NPL is dead in the Northeast

[Unregistered]

Not the poster but fewer leagues means fewer places for clubs to hide. It would also make it more transparent so families can figure it out (how many threads on this site alone ask for clarification? and it changes every year!). Fewer so called top leagues means more clubs and players in lower level leagues where they should be, rather than traveling across states just for games.

In theory, yes, if the best teams played in the best leagues and it worked it's way down.

That doesn't happen today. We know why that is, and it won't change. There is no incentive for them to. So, every other club and leagues needs to fight for market share.

[Unregistered]

Here's the problem overall. The leagues are run by the big clubs so they fight to keep the small clubs out of the top divisions, many of whom are more than qualified to play there. There is no true pathway in US soccer. 2 separate pyramids, US Club Soccer vs US Youth Soccer. Even at the "top level" of MLS/DA it's nothing but politics on who makes a team. Both fighting for players and constantly changing leagues. It's no wonder the Men's national team sucks. It's no wonder there are only a handful of US players playing top leagues overseas.

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https://myemail.constantcontact.com/...id=VwG46ex-euc

The above announcement means that all of the NJ/NY/CT NPL clubs that NEP met at Regional events are no longer associated with US Club Soccer or NPL.

Combine this with the fact that top teams already left for MLS, GA, ECNL and National League, the NEP is now a local, lower level league with meaningless pathways and opportunities.

English non-coach speak explanation please.

[Unregistered]

Here's the problem overall. The leagues are run by the big clubs so they fight to keep the small clubs out of the top divisions, many of whom are more than qualified to play there. There is no true pathway in US soccer. 2 separate pyramids, US Club Soccer vs US Youth Soccer. Even at the "top level" of MLS/DA it's nothing but politics on who makes a team. Both fighting for players and constantly changing leagues. It's no wonder the Men's national team sucks. It's no wonder there are only a handful of US players playing top leagues overseas.

Mostly agree, except for the politics on who makes the team. That's an oft-repeated comment about anything, and rarely is it ever true. What evidence do you have that is the case (genuinely asking)?

[Unregistered]

Once again... 90% of parents don't even understand the leagues and what it means to be in a certain league vs. another.... nor do they care!

What they do care is one of two things:
1. Is my kid playing against the best of the best (because I want him/her to become pro or at least get a college scholarship), even if it costs me serious money and travel time, I don't care.
2. Are games no more than 1.5 hours from my home and is my kid enjoying himself/herself and if she does not become pro or get a college scholarship... I'm ok with that.

Any coach, please do this and report back here:
Contact your parents and ask them one by one... Do you understand the difference between US Club and US Youth Soccer?

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass or jerk, please do this and share your findings.

[Unregistered]

Once again... 90% of parents don't even understand the leagues and what it means to be in a certain league vs. another.... nor do they care!

What they do care is one of two things:
1. Is my kid playing against the best of the best (because I want him/her to become pro or at least get a college scholarship), even if it costs me serious money and travel time, I don't care.
2. Are games no more than 1.5 hours from my home and is my kid enjoying himself/herself and if she does not become pro or get a college scholarship... I'm ok with that.

Any coach, please do this and report back here:
Contact your parents and ask them one by one... Do you understand the difference between US Club and US Youth Soccer?

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass or jerk, please do this and share your findings.

I think you're right, that only about 10% of us (parents) know or care. So coaches don't really need to talk to parents about it from that perspective. However, speaking as one of the 10%, I would LOVE to have more communication from the coach/club about this, because trying to piece it all together from the various club websites, NESJ, and especially TS, is very challenging.

[Unregistered]

I think you're right, that only about 10% of us (parents) know or care. So coaches don't really need to talk to parents about it from that perspective. However, speaking as one of the 10%, I would LOVE to have more communication from the coach/club about this, because trying to piece it all together from the various club websites, NESJ, and especially TS, is very challenging.

The reason your coach/club isn't speaking to you about this is that it's preferable to keep you in the dark.

[Unregistered]

The reason your coach/club isn't speaking to you about this is that it's preferable to keep you in the dark.

When my kid was first getting into club soccer, we joined a small club nearby. The coach had a meeting with parents and one of the things he said was, "Don't worry about what league we're playing in." Not knowing a thing about it at the time, my initial thought was, "What does that mean?" Anyway, the team ended up being really good, to the point of having to play keep-away in a lot of games just to not run the score up into double digits. Turned out we had joined a NSL club.

[Unregistered]

When my kid was first getting into club soccer, we joined a small club nearby. The coach had a meeting with parents and one of the things he said was, "Don't worry about what league we're playing in." Not knowing a thing about it at the time, my initial thought was, "What does that mean?" Anyway, the team ended up being really good, to the point of having to play keep-away in a lot of games just to not run the score up into double digits. Turned out we had joined a NSL club.

Yes, but that’s the first step up on a ladder. Kids that are interested in signing up for club are the better ones coming from town soccer and their parents can see that, which is why they are willing to spend the money. First stop for many is an NSL-level club. Then the best kids on those clubs start looking for better competition and you make the next step up.

[Unregistered]

Once again... 90% of parents don't even understand the leagues and what it means to be in a certain league vs. another.... nor do they care!

What they do care is one of two things:
1. Is my kid playing against the best of the best (because I want him/her to become pro or at least get a college scholarship), even if it costs me serious money and travel time, I don't care.
2. Are games no more than 1.5 hours from my home and is my kid enjoying himself/herself and if she does not become pro or get a college scholarship... I'm ok with that.

Any coach, please do this and report back here:
Contact your parents and ask them one by one... Do you understand the difference between US Club and US Youth Soccer?

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass or jerk, please do this and share your findings.

Notice no where in 1 or 2 do you stress development because the system is set up as short-term, tryout focused. So players join teams based on point-in-time speed, skill, etc. but they developed that elsewhere (and “higher” level clubs like ECNL, GA, etc. will be quick to sh*t on where they were actual developed).

There is no difference between US Club and USYS. They both need money to survive and both will promote their own views. US Soccer has chosen to lend its badge to both, which really has damaged the legitimacy as a national governing body of the USSF imo. For a parent the differences, if any, are meaningless.

[Unregistered]

Notice no where in 1 or 2 do you stress development because the system is set up as short-term, tryout focused. So players join teams based on point-in-time speed, skill, etc. but they developed that elsewhere (and “higher” level clubs like ECNL, GA, etc. will be quick to sh*t on where they were actual developed).

There is no difference between US Club and USYS. They both need money to survive and both will promote their own views. US Soccer has chosen to lend its badge to both, which really has damaged the legitimacy as a national governing body of the USSF imo. For a parent the differences, if any, are meaningless.

Yes, I did not even stress development... and that's because I feel it's not a factor. Parents and players have no idea what "development" is, or if they think they do, it's the wrong thing, like their team winning lots of games and scoring goals... which most of us here know that is NOT indicative of development, far from it.

As for US Soccer lending their badge to both US Club and USYS... it shows their level of insecurity... so they keep their hands in both.

So, yeah... totally irrelevant if the NPL (or any other league) is dead or not. Sorry OP, just my opinion.

[Unregistered]

Mostly agree, except for the politics on who makes the team. That's an oft-repeated comment about anything, and rarely is it ever true. What evidence do you have that is the case (genuinely asking)?

not OP but i can promise that ive seen some real BS when it comes to the top academies. Ive seen board members kids pushed forward who had no business being on teams, wihch doesnt sound bad until its a GK and you realise the only carry two and the kid playing is vastly inferior to both the back up and the 2nd team kids. Or how about kids who were could have moved to MLS teams but again board members call the coaches, who they have relationships with, to kill the move and instead send someone else. The politics even at the top of the DA (and now MLS) is awful.

[Unregistered]

You see there are many people that are on this site that want nothing more than to see each league (other than ECNL) fail. It brings them joy to see the options for kids in the area get whittled down to nothing. Really sad.

Everyone here was kind of fine with DA (but USSF totally ignored the girls). The girls continued to dominate world play and the men, totally under USSF control from U12 and up, didnt qualify. So USSF goes and takes 4 more huge bites when they are already choking and starts GDA ... which also sucks. This prompts ECNL to dig heals in and also fire up Boys ECNL. It's my feeling that USSF was totally sucking on both ends and failing miserably at everything they touched. No matter who you blamed, you had to hope that one of the national leagues would go tits up ..... the talent is being fragments into an upside down pyramid that has the widest crest ever .... it's stupid .... there is simply dilution and lack of discretion by everyone involved to make a truly elite and smaller league that would filter up players that can actually play and earn it (rather than the ability of their mom and dad to write enormous checks over and over). I hope they all go under, and neighboring towns clamor for players to kick the snot out of each other every other weekend. Grassroots is the only way this will work and anything above it better be free to attract better players, not more cost! Totally backwards in the US and I think buyers here have a huge sense of accomplishment by their kid when the annual soccer bill is 5 digits (a kid who still cant/wont even use his weak foot)!

[Unregistered]

I love it when people say that youth soccer shouldn't cost money. Coaches, refs, field facilities and the people that maintain them don't deserve to get paid.

If you think that's the way to go start a free club. See how that works for you.

[Unregistered]

Once again... 90% of parents don't even understand the leagues and what it means to be in a certain league vs. another.... nor do they care!

What they do care is one of two things:
1. Is my kid playing against the best of the best (because I want him/her to become pro or at least get a college scholarship), even if it costs me serious money and travel time, I don't care.
2. Are games no more than 1.5 hours from my home and is my kid enjoying himself/herself and if she does not become pro or get a college scholarship... I'm ok with that.

Any coach, please do this and report back here:
Contact your parents and ask them one by one... Do you understand the difference between US Club and US Youth Soccer?

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass or jerk, please do this and share your findings.

So tell us smart guy, what is the difference between ECNL, GDA, ECRL, GA, EDP, NEP .....? They all cost a ton, they all have good and bad teams .... they all have good and bad players ..... they all talk a good game ..... there is not one single league that can boast anything susbtantial about how they are fundamentally different than any other league. Sure, ECNL gets more coaches at their showcases ... but GDA stole a lot of that thunder for a year or two. It's easy, 1 stop shopping for stupid, lazy american college coaches. Plenty of kids in all of these leagues are good players and plenty of garbage as well. FC Bucks, FSA, LISC, EMSC, Stars White ..... keep listing awful teams in AMAZING leagues. plenty of teams in the leagues i know you will tout as amazing will get their asses kicked repeatedly by plenty of teams outside their AMAZING league. All of the national leagues are 2-3 times the size they should be. ALL OF THEM! DA 2.0 now has 96 teams?! What the fracture within DA2 and what it does for a bunch of the talent forced to continue to give up HS NOT to play MLS clubs. Soccer here is an f'ing joke! Parents need to stfu and let their kids play speak for itself. I hear you all snickering .... as if THAT would ever happen here in youth soccer. "Um coach, can i speak to you after practice .... i think we have a problem!"