What if we as a family just simply enjoy the experience? My daughter loves every second of competing with and against some of the best in the country in the sport that she has come to love. Throw in the added benefit of being able to travel to places she wouldn't normally and compete in some really exciting games and showcases, lined with college coaches that might want her to play for them and that makes me a fan of the program. Of course a similar experience can be had outside of ECNL but we have decided that the cost is the same for other premier teams in our area and we prefer the professionalism of the league and events they put on and do consider it to be the top level. It's where she wants to compete and where we like to watch her compete. I also like that it promotes young female athletes and provides them, in my opinion, the best experience for girls in American youth sports typically focused on boys/men. Am I doing it as an investment for a future college scholarship? Absolutely not. Money would be better spent in a college savings account if that is the goal. We do it for the enjoyment, life experience, family bonding, spending time with friends (adults and kids)...etc. College scholarship, if it happened, would just be icing ...and am I worried about whether ECNL is raising the level of soccer in America or not? Not really. I'm living in the moment with my daughter and my family and enjoying every minute of it. The point is there are many who never even get the chance to show their level of qualifications in games and practices, because they didn't have the advantages to get them to the door in the first place. Do you really think ECNL is open to just everyone?
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