ECNL and GA club changes - official announcements

[Guest]

Based on your “tiers”, my kid plays in the top tier of ECNL. The “tiers” are for showcases where the league wants teams at similar levels to play one another. Despite your snarky comments, I can tell you that kids from “third tier” ECNL teams/clubs get recruited by strong college soccer programs. When my kid’s “top tier” team plays a “lower tier” team in league play, the college coaches there will notice a kid that does well against that strong competition.

I have never heard about coaches at my kid’s club telling parents that RL kids will train with ECNL teams and get promoted. Parents can do their own research and see how rare that is at the high school ages.

I know that there are parents of ECNL parents that are used to no regional kids pulled up to national. We know that was your experience. I do know of players both at Scorpions and Stars pulled up from regional to national in high school. Does it happen more in 8th and 9th grade? Yes. But it happens also in 10th grade. Clubs are focusing now on homegrown talent especially with coaches being better educated about the birth year age factor, puberty, and the range of when players peak. Players are also injured, quit, or focus on playing basketball, hockey and lacrosse more and cannot keep up with the commitment requirements of national team training attendance. Regional players at Stars are getting training from the top coaches and constantly looked at. If a regional player stands out and the coaches feel it’s time to give them an opportunity to guest on National they have a shot. Clubs know the ECRL teams are the feeder teams for National. Things have changed. Less searching for the random unicorns.

[Guest]

Based on your “tiers”, my kid plays in the top tier of ECNL. The “tiers” are for showcases where the league wants teams at similar levels to play one another. Despite your snarky comments, I can tell you that kids from “third tier” ECNL teams/clubs get recruited by strong college soccer programs. When my kid’s “top tier” team plays a “lower tier” team in league play, the college coaches there will notice a kid that does well against that strong competition.

I have never heard about coaches at my kid’s club telling parents that RL kids will train with ECNL teams and get promoted. Parents can do their own research and see how rare that is at the high school ages.

“Do their own research”… can you explain how that would look? Do parents hang out a U18 ECNL game and ask each parent how their kid rose up through the ranks? Because, no offense, besides TS, there is no other way to gain any glimpse into the system.

[Guest]

Actually the opposite is happening. Fewer kids are playing. The sport has lost nearly 600,000 participants. You're the one making up BS.

New Study Shows Negative Trend In Youth Soccer Player Retention
Dec 19, 2023
https://www.soccerwire.com/soccer-bl...yer-retention/

"soccer is the one that is hit the hardest. In a study conducted by the Sport and Fitness Industry Association, it was found that between the years of 2008 and 2022 youth soccer has seen a decline in participation between the ages of 6-12 (down to 8% from 10.4%) and 13-17 (7.1% from 7.9%)."

But sure, let's expand the leagues in a completely nonsensical way, and make families spend more time and money for worse leagues.That should reverse the trends.

The data for the study was collected from Sprocket’s proprietary information via their player registration database


did it occur to you that the reduction might be the result of clubs using a different registration system?

Did it occur to you that the author of the article might have a self interest?

Did you ask these questions Or did you just reach blindly for any kind of data to back up the conclusion you started with?

[Guest]

The data for the study was collected from Sprocket’s proprietary information via their player registration database


did it occur to you that the reduction might be the result of clubs using a different registration system?

Did it occur to you that the author of the article might have a self interest?

Did you ask these questions Or did you just reach blindly for any kind of data to back up the conclusion you started with?

If you actually read into how the research was conducted it is also not at all what the OP is trying to push. It's based of individual club retention rates, and does not take into account new players coming into the clubs. That means by that methodology any kids moving clubs are counted as 'not playing the sport' anymore. It's just nonsense agenda pushing.

[Guest]

Based on your “tiers”, my kid plays in the top tier of ECNL. The “tiers” are for showcases where the league wants teams at similar levels to play one another. Despite your snarky comments, I can tell you that kids from “third tier” ECNL teams/clubs get recruited by strong college soccer programs. When my kid’s “top tier” team plays a “lower tier” team in league play, the college coaches there will notice a kid that does well against that strong competition.

I have never heard about coaches at my kid’s club telling parents that RL kids will train with ECNL teams and get promoted. Parents can do their own research and see how rare that is at the high school ages.

Clearly you’re triggered by the tiers comment but this the truth. When it comes to showcases and tournaments the rank and rating of the teams matter. When you go to an ECNL event you could see when the top tier teams are playing because of the amount of coaches on the sidelines. Those looking at players and those looking at their players committed to their schools. There are hundreds of matches being played simultaneously but you know which are the big matches. That’s just how it goes. Parents who come to these events for the first time are taken back at how many games and players are in ECNL. It puts things into perspective. As far as RL, ECNL “sold” this league as an opportunity to be seen by ECNL on a daily basis and be evaluated for possible promotion to ECNL. That is a fact.

[Guest]

Clearly you’re triggered by the tiers comment but this the truth. When it comes to showcases and tournaments the rank and rating of the teams matter. When you go to an ECNL event you could see when the top tier teams are playing because of the amount of coaches on the sidelines. Those looking at players and those looking at their players committed to their schools. There are hundreds of matches being played simultaneously but you know which are the big matches. That’s just how it goes. Parents who come to these events for the first time are taken back at how many games and players are in ECNL. It puts things into perspective. As far as RL, ECNL “sold” this league as an opportunity to be seen by ECNL on a daily basis and be evaluated for possible promotion to ECNL. That is a fact.

This is also why the big GA clubs get annoyed by the ECNL pom pom squad parents.

There are very good ECNL teams there are also very bad ECNL teams. What you're describing as tiers is just ECNL trying to avoid blowouts at events. In doing so the best play the best (which attracts scouts) and the worst play the worst (which attracts nobody).

Leagues don't make bad teams better. The good clubs just beat up on the terrible teams. The players on terrible teams get frustrated and quit or they change clubs and chase getting on a winning team.

[Guest]

This is also why the big GA clubs get annoyed by the ECNL pom pom squad parents.

There are very good ECNL teams there are also very bad ECNL teams. What you're describing as tiers is just ECNL trying to avoid blowouts at events. In doing so the best play the best (which attracts scouts) and the worst play the worst (which attracts nobody).

Leagues don't make bad teams better. The good clubs just beat up on the terrible teams. The players on terrible teams get frustrated and quit or they change clubs and chase getting on a winning team.

100% you can always tell who's kid plays on a crappy ECNL team/club because when you ask them where their daughter plays they respond with "they play in ECNL".

Parents with kids that play on top ECNL clubs always say the club/team their kid plays on and only mentions ECNL if you ask which league they play in.

Try it yourself next time you meet a soccer parent.

[Guest]

Yet every year I see kids from “crappy” ECNL teams with D1 commitments so I guess it doesn’t matter all that much unless you’re going for a top school.

[Guest]

Yet every year I see kids from “crappy” ECNL teams with crappy D1 commitments so I guess it doesn’t matter all that much unless you’re going for a top school.

Fixed it for you.

[Guest]

Yet every year I see kids from “crappy” ECNL teams with D1 commitments so I guess it doesn’t matter all that much unless you’re going for a top school.

Ahh... That explains all the 1st year transfer portal players

[Guest]

Yet every year I see kids from “crappy” ECNL teams with D1 commitments so I guess it doesn’t matter all that much unless you’re going for a top school.

There are over 330 D1 schools so just like ECNL you have different tiers in college starting with P4D1. OF the thousands of ECNL players playing in the ECNL tournament and showcases approx 100-125 of those players will play college soccer in this top tier. ECNL is just a platform for individual players to show their talent to think all ECNL players are equal is not being realistic. Same way thinking mid-lower tier ECNL players are looked at as better players than known highly rated GA clubs/team. Your not being realistic as far as talented players.

[Guest]

Yet every year I see kids from “crappy” ECNL teams with D1 commitments so I guess it doesn’t matter all that much unless you’re going for a top school.

Show us your commitment list FSA.

[Guest]

Clearly you’re triggered by the tiers comment but this the truth. When it comes to showcases and tournaments the rank and rating of the teams matter. When you go to an ECNL event you could see when the top tier teams are playing because of the amount of coaches on the sidelines. Those looking at players and those looking at their players committed to their schools. There are hundreds of matches being played simultaneously but you know which are the big matches. That’s just how it goes. Parents who come to these events for the first time are taken back at how many games and players are in ECNL. It puts things into perspective. As far as RL, ECNL “sold” this league as an opportunity to be seen by ECNL on a daily basis and be evaluated for possible promotion to ECNL. That is a fact.

Why would I be “triggered” by the tiers comment? My kid is playing in the “big matches” (your words) with tons of coaches on the sidelines. The difference is that I understand that colleges recruit players, not teams. At playoffs last year, I was standing at a field prior to my kid’s game. Two P4 coaches standing next to me giving a parent of a kid playing in the showcase B (4th “tier” of ECNL playoffs) game that was going on the hard sell. Talking about her official visit that was already scheduled, etc. They were there to watch HER, not the teams.

[Guest]

Yet every year I see kids from “crappy” ECNL teams with D1 commitments so I guess it doesn’t matter all that much unless you’re going for a top school.

There's a mighty broad spectrum of D1 programs. Then yeah, there's the issue of playing time if you even make a roster. Making a roster is only part of the journey. Many won't play or even stay on a roster for 4 years. Biggest mistake kids make is not targeting well. They get wrapped up in the level or school (which is truthfully more important) and aren't honest with themselves about the soccer fit.

[Guest]

This is also why the big GA clubs get annoyed by the ECNL pom pom squad parents.

There are very good ECNL teams there are also very bad ECNL teams. What you're describing as tiers is just ECNL trying to avoid blowouts at events. In doing so the best play the best (which attracts scouts) and the worst play the worst (which attracts nobody).

Leagues don't make bad teams better. The good clubs just beat up on the terrible teams. The players on terrible teams get frustrated and quit or they change clubs and chase getting on a winning team.

In case you haven't noticed, this applies to GA as well.