Announcement

**Unregistered** · 05-23-2020, 03:16 PM

https://www.change.org/p/the-ecnl-bo...ptance-in-ecnl

**Unregistered** · 05-23-2020, 03:27 PM

Uh, begging people to sign a petition? Get a hold of yourself.

**Unregistered** · 05-23-2020, 04:14 PM

Yeah- all the clubs are top clubs....winners and losers in every turf war

**Unregistered** · 05-23-2020, 04:39 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Please support Top Hat and sign the petition

Us, parents of Top Hat are trying to reach as many fellow soccer families please help us signing the petition. The mistakes of our club are forcing our players to face the tough decision of leaving the club. We have come together to ask ECNL to step in and help. This is not a joke

https://www.change.org/p/the-ecnl-bo...ptance-in-ecnl

Maybe it's time for the kids to learn about disappointment.

**Unregistered** · 05-23-2020, 05:55 PM

OMG, this is real...

Support The Players!
Support Tophat Soccer Club in Atlanta, GA to be accepted back into the ECNL!
Rated the #1 Girls Soccer Club in the country by SoccerWire in March.
1 of only 3 clubs in Georgia awarded 'Players First' licensing by US Club Soccer
The ECNL should want Tophat!

Tophat's application to the ECNL was denied in late April due to the Southeast Conference being complete with 12 teams in each age group (11 Clubs). However, several other conferences have more than 12 teams in each age group. In fact, the ECNL continues to add new member clubs for the upcoming 2020/2021 season. As recent as May 12th the Northwest Conference added a new club which brings that conference to 23 teams in each age group. Decisions are still being made. Conferences are still evolving.
The ECNL can expand the Southeast Conference to add Tophat!

According to the ECNL application for member clubs, Tophat exceeds the criteria. And having been a part of the ECNL up until this year, Tophat and their players are very familiar with the ECNL core values. Tophat innovates girls to be the best they can be. Tophat accepts diversity. Tophat creates many opportunities for all players. Tophat provides the best development they can so a player can reach excellence. #tophathasnoceiling
The ECNL should want Tophat, a 'PLAYERS FIRST' Club!
Since April 15th, the ECNL has been focused on building the boys program. They continue to add clubs to conferences all over the nation.
The boy's ECNL Southeastern Conference now has 19 teams per age group. Compared to the girl's ECNL Southeastern Conference with 12 teams per age group.

NASA (North Atlanta Soccer Association) and Tophat Soccer Club merged in 2016 becoming NTH NASA/Tophat.
NASA is the boy's program. Tophat is the girl's program.
NASA boys teams compete in the ECNL.

NTH NASA/Tophat is the only ECNL club in Georgia to not have both boys and girls ECNL.
The ECNL should accept Tophat! The ECNL should want NASA's sisters!
The Players Story
In March, life as we knew it, came to a screeching halt. Schools shut their doors, virtual learning rolled out, soccer stopped, �shelter in place� went into effect, and the only social connection we could have is 6� apart or over FaceTime. Life was on pause. Then US Soccer announces they were shutting down the Development Academy immediately. As we try to stay focused on our assignments, stay in shape for the minute we can get back on the fields, do our best to stay connected with our teammates amongst all the rumors of what will happen, April 15th sent us into a spiral that left us lost. Already in the midst of COVID19 and no one understanding what the future really holds, for so many of the players, the question mark with soccer just exasperated the feelings of anxiety and sadness. It is so confusing that US Soccer would just shut the doors and not provide or help put together a plan for the players and their clubs. But also just as confusing is why the ECNL would not want some of the most competitive clubs and their players in the ECNL.

Over those first few weeks, players watched the ECNL slowly add girls programs, but not others. We knew it would take time, but for those being left behind worry began to set in. We have always believed to trust the journey. But this is a time that we don�t understand the journey. Why did the ECNL accept teams that we align with competitively, but not Tophat?
As we look at the big picture and how this is negatively affecting all the players across the nation, and more personally, the players at Tophat, this situation is distressing. As the reality of the unknown in just everyday life and now our soccer world, we begin to feel panic and question everything. Who is going to stay? Who is going to leave? Will we get the competition we need for our continued development? What if we can�t travel, who will we play? What if college coaches don�t come to watch us? What is the path for the players?
Players are feeling the pressure to look at the other local ECNL clubs. External influences are at play. And this can have a ripple effect on many players, not just the Tophat players. Many who are our friends.

We as players understand new leagues are created, clubs change leagues, players change clubs, all in hopes to be positioned in a more competitive environment to further the development of the player. But, when has a league just abandoned a huge number of top clubs and players?

And why wouldn�t the ECNL want to accept these top clubs?
All of the girls in the Tophat community work so hard to be the players we are. Nothing is handed to us. We have all have our challenges, not only in soccer but navigating everyday life as teenage girls. We make sacrifices every day. Girls come from all over, some traveling 2.5 hours each way. We have different backgrounds, ethnicities, school environments, families and our passion for soccer brings us together. We spend hours training, committed to being better, pushing ourselves, and each other. Time and time again we step on the field and we perform. We perform at a top-level.
We are girls that want the opportunity to play the best soccer we can in a league that can bring the best competition.
We have no ceiling!
#abouttheplayers_tophat

**Unregistered** · 05-23-2020, 09:44 PM

Jesus Christ you guys sound you pathetic, it�s not the end of the world, besides you still need to solve those child murders from the 80�s...

**Unregistered** · 05-23-2020, 09:58 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Please support Top Hat and sign the petition

Us, parents of Top Hat are trying to reach as many fellow soccer families please help us signing the petition. The mistakes of our club are forcing our players to face the tough decision of leaving the club. We have come together to ask ECNL to step in and help. This is not a joke

https://www.change.org/p/the-ecnl-bo...ptance-in-ecnl

Welcome to the real world. Are you seriously pitching this to NY families?

Business is business. Tophat made a fatal decision. If they had a CEO, he�d be unemployed. Kids that don�t want to play in GAL should move on. Capitalism baby

**Unregistered** · 05-23-2020, 11:49 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Welcome to the real world. Are you seriously pitching this to NY families?

Business is business. Tophat made a fatal decision. If they had a CEO, he�d be unemployed. Kids that don�t want to play in GAL should move on. Capitalism baby

Yes, it was a bad decision going �all in�. Putting everything in one new league over an established ECNL was a very bad decision. With Concorde not too far away now players are going to make the move to that ECNL Club. What is in the best interest of the players is to play against the highest level of competition possible and Tophat has now lost that edge. ECNL is not going to make this easy for this club as they have done for others. They are using them, FC Virginia and others as an example.

**Unregistered** · 05-24-2020, 07:35 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Yes, it was a bad decision going �all in�. Putting everything in one new league over an established ECNL was a very bad decision. With Concorde not too far away now players are going to make the move to that ECNL Club. What is in the best interest of the players is to play against the highest level of competition possible and Tophat has now lost that edge. ECNL is not going to make this easy for this club as they have done for others. They are using them, FC Virginia and others as an example.

Tophat had there chance to get in a few months ago and said no. With an attitude mind you. So ECNL let in another Atlanta team UFA in instead. It�s too late now. There are 4 Atlanta area teams.

If Tophat players want to leave they have multiple options in the Atlanta area. After being at a new club for a few weeks it will be an exciting new endeavor and she will forget about Tophat.

**Unregistered** · 05-24-2020, 07:42 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Tophat had there chance to get in a few months ago and said no. With an attitude mind you. So ECNL let in another Atlanta team UFA in instead. It�s too late now. There are 4 Atlanta area teams.

If Tophat players want to leave they have multiple options in the Atlanta area. After being at a new club for a few weeks it will be an exciting new endeavor and she will forget about Tophat.

The petition was probably started by parents whose kids can't find ECNL spots elsewhere

**Unregistered** · 05-24-2020, 09:06 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Tophat had there chance to get in a few months ago and said no. With an attitude mind you. So ECNL let in another Atlanta team UFA in instead. It�s too late now. There are 4 Atlanta area teams.

If Tophat players want to leave they have multiple options in the Atlanta area. After being at a new club for a few weeks it will be an exciting new endeavor and she will forget about Tophat.

Hahaha. so harsh, and yet so true.....

**Unregistered** · 05-24-2020, 09:16 AM

P.S. I am personally orchestrating this exclusion of TopHat, they beat my daughters team 4 years ago at JeffCup, and I am still mad at their parental group, so there, hope you guys suffer forever.

The North Remembers.

**Unregistered** · 05-24-2020, 09:19 AM

What has happened to Tophat and FC Virginia just shows you that the business of sports can be harsh but from a business perspective this is what happens when you are disloyal to the boss and in this case the ECNL league. Both of these clubs are at the top of the ECNL pyramid. Both are very well run clubs with top trainers, coaches and administrators and yet they decided to go all in with US Soccer because they all thought there players would have a better chance playing with the Youth National teams than if they stayed ECNL with just one foot in the door. Both PDA/FC Stars lost faith early on with DA and others followed while these 2 clubs with close relationship with US Soccer held firm for there own interests instead of what was in the best interest for there players. Unless ECNL relents and brings back the number 1 rated club in the country as well as the highly rated FCV we will now see what the ramifications will be for both clubs going forward without the ECNL banner. Loyalty and commitment only goes so far and its a two-way street.