Birth year /school year relative age effect

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Attn ECNL clubs!

US Soccer is trying to bury ECNL with GDA so I don’t know why ECNL would follow their mandates any more. I don’t know whether it was a mandate or a strong suggestion either but it is literally killing youth soccer and making it way worse even for the national teams.

If ECNL is somehow forced by USSF to do birth year age groups, then (because they are their own national league) the easy work around for ECNL is this for next year:

ECNL teams for the 2019/20 Season
2001 (U19) = All Seniors - born in 2001 or later (ex: many 2002s)
2002 (U18) = All Juniors - born in 2002 or later
2003 (U17) = All Sophomores - born in 2003 or later
2004 (U16) = All Freshmen - born in 2004 or later
ETC.

-This is completely “legal”. In fact, USSF encouraged players to play up so having, for example, 2002s who are seniors play with their 2001 senior peers makes perfect sense.
-This splits the current cluster of having to combine the U18&U19 birth year groups into one team. If no change to grad year next year, ALL the current U17 2002s must combine with the remaining seniors born in 2001 currently juniors on the 200/01 combined teams. This leaves about 10 current players out of a team period. With Grad Year, all the current 2002s AND the remaining 2001s have a team at their current ECNL club - (unless they quit or get replaced as always).
-Double Bonus for ECNL: GDA still has to combine U18/U19 so the 10 or so GDA players that are out of a team will come knocking on nearby ECNL doors.
-Triple bonus: with the current recruiting scandal and new, tighter, stricter NCAA recruiting rules that are set up by GRADE (the NCAA doesn’t care what year a player was born - ONLY what grade they are in), ECNL grade team players would all be on the exact same recruiting timeline and rules! All could either talk or not talk to college coaches, etc so rules would be easy to follow and there would be great transparency to the NCAA that ECNL players are not violating any NCAA recruiting rules. College coaches, next year under MUCH more scrutiny wouldn’t have to worry at a showcase that they are illegally talking to one of the ten 2003 sophomores that’s on the U17 team with all the 2003 juniors. Easy to follow the rules on both sides of its a known team of all juniors. And, yes, of course players could still play up and guest and that would have to be pointed out as an exception but it would be an exception to the rule.
Quadruple bonus: If an ECNL team wanted to play in a non-Ecnl tournament, they can! Some of the birth year team players on the other team might be from the older grade and be some months older, but then the ECNL team has a perfect excuse if they lose and are otherwise being a little more challenged anyway.

Crossfire Premier and others: do you see the writing on the wall?

[Unregistered]

US Soccer is trying to bury ECNL with GDA so I don’t know why ECNL would follow their mandates any more. I don’t know whether it was a mandate or a strong suggestion either but it is literally killing youth soccer and making it way worse even for the national teams.

If ECNL is somehow forced by USSF to do birth year age groups, then (because they are their own national league) the easy work around for ECNL is this for next year:

ECNL teams for the 2019/20 Season
2001 (U19) = All Seniors - born in 2001 or later (ex: many 2002s)
2002 (U18) = All Juniors - born in 2002 or later
2003 (U17) = All Sophomores - born in 2003 or later
2004 (U16) = All Freshmen - born in 2004 or later
ETC.

-This is completely “legal”. In fact, USSF encouraged players to play up so having, for example, 2002s who are seniors play with their 2001 senior peers makes perfect sense.
-This splits the current cluster of having to combine the U18&U19 birth year groups into one team. If no change to grad year next year, ALL the current U17 2002s must combine with the remaining seniors born in 2001 currently juniors on the 200/01 combined teams. This leaves about 10 current players out of a team period. With Grad Year, all the current 2002s AND the remaining 2001s have a team at their current ECNL club - (unless they quit or get replaced as always).
-Double Bonus for ECNL: GDA still has to combine U18/U19 so the 10 or so GDA players that are out of a team will come knocking on nearby ECNL doors.
-Triple bonus: with the current recruiting scandal and new, tighter, stricter NCAA recruiting rules that are set up by GRADE (the NCAA doesn’t care what year a player was born - ONLY what grade they are in), ECNL grade team players would all be on the exact same recruiting timeline and rules! All could either talk or not talk to college coaches, etc so rules would be easy to follow and there would be great transparency to the NCAA that ECNL players are not violating any NCAA recruiting rules. College coaches, next year under MUCH more scrutiny wouldn’t have to worry at a showcase that they are illegally talking to one of the ten 2003 sophomores that’s on the U17 team with all the 2003 juniors. Easy to follow the rules on both sides of its a known team of all juniors. And, yes, of course players could still play up and guest and that would have to be pointed out as an exception but it would be an exception to the rule.
Quadruple bonus: If an ECNL team wanted to play in a non-Ecnl tournament, they can! Some of the birth year team players on the other team might be from the older grade and be some months older, but then the ECNL team has a perfect excuse if they lose and are otherwise being a little more challenged anyway.

Hey crazy dad. Couple more months ain't going make your little Mia
any better. She got it or she doesn't. Focus on her getting better
rather than fighting wind mills, Don Quixote.

[Unregistered]

US Soccer is trying to bury ECNL with GDA so I don’t know why ECNL would follow their mandates any more. I don’t know whether it was a mandate or a strong suggestion either but it is literally killing youth soccer and making it way worse even for the national teams.

If ECNL is somehow forced by USSF to do birth year age groups, then (because they are their own national league) the easy work around for ECNL is this for next year:

ECNL teams for the 2019/20 Season
2001 (U19) = All Seniors - born in 2001 or later (ex: many 2002s)
2002 (U18) = All Juniors - born in 2002 or later
2003 (U17) = All Sophomores - born in 2003 or later
2004 (U16) = All Freshmen - born in 2004 or later
ETC.

-This is completely “legal”. In fact, USSF encouraged players to play up so having, for example, 2002s who are seniors play with their 2001 senior peers makes perfect sense.
-This splits the current cluster of having to combine the U18&U19 birth year groups into one team. If no change to grad year next year, ALL the current U17 2002s must combine with the remaining seniors born in 2001 currently juniors on the 200/01 combined teams. This leaves about 10 current players out of a team period. With Grad Year, all the current 2002s AND the remaining 2001s have a team at their current ECNL club - (unless they quit or get replaced as always).
-Double Bonus for ECNL: GDA still has to combine U18/U19 so the 10 or so GDA players that are out of a team will come knocking on nearby ECNL doors.
-Triple bonus: with the current recruiting scandal and new, tighter, stricter NCAA recruiting rules that are set up by GRADE (the NCAA doesn’t care what year a player was born - ONLY what grade they are in), ECNL grade team players would all be on the exact same recruiting timeline and rules! All could either talk or not talk to college coaches, etc so rules would be easy to follow and there would be great transparency to the NCAA that ECNL players are not violating any NCAA recruiting rules. College coaches, next year under MUCH more scrutiny wouldn’t have to worry at a showcase that they are illegally talking to one of the ten 2003 sophomores that’s on the U17 team with all the 2003 juniors. Easy to follow the rules on both sides of its a known team of all juniors. And, yes, of course players could still play up and guest and that would have to be pointed out as an exception but it would be an exception to the rule.
Quadruple bonus: If an ECNL team wanted to play in a non-Ecnl tournament, they can! Some of the birth year team players on the other team might be from the older grade and be some months older, but then the ECNL team has a perfect excuse if they lose and are otherwise being a little more challenged anyway.

Nice idea. Sure would be nice for the current sophomores & juniors to have a team to play on next year. Having to combine 01 and 02 onto one team will be a cluster at most clubs.

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This is all great but what happens if you don’t play at a premier club ?what happens if you play for a smaller club that does not have the players or the capacity to join the elitist ECNL ? What happens to the kids that just want to play at the npsl and pspl level ? Rcl 1 now is the equivalent of pspl premier so that’s not a route anyone should go down ! The manadate was supposed to be for the top 0.01% of kids but has had a detrimental effect to the other 99.9%! We are seeing clubs having to merge now to survive as numbers are so down they can barely field one team (maple valley). We are actually killing the game we love to see no improvements in the National sides at any age (specifically boys). They are still as garbage as they have always been and now the mls is not recruiting American kids either . Do tell me what the point of all this is ? I just want to see my kid have fun and play competitive soccer and meet kids who have a mutual love for the game .

[Unregistered]

Make sure they're playing competitive soccer...PSPL or RCL. Let the kids dictate their own path. RCL elitists are the absolute worst. F off.

[Unregistered]

Hi all. There seems to be some strong opinions regarding rcl, pspl and ecnl. As a parent who is just getting involved in the world of competitive soccer, what would you say they biggest differences between rcl and pspl are. We are in Eastern Wa, so the sounders are the only rcl option, but we have practiced with and have felt more comfortable with one of the programs that participate in pspl. Thanks!

[Unregistered]

Hi all. There seems to be some strong opinions regarding rcl, pspl and ecnl. As a parent who is just getting involved in the world of competitive soccer, what would you say they biggest differences between rcl and pspl are. We are in Eastern Wa, so the sounders are the only rcl option, but we have practiced with and have felt more comfortable with one of the programs that participate in pspl. Thanks!

I think you answered your own question. Choose based on the coach, not the league.

[Unregistered]

Hi all. There seems to be some strong opinions regarding rcl, pspl and ecnl. As a parent who is just getting involved in the world of competitive soccer, what would you say they biggest differences between rcl and pspl are. We are in Eastern Wa, so the sounders are the only rcl option, but we have practiced with and have felt more comfortable with one of the programs that participate in pspl. Thanks!

I’m only involved in u12 but can say for certainty that at u12 the rcl and pspl top divisions are just about the same level . Development academy and encl has significantly weakened the rcl .

[Unregistered]

I think you answered your own question. Choose based on the coach, not the league.

You're totally right. The technical director from the PSPL club has been great and really available to us even though we are part of a different program. I have liked a lot about his club, but didn't want to feel like I was putting my son into an inferior program.

I’m only involved in u12 but can say for certainty that at u12 the rcl and pspl top divisions are just about the same level . Development academy and encl has significantly weakened the rcl .

That is good to know. As we don't have DA or ENCL teams on this side of the state, it sounds like the club and coaching are going to be the most important factor as the talent will be similar. I think the plan will be for him to play up a year with the 2009's next year on the pspl and edp teams.

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I don’t know the Spokane Sounders/Shadow plans right now, but if your son is going to play 2009 next Fall, their teams currently play in the PSPL until U12 anyways. PSPL seems to make more sense for EWA since almost all RCL clubs are a significant travel distance from Spokane.

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US Soccer truly doesn’t care but does want market share and will continue to try to eat away at ecnl. If ECNL wants to instantly gain 33% market share and win the long war for players, simply switch to High School Graduation year groups for next year. With the recruiting rules getting even tougher in April, the Juniors and Seniors are completely screwed if they have to combine teams at u18/u19. Junior year will now be the biggest recruiting year for girls and senior year will be bigger than it has been. If ECNL had full teams at every high school grade, hands down, players would swarm ECNL. Particularly at 8th/9th and 11th/12th. No brainer.

My dd’s current ‘01/00 Ecnl team:
9 seniors and 10 juniors
The ‘02 Ecnl team:
12 juniors and 7 sophomores
The ‘03 Ecnl team:
14 sophomores and 5 freshmen
The ‘04 Ecnl team:
14 Freshmen and 5 8th graders
The 05 Ecnl team:
15 8th graders and 4 7th graders

So, if they switch to HS Grad Year age groups for 2019-20 season:
‘01 senior based team = 20(8 +12 current juniors who will all be seniors next year)
‘02 junior based team = 21 (7 + 14 current sophomores)
‘03 soph. based team = 19 (5 + 14 current freshmen)
‘04 fresh based team. = 20 (5 + 15 current 8th graders)


If they stay birth year, the 01s & 02s have to combine because they will only have 10 birth year ‘01s left:
‘01/02 team = 33 players (12 + 21 =33 = 10 ‘01 seniors left over +entire current ‘02 team. The will have to play u19 instead of u18 because of 01s).
33 players won’t work for one team so 12-13 players will have to be cut. Makes ZERO sense to cut 12 or 13 players when no player need be cut if they simply switched to HS Grade based age groups.
Graduation based age groups is by far the best because you don’t have to cut 12/13 players! Sure hope Ecnl goes HS Grad Year next year so 12 to 13 players don’t have to be cut from my daughter’s team.

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Birth year/school year relative age affect

Graduation based age groups is by far the best because you don’t have to cut 12/13 players! Sure hope Ecnl goes HS Grad Year next year so 12 to 13 players don’t have to be cut from my daughter’s team.

I haven't found any hint of the ECNL considering this other than on this forum, so has anyone heard otherwise?

I would imagine this would be either a federation or US Club decision. Wondering if ECNL can make this decision or has to abide by US Club/Federation's wishes??

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My dd’s current ‘01/00 Ecnl team:
9 seniors and 10 juniors
The ‘02 Ecnl team:
12 juniors and 7 sophomores
The ‘03 Ecnl team:
14 sophomores and 5 freshmen
The ‘04 Ecnl team:
14 Freshmen and 5 8th graders
The 05 Ecnl team:
15 8th graders and 4 7th graders

So, if they switch to HS Grad Year age groups for 2019-20 season:
‘01 senior based team = 20(8 +12 current juniors who will all be seniors next year)
‘02 junior based team = 21 (7 + 14 current sophomores)
‘03 soph. based team = 19 (5 + 14 current freshmen)
‘04 fresh based team. = 20 (5 + 15 current 8th graders)


If they stay birth year, the 01s & 02s have to combine because they will only have 10 birth year ‘01s left:
‘01/02 team = 33 players (12 + 21 =33 = 10 ‘01 seniors left over +entire current ‘02 team. The will have to play u19 instead of u18 because of 01s).
33 players won’t work for one team so 12-13 players will have to be cut. Makes ZERO sense to cut 12 or 13 players when no player need be cut if they simply switched to HS Grade based age groups.
Graduation based age groups is by far the best because you don’t have to cut 12/13 players! Sure hope Ecnl goes HS Grad Year next year so 12 to 13 players don’t have to be cut from my daughter’s team.

If ECNL doesn’t see the writing on the wall and switch teams to graduation year, every current ECNL 02 team has to merge with the remaining 01s. Only 2 choices then: 1)Cut 10-12 players on average (who may have been playing ecnl for years) or have a team with 30+ players, and fewer showcases for u18/u19 teams to boot. If the ECNL clubs allow this to happen every year, they really don’t care about the players nor even their own business model.

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This was singly the biggest mistake US soccer has ever made ! I don’t know who made the decision but how the hell did so many people not have the intelligence to fight it ? The only time the member clubs will say anything is when they stop making money . The standards have dropped but are the big clubs still making top $?

[Unregistered]

This was singly the biggest mistake US soccer has ever made ! I don’t know who made the decision but how the hell did so many people not have the intelligence to fight it ? The only time the member clubs will say anything is when they stop making money . The standards have dropped but are the big clubs still making top $?

Soccer participation down 15% and counting since birth year mandate. Most clubs can’t even field a separate u18 and u19 so they have to combine and then cut a third of the players. Then more seniors quit because there’s only a few of them. Then more juniors quit because the team is falling apart, they don’t do hardly any showcases and college coaches don’t really come watch u19 because they think they must either be already committed seniors or seniors who aren’t too weak of players to get committed. All the juniors on the team get screwed too - in what used to be a big recruiting year. Repeat this process every year and also at the 8th/9th birth year fiasco years.