text:
Cursed Queen of Angmar, The
16. Tower of Torment
The remainder of the night was a blur. Various advisors, civilian and military, crowded into the long house. Ariashal was extremely grateful for Adzuphel: he managed to co-ordinate everything, digesting the conflicting reports as they came in from the field, ordering the movements of the troops, sending off for reinforcements. Periodically he would speak to her, reassuring her that the Cardolani would not keep the King captive for long, that they would treat him well.
She nodded, trying to keep up a brave front, not for herself, but for the children. They were so confident of their father's prowess that they knew he would be back by dawn, or by tomorrow nightfall at the latest. Had he not made lightning dance for them? Did he not control the flying beasts? They had seen him make tiny flames trace elegant patterns on the ground, watched him shatter rock with a single word. They knew that he was invincible. This was, at most, a minor inconvenience.
Ariashal longed to share their confidence, their absolute faith in his indestructibility; but she knew better. She knew what her father and brothers did when they captured enemies, especially enemy commanders. The Cardolani were no better, and from what she had heard tended to be much worse. She must speak with Adzuphel, must warn him of the King's fate.
He led her away from the others, where she could be comfortably seated. "Madame," he said quietly, "I do not think you should worry yourself overmuch."
"You do not understand," she said. "They will do whatever they can to him."
Adzuphel listened as she recounted the lists of tortures her family had used. Beatings, floggings, hot pokers--they would use everything they had. And she knew that sometimes they forced themselves on those who would not break, even using weapons to violate their prisoners.
"They may want to," he soothed, "and they may try, but I promise you they will not get very far. I assure you that they cannot harm him."
"Perhaps once that was true," she wiped her eyes. "But I have cursed him. Every man I have married died. Now I fear I have been his death, too."
"No," he countered, "he has not been slain. They have done nothing to him. Look at your children, my Queen. They have faith in him. You know how strong he is. All will be well."
She shook her head.
"Why do you have so little faith in him? You have seen what he can do. Why are you so willing to believe him dead?"
"I told you. I am cursed!"
"No, Madame. You are blessed. You have children who love you, a kingdom at your feet, a husband who cares for you. There are few who are so blessed. And when the King returns you will see how blessed you are."
"Why are you so sure he will return? Why do you hold out hope?"
He sighed. "I have known His Majesty for many years, Madame, more years than you can possibly imagine. And in that time I have never seen the man or elf who could best him. Not in spell craft, certainly, and not in combat. It will take more than a few Cardolani warriors to defeat him, even though they were unfortunate enough to capture him. If they are wise, they will treat him well. If they are not, then you know as well as I that His Majesty abhors being restrained."
"That is true enough."
"You should try to sleep, Madame. Tomorrow will be long, and you will need your strength."
"I will try."
She lay abed for hours, but sleep, when it came, was full of nightmares. She could see him after being tortured, his broken body dragged mercilessly across the stones, trailing blood. They would chain him over a pit of flaming coals to be roasted alive. Or they would feed him to the bears, after beating him senseless and leaving him hanging helplessly in shackles. There was no scenario too horrific, no torment too gruesome, to be played out in her mind.
Unable to sleep, she went to her children. They were asleep, all of them, the fur blanket she had brought from her own bed draped loosely over them. They had no trouble sleeping; their confidence in their father was supreme. How she longed for such conviction!
Perhaps, if she stayed here, some of it would come to her. She pulled part of the blanket over herself, and lay down with her children.
Morning found the Hillfolk's town transformed into a fortress. Adzuphel declared Martial Law, requiring all the Hillfolk to stay inside unless escorted by an Angmarim soldier. Wolves freely trotted around, helping keep the civilians contained. Most of the larger buildings had been seized, and were now filled with troops, both human and orc. Some of the encampments spilled out onto the fields. Interspersed between the red and black tents were the orcish tribal insignia Ariashal knew from Carn Dum, plus some new ones: black stars on yellow, white arrows on red, blue hands on white, and many more. Carn Dum and Angmar banners swirled lazily above the tent city.
As yet no word had come from the Cardolani, a fact which puzzled Adzuphel. By now he should have received some sort of note, a ransom demand, perhaps, or at least a declaration that they had indeed taken the King. The lack of such correspondence had the men of Angmar baffled. Perhaps it was not the Cardolani who had seized him; perhaps it was some treachery here in the town. Or it might be the workings of Rhudaur.
Ariashal kept the children inside, lest anyone try to steal them too. And though she would not admit it, she also did not want them outside when word of their father's fate reached the town. They did not need to be among the first to hear of his demise.
All day long scouts, both human and lupine, reported back to Adzuphel. They could find no trace of the King, although they knew he had been taken to a small tower, several leagues away. Ariashal could not recall such a tower from her time here; it must be a new construct, built, probably, with Angmar's gold. Her brothers' treachery grew by the hour.
She finally asked Adzuphel why, if they were sure of the King's whereabouts, they did not try to free him.
Adzuphel sighed. He looked dreadful; he had not changed from the armor he had worn during last night's attack, nor had he gotten any rest. He had managed to wash the dried blood and muck from his face, but that was all he had been able to do. When she approached him with her query, he was too tired to be gentle.
"If we make an open move, they will try to kill him. I have dealt with the people of Rhudaur and Cardolan before, and I know that you spoke the truth when you said they would use whatever means they could to break him. But they cannot break him. If they try to harm him, they will be slaughtered like beasts. And if they do harm him, they will not rest, even in death. He will destroy them all."
From the look in his eye she knew that it would be useless to question him further.
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.


text:
Any Special Instructions
The ACORN Black Matte Nevada Notary Embosser is an outstanding and versatile unit
with a felt base that ensures no slipping during use. These notarial public impression seal add a
special elegant touch to any home or office. The black matte Notarial Public Impression Seal has a
black matte finish. This Notarial Public Impression Seal for the state of Nevada measures approximately
1.625 inches in diameter. The Nevada Notary Seal Package includes:
Acorn Official Notary Public Record Book
Item: 1015
Acorn Gold Foil Notary Public Seals
Item: 1018
Your Cart Doesn't!
Select any item and press the 'add to cart' button.
Acorn Soft Pocket Seal Basic Package
Slim Pre-Inked Acknowledgment Notary Stamp
All of our Nevada Notarial Public Embossed Seal and NV Notarial Public Impression Seal are backed by our 100% lifetime warranty for our
Embossing Seals. All Nevada Notarial Public Impression Seal and Notarial Public Embossed Seal typically ship in 1-2 business
days. Expedited Services are also available.
Copyright notice �2010. ACORN
Sales Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
Use of this site is subject to the
Terms & Conditions, which constitutes a legal
agreement between you and ACORN Sales Company, Inc. -
Site Map -
Please review our
Privacy / Security Policy

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Below you will find pictures of Low Carb Friends members who deserve congratulations and encouragement! They have posted their photos to let everyone know how they are doing, and to inspire us all. Take a look at some of your fellow Friends, and post your own photos! You can also post comments about other photos, so give your Friends some congratulations and encouragement! Note: There is an approval process for all posted photos and comments. They will generally be approved within 24 hours. You must be a registered member (it's FREE!) of the LowCarbFriends.com Bulletin Board to view or post pictures. Login | Register
Featured Low Carb Products!
Please support our sponsor by purchasing your low carb foods at Netrition.com to ensure that we can continue to provide this LowCarbFriends.com service for FREE!
|Copyright ©1999-2015
Friends Forums LLC. All rights reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy
LowCarbFriends® is a registered mark of Friends Forums, LLC.


text:
Saturday, September 7, 2013
U12 Girls Youth Soccer in Region 1
711 comments:1 – 200 of 711 Newer› Newest»
If people like their town teams, they why don't they stay with their town teams until college?
- December 2, 2014 at 11:45 AM
Are there older so called town teams in NJ that stuck together until college in older age groups? And were any of those girls successful and playing in a top D1 college?
- December 2, 2014 at 12:07 PM
As long as the majority of the town team's parents are committed and know all well they are shooting for there children to play at a collegiate level then it works all the way to U17.
But the majority outcome around the hitting the U14 to U15 age is when the 2 to 4 girls/boys from that move on to playing with a club team to help showcase themselves, while there teammates stay and play for social activities at there town level.
I've never seen a entire town team committed to U16/17 and all play at a high level. If you research the high level tournaments like this past Bethesda you can see at the U15/16/17 age groups you do not see any town teams entering.
If your an exceptional player you will get notice but if your in the middle of the pack player it's better to move to a club/academy team now to assure you have a roster spot and can develop into the team style of play.
- December 2, 2014 at 4:00 PM
It sounds like what is being said is that town teams do not market their players to prospective colleges as well as academy teams do, if they do at all. That's the fault of the town team and not the academy team. Maybe if town teams stepped up they wouldn't lose players.
- December 2, 2014 at 4:47 PM
It's up to the town team's local high school to market prospective colleges and you are correct they do not do this well.
You can stay at your local town team and attend a school like Immaculate Heart Academy rank #1 in girls high school soccer or spend the funds at a club/academy early. Either way you'll end up spending the money if your daughter wants to play collegiately. Even going that way you still end up playing club ball/academy ball.
- December 2, 2014 at 5:17 PM
Wake up your kids a re 12!
- December 3, 2014 at 8:35 AM
College soccer is not going to help your girl as much as excelling academically in a marketable major, or spending her time at a focused internship. Rare girl that has the luxury of college being a place to focus on soccer.
- December 3, 2014 at 9:01 AM
Why are we even talking about college.
2 years from now half of these so called all-star club teams will be gone and half the girls committed to another sport or lose passion.
Just enjoy that your daughter is having fun playing at a high level where the majority of girls on town teams wish they were playing with a PDA, NJ RUSH, SDFC, SJEB, TSF or any other kind of club team like them.
You parents thinking about college soccer already should move there child to U14 team.
- December 3, 2014 at 12:22 PM
Now if your child wants to play soccer at the highest level and she's darn good, and has got the brains academically, nothing wrong with steering them in the right direction now. They've got Kumon for kids starting at the pre-school ages, nothing wrong with letting them excel in a sport at the same time. Every child is different. If they don't have the smarts, well then of course they won't be playing at a top D1 school. All girls on those rosters have to be excelling academically and play some darn good soccer. People making comments like the two above, well..lead your children in the direction that fits best for them. At least I'll grow old having no regrets when it comes to my children and the choices which I help them decide on.
- December 3, 2014 at 12:33 PM
NJ Rush are town teams. They just put the name on a few different town programs throughout Central and South Jersey areas. Look at their webpage. As the teams get older, they just lose the town name altogether. But the players are most likely going to remain the same, with maybe the addition of a few. But to think they'd ever drop girls off of any of their teams, is highly unlikely.
- December 3, 2014 at 12:41 PM
12:41 True - NJ RUSH are Dunkin Donut Franchise of Soccer. I think there are only 2 RUSH teams in the country in ECNL (Colorado & Texas).
They go into town clubs and take over an already good team then turn them into RUSH so players don't leave.
Good Route if you are not looking for pre-ECNL teams and want the training. I like DD by the way favorite place to stop before a morning game.
- December 3, 2014 at 1:27 PM
Does anyone have any older children or their children's friends, who have or who are playing at a high level of soccer, and for whatever reason has stopped playing? Injury..lost interest..burnt out?? I'm just curious as to when the landscape starts changing a bit like some have mentioned on this blog before. And if a child does sustain an injury, does it all hold them back or prevent them from playing how they did before the injury because of having the loss of training/play. ect..?
- December 4, 2014 at 10:19 AM
The objective of the PDA Soccer Club is to provide a year-round soccer training program that will develop players to their greatest potential, focusing on top-quality instruction and exposure to the highest levels of competition. The club will form a boys team and a girls team in each of the age groups including Under-11 through Under-19. These teams will compete in premier leagues throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic states, and will participate in highly competitive tournaments nationwide. It is our goal to offer these players optimal opportunities to gain the recognition that will enable them to achieve continued success as athletes on the country's top collegiate teams, United States national teams, and/or professional soccer teams.
Looking at how Rutgers was eliminated, can't say this statement is very true. and there was a high school all American from nj who played for matchfit, pda isn't all its cracked up to be.
- December 4, 2014 at 11:58 AM
@1158. Get over it. You don't like PDA. We get it.
@1019 good question. My children are too young for the first question. But yes, I have had friends' children who have quit the sport at college to focus on school. Leaving athletic money at the table in three instances.
As to your second question, it depends on the injury and the players resolve. Fractures are usually the easiest to come back from. While tears take rehab and dedication. Christie rampone tore her Acl and came back (quite well)
- December 4, 2014 at 12:10 PM
@11:58 What makes you think that all PDA players go to Rutgers? They are scattered around many TOP colleges. Would Rutgers love to have some of those other players, I'm sure they've tried!! But, when you have players wanting to experience college somewhere else for whatever reason, whether it be - weather, education, family, friends, or what possibly other schools have to offer...it all comes down to the child. Bottom line, PDA is the top academy in NJ and every coach will tell you that, if you ask them to speak to you honestly. They both, draw and create some of the TOP soccer athletes. I've had so many different soccer clubs tell me that when looking for a place for my child who plays some good soccer. Now does every child last at PDA? No. Cause again, every child is different. Maybe they were good when they were younger but not that interested now. And yes, sometimes the parents want to force it, and that might even make the child steer away from it even more. For whatever reason, soccer landscapes change. Do your research. You'll see many TOP soccer college rosters (both in athletics and academics-D1) that have PDA players on them. And no, that's not the only route to get to these schools. But, it's a really nice way to have your child, if she's a top soccer player, play for a team with a bunch of players and parents, on the same wave length, and having fun traveling and competing together. Most TOP schools have more girls from ECNL rosters than not. Google ECNL on youtube. What the whole idea was of this league, is to provide a higher level of play for the girls who are the best of the best. This league wouldn't exist if that were not true and if it wasn't meeting expectations and bringing truth to its existence. It's an unbelievable league with excellent talent.
- December 4, 2014 at 1:25 PM
If all of the top soccer players in nj stayed and played for their state university, Rutgers would win the ncaa championship. It'd be a close call with SoCal teams. Just like all the nj born and raised football players. One nj football player was heavily recruited by Rutgers and chose Ohio State due to what they had to offer plus he was going to Ohio State's football camps since he was 9. And look where that guy is now. A college star, most likely will be drafted into the NFL. So NO ONE could say that 'they're only 12, why are you talking about college'. Wake up people. Life flashes right before our eyes.
- December 4, 2014 at 1:40 PM
Thank you! Someone finally agrees that at 12 yrs old its time to stop coddling these kids. There comes a time when these kids will have to work hard for something; SATs, a job or having to juggle a heavy workload and they won't be prepared. Youth sports is a great avenue for them to learn valuable lessons.
- December 5, 2014 at 8:35 AM
thought this was interesting:
205 ECNL alumni are currently playing in the Big Ten Conference.
Nearly 53% of the players in the Big Ten Conference are ECNL alums.
There were 58 ECNL alums in the 2014 Big Ten freshman class, the second consecutive year the ECNL was 50% or more of the class.
The 2013 Big 10 All-Freshman Team includes eight ECNL alumni, and the 2013 Goalkeeper of the Year, Defender of the Year, and Midfielder of the Year are from ECNL clubs.
from: http://eliteclubsnationalleague.com/home/841827.html
Just the Big Ten but if you believe the stat 53% of the players were former ECNL players.
So - little over half - so there is another half that get there without ECNL. It would be interesting to know what the other avenues are and the %'s for each. But clearly playing ECNL is a way to get there - at least in Big Ten and the other confs on the site.
- December 5, 2014 at 2:28 PM
Please enough with the ECNL and talk of college they are 11-12 years old. I bet if you ask your daughter what her major is going to be in college she couldn't even answer that question without thinking it over.
We are still 2 years away for those in 7th grade and 3 years away the 6th graders at U12.
I understand we are trying to give our daughters a path one way or another but let that happen when the time comes at U12 they are still developing technical skills and tactics.
- December 5, 2014 at 3:50 PM
ECNL is a great option to keep that high level of play. Being one of the top 3 NPL teams in the state and top 5 in region 1 is an equal option. As long as your child is playing at a high level, she'll continue to learn the game.
- December 5, 2014 at 4:23 PM
Only the kids are those 10 teams continue to learn the game. I dont know what the kids on the other 200 teams think they are doing but it is not learning the game.
- December 6, 2014 at 4:58 PM
I know dozens of people driving around in $50,000 cars that could not drive 10 feet in cheap stick shift. You do not need to play in the ecnl to learn bow to play "the game".
- December 6, 2014 at 5:05 PM
Who won EDP open cup games today?
- December 6, 2014 at 8:06 PM
What's edp open cup games?
- December 8, 2014 at 9:55 AM
No, ECNL is just an option. If your child plays on one of the high level teams, she's going to get exposure and excellent training. That is probably how they reached that high level to begin with. Great talent plus great training plus great playing atmosphere = growth in the game. And don't forget to credit the parents for dropping everything for their kids, to give them the opportunities to go further. ;-)
- December 8, 2014 at 10:05 AM
How is the U12 Matchfit girls seem to be doing?
I know the U13's are doing pretty well. Just figured I'd ask since there was a lot of bashing about Matchfit in past posts....
- December 9, 2014 at 9:12 AM
I believe they have 3 teams at the age group? With the Holmdel team being the best out of the 3. They aren't realistically a top 10 NJ team. The other 2 consist of a team out of Summit who have a very poor record and the other is their NE NPL team who again have a disappointing record. So... that should tell you all you need to know really.
- December 9, 2014 at 2:16 PM
Rutgers women's soccer just finished ranked 25th in the nation in the final NSCAA poll of the year. A great first season in the BIG10 for the state university with 19 NJ girls on their roster...... from various clubs in the state.
- December 9, 2014 at 3:08 PM
Match Fit is in Pre-ECNL mode similar to PDA is modeling. The 3 teams are setup as supplement teams to feed an ECNL team 2 years from now at U14.
Poor records, GS points, winning tourney's and leagues do not mean anything to these clubs at U12.
They are prepping and developing the players to identify and to ask players to join an ECNL team along side with staying within one of the 3 teams they have. Pyramid model, which is a good model knowing that your daughter will always have a chance to perform year round and get called up to an ECNL squad.
Please do the research before making comments of teams having a poor record and saying it should tell you a story, very poor advice. If you want to go the route of joining an ECNL team later in time this is a good way your happy with several of the club teams playing top level NPL this is also a good path. Either way if your daughter is good she will be noticed.
- December 9, 2014 at 3:12 PM
- December 9, 2014 at 3:33 PM
Doesn't MF have 4 teams? North, NJX, Summit, and Montclair?
- December 9, 2014 at 5:03 PM
Developing players means an improvement in results as a byproduct. If results worsen then you can only assume that they are not developing as well as the teams around them. That is the case for all 3 MF teams mentioned.
I would be shocked if between those 3 teams 10 or more players will be on their ECNL roster come U14 season. That number will realistically be closer to 5.
- December 9, 2014 at 6:46 PM
6:46 - How do you know when a player is being developed or not?
- December 9, 2014 at 8:30 PM
All players will improve given time. I have seen many players hit plateaus for a year or 2 and then had a huge development as a player. We all know the other type of player who consistently develops. Not everyone is the same. We are talking about 11-12 year olds, who knows what path they will follow in 2 years time let alone 2 weeks time.
I am also not saying that specific teams don't develop players. But some coaches do it better than others. And a good indication is results from Day 1 in the Fall to the last day in Spring. If results improve in relation to the competition they faced from Fall to Spring then you can safely assume that the coach has developed the players and therefore the team. If results worsen then they have stood still whilst others around them have improved.
These are just my opinions based on previous experiences with other children playing the game over the years. I'd love to hear other peoples thoughts. It's a good topic to discuss.
- December 9, 2014 at 10:44 PM
"How is the U12 Matchfit girls seem to be doing?
I know the U13's are doing pretty well. Just figured I'd ask since there was a lot of bashing about Matchfit in past posts...."
Its mid December and you just happened to randomly ask about Match Fit out of concern for the girls. What a great display of humanity. Such kindness. With so much hatred in the world, its wonderful to check on the blog and witness such random acts of kindness.
- December 10, 2014 at 7:33 AM
Development comes in stages, but by far the biggest part of development is through opportunity.
Because physical development is ongoing and can often happen later rather than sooner, all the focus should be on technical training. Sure, teams can rely on the biggest and the fastest kid, but all that tends to even out later and if that one player leaves, the team has not developed much else and then struggles.
There is so much variability at the U9-U13 ages because of physical development. But, if you chase the wins and state cups now, you risk sacrificing long term success from developing an entire team of skilled players.
As you hit U14 and U15, the physical development is most likely over. Kids have been technically trained. Now comes the mental development. Who is complacent and who has the fire? Who is the butterfly? Who has the high soccer IQ? If you try to start teaching kids now about position, it may be too late. Kids may already be so comfortable in positions that may not be suited for them.
Take a small, slow defender. They've played defense since U9. But, after puberty, what if they grow to a decent size and suddenly have decent speed that they could be a talented striker? Conversely, the small, fast strikers that score goals at the early ages, may struggle against bigger, tougher defenders at the older ages. These strikers should perhaps be better suited as a wing back or outside mid, but they've never played there.
A good team will enforce development through technical training and multiple positional play, often at the expense of winning games. Results should not dictate where you want your daughter to play. However, these opportunities may not be readily available.
- December 10, 2014 at 7:57 AM
What's going to happen to NJX Sol? A handful of those girls have a lot of talent and can be very good if trained properly. They have a very fast girl that has a lot of potential when she learns to use her teammates more. Also a very good defender small but will do well anywhere and another small outside mid that sees the field very well.
- December 10, 2014 at 8:36 AM
@ 8:36, Sounds like maybe you are a worried NJX parent? If so, I wouldn't worry at all. NJX is a great team. They play at the highest level and that is what is needed for great development. I wouldn't worry about a thing. Because NJX plays at the highest level, there is always the possibility of luring additional players as well if ever needed. As long as the children have a great, competitive soccer environment, they will all excel. Being under the MatchFit umbrella will have it's benefits. I know, us parents, sometimes are anxious and always wondering if we have our children on the best team that fits them, and if we need to move them somewhere else..but we all need to relax, and just let the game and the children continue their development and letting them have fun. Don't make decisions, that you may possibly regret later on.
- December 10, 2014 at 11:44 AM
@ 7:57 am ~ "But, if you chase the wins and state cups now, you risk sacrificing long term success from developing an entire team of skilled players." ~ I don't personally agree with this stated opinion. I think teams should 'play to win', whether they lose/win. I think it's a great idea to participate in these high level tourneys and the State's NCS. Players are trained during their practice/training sessions during the week and come game time, will play. And not sure where your daughter plays, but a lot of the high level teams do move several of their players around, not all, but several. The players who aren't moved around, usually play other positions during friendlies, guesting, training sessions. So no matter what, players are getting other experiences to develop in other positions.
I do agree with your statement "Conversely, the small, fast strikers that score goals at the early ages, may struggle against bigger, tougher defenders at the older ages." I've seen this happen. And can be hard for those children, and their parents. This is where it can get tough and start causing issues between teammates, parents, coaches, ect.. Parents, most of all, look for excuses and wonder why their child isn't performing like they used to. The child and/or parents start getting envious of other players that are still performing well, and issues arise from all around. Parents can sometimes start to think, 'maybe I need to move my child off of this team'. But it's not necessary. Children hit plateaus. They'll get over them.
- December 10, 2014 at 12:05 PM
Not sure if it's true or not, just what I heard.....But I heard TSF doesn't let players move around at all. Even if parents/players request it. They are strictly about winning.
- December 10, 2014 at 12:07 PM
Sorry I am not an NJX parent. Last week there was a girl or 2 at my daughters training so I was just curious as to why. My daughter has been playing against you guys for a while and the few stood out. That's all! Good luck with your team.
- December 10, 2014 at 1:17 PM
@1:17. I'm actually not a parent of an NJX player but I just think that they are one of the great teams. I'm from Central/South, NJ not North. But wow, I wonder why players of NJX are looking at another team when we all play each other. Did you hear why they are looking to move? I'm just curious at this age, why players would be looking to move off of top teams.
- December 10, 2014 at 2:05 PM
To the person that said Rutgers was ranked 25th overall...I don't see them listed. The following is the TOP 25 D1 rankings:
1 Florida St.
2 Texas A&M
4 Stanford
5 Virginia
6 Penn St.
7 Florida
8 North Carolina
9 Wisconsin
10 South Carolina
11 West Virginia
12 Pepperdine
13 Notre Dame
14 Texas Tech
15 Washington
16 Virginia Tech
18 Kentucky
19 UConn
20 DePaul
21 California
22 South Fla.
23 Boston U.
24 Washington St.
25 Auburn
and...look at a player on Florida State - -> where is she from - - >
won't list her name, but you can do your research:
* Participated in the Player Development Academy (PDA) 2004-13.
* Played on the Region I & II ODP teams (2007-08)...participated in winter camps in 2007.
* Played with the North Jersey Valkyries of the W-League for two seasons.
- December 10, 2014 at 2:14 PM
NSCAA poll from yesterday. I don't know when that poll you posted is from, and who it is from, but UVA is number 2.
- December 10, 2014 at 2:52 PM
per NCAA rankings updated today 12/10/14
- December 10, 2014 at 2:57 PM
I guess college is like youth soccer rankings. Just because you win by 1 or 2 goals against some same level teams and work yourself up in the NCAA to become finalists in the Championship game, doesn't mean you'll be ranked 2nd overall. Then again, are all ranking systems different in college as well??
- December 10, 2014 at 3:07 PM
You posted the final RPI poll. The NSCAA poll does have Rutgers at #25.
- December 10, 2014 at 3:13 PM
oh nice, okay. What is the difference in the two?
- December 10, 2014 at 3:15 PM
- December 10, 2014 at 4:48 PM
'The NSCAA College Rankings are an indicator of week-to-week status of qualified programs and in no way should be used as a guide or indicator of eligibility for championship selection.'
- December 10, 2014 at 4:56 PM
You can measure development by College Commitments. A quick look at the 2015s on TDS show a ton of PDA and MF players committed. 3 from Greater Flemington (all D1). 1 from Wall (D1) and 1 from Copa (D3). Where are all the other players, teams, and clubs????
- December 10, 2014 at 8:17 PM
NJX is losing ground to most of the top teams - can't compete in top flight. Still a very solid town team. If you are top two or three, consider moving sooner than. MF not a good option, hopefully they will be down the road.
- December 10, 2014 at 9:58 PM
@817 Commitments are a great way to measure success. In NJ, there is PDA, MF, WC and FC Bucks leading the commitments for 2015. Stallions has quite a few (nice work), Yms has a few, Rush, and Copa, just one to DIII.
- December 10, 2014 at 11:09 PM
@11:09 Top drawer doesn't have all the commits though. I think it's up to the parents and child if they want to submit it to them for it to be listed. And not sure if you have to pay any sort of money for it?
- December 11, 2014 at 9:12 AM
Yes Top Drawer has a cost and doesn't show all the commitments.
You know Penn Fusion, FC Delco ECNL clubs in PA have girls committed but they are not a the list yet.
Many players/parents are possibly still working out financial commitments with colleges they have chosen.
The amazing part is look how many girls committed with a graduation year of 2017, amazing how they are choosing already during their sophomore year. Many things can changed Junior and Senior years.
- December 11, 2014 at 10:17 AM
I thought girls weren't eligible to commit that early.
- December 11, 2014 at 10:31 AM
10:31 I also thought the same thing. Can anyone on this blog explain or know how that works.
This will be helpful for the fact if your committing that early you can bypass your Jr./Sr. high school years to prevent injury and just play club. Also giving parents 2 years of financially to help prepare their child to prevent from borrowing additional loans because I'm sure it's only the .01% of those girls committed got full rides if any.
- December 11, 2014 at 10:37 AM
If someone has time, can they send the link of kids that committed etc from that site , cant seem to find it.
- December 11, 2014 at 11:54 AM
Isn't this a u 12 blog???
- December 11, 2014 at 12:19 PM
Also, someone mentioned about not chasing wins and state cups...WHY on earth not?? Many of these top teams are preparing their teams for this because if you win State Cup, you advance to Region 1 Championships. Even winning Region 1 Championship is preparing these girls and giving these girls better competition. Starting now at U13, if you win USYS Region 1 Championship then you move onto Nationals and play the top teams from everywhere! Who wouldn't want their child part of that? One NJ girl who plays for UVA (2nd place NCAA-D1 team 2014), played for FC Penn Strikers (NOT ECNL), who won Region 1 Championship before being able to move onto Nationals bc they were not in an old enough age bracket, then they won Region 1 again a couple times, went to Nationals, and won that also! She also participated in ODP at the State and Region level for NJ. People forget that if you are on a top playing team, they will get there! USYS will lead the way. You don't have to be in US Club soccer's leagues to get there. Play soccer at a high level, your child will grow as a player and get noticed later on. Both US Club and USYS both have ways for top teams to play top competition. Trained girls need to compete to win, to get to that next level.
- December 11, 2014 at 12:39 PM
This is a U12 blog, and the focus of many parents that come to this blog including myself, are focused on soccer at a top level and plan for the near future with our children. If you don't feel the same, don't hate---appreciate, and don't say anything about it. You can write whatever you feel that you want to as well and I'm sure someone will give you an answer to whatever it is you want to know about. If you feel that strongly about not seeing certain stuff that is posted on this blog, then you don't have to come on here and check it at all. Just saying.
- December 11, 2014 at 12:47 PM
my correction, was carried away, but not even sure if the UVA player's club team had actually WON the National Championship but they were in it..and look at that exposure for all teams who even make it there. And participating in ODP seems to also be beneficial.
- December 11, 2014 at 1:07 PM
Food for thought:
2014 Region 1 Championship - U12 girls - ->WINNER - ->SACHEM SPEED (1) - PDA Storm (0)
Sachem Speed (NY-E)
National Rank - 101
Region 1 Rank - 46
NYE Rank - 9
PDA Storm (NJ)
National Rank - 32
Region 1 Rank - 14
NJ Rank - 3
Don't get wrapped up in rankings people. If your team is a top team, they can get there if they work hard as a team.
- December 11, 2014 at 2:12 PM
i'm curious as to why region 1 odp head coach gets to be the 2002G head coach when his daughter and girls that he already knows get automatic bids to the region pool. he's a current u13 coach of his daughter's Eastern PA club team. I hate politics when it comes to youth sports.
- December 11, 2014 at 3:27 PM
I wondering why the NJ girl went to PA to play on a soccer team.
- December 11, 2014 at 7:19 PM
Fc penn strikers only train one team at a time all the way up until they hit college. She was South Jersey and maybe that was the only good option for her in that time. Their current team is at the U15 age.
- December 11, 2014 at 10:19 PM
u would think, w/ all the $$$ parents have to pay for ODP, that region 1 would hire someone from the 'outside'
- December 12, 2014 at 9:54 AM
Are there high level tournaments that aren't ranked through Got soccer?
- December 12, 2014 at 2:04 PM
@447 u ddnt say that the team aint won a game all seson that team aint elite they last place in lowest brackt no devlopment their kick and run and no cant score. do you homework before think of going any where so u know
- December 15, 2014 at 10:03 AM
Everyone here is being sold on (BS) from the academy clubs. It's all about developing your child right now u12-u14 to the best of their ability and then hope that she still wants to play by U14 and U15 when it really matters. ECNL, NPL and whatever acronym they come up next to impress or confuse parents hoping that they will jump on the next best thing for their child's exposure. IN THE END what really matters are the connections your coach has with college recruits plus your child's performance on the field, outstanding soccer skills, and knowledge of the game. It's all about how well your child performs not the team or the league they are playing for. Save you money.
- December 15, 2014 at 11:10 AM
@11:10am - You speak about development at academy is BS. How are you supposed to have your daughter developing if she is not surrounded by equally or better players at practices, games, and tourneys.
The money being spent to what you call BS is to assure parents they have dedicated players around their daughter wanting the same thing. Yes you will have the 1 or 2 players that shine at town travel but when it comes down the line they end up falling behind because they are around non-dedicated players/parents.
The PDA's, Matchfits, etc. provide this competitive atmosphere throughout there programs keeps girls on there toes so they know where they are at by U14/U15.
- December 15, 2014 at 11:38 AM
"Anonymous said...
@447 u ddnt say that the team aint won a game all seson that team aint elite they last place in lowest brackt no devlopment their kick and run and no cant score. do you homework before think of going any where so u know
December 15, 2014 at 10:03 AM"
Can anyone decipher this? I can't figure out who this is addressed to and what they are even referring to.
- December 15, 2014 at 1:22 PM
@1:22pm - I think 447 is a what I call a blog jumper and posted on the wrong blog. lol.
The blog should be setup as groups. So this way certain discussions and subjects are together.
Can the Admin do this?
- December 15, 2014 at 6:02 PM
11:38am. The notion of how can my daughter develop if she isn't surrounded by better or equal players is nonsense. Soccer is a team sport but at this age it is the technical abilities being developed. Those can be worked on alone as well as in groups. A good coach will push the best players at training as well as the ones who are struggling. If your coach isn't doing that then i'd be concerned.
MF and PDA have notoriously mediocre coaches. You can be surrounded with greatness but if you're not being corrected how do you hope to improve? Its the equivalent of sitting next to Jimi Hendrix playing guitar and you trying to copy him with no instruction. Whereas you think you can just pick up the guitar and play because you're playing with Hendrix. Ludicrous.
- December 16, 2014 at 12:07 AM
You're listening to Jimi....but you can't hear him.
- December 16, 2014 at 8:22 AM
Please tell us where the non mediocre coaches are?
- December 16, 2014 at 5:52 PM
@5:52 I was going to ask that same question. Every club has it's goods and bads I'm sure. But a club like PDA, I'm sure if the coach is 'eh' they'd get rid of them. I don't have my daughter at PDA, but I'd like to at least try and give her that option.
- December 16, 2014 at 9:05 PM
@11:38 - You are so blinded you can go ahead and believe that your daughter will continue to develop into the player you believe she will become practicing with girls not as equal or better. Yes a coach can challenge her but how does that look to other parents when a coach is focused on one player and others are not dedicated.
Thus the reason when U14/15 age arrive the landscape you will see will totally different PDA's, MachFits other Elite clubs will end up capturing and retaining the best players. Parents/players will be looking back saying what I believe that development comes from the individual passion but with her surrounds can influence it greatly(Good coaches, better players, club influences).
- December 17, 2014 at 9:41 AM
All i know is that right now i want my daughter on a team with good coaching and her being top third of the group than on a team where she is in the bottom third and non existent coaching.
Players can only learn so much when playing against better competition. If they repeatedly make mistakes with no correction then they will be stuck.
- December 17, 2014 at 1:54 PM
1:54pm I'm glad you are thinking in the right direction. If she is on the bottom 3rd and you know she has potential to be in the top third then a move is necessary soon. I would even look to see if teams are in need of players in the spring.
Players moving in the spring benefit more than the fall, because of other players that may possibly miss games due to other spring sports -(Softball, Lax) Your daughter may get the opportunity to receive more playing time to prove herself as well.
- December 17, 2014 at 2:01 PM
If you child truly wants to be a high level player keep her in the environment that will challenge her. Get her training with players that are better than her or older than her. Soccer is more about speed of play than size alone. Having a coach with a proven track record of development is more productive at this age and will allow your daughter to play anywhere on the field.
Please don't have your daughter be locked into one position at this time. Learning all the positions on the field will strengthen her game.
- December 19, 2014 at 9:37 AM
9:37am Very well said! It's like school if your child is overachieving at school do you think the teachers keep them in the same classes that's why there Honor's classes or level up classes to move kids into.
- December 19, 2014 at 9:54 AM
Does anyone have an idea how the ECNL,NPL,EDP will be bracketed next fall at U13. Will there be an NPL bracket for core clubs followed by EDP brackets?
I know US Club has ECNL as there top league followed by NPL and then EDP brackets and MSSL in our region.
Will it be broken down like this with some cross-games between NPL and EDP. Pre-ECNL does not cross play except in tournaments.
ECNL - Accepted clubs only.
NPL - Core Clubs participate occasional cross play between EDP
EDP - Based on team status/ranking
MSSL - Teams wanting to leave local area league
- December 23, 2014 at 10:15 AM
EDP's 1st Division is NPL I thought. Winning 1st Division in EDP will take teams to the NPL Championship. It's one of the leagues that's part of NPL.
- December 27, 2014 at 7:01 PM
9:37 - You are on the money! No one has ever gotten better at something if they hang with the mediocre crowd. Only when challenged physically and mentally will you grow. And soccer is one of them. Playing and practicing with focused, committed and skilled players will definitely challenge your daughter's ability to achieve the next level.
- December 29, 2014 at 9:36 AM
7:01pm So what your saying is division 1 in EDP is the NPL bracket and if a local strong town team win's it they will go to the NPL Championship and the clubs that sponsor the EDP (i.e. Northeast NPL - PDA, World Class, Penn Fusion) are out. Why even sponsor the league if any team that is strong can go.
This is the reason why ECNL is making a huge push to stay exclusive to specific clubs and strong players end up flocking to those clubs. NPL needs to model it also especially if clubs are sponsoring the league.
- December 29, 2014 at 10:02 AM
EDP is the only NPL league in the country not run by US Club (run by MAPS). All other NPL leagues have only fully committed clubs play in their NPL top division (just like ECNL). EDP just has what they feel are the best teams in the top divisions.
If a team wins the EDP league and isn't what they call a "core club" i don't believe they can represent the EDP league at Nationals. Instead it will be the core club who finished highest in the division. I could be wrong on that though so if anyone knows different then feel free to share!
- December 29, 2014 at 3:45 PM
@3:45: I wouldn't be surprised if there was such a rule for EDP but I hope not. If a team is good enough to compete - and win - it shouldn't matter. Those teams are paying to be in the league as well.
Rules like that do nothing to help competition in general. Its like Cable companies having exclusive rights to provide service to an area - look how well thats worked out in terms of $$ you have to pay.
Let everyone participate if they can compete - kids will have more opportunity and parents will have more options = less $$. The only ones that win the other way are the organizations that create the leagues and the various academies and pseudo academies that look to create the barriers to entry so that they can justify themselves and the $$ they charge to be a part of them.
- December 29, 2014 at 6:51 PM
Can anyone explain to me the edp open cup? When exactly are the games to be played ? The gotsoccer page gives a wide date range.
- December 29, 2014 at 7:00 PM
@3:45pm - Thanks for the insight, very interested if you rule is true if a local town team wins the division they will be accepted for Nationals.
Landscape is changing every year so I'm wondering what US Youth will do to counter US Club ECNL and NPL. There is always something new around the corner.
Also makes me think all this Gotsoccer talk will be gone in a few years after every realizes the ECNL teams do not seem to care about points collected leagues and tournaments
- December 30, 2014 at 9:38 AM
Does anyone have a daughter that will be trying out for a team next season, that will eventually be part of the ECNL? If so, then why? (I am highly considering it for my daughter and want to assure it would be the right move)
- December 30, 2014 at 2:33 PM
Are you or your daughter unhappy with current team? Which team(s) are you considering ? If you don't mind saying :)
- December 30, 2014 at 3:38 PM
I'm interested in learning more about some of the ECNL teams moving forward as well. Looking at PDA, MF, PF, Delco, and heard possibly LVU along with another NJ team joining in with the ECNL.
- December 30, 2014 at 4:19 PM
what time frame if any have you heard for LVU and another jersey team joining ECNL? 2015-2016 or after that?
- December 30, 2014 at 5:02 PM
Isn't it up to ecnl who they admit to their ranks? Also what nj team was a possibility ? Thx.
- December 30, 2014 at 5:09 PM
419. Without being too nosy, how near or far from all of those teams are you ? Unfortunately I personally am not able to drive 3-4 hrs daily round trip 3x a week to practice which limits options. Just curious where you are or how you make this work. Will your daughter practice with these teams ? Is she unhappy at current team?
- December 30, 2014 at 5:13 PM
Most players would never waste that kind of driving time to play for an ecnl team and even more cannot afford to waste the cash. That leaves lots of talented players on other teams and leagues closer by and more affordable. Go and play with some of them and have a great time with this great sport. Your child is not fundamentally harmed in some way if you cannot provide the time or money for her to play on a certain team.
- December 30, 2014 at 5:26 PM
Yes I agree ECNL probably makes up for less than half of the girls in the America that can play high level there are many more players where parents cannot drive 2-3 hours away to make 3x practices each week.
The ECNL system is great for exposure but flawed in the aspect where it does not support the other half that cannot attend those clubs. Thus the reason why I support Gotsoccer for older age groups it can show strong teams/players and eventually rank them high enough in tournament and league play for those players to get exposure.
- December 31, 2014 at 10:41 AM
Very good odds that you will always have to travel and pay up for non ecnl teams at older ages. There will only be a few good teams that survive and they are usually second rate clubs with same price and distance issues.
Some of these teams are very good - but much fewer and very difficult odds of picking the right one with time running out. Time will tell.
- January 1, 2015 at 12:07 PM
So what are you saying ? Might as well go ecnl ? And that of course assumes the kid would even make pda mf or WC. Bc what else is there?
- January 1, 2015 at 1:31 PM
What are these other good teams from second rate clubs ?
- January 1, 2015 at 1:34 PM
From the GU15 thread:
This is a great article about a player (2016 graduate) with a verbal commitment from NC State. She's never played at a big academy, got exposure at camps and showcases and was able to get noticed. It just shows what can be done if you just love the sport.
- January 1, 2015 at 2:20 PM
Nice for her. Solid , big fast forwards will always stand out and be recognized. Most Coaches will always take chances with great athletes. NC state needs all the help they can get, they are horrible.
- January 1, 2015 at 6:46 PM
I've seen that girl play it just shows there are different avenues. She was noticed and awarded, now imagine if she was with high level club team, or playing in ID2/ODP or some type of identification program what she could of been making US Nationals. Either way she is happy of the outcome she did without the push of all the things we talk about on this blog.
- January 2, 2015 at 9:41 AM
NC state is ranked 247th, she should be playing for a top 50 program.
- January 2, 2015 at 9:56 AM
9:56 am - Does it matter if NC State is ranked 247th she is getting to play the sport she loves and get academically sound. She may also be the girl that improves the program and in a few years that will attract more talented girls and they move it to the TOP 50.
Some people don't get it, there are many parents that don't have the funds to play PDA, MatchFit, Worldclass, etc. She was able get to a point without them.
- January 2, 2015 at 10:39 AM
But imagine the money that girl's family was spending on going to college camps and so forth. If she went to NC State's soccer camp, they'd have to pay for the camp, and then probably pay for her flight or if they didn't want her to go by herself, they'd pay for their flight, then hotel for her family. And if she wanted to look at, at least 10 schools to really see where she wanted to fit in academically and to what kind of soccer program, the family was probably spending a lot of money. Not to mention she probably had soccer training on the side growing up which I'm sure the costs of everything would come out equally.
- January 2, 2015 at 11:55 AM
There is no doubt that a hefty bank account is of great assistance to providing a solid soccer education to a child like most youth sports. But soccer is too much fun to deter all the kids that love it from families without that kind of cash. Some will find a way to stick with it and excel.
If it was less costly the door to the top levels of play would be open to many more players but that is not the american way.
- January 2, 2015 at 12:11 PM
The American Way! That is the biggest laugh on this blog I have heard. Go and look at football/baseball/basketball players they find a way. Read up on Lebron James as a youth. It just shows the powers with $$$$ control Soccer in America.
I know they are two different sports but in all fairness give credit where credit is due the girl achieve something 99% of our girls wish will have when they turn 16. I bet that girl didn't even pay for camps she probably reached out herself to attend the camps for free after requests from being scouted. You think every kid pays for college camps if a scout see's someone they like and parents/player are not interested in the school do you think they would offer a free camp to that player as marketing agenda to showoff the school athletic fields and campus.
- January 2, 2015 at 2:48 PM
I give her a lot of credit. I have no idea the financial situation of her family.
In this country, the families of girl soccer players finance their children's development. That is obviously a much bigger challenge for players of limited means.
- January 2, 2015 at 4:05 PM
So the question to everyone is it more important to finance your daughter on academics let's say attend a good private school like Immaculata High or finance your daughter at an academy soccer know going into U14 as a freshman she is only in the middle or bottom of the pack on a ECNL/NPL team.
Versus finding a strong town team to play for that and being on the top end of the team that also go to showcases.
- January 2, 2015 at 5:00 PM
Soccer is a sport and an activity. If it is driving any significant decisions regarding academic choices it is putting the cart before the horse. These girls will be ultimately entering a tough and competitive career environment. Academic decisions should be focused on a well considered career path. If soccer can fit into that path, great but why should it drive such an important decision as where to get an education.
- January 2, 2015 at 6:51 PM
She made a verbal TO NC State. NC State did not verbal TO her. They cannot as it is against NCAA rules for them to offer at this moment in time. Right now, if you want to be technical, she is a walk-on as NC State cannot talk to her about a financial package either at this moment in time. Verbals are non-binding. Either party can back out at any time.
- January 2, 2015 at 8:10 PM
There is so much misinformation posted on this blog, it is scary. If you know someone who has been through the process before, seek them out.
- January 3, 2015 at 9:07 AM
You are correct 9:07AM there is a lot of misinformation posted on this blog. I enjoy jumping around from age group to age group, but in all the blogs I find this one to be the most disturbing. That is why my New Year's resolution is to begin imparting the TRUTH on all U12 blog readers. We will examine the truths, the misinformation, the people who are in it for their own good, and those who seek to discredit other people. The TRUTH will set you all free! George Orwell once wrote, "In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act." There is a lot of deceit on this blog. Time to get revolutionary! See you soon.
The TRUTH
- January 5, 2015 at 2:23 PM
TRUTH, so you do you think the ECNL Metro division will expand in the near future? If so, what club(s) do you thiunk have a chance of gaining entrance?
- January 5, 2015 at 3:51 PM
TRUTH there is no TRUTH to youth soccer. Every age group, club, etc. has different internal and external stories.
Programs, agenda's change every year
This is U12 - Still in development stage 50% of the girls will not even be playing this game at U15
- January 5, 2015 at 5:49 PM
The TRUTH has many contacts in the soccer community and has heard many rumors. First you must know that if you do your research the ECNL is not currently taking new member clubs for the 2014-15 season. However, here is the TRUTH as I know it.
Nationally speaking there are many great clubs who have applied, are applying and aspire to apply to the ECNL. Contacts out west have said that Legends FC has a great chance of getting added. They are sandwiched in between Real SoCal (west of Los Angeles) and Arsenal (Murrieta, CA) but they are a good club that consistently produces top flight teams. They are in Chino, CA and probably have enough distance between them to support it and enough talent to support it. Such is the animal of Southern California.
Friends down south say that Tophat continues to apply and should be accepted. They consistently have good teams year after year and deserve that nod. Of course as good as Tophat is there is always politics from the Atlanta Fire. No one wants competition in their backyard. Loudon is another good club in Virginia they are attempting to apply. No way FC Virginia will like that. Not saying that Loudon deserves it but just letting you know the TRUTH, they are applying.
You have to understand that while the ECNL has all the right ideas and intentions, it is riddled with politics and adding a team is considered big business. Additions are decided by a board of member clubs so self serving agendas and politics will always play apart. Much like big companies like to control the market share, so do these clubs. Allowing others to share in the market place reduces their value. Supply and demand. Some of the clubs in our area such as PDA like to c-block other clubs and they have had the stature to do so. If I as PDA can't offer you anything different than another club, say SDFC, then how can I take your top three and drop my bottom three? Personally I find it to be a crime because there are many fine programs in New Jersey that have been in the shadow of PDA not necessarily because PDA has a better model but because they were in the game first. Always something to say about being in the game first. Match Fit is here as well. No real substance at the younger ages but they have a model that they advertise to get you there later. They do nothing early for player development but capitalize later.
Like DeAngelo Barksdale said in the HBO show - the Wire, "the king stay the king."
But there is always room for change....
- January 6, 2015 at 12:59 AM
....Clubs such as STA have made great strides and their teams at each age group are getting better. SDFC is a great club but in the PDA backyard and still too small. NJ Crush has good teams, apparently not at your U12 age group but at other age groups. NJ Wildcats want ECNL status as do many other programs. Apparently down in South Jersey clubs like the South Jersey Elite Barons want it but they will never get it because they don't have enough good teams or history. They have a gimmicky model, nice packaging but no substance.
To your question, if you look at the ECNL divisions there would certainly support an addition to the Metro Division because other divisions are bigger. But good luck in allowing a team to be added with the big boys laying down the hammer. Do be on the look out for an addition in the New England Division soon. A good friend has kids who play for NEFC and they stand an excellent chance with a solid club history and quality teams.
January 1 @ 2:20PM, thanks for posting the article, this blog needs to hear more about girls who are not in ECNL programs who can achieve their dreams; meaning playing soccer at a high level and achieving a free education. The TRUTH believes in the underdog and does not like the fact that many of these clubs suffer at certain age groups and the big boys benefit because they have access that other clubs do not. What's more, it isn't really true as evident by the 2:20PM post. The thing to remember is that having read much of your blog I see that there are a lot of self serving agendas. Many are operating on fear. Your fear. If you have happen to be the parent of a child who is in the top 1-2% players in the state, your child doesn't need to be on an ECNL team to get recognized, she just has to be a good player. More to come on how to get you daughter recognized, opportunities to consider and the shenanigans that go on in this blog to scare you otherwise.
TRUTH is as TRUTH does!
- January 6, 2015 at 1:02 AM
An athletic scholarship is not "a free education". There are very real costs in terms of time, pressure, limiting some academic opportunities, driving school selection. Scholarship players must understand the costs as well as the benefits.
- January 6, 2015 at 10:28 AM
If ECNL was smart they would do it as a Team to Team basis vs. club. With ranking systems available to the public eye now it can so show enough proven history for a team to compete vs. and of the ECNL clubs.
It most cases you have parents' driving hours to play for a PDA/Matchfit and politics do come in play heavily depending on area you are from. And that's the TRUTH.
- January 6, 2015 at 10:51 AM
Why does anyone care how people choose to spend their soccer time and dollars? Do your homework and find the best fit you can for your child and your family. There are so many options now from ECNL luxury brand to value town clubs.
- January 6, 2015 at 11:27 AM
Truth Guy:
Upstate NY has no ECNL avenues yet, but on the Syracuse Development Academy website they state they are seeking acceptance. Do you feel there's any truth to this? Thanks
- January 6, 2015 at 1:17 PM
Word on the street is that NJX might not be able to field a team in the Spring. Dissention in the ranks. People jumping ship...maybe that's why they have been soo quiet on here lately. It has been nice not hearing them praise each other for almost winning games.
- January 8, 2015 at 4:59 PM
I heard Maximus was looking for players and a goalie.
I know they currently practice all the time indoors. Has anyone heard of a team not getting outdoors to practice at all?
- January 9, 2015 at 8:51 AM
Indoor practices year round is nice as the parents do not have to worry about cancellations of practices.
Only downfall will be if the girls get impacted the weather elements when playing outdoors. (Cold, Rain, Heat etc.)
Next question: What does everyone think of the US Youth Champions League starting at U13.
Will competition be identical to ECNL or NPL leagues?
- January 9, 2015 at 12:59 PM
My guess on the next and only additional accepted ECNL club in NJ w/ proven team history and their own indoor turf facility, NJ Stallions Academy. They play year round, excellent professional trainers, and also participate in the SYL league.
- January 9, 2015 at 1:44 PM
Nice guess coach...u have one team that is good and has been with 5 different clubs. Your history and reputation will be single biggest reason you have no chance. How is your u12 team? This is a u12 blog
- January 9, 2015 at 2:30 PM
Sorry to hear about NJX . But you are right , parent was annoying and always had an excuse why they almost won
I'm sure two or three will end up at MF and the rest back to Middletown red where they belong.
- January 9, 2015 at 3:18 PM
Another team bites the dust(NJX). We will start seeing this in the next few years, the start of team's disbanding and the best players moving onto stronger clubs while the other players either stop playing or play locally within there areas.
I see possibly 6 strong clubs that will continue to be around will be U14. What do think? This is club base not team base.
Match Fit
- January 9, 2015 at 4:08 PM
Njx always claimed they were just a little town team that could almost win a game....why in the world would a little town team break up?
- January 9, 2015 at 4:33 PM
4:08pm. I think you can add STA into that list. All the girls/boys teams are strong. RAGE also have some decent older girls teams.
NJ Crush aren't that strong but their other girls teams are competitive.
- January 9, 2015 at 4:44 PM
Other teams...
NJ Stallions
BTW....NJ Crush are improving I heard they picked up a couple solid players.
and someone else mentioned STA I agree they are getting much better as well.
- January 9, 2015 at 4:59 PM
Disagree with Maximus. I think you'll find their better players will leave (or have left) and the club is not established whatsoever. This group will not be around in a couple of years time.
Stallions at this age group are weak, coach is a screamer as well.
- January 9, 2015 at 6:13 PM
Crush is not getting any better, they are getting worse. Still 8v8 and can't get enough to move to 11v11. They are the only team from club not going to Jeff cup. Speaking of Jeff cup, no PDA, I know the team is good and will get better, but why would you want to go play with a team that never plays the game? I wonder if RAGE is going to play 11v11 at Jeff cup? According to got soccer they are king of the world, but they play for a lot of GS points and play 8v8 with little comp.
- January 9, 2015 at 6:56 PM
Crush is getting worse? Up to 14th in State. I know Gotsoccer isn't the end all be all, but they're improving. My kids doesn't player there but I know a few that do. There overall roster has improved over the past 9 months or so.
Another 8v8 basher I see.
- January 10, 2015 at 4:35 PM
4:08 your list is a joke. Check club rankings past high school age and half your list is not competitive. Sorry but these mighty might age group parents only know their own age groups which changes completely come high school (I.e recruiting ages).
- January 11, 2015 at 3:36 PM
Wow, nix momma bear is gone..kinda sad. Hope she doesn't show up on our team.
- January 11, 2015 at 8:28 PM
Jeff Cup list is out and No PDA teams? Just wondering why they wouldn't attend a tourney with that many high level teams involved.
Any thoughts on the Group A - teams?
- January 12, 2015 at 4:21 PM
Pda goes when it matters, u14 and beyond. Just another tournament at this age. Most teams are from mid Atlantic region and NC.
- January 12, 2015 at 4:41 PM
4:41 agree on PDA "goes when it matters". If your team travels down that far to play a few teams less than 2 hrs from your home field location and you have played in the past year at other tournaments or in league play I don't see the point until U14/15
Jeff Cup is turning into a money pot at the end of the rainbow. Why even travel down there and be placed in the bottom two brackets. These teams are just feeding the club coaches they are attending them with.
- January 12, 2015 at 5:12 PM
I'm confused. I thought NJX was MatchFit?
- January 13, 2015 at 9:03 PM
Nope, not this njx...
- January 13, 2015 at 10:52 PM
The whole MF club and its affiliates is confusing. We played "MATCH FIT ACADEMY FC NORTH PRE-ECNL" team and beat them by more than 5 goals. Just look at their EDP scores. So if NJX is falling apart as has been stated, which means they won't be MF team, how does anyone rank MF as a top team?
- January 14, 2015 at 9:41 AM
Match Fit FC North ECNL will attract more girls from their affiliate clubs, by U14 the landscape will change the most dedicated and skillful players end up being on a ECNL/NPL team some where together.
All these town or mom & pop start up academies with less than 8 teams playing at a high level will lose their top players.
- January 14, 2015 at 10:08 AM
@941 you must be from SDFC. The team who admittedly played well this fall, but ran up that score. Guess you could not run up the score against IGFA!
I just looked at their scores and for a brand new team playing top flight, they did fine.
Look at IGFA, like SDFC, just up from 8v8, and had a slow start but beat SDFC. Funny how things change soooo fast at these young ages
- January 14, 2015 at 10:31 AM
10:31am agreed the top flight teams can win/lose on any given weekend. That's the reason why they are in those brackets to assure a more competitive game atmosphere. What coach or parent wants to watch a game winning by 6goals no development there.
On another discussion that the U13 blog brought up and is very interesting, since I have daughters at U13 & U12. Does month of birth really matter that much? Do the girls born in the later part of the year outshine the girls born in the beginning of the year and fall back when they are chosen for ID2, ODP etc.
What is everyone's thoughts?
- January 14, 2015 at 10:48 AM
@10:31 AM, that doesnt answer my question.
- January 14, 2015 at 11:04 AM
Read the book 'outliers' - its has some interesting discussion on age related success. In it you see cases where hockey players (if I remember right) that were at the early end of the age brackets (i.e. the 'oldest' kids) tended to do better since they were more physically mature. This led to them get put on the 'elite' teams more frequently - which typically had better training. So it became a cycle where the oldest kids initially did better because of physical maturaity differences - and that it got reinforced by putting them into 'elite' groups with better training.
ODP's and other groups have different age group cycles - but the same issue would be present.
The argument has been made that under 14 groups should be 'bracketed' in 6 month windows at most to minimize these differences which wrongly gives preference to the oldest in a bracket.
But I dont see much of a move towards that. Not likely to change - especially in NJ.
If you child is on the younger side of the age brackets, up though u14 if they are being left out due to being physically delayed in development - get them some good additional training elsewhere if you aren't getting the opportunities where you are. This way, when puberty hits and physicality starts to even out, they'll be ready to compete and their technical skills will be as good as any others.
- January 14, 2015 at 11:06 AM
11:06am - Thanks for the input, I've heard about that book before as it relates to hockey players, but girls can differ a lot from boys based on their physical abilities and quicker IQ development and maturity level.
So does it benefit a girl born in the later part of the year to continue playing up a year at the 6 month window so when they attend programs that account for annual age groups like ID2/ODP they are balanced.
- January 14, 2015 at 11:21 AM
I would prefer the opposite approach. One year window is too small and two year groupings make more sense. I have seen plenty of younger strong players with more ability than older peers. A two year window would allow better grouping by skill and ability. Tighter competition would follow as the teams in the largest age groupings could be more evenly matched by competitive level.
- January 14, 2015 at 11:58 AM
meant larger age groupings
- January 14, 2015 at 12:01 PM
At 1008
I believe MF only successes have come from what they took from sdfc, Montclair. they are rebuilding after being raped by MF. MF has never built their own team, they take from the mom and pop.
Why waste time and money going to MF now? Just wait till u14 when it matters and hope for the best
The NJX partnership will blow up soon
- January 14, 2015 at 12:58 PM
NJX is all good now. MF coach is taking over. We shall see who sticks around.
- January 15, 2015 at 8:01 AM
Does anyone know how the age bracket works for ECNL?
Ex: Is it Aug 1 2013 through July 31 14 OR calendar year?
- January 15, 2015 at 8:55 AM
Word on the street NJX is losing players. One player already left and 2 are looking to jump ship. This team is so mismanaged it's pathetic. The new coach is just another ploy to try to keep players on a team that is broken.
- January 15, 2015 at 9:21 AM
To bad about NJX - but sometimes change is for the best.
Lots of solid options out there - where are people looking to go?
What changed at NJX to cause this?
- January 15, 2015 at 10:17 AM
Same thing as when they left Middletown , parents never happy
- January 15, 2015 at 1:41 PM
One is playing up for the Wildcats saw her the other day. Don't think that's a smart move. A bunch of the core players want to go to MF. They are 12 people this is what happens.
- January 15, 2015 at 4:00 PM
This is what happens to mommy and daddy ball. Can only control things for so long. More serious players will look for better competition and meaningful practices.
- January 15, 2015 at 5:09 PM
5:09pm - Very True. Can anyone on this board refer or had experience as having a father/mother coach a team going past U14 and completing the team competing at high level.
- January 15, 2015 at 5:22 PM
5:09pm - Very True. Can anyone on this board refer or had experience as having a father/mother coach a team going past U14 and completing the team competing at high level.
- January 15, 2015 at 5:22 PM
They mean well - but doesn't work.
- January 15, 2015 at 7:22 PM
@1:41 couldnt gree more same stuf goin on in Middletown still with the new team coach bein told what too do to keep parnts happy. will never work that team fall part to they aint won a game and cant find the bak of the net
- January 15, 2015 at 7:40 PM
They should go to pda. The best thing is about pda is that parents have zero say and if they do, they don't last a minute. If your kid is in the bottom half, then you really have no say. Not one parent on that team would last a second and sounds like their reputations will precede them if they go tryout. Stick with MF - they will put up with you until u15 when they don't need you anymore.
- January 15, 2015 at 7:51 PM
Disagree. Its not typical I'll give you that, but I've seen it happen at a few teams in the past few years. Really depends on the coach, their background and system they've built. If you can find a good coach and team, they can go far. It doesn't have to be paid/academy.
- January 15, 2015 at 8:25 PM
Name one team that isn't paid or academy that has done well in last 5 years...
- January 15, 2015 at 8:35 PM
U19 BOM team did well. There's an example.
- January 16, 2015 at 8:16 AM
8:16am U19 BOM haha- Seriously that age group is 6/7 years above the new landscape. I couldn't agree more with the new ECNL/NPL leagues and changing landscape non academy style team will last past U14/U15.
- January 16, 2015 at 9:28 AM
My issue with soccer lately is lack of commitment. I see more and more kids not showing up and playing other sports instead of fulfilling their soccer commitment. When kids miss practices it effects the entire team. We are all paying top dollar to play on this team. You cant cry your not wining when your child doesn't show up!
- January 16, 2015 at 11:16 AM
11:16am - Time to change teams there are plenty of teams hat have dedicated girls/parents.
I agree if parents are complaining about losing but no showing up for practice then it becomes a problem the team is built around athletes only and will eventually fall apart.
- January 16, 2015 at 11:56 AM
NJX going to MF? What happens next year when the tryouts open for all? Will NJX still have their spot if better talent shows? Or will they go bust like NJX Celtics. Didn't they go MF too and MF only took the top players and a few were recruited by another team?. The rest of the girls I believe are going back to town team. I think MF is selling bridges to no where and taking your money and laughing to the bank!
- January 16, 2015 at 12:26 PM
Jeff Cup Top Bracket's announced at the convention congrats on SDFC for being selected.
- January 16, 2015 at 2:46 PM
Anyone's daughter have experience with Next Gen USA programs? What do you think? What have you heard?
- January 16, 2015 at 2:58 PM
Frustrating web site. Can't get easily get a sense of costs. My impression is if you have to ask, you cant afford it.
- January 16, 2015 at 4:49 PM
@9:28 You wanted one example, you got it. Check U14 Brick Fury or U15 Freehold - in fact in every age group from U12 up to U19 I see several town teams in top ten or twenty.
- January 16, 2015 at 7:37 PM
@2:58 Next Gen is good. A good alternative to allow your child to train with more serious players that are generally more advanced.
I suppose it depends on who you get as a trainer, but in the Central area Meredith R does it for the girls and she runs a good session.
Cost runs in the $40's a session in winter but in the spring/summer/fall is in the 30's.
- January 16, 2015 at 7:44 PM
@12:26 better talent will replace 90% of the current njx team. Parents are blind and don't see their kid are lacking athleticism. they are slow and sluggish cant get to the ball fast enough. in my opinion njx is missing not only that but the same spark and love for soccer they once had. you see a difference in the team. out with the old in with the new!
few will go mf, others will be on lower mf team or back to their town team. this will be a real eye opener for the parents!
- January 17, 2015 at 8:48 AM
9:28-Did you call these teams and asked them what they did to survive as a town team? I've seen many town teams that are controlled by mom/pop don't really have a chance to survive. For a town team to have success first they should have had legit tryouts and recruit skilled players to replace the non-committed and unskilled players - then you can have a strong town team. The highly skilled players typically leave town teams for better competition and development!
- January 17, 2015 at 9:40 AM
4:00-Hey NJX parent did you really see the NJX player that went to wildcats? I heard rumors she left for higher-level skills development. NJX had poor coaching and development. The 12 core that aspire to go to MF only 1 or 2 will make it to MF the rest are dreamers and eventually be weeded out. It will be an eye opener for the parents!
- January 17, 2015 at 9:54 AM
There are many soccer choices in nj. Every player should be able to find a program/team that suits their ability/interest level. By u12, the players and parents have a pretty good idea about what might be a good fit.
- January 17, 2015 at 11:22 AM
@11:22 If you have a child that lands in the middle of the pack does that mean their is no room for improvement and you stay on a lower team? Do you need to be the starter that plays all the time, or scores all the goals to advance? How do you truly judge for your child what is a "good fit"?
I don't buy into the win/loss crap and know how my child is developing.(slow and steady while improving) I am just concerned about all the choices out there and all the promises with the big price tag.
We send her for no outside training. We are considering trying out for Match Fit or PDA. Any advice you can give on how to find that "good fit"? I have been told she will never make it due to lack of foot skills and I need to develop them now. Looks like everyone is in a rat race to make their child the best. I am looking more for the "best fit".
- January 17, 2015 at 1:58 PM
Why do people care so much about NJX?? Some will leave some will stay. Who cares? New MF coach has already reached out to a few.
- January 17, 2015 at 2:29 PM
@158. Where does your girl play now ? I know a couple of players on pda and they do outside supplemental training. Idk if that is typical or just what she feels she needs to do (or the parents feel).
- January 17, 2015 at 4:49 PM
This board spends a lot of time on NJX. It's a little weird.
Can't we stick to sharing some good advice from those who have been thru the competitive girls soccer experience before?
- January 17, 2015 at 9:14 PM
I agree. Little weird on this board's focus of NJX. Possibly unhappy parents trying to get their daughters off that team.
Anyway. This next year is probably going to have many changes on many teams. U13 will be a good age to really try and get your child on a team where they can mold together. Of course, depending on how your child plays. Always good to look around at different teams and keep the options open. Some girls may even start to lose interest in soccer. Has anyone's child lost their interest or have other children that it's happened to?
- January 17, 2015 at 11:36 PM
If your daughter is on a mediocre team and she has very good skills and soccer knowledge then she will never grow if there is NO challenge. You have to decide when it's time to move your daughter to better her development and skills. I have 2 daughters, u12 and u15 and my older daughter is struggling to keep up with talent because we didn't move her to a more competitive environment. At u12 they should have great foot skills, know how to dribble and pass in a triangle and look up to find team mates, and have very good field vision. Ball hogging is a bad habit that players have acquired in the past and probably cannot break it. I learned from my older daughter's experience and I won't make the same mistake for my younger one. Good luck and find the right fit for your daughters. The longer you stay the worse it will be for their development. And I have seen some girls that don't get challenged eventually lose interest and quit the sport all together.
- January 18, 2015 at 10:00 AM
@10:00 Thank you for the advice. My older son never played soccer. His sport was baseball. Soccer is such a different sport all around.
I will begin looking at teams and training for my daughter.
- January 18, 2015 at 10:46 AM
U12 is not "too late" to make significant gains in soccer skills. But a player has to do the work. A good teacher is critical, but no one can learn anything for you, You must must put in the work to do that for yourself.
- January 18, 2015 at 11:44 AM
Realistically, pursue the best teaching in your budget. Obviously some clubs are out of reach financially for many players. There is probably no perfect fit, just the best match you can make for your child.
- January 18, 2015 at 11:58 AM
Anyone know anything about IGFA in this age group? Seem to do ok. What are their costs?
- January 18, 2015 at 3:29 PM
Let's talk summer camps. Anyone know of any really good overnight camps?
- January 18, 2015 at 11:55 PM
11:58 Think what you will. I hope you have been looking at some of the competitive teams at U12 out there. Some are well trained and developed at this point. You think it's "NOT TOO LATE"? You are being a fool. As long as your child stays on a mediocre team the more bad habits she will retain and cannot break and will not develop. Now is the time to get the proper development and training because in 2 years it will really matter at u14. Even if you are getting great training now, but if the players on the team don't have great soccer skills on the field it will still hurt your child's development.
- January 19, 2015 at 8:45 AM
What teams are going to the NJ Indoor State Cup in a few weeks?
- January 19, 2015 at 9:56 AM
me·di·o·cre adjective
of only moderate quality; not very good.
synonyms: ordinary, average, middling, middle-of-the-road, uninspired, undistinguished, indifferent, unexceptional, unexciting, unremarkable, run-of-the-mill, pedestrian, prosaic, lackluster, forgettable, amateur, amateurish
I think that pretty much describes most youth players in the state including on some of the so called top teams. Some people need to get over themselves. Even the non mediocre players are not going pro.
- January 19, 2015 at 12:41 PM
Hey thanks for the English lesson. Are you a teacher? Oh that's right you are off today for MLK shouldn't you be grading papers for tomorrow's class? It seems that "mediocre" struck a cord. LOL!
- January 19, 2015 at 1:32 PM
OK. Let's hear the "bad habits" that my mediocre 11 year old is doomed to possess if she does not hi-tail it to some super club
- January 19, 2015 at 2:27 PM
What about the two kids being recruited off my daughter's lower level "mediocre" team by a high level team? How could they be desirable players coming from such a poor environment?
- January 19, 2015 at 8:00 PM
IGFA beat sdfc - so I believe they have a decent team. Hearing just as much about njx and MF on u13 board.
This is current news - so it should be the most talked about currently.
- January 20, 2015 at 8:01 AM
What is this mediocre team ? And who is recruiting ?
- January 20, 2015 at 8:16 AM


text:
Summary Report for:
19-2012.00 - Physicists
Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.
Sample of reported job titles: Biophysics Scientist, Health Physicist, Physicist, Research Consultant, Research Physicist, Research Scientist, Scientist
Tasks | Tools & Technology | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Credentials | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings | Additional Information
- Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers.
- Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms.
- Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena.
- Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences.
- Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood.
- Collaborate with other scientists in the design, development, and testing of experimental, industrial, or medical equipment, instrumentation, and procedures.
- Direct testing and monitoring of contamination of radioactive equipment, and recording of personnel and plant area radiation exposure data.
- Observe the structure and properties of matter, and the transformation and propagation of energy, using equipment such as masers, lasers, and telescopes to explore and identify the basic principles governing these phenomena.
- Develop theories and laws on the basis of observation and experiments, and apply these theories and laws to problems in areas such as nuclear energy, optics, and aerospace technology.
- Teach physics to students.
Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
|Frequency analyzers — Analog frequency analyzers; Portable fast Fourier transform FFT analyzers; Spectrum analyzers; Two-channel fast Fourier transform FFT analyzers
|Lasers — Argon ion lasers; Diode lasers; Single frequency dye lasers; Zeeman split lasers
|Mobile or transportable medical linear accelerators — Cyclotrons; High-energy accelerators; Linear accelerators; Positive ion accelerators
|Signal generators — Arbitrary function generators; Function generators; Optical detectors; Radiofrequency RF generators
|Spectrometers — Gamma ray spectrometers; High-resolution spectrometers; Prism spectrometers; Visible spectrometers
Technology used in this occupation:
|Analytical or scientific software — CERN Physics Analysis Workstation PAW; COMSOL Multiphysics; Spectral Dynamics STAR; Vector Fields OPERA-3d
|Computer aided design CAD software — Autodesk AutoCAD software; Mathsoft Mathcad; RibbonSoft QCad
|Development environment software — C; Formula translation/translator FORTRAN; Microsoft Visual Basic; Pascal
|Graphics or photo imaging software — Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop software; GNU Image Manipulation Program GIMP *; Xfig; XV
|Object or component oriented development software — Microsoft Visual C++; Practical extraction and reporting language Perl; Python; Sun Microsystems Java
* Software developed by a government agency and/or distributed as freeware or shareware.
|Physics — Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
|Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
|English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
|Engineering and Technology — Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
|Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
|Science — Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
|Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.
|Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
|Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
|Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
|Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
|Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
|Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
|Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
|Learning Strategies — Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
|Mathematical Reasoning — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
|Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
|Number Facility — The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
|Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
|Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
|Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
|Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
|Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
|Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
|Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Work Activities
|Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
|Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
|Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
|Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
|Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
|Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
|Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
|Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
|Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
|Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
Work Context
|Electronic Mail — 77% responded "Every day."
|Face-to-Face Discussions — 72% responded "Every day."
|Structured versus Unstructured Work — 61% responded "A lot of freedom."
|Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 79% responded "Every day."
|Telephone — 56% responded "Every day."
|Freedom to Make Decisions — 60% responded "A lot of freedom."
|Duration of Typical Work Week — 71% responded "More than 40 hours."
|Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 49% responded "Very important."
|Contact With Others — 40% responded "Constant contact with others."
|Work With Work Group or Team — 46% responded "Very important."
Job Zone
|Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
|Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
|Related Experience
|Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
|Job Training
|Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
|Job Zone Examples
|These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, sports medicine physicians, wildlife biologists, school psychologists, surgeons, treasurers, and controllers.
|SVP Range
|(8.0 and above)
Percentage of Respondents
|Education Level Required
|Post-doctoral training
|Doctoral degree
|Master's degree
This occupation may require a background in the following science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational disciplines:
Interest code: IR
|Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
|Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Work Styles
|Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
|Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
|Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
|Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
|Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
|Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
|Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
|Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
|Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
|Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Work Values
|Recognition — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
|Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
|Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Related Occupations
|Computer and Information Research Scientists
|Operations Research Analysts
|Biochemists and Biophysicists
|Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
|Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists Bright Outlook Green
|Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
|Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
|Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary
|Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
Wages & Employment Trends
|Median wages (2014)
|$52.69 hourly, $109,600 annual
|State wages
|Employment (2012)
|21,000 employees
|Projected growth (2012-2022)
|Average (8% to 14%)
|Projected job openings (2012-2022)
|State trends
|Top industries (2012)
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2014 wage data and 2012-2022 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2012-2022). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
Job Openings on the Web
Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
- Physicists and Astronomers . Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition.