Team Bye vs Club Bye

Guess you two were on the same team. Why argue semantics to throw smoke screens? Funny how all this works. “I didn’t pay $10k, I only paid $4k” so what!!! You think the less fortunate have $4k? never mind the $10k. It’s the same ol song and dance on here. Let’s protect a horribly broken system because We’ve  learned how to work the system to benefit our kids. Clearly you two didn’t pay club dues, great job fellas! Congrats!! Now go kiss the a## of the parents that paid your club dues.

Defender_Dad wrote:

thunderlipz wrote:

Zizou wrote:

SoccerSuckers wrote:We need soccer in schools everywhere small.towns to large districts. This will.promote new talent to play the game that dont have leagues in their community or training options. This will halp.market the game and get local businesses and new excitement for the younger kids.

Most of this kids never touch a soccer ball.

Soccer is in the schools. Middle school teams and high school teams in most, I won’t say all districts.

The point is, the bigs are the ones that made it not relevant anymore, but then again you probably didn’t even know that. Your worried about UIL screwing things up, as if USSF, ECNL, LHGCL have done a good job. Trust me, they can’t do any worse, then again maybe it’s the fact that the politics and money don’t matter so much in school sports because they don’t need your money to make it happen? Maybe it’s the fact the parents don’t run the asylum in school sports?

Parents don't run the asylum in school sports!!! There's a LaVar Ball in everytown.

That’s one parent, name another that’s done what that clown has in basketball or football? In youth soccer LB’s are damn near every parent.

Defender_Dad wrote:

thunderlipz wrote:

Zizou wrote:Who is paying that kind of money at the top level. My DD has been at the top for 5 years now and we have never paid 10-12k. Last year we paid 4K. This year we are projecting the same.

My DD plays ECNL and after travel expenses and club dues, tournaments/Showcases, training camp, ECNL Admin fees, coaches travel and perdium I personally spent just over $10k last year, I’m no rookie. I wouldn’t put it out there if it weren’t fact. Idk what club your kid plays for but it’s probably one of the ones with rich parents and kids roster because their Paying for top players expenses. That is assuming your kid is one of the top players. DD played for TP prior, so she has to be pretty good. Oh and weren’t you the one on here ranting before last season about how you spent $18k for TP’s team?

My DD played ECNL last season too and we came nowhere near $10K. And we traveled to showcases, hotels, gas, food, even through in a tour day or 2 during down time at said showcases.

There's a wide variation in cost, mostly related to travel expenses, so let's get Apples-Apples here:
What do you consider "nowhere near $10k"? <$8k? <$6k?
Specifically which showcases did you travel to?
Did you go to Seattle for National Playoffs in June?
Did you fly to any of the showcases/playoffs? If you flew, did you purchase airline tickets, or use FF miles?
If you flew, did you rent a car, and if so, did you split the rental with another team family?
When travelling to league matches and showcases, did your player stay with other players in a team room, or did they stay in your room?
Did you use hotel points for any of your overnight stays.

Still doesn't explain how they played for 4k when club dues are at or near $3500, uniform $500, and team fees probably equal to club fees.. That adds up to a starting point of $7500...That was the minimum in my world when oldest DD played ECNL.. And to the haters.. My oldest DD was offered a scholarship to play ECNL and my family decided to gift the scholarship to someone who couldn't play ECNL without the scholarship.

TxFutbal wrote:Still doesn't explain how they played for 4k when club dues are at or near $3500, uniform $500, and team fees probably equal to club fees..  That adds up to a starting point of $7500...That was the minimum in my world when oldest DD played ECNL.. And to the haters.. My oldest DD was offered a scholarship to play ECNL and my family decided to gift the scholarship to someone who couldn't play ECNL without the scholarship.

That’s what I’m talking about, NTX needs more of people like yourself.

thunderlipz wrote:Guess you two were on the same team. Why argue semantics to throw smoke screens? Funny how all this works. “I didn’t pay $10k, I only paid $4k” so what!!! You think the less fortunate have $4k? never mind the $10k. It’s the same ol song and dance on here. Let’s protect a horribly broken system because We’ve  learned how to work the system to benefit our kids. Clearly you two didn’t pay club dues, great job fellas! Congrats!! Now go kiss the a## of the parents that paid your club dues.

You apparently have the name for kissing a$$.

thunderlipz wrote:

Defender_Dad wrote:

thunderlipz wrote:

Zizou wrote:

SoccerSuckers wrote:We need soccer in schools everywhere small.towns to large districts. This will.promote new talent to play the game that dont have leagues in their community or training options. This will halp.market the game and get local businesses and new excitement for the younger kids.

Most of this kids never touch a soccer ball.

Soccer is in the schools. Middle school teams and high school teams in most, I won’t say all districts.

The point is, the bigs are the ones that made it not relevant anymore, but then again you probably didn’t even know that. Your worried about UIL screwing things up, as if USSF, ECNL, LHGCL have done a good job. Trust me, they can’t do any worse, then again maybe it’s the fact that the politics and money don’t matter so much in school sports because they don’t need your money to make it happen? Maybe it’s the fact the parents don’t run the asylum in school sports?

Parents don't run the asylum in school sports!!! There's a LaVar Ball in everytown.

That’s one parent, name another that’s done what that clown has in basketball or football? In youth soccer LB’s are damn near every parent.

Pretty sure that was my point. LBs are everywhere, in every school, in every town. Most just don't get to go on ESPN.

TxFutbal wrote:Still doesn't explain how they played for 4k when club dues are at or near $3500, uniform $500, and team fees probably equal to club fees..  That adds up to a starting point of $7500...That was the minimum in my world when oldest DD played ECNL.. And to the haters.. My oldest DD was offered a scholarship to play ECNL and my family decided to gift the scholarship to someone who couldn't play ECNL without the scholarship.

Because Ziz's kid didn't play ECNL last year. She played FCD DA. Dues were ~$1500, and FCD did things like take charter buses to games in Houston & Austin, going there and home in the same day to avoid hotel costs. Don't know for sure, but from the looks of it, the FCD DA U18/U19 also didn't make the trip out to SoCal in June for Playoff/Showcase games. So depending on how much Ziz spent on gas and whether he or any other family members traveled to KC or CO for the league matches, and to what extent he made use of airline or hotel points, I can see where he got away with only spending $4k this year.

Now, a Non-Scholarship kid, playing on an ECNL U15-U17 team, playing the TX conference schedule + 3 showcases + ECNL Playoffs. As I previously stated, I'd call BS on anyone saying that they spent <$6k at a minimum. That's $3k dues + $250 uni ($500/2 years) + $2k-$3k minimum to cover player travel. Depending on exact travel policy of the team/club, whether or not parents/siblings are traveling to away games, and how much a parent can use airline or hotel points, that can stay around $6k total, or it could jack up to $10k+ pretty quickly. Anyone who tells you otherwise, either isn't adding up all of the family related expenses, or isn't giving you the complete story.

Eliminate one of the Non-Houston Showcases, and/or don't go to ECNL playoffs, and you're shaving $1k-$2k off your cost.

If you're talking about a U13 ECNL team, with only 1 showcase and no-playoffs, I can see ~$5k spend for that. Same goes for a U18/U19 ECNL team that only goes to the Fall Phoenix showcase and doesn't make ECNL playoffs.

There ya go.. I don't have insight into DA cost because I don't believe in restricting kids from playing other sports/school ball, but have factual information they are not the same at every DA club.  As for ECNL cost, Bluto speaks the TRUTH. Now when is the Toga party?



Cross training kids with Soccer - pick a sport has developmental value that is being overlooked by Soccer Royalty.  To me it's land grab program.

Rid the clubs and go back to school ball.and pops taking your team to Dairy Queen. Those days are just a dream. Greasy chain monkey running the show now.

Sheish lipzy ... You're really on a roll there aren't ya bud?

So ya asked us to tell you something you don't know.  K ...

How 'bout we start with the real meat of your bewildered bulsh ... the financial aspect --
1) There are no roster spots at the top level (GDA/ECNL) that are given to lesser players (in the coach's eye) over a stronger player, due to the lesser player having more money.  Having been around awhile, knowing most of these coaches/DOCs, and having a kid participating myself, I can attest to the fact that there are many kids that come from extremely poor financial/family situations playing on those teams. And to say that your writing that roster spots are based on $ is an effing embarrassment would be an understatement.
2) Outside of travel costs, the ECNL and GDA teams costs about the same or less that playing on a team competing at lesser levels such as LHGCL and PPL (and this one ^ in particular is getting really tired isn't it fellas?).

And gotta address this whopper ...
"I think Big Ego as usual is missing the point and also has a very narrow view of what’s actually out there in the way of overall talent" ...  Juuust a bit outside ... he tried the corner and missed.  You must've forgotten kind Sir that I only have the one kid in GDA with 2 others playing at lower levels ... and that I have coached in NTX at the littles, middies and bigs for over a decade with teams at every level ... and that I still coach many kids that participate on teams from recreational to ECNL/DA.  Given your dreadful course of discussion the past couple of days (and by God was it painful to read over the past few minutes), it's as plain as day that I've forgotten more about the subject referenced here than you presently know.

Another certainty I've arrived at based on your guise ...
Neither you nor your kid(s) have any personal experience with GDA, and you know absolutely zip about what GDA was "supposed to do".

And this ...
It may be tough for you (and many reading this thread to believe), but nigh on every single girl still participating on GDA or ECNL teams at U17 will indeed be offered a full ride D1 scholarship somewhere for freshman year at a minimum.

And how could I leave this bad boy out? ...
As I (and many other smart people here) have written before, pay to play isn't a choice, it's simply necessary to facilitate youth soccer here.  You mentioned Italy as an example of a country that doesn't have pay to play (which isn't 100% the case, but for purpose of the argument ...) -- They have a professional league that is watched religiously by the majority of their population, much like the NFL and NBA here.  The majority of the money to support free elite level coaching comes from TV contracts.  
Now the 'culture' part -- Our kids watch these NFL and NBA teams at a young age because their parents do, and their parents did, and so on.  The vast majority of those kids see no future in soccer ... They see no $ there ... Soccer isn't cool, it's is a fringe sport ... And when some do watch every four years, they see the biggest stars on the planet acting like 1st graders and girlymen.  Hey man ... I know it's a shame and I feel that you love the game like I do, but it's the truth.  If it ever happens at all, it'll take multiple future generations to turn the tide.

Look lipzy, it couldn't be more obvious that you and your kid(s) haven't had very positive experiences (cut, demoted to poor coaching for the same cost, etc) with the bigs, and are fans of the smaller clubs, but crimony Sir ... When you combine an obvious lack of knowledge of the subject you're so furiously writing about with the "trust mes", "you have no ideas", "we don't knows", "I know the answers" ... You're just begging to be called out.  And I am sincerely sorry if all of this was too harsh as I don't know ya yet, but just too darn much bulsh this go 'round.

* Feel free to pm me to discuss offline.  Maybe meet for a beer and discuss all of our common connections at USYS  

Happy Friday!

I will say that when my DD did play ECNL. We made every effort to cut cost. 1. Phoenix AA miles $11 dollars round trip for two. 2. Orlando is during the holidays so we would drive the RV and stay at a park about a mile away from Seminole complex. 3. Houston we had a brother that lives in cypress about 10 minutes from the field. 4. Nationals in Seattle, Sandiego, Rockford we would use miles to fly my DD to the tournament and we would RV the rest. Never did we bring the entire family to any of these events. They were viewed as soccer business. The club was very nice to allow us to cut cost as long as my DD was present at all team functions.

Put soccer back into the community and schools. Parents engaged and we will right the ship from decline. Soccer can be the sport that America can be proud. This will renergize and put the talent back into the sport.

Yes, now will you shut up. Lol

Zizou wrote:I will say that when my DD did play ECNL. We made every effort to cut cost. 1. Phoenix AA miles $11 dollars round trip for two. 2. Orlando is during the holidays so we would drive the RV and stay at a park about a mile away from Seminole complex. 3. Houston we had a brother that lives in cypress about 10 minutes from the field. 4. Nationals in Seattle, Sandiego, Rockford we would use miles to fly my DD to the tournament and we would RV the rest. Never did we bring the entire family to any of these events. They were viewed as soccer business. The club was very nice to allow us to cut cost as long as my DD was present at all team functions.

Yup.  This past year, we used miles to fly DD and 1 parent to Phoenix, Orlando, and Seattle.  Used hotel points for parent hotel for all except 1 night in Houston.  When you add up that 1 night hotel, plus gas for Dallas-Houston 2x round trip, Dallas-S.A. round trip, Dallas-Tulsa round trip, + rental car/gas in Phoenix, Orlando, and Seattle, + money spent on meals & incidentals for 2 parents to travel to Houston 1x & Tulsa, and 1 parent to travel to all of the others (Houston/SA/Phoenix/Orlando/Seattle), you end up in the neighborhood of ~$2k, on top of the previously stated $6k for the player costs.  So ~$8k total.

Talk about parents that don't have FF miles, hotel points, or an RV, and you can see where you can easily tack on another $2k to get yourself to $10k very quickly.

Just the cost of gas to drive your RV round trip from Dallas to Orlando, and Dallas to Rockford, cost you as much, if not more than a free flight and paying for a compact rental car in those places, so I'm guessing if you added up your travel expenses the same way I did up above, your travel cost was also in the neighborhood of $2k for that year of ECNL.  So I'm guessing your last year under your favorite coach in ECNL cost you somewhere in the neighborhood $7k-$8k.  If the club before that allowed your DD to stay with you in the RV instead of rooming with the team, I'm guessing you saved ~$1k off of that, so still somewhere in the $6k-$8k range per year for your DD's U15-U17 years in ECNL.  Tell me I'm wrong?

closer to 6K, except for the one year where of course something was a miss. This is really going to blow your mind. We received a 1k check back from a club when we did not make the national play-offs. That was amazing. People must do their homework on how to travel and the deals that are out their is reduce cost. We also helped others that help us reducing cost.

Big Ern wrote:Sheish lipzy ... You're really on a roll there aren't ya bud?

So ya asked us to tell you something you don't know.  K ...

How 'bout we start with the real meat of your bewildered bulsh ... the financial aspect --
1) There are no roster spots at the top level (GDA/ECNL) that are given to lesser players (in the coach's eye) over a stronger player, due to the lesser player having more money.  Having been around awhile, knowing most of these coaches/DOCs, and having a kid participating myself, I can attest to the fact that there are many kids that come from extremely poor financial/family situations playing on those teams. And to say that your writing that roster spots are based on $ is an effing embarrassment would be an understatement.
2) Outside of travel costs, the ECNL and GDA teams costs about the same or less that playing on a team competing at lesser levels such as LHGCL and PPL (and this one ^ in particular is getting really tired isn't it fellas?).

And gotta address this whopper ...
"I think Big Ego as usual is missing the point and also has a very narrow view of what’s actually out there in the way of overall talent" ...  Juuust a bit outside ... he tried the corner and missed.  You must've forgotten kind Sir that I only have the one kid in GDA with 2 others playing at lower levels ... and that I have coached in NTX at the littles, middies and bigs for over a decade with teams at every level ... and that I still coach many kids that participate on teams from recreational to ECNL/DA.  Given your dreadful course of discussion the past couple of days (and by God was it painful to read over the past few minutes), it's as plain as day that I've forgotten more about the subject referenced here than you presently know.

Another certainty I've arrived at based on your guise ...
Neither you nor your kid(s) have any personal experience with GDA, and you know absolutely zip about what GDA was "supposed to do".

And this ...
It may be tough for you (and many reading this thread to believe), but nigh on every single girl still participating on GDA or ECNL teams at U17 will indeed be offered a full ride D1 scholarship somewhere for freshman year at a minimum.

And how could I leave this bad boy out? ...
As I (and many other smart people here) have written before, pay to play isn't a choice, it's simply necessary to facilitate youth soccer here.  You mentioned Italy as an example of a country that doesn't have pay to play (which isn't 100% the case, but for purpose of the argument ...) -- They have a professional league that is watched religiously by the majority of their population, much like the NFL and NBA here.  The majority of the money to support free elite level coaching comes from TV contracts.  
Now the 'culture' part -- Our kids watch these NFL and NBA teams at a young age because their parents do, and their parents did, and so on.  The vast majority of those kids see no future in soccer ... They see no $ there ... Soccer isn't cool, it's is a fringe sport ... And when some do watch every four years, they see the biggest stars on the planet acting like 1st graders and girlymen.  Hey man ... I know it's a shame and I feel that you love the game like I do, but it's the truth.  If it ever happens at all, it'll take multiple future generations to turn the tide.

Look lipzy, it couldn't be more obvious that you and your kid(s) haven't had very positive experiences (cut, demoted to poor coaching for the same cost, etc) with the bigs, and are fans of the smaller clubs, but crimony Sir ... When you combine an obvious lack of knowledge of the subject you're so furiously writing about with the "trust mes", "you have no ideas", "we don't knows", "I know the answers" ... You're just begging to be called out.  And I am sincerely sorry if all of this was too harsh as I don't know ya yet, but just too darn much bulsh this go 'round.

* Feel free to pm me to discuss offline.  Maybe meet for a beer and discuss all of our common connections at USYS  

Happy Friday!

Uggggggggggggg!!!! That was dreadful and your usual lines of crap. Then again coming from a NTX wanna be coach that gets paid to spew this garbage, it isn’t shocking at all. Your actually pretty good at it, Practice makes perfect. Used car Salesman are you?!?!

My favorite line of crap is the TV contracts line, that’s completely absurd. if that’s the case? Why isn’t FCD doing it all for free? They pay the players next to nothing and never sign any big names and last I checked they have a local TV deal and the MLS has a national TV deal. Should be plenty of money leftover right? Or is it all being used to maintain their pristine complex? Or possibly to pay their 9000 incompetent coaches? I actually know several of the players on the pro club, go ask what they make, they’ll tell you.

My next favorite line of crap is how now all the sudden your privy to everyone’s financial situation and who is getting a ride and who’s not. You know nothing about anything at all. I’d be willing to bet that if FCD knew you were on these boards running your mouth under some ignorant alias, you might not be allowed back in their precious compound. Don’t they forbid their coaches from posting on this forum? By the way, one or two players that aren’t millionaires doesn’t qualify.

Now on to my next favorite line of crap from you. Why do you and the rest of your forum brigade try and play everyone that speaks their mind about how embarrassing and broken the system is with the ol “your clearly just angry and upset because your kid got cut or demoted” or “you must have had a real negative experience” I’ve alread addressed this BS once with Ziz, my kid plays ECNL and I can assure you she wasn’t cut or demoted we are actually good with how it’s gone so far. If your as much in the know as you claim, you should know who she is. I’m looking for change for the better and if that doesn’t work for you and the current regime that just want to keep ripping people off and ruining a game I actually played (at a very high level)and love very much, I DON’T CARE!!!!

My next favorite and correct me if I’m wrong cause ern the great mis-spoke and got his words jumbled up, did you say every u17 ECNL/DA Player is getting a full ride? That is a load of Doooooooooookie buddy!!!! That’s all I got on that.

Now now Ernie, why do you constantly come on here and get Defensive? Could you possibly be one of the very parents I’m talking about? In everybody’s business playing the politics? Of course you don’t want change, scares the crap out of ya huh? Is it possible that your kid is one of those that doesn’t deserve a roster spot and is riding the coattails of her daddy, who’s trying to live vicariously through his kid because he couldn’t hack it in his playing days? Damn man, that’s some messed up ssssssht!!!

Happy Friday to you too, My Friend!

I didn't grow up playing soccer as it wasn't as mainstream in my day as it is today.. Having watched my 2 DDs play the game and my youngest still being passionate about it, I can say with tremendous passion that Soccer is one of the best sports on the planet; especially girls soccer. Volleyball is tied with Soccer.. It too is a phenomenal sport that requires highly skilled athletes. Both Soccer and Volleyball suffer the same problem.. How does a female athlete make a career out of it that will pay the bills as an adult. Both sports are extremely expensive but we parents support it because it is good for the kids and teaches them life lessons that will pay off in their adult lives.

Soccer Royalty will figure out one of these days that in order to be the best soccer country you have to focus on volume and let the talented/passionate/overachievers PUSH themselves to the top vs us pulling them to the top. All the adults and soccer royalty need to do is provide a good environment to instill love and passion for the game and instill a program to allow coaches to learn/grow/and try new stuff.

In my 10 years in the soccer community, I can say with 100% conviction that the best coaches haven't always been the coaches with the highest level of certification. Standardizing how we coach by creating things like DA is not going to solve the problem

Is pay to play an issue? Maybe.. Is the middle school/highschool journey an issue? Yes.. Most school districts don't even offer soccer at the middle school level where the age group is most likely the most important age group to instill passion in the sport.

Is the answer to consolidate all the clubs into mega clubs? I don't believe so because big business takes over and it becomes a cattle call for cash.

Our DNA in the USA is to boot strap and everyone pull together to help each other without the government telling us what to do so the YourApeeIn system is a non starter.. Not that it would necessarily help us here.

What we need is the various governing bodies of soccer royalty to come together and put forth a unified system to enable the cream to naturally rise wherever the journey starts whether it be rec, school, competitive, or super exclusive. One thing for sure is if we don't provide choices to the American Soccer community, we will all fail.

We all know soccer phenoms reside at every level in every school in every league.. It's our job to find them and provide them a journey to get them where they want/need to be without making it a freakin job where we burn them out before they are 16. The .001% will push through if they live/breath soccer so much they can't think of anything else regardless if they have the talent to get there.. Football is filled with these guys but they are not in the hall of fame by any stretch.

The question really comes down to whether the leagues/clubs/coaches want to invest the TIME.. I didn't say money.. but the TIME to find these kids and provide them a path to success regardless of financial situation.. We all know the USA is the most charitable country on the planet, and the soccer community will always help those that need it.. We just have to find the kids to help.

So my idea.. Yes an idea vs just complaining... is to establish a talent identification program and actually create soccer jobs where it's some one's job at every level to identify the talent and sponsor them up. ODP/DA/ECNL doesn't do this as there are too many restrictions/rules that prevent the kids from growing their love for the sport and developing with a healthy balance of team/skills/and other than soccer life development.

Question is who has the power to want to change and make the change?

Great Post Tx, it’s an idea and that’s what needs to be brought to the table.

Talent identification is the key. I would agree, each Big club should employ a team of independent people that scout the lower divisions, the rec fields and find these kids, boys and girls. I think the issue will be trust, these are the same people that fight so hard to not make it a level playing field. Maybe this would weed the Big Ernie’s of the world out. There rhetoric is just a smokescreen to blind people so they can’t see the system that is failing miserably.

BlaHhhhh bLahhh

Let the community support soccer not the greasy chain monkeys. Soccer needs solutions not the same problems. Instead of padden the pockets of these so called NON for profit. Let's as a community support the schools and put that money to use.

TxFutbal wrote:I didn't grow up playing soccer as it wasn't as mainstream in my day as it is today..  Having watched my 2 DDs play the game and my youngest still being passionate about it, I can say with tremendous passion that Soccer is one of the best sports on the planet; especially girls soccer.  Volleyball is tied with Soccer.. It too is a phenomenal sport that requires highly skilled athletes.  Both Soccer and Volleyball suffer the same problem.. How does a female athlete make a career out of it that will pay the bills as an adult.  Both sports are extremely expensive but we parents support it because it is good for the kids and teaches them life lessons that will pay off in their adult lives.

Soccer Royalty will figure out one of these days that in order to be the best soccer country you have to focus on volume and let the talented/passionate/overachievers PUSH themselves to the top vs us pulling them to the top.  All the adults and soccer royalty need to do is provide a good environment to instill love and passion for the game and instill a program to allow coaches to learn/grow/and try new stuff.

In my 10 years in the soccer community, I can say with 100% conviction that the best coaches haven't always been the coaches with the highest level of certification.  Standardizing how we coach by creating things like DA is not going to solve the problem

Is pay to play an issue?  Maybe.. Is the middle school/highschool journey an issue?  Yes.. Most school districts don't even offer soccer at the middle school level where the age group is most likely the most important age group to instill passion in the sport.

Is the answer to consolidate all the clubs into mega clubs?  I don't believe so because big business takes over and it becomes a cattle call for cash.  

Our DNA in the USA is to boot strap and everyone pull together to help each other without the government telling us what to do so the YourApeeIn system is a non starter.. Not that it would necessarily help us here.

What we need is the various governing bodies of soccer royalty to come together and put forth a unified system to enable the cream to naturally rise wherever the journey starts whether it be rec, school, competitive, or super exclusive.  One thing for sure is if we don't provide choices to the American Soccer community, we will all fail.

We all know soccer phenoms reside at every level in every school in every league..  It's our job to find them and provide them a journey to get them where they want/need to be without making it a freakin job where we burn them out before they are 16.  The .001% will push through if they live/breath soccer so much they can't think of anything else regardless if they have the talent to get there..  Football is filled with these guys but they are not in the hall of fame by any stretch.  

The question really comes down to whether the leagues/clubs/coaches want to invest the TIME.. I didn't say money.. but the TIME to find these kids and provide them a path to success regardless of financial situation.. We all know the USA is the most charitable country on the planet, and the soccer community will always help those that need it.. We just have to find the kids to help.

So my idea.. Yes an idea vs just complaining...  is to establish a talent identification program and actually create soccer jobs where it's some one's job at every level to identify the talent and sponsor them up.  ODP/DA/ECNL doesn't do this as there are too many restrictions/rules that prevent the kids from growing their love for the sport and developing with a healthy balance of team/skills/and other than soccer life development.

Question is who has the power to want to change and make the change?

You’re hired! Now quit your day job and get crackin!

No one that is on the take likes solutions.

The only take I have from the game and the system is the great life lessons and memories I have with my DD. Heck, In my eyes that would make me the richest man in the world. The only complaint that I have is I can’t share those experiences with others that follow. They will have to make their own.

thunderlipz wrote:

Big Ern wrote:Sheish lipzy ... You're really on a roll there aren't ya bud?

So ya asked us to tell you something you don't know.  K ...

How 'bout we start with the real meat of your bewildered bulsh ... the financial aspect --
1) There are no roster spots at the top level (GDA/ECNL) that are given to lesser players (in the coach's eye) over a stronger player, due to the lesser player having more money.  Having been around awhile, knowing most of these coaches/DOCs, and having a kid participating myself, I can attest to the fact that there are many kids that come from extremely poor financial/family situations playing on those teams. And to say that your writing that roster spots are based on $ is an effing embarrassment would be an understatement.
2) Outside of travel costs, the ECNL and GDA teams costs about the same or less that playing on a team competing at lesser levels such as LHGCL and PPL (and this one ^ in particular is getting really tired isn't it fellas?).

And gotta address this whopper ...
"I think Big Ego as usual is missing the point and also has a very narrow view of what’s actually out there in the way of overall talent" ...  Juuust a bit outside ... he tried the corner and missed.  You must've forgotten kind Sir that I only have the one kid in GDA with 2 others playing at lower levels ... and that I have coached in NTX at the littles, middies and bigs for over a decade with teams at every level ... and that I still coach many kids that participate on teams from recreational to ECNL/DA.  Given your dreadful course of discussion the past couple of days (and by God was it painful to read over the past few minutes), it's as plain as day that I've forgotten more about the subject referenced here than you presently know.

Another certainty I've arrived at based on your guise ...
Neither you nor your kid(s) have any personal experience with GDA, and you know absolutely zip about what GDA was "supposed to do".

And this ...
It may be tough for you (and many reading this thread to believe), but nigh on every single girl still participating on GDA or ECNL teams at U17 will indeed be offered a full ride D1 scholarship somewhere for freshman year at a minimum.

And how could I leave this bad boy out? ...
As I (and many other smart people here) have written before, pay to play isn't a choice, it's simply necessary to facilitate youth soccer here.  You mentioned Italy as an example of a country that doesn't have pay to play (which isn't 100% the case, but for purpose of the argument ...) -- They have a professional league that is watched religiously by the majority of their population, much like the NFL and NBA here.  The majority of the money to support free elite level coaching comes from TV contracts.  
Now the 'culture' part -- Our kids watch these NFL and NBA teams at a young age because their parents do, and their parents did, and so on.  The vast majority of those kids see no future in soccer ... They see no $ there ... Soccer isn't cool, it's is a fringe sport ... And when some do watch every four years, they see the biggest stars on the planet acting like 1st graders and girlymen.  Hey man ... I know it's a shame and I feel that you love the game like I do, but it's the truth.  If it ever happens at all, it'll take multiple future generations to turn the tide.

Look lipzy, it couldn't be more obvious that you and your kid(s) haven't had very positive experiences (cut, demoted to poor coaching for the same cost, etc) with the bigs, and are fans of the smaller clubs, but crimony Sir ... When you combine an obvious lack of knowledge of the subject you're so furiously writing about with the "trust mes", "you have no ideas", "we don't knows", "I know the answers" ... You're just begging to be called out.  And I am sincerely sorry if all of this was too harsh as I don't know ya yet, but just too darn much bulsh this go 'round.

* Feel free to pm me to discuss offline.  Maybe meet for a beer and discuss all of our common connections at USYS  

Happy Friday!

Uggggggggggggg!!!! That was dreadful and your usual lines of crap. Then again coming from a NTX wanna be coach that gets paid to spew this garbage, it isn’t shocking at all. Your actually pretty good at it, Practice makes perfect. Used car Salesman are you?!?!

My favorite line of crap is the TV contracts line, that’s completely absurd. if that’s the case? Why isn’t FCD doing it all for free? They pay the players next to nothing and never sign any big names and last I checked they have a local TV deal and the MLS has a national TV deal. Should be plenty of money leftover right? Or is it all being used to maintain their pristine complex? Or possibly to pay their 9000 incompetent coaches? I actually know several of the players on the pro club, go ask what they make, they’ll tell you.

My next favorite line of crap is how now all the sudden your privy to everyone’s financial situation and who is getting a ride and who’s not. You know nothing about anything at all. I’d be willing to bet that if FCD knew you were on these boards running your mouth under some ignorant alias, you might not be allowed back in their precious compound. Don’t they forbid their coaches from posting on this forum? By the way, one or two players that aren’t millionaires doesn’t qualify.

Now on to my next favorite line of crap from you. Why do you and the rest of your forum brigade try and play everyone that speaks their mind about how embarrassing and broken the system is with the ol “your clearly just angry and upset because your kid got cut or demoted” or “you must have had a real negative experience” I’ve alread addressed this BS once with Ziz, my kid plays ECNL and I can assure you she wasn’t cut or demoted we are actually good with how it’s gone so far. If your as much in the know as you claim, you should know who she is. I’m looking for change for the better and if that doesn’t work for you and the current regime that just want to keep ripping people off and ruining a game I actually played (at a very high level)and love very much, I DON’T CARE!!!!

My next favorite and correct me if I’m wrong cause ern the great mis-spoke and got his words jumbled up, did you say every u17 ECNL/DA Player is getting a full ride? That is a load of Doooooooooookie buddy!!!! That’s all I got on that.

Now now Ernie, why do you constantly come on here and get Defensive? Could you possibly be one of the very parents I’m talking about? In everybody’s business playing the politics? Of course you don’t want change, scares the crap out of ya huh? Is it possible that your kid is one of those that doesn’t deserve a roster spot and is riding the coattails of her daddy, who’s trying to live vicariously through his kid because he couldn’t hack it in his playing days? Damn man, that’s some messed up ssssssht!!!

Happy Friday to you too, My Friend!

spot on

DrunkBigern wrote:BlaHhhhh bLahhh

Who did this????