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Post by soccerlegacy on May 14, 2024 9:38:01 GMT -5
AFU's academy doesn't play Concorde, UFA, GSA and some of the Tophat locations. Atleast on the girls side. Does anybody know why? Some speculation is that they are worried about their players being seen by those other clubs and possibly losing them. Not saying that is true, but it is at least plausible.
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Post by soccerlegacy on May 13, 2024 14:42:37 GMT -5
So would the reason for someone going with a cadaver tendon be a quicker recovery? Quicker recovery Less pain Surgeon preference (run away if this is for your child, ok for adult over 40) Sometimes it may be the better option like if patient has Ehlers Danlos (probably should not play contact sport anyway) Revision surgery Hamstring tendons were too small (still use patient tissue but add cadaver tissue) Dropped your tendon on the floor in the OR (oops!!!) A few other rare reasons I was questioning why they used a cadaver tendon as well. I've heard it is an option, but not one that is ever preferred or has been used in any of the cases I've heard of. Thanks for the insight or possible reasoning behind it.
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Post by soccerlegacy on May 13, 2024 13:48:11 GMT -5
The 2009 are a pretty strong team and are taking advantage of the UFA/Concorde Platinum changing of the guard. They are only going to be stronger this coming season. Dom has done a really good job with that team. I wouldn't say the 2009 team were a strong team, but decent for sure. They had a bounce this year based on their past seasons where they were not so good, but they were improved. As for the UFA/Concorde Platinum change, I think everyone is waiting to see how that will fall out and I think AFU will not necessarily be the only team seeing it as an opportunity to strengthen their own club. That being said, I'd say NO "advantages" should be granted as given to any of the other clubs at this time. A LOT of unknowns and balls in the air to know where they will land. Unless you are Concorde Platinum, each year can change and be better or worse than the last. Be wary of anyone telling you that everything is going to be great and take it with a grain of salt, some people have agendas that try to sway others. Your best bet is to not limit your tryouts to one team and go to as many as you can to, to get a feel for the coaches and the players to see if it is a good fit for your player. While you might get some insight off a soccer forum, the only way to truly know is to see it and judge for yourself.
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Post by soccerlegacy on May 13, 2024 11:27:17 GMT -5
Unusual to approach you and get your info and then not call. Have they still not called? Hi Oraclesfriend: Never received a call and figured it was not meant to be. I imagine they had their reasons, so I decided not to follow up with them. I'm not sure this is the protocol in this situation, but depending on who the coach is and what level they coach at, there is a hierarchy of selection at tryouts. A lower level coach sometimes won't talk to you because the higher level coaches get first dibs. They may be interested in your kid, but have to wait until it's their turn to choose the remaining players that didn't land on the teams above them. Anyway, just a thought.
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Post by soccerlegacy on May 8, 2024 12:43:05 GMT -5
Nothing good will come from scheming with a handful of the best players at a small club - to move clubs together. Every kid “cuts their own deal” at tryouts. Look out for your own and that’s enough. Scheming will lead to unnecessary hard feelings. I highly recommend not playing the "package deal" card with a group of players/parents when going to a new club. Every time I've seen this happen it ended up blowing up in spectacular fashion. Either the parent group will go against each other over time. Or the new coach will bench players in the package deal they dont want, until they quit. Parents grouping up to control the team (choosing to not go to travel events as a group, only inviting their group to social events, etc) takes power away from coaches and makes them less effective. What parents usually don't understand is that coaches might not be able to control short term issues grouped up parents/players create. However they've got an entire year to grind on group and eventually the coach will have something people want which forces parents to come to the coach. - Talent ID is coming up? - Minutes at throwaway games? - Travel game and you have more than 18? Who sits or doesn't go? - Tryouts coming up? - Who gets scholarship (less cost to play)? - Showcase coming up? - Planning to take vacation and not practice? - Want a certain number on your jersey? - Don't want to play Defense? - Ect... Well said and I have to agree. I have seen these things take place as well. It can make for a toxic environment for the team, the parents and the coaches. Parents grouping up rarely goes as they planned and then a few start complaining because what they envisioned isn't at all what comes out of it. Much has to do with rose colored glasses about their kid. I think rifle and Futsal Goddess summed it up best by stating that you should make your decision based on what is best for your player and each kid cuts is own deal with the coach. The others riding the coattails of the "better" players could wind up being frustrated and can cause alot of damage to the team internally.
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Post by soccerlegacy on May 6, 2024 10:35:25 GMT -5
So glad this is going to be researched on a deeper level. I know there have been studies dome, but just like CTE in American football, I think they should always be working to find better ways to reduce the harm and impact of serious injuries like these. Because of the prevalence in ACL injuries for women's soccer, I only wish they could have done this sooner. I've seen too many players go down, know the long recovery it takes, and even some players that never fully recover.
"Project ACL, a collaboration between the international players' union FIFpro, England's Professional Footballers' Association, Nike and Leeds Beckett University, will be a 3-year research effort launched with the goal of understanding and reducing ACL injuries in women's soccer."
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Post by soccerlegacy on May 5, 2024 17:30:13 GMT -5
Won’t they realize is the first night of tryouts when half the kids they know aren’t there? Yes. Then they’ll ping me and ask why I didn’t tell them earlier so they could plan their week around trying out at a different club.😀 If you are close with any of these parents, you can simply ask what THEIR plans are for next year, and then they might follow suit by asking the same question back to you. Once, they ask, you can be honest and tell them you are most likely going to be looking at another club. Basically, start a conversation about the upcoming season, and see if it leads to inquisitive questions. This allows you to be upfront with them, so when they call you the first night of tryouts, you can be like "I told you would might not be there". It also gives them some nudge to look a little closer at what they might not be considering or oblivious to, and maybe consider changing themselves. If they don't, that's on them.
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Post by soccerlegacy on May 5, 2024 11:42:06 GMT -5
I was thinking the same thing last night.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 29, 2024 12:10:38 GMT -5
Got a question for GSA people (not including the people in the club formerly known as RYSA or EADL). Does anyone have a female coach? I find it very disappointing that they have do not have any female coaches at either the ECNL or ECRL level. I am curious if there are any, a few, several, or what at the club as a whole? It is also a disappointment that AFU doesn’t have one at a high level anymore either now that Mary is not coaching. UFA hired a predator as the ECNL director but thankfully they got rid of him. They have Renata and NK has coaches for ECNL and ECRL respectively. I am not saying women are better coaches than men but it is not right to be that disproportionate. I have to ask the question. Disproportionate to what?? Do you have numbers to back this claim up? I'm all for having woman coaching girls and have antidotal evidence that it can be beneficial, but I don't know that if promoting women coaches doesn't happen organically, why it would behoove simply hiring them to fill a quota.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 26, 2024 10:46:04 GMT -5
Lots of views, but not one comment? Interesting.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 26, 2024 10:44:48 GMT -5
How much do HS refs get paid? Curious if it would be worth it when I finally get free time later in life like many of these HS refs.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 25, 2024 13:51:07 GMT -5
Could anyone share experience with Garth Pollonais from AFU? Re-up. While I'll appreciate all the Concorde girls discussion... with all the experience on this forum, Does anyone have any experience they could share regarding Coach Garth Pollonais? Thank you. Well... Concorde and SSA, sorry no experience with AFU coaches. Also sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread. All I could find was that apparently he was at Concorde back in the day (pre-2017), was offered a job in Houston, wound up at AFU as a manager???
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 25, 2024 12:16:38 GMT -5
FrustratingI'm always having to defend soccer from the sports' outsiders because of stuff like this. Ugh. Funny, not funny.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 25, 2024 11:15:32 GMT -5
I have to agree. The GHSA High Schools referees are some or the poorest I've seen. I've had a couple of my kids playing HS soccer for years now, so I know the incident you described (and others like it) are not rare. I still try to give them the benefit of the doubt before each game but it appears that it usually a 60/40 split (Good to Bad) as to whether you get a competent ref. I've also seen where only having 2 refs has really, really altered games with proper offsides not being called correctly, holding calls, and even a goal or two being disallowed because they don't have the proper angle to see the ball crossed the line. Its an unfortunate circumstance that can impact the game dramatically. I understand the shortage and have been told that some refs just can't get there for early starts, which does make sense in Atlanta traffic.
What's also unique to HS school games is the parents that call a ref out on the horrible calls/non-calls. I know many parents don't act like this at a club game, but in HS they scream and yell at the top of their lungs. I have a theory that it has to do with the proximity of the field. In HS you are so much further away from the immediate sideline and therefore feel more free to say what's on their minds.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 23, 2024 20:46:07 GMT -5
I don't think the treatment is necessarily different, it's only the perception since it is considered the "2nd" team. Again, they still play the same competition, in the same league. Practices are partly challenging based on the who you are playing against. If you are being "demoted" it's because they simply deemed player "x" as a little further advanced than player "y". If player "y" is still good enough to play at that ECNL level, they will still be challenged by players on the Premier team that can also play at that level. Concorde has enough players that they both teams can play at the top level (ECNL), and as you mentioned, they might wind up with more playing time because player "y" isn't having to compete with player "x" anymore. And to soccer1320's point, if they are being "dropped" from Platinum, they are most likely not going to be the best player on the Premier team, as the top players from the Premier and the bottom players of the Platinum team are not that distinguishable. Switching for "trying to maintain playing with MORE talented kids" is not necessarily going to happen unless you make a team on par with Platinum... and those are usually filled with their own "more talented kids". Which again, puts the player in the same situation, just with a different club, while also creating the repetition of playing time argument. Second, not all coaches should be considered "strong" just because they coach the Platinum team, I'm not saying you are, but some people may get the perception about certain coaches because they win and that can be largely predicated on having some of best players in the state... like Concorde Platinum has. It doesn't mean Premier coaches can't provide the same experience in developing players. Finally, Players are also still recruited off the Premier team because they are able to play on an ECNL level team and have brand recognition of "Concorde" behind them. Will they be "top 20" colleges, probably not, but if you are struggling to stay on the Platinum team, those colleges are most likely not look at that player either. Most of what you said here is true and I agree with it except the differential treatment of teams within the club. Having been there on the second team I can tell you it is different. Having played against the second team the level is different and the level of commitment is also different. I am not saying demotion is necessarily bad as it might be the best thing for that player. I am just saying it is a demotion. Agree on the coaching and the recruiting. Though recruiting is irrelevant at U14. Yep. Agreed with you that recruiting at U14 is irrelevant at this point. I meant to include, 2nd team at most clubs (other than TH and Concorde) there is difference, as you suggested, with level and commitment. But that (I personally think) is because there is a difference between ECNL and ECRL, where as, Platinum and Premier are both same level (ECNL) and commitment.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 23, 2024 14:55:51 GMT -5
If Alan and Gil are able do bring over UFA players in their selected age groups, I would imagine some previous players will be displaced from the Platinum team. It's a good thing Concorde has two ECNL teams and most could probably find a home there. I don't get why some might find that as a demotion (I'm not saying you specifically) and look for another club. They play the same teams, in the same SE ECNL conference. If a player does move to another club, they will still be playing in the SE ECNL conference and against the two Concorde teams... and playing against the same competition. So why go hunt for another club/team? Honest question. Definitely a demotion as no club treats the second team like the first even when they are in the same league. It will still be a good experience for most players. The games are the same but the practices won’t be as challenging for those who were demoted. At the younger ages it doesn’t matter as they are not being recruited. If the coach is still a strong one then it probably could be a good thing as these demoted kids could end up being the leaders and get more playing time. It depends on the kid and the coach and the goals of the player. I don't think the treatment is necessarily different, it's only the perception since it is considered the "2nd" team. Again, they still play the same competition, in the same league. Practices are partly challenging based on the who you are playing against. If you are being "demoted" it's because they simply deemed player "x" as a little further advanced than player "y". If player "y" is still good enough to play at that ECNL level, they will still be challenged by players on the Premier team that can also play at that level. Concorde has enough players that they both teams can play at the top level (ECNL), and as you mentioned, they might wind up with more playing time because player "y" isn't having to compete with player "x" anymore. And to soccer1320's point, if they are being "dropped" from Platinum, they are most likely not going to be the best player on the Premier team, as the top players from the Premier and the bottom players of the Platinum team are not that distinguishable. Switching for "trying to maintain playing with MORE talented kids" is not necessarily going to happen unless you make a team on par with Platinum... and those are usually filled with their own "more talented kids". Which again, puts the player in the same situation, just with a different club, while also creating the repetition of playing time argument. Second, not all coaches should be considered "strong" just because they coach the Platinum team, I'm not saying you are, but some people may get the perception about certain coaches because they win and that can be largely predicated on having some of best players in the state... like Concorde Platinum has. It doesn't mean Premier coaches can't provide the same experience in developing players. Finally, Players are also still recruited off the Premier team because they are able to play on an ECNL level team and have brand recognition of "Concorde" behind them. Will they be "top 20" colleges, probably not, but if you are struggling to stay on the Platinum team, those colleges are most likely not look at that player either.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 23, 2024 12:04:59 GMT -5
Good insight. I agree that playing for Concordes second team is not a demotion both teams have tons of talent and play the same teams. Specifically my child does not currently play for Concorde. We are looking to move to Tophat and I guess I was asking if ECNL players would move to GAL. Would any of the displaced Concorde players consider SSA? What is the perception of SSA within the league? These questions may be common knowledge but it’s my first time navigating these waters and I’m not as knowledgeable as some in regards to pathways and clubs. Any insight would be helpful I understand where you are coming from. Many on this site were once in your shoes and now come here with knowledge to share, so good on you for seeking this site out. I misunderstood, and thought you might be a Concorde parent that was concerned about their player being someone that might be displaced from Concorde. This is what many describe as the "crazy season" of youth soccer, and this year seems to be no different (or maybe even more chaotic) because of the news of Gil and Alan to Concorde. I would agree with 04gparent's assessment of TH and SSA. I would add that some (not all) view the SSA club as sort of a "cast-off" club where some players land when they have been kicked out of other clubs or couldn't find a home on the top team at other clubs. I'm not saying it is fair, but there are several girls from other clubs that DO wind up there. So "Yes" to answer your question, some Concorde players might eventually wind up there, but it will be a trickle down effect of not having other options to play top-level soccer at the powerhouses (Concorde, TH, UFA). Of course, the majority of players are there just because the came up in the SSA system, it's convenient and close to home, and they play at one for the two top leagues (GAL). Because SSA seems to only be mid-tier in the arguable less competitive GAL, some of their best players look to move on to the ECNL or TH because of the name recognition. Not saying it's right, but it does give an edge in college recruiting. This, in turn, makes it harder for SSA to bring up their status amongst the powerhouse clubs in Georgia. All that being said, if you feel your player is getting the coaching they need, is developing well, and you feel you and your player are enjoying your experience at SSA or the club you are at, then keep a mindset to always look for other opportunities as the powerhouses and then weigh whether switching would be the best for your particular player. There is always a potential for some teams in the SSA system to gel and become solid teams. Just set the expectations it will be very hard for them to be competing for top spot in the GAL.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 23, 2024 10:35:20 GMT -5
Should I anticipate some of the 2011 cf girls leaving because of the coaching change? Where would they go? I’m considering a move for my player but, there are so many variables to consider. Does anyone have any info on the 2011 tophat coach for the 2024-2025 season? Both Gold and Navy? If Alan and Gil are able to bring over UFA players in their selected age groups, I would imagine some previous players will be displaced from the Platinum team. It's a good thing Concorde has two ECNL teams and most could probably find a home there. I don't get why some might find that as a demotion (I'm not saying you specifically) and look for another club. They play the same teams, in the same SE ECNL conference. If a player does move to another club, they will still be playing in the SE ECNL conference and against the two Concorde teams... and playing against the same competition. So why go hunt for another club/team? Honest question.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 18, 2024 12:13:30 GMT -5
i know of many occasions where a respectable coach made a "phone call" to get players on a college teams radar. without that call, the player never would have been recruited by that specific school 100%!!! on the girls side, some of the "respectable" coaches have relationships with certain college coaches and can make phone calls. on the flip side, there are college coaches that cannot get these "respectable" coaches to return their phone calls / emails. At the end of the day, the player and parents have to drive the process and work every angle/connection. Agreed on this, along with oraclesfriend and Soccerhouse. You used "respectable" I used "rare". Yes, these types of coaches can make calls and send emails to hopefully get the player on the college coaches radar, but that is not the majority of coaches. I know of a few that go out of the way to help in the recruiting process, considering it part of their job or commitment to the players. Again, few and far between, so my point is that the players and parents shouldn't be expecting this as "normal". Be happy if you do have that type of coach. If not, just know that who is going to most likely make it happen... the players and parents. Personally, I think it should be part of the requirement by clubs for the upper age and upper tier coaches to partner with the players in this endeavor. I also think each club should have some sort of seminar or meetings for players and parents that are interested in going on to play in college (once said player is at the appropriate age). Most parents who have never been through the process have a HUGE learning curve on what to do, what to say, when to say it, etc. ... and don't really know if they are doing it correctly until sometimes its too late. I'm thinking of something in comparison to an academic advisor would be to making sure you graduate.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 17, 2024 21:10:58 GMT -5
I found this interesting. This is the breakdown for the current 2025 Graduates who have committed so far and specifically for Division 1 What I find shocking on this is the "International" is only at 36??? That makes NO sense. They are everywhere in D1 soccer. Hmmmm....
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 17, 2024 8:56:29 GMT -5
Coaches can still gain that experience and make the connections by coaching U15 & U16 teams as opposed to U17 & U19. Additionally, coaches should be able to "tag along" with ECNL coaches to their showcases so they can see how things work and also get introduced to college coaches. I agree it is a Catch 22 situation. It just sucks for the players that are essentially part of the training of the new coach, because they don't necessarily get the same experience as those with coaches with a bunch of contacts and experience. When you are the DOC or ECNL director you should be at the matches of your recruiting age players (ECNL/ECRL or equivalent) regardless if you are their coach or not. You should know their names and positions and a bit about their play so you can speak intelligently on their behalf again regardless of your teams that you are coaching. That was it doesn’t matter who their coach is for recruiting purposes. Say what you want about Tophat but when my kid was there all of the GA coaches knew her and how she played. They had watched dozens of her games and that included Troy. Yeah, unfortunately, the majority or recruiting still falls on the player and parents to drive the process forward. From everything I have heard, it's the rare coach(regardless of club), that really helps get players committed to a school.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 16, 2024 16:36:01 GMT -5
It could be the college recruiting angle. Maybe they felt that Iggy has more experience and connections. Renata can coach damn near anyone, IMO, but she is awesome coaching that U10-U14 ages for girls. She is so good at connecting with the girls, making it fun and really teaching the game. I’m just glad she’s finally being given an ECNL assignment, as opposed to having to fill in like she did last year. I wish everyone saw it this way. I know of a number of coaches at the older age groups who lack recruiting experience and college connections. Personally I don't believe that is in the best interest of the players. How does one get experience and connections for college recruiting without being put in the position to gain experience and make connections in college recruiting?
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 8, 2024 11:45:03 GMT -5
To be even more clear, the 2005/2006 girls game between the Platinum and Premier was also not indicative of the gap between them based on their record. Platinum wound up #1, Premier #5, out of the 16 teams in the SE region. Not saying that the Platinum team isn't better and loaded with D1 Power Five players and some national/international team players, just that they are closer than the one game indicates (chalk it off to a bad day that every team has once in a while). Yeah that's what I figured. Sometimes games just get away from a team! I'm curious, assuming you're a Premier parent, are all players given a fair shake during the recruiting process? Like does the club do things to promote all players? It seems like because the gap isn't that big, that there would be a more even spread of Premier and Platinum players who are able to make Power 5 rosters. Maybe not an even spread between who could make UNC or UCLA but surely the gap gets closer and may even be nonexistent between the best Premier players and some of the Platinum players who are making "lower level" Power 5 rosters. I've always wondered how and if players are affected by the 'Premier' and 'Navy' labels. There wasn't much of a "spread" (as you referred to it) for this age group. For instance, the year prior, Platinum vs Premier tied 2-2 in their season matchup. The Premier team was roughly split in half with Seniors and Juniors. Of those Seniors, they had 10 players commit with the breakdown being: 8-DI, 1-DII, and 1-D III by choice because of the college she wanted to attend (think super smart). As stated, the lower classmen still have another year to commit. I would also say that many of the players could swap out a spot on Platinum and they wouldn't miss a beat. It wouldn't be noticeable. Now, the noticeable difference would really be the upper-crust players of the Platinum team, so I will classify them as a "difference makers". Solia Washington (Jamaican world cup team) and Riley Jackson (USWNT) come to mind off this Platinum team. That is what mostly separates the two teams. Those 2-3 players shift the whole dynamic of a game. As for age combining, The 2005-2006 Premier team actually only took on one player from the year before (Platinum player that dropped to premier on purpose for more playing time). Other than that, it was the same line-up as the year before. The continuity of keeping together really can account for performing better as a team. I see this with Platinum, as every year they have the same girls minus maybe a 2-3 girls coming on or off the roster. I also think that college coaches look for the individual player more than the team success. Once you hit 80-90 coaches coming to the Premier teams showcase games, I don't think have any extra college coaches (say 100-120) makes much, if any difference.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Mar 26, 2024 13:34:17 GMT -5
Sure you would agree this totally depends on where your kid is as it has to vary by school as some schools are loaded with top players and are led by respected club coaches. I can see how it may appear the levels shrink, but I really don't think the difference is that they shrink as much as they were never that big for the majority of players as you suggested. On the boys side, the biggest driver of the "shrinking" is lack of upward/downward movement at the club level. So when you get to HS, all of a sudden kids that had the label ECNL/RL/SCCL are at the same practice and competing against one another. Some players get exposed when they are not surrounded by their club teamates. I have seen players jump a league level at their club after their freshman year not because they learned something from the other players, it is due to HS giving players an opportunity their club hasn't given to them the 2-3 years prior. For many players though that are the top half of RL or top half of SCCL, they are never able to jump to a higher league unless they move clubs and drive. Which is why, when they mix them all up in HS and put them on the field you see more parody in performance. It's funny I never considered high school as contributing factor because my kids teams are not that good 😆 To clarify we were looking at the big gap that exists between the 2007 girls premier and the 2005/2006 girls premier. Now that I have looked more closely it seems that the 2007 girls did better than what their record suggests. A lot of their games seem to be close losses not counting a huge loss to AFU. I'm going to assume something super weird happened that day! But you're right the gap is not as big as I originally thought. A 3-1 loss against Platinum for the 2007 age group is pretty good. With new coaches coming for I'm assuming all 4 teams for u17 & u19 it will be interesting to see how much of it's players and how much of it's coaching! To be even more clear, the 2005/2006 girls game between the Platinum and Premier was also not indicative of the gap between them based on their record. Platinum wound up #1, Premier #5, out of the 16 teams in the SE region. Not saying that the Platinum team isn't better and loaded with D1 Power Five players and some national/international team players, just that they are closer than the one game indicates (chalk it off to a bad day that every team has once in a while).
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Post by soccerlegacy on Feb 28, 2024 20:54:30 GMT -5
Is MaxPreps the best site to go to for High School standings and rankings? If so, they don't keep it up-to-date very well at all. Or is there another site that does it better?
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Post by soccerlegacy on Feb 27, 2024 14:14:37 GMT -5
Walton got a quality win over Milton during Spring Break. Walton looked pretty light on the bench, probably due to Winter Break, but got a goal in the last 15 mins to take the win. Even playing with a limited bench, they looked like they were clearly the better team over a full-squad Milton team. Is Milton supposed to a "good" win this year? Honest question. I don't know how Milton is this year.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Jan 23, 2024 13:40:07 GMT -5
Is this on the boys or girls side. They each have unique conference setups? I'm guessing boys because you mentioned MLS Next??
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Post by soccerlegacy on Jan 22, 2024 13:18:35 GMT -5
It looked to me like that was more of our "C" or those that hadn't even played enough to qualify with a "A,B,C" designation. That 18 year old with the long last name Blat....ski??" I thought he looked good for a newcomer... and Caleb Wiley got in. Anyway, I'm not saying they were great, but not a lost cause either. I don't follow it closely enough to know the younger USMNT's so I can't speak to what we have coming up in those ages. But I agree we still really struggle in the final third of the field.
Glad to read all the comments though, it helps me learn from other opinions and see things from a different perspective... and often from those more knowledgeable than me.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Jan 21, 2024 0:33:52 GMT -5
Interesting responses. I found them to look pretty good for being some of younger, more inexperienced group, with very few caps amongst them. They did have the same old problem USA always has, which is little to no serious scoring threats. We just don't seem to ever have one of those stud goal scorers in the red, whit, and blue.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Jan 19, 2024 12:20:44 GMT -5
Dang it, I am sorry. No apologies needed. I wasn't upset, I thought it was maybe a bit ironic or whatever to apply the same logic to academics. I think it makes the argument that kids should play rec sound silly if they can't be on the top team, but not from a ERRRRRR I am mad point of view. I could have spent more time making my post more soft around the edges. Thanks for clarifying. I love that kids play....whatever. My kids don't play at the highest level--they'd be in the several hundred or number I pulled out of my butt. I could have made my point clearer too. I wish there was a more robust rec, what I remember from my youth, before "club" was a thing. Pretty much every kid that liked sports (and some who didn't) played little league baseball or pee wee football or the soccer//basketball equivalent and you had a wide variety of skill and talent that competed at least through middle school ages. Our experience with rec for my kids was pretty sad. It felt like the only option was to join a club. It wasn't until they were at their first club that I realized, oh, this is where all the kids who played rec when I was growing up play now. I was intimidated at the idea of my kids playing "club" before then, lol. Now... ^^ THIS ^^ I can totally relate to. IMHO, its sad to see that kids don't seem to have as long to explore other sports (and within a reasonable proximity to home) as when we were in our youth. Unfortunately, it seems the reality is that of 'keeping up with the Jones kids". Kids today get specialized so early and play year round, with parents forking over so much money with personalized training and out of town play. Obviously, I'm not immune to having to play along because.. "IT IS, WHAT IT IS...", and I had those same realizations when we went our first "club (i.e. academy)" level.
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