New England NPL restructuring???

[Unregistered]

Taking a break from all the DA/ECNL battles, to inquire about these “supposed” I keep hearing about restructuring the NEP/NPL division. Anyone have specifics? They just did a pretty big overhaul last year with the addition of the “Team (B)” bracket and promo/relegation out of that bracket, I can’t imagine they are doing anything too drastic this year. But yet I keep hearing rumors. Please do tell if you have the skinny.

[Unregistered]

I think the best way to move the New England NPL forward is making the premiership brackets and NPL brackets all relegation/promo including the "A", that will put the best teams at the top. A lot of the NPL club teams use that badge to lure kids in and take advantage of parents and players. There were several B NPL teams and Premiership teams that won States over the "A" and many "A" teams that have poor performances during states, tournaments and regular season play, they also had mixed ages on the team with a lot of younger kids player up just to field a team, they should be pushed down to the B and if they can not cut it there down to the premiership and so on, relegation/promo is good for both the player and clubs, that is the good clubs

[Unregistered]

I think the best way to move the New England NPL forward is making the premiership brackets and NPL brackets all relegation/promo including the "A", that will put the best teams at the top. A lot of the NPL club teams use that badge to lure kids in and take advantage of parents and players. There were several B NPL teams and Premiership teams that won States over the "A" and many "A" teams that have poor performances during states, tournaments and regular season play, they also had mixed ages on the team with a lot of younger kids player up just to field a team, they should be pushed down to the B and if they can not cut it there down to the premiership and so on, relegation/promo is good for both the player and clubs, that is the good clubs

Which B bracket team your kid with?

Look, there are bottom dwellers in every league/bracket. In general the top of the A is stronger than the top of the B bracket, and the bottom dogs in A are better than the bottom dogs in B. But yes, top of B will beat bottom of A. But they are not changing the licensing of the NPL A bracket and they are not going to make it promo/relegation. They should probably pull the NPL licenses of a few clubs who underperform year after year, but otherwise the fact that you even got a B bracket to compete in NPL is more than most leagues give. Many top New England NPL teams can beat mid level GDA or ECNL teams, but doesn’t mean they are getting promoted up into those leagues.

[Unregistered]

Now that Maple is dead, maybe the NEP will do a 180 on promo/rele and bring us back to where we were 8 years ago

[Unregistered]

Top level B is still bottom-third A. Agree the worst of the worst in A shouldn’t be there the rest are better than B’s best

That being said promo/rele wouls still make it better

[Unregistered]

Which B bracket team your kid with?

Look, there are bottom dwellers in every league/bracket. In general the top of the A is stronger than the top of the B bracket, and the bottom dogs in A are better than the bottom dogs in B. But yes, top of B will beat bottom of A. But they are not changing the licensing of the NPL A bracket and they are not going to make it promo/relegation. They should probably pull the NPL licenses of a few clubs who underperform year after year, but otherwise the fact that you even got a B bracket to compete in NPL is more than most leagues give. Many top New England NPL teams can beat mid level GDA or ECNL teams, but doesn’t mean they are getting promoted up into those leagues.

The only club that would respond like this is one that does not deserve the lic, let the best teams win and be rewarded, if a lic. npl club can not field 2 teams per age group then they need to go, how can you just have 1 team per age group and deserve a lic?

[Unregistered]

The team based NPL thing is working against all the bigger clubs to get players to GDA, , ENPL, ECNL and NPL team based. It lets regional coaches sell it like it's a substitute when it's not. It weakens the flow of better players to the better leagues and teams. It's counter productive to fielding the best top end teams. The NEP should be a training and feeder league. It should not be an end stop.

It also diminishes the rest of NEP.

[Unregistered]

The team based NPL thing is working against all the bigger clubs to get players to GDA, , ENPL, ECNL and NPL team based. It lets regional coaches sell it like it's a substitute when it's not. It weakens the flow of better players to the better leagues and teams. It's counter productive to fielding the best top end teams. The NEP should be a training and feeder league. It should not be an end stop.

It also diminishes the rest of NEP.

And you have those of us who could care less about any of those labels and just love our team and coaches.

[Unregistered]

Taking a break from all the DA/ECNL battles, to inquire about these “supposed” I keep hearing about restructuring the NEP/NPL division. Anyone have specifics? They just did a pretty big overhaul last year with the addition of the “Team (B)” bracket and promo/relegation out of that bracket, I can’t imagine they are doing anything too drastic this year. But yet I keep hearing rumors. Please do tell if you have the skinny.

Not sure about the restructuring...but...when the Bolts and Stars left boys NPL for ECNL the spring brackets were only 6 games (that wasn't good since it shortened the season)...just heard that Bolts are getting back in to NPL (along with DA and ECNL). Going to spread the ranks pretty thin. Not sure if it is all age groups.

[Unregistered]

Now that Maple is dead, maybe the NEP will do a 180 on promo/rele and bring us back to where we were 8 years ago

Just more expensive.

[Unregistered]

Now that Maple is dead, maybe the NEP will do a 180 on promo/rele and bring us back to where we were 8 years ago

Where's MASC when you meed it?

[Unregistered]

And you have those of us who could care less about any of those labels and just love our team and coaches.

I totally get this, and that is great, but I agree that giving regional teams the opportunity for NPL designations, stifles the glow of the better talent to those top teams. I don’t blame parents for not wanting to move their kid to the club’s designated NPL team, when they can play NPL from the “comfort” of their local team with a coach they like. But before this team bracket, those better players who wanted to push up to a better league/team would migrate to the club’s NPL team. Now they are just stopping at the regional team, and the top of the pyramid is weaker because of all the dilution of options throughout NPL, ECNL, and DA.

[Unregistered]

I totally get this, and that is great, but I agree that giving regional teams the opportunity for NPL designations, stifles the glow of the better talent to those top teams. I don’t blame parents for not wanting to move their kid to the club’s designated NPL team, when they can play NPL from the “comfort” of their local team with a coach they like. But before this team bracket, those better players who wanted to push up to a better league/team would migrate to the club’s NPL team. Now they are just stopping at the regional team, and the top of the pyramid is weaker because of all the dilution of options throughout NPL, ECNL, and DA.

*flow

[Unregistered]

New England NPL restructuring???

The team based NPL thing is working against all the bigger clubs to get players to GDA, , ENPL, ECNL and NPL team based. It lets regional coaches sell it like it's a substitute when it's not. It weakens the flow of better players to the better leagues and teams. It's counter productive to fielding the best top end teams. The NEP should be a training and feeder league. It should not be an end stop.

It also diminishes the rest of NEP.

I think the selling is by the bigger and not the other way around. The DA and ECNL programs cost a crazy amount of money and the benefits do not outweigh the cost. The concept is fine but why travel to PA, NJ and all over the country to play sub par teams. Those that have done these programs will know for every great program there is a junk program that you must spend air fair, hotel and other travel costs to go beat 7-0. The structure is wrong and it starts too young. looks at the goal differentials of the top ECNL teams and tell me somehow that is the best competition they can play? For the Girls no NEFC, Oakwood and SS Select who are better than most ECNL teams and vice versa for the DA.

Whatever the high level program is it should be funded and be outside the club structure. What ODP should have been. Allow players to play at the highest level at whatever club that is and in addition train and play at a higher level outside of club. Look at the Stars and NEFC players on the girls side who did DA last year and it was no different than ECNL the year before. Stars now backs out of DA and 2 top clubs don't even play each other.

Elevate the Top club coaches to train and develop a pool of players at every age group. Take those teams and play State vs State tournaments/games outside of the normal league schedule.

Right now DA and ECNL are for well off families and not everyone. Players are going to college locally yet have to travel all over the US for visibility to coaches they will never play for. The system is broken and it is not the small clubs holding players back it is the structure that needs to be fixed.

[Unregistered]

I totally get this, and that is great, but I agree that giving regional teams the opportunity for NPL designations, stifles the glow of the better talent to those top teams. I don’t blame parents for not wanting to move their kid to the club’s designated NPL team, when they can play NPL from the “comfort” of their local team with a coach they like. But before this team bracket, those better players who wanted to push up to a better league/team would migrate to the club’s NPL team. Now they are just stopping at the regional team, and the top of the pyramid is weaker because of all the dilution of options throughout NPL, ECNL, and DA.

You created leagues that cost a fortune and are surprised that people are staying with local options with good coaching? Kudos to the NEP for giving families an alternative to the madness. You can stick that pyramid where the sun don’t shine!