ECNL, Other Soccer Clubs and the Road to College or national Team- Youth Coach Speaks OUT

Youth coach speaks out against USSF
Article Written by J.R. Eskilson, ESNN
Published: March 18, 2013
5 COMMENTS
There is a storm brewing in U.S. youth soccer.

Last week, Soccer America published a Q&A with renowned soccer coach Jimmy Obleda about the problems that face U.S. youth soccer.

Obleda, who is the Technical Director of the Fullerton Rangers, sounded off on a number of points including the relationship between youth national teams and non-Development Academy clubs.

“Absolutely, every time a kid goes to the national team,” Obleda replied when asked about the youth national team staff encouraging players to leave non-Academy clubs. “Every time a kid comes back [I hear that]. One in particular got called in and they asked him twice to leave and he said, ‘No, I want to stay.”

Obleda may be the lightning rod for the immediate feedback on this point, but he is not alone. From Olympic Development Program coaches to club coaches at every age level, there is a growing voice of concern about the role of the youth national team in relation to the Development Academy.

This is from the Boys Side of things, but I am sure it applies to the Girls Side also.

I think there will be more and more of us parents and players who see the light or the Path to where we want to go in our childs soccer and it does not always have to be the ECNL. There are players everyday making headlines in top US national teams or who played overseas or also did not go to a big D1 colleges..parents just have to be realistic and listen to where their child fits.

JH01 wrote:Youth coach speaks out against USSF
Article Written by J.R. Eskilson, ESNN
Published: March 18, 2013
5 COMMENTS
There is a storm brewing in U.S. youth soccer.

Last week, Soccer America published a Q&A with renowned soccer coach Jimmy Obleda about the problems that face U.S. youth soccer.

Obleda, who is the Technical Director of the Fullerton Rangers, sounded off on a number of points including the relationship between youth national teams and non-Development Academy clubs.

“Absolutely, every time a kid goes to the national team,” Obleda replied when asked about the youth national team staff encouraging players to leave non-Academy clubs. “Every time a kid comes back [I hear that]. One in particular got called in and they asked him twice to leave and he said, ‘No, I want to stay.”

Obleda may be the lightning rod for the immediate feedback on this point, but he is not alone. From Olympic Development Program coaches to club coaches at every age level, there is a growing voice of concern about the role of the youth national team in relation to the Development Academy.

This is from the Boys Side of things, but I am sure it applies to the Girls Side also.

I think there will be more and more of us parents and players who see the light or the Path to where we want to go in our childs soccer and it does not always have to be the ECNL. There are players everyday making headlines in top US national teams or who played overseas or also did not go to a big D1 colleges..parents just have to be realistic and listen to where their child fits.

Please name one female national player that did not go to a big D1 college.

JH01 wrote:Youth coach speaks out against USSF
Article Written by J.R. Eskilson, ESNN
Published: March 18, 2013
5 COMMENTS
There is a storm brewing in U.S. youth soccer.

Last week, Soccer America published a Q&A with renowned soccer coach Jimmy Obleda about the problems that face U.S. youth soccer.

Obleda, who is the Technical Director of the Fullerton Rangers, sounded off on a number of points including the relationship between youth national teams and non-Development Academy clubs.

“Absolutely, every time a kid goes to the national team,” Obleda replied when asked about the youth national team staff encouraging players to leave non-Academy clubs. “Every time a kid comes back [I hear that]. One in particular got called in and they asked him twice to leave and he said, ‘No, I want to stay.”

Obleda may be the lightning rod for the immediate feedback on this point, but he is not alone. From Olympic Development Program coaches to club coaches at every age level, there is a growing voice of concern about the role of the youth national team in relation to the Development Academy.

This is from the Boys Side of things, but I am sure it applies to the Girls Side also.

I think there will be more and more of us parents and players who see the light or the Path to where we want to go in our childs soccer and it does not always have to be the ECNL. There are players everyday making headlines in top US national teams or who played overseas or also did not go to a big D1 colleges..parents just have to be realistic and listen to where their child fits.

amen

Uncle Numanga wrote:

JH01 wrote:Youth coach speaks out against USSF
Article Written by J.R. Eskilson, ESNN
Published: March 18, 2013
5 COMMENTS
There is a storm brewing in U.S. youth soccer.

Last week, Soccer America published a Q&A with renowned soccer coach Jimmy Obleda about the problems that face U.S. youth soccer.

Obleda, who is the Technical Director of the Fullerton Rangers, sounded off on a number of points including the relationship between youth national teams and non-Development Academy clubs.

“Absolutely, every time a kid goes to the national team,” Obleda replied when asked about the youth national team staff encouraging players to leave non-Academy clubs. “Every time a kid comes back [I hear that]. One in particular got called in and they asked him twice to leave and he said, ‘No, I want to stay.”

Obleda may be the lightning rod for the immediate feedback on this point, but he is not alone. From Olympic Development Program coaches to club coaches at every age level, there is a growing voice of concern about the role of the youth national team in relation to the Development Academy.

This is from the Boys Side of things, but I am sure it applies to the Girls Side also.

I think there will be more and more of us parents and players who see the light or the Path to where we want to go in our childs soccer and it does not always have to be the ECNL. There are players everyday making headlines in top US national teams or who played overseas or also did not go to a big D1 colleges..parents just have to be realistic and listen to where their child fits.

Please name one female national player that did not go to a big D1 college.

Is Monmouth a big D1 college?

Mr T wrote:

Uncle Numanga wrote:

JH01 wrote:Youth coach speaks out against USSF
Article Written by J.R. Eskilson, ESNN
Published: March 18, 2013
5 COMMENTS
There is a storm brewing in U.S. youth soccer.

Last week, Soccer America published a Q&A with renowned soccer coach Jimmy Obleda about the problems that face U.S. youth soccer.

Obleda, who is the Technical Director of the Fullerton Rangers, sounded off on a number of points including the relationship between youth national teams and non-Development Academy clubs.

“Absolutely, every time a kid goes to the national team,” Obleda replied when asked about the youth national team staff encouraging players to leave non-Academy clubs. “Every time a kid comes back [I hear that]. One in particular got called in and they asked him twice to leave and he said, ‘No, I want to stay.”

Obleda may be the lightning rod for the immediate feedback on this point, but he is not alone. From Olympic Development Program coaches to club coaches at every age level, there is a growing voice of concern about the role of the youth national team in relation to the Development Academy.

This is from the Boys Side of things, but I am sure it applies to the Girls Side also.

I think there will be more and more of us parents and players who see the light or the Path to where we want to go in our childs soccer and it does not always have to be the ECNL. There are players everyday making headlines in top US national teams or who played overseas or also did not go to a big D1 colleges..parents just have to be realistic and listen to where their child fits.

Please name one female national player that did not go to a big D1 college.

Is Monmouth a big D1 college?

Yeah...all 1,316 students make it huge. DIII school Who went there?

Mr T wrote:

Uncle Numanga wrote:

JH01 wrote:Youth coach speaks out against USSF
Article Written by J.R. Eskilson, ESNN
Published: March 18, 2013
5 COMMENTS
There is a storm brewing in U.S. youth soccer.

Last week, Soccer America published a Q&A with renowned soccer coach Jimmy Obleda about the problems that face U.S. youth soccer.

Obleda, who is the Technical Director of the Fullerton Rangers, sounded off on a number of points including the relationship between youth national teams and non-Development Academy clubs.

“Absolutely, every time a kid goes to the national team,” Obleda replied when asked about the youth national team staff encouraging players to leave non-Academy clubs. “Every time a kid comes back [I hear that]. One in particular got called in and they asked him twice to leave and he said, ‘No, I want to stay.”

Obleda may be the lightning rod for the immediate feedback on this point, but he is not alone. From Olympic Development Program coaches to club coaches at every age level, there is a growing voice of concern about the role of the youth national team in relation to the Development Academy.

This is from the Boys Side of things, but I am sure it applies to the Girls Side also.

I think there will be more and more of us parents and players who see the light or the Path to where we want to go in our childs soccer and it does not always have to be the ECNL. There are players everyday making headlines in top US national teams or who played overseas or also did not go to a big D1 colleges..parents just have to be realistic and listen to where their child fits.

Please name one female national player that did not go to a big D1 college.

Is Monmouth a big D1 college?

Ok. I will give you Rampone. But that was a long time ago. She would not be considered if she was coming out of Monmouth now.

UN,
There are more and more quality players getting a good education at the smaller schools and getting good at soccer to challenge the National Team spots.
I think you will see more, not less. The talent pool is growing and more and more D2 and D3 and NAIA schools are drawing good players and offering money to be there, more money than D1 schools. The other schools are being more resourceful to be able to compete with the larger schools for good players.
Players should be going to the College of their choice based on the education first, soccer second.

JH01 wrote: UN,
There are more and more quality players getting a good education at the smaller schools and getting good at soccer to challenge the National Team spots.
I think you will see more, not less. The talent pool is growing and more and more D2 and D3 and NAIA schools are drawing good players and offering money to be there, more money than D1 schools. The other schools are being more resourceful to be able to compete with the larger schools for good players.
Players should be going to the College of their choice based on the education first, soccer second.

+1 on this.

JH01 wrote: UN,
There are more and more quality players getting a good education at the smaller schools and getting good at soccer to challenge the National Team spots.
I think you will see more, not less. The talent pool is growing and more and more D2 and D3 and NAIA schools are drawing good players and offering money to be there, more money than D1 schools. The other schools are being more resourceful to be able to compete with the larger schools for good players.
Players should be going to the College of their choice based on the education first, soccer second.

JH - I'm 100% with you one everything in your post EXCEPT the passage highlighted in bold. Taking a look at the current player pools for the USWNT Under-23 and Under-20 squads, about the "smallest" schools I'm seeing represented are Harvard, Richmond, Villanova, Georgetown, Fresno St., and Long Beach State - and I'm not sure I'd really consider any of those as "smaller" schools. Now admittedly, I didn't look up the college history of several of the U23 player pool members that have "out of contract" listed next to their name, but something tells me I'm not going to find much difference.

So while I completely agree that education should come first, and that quality education and increasingly quality soccer can be found at smaller D1, D2, D3, NAIA schools, it certainly doesn't appear those schools are developing/producing talent that makes it to the National Team radar.

So the goal for these (ECNL) players is to get on the USWNT or to play in College?

Refresh my memory, when and who were the last players from NTX to play on the USWNT?

Homeboy wrote:So the goal for these (ECNL) players is to get on the USWNT or to play in College?

Refresh my memory, when and who were the last players from NTX to play on the USWNT?

Last one I remember for the full women's side is Carla Werden, who if memory serves was Sting '68 or '69. Although there may be others according to some coach resumes.

All I am saying is the talent pool is getting larger and that there are quality players going to smaller schools. I for one believe in this. The larger schools are not for everyone.

Some of the ignorant parents think there is only one way and or one path to greatness.....and there are some parents pushing their kids into the ECNL mold or the Top Tier mode because they think that is best for them. Look at some of the Top Kids from Dallas Texas...they haven't made it for some reason.... I don't know them personally, but the stats are amazing. The number of players participating and we can't get one near the top and to stay at the top. So many top players on such great teams and making it to the top tier but can't hang on...they don't have what it takes...what are they missing? Mental training maybe....maybe once they get challenged and told they need to work on something hard they quit because they are so used to getting what they want??? I don't have the answer. I would have liked to see Kerry Hanks make the Squad and also Melissa Henderson.

Maybe had more local players played for smaller crappier clubs and never played with and against the best players in the country they would have achieved more.

/sarcasm off

Very Funny Gunner. Every Kid is different and needs to develop at their own pace. Some of the Larger crappier clubs have horrible coaches, where the kids learn nothing but kick and run and to hurt the other player, but they can say they are on a top team or a big club. There is nothing wrong with the smaller clubs or larger clubs, it is parents thinking their kids are rock stars when they aren't. You need to teach your player to work hard at their skills and be a good teammate and work together to achieve greatness..... no matter what team they are on or what club etc. There needs to be DOC's in charge of the Coaches who make sure those coaches are doing what is right and best for the players.
There is a spot for all players to develop..get my meaning!!!

In order to make a good decision on this....look at the priorities and abilities of you DD (realistic if possible).

What do they want out of club soccer?
a. National Team opportunity (through ECNL, Club or ODP)
b. Chance at a college scholarship (D1, D2, NAIA)
c. Have fun and maybe play soccer as a walk-on or non-scholarship player
d. Only play locally and no ambition of college soccer

What do they want out of college soccer?
a. play professionally afterwards
b. play on a national team
c. win a national championship (D1, D2, D3, NAIA)
d. play on a division 1 team
e. be a top player at the chosen university (any level)
f. be a part of a team, not caring much about playing time
g. use soccer as a vehicle to get a degree/education in your chosen field

Then, based on priorities.....make a list of schools that fit.

Things have changed, and it is no longer--D1 or nothing. D2, D3, NAIA national champs get rings too!! There are NAIA All-Americans, and these girls get seen. Sometimes, the big fish in that small pond shows better than the #15th player at Notre Dame (who sees 15 minutes of playing time every other game).

I don't know that I've read much here where these ECNL parents say their dd's are "rock stars", and that a big club and ECNL is the only way to college.

What I think is more prevalent, is others feeling the need to come in here defend against those things that haven't been said in the first place. Then, of course, it turns into battling shots about the value of ECNL and whether it will be here in 5 years or not. Having been through the whole process, I've got a strong belief that there is a scholarship available for virtually everyone that really wants one. Whether it's to a school they really want to attend is another issue altogether.

Today, its almost irrefutable that the ECNL provides more visibility to college coaches than virtually anything else, and what's talked about less, is that those ECNL coaches often have relationships with the college coaches, making the process even smoother for those players. An experienced coach that has a relationship with the college coach can help you get more $$ from the college than an inexperienced coach or parent.

First and foremost in the whole college process is finding the school(s) where your dd would want to go with or without soccer. One never knows what will happen, so a player could decide after one year of college they don't want to play, or God forbid, an injury can preclude that from happening.

There are many ways to end up playing soccer in college. There are many ways to end up with a college scholarship. Today, it appears to most involved that the ECNL provides one of the best avenues. As parents, all of us should want to do the best we can for our kids. If playing on an ECNL team isn't possible or desired, simply choose another avenue to get where you want to go. Its that simple.

Coming here and complaining that the "ECNL isn't so great", "the ECNL is too expensive", and so on sometimes just comes across as sour grapes.

Will it be here in 5 years? I don't know, and I really don't care. Happily, I'm done with all this. But if I weren't, I still wouldn't care. I'd likely try to get my kid into the best situation to achieve her goals, whether it's ECNL, Intergalactic League, or Bub and Bubbette's Classic League.

How you get there isn't really important. Setting the goals with your dd and then setting up a plan to meet them is what IS important. Visit a lot of campuses to get a feel for what "clicks" with her, then determine if they offer the education she desires. Make informed decisions about what she wants to get out of college, and soccer probably shouldn't be #1.

Be careful what you wish for. Does your dd have the talent to make a top DI team? Does your dd want to make that team, but rarely see the field? These are all things that need to be considered, along with some close self evaluation as to how much of this is your dd's desires, and how much of it is her parent's desires.

We had a great run for these years in select soccer. She's met her best friends through it and learned a lot about dealing with life in general, both good things and bad. Our family has made lifelong friendships.

Had she not received a dollar in scholarships, I'd consider it a great investment.

JH01 wrote: UN,
There are more and more quality players getting a good education at the smaller schools and getting good at soccer to challenge the National Team spots.
I think you will see more, not less. The talent pool is growing and more and more D2 and D3 and NAIA schools are drawing good players and offering money to be there, more money than D1 schools. The other schools are being more resourceful to be able to compete with the larger schools for good players.
Players should be going to the College of their choice based on the education first, soccer second.

Wrong. Look at the recent call ups, Averbush, Dunn, Engen and Harris, all from North Carolina. Horan was committed to UNC but went to play in France instead. Then you got Press from Stanford and Mewis from Boston College. Where are these small college girls challenging for a spot on WNT? Sermanni isn't looking for the best players, he is using the old players and adding new UNC players.

ballhead wrote:I don't know that I've read much here where these ECNL parents say their dd's are "rock stars", and that a big club and ECNL is the only way to college.

What I think is more prevalent, is others feeling the need to come in here defend against those things that haven't been said in the first place. Then, of course, it turns into battling shots about the value of ECNL and whether it will be here in 5 years or not. Having been through the whole process, I've got a strong belief that there is a scholarship available for virtually everyone that really wants one. Whether it's to a school they really want to attend is another issue altogether.

Today, its almost irrefutable that the ECNL provides more visibility to college coaches than virtually anything else, and what's talked about less, is that those ECNL coaches often have relationships with the college coaches, making the process even smoother for those players. An experienced coach that has a relationship with the college coach can help you get more $$ from the college than an inexperienced coach or parent.

First and foremost in the whole college process is finding the school(s) where your dd would want to go with or without soccer. One never knows what will happen, so a player could decide after one year of college they don't want to play, or God forbid, an injury can preclude that from happening.

There are many ways to end up playing soccer in college. There are many ways to end up with a college scholarship. Today, it appears to most involved that the ECNL provides one of the best avenues. As parents, all of us should want to do the best we can for our kids. If playing on an ECNL team isn't possible or desired, simply choose another avenue to get where you want to go. Its that simple.

Coming here and complaining that the "ECNL isn't so great", "the ECNL is too expensive", and so on sometimes just comes across as sour grapes.

Will it be here in 5 years? I don't know, and I really don't care. Happily, I'm done with all this. But if I weren't, I still wouldn't care. I'd likely try to get my kid into the best situation to achieve her goals, whether it's ECNL, Intergalactic League, or Bub and Bubbette's Classic League.

How you get there isn't really important. Setting the goals with your dd and then setting up a plan to meet them is what IS important. Visit a lot of campuses to get a feel for what "clicks" with her, then determine if they offer the education she desires. Make informed decisions about what she wants to get out of college, and soccer probably shouldn't be #1.

Be careful what you wish for. Does your dd have the talent to make a top DI team? Does your dd want to make that team, but rarely see the field? These are all things that need to be considered, along with some close self evaluation as to how much of this is your dd's desires, and how much of it is her parent's desires.

We had a great run for these years in select soccer. She's met her best friends through it and learned a lot about dealing with life in general, both good things and bad. Our family has made lifelong friendships.

Had she not received a dollar in scholarships, I'd consider it a great investment.

Spot-on.

The road to college through the past systems has been pretty successful, but the road to the national team under the past systems does not exist.

It seems in the old system the talent was spread out to many different clubs and teams. ECNL may or may not be the answer, but seems to be trying to pull as many perceived top talented players to four teams as possible.

ODP has tried and has had some success opening the road from NTX to the women's national team, but by many posters standards has fallen way short.

Will ECNL, with its structure be the answer to opening the road to the national team?

The road to the national team (in the past) was via OPD. A girl made her state team, attended regional camp (making top 30), then was invited to national camp. At national camp, girls are trained for a lengthof time--typically a week to 10 days, and a top 30-45 list is created. This is the National Pool. There have also been National B teams in the past rostering 20-30 girls. This still is a good road to the WNT.

ECNL is giving an alternative to this ODP route. Coaches involved in ODP programs at the regional and national level attend ECNL showcases and watch. They look for young players with talent and flag those kids. They flag the kids who they have not evaluated in OPD camps, and can/will invite them to attend different trainings, if the coaches feel these players have a legitimate shot at a spot in these pools.

In the past (25 years ago)....OPD was only U16, U19 and Women's (U19s and Womens National teams ONLY) There was not a U17 or a U20 team.

Presently, there are regional and national pools at many more ages. Now, there are far more opportunites to play at this level.....and, two roads to get there.

When traning camps come along,

ignore the last fragment...should have been deleted

ODP is not part of the US Women's National Team system. Your kid's selection to ODP isn't any more meaningful regarding a kids ability to play on the USWNT than their selection to a top select team.

Well, I played through the OPD system 25 years ago(albiet not called ODP at the time). I played with the likes of many well know north texas women on the national teams from the 80's and early 90s. ODP was the only path to the national camps.

In fact, there was a time in the history of North Texas soccer when over 25% of the players on the U19 and Women's national teams were from the Dallas area. All made those teams and pools through the ODP programs....following the North Texas State Team Coach--Cossaboon.

socc-key-ballmom wrote:Well, I played through the OPD system 25 years ago(albiet not called ODP at the time). I played with the likes of many well know north texas women on the national teams from the 80's and early 90s. ODP was the only path to the national camps.

In fact, there was a time in the history of North Texas soccer when over 25% of the players on the U19 and Women's national teams were from the Dallas area. All made those teams and pools through the ODP programs....following the North Texas State Team Coach--Cossaboon.

Congrats. Things change.

Things have not changed all that much.

ODP is still a path to the team if players are talented enough.

ECNL is just another avenue to these camps.

But, in the end, it is about exposure.

With the invention of a U20 National team, more and more of the U20s are being identified in college games. College coaches are connected with the National staff...and help identify players who have not been identifed previously through other avenues (ECNL, ODP, etc).

ECNL, ODP, and college games all give players opportunities for exposure!