The ECNL Sales Pitch - Fact or Fiction

[Unregistered]

I didn't say the travel was sane. I said ECNL travel has been cheaper for our family than the previous Maple, Super Y, R1, Disney variation. We've had one parent and child travel on 3 Southwest or JetBlue flights booked months in advance. We bid rental cars on Priceline. We stay at the team hotel, which to the ECNL's credit averages at least $40 less than our previous club's booking.

You spent $1,500. We spent about 1/3 less for our 3 trips.

Disney flights alone, once we knew we were accepted with our previous club cost almost $1,000 per person. Hotel was $180+ per night. Rental cars...no deals at Christmas... $500. And then the kicker, Disney charged me $100 to watch my own kid play. Add food, and this was a $3,500+ 2 person trip easy.

And we played the majority of our games off site, 40-60 minutes away in brutal traffic with the only college coaches in sight the ones coaching teams.

None of this is sane. But to paint ECNL as the culprit, when many of their decisions have improved competition and lowered costs, is just not fair.

Look at a trip to ECNL Chicago this summer and it will add up...pipe in...minimally: Flights about $400 (no deals flying to chicago in summer), car ($200), hotels even splitting one will be about $300, other expenses $200 plus. Without our family, $1,100.

[Unregistered]

Look at a trip to ECNL Chicago this summer and it will add up...pipe in...minimally: Flights about $400 (no deals flying to chicago in summer), car ($200), hotels even splitting one will be about $300, other expenses $200 plus. Without our family, $1,100.

I suspect the earlier poster was a Scorp family not attending, hence no reply. Even so, you are proving their point, which was each tourney flight and trip cost about $1,000, not tons more as the bashers contend.

[Unregistered]

With the schedules set so far in advance you can buy airline tickets quite early. We found the move to save money although we traveled a lot before.

[Unregistered]

The majority of children that play Youth soccer in America will never even play in College, 99 % or more is not a bad estimate. Then why are parents allowing the market to be driven by such a low percentage of return for their children? Are they so enamored with the ego boost that they are blinded by the truth? Are they truly comfortable with a systenm that grinds childen up and spits them out when a higher skilled, or more affluent child arrives on the scene?
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What are the corresponding percentages for Little League baseball, Youth Hockey, AAU Basketball, Travel Softball, etc.? Are you going to make your kid quit club soccer because the probability of the investment paying off isn't there? If so, then many of these other sports aren't any better bets. Sure, they may not cost as much as a full ECNL season might, but most of the kids playing ECNL are among the top players in the area at their respective age groups.

Have you been to some of these softball tournaments or AAU hoop tournaments? There are kids playing in them who look like they just took up the game for the first time that morning. It's not just soccer --- it's all youth sports.

Of course a case may be made regarding other sports, but Youth soccer has had growth and expansion far beyond the other youth sports. The youth soocer sytem is fragmented, many times discriminatory and becoming for and more murky.The added stress factor put forth by the actions of adults adds to life draining rather than life enriching. The way things are going, the easiest part for children is to be on the field.In the race for some sort of pot of gold , I wonder if the true essence of children's sports is being consumed by all the other nonsense.

In the past " top " players in Youth sports emerged , and were not for the most part put in place by the heavy hand of adult participation in the endeavor.

[Unregistered]

With the schedules set so far in advance you can buy airline tickets quite early. We found the move to save money although we traveled a lot before.

There is a flip side to that. I am sad to say that my husband and I can't figure out who is driving to practice today much less figure out who is going to go on a soccer trip 6 months from now. Our household and work schedules are way to hectic to do that level of planning. I sure wish we could, but the reality is there are just too many moving parts in our household to project that sort of thing. We have eaten airline tickets and have had to spend hundreds on iternary changes over the years. I know that I am not the only one that faces the same sort of scheduling challenges so this idea that everyone is finding great deals on their fights is just wrong.

Another thing about the travel expenses is a lot of the expense gets dictated by the parental group's wishes as a whole and really are out of our direct control. At this point I have no desire to stay in some flea bag hotel or eat bag lunches all weekend to save a couple of bucks. We are very fortunate and don't have to worry about making ends meet. If we did there is just no way we would be doing any of this. If you ask anyone who has been with a team in the travelling phase for a while I think they all will tell you it is an absolute grind. I know we are just worn out by all of the whole thing (the travel and the pressure of the environment) and refuse to live like a Gypsie just so my child can play soccer. Please don't take me wrong, we don't need to stay in luxury and eat like royalty when we travel, we just want to be comfortable. Most of the other parents with our team feel the same way so when the manager books a hotel for a tournament it is not going to be the cheapest one on the list. When our team travels we all stay at the same hotel and generally have at least one team dinner together.

The expenses add up and whether you spend $1,100 on one trip or $2,200 is not really the issue, it is the number of trips that make or break the bank. The big difference is the more you travel the more you will end up spending.

[Unregistered]

So here is the question - if money is not an issue - and your child wants to play DI in college, does she move to an ECNL team or stay with another very good club team, but a team that definitely won't get her to the highest levels of tournaments. She is the strongest player on her current club team. Not bragging - just trying to put it in perspective for those who might have an informed response. So is it better to be a star on your good club team or a good player on an ECNL team? Or will she end up in the same place anyway?

[Unregistered]

Of course a case may be made regarding other sports, but Youth soccer has had growth and expansion far beyond the other youth sports. The youth soocer sytem is fragmented, many times discriminatory and becoming for and more murky.The added stress factor put forth by the actions of adults adds to life draining rather than life enriching. The way things are going, the easiest part for children is to be on the field.In the race for some sort of pot of gold , I wonder if the true essence of children's sports is being consumed by all the other nonsense.

In the past " top " players in Youth sports emerged , and were not for the most part put in place by the heavy hand of adult participation in the endeavor.

A lot of what you say is true & I will not argue the validity of your points. Having said that, soccer is not alone or, rather, a lot different from some other sports. Do you have any experience with select baseball or hockey? The parents are oftentimes just as whacked - if not more so.

[Unregistered]

So is it better to be a star on your good club team or a good player on an ECNL team? Or will she end up in the same place anyway?

It's probably easier for the "good" player on an ECNL team to be seen than the "star" on the other team. The star may be the better player but may have to work harder (through reaching out, etc) to promote themselves so that they get noticed and seen.

[Unregistered]

So here is the question - if money is not an issue - and your child wants to play DI in college, does she move to an ECNL team or stay with another very good club team, but a team that definitely won't get her to the highest levels of tournaments. She is the strongest player on her current club team. Not bragging - just trying to put it in perspective for those who might have an informed response. So is it better to be a star on your good club team or a good player on an ECNL team? Or will she end up in the same place anyway?

What tournaments does her current team attend?

[Unregistered]

It's probably easier for the "good" player on an ECNL team to be seen than the "star" on the other team. The star may be the better player but may have to work harder (through reaching out, etc) to promote themselves so that they get noticed and seen.

Not true. If she is really a star in a good club, she will have more exposure and perhaps more noticeable. Ever heard big fish in a small pond?

[Unregistered]

So here is the question - if money is not an issue - and your child wants to play DI in college, does she move to an ECNL team or stay with another very good club team, but a team that definitely won't get her to the highest levels of tournaments. She is the strongest player on her current club team. Not bragging - just trying to put it in perspective for those who might have an informed response. So is it better to be a star on your good club team or a good player on an ECNL team? Or will she end up in the same place anyway?

As per usual...it depends.

From a purely showcasing standpoint...

You say she wants to play d1, ok, what does that actually mean? Does she want to play at any d1 that will have her or does she have specific schools she is interested in? Are the geographic restrictions - east coast, warm weather, as far away from mom and dad as possible? What about playing time - would she consider a great soccer school where she is a sub or would she rather be at a school where she will start?

Academcis should always come first. If she were to blow out her knee on the first day of practice she should still want to be at the school she has picked.

Make a list of ideal soccer schools and and seperate list of ideal acdemic schools. The crossover should be her target list. Find out where those schools recruit. Look at the scouting lists for the tournamnents that her current (and potential ECNL) teams typically attend. Which list looks like it will hit the schools she need?

Also note that there are other ways to get seen, id camps, clinics, etc. If you are in the recruiting years (u15+), it is probably best to be seen at a tournament before you go to a camp, but either way, camps can be a good way to be seen.

From a developmental standpoint...

Ask yourself if she will develop the skills needed to play at the schools she is interested in. Look at the better u17, u18 players in her club and then go watch a college game of the appropriate level. Are those kids in the same ballpark or is it like watching two different sports?

If she can't get the development she needs from her current club that also may be a reason to leave. It isn't neccessary for her to go to an ECNL team. Other teams are also very good at preparing players - it all depends on finding the right match for your daughter.

DYOR

[Unregistered]

Not true. If she is really a star in a good club, she will have more exposure and perhaps more noticeable. Ever heard big fish in a small pond?

So your contention is that she will get more exposure on a team that, let's say, plays in a regional league than she would on an ECNL team?

[Unregistered]

Not true. If she is really a star in a good club, she will have more exposure and perhaps more noticeable. Ever heard big fish in a small pond?

It depends a lot on what type of player she is and who she is playing against. If she is a physical athletic scorer then playing on a weaker team might be helpful.

If she is a possession player on a team that tends to play direct she won't get the right looks. If she is a defender playing on a team where the opponents aren't very strong, coaches won't be able to properly evaluate her in competition.

DYOR

[Unregistered]

So your contention is that she will get more exposure on a team that, let's say, plays in a regional league than she would on an ECNL team?

I think the point is that a good player on a very good team can get lost, while a good player on a weak team will standout.

It is a question of who will see you vs. what will they see.

DYOR

[Unregistered]

So your contention is that she will get more exposure on a team that, let's say, plays in a regional league than she would on an ECNL team?

From her perspective (being a star in her team) she will be more noticeable playing regional league. What gurantees you that she will shine in ECNL? It is not a matter of playing ECNL or regional league. The point is being good enough to play D1. If she is that good either condition is good. But the security that she has now is not guarantee in ECNL. What if she just became average with new environment and playing time got reduced? Does the ECNL coach guarantee her full playing time? I am assuming that she plays a lot in her present team.