When will ECNL take over GA?

[Guest]

So much garbage.....

GA dying has been around since GA started. It won't last 2 years....That was 4 years ago now going into year 5. GA puts out a College Impact of the league which shows growth - 551 in 2022, over 600 in 2023, and over 700 in 2024 with about 60% going D1. The D1 numbers have gone down from year to year but then again every year it seems ECNL likes to bring in several GA clubs. Interesting enough, for those who have been around long enough, ECNL used to produce a yearly College Impact for the league and even more interesting was that once the DA formed those numbers went down. The only impact ECNL now puts out is the graduation year the year before they can officially be signed. True, ECNL will have more players in top 50 D1 programs but not all and then there are 348 D1 programs right now plus another 265 D2 and 441 D3 schools also. On top of all that people are so worried about being at a D1 school they'd rather play for some janky low D1 like Central Conn, St Francis, or Delaware St instead of top end D2 or D3 schools like Adelphi, Franklin Pierce, Jefferson in D2 or any number of D3s as the NE has a dozen top schools.

Next lets look at ECNL absorbing GA...They should, plain and simple, adding the top half of clubs to ECNL and bottom to ECRL. The reason why it makes more sense is the very reason current clubs don't want it to happen especially in the NE and NA. Travel - The amount of travel would be reduced for players/parents which would also have the benefit of forcing currently stagnant ECNL clubs to start producing instead of being happy at the bottom or lose players to clubs working to be better. ECNL 2nd teams also shouldn't be looked at in the same light as ECNL counter parts. Something is seriously wrong with a league when an RL player who can't crack the 20+ roster of the ECNL team is able to go to another ECNL club and become a starter. Talent hording is a thing and clubs making empty promises, giving discounts, or just plain bad mouthing everyone else shouldn't be a marketing strategy for retainment.

There should be 1 major league with tiers and a system to move between them that are not arbitrary.

Anyone who said GA wouldn’t last 2 years was almost right. Their existence as a 1A league lasted 3 years. The exodus of champions league clubs and addition of marginal clubs has changed the league. They retained the same name and remained in business but they are 100% a different league than they set out to be.

For those dissing on ECNL boys - you’re right but nobody cares. This is overwhelmingly a girls board. Any conversation about ECNL is not about boys soccer. ECNL boys knows they are not a top league. They are the boys equivalent of girls GA.

[Guest]

Select 5 wins, 1 loss over Stars today, only loss being the 2011s. The 2010 Stars call up was instrumental in both their goals. Select swept the 2012s and 2013s. Good games between the 2 juggernauts. Home team prevailed. ECNL added the right club, great soccer ahead!

You do know that those 2010’s are on the correct team according to the sy/gy change. They are there to stay and will continue to be the driving force for blue.

[Guest]

Plenty of boys choose ECNL over MLS Next because they don’t want to miss out on playing for their high schools. Or because their parents aren’t willing to drive over an hour (without traffic) 4 nights a week.

[Guest]

Anyone who said GA wouldn’t last 2 years was almost right. Their existence as a 1A league lasted 3 years. The exodus of champions league clubs and addition of marginal clubs has changed the league. They retained the same name and remained in business but they are 100% a different league than they set out to be.

For those dissing on ECNL boys - you’re right but nobody cares. This is overwhelmingly a girls board. Any conversation about ECNL is not about boys soccer. ECNL boys knows they are not a top league. They are the boys equivalent of girls GA.

People are "dissing" on boys ECNL for a reason.

ECNL likes to force clubs that want to play in girls ECNL to also play in boys ECNL.

If you have a strong MLSN boys program clubs are not going to give that up just so they can play girls ECNL.

Now do you understand? Even though its not what you want to hear why others are bringing up boys ECNL when you go off on your girls ECNL love sessions.

This is why GA will continue to exist. It's also why there's a good chance that GA will keep growing getting better.

[Guest]

You do know that those 2010’s are on the correct team according to the sy/gy change. They are there to stay and will continue to be the driving force for blue.

They’re good players but things will continue to even out just due to kids growing up and other teams bringing in their fall 2010s as well.

[Guest]

It's going to be an interesting Spring soccer season as ECNL clubs integrate fall players.
Is GA also integrating?

[Guest]

It's going to be an interesting Spring soccer season as ECNL clubs integrate fall players.
Is GA also integrating?

Our GA club did a mixed session with 2010s and 11s last week. They usually don't do this. Nothing has been communicated reguarding BY or SY.

[Guest]

People are "dissing" on boys ECNL for a reason.

ECNL likes to force clubs that want to play in girls ECNL to also play in boys ECNL.

If you have a strong MLSN boys program clubs are not going to give that up just so they can play girls ECNL.

Now do you understand? Even though its not what you want to hear why others are bringing up boys ECNL when you go off on your girls ECNL love sessions.

This is why GA will continue to exist. It's also why there's a good chance that GA will keep growing getting better.

Forced is a little strong. ECNL doesn't accept teams or parts of clubs - they accept whole clubs that perform well across the board. And from what I've read they have to go through RL first. ECNL boys is second tier on the boys side just like GA is second tier on the girls side. And I'm sure I can't be the only boy parent on this page.

[Guest]

GA in New England is pretty weak. NEFC would be a worthy addition to ECNL, but they won't give up MLS Next and you have geographic overlap. After that....STA and Seacoast maybe?

[Guest]

NEFC GA is certainly not second tier. There isn't a single ECRL player that could make that team.

[Guest]

Forced is a little strong. ECNL doesn't accept teams or parts of clubs - they accept whole clubs that perform well across the board. And from what I've read they have to go through RL first. ECNL boys is second tier on the boys side just like GA is second tier on the girls side. And I'm sure I can't be the only boy parent on this page.

Forced is the exactly correct term.

ECNL has taken away girls ECNL from clubs that have MLS Next. ECNL has also taken away both boys and girls ECNL away from clubs that have MLSN.

The more you know the more you realize that ECNL isnt shining star you think it is. The boys parents already know this. The girls parents are drunk on koolaid.

GA doesn't force clubs to do MLSN and MLSN doesnt force clubs to do GA. As more and more clubs drop ECNL in favor of MLSN youre going to see big girls clubs switch over to GA if ECNL tries to strongarm them.

[Guest]

ECNL boys is second tier on the boys side just like GA is second tier on the girls side. And I'm sure I can't be the only boy parent on this page.

Also a parent of boy ECNL player and am not sure this 'tier' mentality is really very useful. Obviously we can see that the pro academies are at their own level, which makes the nation-wide average level higher for MLSN as opposed to ECNL. But any given kid/family doesn't care about nation-wide averages. There are plenty of examples of ECNL teams that are stronger than MLSN teams and for any given kid it only matters what the handful of local options are and how the specific teams in his year perform.

[Guest]

Also a parent of boy ECNL player and am not sure this 'tier' mentality is really very useful. Obviously we can see that the pro academies are at their own level, which makes the nation-wide average level higher for MLSN as opposed to ECNL. But any given kid/family doesn't care about nation-wide averages. There are plenty of examples of ECNL teams that are stronger than MLSN teams and for any given kid it only matters what the handful of local options are and how the specific teams in his year perform.

As a GA parent I completely agree.

The girls ECNL cultists are just so loud and stupid at the same time. Just like MLS Acadamies there's like 20 top girls ECNL clubs. The rest are fairly equivalent to GA.

[Guest]

People are "dissing" on boys ECNL for a reason.

ECNL likes to force clubs that want to play in girls ECNL to also play in boys ECNL.

If you have a strong MLSN boys program clubs are not going to give that up just so they can play girls ECNL.

Now do you understand? Even though its not what you want to hear why others are bringing up boys ECNL when you go off on your girls ECNL love sessions.

This is why GA will continue to exist. It's also why there's a good chance that GA will keep growing getting better.

Maybe you missed the part where I said ‘you’re right’. Stop talking and listen once in a while.

But just because MLSN is top tier doesn’t make GA top tier. Same as ECNL girls being top tier doesn’t make ECNL boys top tier.

[Guest]

Forced is a little strong. ECNL doesn't accept teams or parts of clubs - they accept whole clubs that perform well across the board. And from what I've read they have to go through RL first. ECNL boys is second tier on the boys side just like GA is second tier on the girls side. And I'm sure I can't be the only boy parent on this page.

ECNL girls often bring new clubs in via RL but not always. Select is an example of direct to ECNL as well as several other recent adds.