USSF Girls Development Academy?

I honestly don't care who gets DA or if it happens. By the time it does my soccer playing kids will be in college. What I do know is that no soccer entity/business would give something as substantial as what the DA distinction would be to a club with zero track record (ie Liverpool). The fact is, the next successful team Liverpool produces that's older than u12 will be its first and this is indisputable.

Notice that I didn't take as stern an issue with your very reasonable opinion about FCD, a club I've never had an affiliation with (just like LP). The LP opinion is laughable, but I guess you're allowed to have it.

Track records dont pay bills and the DA will be a big one. Here is the thing about clubs and their "track records" just had a solar team (pulp) at nationals? Or was that LP or wait was it fcd? Pulp developed a killer team and they just happened to be wearing solar jerseys. But hows this for the NTX track record One of the largest player pools in the country consistently and the bottom of national team production. And placement in top soccer universities isn't much better. So there is one guarantee that I can make and that is LP is more than capable of maintaining the horrible standard of NTX production. But yes I agree that I dont care who gets a DA spot although you seem to not care as long as its not LP.

go99 wrote:Track records dont pay bills and the DA will be a big one. Here is the thing about clubs and their "track records" just had a solar team (pulp) at nationals? Or was that LP or wait was it fcd? Pulp developed a killer team and they just happened to be wearing solar jerseys. But hows this for the NTX track record  One of the largest player pools in the country consistently and the bottom of national team production. And placement in top soccer universities isn't much better. So there is one guarantee that I can make and that is LP is more than capable of maintaining the horrible standard of NTX production. But yes I agree that I dont care who gets a DA spot although you seem to not care as long as its not LP.

Instead of whining about people not wanting it to be LP, how bout you give us one legitimate reason as to why it should be.

orbitzone2000 wrote:

go99 wrote:Track records dont pay bills and the DA will be a big one. Here is the thing about clubs and their "track records" just had a solar team (pulp) at nationals? Or was that LP or wait was it fcd? Pulp developed a killer team and they just happened to be wearing solar jerseys. But hows this for the NTX track record  One of the largest player pools in the country consistently and the bottom of national team production. And placement in top soccer universities isn't much better. So there is one guarantee that I can make and that is LP is more than capable of maintaining the horrible standard of NTX production. But yes I agree that I dont care who gets a DA spot although you seem to not care as long as its not LP.

Instead of whining about people not wanting it to be LP, how bout you give us one legitimate reason as to why it should be.

Because LP is financially stable due to selling flowers!

I am not knocking the LP product...there are some really good LP teams, and if DA starts with 11 or 12 year olds, Go99 has a point...if DA wants older groups, LP has NO viability...hence the reason that Pulp's former LP teams wear Solar jerseys and even some of the younger ones are moving clubs yearly...LP has the market share of U-littles, but only 1 team per age in LH beyond U13...the system dictates that their best will "walk alone" if they stay LP into anything past U13 right now. If DA started at U14, then some teams might jump back. It could happen, but only if the league starts with the younger groups, otherwise any of FCD, DTX, Sting or Solar are a better option for a league looking at years of teams.

If LP gets a DA spot they will have no problem getting players and coaches. LP doesn't have many older teams because the mentality her is you must be in a ecnl/da club.

As I said before I don't think sting and the others can afford the cost and with them already having ecnl I don't see them highly motivated to take on DA. I see the prior DA relationship motivating fcd. I see being kept out of ecnl as motivation for LP to push for a DA spot. It can get them off the treadmill of irrelevance. (not a serious club because you dont have older teams so not ecnl. Then recruit all your teams using ecnl. See you arent a serious club because no older teams. You guys seem to think clubs will be killing themselves to get into the da, I don't. Liverpool will be the most motivated and financially capable. Other than that nothing else matters. Coaches and talent can easily be brought in

A USSF decision to make Liverpool a DA club would certainly be a set back and a head scratcher. With that said does PB have the money to buy his way into the situation. Yeah, but is that how USSF wants to start its DA campaign? Hell it would be smart for LP to lay it all out their with no expense to large to obtain the DA. That's just it though, no expense to large gets the bid.

go99 wrote:If LP gets a DA spot they will have no problem getting players and coaches. LP doesn't have many older teams because the mentality her is you must be in a ecnl/da club.

As I said before I don't think sting and the others can afford the cost and with them already having ecnl I don't see them highly motivated to take on DA. I see the prior DA relationship motivating fcd. I see being kept out of ecnl as motivation for LP to push for a DA spot. It can get them off the treadmill of irrelevance. (not a serious club because you dont have older teams so not ecnl. Then recruit all your teams using ecnl. See you arent a serious club because no older teams. You guys seem to think clubs will be killing themselves to get into the da, I don't. Liverpool will be the most motivated and financially capable. Other than that nothing else matters. Coaches and talent can easily be brought bought to come in

Agree 100% with 1 minor modification.

It wouldn't matter who they chose. They could choose fever or txspirit and the DA would move on. Coaches and players would move, parents would jump on board and years later everyone would forget the imaginary drama. All they would think is " oh fever? That's the DA club. Hope my daughter get good enough to go there otherwise she will be stuck in ecnl"

So here is a question that should matter. What clubs do you guys think can fully fund the girls DA team? (if it follows boys will drop all the way to U12)

I've got FCD, Texans, and Liverpool but you guys seem to disagree

Go, this is where your logic falls down. You concede a girls DA will result in parents clamoring to position themselves with the newly perceived elite platform. Makes sense....happened very quickly when ECNL started 6 years ago.

Don't you think entrepreneurs running NTX clubs and already making their living in this space ALSO know this? Of course they do.

We've seen nothing that says a girls DA has to be fully funded by clubs, but Why would ANY of them "pass" on DA whether it has to be fully funded or not?  It makes more sense that every single one of them would deploy whatever leverage they have.

For the record, I'm still skeptical we even see a girls DA. I think only way it happens is if YNT teams continue having challenges with low spend nations (i.e. countries with no business being in the same ballpark with our girls). If YNTs loaded up with ECNL players right the ship, I can't see USSF investing in a girls DA.

But if USSF DOES deploy a DA, OVERNIGHT, ECNL loses massive leverage. Vast majority of ECNL's pitch is the # of players thru to national teams and # of college coaches patrolling ecnl sidelines. Take the top 30% of ECNL players into DA? ECNL is left with no better claims to quality than the USYS leagues that require teams to earn their spots. ECNL's marketing approach would have to shift because top programs will be scouting DA as #1 priority.

Whether a girls DA has a fully funded requirement or not, it's not logical to suggest any club would voluntarily decline a DA invite...definitely not any in a market like NTX.

And I seriously doubt USSF would start a DA, having realized problems in existing youth leagues, and make a club's volume of u10 and under teams any part of their selection criteria.

LP is basically a brand new club with a handful of top coaches that build teams and take them elsewhere after academy. I would think an ability to consolidate and retain talent throughout the development cycle would be more important to USSF.

And none of us have any idea of the relative financial stability of any of these clubs. Who would've thought TFC wasn't solid before they blew up?

Sorry man. There are a few really talented young teams at LP, and a few outstanding coaches, but I don't see how LP is anywhere in the discussion for a girls DA.

I see FCD, Texans and Solar. Sting seems the most invested in us club soccer and ECNL leadership, so I imagine they'd be the least excited about girls DA.

When USSF chose the boys, they went for club stability (history/facility/roots planted), financial worthiness, future club growth prospect and current performance in that order. I would assume they would apply similar criteria to the girls. The front runners in order (IMHO) are as follows:
1. FCD - they aren't going anywhere, and they are financially solid. They can always put together a viable team, and they have the facilities to match. No brainer.
2. Texans - long tradition of national champions (especially on boys side), solid financially, they weathered ups and downs in the economy and always seem to come out on top with shrewd management. They also have facilities and have proved to be in it for the long term.
3. Sting - Proven track record, and a known name brand. However, Brent's extracurricular activities have affected them financially, as well as cast doubt on their future finances. USSF does not want any sort of scandal (especially gambling), and as long as Brent is around, I don't believe they will extend the offer.
4. Liverpool - Although they have proven to be a player, and are following the Texans model, they have not achieved the stability and long term reliability of the Texans. They are still the new kids on the block, similar to what Andromeda was with the boys when they were awarded a DA spot...(Andro won like 4 national championships in like 3 years or something, built what is now DYSP as their facility, looked good financially, etc...they looked like they were going to be real powerful...until they went broke). I think USSF is going to remember that choice, and learn from it at Liverpool's expense.

Now...will Texans pass? no. HN will rattle his sabre and demand some ridiculous sort of ownership/control/seat on the board...whatever. And he will vow to destroy the whole thing if his demands aren't met. In the end, USSF will say no, and Texans will take the spot anyway. But HN has to have his little s-fit first. Who knows? Perhaps USSF will get tired of HN's antics and just tell him to go spit, which would make it a tough choice between Sting and Liverpool. Then again...HN is pretty smart...he knows exactly where the line is...and he pushes it every chance he gets.

I don't think USSF cares as much about facilities, number of teams etc as some think. Solar has never had a facility and has always been a boys DA member. I think the DOC or person at the top and his/her relationship with folks at USSF and the respect for the teams from that club matter more.

How many players does FCD, DT, Solar, Sting, Liverpool put on National teams? I have Solar and DT names on girls National teams more frequently it seems, but I could be wrong.

The boys side is already FCD, DT, Solar so it seems USSF would just slide those same clubs in on the girls side. But, if the contraction issue rumored on the boys side is coming ( only FCD with DA in a few years) then I doubt anyone but FCD would DA on the girls side. Why create it only to contract it in a few years?