Monday, January 14, 2019

U17 Girls Youth Soccer

U17 girls soccer takes no prisoners--they are well trained and fiercely competitive. 

Looking for stars in the making? 

Look no further.

3,065 comments:

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Anonymous said...

Its clear that Mass has the best soccer around,maybe you people from PA and NJ should drive the 5 hours

Anonymous said...

1;17 forget about gotsoccer and the way teams accumulated points.
Their 35+ rating is from their result Goal differentials vs the teams they played.

For example if they played a team that was a 37 and lost by more than 2 their score will drop or if they play a team that was a 33 and they win by 1 their score will go down.

From the above list states with teams over 36.

5 MA
4 NJ
4 VA
3 CT
3 NYE
3 PAE
2 MD
1 NYW

Anonymous said...

What number does a team start at?

Sorry - you havent completely explained it.

Did Surf LI take over someone's ranking?

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Looks like NY Surf LI started last summer and accumulated a rating from then on. We have played them , very fast , patient team with a lot of ball control.

Anonymous said...

every team started with the same number and then based on your results and the teams that you played their results the scores is dynamic and it updates. Your question is for the guy who made the tool. I can tell you how it works.

Team a is a 35 and team b is a 35.
Team A wins by 2 goals so team a would move up to a 37 and team b will be 33.
Team A play team C who is a 35 and wins by 2 their score remains at 37 and team c drops to a 33.
Team B plays team C and wins by 2 goals team be goes up to 36 and Team C drop to 31. Since C dropped to 31 and team A only beat them by 2 goals when they are a 37 their score will also be adjusted to a lower number.

My guess is everyone started with the same ranking and then adjusted itself as they played games. The number of games means nothing the results are everything

Anonymous said...

So everyone started at 35?

Anonymous said...

I have no idea what everyone started with. All I know is that their score is dynamic based on their results and the results of all the teams they played.
No bonus points for the amount of games you played or winning a flight. Just how you did vs the teams you played and how those teams did vs the teams they played.

This was a special year everyone started the same. I'm sure every age group had a starting point. What that starting point is or was is any ones guess.

I love the tool, loved GS before but love this site even more.

Anonymous said...

Right

But it MATTERS how many points you had to start. That's my point.

I will also ask - how does a team with a 33+ rating gain points if never flighted vs 35-36-37 point teams?

System is just as flawed as GotSoccer

Anonymous said...

You have to beat teams by large margins to climb your teams ranking (score) higher. Ex if you only play teams below a 35 score but beat them by a large margin(6-1, 5-0, 8-1, 4-0 etc) your score could continually rise past 35 or 36 etc.

Anonymous said...

5:49 I agree. I don't think it matters where you start if everyone started from the same point. It also looks at the scores of the teams you beat 5-0 or 6-1 if they improve your score will increase without playing a game or it will decrease if their score goes lower.

10:11 like 5:49 said look at Rage at their 2017 Flash Tournament
LOWER MERION SC SPRINGBOKS (U17) 8 - 1 28.55 (no change)
WEST SCHUYLKILL FC ATHLETICA (U18) 7 - 0 29.61 (no change)
WEST SCHUYLKILL FC ATHLETICA (U18) 5 - 0 29.61 (decreased)
SOUTHERN CHESTER COUNTY SA DRAGONS 9 - 0 29.71 (increased)

and at the EDP Cup Spring Showcase 2017
NJ ELITE FLAMES 4 - 3 35.58 (no change)
SJEB RUSH 1 - 2 36.54 (no change)
STA SOCCER MORRIS UNITED NPL 3 - 1 34.74 (no change)

when I say no change I mean it changed by a small margin

Looks very accurate to me.

When rage played weak teams they slayed them however when they played teams close to them the scores were close.

Where are the flaws?

Looking at Surf during the EDP Spring 2017 the team which generated the question.

NEW YORK SC ELITE NPL 1 - 2 35.53 (no change)
CAPITAL UNITED SC BLUE FORCE 4 - 3 34.41 (no change)
ALLEYCATS SC NPL 5 - 3 33.77 (no change)
BEACHSIDE SC CT 6 - 2 32.83 (increased)
RAMAPO VALLEY SC TORNADOS 1 - 0 32.98 (decreased)
NEW YORK SURF SC LONG ISLAND SPARK 4 - 2 34.22 (no change)
SOUTH CENTRAL PREMIER SPIRIT 3 - 0 33.81 (increased)

Anonymous said...

The flaws I have found are that not all games are listed with respect to some teams. Some teams have truncated lists (not not all inclusive) and some don't. And some teams are in there several times under different names for the same team. For instance, some teams may have a rating using their acronym (with some games) and then their full name (with some others). So, in a perfect system, there would be one name, the correct full team name and all the games listed thereafter.

It's not perfect at all but, it's better than GSP.

Anonymous said...

Most ranking systems are flawed. Just look at NCAA Football. Never and issue there !!??

Rule of thumb, if your team is in a league and your record reflects that you have more wins than losses based on the teams you play in your league then you are ranked. Comparing against other leagues is speculative because ECNL won't play non-ecnl teams and I am sure that the DA teams will not play ECNL teams. If I say that my daughter plays on the #1 ECNL team in her division someone will counterpoint that it is a weak division If A) THey are not and ECNL parent or B) THeir daughter plays for an ECNL team in a different division. If I say my daughter plays on the top team based on GSP a different parent will counterpoint that GSP gets it wrong, or my daughters team hunts points by playing too many tournaments and getting seated lower.

Bottom line is that there are regional teams with great players that are ranked in the top 10 across multiple services, if this is true you can consider them the top 10 teams in the region. There are also teams with good reputations that are always being vilified by the have not's (get over it). If you can get your daughter to be a starter on one of those 10 teams great, if not, have fun and make sure your daughter does as well. trying to figure out why team a is ranked higher than team b or why they flipped after a weekend when they didn't play is ridiculous. Make sure your daughter is chasing HER dream, and you are not having her chase yours.

Anonymous said...

12:01 which 2001 teams don't have all their games and are listed multiple times, you must be from a different board? The ECNL teams have ECNL and non ECNL results?

Sticking with Rage and Copa as they are the perfect examples.


RAGE #1 PA team when it comes to GSP played in 11 events YSR has them as #5 (7-4 with 5 ties vs teams over 35 a good team but not #1 in the state #5 might be right).

COPA #2 NJ team when it comes to GSP played in 15 events YSR has them as #13 (clearly benefits from playing in a lot of events 3-11 with 4 ties vs teams over 35)

SJEB #1 NJ team when it comes to GSP played in 11 events YSR has them as #3 (the #1 Non-ECNL team - GSP or not they play a bunch of games and their results support their ranking)

12:26 why is it ridiculous? What's wrong with being a fan of your kid's team? What's ridiculous is posting we had 80 coaches at our kid's game. If any of them were invited by your kid great have fun I agree. When they go to college and play there are rankings why is that okay to follow and these aren't? It's all the same we all support our kids and some of us like to have a little fun while we sacrifice so much of our time making sure our kid has fun drive all over the place and pay for many mini vacations. How about you do you and the people that like rankings will do that

Anonymous said...

12:26
why the tirate? maybe get some water and get out of the heat.

to the best of my knowledge, the NCAA (your example) does not have teams posted twice as one poster noted. that's a pretty big flaw.
And, agreed, the way college football bowl invitations are given is flawed. And there are many, many more youth soccer teams than NCAA teams in any one division.

these systems (the youth soccer) are trying to include multiple leagues. that's the problem. not all the information is carrying over from the leagues into the system. maybe it's proprietary. who knows. but, you can't have an accurate ranking without all the teams being registered correctly and all the games being included.

Anonymous said...

1:33
why ridiculous to post about over 80 coaches at one game. my kid never sent out one e-mail inviting coaches. not one. she is committed and continues to get interest from other schools even after being committed. so out of those 80 coaches at someone's game, there may be some reach outs about several other kids in addition to the ones they were coming to watch by invitation.
i'm just putting out there our experience. it's not hard and fast that those 80 are just going to show interest in the kids who sent them invites.
plenty of coaches = plenty of potential opportunity

Anonymous said...

1:33
https://youthsoccerrankings.us/rankings/National/16/Girls/
I see Reading Rage at National Ranking of #109. Is this what you are referencing?

Anonymous said...

We got one of those I'm interested in you e-mails. We then found out that even our hurt player got a letter too. It was all a big marketing play to have us sign up for their summer camp run by the coaching staff and some players. $$$$$$$ ONLY

Summer job NOT summer showcase camp

Anonymous said...

2:42 nothing wrong with that. If your kid likes the school you go if she doesn't you don't.

2:15 yes if you click on the team you's see the details.

2:08 Good for her. I can only speak on what I was told by my friends who are college coaches. They recruit the players that are interested in their school, they have a database with more than 1,000 kids were graduation year. They don't need to reach out to kids who haven't contacted them.

2:01 the other poster never listed any teams listed twice and if you checked the 2001 rankings you will see there aren't any. But yet you want to dance with me. Do you always just believe what you read without a little research? What leagues aren't carrying over give an example. besides the
KNOWN ISSUES listed.

Anonymous said...

As far as YSR, as of only about a week ago, there were missing games and problems with it. For instance, Jeff Cup games didn't carry over; Region 1 game; National League. Some other games didn't carry over. Several teams were in twice with truncated games.

This is just an example being used:
https://youthsoccerrankings.us/team.html?teamId=1987874
For instance check this team, Princeton. See the various ways the team is identified at the bottom of the page. As of about a week ago, these were different entries (identified as GSA, etc.). Now, they seem to be all together. Which is good.

A parent on our team pointed it out to me and others. They were going to reach out to the YSR posters. Maybe they did. Anyway, glad it has been fixed. But this was researched and it had problems only recently. It's a big undertaking hopefully whatever glitch occurred previously has been worked out.

Anonymous said...

2:08
hello i'm the poster re the girl who never sent out one e-mail to a coach. I understand that your experience was from friends that are college coaches. And, we had heard that as well also from friends of ours that coached in college. I was just offering our experience as well just to show nothing is hard and fast. And, that they do reach out if other kids catch their attention.

Would i recommend it? no. it would drive me crazy that she didn't reach out prior to events. but it does happen. The benefit was that we knew the coaches had genuine interest if they were seeking her/us out and not just responding to a request.

So while the post at 1:33 made it seem like this never happens. And, my experience says otherwise. Again, not recommended.

Anonymous said...

GFA clearly the best team at this age when playing with a full team.

Anonymous said...

okay? all teams could make that excuse. most have injuries throughout the season.
but, a view of the YSR rankings for the team the above poster is referencing, they didn't even play at Jeff Cup.
Are they going to this upcoming season?
And, have the teams moved up already re the blog. Is this still 01's or 02's, now? I want to make sure i am on the correct blog for information.

Anonymous said...

10:45 clearly. SUSA NPL won the NYCSL NPL with PSA in the same division.
PSA just got punched by SSS which SUSA NPL beat at the NPL Finals. Love the posts though keep trying.

11:37 only the weak clubs make those claims because they move their players around they don't have the player pool to have multiple strong teams on their own creds. PS this blog is just a 2001 board when it comes to teams. I also love YSR great site the 2001 age group is set with no duplicates a really good feel on the quality of the teams.

Anonymous said...

July 21 2:08

I am curious about your daughter still "getting interest" even though she has committed

Is the word OUT that she committed? Did she or you post it anywhere?

I am of the understanding that most colleges do not try to recruit off "committed player" lists

How is that going for you? What is the typical correspondence like?
And congratulations, by the way.

One last thing -

What would make your daughter decommit and commit elsewhere?

Thanks

Anonymous said...

I am curious as well - where did she get her interest from? Since you said she did not reach out so that means no invite email sent, no questionnaire or no Id camp. So when did they contact her coach initially after which event? or was it an ODP, id2 or NT camp? I am assuming it was a D1 school.

Congrats to your kid, I am also very curious like 8:46 this is the type of info that I would love to read about.

Anonymous said...

It's a D3 commit. Coach watched her an ID camp.

Anonymous said...

Are you saying COMMIT as in "the coach wants her to attend and play there"? Thus you havent decided yet?

If so - if you havent actually decided and stated that intent - then it makes sense she is still being looked at and contacted by other schools.

WE are in the same boat. D3 vs possible D1. Playing time issues, of course -

Anonymous said...

6:44 AM

Well wouldn't attending an ID camp be a show of interest by tour daughter? She was not scouted by one of the "80" coaches on the sideline of a game.

Anonymous said...

There actually were 142 coaches there and the 143rd walk on at the end of game spotted her and the rest is history.
She is set to get $4,678 toward a $47,000 tuition so we're stoked!!!!

Anonymous said...

You joke, 9:15 but actual real life recruiting stories can be very helpful.

I'd recommend that you befriend some of the older team's parents in your club if you haven't already done so, hear their experiences if they are willing to share.

Anonymous said...

and there are some many stories and variations. No one true way to the recruit stage...

Anonymous said...

Recruiting Story (Committed as a Junior)

My daughter joined an ECNL team at U15 (we had not heard of the concept before and were not all too familiar with going into the first season). Fall of Freshman year my daughter switched to the ECNL which entailed getting ramped up to go to Florida. Coming out of the fall games/showcases we started to see some email activity but mostly with ID camp invites from all over the country (ECNL database sale). Through Spring we saw some interest from local schools that was more than just "Hey come to our Summer Camp" mostly local D1 and D2 programs. Fast forward to fall of Junior year (attended ID clinics for three schools over the summer and 1 full week camp, it was the 2nd year with the full week camp). She was focused on 2 schools, both coaches were actively perusing her and had each indicated that after the next ID camp they would be reaching out with an offer. The offer is: If you are accepted to the school we would love to have you on our team. She visited both schools and had one on ones with the head coaches (parents were invited to these meetings) from my perspective she was in good standing after these meetings, again both coaches mentioned a forthcoming offer. As a lark she decided to attend an ID camp for a third school. It had a good program for her major so it was the back-up plan. The coach approached her afterwards and talked to her, mentioned that she fit their program and would she like to come for an overnight visit, meet the team and tour the campus/sit in on classes? Neither of the other 2 coaches made this type of effort. The visit was, as my daughter described, wonderful. The assistant coach was waiting for her and walked her into admissions, my daughter brought a transcript and SAT information and met with Admissions as well as the department head for her major, the coach then walked her around the campus (she mentioned that some people said hi to her by name as she went into different buildings). The coach took her to the athletics building gave her a tour of the facilities and eventually walked her into the coaches office. The coach chatted with her a bit and had the captains come in and he left, she talked with them and headed out to the field for warm - ups, she could warm up with the team as long as the coach was not present. Coach shows up and she sat in the stands with a few injured players during the practice. Went out to dinner with the team stayed in the dorms and went to classes next day. Met with the coach before she left. No offer made at this time but did indicate that based on a discussion with admissions her would be in touch with her. Coincidentally there was another ID camp that she went to (assistant coach called and invited her) she had her offer in person after the camp. whole process was less than 3 months. Sidebar is that she left the ECNL club after U16 came to find out the coach and DOC were not passing on College interest to all players as it didn't fit their recruiting story. We (mostly she) did the work with little help from the ECNL coaches her new coach was very helpful.

Anonymous said...

1:07 thanks for the post. This is the kind of stuff I like to read. I know every story is different. So the offer was made to her without parents standing around while she is still a minor? Also, did she have to pay for the 2nd ID Camp that she was invited by the coach?

My kid get email blasts like everyone else on this board plus a few personal eMails from D3 schools. We did our first round of camps this year, of the camps only 2 she plans on doing again before her junior year.

One last question - are you telling me you found out players had interest from schools and they never knew about it. WOW that sucks and is so dirty. I wish you could name the club they deserve to be throw under a bus

Anonymous said...

2:15 PM

The offer was two-fold the coach said that everything went well with admissions and he would send her more information via email. The email stated what she would be receiving as far as finical aid (D3)which brings the initial cost down below state tuition, there are additional funds available once she fills out FAFSA. I did follow-up thanking the coach for the offer (only prior contact was a handshake and sitting in on a brief chat after we went to watch them play). Yes we had to pay the $50 for the camp but well worth it. Another important thing is if your daughter is truly interested in a school it helps to show up at a game or two. One of the comments she received from all of the college coaches was that they were impressed that she was interested enough to come to a game. And they gave her time after and talked with her. We also learned to watch out for transfers, she lost one opportunity when a red shirt freshman transferred to one of the schools she was interested in.

As for the other coach who held back offers, apparently one of the higher level recruits parents found out and he is no longer with the program in that capacity. A good number of coaches and DOC have also left the club in the past year.

Anonymous said...

We now have our 3rd National Champion. I removed the President's cup since it's the 2nd level USYS event like the Premier group is to the National Cup Super group.

Congrats to the 2016-2017 National Champions
FC Dallas ECNL U16 (TX) - US Club ECNL National Finals Champion
SUSA 01 NPL (NY) - US Club National Premier Leagues Champion
South Shore Select AP (MA) - US Club National Cup XVI Champion

One more title to be played for:
2017 USYS National Championships
Frisco, TX

Group A
Legends FC 01 Academy (CA-S)
Greater Binghamton FC (NY-W)
Florida Elite 2001 Elite (FL)
Nationals Union 01 Black (MI)

Group B
SLSC Cosmos 01 Lawless (OK)
Celtic FC Premier SA (UT)
CUP Gold 01 (OH-S)
Michigan Jaguars 01 Green (MI)

Thanks 2:38 like I said I love reading those posts because it has some nice info. Wish your kid lots of luck when she starts playing college. Props to the parent who outed this info, they could have said nothing but instead they did the right thing

Anonymous said...

11:11 am
hi i'm the recruit poster who has a kid that never sent out an e-mail. It's a DI school and a very good one (school and program).

We received all interest from her coaches. The club coaches would contact us after each event and sometimes after games if interest was expressed by college coaches that attended. And, yes, it's posted about her commitment; including in the team handouts.

It seems that some coaches want her and us to know that if something happens with her choice and it doesn't happen (coach can leave, etc.), that they are interested. Some coaches would speak with her coaches and some would hand business cards to parents giving out team info to give to us, directly and say if she changed her mind to give a call.

My only advice is to stay flexible. There are a lot of programs out there and a lot of spots. Good luck to all of you and your gals.

Anonymous said...

7/23 @ 8:46 pm
i don't fo see her decommiting, but in the event there is a head coaching change to someone she didn't like or know or if there was a change in the verbally committed terms, a problem at the school (like things that could prevent post season play or student safety issues arise), etc., those would be game changers.

Anonymous said...

My daughter also committed D3 in June of junior year.
Truth is it was made very clear that we still need to afford it once she applies. It's up to them to make it happen...

Anonymous said...

11:36 PM

Wow your daughter must be a phenomenal player. Very few players are that good where a D1 coach will make an offer solely based on seeing them play in a game at a showcase. Has the team/club sent other girls to the same school?

Anonymous said...

She is awesome, thanks!

Anonymous said...

7:12
My older daughter is playing D3 and when first visiting, was told that although they would offset some of the cost with grants, there would still be a hefty sum to pay. Instead of saying yes right away, we kept looking at other options at other schools and while doing so, the coach came back with more grant options (this happen twice). In the end the final cost was $6,600 average for a $52,000 a year school, but there is still two year to go and things can fluctuate from year to year. So my advice to anyone is not to rush into any agreement with a school as its a lot like buying a car, the sticker price if fictional.

Anonymous said...

I'll take $6,600/yr!! School $ tag is 50K
Thanks for the info!

Anonymous said...

AWESOME, 10:30

This is the kind of info that is quite helpful

Quite a few D3s are appealing to us - but the supposed cost is so difficult to swallow.

Only question is how do you turn down D1 money - in HOPES that the D3 school will be affordable? This is the tough part for us.

Anonymous said...

7:40
(i'm the person that daughter did not send out one e-mail).

well, she is pretty good. But her future college head coach was there to watch another girl on the team they were playing against. My daughter played very well to catch coach's eye. Coach actually offered spots to both girls and both accepted. It wasn't a one and done thing. Evaluating is a process.

Coach saw her in an ECNL nat'l event and then a few other times, including league games. After seeing her only a few times though, coach did offer her a spot. But, my daughter had several offers so she had to weed through schools and programs as to what would best suit her for athletics and academics as she was looking academics that not all schools offer. So, some were eliminated on that alone. Then, geographics eliminated others (where in country, items of interest and proximity to school). Then, playing potential (possibly playing as a freshman or needing to redshirt and wait a year or two before seeing meaningful minutes). And, then the overall package as far as cost. She actually made a list of pros and cons with her final choices. It was quite stressful for her as it's tough for a 16 yr old to figure out what they may want to do academically and therefore eliminating some very good schools.

She only went to 1 id camp prior to the entire committing process. And while she liked that school's asst coach, she wasn't thrilled with head. So, that school was eliminated.

Her offers/the coaching reach outs re interest were all based on game play in showcases and league play. Several showed up at practices, too, unannounced.

She was able to attend a camp at her committed college in the past several weeks. We wanted her to attend as now was the time to learn if she had made the correct choice or not. She is thrilled with her choice and can't wait for college. And, then, so are we. :)

Anonymous said...

1:53, How helpful was her DOC or Coach during this process? Or did you go it alone?

Anonymous said...

Seems to be a troll on here.

I'm the poster at 1:53 continuing with our experience (no e-mails and kid committed when coaches would show up to watch her by either word of mouth or watching others). Anyway, re tuition/school, cost is always a thing. If they want your kid, they will make it happen getting a mix of athletics and academics. Some schools already have a lock step academic merit awards so she is pretty good academically and had already qualified for over 1/3 in academics alone. For instance, if your kid has a GPA of 3.5 or above and SAT scores of over 1350, then you may already qualify for some academic funds. Good AP scores help too. Then, athletics made up the difference. It's very important to keep up your grades not only for the admission process but there may be some $$ too not through athletics.

We have been very blessed and honored about all the interest. And we are very happy about her package. Our club coaches were very helpful in the process. It is unfortunate that some don't have the same experience.

Anonymous said...

2:03 That is a great question and something that should be expected as a function for all DOC's.
12:14 The big questions for many when it comes to D1 vs D3 is immediate playing time and real money.
Unless your daughter is a real stud player or the team is in a dire need of a position player and your daughter fits that need, she may sit though her freshmen year. Most D3's do not have that talent overload and freshmen to get on the field and even start in many cases.
I like using the term "real money" when it comes to D3 grants, in most cases its spread over all four years of schooling and cannot be taken away (unlike scholarship money). The downside of course, is that you daughter is not playing D1 like all of us have first hoped for. For some reason I have found this easier to accept than I thought I would.

Anonymous said...

And the troll comment; I didn't post 10:16. She is a work in progress. She is very good, but is always working to be better. And, she is her hardest critic about herself and pushes herself to be better. That's what all the coaches liked.

Anonymous said...

2:26
i hear ya re the funds. We were told her package was guaranteed all four years. So, yes, that's something to consider as well. Scholarships are renewable annually. D3 are great choices as well. I have an older kids that were athletes, too. Two DI and one DIII. The DIII kid was offered several DI spots, but knew academically with his choice of sport and major that he would not be able to balance both successfully. And, DIII, his coach didn't look at him as an athlete only, but a student-athlete/person.

Anonymous said...

2:26

Plenty of great soccer around - even at D3

You have heard it before but worth repeating - many D3s can hang with mid to lower level D1s - and sometimes even scrimmage them.

Time allotment is the positive trade off - with D3 obviously allowing more time for studies etc. (since less practice for the mot part, less travel)

How about this?

Elimination from conference tournament at D1 (or dare I say not even making conference tourney) vs getting to Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4 at D3....

Something to ponder.

Anonymous said...

Agreed. It's the goal for all divisions; just like it is in the various youth soccer leagues. If it's a good fit, that is all that matters.

Anonymous said...

2:44 you hit on something I totally missed and missed badly. The academics and being able to balance both. Since the academics is the single most important thing out of all this, I should have mentioned that first. It is one of the biggest things to factor in a players decision and a bad decision can result in thousands of dollars thrown away. It makes me wonder how many players throughout the college landscape end up giving up or simply not maintaining the grades to continue?

Anonymous said...

D1 scholarships are also "all 4 years" except in extreme cases.

Beauty of taking the D1 ride and then transferring down is that there is no sit out year.

So keep that D3 tucked away as a "you never know" when accepting the offer you do.

Anonymous said...

Is the NPL maneuvering teams around like the ECNL league did?

Anonymous said...

8:30
speaking re DI, surely you know of a team or two when a new coach arrived and wanted to clean house so didn't honor some scholarships of older gals. we found out and crossed that school off our list.
so, not guaranteed, renewable.

Anonymous said...

That was a lot of good post with a lot of good info. 10:35 brought up another excellent point to consider

Anonymous said...

8:43 why do you ask? Did you see something?

Anonymous said...

Players can write college coaches all they want the college coach still can't respond back to the players in this age group.

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Anonymous said...

My last note as far as college scholarship and grants that are easily obtainable. I realize some on this board are more affluent than others, so this may seem trivial. There are a lot of $1,000 to $3,000 dollar stackable grants out there that never get picked up, mainly because students and parents do not know they exist. My niece received $1,000 grants from Burger King, Wawa and a $3,000 grant from a local bank and $500 ones from various others sources. She was a straight A student and I'm sure that's part of it, but she found these with the help of the school guidance counselor and all it took was and emailed letter. Needless to say, she helped out her parents in a huge way by taking almost $10,000 dollars off the bill. I'm all for keeping money in my pocket if possible

Anonymous said...

I don't understand the question around the NPL maneuvering teams around. Can you rephrase?

Anonymous said...

The three local NPL leagues all likely have some changes. NE NPL follows ECNL so Penn Fusion, WNY, Breakers out, Bethesda and Maryland United in. EDP I am sure has some changes in NYClub (CSA) and EDP always has a little shuffle.

Anonymous said...

12:09
that's great info. thank you. yep, there is other money out there as well to help less the burden. thanks again!

Anonymous said...

sorry * lessen the burden; not less the burden. stinking touch screens.

Anonymous said...

Thank you 2:39! So you're saying that the NPL will mirror the ECNL changes.

Anonymous said...

someone was inquiring about transfer rates a few posts back.
My understanding is that the transfer rates are up considerably in the past several years in all the sports. So much so that the NCAA brass are talking about various considerations for transfers to not loose time, potentially, having to sit out an add'l year before competing, again. I think the consideration to amend comes from the amount of early commits finally realizing that 14, 15 and 16 yr olds may not know what they want out of college, yet.
If I get any add'l information on this, I'll post.

Anonymous said...

7/21 @6:02 pm

just looked at YSR U17 and yep some teams are still double listed with truncated games.

As an example only, take the Stallions:
https://youthsoccerrankings.us/team.html?teamId=1933678 (at #58); then go to
and same team w/ different name at #6 listing only end of June/July games. https://youthsoccerrankings.us/team.html?teamId=2059550

obviously not a true ranking, either one. probably somewhere in the middle.

YSR is probably the closest to getting some really good ranking intel, but it's just not accurate, yet. Probably still some bugs being worked out because if one team is this way, there are others, too.


Anonymous said...


http://www.soccerwire.com/news/clubs/youth-girls/ecnl-announces-roster-for-2017-ecnlid2-national-training-camp/
Out of close to 100 players selected
5 from PDA
1 From FC Bucks
0 Penn Fusion
0 Continental

I am not with any of these clubs but find it interesting that most clubs eligible sent at least 1 player.

Anonymous said...

Yep, we knew about this about a month ago as word came down that Penn Fusion was being shut out from all ages because it's no longer ECNL. The politics of ECNL continue.

Anonymous said...

And, reality is that in GDA more opportunities will arise for this stuff with kids participating. So maybe it wasn't totally political? #bull

Anonymous said...

A little less head scratching this past year why US Soccer took the path it did.

Anonymous said...

1:21 this is YSR U16 or 2001 and no teams are double listed.

Anonymous said...

Re YSR - Are you saying that because one age group is okay (for now) that it's reliable? Btw - some 2001 kids play up for some teams.

Why post then if part is inaccurate? People in this age group have other kids in other age groups, too.

Anonymous said...

Yes the 2001 age group is reliable.

PS. kids that play up play for the 2000 age group and those teams have their own board.

I post 2001 ranks which are reliable. This board is for teams in the 2001 age group not players.

Anonymous said...

that's not what the blog heading says. It says U16 not 2001 which will be 2002 on 8/1.

U16 will then be 2002. U17 will be 2001; U18/19 will be 2000 and 1999. Maybe the administrator will change the blogs to calendar year not age group.

Not sure YSR will change it's age groups as well or if it just starts a new each soccer season. Or just rank 2001, only, since it's accurate and others are not.

Anonymous said...

11:33 yes u16 is 2001 until 7/31/2017. If I remember correctly they always roll up the board. Just look at this url it has u11.

I think YSR only started new because of the birth year change.

Anonymous said...

I have a feeling 11:33 is still afraid of removing the tag from his mattress.

Anonymous said...

Ahh, nope went to the big house for THAT already. Next.

Anonymous said...

9:28 the bullpen or was it your address for a bit?

Anonymous said...

Still is my address. I moved on to removing tags from pillows. Can't stop.

Anonymous said...

There were at least 3 deserving PF kids from the PDP event. Wonder if other former ECNL clubs got the same dis?

Anonymous said...

Here we go.....

Anonymous said...

Just gonna back track on the whole recruiting thing a bit. I get it that you and your daughter want to play on a good team that is successful, everyone does. But in all reality, if that is a big deciding factor on going to a school over the school being a great fit academically and socially, then you need to get your priorities in check. Personally, I don't care if the team is the worst team in college sports. If they want my daughter to help make their program better, its the right fit for her academically, and they are willing to cover the cost of that so she has the opportunity to be successful in life, I'm all for it.

College will be the end of playing careers for over 99% of the players in this age group. I urge you to not have the quality of the soccer program as your number 1 reason for choosing a school. Find the right schools that are the right fit for your daughter, and if it comes down to choice, use how the soccer team is a fit with your daughter.

That's why there are so many transfers. So many players seeing bright lights, but yet it's not a light that's shining for them......

Anonymous said...

Let met get this straight - If number 1 soccer school wants your kid and it also happens to be where she wants to go. You are saying she shouldn't? Help me understand What does 99% and High transfer rate have to do with anything?
So she gets a partial athletic ride and also gets some academic scholarships for a total under 10K per year she should pass on it?

You don't care if it's the worst but what if it's the best and she wants to be there? What makes you think these kids are picking schools because of soccer? It just so happens that they can? Great grades and great players.

Anonymous said...

3:53 that's not what I'm saying at all. If it is a top 20 D1 school that isn't going to offer you anything except a spot on the team and a foot in the door to the college that fits your daughter perfectly, most definitely open that door. M

What I'm trying to say is that soccer isn't going to be a profession after college for 99% of this age group. So many people are just trying to play for the best soccer team that they can play for, and at the end of the day, it isn't the right college fit for them sometimes even within that soccer program. That is a big part of the reason there are so many transfers. Both colleges and players being forced to make decisions before either of them are ready and know what they really want/need.

you say what if it is a number 1 school and she wants to go there, I would be asking why she wants to go there? What does she want to do with her life? Is that school able to fulfill those dreams? I'd be much happier with my daughter going to a D3 school that isn't that great at soccer, if it will give her the ability to have a successful career that she can be happy in. Scholarships, grants, or not. Soccer is a card in your pocket to help you get into the college that fits best. I guess the best way to describe it is that it's a sliding ruler with fit of college to player, quality of soccer, and scholarships/grants. Your biggest weighted category by far should be college fit. The other 2 categories are featherweights in comparison

Anonymous said...

4:27 Hmmm, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Paquiao would be very upset over your derogatory use of the word "featherweight". But I totally agree with your post.

Anonymous said...

4:27 why only a top 20 D1 school? Top 20 Academic? Research? Business? Arts? Soccer?
That's a crock sorry I don't agree with your comment it reads as you pumping up D3 schools.

What's the difference between #300 D1 and #300 D3? If the money is the same from both schools? The soccer is a huge difference isn't it? I think so. But that's not what you are saying is it? More like #300 D1 vs #10 D3 right? Is the soccer better at D3 - so are they trying to play for the best soccer team now since it's D3?

You ask why they want to go there? Who cares if that's where they want to go - their life. All I good do is prepare them by giving pros/cons at the end of the day it's their choice.

College fit for who? What you think is a fit or what they think is a fit?

Anonymous said...

I would like to take the recruiting talk a different direction. And I am going to be pretty specific which may also identify a specific club. I think most would agree that a club placing players at D1 and being able year after year post a list of graduating seniors going to D1 programs is impressive. but lets look at the graduating class from 2 years ago and see if those D1 recruits are playing or have transferred. Now take the girls that went to D2/D3 schools and see if they are playing or transferred. I see clubs posting the 2017 list but I rarely see "updates" with information on girls who are in a college program and what their experience has been. We did have a few college nights where players came back to talk to the current crop of players. 2 of the 3 girls were transfers from their initial commit to a new college, one closer to home and one where they were able to get on the field. The D3 recruits were seeing playing time in the first year with some contributing significantly. At our club there is one player going into a local D1 but she has 4 players in front of her at the school. The criteria for my daughter was Education and environment first and being able to play as a freshman. She chose a D3 that is consistently winning their conference and going to the NCAA sweet 16.

Anonymous said...

8:36 stop making so much sense and stating actual facts!
If parents can't get on this blog and say their daughters are going D1, you crush their world!

Anonymous said...

isn't the message it doesn't matter where they go as long as they and we are happy with the fit. This D3 is better than D1 battle is on this blog and not on a field. I don't think many agree with that statement on it's face as far as athletics. And, make no mistake there are transfers in D3 & D2 too. This isn't to build up one and not the other. It's to say, it really doesn't matter.

No matter which level they play, sometimes the fit just isn't there after you are all unpacked and actually attending classes and going to practice.
There are great schools in all divisions: academically, athletically, proximity, logistically, all of it. None of it matters if they are not happy where ever they land. Depression in college is very common. Keep that in mind. And there is just as many unhappy D3 kids as well as D1 or D2. Soccer is only part of the picture.

So, where ever they decided to play. THEY decide to play. Congrats to them and you and just support them. If you and they are happy, that's half the battle.

Anonymous said...

*and there are; not and there is. sorry.

Anonymous said...

8:11 Once your done deciding what school is best for your daughter, can you at least let her start picking out her own clothes for school each morning? Or at least trust her to brush her own teeth?

Anonymous said...

There's another angle -

School is a great soccer fit

School is D1

School has the player's academic track of interest

There seems to be available playing time, if not right away then by soph/junior year

The negative is it is NOT considered a great school relative to others in the area that your daughter could apply to and get in to.

Then what?

At the "lesser" school there may be less academic pressure. But would you rather have her be challenged at the top institution, where she could also be on the soccer team, albeit with lesser prospects for PT?

More money, more pressure, less playing time. Seems silly right - until you realize that after 4 years your daughter has a DEGREE from a certain college, not a certain soccer team.

Anonymous said...

11:50
Clothes, yes - within reason

But the teeth? You have to watch em like a hawk. :)

Anonymous said...

11:52,

Nothing is guaranteed. And school reputation is relative to levels. Once you get past the Ivies most undergraduate degrees provide the same thing. A bunch of money for the school and a piece of paper for your daughter, what she does with the piece of paper is up to her. The D1/D2/D3 debate is solely about soccer. If you look at specific D3 private schools vs State college school (yes the school within the college) is where you start seeing some apples to apples comparisons. Penn State has honors programs and tracts that a D3 does not, but the D3 has more individualized attention. There are also majors at some D3 schools that are better than any D1. The big difference is the allocation of Athletic money and if your daughter can get an athletic scholarship to a D1 or Academic to a D3 it pretty much balances out, except the D3 athlete can stop being an athlete and keep the $$, the D1 cannot. My daughter chose D3 and when she told a few people they said "I really think you are a D1 player" - coach included. She found a school she really likes, a successful soccer program that she will play in and a coach who was honest. She did not find any similar combination at D1.

Anonymous said...

Crazy to choose the other if the one you pass on is an Ivy then?

Anonymous said...

Put the IVY league aside for a second. Problem with D1 is that most of the elite academic schools are the big soccer schools, very hard to get a scholie. The Mid-majors don't compare academically to the top academic D3 schools. I have known a few kids who passed up D1 offers for D3 schools for academics.I think there was academic $$ involved in those cases.

Anonymous said...

you have no clue. plenty of great academic schools DI w/great programs that aren't power 5 with progams that have money to spend.
Are YOU not happy with your kid's choice via DIII?
The lady (or guy) doth protest too much, methinks.

Anonymous said...

http://www.d3soccer.com/teams/index-women

Here is the list of all the DIII soccer programs in the country. Are you alleging that ALL of these are great academically? Pish posh. All of the divisions have some weak schools as far as academics depending on what you want. No one is bashing DIII yet you are bashing DI. Why?

Anonymous said...

Pish Posh??? Apparently Thurston Howell III is blogging from the grave. And obviously is not a fan of D3's.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm....I thought it was Maxwell Smart on his shoe phone.
I have no problem with DIII. I can't figure out why the DIII booster is bashing other divisions.
Maybe you missed the ending of the post. "No one is bashing DIII yet you are bashing DI. Why?"

Anonymous said...

This topic needs to be put to rest.
Quite worn out people...
Our daughters choose wth they want to and is right for them. Right for them doesn't mean wrong or right for all.
Last few posts read as 12-14 year old snapchat accounts

Anonymous said...

If a kid is picking a D3 school. She might have gotten a roster spot on lesser desirable D1 (Rider for example) but that's it. All these D3 guys are just self medicating themselves over their kid's not making it to the big kids leagues. Really they would have turned down 30% to a patriot school like Lafayette or Bucknell to go to Haverford or Muhlenburg?... Seriously no one thinks you make any sense. D3 and soccer with some aid is an accomplishment I appreciate, but it is not a bigger accomplishment than a D1 scholarship. The best D3 give no merit scholarships; all aid is based on need. The percentage of grant versus loan can be based on merit.

Anonymous said...

I personally believe the way to pick a college is to remember this: If your daughter got hurt at the first practice and her soccer career was over, would it still be the right college for her?

Anonymous said...

You are saying how great D3 is now but last year you said D1 is the ONLY way to go. Your kid didn't get the offer to NC that you have been setting her up for her entire life and you need a good excuse why. Here is a list to pick from that you can post on fakebook. This list will also help on the sideline to tell everyone you were belittling last season when you said D1 is a lock. Armed with this list, it will be safe to show your face again.

1. This D3 has better academics than the D1 who wants her
2. This D3 is closer to home than the 5 different D1 offers she got
3. This D3 is the only school with the major she always wanted
4. This D3 is in a nicer neighborhood and we are safety first
5. This D3 will give her grant money even if she doesn't play
6. The D1 has an all-American in her position
7. The D1 coach wants her but already gave the full ride scholarship
8. This D3 won't make her red shirt like the D1 offer will
9. We always said it didn't matter between D1, D2, or D3
10. You know D1 doesn't mean top
11. Many D3 schools can beat D1 schools head to head
12. The D1 campus is just way too big for her
13. We didn't like the D1 coach, kinda creepy
14. In the end, we wanted her close so we could go to the games

Let me be very clear, I have absolutely NO problem with D3! I actually like it and wish I played D3 instead of chasing a scholarship to play D2. I have a degree that I never used and put the wrong thing first.

What I don't like are the FAKE people who were living in D1 fantasy land for the past 10 years and now claim they liked D3 the entire time. We all remember the boasting you did about the D1 camps, the D1 phone calls, and the 35+ D1 coaches at your showcase. The stress you put your kid through about D1 will damage her forever. You bashed D3 as subpar and thought your kid was the best player in the world. Now what?

Anonymous said...

I hope most people now know you are a dick

Anonymous said...

I find it rather funny, actually. But where they play/attend does not matter if THEY are happy with all of it. THEY are happy not us. They have to continue to put in the work on the field and in the classroom.

Anonymous said...

Parental egos put in place - check.

Anonymous said...

Wow 10:44, from here on the sidelines, that post resembled a full court press. The only thing you didn't do was post a picture of the poster you were talking too.

Anonymous said...

7:05
agree until the 12-14 yr old snapchat account. Pish Posh? I like it, but don't see that one in their vocab. Let's bring it back though. Shall we? :0

Anonymous said...

Along with copacetic and smear the queer?

Anonymous said...

All this talk about picking the school on academic fit is great - but its not so easy with the soccer. Coach A might like your daughter where coach B - at an inferior soccer school - does not. Even very good (ECNL level) players dont have carte blanche on where they play

Advice therefore is to not dismiss any lower level D1 off your thoughts of "well, she is a better player than that"

Anonymous said...

8:11
pish posh is whimsical. your suggestions; not so much.

Anonymous said...

why would you care if an inferior soccer school didn't like her if she is fine with School A which based on the omission is a better soccer school. School A it is.

Anonymous said...

I disagree. very good players do have carte blanche where they play most times. the good or less than good players may not.

Anonymous said...

I do think its funny how on this U16 board...going into U17 next season, it's still parents telling everyone here what good, whats bad..what division is good and why...blah, blah blah. I'm sure these are the same parents who TELL their kid what to do, where to apply, etc...
Our girls are driving and will only be playing for a few more years. Very few to none will have a future playing this game professionally, not to say they cant become trainers, coaches and still be involved in the game.
My daughter is realistic in her goals regarding soccer. She plays on a ECNL team and hopes to play at a mid-lower tier D1 team. She loves the school, the location, it has the program she wants to study and it would be nice for mom and dad to get some assistance with the tuition. (knowing that fulls are as rare as the white buffalo)..its also close to home so we can still see her play during the season.

Very good players do not have carte blanch on where they go.
Unless your on the national team, working to get a scholarship is still hard work for both the player and the parent. If you are not committed by now, you will still need to work for the next two years to get where you want to be.

Just my opinion.

Anonymous said...

9:48

So you think a player committed to Notre Dame would automatically be taken by ANY COACH in the ACC?

I disagree

Anonymous said...

11:05 AM

All good points. I have an older daughter playing as well. She committed to a D3 in her Jr. year. What we found is that colleges get to know certain ECNL teams and align with them (locals). I also think there is a certain amount of chatter among the college coaches. Not collusion just true note comparing. The situations I have seen on our team as well as others is that certain players will cast a wider net based on their additional associations, if they were invited to NT camp/pool, then there are the alumni parents which pull in some better D1 and Ivies, the next level are the girls who contacted coaches and were lucky enough to have them come look at a showcase, then there are players like my daughter, she targeted local schools (2 hr drive) and stuck to that list. When it came time to make her decision she had slight interest from a few of the D1 schools outside of the 2 hr drive, interest from 2 local D1 (city school and Main Line) and more interest from a few D2 "State" schools. The D3 coaches were also talking with her, her final decision was based on the educational experience (Major, Class Size, and other factors) and then trust and likability of the coach, players and environment, as well as playing. Some girls wound up committing to parents Alma Maters, out of 20 players I believe only one player got her dream school and it is not a soccer school per se. Of the 20 most went to either a lower D1 in the PA/NJ area, a few went out of state to D1, about the same amount went D2 or D3 local and a few are still waiting (going into Sr. year).

Anonymous said...

why are you using ND as an example? But if the kid is a high level kid and needed, yes. I have seen some teams make room for recruits they thought they were not getting and find money as well. If the kid is that good, yes. The coaches know who they are.

Anonymous said...

11:36
what team are you on?? Can I ask? Are you ECNL or not? On my kid's team, most got into their target school even if it wasn't the club's dream school for them. And still had their support.

Anonymous said...

12:01 PM

11:36 here,

It is an ECNL team. Not sure I follow on target school for player but not dream school for the club, If I read this right (and this was something that happened to my daughter) was once she was no longer talking to the D1 coaches the club/coach was less involved. Also, some girls target was not especially a school but a level, location or parents choice. And once someone says they are committed, the particulars are not normally discussed. For my daughter the final decision came down to 1 in each division with the same program, the D1 and D2 had the major but not the specific program to get her the degree she wants in a direct path. The D3 offer came in around where she would have been at the state college $$.

Anonymous said...

I have some questions.

Can someone define a top D1, Mid D1 and Low D1 school. Are we talking soccer rankings or academic rankings?

How does this recruit thing really work after the Initial contact. How many times do they come to watch? Do you need to go to their camp? When are verbal offers generally made? Sophomore year, Junior year? I'm not talking the NT camp kids I'm talking the general population.

Anonymous said...

12:46 here - Initial contact is the college coach talked to your kid or to the kid's coach. No Camp emails.

Anonymous said...

12:46,

Different stories for different players. You have some people that want PSU, a good soccer school and a good University. Most top D1 Soccer schools will have good academics to go with it. Plus the cache of name recognition for those not on this board. And bragging rights in the soccer community. Lower D1 Soccer (Just my opinion) are the Temple, St Joe type but good academically. The process is that if by u15 your daughter is not getting looks and contact from D1 schools in the top 25 she is not on the radar and needs to start reaching out and getting looks, Camp emails are difficult to wade through and additional conversations with your club coach may help weed through true and fictional. Our experience was send emails, if coaches come to a game/showcase and make contact with club coach, or respond with link to camp invite you should consider this interest. If she goes to the camp an the coach makes time for her to talk there is interest. If the coach responds to follow-up emails (girls should always send a follow-up email after any event where the coach was present).

As far as offers it can be early sophomore year for some blue chippers but mostly Jr year for D1 and then the D2 and D3 coaches round out there rosters through early spring of Senior year.

Anonymous said...

Thanks 1:09.

So I think it's fair to say when people are saying top, mid or bottom D1 schools they are talking about the soccer program since I have the same opinion as you. I didn't want to assume anything.

The "looks" piece is what's confusing to me. I get it if your kid invited a coach and they were at a game chances are they were there to watch your kid and a few others or just a coincidence. I guess our kids need to ask their coach if they were there to watch them, that's fair.

The camp invites are just reminders to me for your kid if there is interest.

I'm just trying to figure out what to expect for my kid, There seems to be interest both ways. What's comes next is the million dollar question? And like you put it "Different stories for different players"

Anonymous said...

12:46

Top D1, mid tier D1, etc - is spoken of based on SOCCER.

Some "commit" prior to September of junior year - I guess in fear of the offer disappearing.

Many others wait - since after 9/1 the contact rules open up and more options may open that you didn't think were in the offing.

One thing to be concerned with is INJURY. Especially if your daughter plays more than 1 sport an OFFER that you havent accepted could in theory go away if she was to...say.......tear an ACL.

An offer put out and ACCEPTED - after an injury, from what I understand is often honored.

Maybe others here have other info on that - but I'd think by November junior year, if you like the school and what they are offering.....this might be a good time to commit.

(I've seen later, of course - and to very good schools)

Anonymous said...

1:27 PM

Full disclosure. If you are not on and ECNL team you need to work different (maybe harder). My daughter played her u14-u16 on ECNL. The program provided assistance in the form of a class each season on the recruiting process including Alumni coming in to talk about their experience not only getting to college but in college. Each of the years at least one player talked about transferring. The team manager also was very good at posting what colleges were at what games. Sometimes more than one girl emailed the coach prior so each assumed the coach was there for them. Our u16 coach was a snake he did not pass on a lot of contact information which left quite a few girls in the dark. Hence us leaving the program (other reasons existed as well). Most Club teams with the exception of some well run clubs are not that proactive with the college tracking, it is mostly up to the players and the parents. The team we are on now still does a fair share of tracking but in talking with other parents it seems like this is a big drop off from what ECNL clubs do.

Anonymous said...

11:06 here.

I know some people have chimed in, but here's what I meant by different levels of D1.

top tier.
Colleges you know by name. UNC, Duke, FSU, Boston College...colleges that take all NT players. Pick anyone on the roster and they all have at least NT exp if not international.
Unless your daughter is Mallory Pugh probably wont play as a freshman. So for as much as a stud she was in HS or club..be prepared to sit...it can be tough mentally.

Mid Tier
Seton Hall, Monmouth, Marist
Still D1, great schools, maybe playing for a conf title but not a National title

Lower
Teams in middle of conference pack...still good schools, maybe more likely to play as a freshman, still required to follow all D1 criteria.

Anonymous said...

hmmmm 1:43.
I wondering if we were on the same team.

Anonymous said...

12:24
not original poster but i think poster meant school kid wanted over school club was hoping kid would pick. Probably a bigger name or conference over one not as big. i am just trying to read the tea leaves. i know people that did this this as well.

Anonymous said...

Thanks 1:57. That's what I thought.

PS. love the recruitment stories - since we really have no idea what comes next. My kid is excited.

Okay since we are talking soccer only. Is it fair to say that a top D3 school would be a mid maybe low level D1 soccer program? Their games are being played vs D3 schools and most of them can not compete with D1 programs, so I think beating up on teams that low level D1 schools can also beat up does not make a top D3 school better than a low level D1 school (not talking academics).

1:43/2:02 that sucks that this happened. Why would anyone keep interest from the kids?

Anonymous said...

2:02

PA team

Anonymous said...

3:17
shame. In PA, too, coaches have been great as far as assistance in recruitment. good luck and glad it all worked out ultimately.

Anonymous said...

"Why would anyone keep interest from the kids"?

Well, think about it - what are these coaches doing when not coaching club soccer? Interests lie elsewhere, no?

Anonymous said...

perspective checker
top D3 is nowhere near mid D1 level. may be lowest level d1 RPI>300.
You can tell if you know any kids going to these schools. Most are bottom roster ECNL or Top of the roster lesser teams.
Example
we know a kid who tried desperately to get interest from higher academic D!s in sophomore year like Duke, then shifted to Georgetown, then junior year went to IVY and then finally patriot league. Minimal interest after attending camp at one IVY and one patriot ultimately no offers. Ended up committing summer senior year to a fairly academic D3. Great school and they convinced themselves it was all good, but definitely not the top choice. Coach told them she's starting from day one. better conference D3 upper end of the table team.
Another one: cut from the ECNL team as a sophmore. Joined a decent USYSA team. Was one of the better players on that team. Participated in lower flights of major tournaments in junior and senior years. Committed to D3 that is usually successful in the tournament and has won some championships. Told will start freshmen year. dad was talking about D1 schools only until she was cut.

Anonymous said...

"...they convinced themselves it was all good"

Well - wasnt it?

Best to shoot high

There is the other side of the coin - those that COULD play at a higher level but never take that risk.

Do I want my daughter to shoot for Duke, UVA, Vanderbilt, etc?

Heck yes, I do.

Thenwe see what the reality is, having never ever been without confidence.

Anonymous said...

4:39

Another perspective checker is knowing when to start, and for most it's already too late. High Level D1 programs have most of their recruiting lists built 3-4 years out. Right now the top teams are looking for 2021 graduates. And for the most part are not culling through emails, they have a watch list. If your daughter does not have anything but ECNL on her soccer resume then she can look at the lower D1 programs (For instance in the current polls Bucknell is #1 in the Patriot League but 49 overall) through end of sophomore year but if she is not verbally committed to one going into the spring of her Junior year she is going to need to readjust her goal. Looking at local commits very few are going to top 50 schools.

Anonymous said...

Here is my point. If your academic credentials are say Duke, Notre Dame, Virginia and your soccer creds are Monmouth, URI, Siena. These kids often decide to go to schools like Williams or Tufts, CM and play D3.

Anonymous said...

Nope those go patriot

Anonymous said...

9:28
my daughter had very good power 5 offers, ivys and other top programs and chose patriot as did some of her future college classmates for academics and the soccer program.

you aren't going d3 if you have a choice at patriot league top programs unless you want to go d3. And d3 is great if that is what you want to do.

Anonymous said...

Some do, but the academic profile of the Patriot League is mixed. You have some very strong schools like Lehigh, Bucknell, and the service academies. The rest are not top schools academically.

Anonymous said...

agree with prior poster. there are gems in most leagues. just need to make sure the fit is correct as well as the recruiting. don't just rely on rankings as they change every year. look at the future of the program and the weight of a degree from that institution. that is what affects your child.

Anonymous said...

10:33
let's not forget about Boston U. They switched from Big East a few years ago. THey are patriot now as well.

Anonymous said...

true. i am from that area and it's always been a great school for undergrad and graduate studies.
My older son attends BU medical school. MASS area has great soccer schools and academics.

Anonymous said...

There have been several moves to different leagues in the past few years for a bunch of schools. Hard to keep up.

Anonymous said...

Love it. these know it alls have no clue.
Northeastern, Tufts, MIT, Harvard, BU and BC all within miles of each other in MA. Top academics and athletics and variety of divisions and leagues. Pretty selective too in both.
continue to have your pillow fight.

Anonymous said...

8:21
you are looking at last year's rankings. they change ALL the time. compare them to the prior year and the year before that and that. My older kid committed when a school was in top 25 but fell out due to a bad season and a lot of injuries. But her committed school choice had been in top for many years prior and will be again.

Point is, don't pick a school on RPI, only. And certainly not on 1 or even 2 years. Pick a school because it will give you what you need academically, athletically and logistically.

Anonymous said...

12:29 continuing
actually fell out of top 50 RPI from last year which was the focus in your post.

Anonymous said...

Dudes, you know our kids are doing the pickings.

Maybe they don't like the schools you do but don't have the heart to tell you.

Maybe they don't want to practice everyday and then study when they are not in class.

Maybe they want to go to a school you think is a horrible choice.

Maybe they just want to enjoy college life they way they want.

Maybe they want to play D1 and win titles.

Maybe they want to play on the WNT

Regardless it's what they want.

Anonymous said...

@10:33 my alma mater, Colgate is pretty good academically, too. patriot league

Anonymous said...

Then there are girls who might be ABLE to play D1 soccer, but don't want to be owned. So they choose to play D3 very happily.

Anonymous said...

2:14 again. Forgot to add - at the end of the day, what does the prestige of playing D1 get you?

Anonymous said...

The Players Development Academy is proud to announce that TWO of our PDA Shore girls teams have been accepted into the prestigious US Youth Soccer National league for the 2017-18 season. We are delighted that the PDA Shore Wave (2002G) and the PDA Shore Freedom (2003G) will both represent the PDA at a National level and be given the opportunity to compete against some of the country's best teams.

Read the Full Announcement from US Youth Soccer

PDA Shore Girls Director of Coaching, Lee Pollard said "This is not only a fantastic accomplishment for the Wave and the Freedom, but for all of our PDA Shore teams. This past year we had our Breakers girls (1999) play in the National League, and now the Wave and Freedom will compete in this prestigious league. The Wave and the Freedom will not only be challenged on the national stage but will also gain exposure to national team scouts and college coaches as they enter the college recruiting years."

As part of US Youth Soccer National League the PDA Shore Wave and Freedom will compete in their first event November 30th -December 3rd in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Wave are one of only 32 U16 teams nationwide and one of 8 teams from Region 1 to be accepted into the league while the Freedom are one of just 16 teams nationwide and one of 4 teams from Region 1 that will play in the U15 age group.

Full List of Teams

PDA Girls Director of Coaching, Mike O'Neill added "Our goal at the PDA is to push our players to the highest levels of competition and we are proud to have these teams included in the National League, it is further evidence of the development happening at PDA Shore."

For more information about the PDA Shore program contact, Lee Pollard: pdashoredoc@gmail.com

Lee Pollard
PDA Shore Girls Director of Coaching
(C) 732 331 9772
www.pdasoccer.org

Anonymous said...

To have been a D1 athlete gets you big points in the job/med/law/business school apps/interview. If you don't believe it then you aren't an executive. To have been a D3 gets you some, but not nearly as much.

To be a D1 athlete teaches kids to prioritize, resource manage, deal gracefully with both disappointment and success and many other life lessons. To an order of magnitude or two greater than D3.

Anonymous said...

Some of you are talking out your butts. Might want to put the know it all hat down and have a conversation once in a while.

Be proud, wherever they end up. Consider everything so they are not looking back and saying, "why didnt I........?"

My latest is hearing "do I really want it to be THAT hard to fit everything in and get the grades I need? This when deciding between a real tough D1 academic w/soccer - the realities of achieving there - and a D1 where the workload might be a bit (not much, I'd think) easier - or a D3 where the sports time constraint is not as great.

And make sure the process is fun. Take a step back and have a laugh or two - have a few days of rest from the grind and the worry of it all.

I'd also say go see some campuses - should time permit - where the interest might not be there. Could be eye opening - and will help in future conversations with friends who have kids going through it - or with others of your own down the line.

Last -once they decide - NEVER make the feel as if they may have made a mistake. This is the time to celebrate, gather the swag and breathe.

Cheers, all.

Anonymous said...

Question for you guys.

Kid A goes to Duke has great grades 4.0 and starts for her soccer team.
Kid B goes to Johns Hopkins has the same GPA in the same major and also starts for soccer team.

Assuming test scores are the same - who has an advantage when they apply to next level?

I would think the D1 athlete - since their schedule is busier and they still managed to ace everything.

Nothing wrong with D3. But to me any kid playing ECNL or top level Non-ECNL team should go for D1 schools otherwise you wasted all that time and made sacrifices for what? Something you could get playing for a town team that travels? If you don't get D1 then okay D2/D3 are okay options talking strictly soccer.

D1 = MLS
D2 = USL
D3 = USL

All 3 have national titles but only one matters right.

Just like ECNL, NPL, USYS and US Club all have national titles

Anonymous said...

The advantage always goes to whoever nails the interview

Anonymous said...

I think you might be surprised if you read the bios of the kids at a place like Hopkins, Tufts, etc - see where exactly it was they played their club ball.

Anonymous said...

Oversight on Colgate. Arguably top academic school in Patriot. Also, BU never in Big East. Was in America East. Not comparable.

Anonymous said...

Everyone is posting d1 or d3. What about d2 in regard to academic and time commitment? Thanks

Anonymous said...

D2 likely varies quite greatly

Not speaking from experience or anything but there could be some D2s that have wild travel schedules and others that stay more local - some programs with insane D1 type facilities and others that are not so pretty at all.......

Anonymous said...

8/4 - 4:35 tacking on to your post

there are recruiters that specifically look for DI athletes. Not just soccer of course, but all. Why? Because they have had to juggle a tremendous amount of things to be successful in the classroom and on the field.

So, while you are for some reason downplaying DI when no one is downplaying any other division is somewhat befuddling. Are YOU trying to convenience yourself something? If your kid is fine where ever she is looking or lands, then that should be fine with you even if it's not YOUR dream.

Let it go. Be happy. And don't undermine accomplishments of any kid. THEY are doing the work. Let them reap the benefits.

Anonymous said...

Sorry re the rest of it. Not YOU 4:35 post by the poster to which you are responding. Doesn't seem to get it. it's ALL good if they are good.

Anonymous said...

10:03 am
sorry and not trying to besmirtch whatsoever. We were actually directed away from DII by a DII successful coach in 8th grade after camp (great coach and person) because my daughter had other academic aspirations that DII didn't offer; like bio-science, architecture, engineering or medical school.
Ultimately committed to a great DI soccer and academic program instead that meets her needs.
None of it is a one size fits all thing.

Anonymous said...

Not trying to besmirch whatsoever ANY division. They are all great if they meet your child's needs.

My daughter was actually steered away from DII from a very successful and fantastic DII coach. My daughter wants professional fields not really within the DII structure. She saw that and after an 8th grade clinic told us that she could play here, here and here instead (high level DI programs). And she is.

I really respect this coach for that. This coach wanted what was best for my daughter not what was best for their program.
Good coaches look out for the kids.

Anonymous said...

8:51
we were talking about academics re Colgate. And BU is in the top 40 best universities in the country as far as academics. It has outstanding grad schools too.

As far as soccer, it's a very good one as well. They play top out of conference teams. Prior to last year was in top 35 RPI for years. Bad year; many injuries.

As another posted noted for another team, it happens.

I know several kids that committed that could have gone to plenty of other schools and programs, including power 5.

Don't overlook any programs if they fit your needs.



Anonymous said...

4:13 continuing
I am not only a BU alumna, but also played soccer past college after attending undergrad.

Anonymous said...

Any top 100 school is a great school for your kid, academically. League and division notwithstanding. I want my kid to be employable after her soccer experience no matter how long she rides it. ALL of it is up to her.
Isn't that what we all want, ultimately?

Anonymous said...

I have older kids. Needed to complete the NCAA Clearinghouse registration and update it with SAT's, high school transcripts and the like.
Is that needed now? Or only if you don't have a lot of interest?

Anonymous said...

Saw this on another blog for my younger daughter:

"Great game on ESPN 2 Denmark vs. Netherlands. Maybe ESPN is getting the message finally. Cover women's soccer! Win back viewership."

I hope that is true. Would love to see more women's soccer coverage on sports stations. Watching through Go90 is not always a good quality picture.

Anonymous said...

Can't think of a strong academic D2 school.

Anonymous said...

http://www.machermanntrophy.org/2017-watch-lists-1

2017 Mac Hermann Watch List - taping into the above - representing various leagues in DI, including patriot (2) and a-10 (1).

Anonymous said...

wow. thank you. didn't know this list was out already. good stuff.

For those who don't know what this is below is an excerpt taken from the former NSCAA website (now United Soccer Coaches) about it:

"The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year."

It's the Heisman of college soccer. And like the Heismann, just a nomination is lifetime achievement/honor.
Past winners include Christine Sinclair (Portland); Mia Hamm (UNC); Crystal Dunn (UNC): Rachal Rodriquez (Penn State); April Kater (UMass); Morgan Brian (UVA); Christen Press & Kelly O'Hara (both from Stanford), and more.

Looks like a handful of Region 1 kids on the List. Great job ladies.

Anonymous said...

Who are the region1 athletes?

PS. Congrats

Anonymous said...

Kids from the Region 1 states which feed into this blog (according to it's description). CT; DE; ENY; WNY; E PA; W PA; NJ; VA; MASS; NH; RI; WV; Maine, MD; VT

The List identifies each nominee by school and their state or country. Kids from these states can be considered Region 1 kids to throw an umbrella over them as far as geographical. Maybe that has changed as well. US Youth Soccer has 4 Regions and we are considered Region 1 in it.

Anonymous said...

Looks like 7 out of 30:

Murphy (Rutgers; NJ);
Corboz (Georgetown; NJ);
Sullivan (Stanford; VA);
Bloznalis (Boston University; MASS);
Crouse (Penn State; PA);
Andrzejewski (UNC; MD);
Ham (Bucknell, NH)

Anonymous said...

11:21 Thanks - like I said congrats to these kids or should I say young ladies.

When do our kids register with the NCAA before a school requests their eligibility or after they receive a verbal offer?

Anonymous said...

I'm looking for clarification on this as well. Anyone?? Maybe this is something that needs to go to the college coach. If anyone gets an answer re this, please advise.

It may be a moot point if kid is verbally committed. May just need to send all the information (transcripts, SAT's, ACT's, AP's) directly to the coach to forward to admissions to do a pre-read.

Anonymous said...

11:22 I'm not sure either - It reads like it's a must. But I never read on any of these boards that anybody registered their kids, I just read they have verbals.

"If you want to play NCAA college sports and receive a scholarship at the DI or DII level, you will need to register and be cleared by the NCAA. The Eligibility Center is the organization within the NCAA that determines the academic eligibility and amateur status for all NCAA DI and DII athletes."

Anonymous said...

Seems like it's still a vital tool in this process based on the wording. Previously, they determine the weight of the hs classes to make sure the requirements are fulfilled as far as NCAA. Not sure if that is still procedure.
I will have my daughter reach out to her coach and college counselor at high school. I will post their responses.
Thanks all!

Anonymous said...

So I am kind of clueless and have a question regarding this blog. When does Mr. Administrator change it over to U17? Hard to believe that our girls will even be called that already as its seems they were just U14 less than two seasons ago.

Anonymous said...

Youth Soccer Rankings as of today. Only listed teams with 35+ so we can compare at the conclusion of the 17-18 season. Good luck to all the teams and the players that have moved up to GDA. You will no longer need rankings. But for the teams listed below, good luck. We will see if the ECNL teams are still that high come WAGS, Bethesda, CASL and Disney if the events mix them up.

1 FC STARS OF MASSACHUSETTS ECNL (MA) [1] 39.29
2 MCLEAN YS ECNL (VA) [2] 39.27
3 BOSTON BREAKERS ACADEMY ECNL (MA) [5] 38.94
4 PENN FUSION SA ECNL (PAE) [16] 37.89
5 PLAYERS DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY ECNL (NJ) [17] 37.88
6 SOUTH SHORE SELECT FC AP (MA) [19] 37.60
7 FC BUCKS ECNL (PAE) [27] 37.41
8 FC VIRGINIA ECNL (VA) [29] 37.37
9 BETHESDA SC ECNL (MD) [31] 37.31
10 CONNECTICUT FC ECNL (CT) [37] 37.21
11 OAKWOOD SC ATTACK NPL (CT) [49] 37.07
12 GREATER BINGHAMTON FC (NYW) [51] 36.97
13 MATCH FIT ACADEMY FC ECNL (NJ) [54] 36.95
14 ALBERTSON SC ECNL (NYE) [59] 36.87
15 SUSA FC NPL (NYE) [63] 36.81
16 PRINCETON SA IGFA (NJ) [64] 36.79
17 SJEB RUSH (NJ) [65] 36.79
18 FSA FC ECNL (CT) [75] 36.64
19 RICHMOND UNITED SC VA ECNL (VA) [77] 36.63
20 WORLD CLASS FC ECNL (NYE) [80] 36.58
21 FC BOSTON SCORPIONS ECNL (MA) [91] 36.38
22 BRADDOCK ROAD YOUTH CLUB ELITE ACADEMY (VA) [92] 36.37
23 PREMIER SC NAVY (MD) [97] 36.34
24 FC STARS OF MASSACHUSETTS NPL (MA) [99] 36.34
25 UNITED FC 1776 XTREME (PAE) [100] 36.33
26 FURY SC ATHLETICA (WV) [105] 36.29
27 CONTINENTAL FC ECNL (PAE) [107] 36.26
28 MARYLAND UNITED FC ECNL (MD) [113] 36.19
29 READING RAGE SC MORGAN (PAE) [115] 36.18
30 ARLINGTON SA RED (VA) [117] 36.17
31 SUSA FC ELITE (NYE) [118] 36.15
32 FC FREDERICK (MD) [128] 36.07
33 PLAYERS DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY NORTH NPL (NJ) [130] 36.04
34 NJ WILDCATS FURY NPL (NJ) [132] 36.01
35 BEACH FC VA RED (VA) [133] 36.00
36 LEHIGH VALLEY UNITED BLACK (PAE) [137] 35.98
37 PLAYERS DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SOUTH (NJ) [155] 35.85
38 NJ ELITE FLAMES (NJ) [157] 35.84
39 NEW YORK SC ELITE NPL (NYE) [161] 35.82
40 SJEB RUSH PREMIER WHITE (NJ) [163] 35.81
41 BEADLING SC ELITE (PAW) [164] 35.80
42 NJ STALLIONS ACADEMY FREEDOM NPL (NJ) [168] 35.74
43 NEFC BBA NPL (MA) [170] 35.73
44 CENTURY V SOCCER GOLD (PAW) [183] 35.62
45 EAST MEADOW SC ECNL (NYE) [184] 35.62
46 FC BERNA LEGACY BLACK (NJ) [186] 35.60
47 PENNSYLVANIA CLASSICS ACADEMY (PAE) [196] 35.54
48 NEW YORK SURF SC ACADEMY (NYE) [197] 35.54
49 NORTH UNION UNITED SC WAVE (PAE) [203] 35.48
50 NEFC BBA NS ELITE (MA) [211] 35.46
51 HARFORD FC UNITED THUNDER (MD) [214] 35.42
52 PENN UNITED FORCE FC (PAE) [215] 35.42
53 VIRGINIA RUSH (VA) [216] 35.41
54 MATCH FIT ACADEMY FC NPL (NJ) [220] 35.40
55 SEACOAST UNITED NPL (NH) [224] 35.39
56 ROCHESTER FC (NYW) [227] 35.38
57 DAVIDSONVILLE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION MARYLAND UNITED FC ELITE (MD) [229] 35.37
58 BAYSIDE FC BOLTS NPL (RI) [230] 35.37
59 WORLD CLASS FC NPL (NYE) [254] 35.20
60 HARLEYSVILLE FC READY (PAE) [259] 35.16
61 CALVERT ELITE SC (MD) [260] 35.16
62 PLAYERS DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SOUTH SPURS (NJ) [266] 35.11
63 DSA UNITED SC (ME) [269] 35.11
64 PLAYERS DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY FUSION (NJ) [272] 35.10
65 MANHATTAN SC PRIDE NPL (NYE) [275] 35.10
66 LOUDOUN SC SOCCER RED (VA) [276] 35.09
67 FC COPA COPA NJ ACADEMY BLACK (NJ) [281] 35.08
68 GPS MASSACHUSETTS ELITE RED (MA) [285] 35.05
69 MORRIS UNITED SA STA NPL (NJ) [297] 35.01
70 BETHESDA SC STORM (MD) [299] 35.00

Anonymous said...

So #3 (Breakers) & #4 (Penn Fusion) are out in the future rankings as they are GDA? Is that what you mean?

Will be interesting to see. Are Classics still going to roster non GDA teams as well?

Anonymous said...

8:00 Of course Classics will still have non GDA teams (actually at least two of them). When has quality of play ever mattered when it comes to quantity of dollars to be made? Those B and C teams are pure money makers and the parents are not near as competitive and do a lot less bitching. Selling the feeling of "HOPE" is what many clubs do best. How many of the NPL girls from Penn Fusion ever moved up to join the ECNL team? CFC is probably one of the few that actually give their secondary team players a true shot at moving up.

Anonymous said...

Every club wants more than one team. Are all players equal?
Would be foolish to think otherwise.
Some topics are so worn out....

Anonymous said...

6:41. Was the question not asked about non GDA teams being offered? A simple garment of truth is put out there and you say it fits you perfectly. This is a blog Coach Mike, we are allowed to answer.

Anonymous said...

Someone has sour grapes...
Of course there are non GDA teams....that's actually a stupid question dude!!!
Were clubs just formed as GDA clubs?

Anonymous said...

Maybe this answers your question....


06 GIRLS ELITE TEAM
05 GIRLS ELITE TEAM

04 GIRLS DA TEAM
03 GIRLS DA TEAM
01 GIRLS DA TEAM

08 GIRLS PREDATORS TEAM
07 GIRLS PREDATORS TEAM
06 GIRLS PREDATORS TEAM
05 GIRLS PREDATORS TEAM

07 GIRLS PREACADEMY TEAM
04 GIRLS PREACADEMY TEAM
03 GIRLS PREACADEMY TEAM
02 GIRLS PREACADEMY TEAM
01 GIRLS PREACADEMY TEAM
00 GIRLS PREACADEMY TEAM
99 GIRLS PREACADEMY TEAM
98 GIRLS NPL TEAM
97 GIRLS NPL TEAM

08 GIRLS UNITED TEAM
07 GIRLS UNITED TEAM
06 GIRLS UNITED TEAM
05 GIRLS UNITED TEAM
04 GIRLS UNITED TEAM
03 GIRLS UNITED TEAM
02 GIRLS UNITED TEAM
02 GIRLS UNITED SILVER TEAM
01 GIRLS UNITED TEAM
00 GIRLS UNITED TEAM
99 GIRLS UNITED TEAM

08 GIRLS EAGLES TEAM
05 GIRLS EAGLES TEAM
04 GIRLS EAGLES TEAM
03 GIRLS EAGLES TEAM
02 GIRLS EAGLES TEAM

Anonymous said...

So what does Pre Academy Team reference at the old ages. I could see a u13 pre-academy but a u18 pre-academy indicates that players have the chance to move to an academy team? Or is this a lower level designation?

Anonymous said...

8:00 kind of - I would think the Breakers and Penn Fusion will fall off. Since they will no longer have an ECNL team playing and the ECNL teams from GDA clubs will be a shell since the 2001 kids are the older kids so most of the teams will have 2001 players instead of a 50/50 split potentially. These teams will use NPL players in theory or they might play up their 2002s either way the teams won't be as good and of course the NPL teams will be even weaker. Only time will tell what we see, that's why I posted, so we can see the change if any over time. Of Course same goes for Classic and Oakwood from CT their non GDA teams will take a huge hit.

6:41 I agree it's a player pool thing, the bigger the pool the more choices you have some may develop and some may not. As coaches change so might the core/depth players.

7:59 reserves - just like Red Bulls 2 in the USL

Anonymous said...

10:35 PM

Totally disagree about Continental, they fed a few players a line that for roster purposes they were roster on NPL because it was easier to go up than transfer players down. Some good players never saw anytime with ECNL teams in games, a few were brought up for training to send a message to the ECNL players.

Anonymous said...

I am 6:41 and was not trying to offend Coach Mike or his Classics squad or his club with my previous comment regarding multiple teams. But lets at least be honest or pretend to be, and admit that players from the non GDA teams are not moving up and have a snowballs chance in hell of doing so on any club.
When those GDA teams are selected and choices are made, do anyone really think that the U17 players and parent that believe they should of made GDA stick around and say "Gee, lets play on a really bad team for a year and see what happens"? It's their U17 year!!! One of the most important years of their soccer lives for the better ones that want to showcase any skills they may have. Are they going to do that on a "B" team? And what will be a bad "B" team at that.
8:55 made a comment about the player pool being bigger to increase choices as players may develop. That's a terrific utopian thought process, but unfortunately those players on those "B" teams will never swim in the deep end.
It's not about having reserve players to draw from, it's about having cash reserves to feed the beast, which is the game I love watching my daughter play (as we all do)

Anonymous said...

8/13 10:ish
i think some kids had opportunities to train with ECNL in some of the NPL clubs/teams you mentioned. But, it just didn't pan out.
Pre-academy teams, my understanding, have an ability to move up. I don't think academy and pre-academy teams have been posted yet. At least not for our club they haven't.

Anonymous said...

7:32 those are not the correct teams posted, yet. stop back in a few weeks. thanks for snooping though.

Anonymous said...

10:46 you are looking at this wrong. let me take the other side for a sec, doesn't matter if i believe it or not.

1. GDA is for younger ages. Keep a large pool because players develop at different rates.

2. I agree by u17 players should understand the game and if they are not given an opportunity to follow dreams they need to do what is best for them (I would hope this was done prior to u17 though)

3. These money teams as you call them will still have a player pool to play when the girls are seniors if they need it to be still be seen. While most teams with 1 team per age group will end. So playing on a B/C team does offer a sense of security.

4. A coach or a selector are looking for certain traits in their players. If a player hasn't shown them they will never get a chance as long as the same coach and selector are picking the teams, nothing wrong with this. if they think a kid isn't GDA doesn't mean a kid isn't GDA just means they are not their GDA material, stay or move on is a choice.

My opinion is simple. I believe the player needs to be fast, if they are fast and understand the game they are in regardless of what club or team they play for. They will show this at a school's ID clinic. If a player doesn't have the natural speed then they need to understand the game even more because position on the field and transitions become even more important to out shine a faster player with less skill. What good is skill if you can't use it to move the ball. Soccer skill is great but if a player doesn't have the speed or doesn't move well without the ball chances are HS is the last stop.

Anonymous said...

hahaha agreed. clearly, there aren't any 98 and 97 teams anymore. anxious poster i guess.

Anonymous said...

11:42 I totally agree with your last point and unfortunately my post had nothing to do with clubs that have been awarded GDA teams (although it might have seemed that way). Your last paragraph mentioned the importance of speed and the need to be fast in order to play at the highest level, because as you stated, what good is skill if you can't get to the ball? So let me put it to you this way? When watching "B" and "c" teams play, you can obviously see that their are many girls out there that are not quick nor fast. Yet by having them playing on the "B" teams, are clubs telling them that their lack of speed doesn't matter and there is a chance they could move up? Or are they just pacifying a hopeful parent and player and collecting dollars? Let's face it, "B" team tournaments cost less, usually involve less travel for coaches and the top paid coach isn't coaching them.
I do believe there is room on the field for highly skilled players with average speed, ones that can turn bad passes into a good one. But how many of those can a coach play at the same time?
As far as keeping a large pool of players for a sense of security, by senior year (and sometimes junior), most "B" team players have realized that they are only playing for fun. And although they will not receive any college money for the sport they love, they may still make and play on a college team at some level.
Good back and forth 11:42. Although we disagree on many points, you state yours extremely well.

Anonymous said...

Fast in space is not always quick to the ball.

And the "slower" player can still be effective if you play their feet rather than playing them into space.

Work rate has to be factored in as well with the "speed" player.

You will often see a Div 1 player where you say, "wow, if she had some better speed she'd be unstoppable." Average speed - yes - can still be quite effective. And speedy players can often be useless.

Anonymous said...

Just speed was great when they were younger, but if they aren't incorporating high soccer iq, it's useless; unless they are playing very slow opponents. Most times, at this age, not the case.

Anonymous said...

Okay - I'm talking D1 soccer or NT level players. They all know how to play soccer. If you don't have speed or you are not crafty you have no shot. I am talking about slow players not at the D1 level -they need something else because the game is played very quickly and space closes up very quickly. If they are not crafty and can't process what's going on they have no shot. We aren't talking speed vs skill at the younger ages these are all players with skill some just have more but they are all fast.

1:10 the girls at the D1 level will eat up a slower girl regardless of her skill if she isn't fast they can recover from a move very quickly followed by a hard foul. Defenders are big, fast and physical.

I'm sure you guys all played the game and by know you know how the girls play - heads down blinders on and go forward - why do you think our NT was so great over the years. We still play that way by the way on the girls side our boys are starting to play soccer we still have a generation to go before we really play on the boys side but it's going in the right direction.

Speed with Soccer IQ is very hard to overcome if the player is not fast. just my opinion.

Anonymous said...

1:50 You are correct about D1 speed and physicality of play (especially the defenders). Even at the D3 level, watching a Messiah or Misericordia game last year, we got to see how little time there is with those defenders closing so quick, and with bad intentions when finishing their checks.
They are so quick to the ball, that they force slower mids (and the mids are not actually slow) to play safe on a consistent basis, forcing a lot of balls to go back to their own end. Both teams defenses allowed very few quality shots on their keepers as a result.
I realize those are just Mid Atlantic D3 teams, but even there the speed of play and the speed of the better players was evident. There is absolutely a place on every team for the crafty players with average speed, but very rarely will you ever see it at a D1 level.

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