Girls DA in 2017

They will apparently start with "60-80" clubs in 2017.
If so, I imagine the Metroplex gets AT LEAST three teams.
3 in D/FW 1 in Austin. 1 in Oklahoma. 2 in Houston.
You have a ready made 7 team conference with two 12 game seasons (home and home with each club).  Add in four tournaments per year, and you have the 35 to 40 games-per-year target the DA seeks.

for the boys Oklahoma is not in the DA but Colorado and Kansas are in our region. I would think the girls would follow similar alignment. I could see Oklahoma being added in though

If they are serious about trying to find and develop the best of the best, then they need to:

- limit it to no more than 2 teams by age group in NTX, as the talent dilution in ECNL is too great already;
- make it free or heavily subsidize it, such that money is not a limiting factor to participation;
- have the national organization select the coaches who can coach the teams, rather than leaving that to the local clubs where politics would bastardize the process; and
- get significantly better refs.

If they could do that, then they should be able to attract a very high percentage of the top youth talent in the local regions. If they leave it up to the local clubs, it will (at best) only be a marginal improvement over ECNL.

I hope they can pull it off in a meaningful way. It would be fun to see the top of the top in NTX get to square off against the top of the top in other regions.

Sweeper wrote:If they are serious about trying to find and develop the best of the best, then they need to:

- have the national organization select the coaches who can coach the teams, rather than leaving that to the local clubs where politics would bastardize the process;

Sweep,

What makes you think having US Soccer choose the coaches would make it any less of a political, bastardized process???

Sweeper wrote:If they are serious about trying to find and develop the best of the best, then they need to:

- limit it to no more than 2 teams by age group in NTX, as the talent dilution in ECNL is too great already;
- make it free or heavily subsidize it, such that money is not a limiting factor to participation;
- have the national organization select the coaches who can coach the teams, rather than leaving that to the local clubs where politics would bastardize the process; and
- get significantly better refs.

If they could do that, then they should be able to attract a very high percentage of the top youth talent in the local regions.  If they leave it up to the local clubs, it will (at best) only be a marginal improvement over ECNL.  

I hope they can pull it off in a meaningful way.  It would be fun to see the top of the top in NTX get to square off against the top of the top in other regions.  

The problem with you "best of the best" is it's about getting the best teams to face off and have competitive soccer not about development" The "best" and most competitive will be early developers and pure athleticism and the soccer will be simple and direct to limit mistakes. With 2 teams players will slip thru the cracks thru politics, finances and other issues. Soccer players aren't created they are found and developed an extreme limiting at early ages won't improve things just make them worse

go99 wrote:

Sweeper wrote:If they are serious about trying to find and develop the best of the best, then they need to:

- limit it to no more than 2 teams by age group in NTX, as the talent dilution in ECNL is too great already;
- make it free or heavily subsidize it, such that money is not a limiting factor to participation;
- have the national organization select the coaches who can coach the teams, rather than leaving that to the local clubs where politics would bastardize the process; and
- get significantly better refs.

If they could do that, then they should be able to attract a very high percentage of the top youth talent in the local regions.  If they leave it up to the local clubs, it will (at best) only be a marginal improvement over ECNL.  

I hope they can pull it off in a meaningful way.  It would be fun to see the top of the top in NTX get to square off against the top of the top in other regions.  

The problem with you "best of the best" is it's about getting the best teams to face off and have competitive soccer not about development"  The "best" and most competitive will be early developers and pure athleticism and the soccer will be simple and direct to limit mistakes.  With 2 teams players will slip thru the cracks thru politics, finances and other issues.  Soccer players aren't created they are found and developed an extreme limiting at early ages won't improve things just make them worse

The 'best of the best' discussion depends if your focus and frame of reference is to maximize PLAYER development or TEAM victories.  Focus on skilled, technical soccer to create the best players at age 20+ and you get a different selection process than if you are looking to maximize victories at ages 14-16.

Lefty wrote:

The 'best of the best' discussion depends if your frame of reference is to maximize player development or team victories.  Focus on skilled, technical soccer to create the best players at age 20+ and you get a different selection process than if you are looking to maximize victories at ages 14-16.    

Who cares for age 20+? Coaches are focusing on 14-17.

and ecnl is about victories. The DA is supposed to be about player development

planogirl wrote:

Lefty wrote:

The 'best of the best' discussion depends if your frame of reference is to maximize player development or team victories.  Focus on skilled, technical soccer to create the best players at age 20+ and you get a different selection process than if you are looking to maximize victories at ages 14-16.    

Who cares for age 20+? Coaches are focusing on 14-17.

The USSF does and now you have highlighted and answered "Why DA". The DA is coming and parents will have to adjust their thinking or hopefully just stay with what suits their needs

Clubs are in the business of promoting themselves. They'll always pick themselves over something as abstract as US Soccer. Until USSF can find a way to remove the clubs from the equation, it's gonna be the same old pig with a different shade of lipstick.

Yep, so why so much discussion if you already think you know the outcome. Those that are going through the process and those who have gone through the process won't be sweating the little stuff.

Think of it as DA is advertising that they are following the Baseball player development model.  

While LHGCL & ECNL follow the Football and Basketball player development model.

We can watch and see how it plays out.

bwgophers wrote:

Sweeper wrote:If they are serious about trying to find and develop the best of the best, then they need to:

- have the national organization select the coaches who can coach the teams, rather than leaving that to the local clubs where politics would bastardize the process;

 

Sweep,

What makes you think having US Soccer choose the coaches would make it any less of a political, bastardized process???

Call me an optimist if you like, but I do believe that national selection process is likely to be less tainted than individual club selections. Do you have a better alternative?

OLJW wrote:Clubs are in the business of promoting themselves. They'll always pick themselves over something as abstract as US Soccer.  Until USSF can find a way to remove the clubs from the equation, it's gonna be the same old pig with a different shade of lipstick.

Whoever is footing the bill will control the process, as they are the ones who ultimately have make sure there is an ROI.

Unless they are going to use Tax $.

If the parents of the DDs of FC Dallas Purple playing in PPL D IV are ones subsidizing the DA, I doubt they get much of a say either, except to just leave. It'll be interesting to see how much club dues go up at these non DA teams at DA clubs.

Probable supply of slots on DA Teams in North Texas for a given age group ~ 40 (they're combining two AP Years). Probable demand 200 to 600. So the cost per slot will not reflect the market value for it no matter what. US Soccer has already said they'll subsidize aspects of the DA League. The clubs will subsidize certain players based on need and merit. The rest won't blink at the cost. The kids around DA or more accurately their parents will pay extra for the chance to be in DA even if they don't make it in any given year.

Simple economics and pretty rational. If folks measure a DA team by how many kids from it are picked for a National squad instead of where they end up in the League then development towards how US Soccer makes their selection will be at a premium. It's going to be a metric, it already is for ECNL.

The clubs need to be part of the process since they have a broad and deep pool of talent and to a lesser extent cash to draw from each year.

The more I look at this the more I like. Smart.

newbiefornow wrote:Probable supply of slots on DA Teams in North Texas for a given age group ~ 40 (they're combining two AP Years).

Not shooting down your math; just curious how you arrived at 40. The teams have to be 50/50 older and younger.

Sho'Nuff wrote:

newbiefornow wrote:Probable supply of slots on DA Teams in North Texas for a given age group ~ 40 (they're combining two AP Years).

Not shooting down your math; just curious how you arrived at 40.  The teams have to be 50/50 older and younger.

What do you mean the teams have to be 50/50 older and younger?

turftoe9 wrote:

Sho'Nuff wrote:

newbiefornow wrote:Probable supply of slots on DA Teams in North Texas for a given age group ~ 40 (they're combining two AP Years).

Not shooting down your math; just curious how you arrived at 40.  The teams have to be 50/50 older and younger.

What do you mean the teams have to be 50/50 older and younger?

"The use of combined age groups will require clubs to form teams with a balanced roster of players from two distinct birth years."

I could be interpreting it wrong.  I assumed roster of 22, 11 older and 11 younger.

One of these articles mentioned "no bench-fillers"

That's how I interpreted it too. It all depends on roster size though. Looking at the U-13/14 boys DA teams from Texas, I've seen rosters as small as 21 and as large as 26.

In other words....this thread has more posts than kids that will actually participate in the DA program.

Assuming 24 in a Roster and three teams in NTX 3 * 24 = 72 slots in NTX. Assume a couple of injuries and a little fudge factor for a less than even split and you get ~ 40 ( 74/2 = 36).

If there are two teams it will be 48 and there will be 24 or so slots in NTX per year. So are there 24 kids in NTX that US Soccer are interested in paying close attention to?

More posts than kids that will get in but fewer than the kids who will want to try.

OK 72 / 2 = 36 but you know what I mean.

newbiefornow wrote:OK 72 / 2 = 36 but you know what I mean.

I had no idea boys DA rosters were that large.

....and just when we thought we now know what is going on with this AP, Girls DA, ECNL and stuff, here comes US Club Soccer with another wrench in the tool box..

http://usclubsoccer.org/2016/02/24/us-club-soccer-statement-on-u-s-soccer-girls-development-academy/

Can't wait for 2017 to settle this drama.