they think some athletes from out of district will transfer there? At the end of the day, these kids are going off to college and I'm sure it looks good for the school. If schools don't want to do NIL for them, Im sure the clubs will facilitate, heck the local clubs could all do it in one place one day and then the college coaches only have to go to 1 place. College coaches dont go to individual signings. That would be physically impossible given distance and number of recruits.
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Post by spectator on Jan 31, 2018 23:40:08 GMT -5
Oh great! I'm already emotional at the thought of my kid graduating this year and leaving the wild world of Atlanta Club Soccer - then I read that!
So I'll add my two cents... I will also miss those drives to and from practices or games or out of state tournaments. Those drives got longer and further away as she advanced up levels to where sometimes we actually had to fly not drive. From the time she was 6 until the day she leaves for college, any time in a car (or plane) with her has been a complete blast or a great opportunity to delve into the mind of my kid.
This fall, I will finally break the promise I made to a snaggle toothed 6 year old that I would always be at her games. I've barely made it - I've rearranged travel plans for work to keep that promise - and thankfully I've never missed a game. It ends this year because once she goes off to play in college, I can't make those weeknight games - I can stream them thanks to the university athletic department's app - but it won't be the same. She says she knows I'll watch and it's OK. But it won't be the same - not to me.
I will miss watching her with her 'sisters' on the field. The club teammates she has are her second family and she loves them, she will fight for them figuratively and literally if any opponent dares to foul or hurt any one of them. She knows they have her back and she has theirs. I will miss that level of trust that this group of girls she calls her teammates have. I will miss the trust I have in them that they are the most reliable, dependable, honest group she could associate with. Once she leaves the nest, we won't get to know who she plays with or who her friends are unless she brings them home. I will miss getting to know the kids and their parents.
I will miss - although I hope we won't drift away due to circumstance - the parents of these girls with whom I've become friends and grown to love, too. My fellow soccer peeps - the ones we swap kids with to take to and fro; plan meals, imbibe at out of town events - that crew - my people - my friends. We've rallied together through illnesses, deaths of parents, injury scares and general life as we know it as adults. They are my second family - I want to keep them!
I will miss the excitement and anticipation before a big game or tournament final. That moment watching these girls so full of life and promise and hope - just waiting to play the game they love.
I will miss watching her play with her high school classmates - many of whom she's known and played with since those toothless days.
I will miss watching her play. She's grown and developed into an amazing athlete and weathered many injuries and disappointments but learned from them. She didn't start at a high level but she will finish there. She and her teammates made the journey so worth the ultimate results because they earned every spot up the ladder of this crazy world of youth soccer. I will miss the journey - the reflecting back on where she came from and where she's going now.
But mostly, I will miss her.
And dammit someone pass me the Kleenex . .
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Post by spectator on Jan 31, 2018 19:25:24 GMT -5
Usually the rule of thumb is to sign at the school, you need to be playing at the school. Some clubs will hold a signing night for the player who are not playing high school but who have committed to play at the next level.
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Post by spectator on Jan 28, 2018 8:43:11 GMT -5
Are you freaking kidding me?!? Another merger for the mega clubs! 🤦🏻♂️ What exactly is a “Strategic Alliance” and how does it benefit an entire club? The truth is that a program like that is just PC speak for “we will hokd a Tryout, poach your best players, sell the parents on the benefit to your special little cupcake, and invite your player to hsul it to our facilities or events but you stay with your club”
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