ECNL-DA club jumping season is upon us

[Unregistered]

I disagree with the premise of your question that any one club controls an entire region of the country. Lots and lots of clubs apply to the ECNL every year and based upon the leagues expansion strategy, there is a vote amongst the members clubs about who gets in a who doesn’t. What everyone around here fails to recognize is that the NE ECNL conference already has 15 teams. That’s more than most conferences which have 9-11. I’m sure the ECNL is more concerned with: 1) securing the power clubs (Real Colorado, Solar, So Cal Blues) and 2) bolstering conferences where there are large geographic areas and fewer clubs, for example the Texas conference.

I doubt very much, in the grand scheme of the ECNL, anyone at the league office is losing sleep over whether some marginal clubs from MA or KS deserve a spot. Much bigger fish to fry which is lost on the myopic audience of TS MA.

If and when a 16th NE conference club is added it will be a bigger fish than Select or NEFC.

Bigger fish to fry than NEFC or Select? Both clubs are top notch. Multiple NPL national championships for both and Select has players on U16 and U17 WNT’s. They must be doing something right.

[Unregistered]

Hey, you want to be snarky, go ahead. I’m not the one making the decision, I’m the one smart enough to figure out why things are the way they are. Have fun with your human density maps and the GDA.

[Unregistered]

Bigger fish to fry than NEFC or Select? Both clubs are top notch. Multiple NPL national championships for both and Select has players on U16 and U17 WNT’s. They must be doing something right.

So of all the clubs that could be added to the ecnl in the entire NE from MD to MA to bring the conference from 15-16 you think NEFC & SSS are 1 & 2 on the list? That is your point?

[Unregistered]

Hey, you want to be snarky, go ahead. I’m not the one making the decision, I’m the one smart enough to figure out why things are the way they are. Have fun with your human density maps and the GDA.

Thanks for the permission to be “snarky.” And I’m not the one that needs the maps, I’m the one smart enough to know why there are so many teams in the ECNL Northeast. ;)
And as far as DA goes, thanks for your well wishing, not sure yet if we’ll do DA or ECNL.
And again, appreciate your background knowledge to assist us in making the decision.

[Unregistered]

Did I ever disagree with you why there are so many teams in the NE Ecnl? Obviously it’s because of the density of the population. Same goes for southern CA. The point was that the league doesn’t need more teams in either of those regions, it needs more teams in the south east or Texas. The original question was why aren’t SSS and NEFC being admitted. Because it’s not a priority, not because FC Stars is engaged in some secret conspiracy.

[Unregistered]

So of all the clubs that could be added to the ecnl in the entire NE from MD to MA to bring the conference from 15-16 you think NEFC & SSS are 1 & 2 on the list? That is your point?

Down Bessie...I think they were just asking why two very good clubs that both reside in close proximity to one another and in the Northeast aren’t allowed in the ECNL. Whether or not they are 1 or 2 isn’t for me to decide. Most people would agree that they are definitely as good if not better than Scorpions and arguably FC Stars.

[Unregistered]

FC Stars and Scorpions have been in ECNL from the start. NEFC (Boston Breakers) was in for a year and they chose to leave. Horrible decision which haunts them to this day. Select has had good teams at certain age groups but have no outdoor facilities and a very marginal coaching staff, both of which are part of the application process. As a business model ECNL doesn’t typically have 4 teams in one area on top of each other. Stars/Scorpions/NEFC was perfect, but with NEFC’’s ill fated defection to DA it created what we have now, Stars Blue/Stars White/ Scorpions.

Does this response insinuate that Scorpions has an outdoor facility? Or any facility for that matter? No one we’ve talked to was/is aware of them having a facility. One of the reasons we never considered them is because we didn’t think they had any facilities. Stars has Lancaster fields, NEFC has fields in Mendon and Select has an indoor facility right off the highway in Hingham.

[Unregistered]

I agree NEFC & SSS are good clubs with good players. Very comparable to Scorpions & Stars. No argument. But Scorpions and Stars are founding members and aren’t going anywhere.

The point was that if the ECNL decides to search the entire area from MD to MA for a 16th and final club there are more appealing choices than adding a 4th (never mind a 5th) club in MA.

[Unregistered]

Does this response insinuate that Scorpions has an outdoor facility? Or any facility for that matter? No one we’ve talked to was/is aware of them having a facility. One of the reasons we never considered them is because we didn’t think they had any facilities. Stars has Lancaster fields, NEFC has fields in Mendon and Select has an indoor facility right off the highway in Hingham.

Scorpions plays indoors and outdoors all year at Forekicks. NEFC has outdoor fields and plays indoors at Forekicks. FC Stars has outside fields and rents indoor field space, just like Scorpions & Stars.

[Unregistered]

I agree NEFC & SSS are good clubs with good players. Very comparable to Scorpions & Stars. No argument. But Scorpions and Stars are founding members and aren’t going anywhere.

The point was that if the ECNL decides to search the entire area from MD to MA for a 16th and final club there are more appealing choices than adding a 4th (never mind a 5th) club in MA.

Solid point. And not assuming that those original clubs would get demoted for new invitees. Just trying to understand the big picture.

[Unregistered]

Scorpions plays indoors and outdoors all year at Forekicks. NEFC has outdoor fields and plays indoors at Forekicks. FC Stars has outside fields and rents indoor field space, just like Scorpions & Stars.

Well we thought it was safe to assume that Scorpions practiced and played somewhere.

[Unregistered]

The clubs are license holders. No one is getting kicked out, even in regions where there are weak teams (FC Delco & FC Bucks) with stronger clubs on the outside trying to get in (Penn Fusion & Penn Classics).

Would the ECNL be stronger in PA if you flipped those four clubs? Absolutely, but thats not going to happen.

[Unregistered]

I agree NEFC & SSS are good clubs with good players. Very comparable to Scorpions & Stars. No argument. But Scorpions and Stars are founding members and aren’t going anywhere.

The point was that if the ECNL decides to search the entire area from MD to MA for a 16th and final club there are more appealing choices than adding a 4th (never mind a 5th) club in MA.

This response has holes in it. Have you seen the ECNL map of teams that are tightly grouped together in the following states: Florida - 6 teams, Northern California 6 teams, Southern California - 7 teams and North Carolina 6 teams - especially with the new teams like NC Courage being added??
https://www.eliteclubsnationalleague...mber-club-map/
And for the record there are only 2 teams in MA, not 4. They could easily absorb 1 or 2 more teams in MA and the Northeast. Clearly there is some other reason they are not letting them in.

[Unregistered]

There are 3 teams in MA. Scorpions, Stars Blue & Stars White. The two Stars teams are treated as separate clubs. Not saying I agree with it buts that the rules. Kids can’t switch between ecnl clubs in the same season and that includes Stars Blue-White.

[Unregistered]

There are 3 teams in MA. Scorpions, Stars Blue & Stars White. The two Stars teams are treated as separate clubs. Not saying I agree with it buts that the rules. Kids can’t switch between ecnl clubs in the same season and that includes Stars Blue-White.

Thx. Than that answers it, Stars definitely has too much control. Two mediocre teams is ridiculous. No real options for ECNL in Western or Eastern Massachusetts, only Central.