ECNL Pipeline

[Unregistered]

Look at the 04 age group. FC Portland and Crossfire, the two ECNL clubs, have had those groups of girls for years and they are barely competing in the second tier Premiere group. Nice development work there. FC knows it's done a crap job with those girls so it will have to recruit 10+ Top players that have been developed in other clubs to have any shot of competing in ECNL. Same goes for Crossfire.. but they will pull all of their players from SSC and Thusc who do a decent job of development. Those sixth graders are already drinking the ECNL Kool-aid. They will flock to FC and CU for the same coaching that has been turning over mediocre players for years.

Your analysis ignores an important fact. If players continue to "flock" to FC and CU, it stands to reason that they feel they aren't getting what they need with their current club. After all, FC and CU aren't forcing anyone to "flock" over.

If the grass was so much greener and kids were getting all the development they needed, they would stay at their respective clubs, right? they would stay despite all the alleged recruiting and handing out of kool aid.

So what the "flock"?

[Unregistered]

There really is no flock to FC Portland. They get the run-off of girls that dont make CU and now NEU. But what we have seen first hand is the Crossfire feeder clubs and FCP start feeding ECNL Kool-aid to these young kids and their families starting at about u9 with the tale of you need to play ECNL if you ever want to play in college. It's a racket.

[Unregistered]

There really is no flock to FC Portland. They get the run-off of girls that dont make CU and now NEU. But what we have seen first hand is the Crossfire feeder clubs and FCP start feeding ECNL Kool-aid to these young kids and their families starting at about u9 with the tale of you need to play ECNL if you ever want to play in college. It's a racket.

Interesting. I haven't seen or heard that rhetoric from FC. I know, I'll be bashed for being an FC apologist, marketer, kool-aid distributor, yada yada. But, The only marketing I've seen or heard has been has been from the anti-ECNL crowd who profess that the ECNL clubs tout the ECNL as the only way to play college. From my personal experience as a parent, so far, that is furthest from the truth.

[Unregistered]

Folks asked about ECNL pipeline. Below are clubs with the most top 5 ranked teams in the pre-ecnl years (u11 to u13) according to US Youth Soccer Rankings (http://youthsoccerrankings.us), which is pretty similar to Last Planet:

3 - NEU (ECNL), THUSC (ECNL)
2 - FC (ECNL), WS-TS
1 - Crossfire (ECNL), EST, Southside (ECNL), Willamette (ECNL), WA_Timbers (05s are top 5 team, but listed in Washington)

Of the top 4 feeder clubs in the state - FC, NEU, THUSC, and WS-TS - 3 are ECNL clubs.

Even if the ECNL clubs attracted no talent from outside their own feeder teams, they would have the best pipelines in the state; historically they have also recruited well.

Somewhat of a misnomer - not sure all of the girls are going ECNL - however those clubs have some good teams at the younger ages.

[Unregistered]

The only people who would be worried about recruiting are insecure parents or coaches. Who the heck cares if a club tries to recruit a player? Seriously. Someone or some people are seriously worried about losing...someone or some people, and are so worried and insecure about it that they post about it on a soccer board. Crazy. Is that in hopes those being recruited see their opinion before they make the choice to switch?

It's the Timbers lemmings and GPS crazies that are worried. Good athletes leave those clubs all the time and tell those they left behind that they were "recruited" when in fact all they really did was want to get away from the cancers.

[Unregistered]

Your analysis ignores an important fact. If players continue to "flock" to FC and CU, it stands to reason that they feel they aren't getting what they need with their current club. After all, FC and CU aren't forcing anyone to "flock" over.

If the grass was so much greener and kids were getting all the development they needed, they would stay at their respective clubs, right? they would stay despite all the alleged recruiting and handing out of kool aid.

So what the "flock"?

Precisely. There is a reason girls are leaving Timbers clubs in droves and moving to ECNL clubs, even to play on their "B" teams. If the Timbers clubs can ever figure out what that reason is, maybe they'll then be able to start bailing their sinking ships.

[Unregistered]

Interesting. I haven't seen or heard that rhetoric from FC. I know, I'll be bashed for being an FC apologist, marketer, kool-aid distributor, yada yada. But, The only marketing I've seen or heard has been has been from the anti-ECNL crowd who profess that the ECNL clubs tout the ECNL as the only way to play college. From my personal experience as a parent, so far, that is furthest from the truth.

Ummmm, just chiming in here to let you know that the rhetoric is true. I had two ECNL coaches detain me for 30 minutes one day to tell me how I was misleading my kid because I wasn't doing ECNL. I'm grateful for their sales acumen and learned some things I did not know about ECNL. But ECNL isn't for everyone.

[Unregistered]

Ummmm, just chiming in here to let you know that the rhetoric is true. I had two ECNL coaches detain me for 30 minutes one day to tell me how I was misleading my kid because I wasn't doing ECNL. I'm grateful for their sales acumen and learned some things I did not know about ECNL. But ECNL isn't for everyone.

I agree with you, it's not for everyone.

[Unregistered]

Folks asked about ECNL pipeline. Below are clubs with the most top 5 ranked teams in the pre-ecnl years (u11 to u13) according to US Youth Soccer Rankings (http://youthsoccerrankings.us), which is pretty similar to Last Planet:

3 - NEU (ECNL), THUSC (ECNL)
2 - FC (ECNL), WS-TS
1 - Crossfire (ECNL), EST, Southside (ECNL), Willamette (ECNL), WA_Timbers (05s are top 5 team, but listed in Washington)

Of the top 4 feeder clubs in the state - FC, NEU, THUSC, and WS-TS - 3 are ECNL clubs.

Even if the ECNL clubs attracted no talent from outside their own feeder teams, they would have the best pipelines in the state; historically they have also recruited well.

Best 04 team is Eastside Timbers. Hello GDA.

[Unregistered]

Yippee. You rock Eastside!

[Unregistered]

Ummmm, just chiming in here to let you know that the rhetoric is true. I had two ECNL coaches detain me for 30 minutes one day to tell me how I was misleading my kid because I wasn't doing ECNL. I'm grateful for their sales acumen and learned some things I did not know about ECNL. But ECNL isn't for everyone.

Be prepared for the hard sale if you have talented daughter and she goes to Lincoln!

[Unregistered]

Yippee. You rock Eastside!

Yes, Eastside has 1 good young team. Remember when they use to have multiple?

[Unregistered]

Yes, Eastside has 1 good young team. Remember when they use to have multiple?

Like all Timbers clubs, been in a downward spiral for years.

[Unregistered]

Like all Timbers clubs, been in a downward spiral for years.

Why do you think that is? Eastside was better for the boys. DA has taken away all the best boys. Best girls eventually go Ecnl/TA.

[Unregistered]

Ummmm, just chiming in here to let you know that the rhetoric is true. I had two ECNL coaches detain me for 30 minutes one day to tell me how I was misleading my kid because I wasn't doing ECNL. I'm grateful for their sales acumen and learned some things I did not know about ECNL. But ECNL isn't for everyone.

I'm the OP you responded to. I'm a little dubious that any coaches , ECNL or otherwise, would or could "detain" anyone. I'm sure you were flattered for 30 minutes to hear the sales pitch while being "detained".

That aside, what you didn't mention in your response was telling. Of course, coaches, ECNL or whatever organization they represent, will try to sell you on their product. My comment spoke to the incessant criticisms by ECNL haters that ECNL touts itself as the ONLY way to play at the next level.

As an ECNL parent, I simply have never had any coach or rep say ECNL was the ONLY way.