The ECNL Sales Pitch - Fact or Fiction

[Unregistered]

I have seen many a good players who drank the koolaid and went ECNL only to fade when their time on the field wasn't enough. These girls should be playing college, maybe at a lower ranked D1 school or D2/D3, but instead they lost motivation when they had to travel to a out of state ECNL tournament, only to get on the field five to ten minutes a game. I really don't think this is good for any player at a youth level...they need to be on the field at least twenty minutes a half in order to get momentum going to play decently. I think really the ECNL roster should be max 20, and then let the other players in a club get back to a regional premier level/state cup game and I think there would be less drama and better development for players. Look at the USDDA...they consolidate 15/16 and 17/18 so they are only picking the truly highest level. Clubs trying to expand a ECNL roster to 26 sounds more like college where most players (on average) don't see significant playing time until they are more veteran on the squad. It is just a disservice to any player who has to travel for their token five or ten minutes on the field. Much less sitting on the sidelines in shorts and sandals cuz the roster can only be 18.

Very, very simple solution. These families should just let you make their decisions for them, especially because they obviously are idiots who have no clue what they are doing.

[Unregistered]

I have seen many a good players who drank the koolaid and went ECNL only to fade when their time on the field wasn't enough. These girls should be playing college, maybe at a lower ranked D1 school or D2/D3, but instead they lost motivation when they had to travel to a out of state ECNL tournament, only to get on the field five to ten minutes a game. I really don't think this is good for any player at a youth level...they need to be on the field at least twenty minutes a half in order to get momentum going to play decently. I think really the ECNL roster should be max 20, and then let the other players in a club get back to a regional premier level/state cup game and I think there would be less drama and better development for players. Look at the USDDA...they consolidate 15/16 and 17/18 so they are only picking the truly highest level. Clubs trying to expand a ECNL roster to 26 sounds more like college where most players (on average) don't see significant playing time until they are more veteran on the squad. It is just a disservice to any player who has to travel for their token five or ten minutes on the field. Much less sitting on the sidelines in shorts and sandals cuz the roster can only be 18.

Most ECNL rosters aren't much more than 18. Also understand that the rosters you see on the ECNL website are inflated because any guest player used for even a single game shows up in the roster.

As I said earlier, on my daughter's team there were very few cases where any players got less than 35 minutes per game. The ECNL game rosters are the same size as USYS game rosters. The sub rules help get players longer blocks of playing time and a goo coach will have no trouble distributin playing time with a little planning.

My daughter came from a team where she was averaging 75 minutes per game, this year she averaged about 55. She has never come out of a season as healthy a she came out this year. Fewer naggin injuries, less time on the field when completely exhausted, more quality minutes.

[Unregistered]

now i'm really confused. we have a parent of a player from another state claiming the cost of upper echelon club soccer, should they travel with their child and send them to summer camps is $17,400 a year, while an ecnl parent travelling with their child totals $5,200.

that's a heck of a discrepancy.

what is it?

Whatever you said, it is a crying shame. 10 years ago, with expenses, high level Premier soccer cost around $ 800-1000 , plus some small expenses. Normal inflation increases would bring that up to around $ 1250-$ 1300.

So many, many children and famillies are left out, or have to struggle to keep up. Most of the paying crowd that has led the herd most likely doesn't even need financial help to get their children into College. They have actually cornered a segment of the market. Savy businesses ( read Clubs ) , saw this trend, and have welcomed the herd as their pockets get filled. What a scam.

[Unregistered]

Whatever you said, it is a crying shame. 10 years ago, with expenses, high level Premier soccer cost around $ 800-1000 , plus some small expenses. Normal inflation increases would bring that up to around $ 1250-$ 1300.

So many, many children and famillies are left out, or have to struggle to keep up. Most of the paying crowd that has led the herd most likely doesn't even need financial help to get their children into College. They have actually cornered a segment of the market. Savy businesses ( read Clubs ) , saw this trend, and have welcomed the herd as their pockets get filled. What a scam.

How is this different from any other business that targets a market?

[Unregistered]

How is this different from any other business that targets a market?

This specific market is children , and their hopes and dreams.
Youth soccer as it now exists is not alone ,by the way.

[Unregistered]

now i'm really confused. we have a parent of a player from another state claiming the cost of upper echelon club soccer, should they travel with their child and send them to summer camps is $17,400 a year, while an ecnl parent travelling with their child totals $5,200.

that's a heck of a discrepancy.

what is it?

Clearly someone is lying.

[Unregistered]

I'm from another state, and I agree with this estimate. If parents travel with player to any tournament even a regional one, you can add $5,000 to this on an annual basis. You could even throw in another $1000 a year for college prospect camps in years Freshm - Junior year. And that is just two a year.

If you are spending $5000 to attend 1 tournament, then I have some nice "water front" real estate I would like you to look at.

[Unregistered]

This specific market is children , and their hopes and dreams.
Youth soccer as it now exists is not alone ,by the way.

May i suggest a friendly amendment? ...Market is more correctly parents, and is driven by their hopes and dreams for their kids.

[Unregistered]

Whatever you said, it is a crying shame. 10 years ago, with expenses, high level Premier soccer cost around $ 800-1000 , plus some small expenses. Normal inflation increases would bring that up to around $ 1250-$ 1300.

So many, many children and famillies are left out, or have to struggle to keep up. Most of the paying crowd that has led the herd most likely doesn't even need financial help to get their children into College. They have actually cornered a segment of the market. Savy businesses ( read Clubs ) , saw this trend, and have welcomed the herd as their pockets get filled. What a scam.

Lovely argument. Except the clubs aren't make much of of the $2000-$18000 discussed in the thread. The club fees are are $2k from which they pay for fields an coaches.

Nobody disagrees the expensive part of the game is the travel. But you seem to have an agenda against the clubs so it only makes sense that you misdirect the motive.

[Unregistered]

Lovely argument. Except the clubs aren't make much of of the $2000-$18000 discussed in the thread. The club fees are are $2k from which they pay for fields an coaches.

Nobody disagrees the expensive part of the game is the travel. But you seem to have an agenda against the clubs so it only makes sense that you misdirect the motive.

I do not have an agenda against clubs. I am just saying that the level to which is has risen is nearly out of control. Again, 10 years ago I paid an annual club fee of $ 800.00.With inflation, that should be around $ 1100. And yes, before you ask, that amount was good enough to have one of my children have a pretty decent College soccer experience. And the that 4 years from 15-18, the coach was a College coach. But then again, there were not has many teams calling themselves Premier.See the scam yet?

[Unregistered]

I do not have an agenda against clubs. I am just saying that the level to which is has risen is nearly out of control. Again, 10 years ago I paid an annual club fee of $ 800.00.With inflation, that should be around $ 1100. And yes, before you ask, that amount was good enough to have one of my children have a pretty decent College soccer experience. And the that 4 years from 15-18, the coach was a College coach. But then again, there were not has many teams calling themselves Premier.See the scam yet?

Who specifically do you hold responsible for this so-called scam? Let me guess. You blame Stars and Scorps but not NEFC. And your kid 10 years ago played for Tri-Valley or Puma, right?

[Unregistered]

Who specifically do you hold responsible for this so-called scam? Let me guess. You blame Stars and Scorps but not NEFC. And your kid 10 years ago played for Tri-Valley or Puma, right?

I don't hold any one person or group specifically responsible . It is all of it , the entire industry , but I suppose the root of it all began with parents . Their highjacking of youth sports from the scholastic domain started the ball rolling. When you make childen the center of attention within the family, you let the cat out of the bag.

[Unregistered]

I don't hold any one person or group specifically responsible . It is all of it , the entire industry , but I suppose the root of it all began with parents . Their highjacking of youth sports from the scholastic domain started the ball rolling. When you make childen the center of attention within the family, you let the cat out of the bag.

So presumably you are critical of the entire culture....pressure to enter the elite college sweepstakes by pre-school, special tutors, phony trips to Europe and South America, etc, etc

[Unregistered]

So presumably you are critical of the entire culture....pressure to enter the elite college sweepstakes by pre-school, special tutors, phony trips to Europe and South America, etc, etc

Well I wouldn't say " entire", but you are getting warmer.

[Unregistered]

When she lacked drive, she lacked, to borrow your phrase, "the body". Even though she had superior vision, skills and technique, she was overlooked by ODP evaluators. She luckily wasn't overlooked by a top club, and the competition to earn playing time and play well drove her to work on all aspects of her game so much that she landed at a D1 program.

Stars Class of 2012 * From Stars Website

Penn State U18G ECNL - D1 - #9 - All League, All-Scholastic, All State, All Region, All American - Top Drawer - NR - 4 Stars
Boston College U18G ECNL - D1 - #13 - All League, All-Scholastic, All State, All Region, ODP RP - Top Drawer - NR - 4 Stars
Maryland U18G ECNL - D1 - #16 - All League, League MVP, All-Scholastic, All State, All Region, ODP RP & RT - Top Drawer - NR - 4 Stars
Maryland U18G ECNL - D1 - #16 - All League, All Section, ODP RP - Top Drawer - NR - 3 Stars
Boston University U18G West - D1 - #31 MVP, All Section - Top Drawer - NR - 0 Stars
Georgetown U18G ECNL - D1 - #44 - All League, All State - Top Drawer - NR - 0 Stars
Michigan State U18G ECNL - D1 - #54 - Team MVP, League All Star, All State, ODP RP, ECNL All Event - Top Drawer - NR - 0 Stars
University of Connecticut U18G ECNL - D1 - #85 - Not in press release - Top Drawer - NR - 3 Stars
St. John’s University U18G ECNL - D1 - #93 - HM All Conference - Top Drawer - No record
Rutgers U18G ECNL - D1 - #121 - Team MVP, All League, All-Scholastic, All State - Top Drawer - NR - 3 Stars
Monmouth University U18G ECNL - D1 - #146 - All League, All-Scholastic, All State, All Region, ECNL MVP - Top Drawer - No record
Northeastern U18G ECNL - D1 - #150 - All League, All State, ODP - Top Drawer - NR - 3 Stars
Northeastern University U18G ECNL - D1 - #150 - All League, League MVP, All-Scholastic - Top Drawer - NR - 3 Stars
Northwestern University U18G ECNL - D1 - #202 - All League, League MVP, All State, All Region, ECNL All Event - Top Drawer - NR - 0 Stars
University of New Hampshire U18G ECNL - D1 - #258 - ID2 - Top Drawer - NR - 0 Stars
College of St. Rose U18G ECNL - D2 - #1 - Top Drawer - NR - 3 Stars
Southern New Hampshire U18G West - D2 - NR - Top Drawer - No record
Southern New Hampshire U18G West - D2 - NR - Top Drawer - No record
American International College U18G West - D2 - NR - Top Drawer - No record
Assumption College U18G Utd - D2 - NR - Top Drawer - No record
Williams College U18G ECNL - D3 - #11 - Top Drawer - NR - 3 Stars
Vassar College U18G Utd - D3 - NR - Top Drawer - No record
Hamilton College U18G Utd - D3 - NR - Top Drawer - No record
Dickinson College U18G Utd - D3 - NR - Top Drawer - No record
Hamilton College U18G Utd - D3 - NR - Top Drawer - No record
Westfield State U18G Utd - D3 - NR - Top Drawer - No record

** Accolades based upon information contained in write up from each college's recruiting class press release

[b]Top Drawer Star Ratings[b]

5 - Stars - Best of the Best - A player who ranks in the highest percentile of his peers and is coveted by coaches and scouts, pro and college alike. Such a player has command of the technical, tactical, mental and physical elements of the game, including the emotional maturity to handle success and be a good team member. These players also possess all the intangibles that make them the best of the best.

4 - Stars - Very Strong - Some of the strongest players who are always among the most exceptional footballers on the field. These players may be progressing toward a 5-star designation, and are still attracting a lot of attention for their considerable abilities on the field. 4-star players are still major difference-makers on the pitch.

3 - Stars - Strong - Very good players who, while not as talented as their 4 and 5-star teammates, can make a difference in a match and tend to stand out on the field These players may be less developed in one of the 4 key areas (technical, tactical, physical, mental) however they will still be fairly strong in most of them.

2 - Star - Good - Talented players who need further development in key areas of the game. 2-star players are often those who are still defining their game. These players can still fulfill specific needs for a team and help provide the glue that every team needs. A 2-star players needs to be scouted further by TopDrawerSoccer.com.

1 - Star - Fair - These players are often just beginning to make their mark. A 1-star player has unrealized potential still being tapped into that could lead to good things down the line. These players may still have a valuable role, both as a developing player and as an established team member. A 1-star players needs to scouted further by TopDrawerSoccer.com


Analysis

4 Star prospects 3 - 12%
3 Star prospects 7 - 27%
0 Star prospects 5 - 19%
Unrated prospects 12 - 46%

26 commitments over 3 teams (50 2012's on rosters) - 52% (after adjusting for 3:1 turnover ratio - 17%)
15 D1 - 58%
5 D2 - 19%
6 D3 - 23%

15 D1 commitments
Top 10 - 1 - 7%
Top 11- 25 - 3 - 20%
Top 26- 50 - 2 - 13%
Top 51-100 - 3 - 20%
Top 101-200- 4 - 27%
Topt 200+ - 2 - 13%

ECNL - 19 2012's - 16 College Commitments - 84%
UTD - 17 2012's - 6 College Commitments - 35%
West - 14 2012's - 4 College Commitments - 28%