ECNL Regional path to playing ECNL teams.

[Unregistered]

You are the exact type of person that should stay off a site like this. OP clearly said stay if you want for whatever reason. There is of course a team, club, and league for everyone, but this GAL mess has turned into one big marketing blitz. A ton of parents have no idea and get suckered into these types of club ploys. That's why players end up staying in bad situations with terrible clubs. Parents shouldn't feel obligated, scared, or lied to so that they sign on the dotted line.

So your concern is that the GAL will be a bust for parents while the ECRL is the real deal?.

But you don't really know that to be a fact -do you? You don't know if the ECRL is going to take off or just be the same as last year. You don't know if what these GAL teams are trying to put will gets some traction and in essence be a good alternative to the ECNL. Maybe not better, but somewhere in between the ECNL and the ECRL. That would be a win in my book for New Jersey Soccer. If it doesn't pan out then no sweat, more kids will pour into both the ENLl and the ECRL causing displacement of a percentage of the current players as has always been the case when talent pools at a couple locations. I am old enough to remember when ODP coaches said the ECNL was just another league that will be here today and gone tomorrow.

Im hoping the GAL is successful- if not, I'm cool with my kid trying out for the ECNL teams.

[Unregistered]

So your concern is that the GAL will be a bust for parents while the ECRL is the real deal?.

But you don't really know that to be a fact -do you? You don't know if the ECRL is going to take off or just be the same as last year. You don't know if what these GAL teams are trying to put will gets some traction and in essence be a good alternative to the ECNL. Maybe not better, but somewhere in between the ECNL and the ECRL. That would be a win in my book for New Jersey Soccer. If it doesn't pan out then no sweat, more kids will pour into both the ENLl and the ECRL causing displacement of a percentage of the current players as has always been the case when talent pools at a couple locations. I am old enough to remember when ODP coaches said the ECNL was just another league that will be here today and gone tomorrow.

Im hoping the GAL is successful- if not, I'm cool with my kid trying out for the ECNL teams.

My concern? No, I don't give a rats a** about ecrl or gal in particular. My point was that there are a lot of soccer parents who have never gone through this type of transition before and are getting fed anything to make them believe gal is the just the DA, but better.

I'm glad you will stay and see what happens with GAL. It could be fantastic, but I'm not looking forward to the Virginia travel for bad competition.

[Unregistered]

My concern? No, I don't give a rats a** about ecrl or gal in particular. My point was that there are a lot of soccer parents who have never gone through this type of transition before and are getting fed anything to make them believe gal is the just the DA, but better.

I'm glad you will stay and see what happens with GAL. It could be fantastic, but I'm not looking forward to the Virginia travel for bad competition.

Parents on our team are pretty smart professionals. They believe little of what they hear from club officials but I certainly get your concern

[Unregistered]

No because everyone is so concerned with “watered down” soccer. It’s very rich to hear because let’s face it, there’s no Xavi running around playing girls soccer in our entire country, let alone the NE. The quality is generally all pretty bad, even when you see the top PDA teams play.

Most people who complain about the watering down of soccer change their tune when their kid gets displaced by someone “better” but for now they like to flex.

The quality is maybe bad according to you, but the USWNT is still the premier team in the world. So, things cannot be that bad.

[Unregistered]

Totally agree I’m dumbfounded by the amount of people routing for GAL to fail. Competition makes all clubs and players better, and gives consumers more choices. Pretty sad the glee some seemingly take routing for a leagues failure.

GAL failing will be a very good thing for youth development. Will consolidate the kids to just two leagues USYS and ECNL. Both will have regulation up and down. US doesn’t need GAL. It’s not even close DA light. Better players are leaving these GAL clubs. The better DA clubs went to ECNL already. Hopefully ECNL works with the last 4-5 power GAL clubs for a path into ECNL and be done with this GAL nonsense. Clubs like STA and SJEB belong in USYS anyway.

[Unregistered]

GAL failing will be a very good thing for youth development. Will consolidate the kids to just two leagues USYS and ECNL. Both will have regulation up and down. US doesn’t need GAL. It’s not even close DA light. Better players are leaving these GAL clubs. The better DA clubs went to ECNL already. Hopefully ECNL works with the last 4-5 power GAL clubs for a path into ECNL and be done with this GAL nonsense. Clubs like STA and SJEB belong in USYS anyway.

Well I hope you're wrong, the the NJ ECRL teams are terrible in New jersey and USYS is a joke right now

[Unregistered]

Parents on our team are pretty smart professionals. They believe little of what they hear from club officials but I certainly get your concern

Cmon the zoom club calls have been quite “professional” so I’m sure the parents being pretty smart professionals appreciated them!

[Unregistered]

Well I hope you're wrong, the the NJ ECRL teams are terrible in New jersey and USYS is a joke right now

Would be better without GAL. So would ECNLR. Platforms in place already.

[Unregistered]

Would be better without GAL. So would ECNLR. Platforms in place already.

Should have just very publicly invited all the GA clubs into ECRL as a platform for making the top league and established what they wanted in terms of total teams by conference for 21/22. ECNL blew it on this decision because they could have gained every club they wanted, clipped a new league before it began and incentivized current member clubs to up their game. Doing it publicly would have put the clubs under serious pressure because reality is GA club families all want their DOCs and club presidents to listen and seek out entry to ECNL. This was a rare business mistake by the ECNL board.

[Unregistered]

Would be better without GAL. So would ECNLR. Platforms in place already.

Can’t they just form an ECRL B league for the GAL teams and get this over with. And if the teams are good they can earn promotion to ECRL A league and then to ECNL...seems like a fair process.

[Unregistered]

Can’t they just form an ECRL B league for the GAL teams and get this over with. And if the teams are good they can earn promotion to ECRL A league and then to ECNL...seems like a fair process.

Because there is money to be made by the leagues and many of the clubs either own or get a share of it....Those is control who make the most don't want to share

[Unregistered]

Because there is money to be made by the leagues and many of the clubs either own or get a share of it....Those is control who make the most don't want to share

GA teams get less scrutiny by way of allowing clubs to dictate what they offer instead of a standard (the 1 thing DA got right even if wasn't the best) while still charging a premium.

[Unregistered]

Can’t they just form an ECRL B league for the GAL teams and get this over with. And if the teams are good they can earn promotion to ECRL A league and then to ECNL...seems like a fair process.

The ECRL teams are too week for another tier.

To create a ecrl B tier so that teams that win would get the privilege of playing worldclass and matchfit's 2nd team in their promotion is ludicrous.

If of course it was fairly put together the ECNL would have to shuffle some of those teams that sit in the national division down to the Regional division to make room for the stronger teams coming in. But of course that would never happen. Let the GAL league see what they can do,
families will know in a year if its worth it or not. Right now Most not all of the kids in the ECRL could not find a spot on any of last years academy team. So those teams are weak at the current time. That could certainly change with time but at the moment, this is certainly true.

[Unregistered]

The ECRL teams are too week for another tier.

To create a ecrl B tier so that teams that win would get the privilege of playing worldclass and matchfit's 2nd team in their promotion is ludicrous.

If of course it was fairly put together the ECNL would have to shuffle some of those teams that sit in the national division down to the Regional division to make room for the stronger teams coming in. But of course that would never happen. Let the GAL league see what they can do,
families will know in a year if its worth it or not. Right now Most not all of the kids in the ECRL could not find a spot on any of last years academy team. So those teams are weak at the current time. That could certainly change with time but at the moment, this is certainly true.

The GAL league will be over before you know it...some of the boys academies already left after initially committing to the new academy league. The Girls side will do the same with every offer, no loyalty, no honesty just constant bs. GAL is the best until tomorrow is not the best that’s how quickly the story changes. At least be honest with people from the start, tell people ECNL is the best we want to get in, but no instead they feed us bs that GAL is “the best” until tomorrow it ain’t. Sorry for the vent guys I’ve had enough.

[Unregistered]

The GAL league will be over before you know it...some of the boys academies already left after initially committing to the new academy league. The Girls side will do the same with every offer, no loyalty, no honesty just constant bs. GAL is the best until tomorrow is not the best that’s how quickly the story changes. At least be honest with people from the start, tell people ECNL is the best we want to get in, but no instead they feed us bs that GAL is “the best” until tomorrow it ain’t. Sorry for the vent guys I’ve had enough.

Well I can tell you about my own personal experience about the ECRL team at a major ecnl club. I Will keep it anonymous to protect the innocent


We contacted the coach last year and my daughter was invited to practice with the team. I took advantage of this for a few weeks until it was apparent that the girls were weak. My daughter is a good player but certainly no superstar. I politely declined their invitation for my daughter to join their team.We decided to stay with a local club that played in the top platform of the USYS. Fast forward, i see that team is in second place in their division. Now they may have gotten better over the course of the few months but I doubt it. The ECRL league seems to be very weak at present. I cannot see any player who can make a team at any other elite option seriously consider this for their daughter. It may get better and attract those players that are very serious about their game but I am not holding my breath.