ECNL-DA club jumping season is upon us

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No complacency here. Late this spring we will do what we do every year. Her, my wife, and I will sit down and talk about the past season, does she still like it, does she want to do something else, are her goals the same, etc. Does she want to continue on the commitment she is on, or would she like to scale it back and do other things. There is no wrong answer she could provide, and she knows it. My only ask is if she's going to do something, she's happy with her decision and does it fully. She will commit to the team. She will have to sacrifice some things which goes along with a full commitment.

I couldn't imagine doing this any other way.

Same. Just wish the soccer environment available was more geared more to serving talented young female soccer players and less towards serving business interests that do not served those players. We do the best we can and we hope the situation improves instead of pretending the issues do not exist.

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Same. Just wish the soccer environment available was more geared more to serving talented young female soccer players and less towards serving business interests that do not served those players. We do the best we can and we hope the situation improves instead of pretending the issues do not exist.

Some don't see much that needs improving.

I grew up in a hockey household and this is nothing different than what I've seen for 40 years. It's just normal for me.

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Some don't see much that needs improving.

I grew up in a hockey household and this is nothing different than what I've seen for 40 years. It's just normal for me.

My players are in the 02 to 05 range and the female youth soccer situation has steadily deteriorated for several years for players in this group in the northeast IMO. I see very few exceptions to this but maybe you are one of the few.

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My players are in the 02 to 05 range and the female youth soccer situation has steadily deteriorated for several years for players in this group in the northeast IMO. I see very few exceptions to this but maybe you are one of the few.

Completely disagree. I've been around the game since the 70's in a player/coach/administrator/referee role and today's players are better than they have ever been.

I do agree they could be so much more with more cooperation between leagues and less club/league bashing on one another. But, overall quality continues to rise.

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Completely disagree. I've been around the game since the 70's in a player/coach/administrator/referee role and today's players are better than they have ever been.

I do agree they could be so much more with more cooperation between leagues and less club/league bashing on one another. But, overall quality continues to rise.

No clue about youth soccer in the seventies but things have been downhill for the last several years for sure

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I don't subscribe to trying to spread misery, you do. Tells more about you than it does me.

Travel = same as in the "other league", but more than the lower leagues. I'd prefer to see them combined, but that will never happen. So, we try to enjoy it and look at it as time away together, as a family.

Fees = Same as before, and actually went DOWN from previous years as other trainings were offset by going all into DA (i.e. less personal training, summer camps, futsal, etc.)

Rosters = 16 isn't gigantic

Unhappiness = Nothing is perfect, but overall mood is very good. Outliers will always complain. Again, there's a solution to that: Leave.

Prioritize what is important, find the best fit, and go there. More important...be happy.

What age group? The biggest issue I have right now is roster size. The team is carrying 21 players. Doesn’t make much sense to me when only 18 can dress for games. We’re in the prime showcase/recruiting age so all this crap about “just change teams/clubs/leagues” is just that, crap. You don’t drop down to a lower level league during that window and their are only so many DA/ECNL options.

I agree with the other poster, the whole thing kind of sucks, from cost to travel to roster sizes etc. Here is the thing: there is no better option if this is the path your player is on and wants to play D1 soccer in college. The system sucks, but there it is.

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What age group? The biggest issue I have right now is roster size. The team is carrying 21 players. Doesn’t make much sense to me when only 18 can dress for games. We’re in the prime showcase/recruiting age so all this crap about “just change teams/clubs/leagues” is just that, crap. You don’t drop down to a lower level league during that window and their are only so many DA/ECNL options.

I agree with the other poster, the whole thing kind of sucks, from cost to travel to roster sizes etc. Here is the thing: there is no better option if this is the path your player is on and wants to play D1 soccer in college. The system sucks, but there it is.

A DA roster carries 21 full-time players? I have honestly never seen such a thing and is definitely outside USSoccer's recommendation. They ask for 16-18 (I'd prefer 14-16).

And, of course you can drop down. Any other league will willingly take a player if they are unhappy where they are. Sounds like you want everything your way in this voluntary path to have your kid play D1 soccer. Sorry, the path is in place that works for most, and follow it or choose another route.

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What age group? The biggest issue I have right now is roster size. The team is carrying 21 players. Doesn’t make much sense to me when only 18 can dress for games. We’re in the prime showcase/recruiting age so all this crap about “just change teams/clubs/leagues” is just that, crap. You don’t drop down to a lower level league during that window and their are only so many DA/ECNL options.

I agree with the other poster, the whole thing kind of sucks, from cost to travel to roster sizes etc. Here is the thing: there is no better option if this is the path your player is on and wants to play D1 soccer in college. The system sucks, but there it is.

21 is just way too many players. No club (ECNL or DA) in MA has 21 players in any age group that are good enough to be on a top team. Jamming that many players onto a team and furthermore into games hurts the team and the individual players. Maybe only Stars if you combine their two teams “blue and white” has a total of 21 top players.

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21 is just way too many players. No club (ECNL or DA) in MA has 21 players in any age group that are good enough to be on a top team. Jamming that many players onto a team and furthermore into games hurts the team and the individual players. Maybe only Stars if you combine their two teams “blue and white” has a total of 21 top players.

I know an NEFC NPL team that currently has 19 and a GDA team that had 20+. Not sure if the 19-20 on GDA were just training or what, but they were there. Kid's team is ECNL and has 21 rostered. This goes across clubs and across leagues.

I'm guessing most of those posting with the lower numbers of rostered players are younger, likely middle school. As you move into the prime college recruiting years, rosters get stacked. Too much demand and not enough "top teams". That is without getting into the BS of U18/19 and the orphaned players due to the calender year age group chance. Hybrid teams of younger or orphaned players in their last year of club.

It's about the money, pure and simple. Clubs and coaches can't say no to an extra $2500-3000 in club dues per player. It doesn't help development, it doesn't help recruiting and it pisses families, the paying customers off. As others have said, the system is pure BS and the sooner my kid is committed and done with the cesspool of club soccer, the better.

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I know an NEFC NPL team that currently has 19 and a GDA team that had 20+. Not sure if the 19-20 on GDA were just training or what, but they were there. Kid's team is ECNL and has 21 rostered. This goes across clubs and across leagues.

I'm guessing most of those posting with the lower numbers of rostered players are younger, likely middle school. As you move into the prime college recruiting years, rosters get stacked. Too much demand and not enough "top teams". That is without getting into the BS of U18/19 and the orphaned players due to the calender year age group chance. Hybrid teams of younger or orphaned players in their last year of club.

It's about the money, pure and simple. Clubs and coaches can't say no to an extra $2500-3000 in club dues per player. It doesn't help development, it doesn't help recruiting and it pisses families, the paying customers off. As others have said, the system is pure BS and the sooner my kid is committed and done with the cesspool of club soccer, the better.

I don't know of a club that has more than 18 FT players. They do allow up to 6 (?) players who can play NPL or something similar

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I don't know of a club that has more than 18 FT players. They do allow up to 6 (?) players who can play NPL or something similar

Just looked at the official rosters of four age groups plus a composite aged team: 26, 21, 22, 21, 19 players rostered. These are HS aged teams. The younger teams roster 18. This information is online and available to anyone who cares to look.

Still waiting for miss Happy DA parent to pipe in that families should "do what makes you happy". Total BS. Here's the real deal skippy: If you are on an ECNL or DA team in the HS ages, you are most likely pursuing a college scholarship opportunity at the D1 level. That is the carrot dangling in front of everyone. That is why families put up this BS and pay top dollar to do it.

If my kid said tomorrow she decided her top pick was a D3 school or she no longer saw herself playing D1 college soccer, we would absolutely make a chance. That isn't happening so we stay. TS is a great place for info and to gripe. Up to you to sift through the BS and find the nuggets. Maybe this post above will clue some in to what is coming if you have younger players. If D1 college soccer is not the goal, don't bother with this BS. You can play D3 coming from NPL/EDP/NEP and if your kid isn't planning on playing in college, then find another way to waste your time and money.

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Just looked at the official rosters of four age groups plus a composite aged team: 26, 21, 22, 21, 19 players rostered. These are HS aged teams. The younger teams roster 18. This information is online and available to anyone who cares to look.

Still waiting for miss Happy DA parent to pipe in that families should "do what makes you happy". Total BS. Here's the real deal skippy: If you are on an ECNL or DA team in the HS ages, you are most likely pursuing a college scholarship opportunity at the D1 level. That is the carrot dangling in front of everyone. That is why families put up this BS and pay top dollar to do it.

If my kid said tomorrow she decided her top pick was a D3 school or she no longer saw herself playing D1 college soccer, we would absolutely make a chance. That isn't happening so we stay. TS is a great place for info and to gripe. Up to you to sift through the BS and find the nuggets. Maybe this post above will clue some in to what is coming if you have younger players. If D1 college soccer is not the goal, don't bother with this BS. You can play D3 coming from NPL/EDP/NEP and if your kid isn't planning on playing in college, then find another way to waste your time and money.

I do not believe those are all FT players. But, I could be wrong.


So, after all that, you are decided that you are not happy, your kid is happy, and you are suffering through this so your kid can (maybe) play D1 soccer.

You'd be better served playing where you are happy, get separate training, play ODP and be a HS superstah. Take the long route, spend just as much in time and money. But, hey, you'll at least have something else to whine about. Y'know, freshen it up a little.

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21 is just way too many players. No club (ECNL or DA) in MA has 21 players in any age group that are good enough to be on a top team. Jamming that many players onto a team and furthermore into games hurts the team and the individual players. Maybe only Stars if you combine their two teams “blue and white” has a total of 21 top players.

The end of last season they carried upwards of 44-46 combined in some age groups, atrocious

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The end of last season they carried upwards of 44-46 combined in some age groups, atrocious

That's ridiculous. Run from any Club doing that.

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I do not believe those are all FT players. But, I could be wrong.


So, after all that, you are decided that you are not happy, your kid is happy, and you are suffering through this so your kid can (maybe) play D1 soccer.

You'd be better served playing where you are happy, get separate training, play ODP and be a HS superstah. Take the long route, spend just as much in time and money. But, hey, you'll at least have something else to whine about. Y'know, freshen it up a little.

I never said kid was happy. She has a goal and understands that this league and team is the best way currently to achieve it. When 3 kids have to sit every game or tournament and playtime is rationed around 8 or 9 positions, it gets stressful for everyone, players, parents, coaches.

We have done the ODP/Personal Training/HS thing. The reality is that D1 coaches are primarily looking at DA and ECNL players and the above makes you a better player, it doesn't get you in the door so to speak. I know plenty of players who are making no progress in recruiting right now because they are playing NPL or some other lower league. It's the system. We are in it. I'll be happy when we're done with it.