Recreational Select Soccer

How much are you willing to pay to play soccer at these new levels? Rec, Rec Select LHGCL, Composite, ECNL, DA.

There are only 3 levels when it comes to dues/fees for coaching, etc. -- Recreational, Youth Academy, and Competitive. The levels you referenced above are primarily sub divisions/leagues within each group.

Rec soccer is $70-$80 per season ... just Spring/Fall.

Not sure what "Rec Select" is, but the youth Academy (U10 and under) level is generally $85-$95 month at major clubs and training is year round.

Competitive level (U11+) at major clubs runs around $3k annually for dues. This encompasses PPL to ECNL.

Both ECNL and DA have extra fees associated with their tourney fees + travel. DA will also offer quite a few scholarship opportunities.

Why should you pay 3000 dollars to play PPL and LHGCL. Don't you think these leagues should be tiered financially also?

Zizou wrote:Why should you pay 3000 dollars to play PPL and LHGCL. Don't you think these leagues should be tiered financially also?

That's an excellent question. With competitive play, PPL is where you end up if you don't qualify for LHGCL which, when you pay is hard to determine which league you will qualify for.

Zizou wrote:Why should you pay 3000 dollars to play PPL and LHGCL. Don't you think these leagues should be tiered financially also?

Because ECNL clubs wouldn't have many players if they were left to only recruit from within! What about the late bloomers that needed nurturing, what about the player that is told their not good but 2 years later, after being developed by yourself, the bigger clubs are beating down her door to sign her. Is that not worth top $ to those coaches?
I would be happy to take less if ECNL clubs said we wont sign ANY of your players but they don't!
ECNL = Best chance of getting seen by the best colleges. It doesn't mean that only they will be offered a spot. It doesn't mean there aren't good players out there that chose not to go that route. If that's the case why wouldn't they pay for good coaching wherever they are

Great idea. Let's only pay the best recruiters who are in clubs with ECNL status.

or...we could track and reward those coaches from the small clubs and indy teams who develop the talent that ends up on the rosters of clubs with ECNL status.

BTW, I'm not implying that coaches in clubs with ECNL status don't develop talent. The ones I know are very talented coaches.

My take is that you aren't paying for the league status (unless you're a parent who's primarily motivated by W/L and entertainment value of living vicariously through your kid). The PPIL coaches are getting paid for developing talent and as previously mentioned many of the best players that have been developed by PPIL coaches end up on LHGCL rosters. Those PPIL coaches are also developing talent that ends up on JV and Varsity high school rosters.

One last point. If we only paid the LHGCL coaches what happens to the talent level of PPIL coaches as well as the number of teams who participate? You end up with less talented coaches, less teams period and less kids playing soccer.

I dont normally agree with zizou, and his original post was more about taking a dig at lake highlands and trying to make the pitch that this new composite stuff will day 1 be better quality than LH....which remains to be seen.

I do think he raises a legit question of why should costs for more casual players be the same as players fully immersed in the game aiming to play beyond high school? If kids at the casual levels could get quality volunteer coaching, wouldn't that expand the pool of families willing to continue doing it as their daughters grow into deciding where they want to focus their time and energy?

Will the 'composite' teams play in the new Champions League, LHGCL or an entirely new league?

Anyone know?

Probably a better way of stating it.....is why do you pay a coach with a strong track record of developing and playing at lh levels the same as a coach that plays against parent coached teams in the bottom of ppl.

This is before the new landscape of craziness.

Free market should take care of this. Don't pay the fees to coaches you know won't develop your DD to play at a high level.

5050Ball wrote:Will the 'composite' teams play in the new Champions League, LHGCL or an entirely new league?

Anyone know?

Intention is for the composite teams to play in Champions League. I know of 2 ECNL clubs where the composite teams will play only in Champions League. Don't know if that's how the other 3 ECNL clubs are handling it, or if they will try to play in both Champions League and LHGCL. Based on # of games and scheduling, I've been told that it will be difficult for any team to play both TCL and LHGCL, but don't know if there are any rules being put in place to outright prevent it.

Also, not sure what level of dual-rostering/CPP will go on between composite and LHGCL, but I would expect there to be some, just like there has been in the past between ECNL and LHGCL.

SD69 wrote:Free market should take care of this. Don't pay the fees to coaches you know won't develop your DD to play at a high level.

I think the goal is to get away from a free market in ntx soccer.

Is it really a free market now, when the cost is virtually the same at all clubs?  Zero correlation between quality and cost.

In fairness though....when you have people wiling to pay for a mediocre service it's hard to blame the person or club taking their money. Supply and demand.

SD69 wrote:Free market should take care of this. Don't pay the fees to coaches you know won't develop your DD to play at a high level.

For the most part, free market has taken care of this.  The % of teams from ECNL clubs in PPL and APL is much less than the % of teams from ECNL in LHGCL.  I don't know for certain, but I'm pretty sure the smaller clubs and indy's playing in PPL and APL are generally charging at least a few hundred less than the ECNL clubs are.

Now, the question at hand, is what will happen with DA, TCL, and JDL entering the landscape?  Many predict that the talent will filter up, with TCL/JDL basically becoming what LHGCL D1 is today, while LHGCL D1 becomes today's D2, D2 becomes today's D3, and D3 becomes today's PPL/APL D1.  Many are predicting that ECNL clubs will use all of this to increase their monopoly on all of these divisions, and once they do, they will drive fees up even higher.

Myself, on the other hand (and I think I'm currently in the minority), based on my analysis of what happened to LHGCL since ECNL came on the scene, think that the consumers will figure out what the lay of the landscape is, and will determine for the most part, that they will NOT be willing to pay the highest fees for their kids to play in LHGCL D3 (and maybe even D2). No different than just like today, many are not willing to pay the highest fees for PPL.

Only time will tell which side (or neither) is right.

To many uneducated parents are mislead by coaches and clubs that are able to say just about anything to get you to sign a rediculous contract.

What is wrong with a regulated pay scale for coaches and club that evaluates pay through all of these factors. Back ground checks, education (license), Coaching experience, and track record (player development.

Regulations would encourage clubs to hire those coaches that embrace development due to a process that would promote those educators that have put in the time and effort towards development.

Teachers that develope young minds must have a degree and are certified in the state they teach. Every five years having to produce 200 hours of continuing education to maintain their certification.

You want clubs to promote those coaches that develope well then set standards on merrit that promotes those coaches making them available to coach the higher levels. Hopefully reducing the number of dead beat coaches and clubs making money off uneducated consumers.

Just my opinion.

Zizou wrote:To many uneducated parents are mislead by coaches and clubs that are able to say just about anything to get you to sign a rediculous contract.

What is wrong with a regulated pay scale for coaches and club that evaluates pay through all of these factors. Back ground checks, education (license), Coaching experience, and track record (player development.

Regulations would encourage clubs to hire those coaches that embrace development due to a process that would promote those educators that have put in the time and effort towards development.

Teachers that develope young minds must have a degree and are certified in the state they teach. Every five years having to produce 200 hours of continuing education to maintain their certification.

You want clubs to promote those coaches that develope well then set standards on merrit that promotes those coaches making them available to coach the higher levels. Hopefully reducing the number of dead beat coaches and clubs making money off uneducated consumers.

Just my opinion.

It's the uneducated consumer that keeps the money train rolling at the younger ages. I've always thought if they tiered it...it would keep kids involved longer and pay off better. But short term greed usually wins over long term common sense. Some kids just like to play for fun.

Many years ago I recall working on a project for Lockheed Martin in an effort to promote the Joint Strike Fighter, now the F35. I recall they have a long wall just before you enter the F16 production line of aviation history. Starting with the Wright brothers until now...the focus being military aircraft. It was amazing to see just how many defense manufacturers there were around the time of WW1 and following and now. Now I think there's just Boeing, LM and maybe Northrup Grumman. Cool display if you are ever out that way along with the way cool photos of the B24's on the line. They had to turn them sideways to fit in the mile long production line.

Anyway, back to soccer....wonder if in a few years we'll have 4-5 clubs in which to choose from here in NTX. Seems to have taken a big step this summer in that direction.

RightWingDad wrote:Anyway, back to soccer....wonder if in a few years we'll have 4-5 clubs in which to choose from here in NTX. Seems to have taken a big step this summer in that direction.

As long as soccer dues at the 4-5 clubs remain $3000/year, there will always be other options. There are a few teams out there that charge much less than this that play in LH and are successful in competing and developing players. These teams have the same access to state cup as the big teams and can go on to national finals if they are good enough.

SD69 wrote:

RightWingDad wrote:Anyway, back to soccer....wonder if in a few years we'll have 4-5 clubs in which to choose from here in NTX. Seems to have taken a big step this summer in that direction.

As long as soccer dues at the 4-5 clubs remain $3000/year, there will always be other options. There are a few teams out there that charge much less than this that play in LH and are successful in competing and developing players. These teams have the same access to state cup as the big teams and can go on to national finals if they are good enough.

Correct....and this pisses the big boys off. Hopefully they can get that changed also. Because they are the guardians of what's best for u little soccer. I'm still waiting for soapbox mom to get on this and let that poor David guy out of her grasp.