Anybody involved with the Brotherly Love Academy program? How is this different than the other teams at BL? or are they one in the same?
It costs more. And as for the "or are they one in the same?" question that legitimately depends on the age group you're asking about. At this point I think that the 23-25 BLA teams are really similar rosters to the 23-25 BL teams. According to the BLA organizers you get regular training times with some really impressive coaches which is clearly a plus. According to parents I've spoken with at multiple age levels who were involved with BLA this year, those really impressive coaches are NOT regular coaches of the BLA teams at tournaments. The regular BL coaches end up coaching the BLA teams in tournaments.
So if you're looking for your son to get extra training it MAY be of value. But if you're expecting those coaches to actually be involved with your son when it counts (during actual gameplay), that more than likely won't happen. And before any BL/BLA loyalists try to say I'm lying I have been at multiple tournaments this summer of multiple ages that BLA teams were at and saw the regular BL coaches with those teams. That's just facts.
I think this is a pretty fair description. For the 23s, the line between BLA and BL Zeus was pretty blurry - Academy kids were called in to play for Zeus.
Pros of the program: - The training really is quite good. If I could list this 10 times, I would, because the training really is excellent. - More swag - More opportunities to practice at a high level with other good players - Good starting point if you want to join a Brotherly Love team
Cons of the program: - Advertised as not conflicting with regular club team practices and tournaments, but..... - Tournaments attended were not "elite" but rather the same tournaments other local club teams attend. But if you are a fan of winning t-shirts, that's a pro not a con. - Cost. It's expensive, especially if you can't make all the practices.
If the cost isn't an issue for you, I believe it is worth it for the training. But you have to be ok with the eventual schedule conflicts that will inevitably arise.
It’s the same as Dukes Nationals, Elite tournaments don’t exist that don’t conflict, so you’ll play basic tournaments with regular club teams. The coaches they advertise aren’t involved to the level you would expect for the money. Find a club that is competitive and play with them, unless you want to play for BL because this is basically a money making recruiting hammerhead for them.
Big difference between Duke's Nationals and Academy is that Academy's training is real and it's great. Duke's Nationals gave up on good mini camps and training a long time ago.
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