CCL taking the NEP over

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Except, you know, everywhere in the world but in the US.....

Name a country then because I can tell you for a fact that the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, etc. all have MULTIPLE leagues from youth thru pro.

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I’ll give you a good reason: development. Development should be the main focus for young players (U-7 thru about U-14), NOT competition. This one big league with promotion and relegation that you and other posters keep droning on and on about doesn’t even exist in pro leagues, let alone youth leagues anywhere in the world. Why relegate a U-9 team? What does that prove and how is it beneficial to the players? It just encourages playing to win rather than developing players. It also just would satisfy adult fantasies about ranking young teams rather than making it all about the kids’ enjoyment and development.

Can’t agree more. No standings before u14 just like most European countries do. But you can still have one league with that principal.

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I’ll give you a good reason: development. Development should be the main focus for young players (U-7 thru about U-14), NOT competition. This one big league with promotion and relegation that you and other posters keep droning on and on about doesn’t even exist in pro leagues, let alone youth leagues anywhere in the world. Why relegate a U-9 team? What does that prove and how is it beneficial to the players? It just encourages playing to win rather than developing players. It also just would satisfy adult fantasies about ranking young teams rather than making it all about the kids’ enjoyment and development.

You're looking at relegation as this big negative thing. What if it is putting kids in an environment where they are playing more competitive games thus developing more?

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You're looking at relegation as this big negative thing. What if it is putting kids in an environment where they are playing more competitive games thus developing more?

Why all those arguments?
NEP is third tier at best.... just an upgrade from town.
Most club have also different team level for each age group, which promotes different play level if needed.

Parents believe their team is the best until they go to a tournament and lose 10:0... and then go cry to the tournament manager and try to kick the other team out because they are too good, and they got their bubble burst!

[Unregistered]

You're looking at relegation as this big negative thing. What if it is putting kids in an environment where they are playing more competitive games thus developing more?

No, it’s just that there is no point to this whole one giant league with promotion and relegation argument when it comes to youth soccer, especially at the pre U-15 ages. There is zero benefit to a young player or team. Promotion and relegation are competitive, not developmental, concepts that work best in a semi- pro (HS/college/early pro) or pro environment where you are working with older teens or adults that can make their own decisions; are committed to a program (tied by a scholarship, contract, etc); and where a profit motive is acceptable or at least understood. None of that should apply to youth soccer.

It’s hard not to think negatively of relegation at young ages. The likelihood is you would drive kids out of the sport before they’ve had a chance to develop. Encourage coaches to dump kids solely for the biggest/fastest at that moment in time. Coaches would just play to win rather than develop kids over time. There would be total turnover of the entire team as players sought out promoted over relegated teams. It would be a big mess and set back the sport.

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It’s hard not to think negatively of relegation at young ages. The likelihood is you would drive kids out of the sport before they’ve had a chance to develop. Encourage coaches to dump kids solely for the biggest/fastest at that moment in time. Coaches would just play to win rather than develop kids over time. There would be total turnover of the entire team as players sought out promoted over relegated teams. It would be a big mess and set back the sport.

You know, I was one of the people asking earlier why not relegation/promotion and all these points make sense to me. I've seen plenty of the filling of younger teams with biggest/fastest rather than skilled/intelligent players and then playing to that strength exclusively. Just to take one example, with those players on your team you can absolutely exploit building out of the back by rushing the goal kick every single time. Doesn't teach anyone on the field much of anything, but it racks up the wins and it actively discourages even the players who are willing to learn from trying anything else.

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By the way, I'm not saying that promo/relegation is the root cause of placing wins over development, but promo/relegation only makes it worse.

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By the way, I'm not saying that promo/relegation is the root cause of placing wins over development, but promo/relegation only makes it worse.

Wrong, coaches and their egos make it worse, that's all. Pro/Rel doesn't

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Wrong, coaches and their egos make it worse, that's all. Pro/Rel doesn't

Okay, then what is pro/rel good for again?

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Name a country then because I can tell you for a fact that the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, etc. all have MULTIPLE leagues from youth thru pro.

And, each and everyone one of the pro leagues promote/relegate between them.

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Okay, then what is pro/rel good for again?

Two things:
1) it encourages semi-pro and pro owners to continually invest in their teams
2) fan entertainment and engagement

Again, does nothing for youth soccer.

[Unregistered]

And, each and everyone one of the pro leagues promote/relegate between them.

Yes, in some cases not all; but if you follow most of these leagues you know that years (sometimes 10 or more) can go by before a club team is promoted or relegated from one league to another. The owners throw $ at talent and encourage a winner take all approach, which is why you see them pulling jerseys, tripping, recklessly slide tackling and doing all sorts of dangerous antics. That’s adult professional stuff; none of which works in youth sports where they are learning how to play the game.

[Unregistered]

Yes, in some cases not all; but if you follow most of these leagues you know that years (sometimes 10 or more) can go by before a club team is promoted or relegated from one league to another. The owners throw $ at talent and encourage a winner take all approach, which is why you see them pulling jerseys, tripping, recklessly slide tackling and doing all sorts of dangerous antics. That’s adult professional stuff; none of which works in youth sports where they are learning how to play the game.

Oh stop it... you are making too much sense out of this.