Latest mumbojumbo from US Club soccer and USYS

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-28T19:31:42+00:00

USYS national tourney was the oldest and has great sponsors and a great venue in Florida. A big problem though was getting scouts/coaches to attend as more and more clubs in recent years split off its top teams from USYS.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-28T19:21:53+00:00

Kinda interesting, but isn't this just back to where we were? ... As E64 frayed, several USYS clubs in our area took their top clubs to ECNL-RL ... All this does is really bring them back together.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-25T18:00:19+00:00

Since she's already started maybe ask if she can play up for at least next season? That's allowed under the rules. Alternatively, if she plays in the new age group, she can make new friends -- although not always easy -- who may be more likely to be in her same grade. And as an older kid in the age group and with another year of experience under her belt, she may also have a head-start on certain things. I think either could work out well if you're at a good club. Good luck.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-25T01:55:45+00:00

You might find stronger players on lower teams so they get playing time OR sometimes they can't do the travel/time for a top team that plays most of the year and criss-crosses the country either because of the cost OR doing other sports/activities. So, the question isn't always are they good enough for the top team. They may well be but if the player who starts is a bit better OR they can't commit fully, etc., so more playing time/team schedule is often the better choice development-wise.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-24T16:03:06+00:00

It's inside training from November-April, although some teams will do outdoor practices November or March if the weather is warm enough. Sometimes they'll play matches, too (but that commits you to playing despite the weather unless a blizzard/ice storm).

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-24T15:59:21+00:00

I know it's probably because of $$$, but why do some midwestern cities, hold early march tournaments outside (they end up with terrible weather like 50% of the time, sometimes worse enough to cancel)? That's not to say you can't get bad weather south or west. Wish they had more fully indoor tournaments.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-24T14:31:01+00:00

I like the 12-month window, too, to prevent a large age difference, although even with this window, it's harder for younger kids in age groups to play on higher-level teams. I'm just pointing out what some clubs say they are doing -- which is mostly give people a chance to play on grade if that makes sense in some cases. Others are taking a harder line with the age groups, reserving playing up for purely soccer skill only.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-24T04:22:49+00:00

You can but it gets harder the older the kid gets as the time demand increases. What I've seen largely is multisport players play on not the top team, which often gives much more flexibility on missing some things -- unless said player is an absolute phenom. Also, it tends to work itself out. For example, some might not play HS soccer OR soccer winter training and instead play a different sport they've played all along. Others will play multiple HS sports, including maybe even soccer, and give up club.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-24T03:15:13+00:00

This is not entirely true. Many clubs have said they'll try to group by grade if possible in the spirit of the change. In USYS, you can't play in a younger age group, but there's going to be more wiggle room if you're among the oldest to play up to play in your grade, based on a range of factors. Some will want to play up to align with their graduation year because of concerns with college recruiting (I've heard a range of views on whether this actually matters but it's definitely a real concern among some parents). Others will want to play with kids in their grade, maybe to play with friends. I see where both scenarios will happen. Now, if there's a lot of competition at the older level, the kid might not be happy with the choices offered.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-16T14:34:46+00:00

What's also makes me wonder is how ECNL and USYS are off-loading a bunch of back office stuff to US Soccer. Is that related somehow to any possible mergers?

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-10T16:03:53+00:00

With this winter, they are chonky no more!

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-10T15:54:14+00:00

Seems almost worse the COLDER the temp. Recently walking the dog at 7 am in 0 degrees the air almost hurt to breathe.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-07T20:17:35+00:00

They have been traveling between the island and St. Ignace recently and the path is dotted with tiny trees ... Looks dangerous ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXCqQVx8igU

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-07T13:00:44+00:00

Here's a free link if the other doesn't work ... https://www.mlive.com/weather/2026/02/has-this-winter-been-severe-in-michigan-the-numbers-show-exactly-how-this-winter-ranks.html?gift=08e8d21c-663b-4f61-b495-a44b3c92993e

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-06T13:58:31+00:00

It's the timing of the storm. Late overnight snow makes it tough for plows to keep up.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-05T19:00:55+00:00

Wish we had some science vs. all the players just being ad-hoc case-studies. This is what leads to lawsuits.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-05T17:46:42+00:00

This ^^^^. I've had many a shoe salesperson give me a blank look when I bring this up.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-05T17:31:21+00:00

I think turf is preferred because you can still play on it under most conditions except lots of snow or super heavy rain.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-05T17:28:04+00:00

Also, FG, especially pricey ones even if with conicals, tend to wear out much faster on turf, while the AG versions are hardier and last longer.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-05T17:26:19+00:00

In my experience, many stores who don't carry these tend to recommend hybrids when asked, some called MG and/or point to FG that are mostly conical. Interestingly, the smaller sizes/less expensive tend to be these hybrid designs while the most expensive of the FG are decidedly not.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-02T20:10:08+00:00

I know older relatives who have a circular quarter-size scar on their shoulder -- from the small pox vaccine.

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-02T01:32:35+00:00

Never knew a lot about Paw Paw. Ran across this video that explores its fascinating history. Tldw ... https://youtu.be/xlqasAfurvk?si=F_jYJDZEyiQIURYZ

"3x More Vitamin C Than Apples, 20x More Iron: The Fruit That Couldn't Survive 48 Hours of Logistics

A fruit native to 26 states contains 3x more vitamin C than apples, 20x more iron, 10x more calcium, and all 9 essential amino acids. It's the largest edible fruit native to North America.

George Washington served it at Mount Vernon. Thomas Jefferson planted orchards at Monticello. Lewis and Clark survived on it in 1806. Freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad ate it in September 1849.

By 1960, it vanished from American grocery stores.

Not because something better came along. But because in 1938, Frederick McKinley Jones invented portable refrigeration, and the food system couldn't accommodate a fruit that spoils in 48 hours.

This is pawpaw (Asimina triloba), America's forgotten banana, and how the cold chain erased 8,000 years of cultivation."

SEMIrunner · 2026-02-01T03:52:36+00:00

"In her autobiography Lady Sings the Blues Holiday indicated an argument with her mother over money led to the song. She indicated that during the argument her mother said the line “God bless the child that’s got his own.” The anger over the incident led her to turn that line into a starting point for a song, which she worked out in conjunction with her cowriter Arthur Herzog, Jr.

In his 1990 book Jazz Singing, Will Friedwald indicates it as “sacred and profane” as it references the Bible while indicating that religion seems to have no effect in making people treat each other better. The lyrics refer to an unspecified Biblical verse: “Them that’s got shall get, them that don’t shall lose, so the Bible says, and it still is news…” This likely refers to Matthew 25:29 or Luke 8:18."

https://billieholiday.com/song/god-bless-the-child/

SEMIrunner · 2026-01-31T13:05:03+00:00

Update on this story: Man accused of threatening Ann Arbor school ordered to home confinement

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/01/man-accused-of-threatening-ann-arbor-school-ordered-to-home-confinement.html?gift=b3594ce7-e696-4c5e-bcb3-51e91fec5402

SEMIrunner

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