ECNL Boys

[Guest]

I know they are a few clubs in the New England that play ECNL on the boys side. Which club has the best teams? NEFC, Bayside, Bolts or Stars?

Our son will be in 9th grade this fall and would prefer to play with his HS team + ECNL next year vs his current Academy team who will be playing year round. We are willing to move clubs and have heard indifferent opinions from various people. The current club has ECNL teams already, but they are on the weaker side.

[Guest]

Just stay with the Bolts.

[Guest]

Does your son want to play in college? If he's not very interested then do ECNL. You can't get those HS years back. Even if he wants to play in college the odds of landing a spot and playing all for years is pretty slim ( unless he's a stud or has an international passport).

If he really wants college then MLSN is a better college track. ECNL players do get recruited but typically low level programs and more effort to get in front of coaches

[Guest]

I know they are a few clubs in the New England that play ECNL on the boys side. Which club has the best teams? NEFC, Bayside, Bolts or Stars?

Our son will be in 9th grade this fall and would prefer to play with his HS team + ECNL next year vs his current Academy team who will be playing year round. We are willing to move clubs and have heard indifferent opinions from various people. The current club has ECNL teams already, but they are on the weaker side.

"Prefer" is too soft and generic of a word. What do you really want? What does your son really want? That's the question you have to answer. What's your long term vision. Without that there is no way to help you determine which path is the right one.

[Guest]

Does your son want to play in college? If he's not very interested then do ECNL. You can't get those HS years back. Even if he wants to play in college the odds of landing a spot and playing all for years is pretty slim ( unless he's a stud or has an international passport).

If he really wants college then MLSN is a better college track. ECNL players do get recruited but typically low level programs and more effort to get in front of coaches

On this board, it’s all geeks who think college is the be all and end all.

Anyone with brains knows high school soccer is the peak (and end) of youth soccer. Anything afterwards is not fun and just hard joyless work. Like a second job.

[Guest]

On this board, it’s all geeks who think college is the be all and end all.

Anyone with brains knows high school soccer is the peak (and end) of youth soccer. Anything afterwards is not fun and just hard joyless work. Like a second job.

Yet thousands willingly participate in college soccer and actually enjoy it. Most aren't getting a nikel for it so its not because of the money. Go figure.

[Guest]

I know they are a few clubs in the New England that play ECNL on the boys side. Which club has the best teams? NEFC, Bayside, Bolts or Stars?

Our son will be in 9th grade this fall and would prefer to play with his HS team + ECNL next year vs his current Academy team who will be playing year round. We are willing to move clubs and have heard indifferent opinions from various people. The current club has ECNL teams already, but they are on the weaker side.

Take your son to go watch a few of the prospective team's games. Watch the level if play, how the coach interacts with players etc. He may decide its a level of play he is ok with, or not.

One option is to stay with his MLSN for freshman year. Lots of freshmen don't get that much PT in HS. He can see how much he feels like he's missing out. A HS coach will always take a quality player later on, and he can always make an ECNL team later.

If he thinks he really wants college soccer ask probing questions why. Chances are he doesn't understand how hard it is to make a team, keep your spot and earn PT. What level does he want? He might be unrealistic with that also. Have him look at his clubs past recruit list as a general guide for where their players wind up and how many actually play in college. In other words, some reality checks.

There are plenty of boys that give up HS hoping it will help with college recruiting but they wind up unsuccessful or at lower level programs you can reach without MLSN. It's a lot to give up with no way to get it back.

[Guest]

High school soccer is truly horrible. To each his own, but avoiding it is the best possible option.

[Guest]

High school soccer is truly horrible. To each his own, but avoiding it is the best possible option.

Horrible in what sense? Very few make it to high level college soccer. For others being able to play with your best friends at sport you love is hardly horrible...

[Guest]

High school soccer is truly horrible. To each his own, but avoiding it is the best possible option.

You won't be missed at the games

- Your local high school

[Guest]

Sorry if I touched a nerve, but high school soccer is a disorganized track meet with some rugby and soccer thrown in for good measure.

[Guest]

Stay at Bolts. Very Good recruiting place for their ECNL players. Their ECNL teams were awful last year bit this year their HS age seems seem to be the strongest in the area in most ages.

[Guest]

Sorry if I touched a nerve, but high school soccer is a disorganized track meet with some rugby and soccer thrown in for good measure.

Thanks for the over generalization. Kids still want to play it and for all but less than a handful should be allowed to. If you're playing for free at an MLS pro club with a "possible " pro career then skip but no other players should be forced to make this choice

[Guest]

How is FC Stars Boys ECNL teams not relegated and status in ECNL removed? I understand the Girls side is Phenomenal, but the boys are Abysmal. They lose to mediocre club teams on a consistent basis and get crushed by other ECNL teams.

[Guest]

Thanks for the over generalization. Kids still want to play it and for all but less than a handful should be allowed to. If you're playing for free at an MLS pro club with a "possible " pro career then skip but no other players should be forced to make this choice

You must realize that there are many players that don't want to waste their time with high school soccer?