ontherightside wrote:I believe three are 98 birth year, but KS is going to play them up because he wants to keep that team intact which makes perfect sense given their record.

That will be interesting to see how well they do and I do wish them success. However, I think they may find the competition will be much stiffer at that level than what they have been used to playing in the USYS 98 age group. The good thing is that KS has such a high number of true 97s and hopefully he will add some of the best true 97s that were in the 97 USYS age group.

I really doubt Pre academy will be better competition that CL. An opportunity to develop? yes

ontherightside wrote:I would imagine the answer to be yes.

The 97 Solar Red Solca team will mostly make-up the 96 Pre-Academy team and Solar Gold will get to stay D1.

Solar Red 97 will still have a D1 bye in CL and is planning on fielding a team. Solar Gold will be in D2.

socmom97 wrote:

ontherightside wrote:I would imagine the answer to be yes.

The 97 Solar Red Solca team will mostly make-up the 96 Pre-Academy team and Solar Gold will get to stay D1.

Solar Red 97 will still have a D1 bye in CL and is planning on fielding a team. Solar Gold will be in D2.

Will they have enough players returning (75%) to play in Premier League?

futbolnutt wrote:

socmom97 wrote:

ontherightside wrote:I would imagine the answer to be yes.

The 97 Solar Red Solca team will mostly make-up the 96 Pre-Academy team and Solar Gold will get to stay D1.

Solar Red 97 will still have a D1 bye in CL and is planning on fielding a team. Solar Gold will be in D2.

Will they have enough players returning (75%) to play in Premier League?

Premier League rule is N + 1.

go99 wrote:I really doubt Pre academy will be better competition that CL. An opportunity to develop? yes

Really? Pulling in the better (or potentially) players from the 30+ teams and putting them on 3 teams, having them train 3X a week, and play against similiar competition? I think they will be better.

soccerrus2 wrote:

go99 wrote:I really doubt Pre academy will be better competition that CL. An opportunity to develop? yes

Really? Pulling in the better (or potentially) players from the 30+ teams and putting them on 3 teams, having them train 3X a week, and play against similiar competition? I think they will be better.

Not a huge Pre-academy or ECNL fan (at the younger ages), but to think the competition or development won't be better isn't being realistic. Just the added practice or, just the better teams would help.

Similar to the old 'better team with less playing time' versus 'lesser team with more playing time' - there are variables, but, the better team scenario has a better chance to improve development in a player.

Unless the coach is a total failure, the new model should help (probably some earlier quit/burnouts as well).

but you don't just play the local teams you also play the other teams in texas and they haven't really been all that competative. Development should be better but even then, taking the same coach with the same philosophy and practice and doing it one more day a week will only serve to make you more adept at playing bad soccer. The real question is without the pressure to win games will the clubs turn the focus to improving the soccer that is played? Or will they, just like many people here, just turn the focus from winning in CL to winning in Pre Academy.