Playing down one age group

[Guest]

Does the NECSL allow players to play down one age group?
My kid is a Senior in HS next year while 80% of her teammates are graduating this year and going to college.
There's a possibility that the coach of the age group below her year takes her on his team, but he's not sure that NECSL allows it.
Small club with volunteer coaches... so this sort of info doesn't always come across in a clear way.

[Guest]

Does the NECSL allow players to play down one age group?
My kid is a Senior in HS next year while 80% of her teammates are graduating this year and going to college.
There's a possibility that the coach of the age group below her year takes her on his team, but he's not sure that NECSL allows it.
Small club with volunteer coaches... so this sort of info doesn't always come across in a clear way.

Did the coach email the league?
Just looking at last years spring schedules u17 and then u19.
I can’t imagine that league letting older players play down especially if there is a 2 year gap. So if the team below you is u17 now then it will be fine as long as your kid is u19 that u17 team would have to move to u19 anyways.

[Guest]

Senior year teams usually are composite. So this year's oldest teams are U19s 05/06. Next year they will be 06/07.

[Guest]

Almost every league has U19 to accommodate older seniors trapped by the stupid calendar year change. Your son will be fine, if he wants to play. A lot of kids not playing in college stop senior year of HS.

[Guest]

Sorry daughter not son

[Guest]

Seems like so far the answer is that kids have to play up to allow the "trapped" ones to still have a team. But I have a friend who's kid plays on an ECNL team and he told me that his daughter was allowed to play down as a "trapped" 8th grader. Strange that ECNL would allow this but not NECSL. Not the OP who posed the question.

[Guest]

Seems like so far the answer is that kids have to play up to allow the "trapped" ones to still have a team. But I have a friend who's kid plays on an ECNL team and he told me that his daughter was allowed to play down as a "trapped" 8th grader. Strange that ECNL would allow this but not NECSL. Not the OP who posed the question.

The playing down trapped thing is basically for kids who are in 8th grade but whose birth year is generally already freshmen. SO you get the late birthday kids who are allowed to play "down" for ONLY the 3 months until their correct on- age team gets back from playing HS.

[Guest]

The playing down trapped thing is basically for kids who are in 8th grade but whose birth year is generally already freshmen. SO you get the late birthday kids who are allowed to play "down" for ONLY the 3 months until their correct on- age team gets back from playing HS.

It applies to HS juniors as well, where their regular team is mostly HS seniors and have no interest in going to showcases in the spring because they are already committed, while the trapped HS junior's spring season is important to their recruiting process.

[Guest]

It applies to HS juniors as well, where their regular team is mostly HS seniors and have no interest in going to showcases in the spring because they are already committed, while the trapped HS junior's spring season is important to their recruiting process.

That's a bit of a stretch and I doubt that any league would allow that. I do think it's much more reasonable for HS Seniors whose regular team no longer exists because they've moved on to college (and are now freshman in college). But as the OP asked, not sure NECSL allows this.

[Guest]

NECSL is USYS, and i know USYS allows it for EDP so i would assume its the same deal.

[Guest]

That's a bit of a stretch and I doubt that any league would allow that. I do think it's much more reasonable for HS Seniors whose regular team no longer exists because they've moved on to college (and are now freshman in college). But as the OP asked, not sure NECSL allows this.

It's not a stretch at all, and ECNL allows those trapped juniors (who are technically U18) to play on U17 teams at ECNL showcases. PDA New Jersey Showcase doesn't even have a U18 bracket because they know that by spring of senior year, seniors have no interest in playing in a club showcase in May, but the juniors on that U18 team need it (especially those going D2 or D3).

[Guest]

Yes NeECL allows this.

[Guest]

Seems like so far the answer is that kids have to play up to allow the "trapped" ones to still have a team. But I have a friend who's kid plays on an ECNL team and he told me that his daughter was allowed to play down as a "trapped" 8th grader. Strange that ECNL would allow this but not NECSL. Not the OP who posed the question.

She would have only been allowed to do that when HS soccer is in season, so 3 months tops fall of 8th grade. Then she would play with her older teammates once they finish HS season.

[Guest]

She would have only been allowed to do that when HS soccer is in season, so 3 months tops fall of 8th grade. Then she would play with her older teammates once they finish HS season.

Of course!
Which is what make the 8th graders different from the 12th graders... the College freshman aren't coming back to play club soccer in the Spring at U18.

[Guest]

Of course!
Which is what make the 8th graders different from the 12th graders... the College freshman aren't coming back to play club soccer in the Spring at U18.

But it's not about 12th graders...it's about 11th graders on U18 teams where most of their teammates are 12th graders who don't want to waste their time going to spring showcases after their college plans have already been set in stone. Those juniors who are 11th graders need to go to the spring showcases, and ECNL gives them an option to do that by allowing them to play on their club's U17 team.