Home Forums Long Island & Eastern New York Soccer Message Boards BOTN Main Message Board DA VS HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER: “HONESTLY, IT’S THE PARENTS WHO WANT HS SOCCER”

by C Schumacher

I recently spent time with a high level girls soccer team who joined the girls’ DA in the inaugural 2017 season. This team is full of NCAA D1 commits, and even a few US Soccer National Team selectees. The girls began their high school years in the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League).

A TOP-LEVEL CLUB COACH OFFERS INSIGHT INTO DA VS HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER

I asked the coach how the girls seem to feel about having to miss their junior and senior seasons of high school soccer.

“The girls have handled it really well. US Soccer and the DA came in and made sure the girls and the families understood that sacrificing high school soccer would be worth it, and they’ve all bought in.”

“The boys’ DA has been around for a long time, and you’ll see players leave the DA during their senior year to play that one senior season of high school soccer, but that’s not happening on the girls’ side. I thought the girls would have a harder time missing high school soccer. A lot of people did. But the girls have all seemed to buy into the system. I think as the years go on and the DA keeps improving, even more players will not worry about missing playing for their high schools.”

The coach then added something very interesting when he said,

“Honestly, it’s the parents who miss high school soccer more than the players.”

Later that day, I spoke with a girl who is in the middle of her senior year. I asked her how she feels about not being able to play high school soccer. Her high school consistently fields a very strong girls’ soccer team. She stopped to think for a bit, and said, “Yeah, I miss it. But I don’t miss it as much as I thought I would. The level of training and the level of the games we play with DA is not even close to high school. I understand why the DA doesn’t want players leaving for a few months to go play high school soccer.”

QUESTION TO PARENTS: “DO YOU MISS HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER?”

Her parents were nearby, so I asked them, “Do you miss high school soccer?”

Their answer was emphatic and instant, “YES! High school soccer is so fun. We really miss it. In a perfect world, she’d be able to do both, but we understand. High school soccer is really fun, though.”

The players response compared to the parents’ response, combined with the coach’s insight, made me stop and think.

The players don’t seem to miss high school soccer as much as the parents do. Is it because the parents grew up in a world where high school sports were a rite of passage, and they don’t want their kids to miss out on such a wonderful experience? Possibly. Is it because the parents of high-level soccer players love seeing their usual mid-level players become super stars on their high school teams? Perhaps.

Whatever the reason may be, the coach may be absolutely correct when he said that it’s really the parents who are the driving force in the DA vs High School battle.

We attended a few ID camps this past year and at each camp a question was bought up to the coaches asking about their opinions on HS soccer vs. club soccer. All the schools, all different but highly respected for athletics and academics, said they wish HS soccer would go away. The dangers of the sport in regards to injuries and poor training from unqualified coaches was a reoccurring theme in their response.

Most do not belong in DA, that's a fact! there may be one or two D1 players on any given high school team. There should be one DA or ECNL on LI at most. Fact is it's a business, why do think SUSA is passing out flyers (great club) but it's about numbers people......There are alot of talent boys and girls but not DA level......

It doesn't matter because it isn't going away. Ten or eleven years now with BDA and HS soccer is still going on. Many players shouldn't give up something they want (if they want) for NT or top D1 dreams because they simply aren't that good. Take a look at commitment lists. Plenty of DA players wind up at programs they can attain without DA. Top players, especially boys, should do it but ONLY if their local DA club is GOOD. There's plenty of mediocre to poor quality clubs out there. Same with DA competition - in GDA especially it's very inconsistent. There's no hard and fast rules and varies player to player.

You hit the nail on the head. The team that the author spent time with was full of D1 commits and "a few" NT players. That team is not an accurate representation of the majority of GDA teams and certainly not the ones in the NE.

Couldn’t disagree with this article more. The only part where I saw truth was this line “they’ve all bought in.” And by “bought” I mean purchase. Soccer is a huge business and DA wasn’t their cut.

Don’t get me wrong, DA training and soccer play is much better than HS ball, nobody denies that. But to say it’s the parents that miss HS ball and not the girls is ludicrous. The commradarie, the bus rides, pasta parties a mention in Newsday or being on News 12 along with the pride of playing for your hometown is missed by the girls. The author needs to stop trying to sell NCAA D1 commits because I don’t care what HS team you play for or DA club for that matter very few are getting top school D1 commits.

It's the players decision, one thing that no one brings up is what if a player plays at a high level club with high level training,train 10 months(during school season twice a week-4-5 days after school season) it does not matter any training if at all in high school, Of course they are not receiving any good training in high school, good players understand that and put that in perspective. As for my kid, has no regrets declining DA offer and has plenty of D1 verbal offers(which mean nothing unless its written)-

Hahahahahaha, perfect, hahahahahaha, and completely spot-on, too funny. The GDA parents are smart, they will stay off this topic because its pointless to pontificate here. The all-time, and most best response to people who bash GDA.

The GDA is not perfect, but its perfect for us...

Enjoy!

if your kid was really talented at physics and it showed through in her regular classes. She says, i want to stay where I am because im with my friends. Do you push her to challenge herself in AP Physics or some higher level? I do.

There are a few points/flaws here in my crude analogy

1. Parents are not honest in the assessment of their kids sporting ability. This has led to far more GDA teams than the current talent level can support. the physics example would be borne out by test scores that are not really subjective

2. $$ the teachers are usually incented to make kids smarter. Most of the clubs here are incented to just collect pay checks.

bottom line, GDA is a great idea, but poorly implemented. the HS thing is pretty irrelevant. Almost every top top level player i know from the pre GDA era looked long an hard at giving up HS and doing their own thing. Many did. All the GDA did was make more girls THINK they should be making that call and most, frankly should not because they are not really going to benefit much from it.

When you say (Many did), who are you talking about, because every single ECNL girl that we have ever known, did NOT give up H.S., they are living road signs of their respective schools....

I wonder if this reporter was in NY. Only because a lot of the girls playing DA are ALSO playing school ball and took the season off to do so. They are not doing that in the rest of the country or the entire club went back to ECNL.

Also, by being in NY you have 4-5 DA teams you could join. You don't have to be the top 1% to find a DA team.

USSF should have waited like they did on the boys side to work out all the kinks before removing HS. It gives the younger players a chance to see what the commitment will be like before making that decision, and once they do NO HS soccer. Period. Most of these girls had already been playing school ball so they miss it, which is understandable.

So you follow clubs that you don’t belong with, is that right??

You realize that both are original board members of the ECNL, and that GDA is direct threat to their franchises, yes? Best to find a club that fits your daughters needs, and talents, whatever that may be....

Agreed. I'd also be interested in an article based on the flip side of that coin. How many parents forced/pushed/nudged their kids into GDA when the kid wasn't interested, just to boost their own egos?

Isn’t this a personal choice? Wouldn’t it be different for every family? Anything anyone says for or against HS soccer or DA is their personal opinion. Do your research and decide what is best for your kid. Not an opinion article or a soccer blog. Talk to your kid and figure out what makes them happy. Or does that not matter?

Or they should have started with just the younger teams, U12-U15, where the school commitment isn't a factor and built from there. Build the skills sets (and the sooner you train them the "DA way" the better right?), prove its value. Then when girls have to make the choice it is more obvious what the best choice is. Instead USSF went after the ECNL jugular of u14+ and it isn't going well

I am very much aware of the fact they are on the Board of ECNL. Did that prevent them from also having a DA Team? The answer is no! There decision to forego DA was economics. They both went to US Soccer about making changes for the better of the DA program going forward and they were told NO! When you have 2 successful programs like PDA & FC Stars you can pull off having equally competitive teams in each league. But, with the substitution rules and how many players can play in a game it was causing problems. ECNL gladly allowed both clubs to have Two teams playing. From an economic perspective it was a win/win for both and now you have US Soccer scrambing to add lessor clubs to the league. Shear stupidity.

Not going to post names but remember, i said top top level player. I did not say ECNL player. My definition would be the sort of player who has the potential to materially impact a top 20 D1 team as a freshman. There are not many of those. These are the kids who the GDA should be reserved for.

This comment is SPOT ON!!!

Agreed, shear stupidity to leave the GDA, as PDA and FCStars are openly only in it for the money, and please spare me the old, we were listening to our families crap, heard that one dozens of times. The DA rules are the rules, why should the boys have them and not the girls?? Go back to ECNL and have a beer with Mike O, but you better be sure you are buying, and he really likes beer!

Im the OP. i hear what you are syaing, but what are the ECNL taking advantage of? This is my central point. the ECNL is a business and a volume one at that. There is no money in developing elite players which is EXACTLY what the USSF says they want.

GDA is another league. It is not the way to achieve the goal. There needs to be TARGETED FUNDING by the USSF.If they are going to fund, then they need to control who gets the $$ and what its being used for. Everything points to less clubs and teams and more real focus on deciding WHO gets in to program ( whatever form it takes) clubs based on talent, not size of wallet.

i think you miss the point. Tell me what happens when you think whats best for your kid in the longer term is not what she wants in the short term ?

I am missing the point. This post began with what parents want vs. what the player wants and invariably it's the parent who "strong arms" the player into playing high school soccer so that the parent has somewhere to go and socialize with other school parents. Players should be allowed to make there own decisions when it comes to picking a club, team or if they want to play high school soccer. This is not about long term/short term implications which has nothing to do what a young lady decides to do when it comes to playing soccer. Parents who control the money also control the player. How is that in the best interest of the player either short term or long term. If a player does not want to participate playing high school soccer than the parent who disagrees from a purely social point should get a new hobby.

So in other words, GDA should be much smaller. Seriously. If that's your standard then GDA is way too big because very few players can come into a top 20 program and be an impact player as a freshman. Thank you for confirming what others have said all along. GDA Is too big for the goals it is trying to accomplish. It's also too big for the level of demand. And while I'm not the poster, there are several top national level players who are still in ECNL.

you keep trying to turn it into GDA vs ECNL. Im not. what the ECNL does is based on what their consumers ( parents) want. What the GDA has done is ask for the same commitment from similar standard players and then make rules that the consumers( parents) will not like. Why dont they like them?

Because in the GDA once I remove the chance to be a HS star, it all comes down to how good you are and how bad you want it. There are very few kids who want it and have the talent to go get it.

The GDA is far too big. Its the ECNL with stricter rules No clue why anyone would do it UNLESS they are a top top level player who is trying to be that impact kid I mentioned