Challenge Round explanation for 04g

Registration for the Academy League Challenge Cup tournament in June includes entry into the new challenge ladder concept called the Challenge Round.

This new concept to North Texas u8 girls teams is designed to offer coaches quality matches, against quality opponents, and with a quality referee crew; all in an incentive based system where the coach controls the game schedules.

Purpose:
• Provide and ongoing opportunity for equally matched teams to challenge each other in meaningful games.
• Allow teams to have control over opponent, location, and game schedule.
• Provide an event that runs in tandem with existing leagues in the area.

It seems the majority of the 04g teams invited to the tournament play in SDL, PTCL, EAL, and DIAL. The Challenge Round initiative is designed to support these leagues and give the coaches a controlled environment to challenge teams closely matched in competitiveness in a pick-up game format to aid in their player development efforts.

More info and a slide deck on the Challenge Round can be found at: http://u90c.com/CHALLENGE_ROUND.html

The $500 tournament fee pays for the first 2 weekends, correct? Can you please share with us how much the challenge round games will cost?

Tournament fee includes:
- Group Round (min. 3 games for each team)
- Elimination Round for teams that advance (1-4 games)
- Entry into the Challenge Round

Challenge Round game fee (Challenge Fee) will be similar to the cost per game of other competitive leagues in N. TX. The fee will pay for items like referee crew, facility rental, etc...

An official Challenge Fee Chart will be published prior to 5:00p on June 15th before the Challenge Round officially begins.

Multiple facility partners, referee crews, etc... are being negotiated and will determine cost of each challenge.

Can you guess at a fee? Hard to make a decision on an unknown.

Thanks,

Per game fees for leagues in the area range from $70-$150 taking into consideration registration fee, home assoc fees, referee fees, etc... the Challenge Fees will be similar.

Truly appreciate the question!

So once you are thru the challenge round you get a ranking and can challenge any other team in league play?

It sounds like a great idea for over the summer. And that price range is not too bad if you divide by your entire team.

okay I think I am missing something here. This all seems to be going away from what many experts are recomending for youth soccer. Instead of focusing on development this seems to be just making youth soccer an even more competative enviornment. Make the consequences for winning and losing start at an even younger age. NTX is bad enough with parents worried about their FBR. This seems to take it even further, and not in a good way.

Now to the question:
Can you refuse a challenge from a lower team because you don't like how they play?

With all of the extra games and pressure, what do the girls get? Surely with all of this focus on winning they have to get some sort of trophy or recognition.

Will this impact the seeding for qualifying when they move into select?

Well, I suppose there is a chance that it could put too much emphasis on winning.....but wouldn't that be only if the coaches and parents make it that way for their own players/kids? OTOH--to me it seems like this would be a nice way to set up scrimmages and you would get to scrimmage teams that you know will give you a good competitive game. That's what most people try to do when they set up scrimmages on their own but this would make it much easier. When you sign up for a league you often have no way of knowing what level the other teams are (or at least many of them). And maybe this system would allow for some teams to play another team "at their level" that would not ordinarily get to play each other because the teams are at too great a distance for either team to sign up for the same league. But for one game, it would be fun. Yes, there are also tourneys that bring teams together but this would be more of a "one time" game thing.

Go99 is onto something there. Just ups the ante over the summer.

Whats wrong with the friendly format, no refs, no score posting... it was just done a few weeks back in the 05s. Free and everyone had a blast. Lots of soccer, and smiles.

Thanks for the questions and comments. We will try to keep up and answer as many questions as we can.

1. The Challenge Round is autonomous from "league play". Teams exit the League Challenge Cup and placed in a ranking order based on points accumulated in the tournament. Teams are ranked simply to assure the best match-ups. As teams challenge each other, the Challenge Round becomes fluid with teams moving up and down the "ladder" and in position to play challenge matches with teams closely matched to their team.

2. Teams do not have to accept a challenge nor do they have to submit challenges. It is possible for teams to be dormant in the Challenge Round.

3. There are several awards for performance. These are listed on the website.

4. This event is autonomous from the qualifying tournaments.

USA203 wrote:Well, I suppose there is a chance that it could put too much emphasis on winning.....but wouldn't that be only if the coaches and parents make it that way for their own players/kids? OTOH--to me it seems like this would be a nice way to set up scrimmages and you would get to scrimmage teams that you know will give you a good competitive game. That's what most people try to do when they set up scrimmages on their own but this would make it much easier. When you sign up for a league you often have no way of knowing what level the other teams are (or at least many of them). And maybe this system would allow for some teams to play another team "at their level" that would not ordinarily get to play each other because the teams are at too great a distance for either team to sign up for the same league. But for one game, it would be fun. Yes, there are also tourneys that bring teams together but this would be more of a "one time" game thing.

Kids are not as stupid as we think they are. They will easily discover the nature of the games. Win and you rise thru the rankings. Lose and you will fall. The result well the point of the game. I think this will be an extremely popluar format. It will allow all of the overly competative parent the opportunity to solve the FBR rankings arguments. I have always said the problem with soccer in the US can be traced back to one place, us. Kids will learn to compete and win instead of learn and enjoy. Hope my team isn't in it, but if they are I hope the coach plays it to win because there is no other reason to do it other than to be #1.

oh 1 last question:

Will anything be done to lock the rosters? It is often a concern that teams are using players from other teams to help them win games. It would really skew the rankings

I don’t know about this. Most parents I know feel their kids at U-6-U9 are playing enough soccer between fall, spring, indoor and summer 1 and 2, and futsal and tournaments ect... then you get to U-10 and you really double down to QT. I don't think I want to do a QT every year and basically make Academy Select. I can wait for it.

Plus more expense BEFORE select… agh. I like the free scrimmages for fun. I really think teams and parents should be encouraging more unorganized fun play than trying to create MORE leagues/organization.

oh wow shelbz you surprised me there

I think if you wanted to market something cool and FUN for the kids that's NEW it would be something like Soccer Olympics or Soccer games ect.

Let individuals sign up to strike, defend, goalie, dribble, punt, race, drills, obstacle courses, juggle... ect.. Create different events and let the kids compete and have fun with soccer in something other than another organized game.

Shelby427 wrote:I don’t know about this. Most parents I know feel their kids at U-6-U9 are playing enough soccer between fall, spring, indoor and summer 1 and 2, and futsal and tournaments ect... then you get to U-10 and you really double down to QT. I don't think I want to do a QT every year and basically make Academy Select. I can wait for it.

Plus more expense BEFORE select… agh. I like the free scrimmages for fun. I really think teams and parents should be encouraging more unorganized fun play than trying to create MORE leagues/organization.

"LIKE" - oh, wait, this isn't Facebook is it... LMAO...

Let individuals sign up to strike, defend, goalie, dribble, punt, race, drills, obstacle courses, juggle... ect.. Create different events and let the kids compete and have fun with soccer in something other than another organized game.

I love it!!!! S: can you organize this ? Seriously, how fun would an event like this be? How about juggling while jumping in a bounce house? You could set it up kind of like a carnival or field day where the kids go around to the different events.