ECNL wants to switch back to school year from birth year

[Guest]

Respectfully, ECNL girls are taking their strength training seriously in the off season and the few weeks they have off in the summer, which is a start. This extra lean muscle mass helps counter all the parents that try to cheat with birth year loop holes. However, all those gains they made in the off season wither away within a month’s time once training has stopped. I mean, it is well documented that YNT, players are selected for age specific domestic training camps or rosters. Previous examinations of US youth female soccer have reported RAEs in both youth club-level soccer players.

[Guest]

The best plan is 9/1-8/31. It is the best for the majority of public schools in the US and many private schools. It will increase participation where parents can carpool with parents they know from the same grades in the younger years. It will get rid of trapped players. Recruiting issues will be solved. Currently trapped players have been sitting out this fall while their older freshmen teammates practices and played games everyday. Trapped players may have been included in some town practices and practice with younger team but quality wasn’t there and lack of game play will set them back. Not only are they the youngest they have no been without competitive teams and further behind their older teammates. Sucks for them. The 9/1-8/31 will fix future years of players no longer leaving the sport due to being trapped or being in a grade younger.

[Guest]

Respectfully, ECNL girls are taking their strength training seriously in the off season and the few weeks they have off in the summer, which is a start. This extra lean muscle mass helps counter all the parents that try to cheat with birth year loop holes. However, all those gains they made in the off season wither away within a month’s time once training has stopped. I mean, it is well documented that YNT, players are selected for age specific domestic training camps or rosters. Previous examinations of US youth female soccer have reported RAEs in both youth club-level soccer players.

Are you on drugs? We all acknowledge that problem and huge issue with ECNL switching to school grade year is that the change will totally favor ECNL. You liberal posters know the change is made all ECNL teams will have players 5-6 months older than birth year teams. Also ECNL teams won't be able to play in birth year tournaments. Birth year teams can play in ECNL tournaments but all the teams they'll play against will have players 5-6 months older on their teams. Us conservatives realize that many aren't honest about why ECNL is considering this move. I can promise you that it's not to help trapped players. It's 100% about giving ECNL teams a 5-6 month advantage over their competition and making it so ECNL teams can't play in non ECNL events.

[Guest]

The best plan is 9/1-8/31. It is the best for the majority of public schools in the US and many private schools. It will increase participation where parents can carpool with parents they know from the same grades in the younger years. It will get rid of trapped players. Recruiting issues will be solved. Currently trapped players have been sitting out this fall while their older freshmen teammates practices and played games everyday. Trapped players may have been included in some town practices and practice with younger team but quality wasn’t there and lack of game play will set them back. Not only are they the youngest they have no been without competitive teams and further behind their older teammates. Sucks for them. The 9/1-8/31 will fix future years of players no longer leaving the sport due to being trapped or being in a grade younger.

100% agree. 9/1 is the only date that makes sense. Kids can still play up on the teams they are on today.

[Guest]

The best plan is 9/1-8/31. It is the best for the majority of public schools in the US and many private schools. It will increase participation where parents can carpool with parents they know from the same grades in the younger years. It will get rid of trapped players. Recruiting issues will be solved. Currently trapped players have been sitting out this fall while their older freshmen teammates practices and played games everyday. Trapped players may have been included in some town practices and practice with younger team but quality wasn’t there and lack of game play will set them back. Not only are they the youngest they have no been without competitive teams and further behind their older teammates. Sucks for them. The 9/1-8/31 will fix future years of players no longer leaving the sport due to being trapped or being in a grade younger.

As long as ECNL, GA, US Soccer, town soccer, ODP etc etc etc all make the change to Sept 1-8/31 it will be best. If only ECNL makes this change then I can see issues. It should be a change for all organizations. The rumor that just ECNL wants this change is concerning. Can you imagine if GA was birth year and ECNL school year? The Q4 kids will migrate to ECNL. Q3 kids would migrate to GA. It would be a mess.

[Guest]

Why would they go with an 8/1 cut off (approx 7 states follow this) as opposed to a 9/1 or 9/15 cut off which encompasses approximately 29 states depending on the date you use? The cut off dates for school registration have changed over the years. It doesn’t make sense to do something now just because it was done that way before….

Because it's a minimum age cut off for school, not maximum age. In soccer, it will be used as max age cut off, so it makes sense to have a couple of months of latitude. 7/1 or 6/1.

[Guest]

Are you on drugs? We all acknowledge that problem and huge issue with ECNL switching to school grade year is that the change will totally favor ECNL. You liberal posters know the change is made all ECNL teams will have players 5-6 months older than birth year teams. Also ECNL teams won't be able to play in birth year tournaments. Birth year teams can play in ECNL tournaments but all the teams they'll play against will have players 5-6 months older on their teams. Us conservatives realize that many aren't honest about why ECNL is considering this move. I can promise you that it's not to help trapped players. It's 100% about giving ECNL teams a 5-6 month advantage over their competition and making it so ECNL teams can't play in non ECNL events.

There are very few non-ECNL events worth playing these days for an ECNL club. Real talk. This has nothing to do with political party. Starting a sentence with “us” gives the rest of us an accurate view of your intellectual capability. Soccer is a quick witted, thinking game. Would it surprise anyone if your kid is impacted regardless of the vote - no it would not.

[Guest]

The switch will be based on what's best for boys, girls are the afterthought and in no way a driving factor.

[Guest]

The best plan is 9/1-8/31. It is the best for the majority of public schools in the US and many private schools. It will increase participation where parents can carpool with parents they know from the same grades in the younger years. It will get rid of trapped players. Recruiting issues will be solved. Currently trapped players have been sitting out this fall while their older freshmen teammates practices and played games everyday. Trapped players may have been included in some town practices and practice with younger team but quality wasn’t there and lack of game play will set them back. Not only are they the youngest they have no been without competitive teams and further behind their older teammates. Sucks for them. The 9/1-8/31 will fix future years of players no longer leaving the sport due to being trapped or being in a grade younger.

Now we are changing the date to support ulittle carpooling. Do you even read what you write? Trapped players lose nothing. This a myth perpetuated by ulittle parents who don’t understand the schedules. You people can’t even agree on a cutoff…lol. Nothing is changing stop with the crazy

[Guest]

100% agree. 9/1 is the only date that makes sense. Kids can still play up on the teams they are on today.

8/1 with guidance to clubs to play up with grade level where needed. Or 9/1 with waivers for August kids to play down with grade level in certain states. Kids within a month of the cutoff either way really should be allowed to play with grade level somehow, especially if they are/were in compliance with their school district.

[Guest]

8/1 with guidance to clubs to play up with grade level where needed. Or 9/1 with waivers for August kids to play down with grade level in certain states. Kids within a month of the cutoff either way really should be allowed to play with grade level somehow, especially if they are/were in compliance with their school district.

Agree either option is a huge upgrade.

[Guest]

Now we are changing the date to support ulittle carpooling. Do you even read what you write? Trapped players lose nothing. This a myth perpetuated by ulittle parents who don’t understand the schedules. You people can’t even agree on a cutoff…lol. Nothing is changing stop with the crazy

Our coaches are already planning for the 9/1 change. It’s being discussed regularly. Yes believe it or not the following factors are being considered regarding increasing participation in the sport:
- equity for all youth
not limited to but including; transportation to practices and games, ie carpooling with families from same town, school and grade.
- trapped players; 8th graders who are leaving the sport due to lack of play fall of 8th grade while rest of the team plays higher level high school soccer.
- recruitment issues for juniors

These are just a few of the issues from very young children to graduating high school players. Major issues at all levels and ages that were caused by the switch to birth year and need to be rectified as players leave the sport.

[Guest]

There’s a reason why the old cutoff was 8/1. I’m sure they’ll revert to that again

[Guest]

There’s a reason why the old cutoff was 8/1. I’m sure they’ll revert to that again

Our coaches are saying the research shows 9/1 is the average date of public schools. Equity and inclusivity amongst the youth coming up is an important reason US soccer is open to the change. This is no longer driven by ECNL alone, if it was it would be grad year. This is now about increased participation for all and fixing the problems created by birth year. 9/1 - 8/31 has become the more accepted date that includes the majority of youth soccer players.

[Guest]

There’s a reason why the old cutoff was 8/1. I’m sure they’ll revert to that again

That was setup when we still had 48 states. Way before Pele came to America. Modern soccer requires a modern cutoff that maximizes the number of schools (majority use 9/1) and the majority of students (September and October are among the highest birth rate months). We will be unstoppable internationally for both genders with that kid of statistical alignment, fuller youth pipeline, and millions of players nationwide.