ECNL-DA club jumping season is upon us

[Unregistered]

Why are top clubs like NEFC and SSS not allowed into the ECNL? Clearly these clubs compete at whatever league level they’re in. Especially with such a dense population of people that can afford club level soccer throughout the state. What are the specific politics involved that keeps them out?

FC Stars

[Unregistered]

Why/How do FC Stars control/manipulate a whole region within a league as big as ECNL?

[Unregistered]

FC Stars

Is this a real answer? One club? Is it location driven or something more spiteful? Stars is in Lancaster and they draw from such a vastly different populous than SSS with some overlap with NEFC.

[Unregistered]

FC Stars and Scorpions have been in ECNL from the start. NEFC (Boston Breakers) was in for a year and they chose to leave. Horrible decision which haunts them to this day. Select has had good teams at certain age groups but have no outdoor facilities and a very marginal coaching staff, both of which are part of the application process. As a business model ECNL doesn’t typically have 4 teams in one area on top of each other. Stars/Scorpions/NEFC was perfect, but with NEFC’’s ill fated defection to DA it created what we have now, Stars Blue/Stars White/ Scorpions.

[Unregistered]

The Chinese Corona virus aside, we are heading towards a pyramid that will look like this around here very soon on the girls side:

1. ECNL
2. NPL
3. NEP

[Unregistered]

The Chinese Corona virus aside, we are heading towards a pyramid that will look like this around here very soon on the girls side:

1. ECNL
2. NPL
3. NEP

Pyramid. Does not matter. Talent matters. AS long as clubs have you focused on the badge, they win. Do whats best for your kid. Focus on talent

[Unregistered]

Wrong. For top level players ECNL provides unparalleled college exposure. NPL does not.

[Unregistered]

With NC Courage leaving this will force other DA clubs to evaluate. This is a really big deal.

[Unregistered]

FC Stars and Scorpions have been in ECNL from the start. NEFC (Boston Breakers) was in for a year and they chose to leave. Horrible decision which haunts them to this day. Select has had good teams at certain age groups but have no outdoor facilities and a very marginal coaching staff, both of which are part of the application process. As a business model ECNL doesn’t typically have 4 teams in one area on top of each other. Stars/Scorpions/NEFC was perfect, but with NEFC’’s ill fated defection to DA it created what we have now, Stars Blue/Stars White/ Scorpions.

Appreciative of the background story but the question still isn’t answered? How can one club control an entire region within a league as large (nationwide) as ECNL? Who or what about them gives them the control?

[Unregistered]

I disagree with the premise of your question that any one club controls an entire region of the country. Lots and lots of clubs apply to the ECNL every year and based upon the leagues expansion strategy, there is a vote amongst the members clubs about who gets in a who doesn’t. What everyone around here fails to recognize is that the NE ECNL conference already has 15 teams. That’s more than most conferences which have 9-11. I’m sure the ECNL is more concerned with: 1) securing the power clubs (Real Colorado, Solar, So Cal Blues) and 2) bolstering conferences where there are large geographic areas and fewer clubs, for example the Texas conference.

I doubt very much, in the grand scheme of the ECNL, anyone at the league office is losing sleep over whether some marginal clubs from MA or KS deserve a spot. Much bigger fish to fry which is lost on the myopic audience of TS MA.

If and when a 16th NE conference club is added it will be a bigger fish than Select or NEFC.

[Unregistered]

With NC Courage leaving this will force other DA clubs to evaluate. This is a really big deal.

NC Courage is leaving DA because the other teams in their region are all 500 miles away and they’re losing quality players ($$$) and coaches that would never travel that far each weekend. The Mid-Atlantic ECNL conference offers ten teams within a 200 mile radius.

[Unregistered]

Apply that logic to Top Hat as well. 5 clubs left in the SE GDA conference stretched from NC to FL or go to the ECNL and there are 4 other ECNL clubs in GA, plus Jacksonville Armada and the SC/NC clubs within driving distance.

[Unregistered]

I disagree with the premise of your question that any one club controls an entire region of the country. Lots and lots of clubs apply to the ECNL every year and based upon the leagues expansion strategy, there is a vote amongst the members clubs about who gets in a who doesn’t. What everyone around here fails to recognize is that the NE ECNL conference already has 15 teams. That’s more than most conferences which have 9-11. I’m sure the ECNL is more concerned with: 1) securing the power clubs (Real Colorado, Solar, So Cal Blues) and 2) bolstering conferences where there are large geographic areas and fewer clubs, for example the Texas conference.

I doubt very much, in the grand scheme of the ECNL, anyone at the league office is losing sleep over whether some marginal clubs from MA or KS deserve a spot. Much bigger fish to fry which is lost on the myopic audience of TS MA.

If and when a 16th NE conference club is added it will be a bigger fish than Select or NEFC.

Someone (perhaps you) stated plain and simply that the “reason” these teams weren’t in the ECNL was FC Stars. I was responding to that answer. Seeing how much drama that is associated with that club (2nd only to GPS’s recent scandal) it doesn’t surprise me that they would in fact be the reason these other quality clubs aren’t allowed in. And if it’s true that they aren’t allowing these other teams in because of whatever political control they have over the region, wouldn’t they get over whatever the reasons are and prefer to play more locally based teams that can give them strong competition? Doesn’t the ECNL want the best competition and $$$$ or are they cutting their noses off to spite their faces?

[Unregistered]

I responded to your post but was not the person who gave the 1 word Stars answer before I did.

[Unregistered]

I disagree with the premise of your question that any one club controls an entire region of the country. Lots and lots of clubs apply to the ECNL every year and based upon the leagues expansion strategy, there is a vote amongst the members clubs about who gets in a who doesn’t. What everyone around here fails to recognize is that the NE ECNL conference already has 15 teams. That’s more than most conferences which have 9-11. I’m sure the ECNL is more concerned with: 1) securing the power clubs (Real Colorado, Solar, So Cal Blues) and 2) bolstering conferences where there are large geographic areas and fewer clubs, for example the Texas conference.

I doubt very much, in the grand scheme of the ECNL, anyone at the league office is losing sleep over whether some marginal clubs from MA or KS deserve a spot. Much bigger fish to fry which is lost on the myopic audience of TS MA.

If and when a 16th NE conference club is added it will be a bigger fish than Select or NEFC.

It’s only logical that the ECNL has so many teams in the Northeast conference compared to other regions within ECNL. Familiarize yourself with a human density map of the country you live in. The northeast is among the most densely populated areas in the entire U.S. of A.