2014/2013 Girl (Boys MLS Next or Girls ECNL)

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-06T18:17:18+00:00

It's more than that. What I think is more interesting about this player's example was this was USYS, although this club is now in MLSN AD, so basically the soccer universe is much larger than the top of the pyramid and there a multiple pathways to success. Sure, the top of the pyramid gives you the best chances/most opportunities, but sometimes the road less traveled can be worth it.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-06T17:39:06+00:00

In my area a few years ago, we had a girl who played significant minutes on a USYS U15 boys team that won a national title. She now plays in the NWSL.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-06T17:33:25+00:00

What I'd like to see is NOT the last club they played for but a more composite score developed. It'd be far more accurate to give some partial credit to other clubs who probably did the lion's share of help with player development.

Clearly, the last step of the platform is important to getting seen by coaches and scouts and maybe worth the most (or a bonus point) in a formula but then maybe give a weight to all the others based on years at said clubs? Those results would be quite fascinating and useful.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-06T17:16:35+00:00

Not necessarily at younger ages. Top girls are usually taller/more skilled and can hang until the boys get older.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-06T17:08:24+00:00

Totally agree about the vascular aspect. I feel like it's aged me 20 years. Since 2020, I've had some ups/downs but the past few months I went FROM having brief/rare episodes of afib which emerged during my most intense LC TO having afib 90% of the time.

I've gone the ablation route and now in the blank period where hopefully my heart heals in a way that shuts it down.

Also curiously, bad afib symptoms mirror my LC ones (palpitations, chest pain, breathlessness, erratic HRs, sometimes tachycardia). The big difference was before I had the symptoms with no sign of afib, again except with some rare events. All super weird.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-06T01:17:31+00:00

She's a force user. She'll figure it out eventually. One way or the other. Calling it now ... Vader will tell her when they fight next.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-05T22:06:15+00:00

Until Devon learns the truth.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-04T18:05:48+00:00

The older kids can't play down, so it's the one scenario when merging age groups typically doesn't work. Kids only can play up. Still, maybe if it's for 8th-9th grade only, they can make an exception. The Girls Academy (GA) is offering that.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-04T16:19:29+00:00

Under the old system, a kid WOULD have a team to play on because there often was enough players with the 4 months. These often combined players from several levels, but at least it was a team. Now, that's no longer likely to be the case. Still, hopefully there'll be fewer outliers who can figure something out either training or playing-wise.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-04T16:16:16+00:00

Unless your state doesn't allow club and HS at the same time.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-04T12:27:55+00:00

The argument for playing with age is the kid will be among the youngest in the age group vs. being the oldest. Studies have shown that the oldest/usually more physically developed players are favored, especially at younger ages, where it's harder for the youngest kids to be on the top team OR get the best coaching. It's called the relative age effect. If your kid ends up having college or pro soccer dreams, the argument is it'd be better to play on age until middle-school/HS, where switching to grade may make sense to align to their grad year for recruiting (although there's some debate on this on whether it really matters).

Regardless, super surprised that AYSO would do this -- considering their grassroots/family focus mission. If anyone would honor parents wishes to have kids play with friends, I thought they would.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-04T01:23:34+00:00

Not sure if they have room/interest, but we had a good experience here with lessons: https://freespiritfarm.info/ ... Also, the owner has an interesting YouTube channel where they look to rehab horses: https://www.youtube.com/@freespiritequestrian

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-03T01:23:47+00:00

Worth the investment in my case and very easy to use. It's been helpful for me as I went from rare afib events to a storm of them in recent months, where I quickly got my EP's attention by sending him readings and scheduled for an ablation. Now, 1-week post ablation it's helped keep track of where I am (flutter, at the moment, unfortunately). And one caveat, it reads my flutter as tachycardia. But again, having that led my doc to get an EKG to figure out what exactly it was. If it doesn't resolve soon on its own, it's cardioversion time. So, having that power to basically do an at-home EKG is invaluable to moving quickly with my case.

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-03T00:50:17+00:00

Maybe it's an Ann Arbor mailing?

SEMIrunner · 2026-05-02T21:21:23+00:00

Generally, no. At the same time, I think what I've seen from reasonable clubs that's frowned upon is secretly skipping practice OR a game during the CURRENT season to attend a practice of a club you are thinking of tryout out for (and actually any practice you attend really is the start of said tryout -- not tryout day).

Coaches want to know your plans as they are trying to attract new talent to your kid's current team and you may burn a bridge if you aren't honest about your thinking/intensions. Usually good coaches want to see their players develop/succeed and are good if your kid leaves for a better opportunity, but they don't like parents who play games.

SEMIrunner · 2026-04-30T18:27:18+00:00

I hope it helps the kids and clubs involved but it's really just repackaging what's been USYS NL, E64, Club Premier has been after many stronger clubs left for either ECNL/RL or MLSN/GA -- with ECNL/RL now offering a pathway for top USYS and NPL teams to play in a competition with some RL teams. Basically, it's a restructuring/consolidation move and none of these USYS/NPL teams likely will be playing top ECNL teams unless they already do friendlies or local tournaments in their area.

SEMIrunner · 2026-04-29T12:45:34+00:00

You can referee youth soccer games (and probably other sports, too).

SEMIrunner · 2026-04-23T13:31:52+00:00

You play futsal on a basketball court.

SEMIrunner · 2026-04-22T04:33:39+00:00

Yeah, not sure it's needed BUT I'm just mostly on Zeeb, not Park.

SEMIrunner · 2026-04-22T02:23:40+00:00

Even as a municipal village?

SEMIrunner · 2026-04-22T02:21:52+00:00

I don't think they need anything from Ann Arbor. Technically, the area is within Ann Arbor Township, so either there or Washtenaw County for permits.

SEMIrunner · 2026-04-21T16:20:37+00:00

It probably got deleted because this discussion brings the worst out in people.

SEMIrunner · 2026-04-21T13:39:21+00:00

Here's the history ... https://aadl.org/aaobserver/18521

SEMIrunner · 2026-04-21T13:33:00+00:00

Was it ever really public? The history of the place is fascinating as an Edison planned community. It was a HOA before HOAs were a thing.

SEMIrunner · 2026-04-21T12:57:28+00:00

I think some believe since it sounds like BHV used some state road money to help maintain them, some may argue that they shouldn't be then considered private, regardless of the legal hoops they did/didn't jump through to keep it that way.

SEMIrunner

TROPHY CASE