USSF DA U12 Announcement

http://www.ussoccerda.com/151016_academy-announces-u12-program-launch-fall-2016?sf14226666=1&sf14229130=1

US Soccer made the formal announcement of the DA moving to U12 ( 04 age group) for Fall 2016.  They also announced they will split into a stand alone U13 and U14 age groups.  

The U12 ( 04) group has the following:
1.  9v9 games (one referee per game)
2. Each club will have two teams with a total pool of players of 26.  Assuming 13 on each game roster.
3.  30 minute halves.  Can sub as much as you want.  
4.  Must practice three days a week, coach has to be at least a B license

The U13  (03) group.
1. 11v11 with 35 minute halves.
2.  20 player roster max but only 18 player max on game day.
3.  Only 7 subs during a game with NO RE-ENTRY. Once you are subbed out, your day is over.
4.  Practice 3 to 4 times per week.
5.  All coaches must have a B license.

The link has a lot more information for anyone interested.

Interesting about the two teams..I had heard that...wonder if there will be an "A" team and "B" team or they will split evenly...thanks for posting Sprint!

From reading it looks like they want them to intermingle the kids each week and no set roster.

But, I bet the clubs will do what they want in terms of how they assign the teams and could see A and B teams being formed.

I don't know much about DA and PA. They didn't have them when I grew up and I don't yet have a boy old enough to worry about it. Do the boys who play on these teams also play on other Classic League teams or is that the only team they play on?

LLHowie wrote:I don't know much about DA and PA.  They didn't have them when I grew up and I don't yet have a boy old enough to worry about it.  Do the boys who play on these teams also play on other Classic League teams or is that the only team they play on?

DA is completely separate from Classic League and it is the only team a kid plays on. Once you join DA, you are no longer rostered on any other team. The league is made up of teams from Houston, Dallas, Austin at the younger ages and as they get older U16 and U18 the leagues include teams from Colorado.

It will be interesting to see if PA goes away at U13 as it is run by US Club Soccer ( different than DA which is USSF). I guess a club could roster a U13 DA team and a U13 PA team if both leagues exist, but I doubt they do that.

They say they want to keep travel time down to 1.5 or 2 hours for U12. So I would expect that DFW would need some extra clubs for U12 DA since the other DA clubs are Austin and Houston.

But will Liverpool, Andro, Ayses, etc. want to take part if the players have have to go to FCD, Texans, Solar or go back to Classic league when they hit U13?

davito wrote:They say they want to keep travel time down to 1.5 or 2 hours for U12. So I would expect that DFW would need some extra clubs for U12 DA since the other DA clubs are Austin and Houston.

But will Liverpool, Andro, Ayses, etc. want to take part if the players have have to go to FCD, Texans, Solar or go back to Classic league when they hit U13?

They will probably have to make an exception to the 1.5 to 2 hour rule for U12 in Texas. But if teams like LP, Andro, Ayses etc do get a U12 DA team, they may also apply to have DA up to age U14. It's my understanding there will be three types of DA clubs going forward:

1. Clubs that just have DA U12
2. Clubs that have DA U12, U13 and U14;
3. Clubs that have DA at all levels: U12, U13, U14, 16 and U18.

If the league IS about development, there should be no need to add more clubs. Two teams each FCD, Texans and Solar give you a 6 team local league, mix in a couple road trips during the season and all is well.

I know Andro is loosing DA, they officially out now for 2016?

allen04 wrote:If the league IS about development, there should be no need to add more clubs.   Two teams each FCD, Texans and Solar give you a 6 team local league, mix in a couple road trips during the season and all is well.

I know Andro is loosing DA, they officially out now for 2016?

Yes. Andro is not in DA this year. Currently just Solar, DT and FCD.

New metric changing this as well? If DA season begins in 2016 but ends in 2017; this likely needs updated. If so it looks like some '05's could never play a minute of select.

DA U12 - '05's
DA U13 - '04's
DA U14 - '03's

allen04 wrote:New metric changing this as well?  If DA season begins in 2016 but ends in 2017; this likely needs updated.  If so it looks like some '05's could never play a minute of select.

DA U12 - '05's
DA U13 - '04's
DA U14 - '03's

I don't think so. Someone posted USSF has already dictated that U12 is (04) for next year and so on.

Just for next year and then they make the change in 2017

allen04 wrote:If the league IS about development, there should be no need to add more clubs.   Two teams each FCD, Texans and Solar give you a 6 team local league, mix in a couple road trips during the season and all is well.

I know Andro is loosing DA, they officially out now for 2016?

NOPE! there needs to be at least one or two Alliance teams to include kids from all the clubs in the Metroplex. The biggest clubs don't have a lock on the talent pool and Alliance clubs like City FC make sure that we aren't excluding awesome footballers from the south side or any other part of the metroplex.

We don't need less teams, we need more.

The number one team in U13 D1 Classic League is Odyssey and they have been champs all through their youth academy and are tops in select and have only been challenged by Solar so don't look at it from the big club perspective or you will miss the quality outside of the the big 3.

Sprint wrote:

allen04 wrote:New metric changing this as well?  If DA season begins in 2016 but ends in 2017; this likely needs updated.  If so it looks like some '05's could never play a minute of select.

DA U12 - '05's
DA U13 - '04's
DA U14 - '03's

I don't think so.  Someone posted USSF has already dictated that U12 is (04) for next year and so on.  

Starting from oldest next year:

DA U18 (98 & 99's)
DA U16 (00's)
PA U15 (01's)
DA U14 (02's)
DA U13 (03's)
DA U12 (02's)

Assuming you meant u12 = 04. Which makes sense but conflicts with the latest age charts and guidance.

earbucket wrote:

Sprint wrote:

allen04 wrote:New metric changing this as well?  If DA season begins in 2016 but ends in 2017; this likely needs updated.  If so it looks like some '05's could never play a minute of select.

DA U12 - '05's
DA U13 - '04's
DA U14 - '03's

I don't think so.  Someone posted USSF has already dictated that U12 is (04) for next year and so on.  

Starting from oldest next year:

DA U18 (98 & 99's)
DA U16 (00's)
PA U15 (01's)
DA U14 (02's)
DA U13 (03's)
DA U12 (02's)

that is what I thought, with the exception of DAU12 is 04 teams. A bigger question in my mind is will the PA league even exist next year for U15? If the U13 PA goes away due to having to compete with U13DA, will they run the U15 league for only one age group or fold it? Or, will they keep you U13 PA and try to compete with U13 DA so the TEPAL clubs will fill both U13 PA ( 03 ) and U13 DA ( 03) teams next year?

Lots to be decided and a long way until next June.

DA presently sets age groups based on the first half of the competition year. They will be adjusting sometime next year to the same set-up US Soccer announced for the Age Pure move, which is based on the second half of the competition year. Or at least that is what I've seen announced so far.

PremierLeagueFan wrote:

allen04 wrote:If the league IS about development, there should be no need to add more clubs.   Two teams each FCD, Texans and Solar give you a 6 team local league, mix in a couple road trips during the season and all is well.

I know Andro is loosing DA, they officially out now for 2016?

NOPE! there needs to be at least one or two Alliance teams to include kids from all the clubs in the Metroplex. The biggest clubs don't have a lock on the talent pool and Alliance clubs like City FC make sure that we aren't excluding awesome footballers from the south side or any other part of the metroplex.

We don't need less teams, we need more.

The number one team in U13 D1 Classic League is Odyssey and they have been champs all through their youth academy and are tops in select and have only been challenged by Solar so don't look at it from the big club perspective or you will miss the quality outside of the the big 3.

DA is not about creating as additional super competitive LEAGUES. If you think like that you are missing the point. It is about providing more training through a structured & preferably free system. The associated league is secondary and merely a venue to show off what has been learned during all that training.

I agree you want to see kids like the Ody team take part in the program but I am not sure if Alliance teams really fit in the DA picture. If all they do is have the odd combined Alliance FC practice on a Sunday with kids scattered all over DFW then they will not be meeting the objective of DA. If they can find a way to make it work that meets the principles of DA then its all good. But there is an argument that Alliance teams will be unnecessary if you have multiple options for DA in the Metroplex. You either choose to go the DA route and try out for a DA set up or choose to stick with your CL team.

davito wrote:
DA is not about creating as additional super competitive LEAGUES. If you think like that you are missing the point. It is about providing more training through a structured & preferably free system. The associated league is secondary and merely a venue to show off what has been learned during all that training.

I agree you want to see kids like the Ody team take part in the program but I am not sure if Alliance teams really fit in the DA picture. If all they do is have the odd combined Alliance FC practice on a Sunday with kids scattered all over DFW then they will not be meeting the objective of DA. If they can find a way to make it work that meets the principles of DA then its all good. But there is an argument that Alliance teams will be unnecessary if you have multiple options for DA in the Metroplex. You either choose to go the DA route and try out for a DA set up or choose to stick with your CL team.

DA is by default the most supercompetitve league by its very design because it consists of the best players the US Soccer system has to offer. It is about developing the top percentile for the National Team, Division 1 Colleges, and Professional teams.

It is not about developing average players who assemble into average teams that execute average strategies for mediocre results. If that were even remotely accurate we would not keep score, and we would not have National Championships and there would be no need for National Showcases.

Games are competitive events and results are the verifiable proof of training and understanding that occurs in any league at any level. The notion that losing every game all season is the goal of the development is patently false and the reason that Academy teams emphasize training over quantity of games is to make sure that when games are played that they are "extremely meaningful".

LFCA for example is on the "hotseat" for not combing through its player pool for the best individuals to represent the club. The Dallas Texans are being called on the carpet, because they don't believe in training more than 2 days a week and now you want to limit a club like Odyssey who have way more elites than the Texans U13 player pool combined because you think their coaching is inferior.

Well let me tell you something, it was the Odyssey Club founders who invented StrikeZone and who were the first to commit to possession football at the youth level and the list goes on and on.

What training system did the Texans invent, I mean ask anyone what style the Texans play and if the response isn't "Boot and Run" they aren't from NTX.

What about that Great Liverpool System? Does Dru's team play like Trevinos? Cmon the worst place you can limit us is by saying that the big clubs are the only ones who can have the privilege.  

What About Ayses? Sam Olali's Club is committed to their good style of soccer and are just plugging along quietly moving up the ranks. It's these efforts that a lot of people are starting to see and it is clear that smaller clubs are great adherents to excellent soccer and MUST be included.

If you are trying to compare an MLS academy then you have to also acknowledge that they have a stated goal that is to create players for themselves. Truth be told they probably don't worry about anything beyond the quality of their future players as it pertains to the benefit of their individual clubs. I don't hear MLS Academies worrying about National Leagues because it's not what they are built to develop players for and yet they are the most sought after entities for providing players to the national teams so maybe that is a good model to follow.

There have been many discussions about National Teams and the correlation to professional leagues and I think MLS will pioneer some new thinking because they want a great product.

I watched the game last night against Seattle and I can say that it was the least expensive, most entertaining venue, I have ever attended. That is what MLS, NFL, NBA and the rest of the top leagues are all about.

quote...."you want to limit a club like Odyssey who have way more elites than the Texans U13 player pool combined because you think their coaching is inferior."

Either you are bad at reading or I am bad at writing.

What I said is Ody kids should be in the DA system and if alliances like City FC can make the training and game arrangements work for a conglomeration of kids from various Indie teams then it's all good.

As I have said before we need more of our skilled and committed kids getting the DA experience, not less. If alliance teams can make it work according to the DA principles then they may have a part to play.

What we don't need is clubs (of any shape or size
) signing up because it is good marketing and they want to be at the top table. But then charging $$$, limiting who can play and not meeting the training objectives.

@PLF, you gave a thorough analysis on many clubs. What do you think of Solar?

davito wrote:quote...."you want to limit a club like Odyssey who have way more elites than the Texans U13 player pool combined because you think their coaching is inferior."

Either you are bad at reading or I am bad at writing. I

What I said is Ody kids should be in the DA system and if alliances like City FC can make the training and game arrangements work for a conglomeration of kids from various Indie teams then it's all good.

As I have said before we need more of our skilled and committed kids getting the DA experience, not less. If alliance teams can make it work according to the DA principles then they may have a part to play.

What we don't need is clubs (of any shape or size
) signing up because it is good marketing and they want to be at the top table. But then charging $$$, limiting who can play and not meeting the training objectives.

I think the coaching answer came from the bias I had when I read that the big clubs should be the caretakers for Academy so I figured it was a coaching reference since the kids are good at the smaller clubs and have access to decent enough practice locations so I made a SWAG that inferior coaching was the reason. Either way you remedied it by kicking back a good response which forced me to fess up that I guessed that it meant coaching when it didn't.

I like the Alliance clubs because you know what you are getting since the clubs forming the Alliance have to agree on a stated purpose. I like the big clubs when they use their resources and political power to influence the process in a positive way in terms of guaranteeing some parity across the NTX soccer community.

We are in total agreement that clubs who have contempt for developing young players and prefer to exploit their piggy banks instead should fix their behavior or make a hasty exit from NTX soccer.

allentexan wrote:@PLF, you gave a thorough analysis on many clubs.  What do you think of Solar?  

It's a loose confederation of teams that have formed an alliance called Solar Chelsea. They have all the infighting and power struggles worthy of a good soap opera, but they have great kids and crank out some good players and teams. I think they have a winning mentality and have cool Chelsea kits to counter the Man United kits at the Texans which tells me that they are competitive on multiple levels.

Sprint wrote:

davito wrote:They say they want to keep travel time down to 1.5 or 2 hours for U12. So I would expect that DFW would need some extra clubs for U12 DA since the other DA clubs are Austin and Houston.

But will Liverpool, Andro, Ayses, etc. want to take part if the players have have to go to FCD, Texans, Solar or go back to Classic league when they hit U13?

They will probably have to make an exception to the 1.5 to 2 hour rule for U12 in Texas.  But if teams like LP, Andro, Ayses etc do get a U12 DA team, they may also apply to have DA up to age U14.  It's my  understanding there will be three types of DA clubs going forward:

1. Clubs that just have DA U12
2. Clubs that have DA U12, U13 and U14;
3. Clubs that have DA at all levels:  U12, U13, U14, 16 and U18.  

So, which clubs have applied/been accepted for the new U12 Academy?  Any clubs accepted for U12 - U14?

I was told Andro was applying to get DA "for the younger ages", so I'll assume that means U12-U14.