The ECNL Sales Pitch - Fact or Fiction

[Unregistered]

Once again you are shooting at the wrong person but lets not let that stop you from trying to paint this discussion as one club against another. It really isn't Stars/Scorpions vs NEFC, it is more like the ECNL philosophy vs R1 philosophy.

Your point about Harvard, Yale etc is completely stupid because getting into those schools has virutally nothing to do with soccer. You need the brains to get to those schools so unless you are claiming the local ECNL clubs also have tremendous tutoring operations you need to drop them off your boast list.

Trying to deny that consolidating talent isn't an ECNL vs R1 argument. If anything, R1 teams need to consolidate talent more than ECNL teams. The relagation to oblivion philosophy of R1 demands consolidation of talent for teams to survive.

[Unregistered]

Once again you are shooting at the wrong person but lets not let that stop you from trying to paint this discussion as one club against another. It really isn't Stars/Scorpions vs NEFC, it is more like the ECNL philosophy vs R1 philosophy.

Your point about Harvard, Yale etc is completely stupid because getting into those schools has virutally nothing to do with soccer. You need the brains to get to those schools so unless you are claiming the local ECNL clubs also have tremendous tutoring operations you need to drop them off your boast list.

You are all so caught up in this ECNl vs R1 argument, and it is silly. Our child made 3 teams after tryouts, icluding both ECNL and R1 teams. We are not naive, and chose an ECNL team. We are simply looking for her to play at a higher level, and the team we chose is a little closer to home and she knows a couple of players on it. Both ECNL and R1 teams offer great soccer, and we know it is up to her to work hard to become a player that might have a chance at a college career, and not necessarily D1. I am one of "those" people that you are trying to say are buying into this ECNL hype. There is no hype, just what all you people keep posting on TS. We talked to all the coaches, I met parents from all 3 teams, and it is nothing like all of you are trying to portray on this forum. All 3 teams offered great training opportunities, we liked all the coaches and most of the parents seemed honest in their responses to us. You all are making this argument into something it isn't. Make your choice ( if your child makes one of these teams), and respect those that choose a different route.

[Unregistered]

You are all so caught up in this ECNl vs R1 argument, and it is silly. Our child made 3 teams after tryouts, icluding both ECNL and R1 teams. We are not naive, and chose an ECNL team. We are simply looking for her to play at a higher level, and the team we chose is a little closer to home and she knows a couple of players on it. Both ECNL and R1 teams offer great soccer, and we know it is up to her to work hard to become a player that might have a chance at a college career, and not necessarily D1. I am one of "those" people that you are trying to say are buying into this ECNL hype. There is no hype, just what all you people keep posting on TS. We talked to all the coaches, I met parents from all 3 teams, and it is nothing like all of you are trying to portray on this forum. All 3 teams offered great training opportunities, we liked all the coaches and most of the parents seemed honest in their responses to us. You all are making this argument into something it isn't. Make your choice ( if your child makes one of these teams), and respect those that choose a different route.

This is precisely the point that many posters are trying to make. There is no one clear cut answer anymore. You pick the team that fits your needs the best. The type of mindset that promotes this next post is what many are objecting to because it is in complete denial of the youth soccer world as it exists now.

Trying to deny that consolidating talent isn't an ECNL vs R1 argument. If anything, R1 teams need to consolidate talent more than ECNL teams. The relagation to oblivion philosophy of R1 demands consolidation of talent for teams to survive.

I doubt many posters really care where other players go but don't try to tell everyone something is black or white when it is actually grey. Also don't be so arrogant to assume our club's are the ones that are going to be relagated to oblivion. Lord knows the world of youth soccer is fluid enough that either road could be completely morphed by the time most of the teams out there get into the high school years.

[Unregistered]

Getting the majority of the good players on a single team is good for the team, and the players. The players get better, the team gets better and everyone gets more exposure.

The only people that deny this are those who stand to lose good players.

Putting on the uniform is not what makes them d1 caliber players. It is the players (as you pointed out earlier), the coaching, the competition and their teammates. Many players at u13 have the potential to be d1 players. If they don't have the right attitude, training and competition they will not make it.

For some reason you seem to think there is some magical genetic switch in players that determines they are d1 players - they are or they aren't. This is laughably wrong. Players with the potential to make it need to refine their skills from u13 to u18.

You are dreaming. In the girls game the single most important thing college coaches look for is speed and that is all about genetics. Your kid could be a Houdini with the ball but if they are not extremely fast they are not a D1 prospect. The desired athletic traits have to be there or compensated for by another trait before one should even think about dumping all their energy into chasing a D1 scholarship. The only ones that believe to the contrary are the unathletic and the coaches trying to convince them to spend their money doing all this skill training.

[Unregistered]

Once again you are shooting at the wrong person but lets not let that stop you from trying to paint this discussion as one club against another. It really isn't Stars/Scorpions vs NEFC, it is more like the ECNL philosophy vs R1 philosophy.

Your point about Harvard, Yale etc is completely stupid because getting into those schools has virutally nothing to do with soccer. You need the brains to get to those schools so unless you are claiming the local ECNL clubs also have tremendous tutoring operations you need to drop them off your boast list.

btdt, why so shy and demure all of the sudden, while you feverishly "paint" away here? Talk about 24 hours cycle! Save yourself the empty denials so that you can put more energy into improving your arguments.

Why can't you answer very, very simple questions. Do you believe no players should play for Stars and Scorps under any circumstances?

And to say that recruitment to Harvard or Yale has nothing to do with soccer means you are not the expert on recruiting that you portray yourself to be.

[Unregistered]

You are dreaming. In the girls game the single most important thing college coaches look for is speed and that is all about genetics. Your kid could be a Houdini with the ball but if they are not extremely fast they are not a D1 prospect. The desired athletic traits have to be there or compensated for by another trait before one should even think about dumping all their energy into chasing a D1 scholarship. The only ones that believe to the contrary are the unathletic and the coaches trying to convince them to spend their money doing all this skill training.

I will agree that d1 teams aren't looking for slow players but we can argue what "fast" means all day. There are not many slow players on any decent R1P or ECNL side.

My daughter is neither big nor fast, though she is pretty damn good with the ball on the foot. She is getting plenty of d1 attention though.

[Unregistered]

I will agree that d1 teams aren't looking for slow players but we can argue what "fast" means all day. There are not many slow players on any decent R1P or ECNL side.

My daughter is neither big nor fast, though she is pretty damn good with the ball on the foot. She is getting plenty of d1 attention though.

Having been involved with girls soccer for a long time, it seems to be the case that D1 programs are looking for SPEED. What this means is that if a player is fast, they will get looked at by coaches and recruiters. Even if they lack some other skills, speed is what draws attention. Its' not to say that this is the way it should be, but take a look at any fast player, and chances are that just because they are fast, they are getting looks. Add in skills and smarts and you are in the door, but if you are just fast, you're still getting looked at.

[Unregistered]

speed matters, but interestingly, quick and fast players with good skills often look slower because they solve problems with intellect and technique as often as they do strength and speed. sometimes these players get overlooked, especially by programs that pride themselves on a high pressure, direct style of play. also, coaches, often wrongly figure they can teach someone with speed better tactics and technique. this almost always ends badly.

xavi and iniesta don't move very fast, but they don't have to. when they want to, they are among the fastest players on the pitch.

[Unregistered]

Having been involved with girls soccer for a long time, it seems to be the case that D1 programs are looking for SPEED. What this means is that if a player is fast, they will get looked at by coaches and recruiters. Even if they lack some other skills, speed is what draws attention. Its' not to say that this is the way it should be, but take a look at any fast player, and chances are that just because they are fast, they are getting looks. Add in skills and smarts and you are in the door, but if you are just fast, you're still getting looked at.

Agreed they are looking for speed first - so what?

That is just taking off the tract of the discussion. After they go through the couple of truly fast players around there are still tons of players they are looking for.

Speed helps but there is no magic genetic switch that tells you a u13 player is d1 material. They need to develop from u13-18 to make it and that requires talent, drive, training and competition.

[Unregistered]

Agreed they are looking for speed first - so what?

That is just taking off the tract of the discussion. After they go through the couple of truly fast players around there are still tons of players they are looking for.

Speed helps but there is no magic genetic switch that tells you a u13 player is d1 material. They need to develop from u13-18 to make it and that requires talent, drive, training and competition.

Oh come on. Unlike boys, girls typically get slower after puberty so a 13 yo slow girl is not going to improve her chances of getting to d1 just with a bunch of foot skill work. Aggression there is no magic switch so unless your daughter is in the top 2-3 in speed on her team she is not likely to benefit from any of these conversations.

[Unregistered]

Oh come on. Unlike boys, girls typically get slower after puberty so a 13 yo slow girl is not going to improve her chances of getting to d1 just with a bunch of foot skill work. Aggression there is no magic switch so unless your daughter is in the top 2-3 in speed on her team she is not likely to benefit from any of these conversations.

Girls don't get slower post pueberty - didn't we disprove that last summer. Girls get slower after u13 because they discover boys and stop working out. The vast majority of girls who continue to train will not get slower.

You don't need to be fast, you just need to be fast enough. The vast majority of players on an R1P or ECNL roster at u16 are fast enough or they would have been exposed and lost their spots by then.

[Unregistered]

Oh come on. Unlike boys, girls typically get slower after puberty so a 13 yo slow girl is not going to improve her chances of getting to d1 just with a bunch of foot skill work. Aggression there is no magic switch so unless your daughter is in the top 2-3 in speed on her team she is not likely to benefit from any of these conversations.

Again it depends on the club team. At U13, my daughter was probably not in the top 1/2 of her team in flat out foot speed. She hadn't focused on speed or strength, but had spent more time than anyone else with a ball at her feet. Once she started running and concentrating on fitness, and moved to a more challenging competitive environment, she quickly caught and far surpassed her early town and club teammates. If your child is driven and focused, and self-motivated to play on their own outside of structured practices twice a week, they will improve immensely from U14-U18. I know mine did.

All this talk about kids being on a set path at U14, and all clubs being able to develop talent equally, is blatant, self-serving drivel. Don't be fooled or discouraged.

[Unregistered]

Again it depends on the club team. At U13, my daughter was probably not in the top 1/2 of her team in flat out foot speed. She hadn't focused on speed or strength, but had spent more time than anyone else with a ball at her feet. Once she started running and concentrating on fitness, and moved to a more challenging competitive environment, she quickly caught and far surpassed her early town and club teammates. If your child is driven and focused, and self-motivated to play on their own outside of structured practices twice a week, they will improve immensely from U14-U18. I know mine did.

All this talk about kids being on a set path at U14, and all clubs being able to develop talent equally, is blatant, self-serving drivel. Don't be fooled or discouraged.

Can you say, give me your money any more blatantly. Way to many parents think their little darling is destined for greatness. There are not more than two dozen d1 prospects in any one age group. All this talk does is delude many into thinking their child is one of them.

[Unregistered]

Can you say, give me your money any more blatantly. Way to many parents think their little darling is destined for greatness. There are not more than two dozen d1 prospects in any one age group. All this talk does is delude many into thinking their child is one of them.

Not a money grab at all - why would you teach you kids to write off their dreams so easily?

Outside of the top 5 or so, who are fairly well know and fair likely, there are probably 50+ kids at u13 who have the potential to be other 19 of the 2 dozen. The only sure way to know if those kids will make it or not is if you don't give them a chance.

[Unregistered]

My daughter should have thrown in the towel at U14 then instead of concentrating, plugging away, and landing on a top D1 soccer team. U13 no odp, low level club team, more interested in ice cream and bean bag dolls. 2 years later the switch flipped.

I'm not a coach. Just a parent with a slightly different perspective.