Boys ECNL makes no sense (yet)

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There are not enough local teams, and very little difference in quality to NPL to justify the travel and expense. Will it get better?

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There are not enough local teams, and very little difference in quality to NPL to justify the travel and expense. Will it get better?

No. Why would it?

[Unregistered]

There are not enough local teams, and very little difference in quality to NPL to justify the travel and expense. Will it get better?

Of course not. What would motivate the clubs to make things better? Your child and your money are replaceable, especially at older ages where nutty parents think their kid will get recruited.

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There are not enough local teams, and very little difference in quality to NPL to justify the travel and expense. Will it get better?

It hasn't started yet.

[Unregistered]

There are not enough local teams, and very little difference in quality to NPL to justify the travel and expense. Will it get better?

Keep track of every penny you spend and every mile you travel. Let us know how you've answered your own question next July.

[Unregistered]

There are not enough local teams, and very little difference in quality to NPL to justify the travel and expense. Will it get better?

1. Well, then don't worry about it if it isn't any. Enter than NOl
2. It is my money and I will spend it how I wish
3. I am more than happy to have only two local teams. In time NEFC will recognize the league and make the jump from npl....then, GPS will have it's own league again

[Unregistered]

There are not enough local teams, and very little difference in quality to NPL to justify the travel and expense. Will it get better?

Although this question is a good one to ask, the current BOYS NPL leagues do not support the supposition. At each age group, the NPL leagues (U13 and 14) are divided into two presumably equal divisions, totally 13-14 teams. In fact, not all the teams are NPL labeled teams. The scores at the U14 level have been as lopsided at 6-1,7-1,7-1, and 12-2!!!
While I don't know that the older age group NPL leagues will look like, the U13 and U14 ones would suggest that the NPL leagues are watered down to accommodate the increased number of clubs entering the NEP (i.e. having left the old MAPLE now the Northeast Soccer League). Keep in mind that the NEP divisions are selected by committee i.e. coaches requests. There is no real relegation or promotion since each club must, for advertising and recruitment, be able to say that their teams play in the top divisions i.e. NPL.

Considering that this is a reality of the NPL/NEP world, unless your child is playing for the best of the NPL teams and traveling to competitive tournaments, you might start to consider the fact that the new BOYS ECNL may provide a higher level of competition and exposure outside of New England. It is possible that only the DAP provides a better league.

[Unregistered]

The USYS structure wasn't totally broken on the boys side. ECNL hurts youth soccer. The cost and travel involved for what you get simply isn't beneficial. Unnecessary travel and expense will hurt the sport.

On the girls side there wasn't enough decent local competition, but in most cities in the Northeast there is plenty of quality to play more of a localized schedule.

I do believe in the DA, but beyond the DA it seems foolish to travel great distances and put out money and time without an outcome that will be any different than if you just stayed local.

[Unregistered]

Although this question is a good one to ask, the current BOYS NPL leagues do not support the supposition. At each age group, the NPL leagues (U13 and 14) are divided into two presumably equal divisions, totally 13-14 teams. In fact, not all the teams are NPL labeled teams. The scores at the U14 level have been as lopsided at 6-1,7-1,7-1, and 12-2!!!
While I don't know that the older age group NPL leagues will look like, the U13 and U14 ones would suggest that the NPL leagues are watered down to accommodate the increased number of clubs entering the NEP (i.e. having left the old MAPLE now the Northeast Soccer League). Keep in mind that the NEP divisions are selected by committee i.e. coaches requests. There is no real relegation or promotion since each club must, for advertising and recruitment, be able to say that their teams play in the top divisions i.e. NPL.

Considering that this is a reality of the NPL/NEP world, unless your child is playing for the best of the NPL teams and traveling to competitive tournaments, you might start to consider the fact that the new BOYS ECNL may provide a higher level of competition and exposure outside of New England. It is possible that only the DAP provides a better league.

At least we will know at the end of the year--as the ECNL leagues and the NPL leagues will meet in joint playoffs for a single championship. That structure strongly suggests that these two leagues will be roughly equivalent--one tier below DA.

[Unregistered]

The USYS structure wasn't totally broken on the boys side. ECNL hurts youth soccer. The cost and travel involved for what you get simply isn't beneficial. Unnecessary travel and expense will hurt the sport.

On the girls side there wasn't enough decent local competition, but in most cities in the Northeast there is plenty of quality to play more of a localized schedule.

I do believe in the DA, but beyond the DA it seems foolish to travel great distances and put out money and time without an outcome that will be any different than if you just stayed local.

1. Lets dismiss the cost part of the equation. This is a personal choice. You can say it is or isn't worth the cost, but unless you are paying for my son, then your opinion regarding cost doesn't really matter.
2. This is a decent point, but you contradict yourself somewhat. First, you say 'there wasn't enough decent local competition' so ECNL for girls made sense. ECNL is a national entity require cost and travel. You then follow and say that there is enough competition in the Northeast....so whey do YOU need ECNL when NPL or even region 1 would have sufficed?
3. Refer to number 1. If I choose to be 'foolish' with my money then I will. However, if you want to pay for my son, then I will let you have a significant opinion on where we travel.

The fact is, ever since MAPLE, Region 1, and ODP have been picked apart, the country has expanded into way too many leagues and multiple so-called national championships such that youth soccer has become massively watered down. Unfortunately, the local boys tournaments are, in fact catering to the local teams and the college coaches attending are from local or relatively weak including a few local D1 schools, and some amount of D3 schools. Most coaches from strong programs are, in fact, traveling as well. That said, I will let you know what coaches show up at the Showcases.

I agree with one thing....if your child has no desire to play college soccer, then it is definitely not worth the travel, time, and expense.

[Unregistered]

1. Well, then don't worry about it if it isn't any. Enter than NOl
2. It is my money and I will spend it how I wish
3. I am more than happy to have only two local teams. In time NEFC will recognize the league and make the jump from npl....then, GPS will have it's own league again

Just more watered down teams and leagues. It doesn't matter what you call it (NPL or ECNL), no difference... it just means they are all watered down more. It's not as if suddenly there are all these extra amazing players that just pop up in MA or get 100x better than others by training a few hours extra (maybe... not even sure).... unless sitting on busses and cars for long extended periods of time makes you a better soccer player somehow.

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What families care more about is the college platform. Since HS aged teams really aren't even playing yet, let alone seeing if coaches show up at showcases, it's really too early to tell. Also don't forget this was a return volley against USSF for encroaching into the girls ECNL space. Players have more options of where to play, but with the same # of players all it does is dilute the talent across more leagues. Yes you can blame the leagues to a large extent. But you can also blame the parents for buying into it. If you keep writing checks and driving 6 hours for a game, you are partly to blame.

[Unregistered]

Just more watered down teams and leagues. It doesn't matter what you call it (NPL or ECNL), no difference... it just means they are all watered down more. It's not as if suddenly there are all these extra amazing players that just pop up in MA or get 100x better than others by training a few hours extra (maybe... not even sure).... unless sitting on busses and cars for long extended periods of time makes you a better soccer player somehow.

Except ECNL is already on a higher level than third-tier NPL. Very solid group of clubs in the Northeast, no comparison at all. Remember also that many of these ECNL clubs are putting resources into making this happen on the boys side and have an axe to grind against USS.

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Except ECNL is already on a higher level than third-tier NPL. Very solid group of clubs in the Northeast, no comparison at all. Remember also that many of these ECNL clubs are putting resources into making this happen on the boys side and have an axe to grind against USS.

But at least for now, that is not the case in New England. At the high school ages, at least, the strongest non-DA teams from the last few years are still playing in the NPL, not in the boys ECNL. Other than a very few boys who have left those NPL teams to join DA teams, those teams remain largely intact. And the few boys who have left DA in this area over the summer have largely joined the boys NPL teams, not the boys ECNL teams. Which makes sense, as those boys would want to join the stronger teams in the area.

Maybe boys ECNL will eventually catch on, but it doesn't look like it so far. It will be interesting to see how the teams from each league fare in the joint playoffs.

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Except ECNL is already on a higher level than third-tier NPL. Very solid group of clubs in the Northeast, no comparison at all. Remember also that many of these ECNL clubs are putting resources into making this happen on the boys side and have an axe to grind against USS.

Also ECNL knows what it's doing in terms of organization, showcases etc. That's another reason why clubs wanted to join. It's a well oiled machine with a clear structure, unlike NPL which very scattered and requires diagramming to make any sense of it all. ECNL gives clubs a better weapons stockpile to fight DA.