Just for reference, my daughter’s spring schedule other than league games is:
Dallas ECNL showcase
Dallas Cup
Texas Shootout - Roundrock
Nationals
Not near as busy as the fall.
Celtic complex is nice
Youth soccer club
- Thread starter BasPlayr
- Start date
Dallas ECNL showcase
Dallas Cup
Texas Shootout - Roundrock
Nationals
Not near as busy as the fall.
Celtic complex is nice
We are going to the Dallas showcase, Phoenix showcase (which I wish we weren’t to be honest), and the Celtic cup. Then MAYBE whatever TSC tourney happens.
Looking forward to visiting this complex again. It’s been a bit.
I refer to ECNL showcases for players U15 and under as expensive friendlies. All girls U15 and younger are playing at Moneygram where the older age groups are at Toyota. There will be zero college scouts at Moneygram.
Yeah. That’s really what they are. Very few, if any, girls are likely getting scouted at u13 id imagine.
Only Scouts would be from US Soccer and maybe a few soccer publications which publish rankings
But that's not gonna stop the tournament organizers and sponsors from selling it and having a separate page link that profiles all of the college coaches that will be in attendance. My son stopped caring about the college coaches in attendance because at MOST tournaments and showcases, there aren't many high level teams represented. ECNL might be different but most of the coaches are only looking at U16 and above. Besides, my son had specific goals for college and a major so he started reaching out to those schools specifically and we got wise to attending camps where those programs were represented. That worked way better and resulted in way more contacts and communications than just leaving it to chance and having some small liberal arts college in Timbuktu reaching out.
Lawpoke, I know your daughter is closer to the recruiting cycle and I know she's made the initial contacts with some schools. The ID camps those schools have are key and a good way to introduce herself. My son sent emails about a week before camps and said he looked forward to meeting them and then always on the first day he sought the coaches out, introduced himself and reminded them he reached out via email. Unfortunately, we had no clue and started this too late and should have started it coming out of his sophomore year into junior year.
Honk, since your daughter is younger, start compiling some video clips into a montage. TSC should be able to help since they record most of the ECNL games with VEO. I don't think you need to start doing it just yet...maybe when she gets to FR year and as she starts growing into her body. I know at Union, every athlete there had a free HUDL account so we could drop clips on there and create a link to send to coaches.
Speaking of…..my daughter got an invite from Texas Tech and will be visiting this weekend. You’re 100% correct about starting early as most of the D1 schools will fill a majority of their spots by the start of the player’s junior year.
The roster reductions will make things very interesting. I was talking to our babysitter, who plays at a Division One school, and she said fewer people will enter the portal right now because they are waiting to see how things will shake out with the roster reduction.
The increased money will be interesting.
What about this Title IX ruling? That could change things with NIL, too.
Lots of unknowns right now. I’m ok with that roster reductions as long as the girls get more money on a per player basis. Never saw the need for more than 28 on a college roster.
Well, I am sorry you find me to be such a meanypants.
There is some apparent Oklahoma never-played soccer ignorance protruding through intermixed with some " I have been a parent to a daughter who has played for seven years.
I have thanked Blah's and Lawpoke's for their posts. I have even basically said blah. I am sorry if I sound like I am being d**k. Some of it is just having fun, and some could be missed because it is just the tone of the interwebs.
I appreciate everyone's perspective, so I continue to follow and post on this thread. This is a journey, and no one's adventure is the same. This page is now thousands of posts long and 48 pages deep. My wife and I are still in disbelief. We started this path so early vs. when it started for us, but that is how it is.
There are some different perspectives. Some come strongly worded because I think they are willfully ignorant or just dead wrong. I have some pretty deep relationships inside this community in this market and others and across referees, coaches, and administrators.
I realize you have thanked TUBla & Lawpoke, despite some occasional hard criticism. That's great that you did the hard criticism, and also great that you eventually thanked them despite your hard criticism. I wasn't commenting on your dealings with them, only with HonkvnotHonky. They have essentially been on this board for a long time, and won't be affected by hard criticism on the Other Sports board.
This is not as obvious with HonkvnotHonky. He hasn't been here as long, and probably doesn't have the ties to TU keeping him here. It just seemed unnecessarily rude to act that way with him so early on, after him excitedly joining this board. He has not really even had any hardcore, in your face conflict/debate with you yet. That would be when I would think you would pull that type of language out.
The abrasiveness was a bit more organic with Lawpoke & TUBla, and it really wasn't with this poster. Just seemed a little premature to be so abrasive with him. I wouldn't have even thought to make that comment if the argument was with TUBla or Lawpoke. Not even sure if Honkv has been here long enough to see those comments thanking Lawpoke & TUBla. He only joined the board about a month ago.
We are doing the Dallas showcase, Phoenix showcase and The playoffs in San Diego.
I don’t mind the drive to Dallas. Phoenix just seems to offer very little value to us right now.
I’m really not sure why he’s taken that tone. It’s not like we’re debating whether Trump is the second coming of Hitler. I expect the attitude on Crossfire. Not when discussing kids soccer. Maybe TulsaRulz can enlighten us. We’re generally a fairly laid back crew when it comes to youth sports around here with the exception of an occasional JM comment or accusation that I’m part of his club
From my experience, soccer is a sport that exudes a lot of passion and perspectives, and in America, there is an immense amount of ignorance. Even now, many of the foreigners here are full of dook. If you had an accent, especially British, you were given a lot of credence to coach because you came for a soccer play and played the game at some level. In reality, lots of these foreigners are really, really full of dook and a lot of Americans are full of dook too. If you are parent that doesn't come from a background, it makes it hard to understand.
Now, America is more complicated. In the past, there was just competition and rec within each club, including places like Solar and Texans, having ONE team in each age group. That was roughly 18 teams or so. Now, Solar has over 215 youth teams! There are a lot of tiers, and those tiers are still shaking out. The leagues are constantly evolving.
The MLS teams want to cordon off their talent even more and don't want to be involved with the likes of Solar or, Texans or Real Colorado.
ECNL does their thing. Think what will happen if the NWSL tries to get academies going. That could mean bye-bye, ECNL girls.
USL-A is trying to do something. NPL, GA, and a host of other abbreviations are trying to make names for themselves. Inevitably, someone will embezzle money, sleep with someone else's wife or retire, and the league will fold.
Meanwhile, US Soccer is just shrugging its shoulders and saying do whatever you want. We will come to find players.
In the background, you have parents who are sick of travel, the expenses, and the inability to play locally. It sucks. You don't have that issue in places like southern California or Texas. But in Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. It is a big, big issue. When your team sucks, it isn't fun.
Now, in the middle of this, they are going to an age change to shake up some things.
I guess this place helps you coordinate your thoughts and perspective.
But listen to someone like Lawpoke, whose daughter is fantastic and plays at someplace super cutthroat like FC Dallas. If you don't perform, they will axe your ass with no qualms. Five others are willing to jump right in and take your spot. In Tulsa, you have a much different dynamic. If you haven't lived in a big market or been around those clubs, you don't understand that dynamic as much. Tulsa they are just trying to hold a team together right now. It is sad. It is even more pathetic now that players are jumping markets because they don't believe our local team is up to the task.
I guess this place helps you coordinate your thoughts and perspective. I like listening to Bla's manager's perspective and interaction with the clubs. He and Lawpoke have interesting perspectives on dealing with colleges. That stuff is going to change.
Whether you think my responses are tart, It is also interesting to hear how a division team is dealing with being down in the dirt (honkv). It is also interesting listening to what they believe needs leadership change.
The landscape is never settled in this country, especially Tulsa.
Teams - Solar Soccer Club
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It’s a lot, but so are the league games in Colorado and south Texas.
My biggest issue with the showcases is that you’re matched up with teams that are “comparable” based on your conference record. The problem with that is you are playing in one of if not the toughest conferences in the country and if you’re middle of the pack in Texas you play middle of the pack teams in lesser conferences. Our showcase games last year were never super competitive, but on the flip side, if you are competitive in the Texas conference you will compete against some of the top teams in the country in the showcases.
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