GREATER OSCEOLA UNITED SC INTER USA (Florida)
WEST FLORIDA PREMIER 97 GOLD (Florida)
CLEARWATER B97-98 CHARGERS PRE-ACADEMY (Florida)
CFK 98 KRAZE WHITE (Florida)
ISLAND FC JUFC 97/98 BOYS (Florida)
CHICAGO FIRE JUNIORS FLORIDA 97/98 (Florida)
LONESTAR 99/98B PRE USSF (Texas South)
CFK 98 KRAZE BLACK (Florida)
TEAM BOCA (Florida)
CHEROKEE IMPACT 98 GOLD (Georgia)
NORCROSS SA 98 FURY PREMIER (Georgia)
ATLANTA FIRE UNITED SA 98 ELITE (Georgia)
CAROLINA ELITE SA 97 PREMIER (South Carolina)
CHARLOTTE SA 97 PREDATOR (North Carolina)
CHICAGO BLAST SC RED (Illinois)
CHICAGO MAGIC PRE-ACADEMY (Illinois)
DALLAS TEXANS 98 (Texas North)
DFW TEJANOS 98 PREMIER (Texas North)
FC AMERICA 97/98 PREMIER (Florida)
FC DALLAS YOUTH 98 PREMIER (PREV ANDROMEDA) (Texas North)
NORTH ATLANTA SA 16 ELITE (Georgia)
OHIO PREMIER EAGLES GREEN 1 (Ohio South)
OTTAWA SOUTH UNITED FORCE 98 (Canada)
PINECREST PREMIER 97/98 BLUE (Florida)
SOLAR 98 (Texas North)
SOLAR CHELEA PRE-ACADEMY (Texas North)
SOLAR CHELSEA U13 PRE-ACADEMY (Texas North)
VESTAVIA HILLS 98 STEAMERS BLACK (Alabama)
GREENSBORO UNITED 97 NAVY (North Carolina)
WESTON FC 98 PRE-ACADEMY (Florida)
BRANDON FC FLAMES 97 BLUE (Florida)
FC UNITED OF FLORIDA BLACK 97-98 (Florida)
GREATER BOCA UNITED 97/98 GOLD (Florida)
LARGO UNITED SC 97/98 RED (Florida)
CONCORDE FIRE ELITE (Georgia)
CHICAGO FIRE ACADEMY (Illinois)
TEXANS - HOUSTON 98 PRE-ACADEMY (Texas South)
CORAL GABLES TOROS (Florida)
BALTIMORE BAYS CHELSEA 97/98 (Maryland)
FLORIDA RUSH 97 NIKE BOYS (Florida)
KENDALL SC 97 WHITE (Florida)
CENTRAL BREVARD SOCCER BREVARD UNITED 97-98 (Florida)
AFC LIGHTNING 98 ELITE (Georgia)
MIAMI LAKES SC 97/98 ORANGE (Florida)
SOCCER ACADEMY OF THE AMERICAS SAA REAL MADRID (Florida)
FC BLAZERS 97/98 (Massachusetts)
GSA 98 PHOENIX RED (Georgia)

I find it interesting that the U14 solar pre academy who is playing in this 98 bracket does not just list themselves as such. Although all the boys are able to play in this age group because of their age they should just list their team as the 97 solar pre-academy. That is what they are when the are in league play right? Why change your name for a tournament? I guess maybe winning is more important to KS than challenging a great good of players to play in the 97 bracket. I thought pre-academy was about development? I think you develop more being challenged rather than going for a repeat with teams that will be pure 98 birth year with no 97's on their teams. How is that a challenge?

anatural wrote:I thought pre-academy was about development?

That was your first mistake ...

[quote="anatural"]I find it interesting that the U14 solar pre academy who is playing in this 98 bracket does not just list themselves as such. Although all the boys are able to play in this age group because of their age they should just list their team as the 97 solar pre-academy. That is what they are when the are in league play right? Why change your name for a tournament? I guess maybe winning is more important to KS than challenging a great good of players to play in the 97 bracket. I thought pre-academy was about development? I think you develop more being challenged rather than going for a repeat with teams that will be pure 98 birth year with no 97's on their teams. How is that a challenge?[/quote

Unless I am misunderstanding something here, there are only three teams out of this entire list of U14's that are pure 98's and that would be the three 98 pre-academy teams signed up, Weston 98 Pre-Academy, Texans-Houston 98 Pre-Academy, and Solar 98 Pre-Academy. All of the other numerous teams listed in this age bracket would be teams that are a mixture of both 97 and 98's or pure 97's as for all of the 97 Pre-Academy teams.

So in essense Solar 97 Pre-Academy or the old Solar 98 team is playing their age here and the other three 98 pre-academy teams are the only ones in essence "playing up" in this bracket. Yes, Solar U14 Pre-Academy listed themselves as Solar Chelsea Pre-Academy and they along with the other U14 Pre-Academy teams do have an advantage over other teams comprised of 97's and 98's but in a group this large they typically will break them up into gold and silver and maybe even bronze categories to help make it more of an even playing field and they will likely face other U14 Pre-Academy teams. Sounds like a lot fun and should make for a competitive tournament with all these pre-academy teams in the mix.

Don't know about the kids who were born in 97 but can't play because they are too old who are on this team but I would be pissed. Signed a contract to play with the team and then can't play because KS plays then in a different age group. Also would be mad because signed my kid up for pre-a to be challenged with better competition and NOT to play down. I hate when we scrimmage/play teams and beat them 10-0. Rather have my kid play up and lose some. He learns nothing killing teams 10-0. He is more likely to learn something playing bigger and faster boys and losing some. Again.....is he about development? Or winning?

I'm confused.

Isn't the Solar PA U13's comprised of 98 birth year players?

That being the case, aren't the other non-PA 98 teams comprised of both 97 and 98 birth year players?

If so, how is that considered "playing down"? If they are competing against older (97 born) players?

According to USSF, the regular DA U15/16 teams are made up primarily of players born in 1995 and 96.

So, wouldn't U14 PA be for 97 players and U13 for 98's?

Laimport wrote:I'm confused.

Isn't the Solar PA U13's comprised of 98 birth year players?

That being the case, aren't the other non-PA 98 teams comprised of both 97 and 98 birth year players?

If so, how is that considered "playing down"? If they are competing against older (97 born) players?

According to USSF, the regular DA U15/16 teams are made up primarily of players born in 1995 and 96.

So, wouldn't U14 PA be for 97 players and U13 for 98's?

If you look there are 3 solar teams registered for the 98 bracket. One is the 98 solar D1 team, One is the 98Pre-academy team, and one is the 97 pre-academy team. The 97 team just took their players off the roster that were too old to play in this age group. So the 97 players born after August 1,1997 can play in the 98 bracket. Make sense now? With a few exceptions this is the team that won the tournament last year in the 98 age group before pre-academy existed. They will not play in the 97 age bracket.

Yes, I get your point 'anatural'.

The thing that gets me is that PA u14 teams contain u15 players. Even though they should be classified U15's...considering the older 97's are essentially u15's.

What is so hard to understand? It is age pure just like ODP.

Becaue the PA age matrix doesn't classify its teams that way.

U13=98 birth year
U14=97 birth year

LP, I don't believe the Disney Showcase follows the birth year matrix. Neither does the Dallas Cup.

The second team listed is a '97' team. That suggests they are a U15 team. (meaning they have 96 born players.)

Unless they are a PA team.

No they are the 97 pre academy team. U14. No 96 birth year.
Just because the tournament doesn't stratify the teams by birth year does not mean you can't just eliminate your 97 players born before August1st 1997 and play in the 1998 bracket. There are not 3 solar 98 teams. There is only the pre-academy 98 and The 98 team that plays d1. The 3rd team listed is the97 pre academy team without their players that are too old for the 98 age bracket for Disney.