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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 558
Goal
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Goal
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 558 |
So, even more ECNL teams at JCup than I thought. Lot of ECNL teams in an open tournament that perhaps... "isn't what it was once cracked up to be."
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 218
corner kick
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corner kick
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 218 |
And just for the record, the U-15 FC Bucks who went 4-0 in the 'top' bracket of Jefferson Cup have 4 wins, 5 losses and 3 draws in the 'B' bracket of ECNL
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 558
Goal
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Goal
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 558 |
I'm wondering what all the ECNL teams are doing showing up in all these non-ECNL events? What possibly could be the attraction?
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 35
Kickoff
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Kickoff
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 35 |
Oh Harry, since when did you start to worry about the time off for the kids? Was it after you played Rpl (9 games), ecnl conference games (11/12), state cup (3), Sanford (3) from sept to end of dec? And what about the extending of the season when they suppose to be off? Wasn't the Texas event in Feb? Isn't there one coming up in July? As my friend Mike Ditka says on ESPN - c'mon man! May want to get some sleep, big event tomorrow at your place 
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 218
corner kick
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corner kick
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 218 |
I'm not sure what you're asking. I've never been worried about time off. I'm a big fan of continuing to play in Jan and Feb instead of taking that time off to do fitness in Dec and Jan for the HS that doesn't start playing until late Feb/early Mar. And the ECNL conference games were 14 plus 4 nonconference games. Next year, it will be 18 conference games because they added 2 FL clubs to our conference. There were other clubs that applied again, but didn't get offered a spot. No big event for me tomorrow, but I do need to get some sleep.
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 558
Goal
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Goal
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 558 |
Quote:
The PDA tournament, is that the one over Memorial Day Weekend? With all the ECNL teams in the top bracket? And the other brackets featuring McLean's 2nd team at U-15 (again)? And in the U-16 bracket featuring the FL team that won 3 games in the Prem League finishing 7th out of 10? Is that the major PDA tournament you're referring to?
Yep, that's the one, but I think that's not intended so much to be the "top" bracket, but rather the "ECNL" bracket as named. Apparently with PDA being an ECNL club it thoughtfully placed all of the ECNL teams in a seperate bracket so those teams can (from posted tournament rules)...
"5) SUBSTITUTIONS
ECNL teams will follow their league rules."
For the rest of the teams...
"Free substitution will be allowed in all age groups. However, teams may substitute only with the referee’s permission and only at the following times (including overtimes):
a) Prior to a throw-in, by either team
b) Prior to a goal kick, by either team
c) After a goal, by either team
d) After an injury on either team when the referee stops play
e) At halftime
f) On a caution, only the cautioned player may be substituted at that time."
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 558
Goal
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Goal
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 558 |
Quote:
I'm not sure what you're asking. I've never been worried about time off. I'm a big fan of continuing to play in Jan and Feb instead of taking that time off to do fitness in Dec and Jan for the HS that doesn't start playing until late Feb/early Mar. And the ECNL conference games were 14 plus 4 nonconference games. Next year, it will be 18 conference games because they added 2 FL clubs to our conference.
Interesting philosophies given the ECNL president's remarks concerning reasons for creation of ECNL including "... too many total games being played and not enough high-quality, competitive matches. There was not enough emphasis on player development and training."
And again, from the ECNL "Member Club Standards and Guidelines" I referenced in an earlier post...
"The ECNL encourages all ECNL Member Clubs to provide two “off-season” breaks each year for the ECNL teams. Each break should consist of three to four weeks to allow physical, mental, and emotional rejuvenation. One break should be provided after the completion of the fall / winter competitive season, and one break should be provided after completion of the spring / summer competitive season."
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I'm not knocking ECNL, it provides excellent opportunities for both development and competition. However, I believe other opportunites for development and competition exist as well and should be noted. As Hyslop said in his interview, "It’s really about taking a look and asking can we make sure we develop every possible player in this country? There’s more than one way to do it."
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 218
corner kick
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corner kick
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 218 |
So, if there was nothing on the club schedule whatsoever for the month of July and part of August, would that count as a "break" after the spring/summer? And if there was nothing on the schedule from the end of Feb. until the beginning of June, would that count as a "break" after the winter season?
Yes, I also agree with Hyslop regarding "more than one way to do it". In this case I believe I have been consistent in saying that you could either play the top teams twice, or the second teams once during your season. The choice is yours as to how you try to become a high level player. And in tournaments, you can apparently play PDA's top team in the ECNL bracket or you can play McLean's 2nd team and the teams from the bottom of the Premier League in the other brackets.
There is more than one option available. I'd be curious to see you at PDA or Surf Cup (you mentioned) as I thought you were against traveling so much. I may be wrong, it may not have been you that objected to much to the travel.
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,147
brace
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brace
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,147 |
Harry the 16's played 20 games in the ecnl B league. That was alot more games than most teams in the league.They still have one remaining. It is a points per game format for where a team places. You take away a few of those extra games and cesa 16's do not finish that high up in the league.
If i read the league right the 20 games listed that gives them the 10 spot does not include games against the A bracket teams.Win ,loose or draw.
The teams they played in the B bracket avg a 19th finish.
The teams they beat in the B bracket avg a 22nd finish.
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 558
Goal
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Goal
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 558 |
Quote:
So, if there was nothing on the club schedule whatsoever for the month of July and part of August, would that count as a "break" after the spring/summer? And if there was nothing on the schedule from the end of Feb. until the beginning of June, would that count as a "break" after the winter season?
Maybe, but realistically from the player perspective of a 3-4 week break from soccer that just isn't the case. Then again maybe they're getting a 3-4 week break away from the fields between HS season and the June lineup of ECNL and Southern Regional events.
Quote:
... And in tournaments, you can apparently play PDA's top team in the ECNL bracket or you can play McLean's 2nd team and the teams from the bottom of the Premier League in the other brackets.
Or, you can play PDA's top team in a non-ECNL top bracket. In the U-16 top bracket at JCup Braddock Road got 3 games vs. ECNL teams without having to be a part of ECNL. In the U-15 top bracket that's not a "bottom of the Premier League" team from SCUMP But, that's beside the point I was making about attending major tournaments. On second thought it may be exactly the point I was making about major tournaments.
Earlier I brought up major tournaments specifically regarding exposure to college coaches not level of competition. If as you say the level of competition isn't what it used to be at the open major tournaments like PDA, Disney, CASL, JCup (hard to believe you would consider quality down with all those ECNL teams entered), then the ECNL teams attending those non-National-ECNL-Events must not be there for the competition or player development. So unless they just like spending the money for no reason at all (not saying they don't), I can only think of one reason they would be there. Exposure to college coaches at the major tournaments in addition to the exposure they get through ECNL events. I'm not saying ECNL National Events don't draw a lot of coaches, they do. So do the major tournaments. I guess I should send a note of thanks to all those ECNL teams still attending the major tournaments for helping make my point. According to the JCup site the number of college coaches registered this year on both the boys and girls side set a record, and I haven't heard of a major exodus of coaches at PDA, Disney, etc.
Quote:
I'd be curious to see you at PDA or Surf Cup (you mentioned) as I thought you were against traveling so much. I may be wrong, it may not have been you that objected to much to the travel.
I have been to PDA but only once for ECNL (I drove, she flew). And when I got there and watched a U-16 game between D. Texans and BUSA with 70 (I counted) college coaches in attendance on the open non-ECNL side of the tournament I couldn't help but wonder why our club had not been attending all along. After a 6 year absence from CASL Shootout, my daughter finally got a chance to return at U-18. She took a look around and said, "We should have been coming here all along." Oh, I don't think I've ever been accused of being against traveling so much, although I will say I'm not particularly fond of having to purchase airline tickets to do so.
So, been to PDA. And Dallas (2x), D.C. (2x), Little Rock, Baton Rouge, Nashville, Houston, College Station, Orlando (?x), Sanford, Raleigh (5x), Knoxville, Atlanta (?x), Jacksonville (?x), Jekyll Island (?x), Greensboro (?x), Chattanooga, Norfolk, Birmingham, Montevallo (6x, 9weeks hotel), and probably some I've forgotten. Only a few of those trips were related to ECNL. Fortunately only a few involved airline tickets. I enjoyed making every trip to watch and support my daughters. Although both are now playing in college, the connections to their current coaches were made locally (one from a HS tournament). Even so, if asked tomorrow to start over... we'd be signed up and on the road again.
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