There are going to be alot of p!ssed off parents here soon!

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You can't make the blanket statement about competition. Some of the ECNL teams will be better than FWRL, but not all. And apparently at showcase tournaments you play against teams at your level. That should tell you a lot right there. Unless your team was slicing right through NWCL the last couple of years, which at some age groups is far inferior to FWRL, then you are going to be playing a lot of games against teams that are at your level, not at a superior level. So for some teams, it will be just like playing in OPL in past years.

And sure you get more exposure, but again if you dd isn't at a high level, what does that matter? So you get two or three D2 schools from Arizona or New Mexico or Colorado interested in you who wouldn't have been interested before, is that worth it? If you really wanted those schools, you could have gotten exposure to them via other means. All of this exposure talk is pretty empty if you aren't a top player. It's not going to do much for you other than potentially expose inferior players.

I still don't understand all of this great ECNL benefit if you aren't a top player and playing on a highly competitive team. If you are a top player, then you want your team to be full of top players otherwise you will get really frustrated with teammates who can't perform. And if you aren't a top player, then you won't get the full benefits of ECNL.

Who peed in your Cheerios?

[Unregistered]

Ask the 97 copa Team

You can't make the blanket statement about competition. Some of the ECNL teams will be better than FWRL, but not all. And apparently at showcase tournaments you play against teams at your level. That should tell you a lot right there. Unless your team was slicing right through NWCL the last couple of years, which at some age groups is far inferior to FWRL, then you are going to be playing a lot of games against teams that are at your level, not at a superior level. So for some teams, it will be just like playing in OPL in past years.

And sure you get more exposure, but again if you dd isn't at a high level, what does that matter? So you get two or three D2 schools from Arizona or New Mexico or Colorado interested in you who wouldn't have been interested before, is that worth it? If you really wanted those schools, you could have gotten exposure to them via other means. All of this exposure talk is pretty empty if you aren't a top player. It's not going to do much for you other than potentially expose inferior players.

I still don't understand all of this great ECNL benefit if you aren't a top player and playing on a highly competitive team. If you are a top player, then you want your team to be full of top players otherwise you will get really frustrated with teammates who can't perform. And if you aren't a top player, then you won't get the full benefits of ECNL.

Ask the 97 Copa team how many of the 8 other teams in last years FRWL were quality competition? They scored at will on most and they didn't loose a game, tied two won the league which prepared them to go to Regionals and just like all of the Oregon girl entries from the recent past not make it out of pool play.

They spent over $4,200 for the season and got what? One player received a Pac 12 offer and I heard three others are getting strong interest that will be dependent upon this years performance.

What any player regardless of ability will get from playing in the ECNL is exposure to what it takes to compete at the highest level. It will be up to them individually if they want to put in the work to elevate their game and the coaches will have to up theirs too.

However claiming that hiding out in the FWRL league provides the same opportunity to get noticed by a targeted school is only supported by ONE Oregon player.

[Unregistered]

Ask the 97 Copa team how many of the 8 other teams in last years FRWL were quality competition? They scored at will on most and they didn't loose a game, tied two won the league which prepared them to go to Regionals and just like all of the Oregon girl entries from the recent past not make it out of pool play.

They spent over $4,200 for the season and got what? One player received a Pac 12 offer and I heard three others are getting strong interest that will be dependent upon this years performance.

What any player regardless of ability will get from playing in the ECNL is exposure to what it takes to compete at the highest level. It will be up to them individually if they want to put in the work to elevate their game and the coaches will have to up theirs too.

However claiming that hiding out in the FWRL league provides the same opportunity to get noticed by a targeted school is only supported by ONE Oregon player.

Actually, the FWRL competition was made up of winners of Surf and a finalist, and the finalist in FWR. Not to mention that they were the best Seattle teams, certainly better than anything in NWCL. Go down the rosters and see where some of these girls have committed to play in college too. No one says that SOME of the ECNL teams will present great challenges, but not all. And it's true that in the showcases, they match teams up of equal ability. Therefore, our teams won't be playing anyone much better than themselves. I'm not sure where that gets you. So you get more exposure. Are you going to value an offer to UT San Antonio more than one to Seattle U or Seattle Pacific or PLU?

[Unregistered]

Ask the 97 Copa team how many of the 8 other teams in last years FRWL were quality competition? They scored at will on most and they didn't loose a game, tied two won the league which prepared them to go to Regionals and just like all of the Oregon girl entries from the recent past not make it out of pool play.

They spent over $4,200 for the season and got what? One player received a Pac 12 offer and I heard three others are getting strong interest that will be dependent upon this years performance.

What any player regardless of ability will get from playing in the ECNL is exposure to what it takes to compete at the highest level. It will be up to them individually if they want to put in the work to elevate their game and the coaches will have to up theirs too.

However claiming that hiding out in the FWRL league provides the same opportunity to get noticed by a targeted school is only supported by ONE Oregon player.

But I thought no one from Oregon got Pac 12 offers.

[Unregistered]

Ought Oh

Actually, the FWRL competition was made up of winners of Surf and a finalist, and the finalist in FWR. Not to mention that they were the best Seattle teams, certainly better than anything in NWCL. Go down the rosters and see where some of these girls have committed to play in college too. No one says that SOME of the ECNL teams will present great challenges, but not all. And it's true that in the showcases, they match teams up of equal ability. Therefore, our teams won't be playing anyone much better than themselves. I'm not sure where that gets you. So you get more exposure. Are you going to value an offer to UT San Antonio more than one to Seattle U or Seattle Pacific or PLU?

I suggest that you look at the rosters of those NW schools before dis'n the ECNL.

[Unregistered]

4 quality teams and 4 patsies

Actually, the FWRL competition was made up of winners of Surf and a finalist, and the finalist in FWR. Not to mention that they were the best Seattle teams, certainly better than anything in NWCL. Go down the rosters and see where some of these girls have committed to play in college too. No one says that SOME of the ECNL teams will present great challenges, but not all. And it's true that in the showcases, they match teams up of equal ability. Therefore, our teams won't be playing anyone much better than themselves. I'm not sure where that gets you. So you get more exposure. Are you going to value an offer to UT San Antonio more than one to Seattle U or Seattle Pacific or PLU?

Oooo what a strong league! Four quality teams and four pushovers. Look at the scores for the Copa girls and tell me that they had more than a small handful of quality games.

http://2013-northwestfwrl.affinityso...3-C516E3094E27

The only quality exposure they had was in Vegas and Surf and the Thorns Academy is not going to either venue this year and even if they do add them to the schedule the cost is not going to stay at $3,600.

[Unregistered]

I suggest that you look at the rosters of those NW schools before dis'n the ECNL.

The one's that played in NWCL? That's where they play the backups. It's bad enough that those teams beat the Oregon teams 5-0, what was the point to play the regular players so that they could win 9-0?

[Unregistered]

Oooo what a strong league! Four quality teams and four pushovers. Look at the scores for the Copa girls and tell me that they had more than a small handful of quality games.

http://2013-northwestfwrl.affinityso...3-C516E3094E27

The only quality exposure they had was in Vegas and Surf and the Thorns Academy is not going to either venue this year and even if they do add them to the schedule the cost is not going to stay at $3,600.

I have a strong suspicion that the NW ECNL league isn't going to be any better. It isn't what it was when the bracket included California. Oregon and Idaho have diluted the competition. No matter how you slice it you get the same thing. Two different paths with neither being all that great. The biggest loser in all of this are the Washington ECNL teams.

[Unregistered]

I have a strong suspicion that the NW ECNL league isn't going to be any better. It isn't what it was when the bracket included California. Oregon and Idaho have diluted the competition. No matter how you slice it you get the same thing. Two different paths with neither being all that great. The biggest loser in all of this are the Washington ECNL teams.

There are still CA teams on the NW ECNL league schedule but I agree about the WA teams loosing out on tougher league games. However, that is not the choice of Oregon parents.

The Academy showcases are not going to have either the competition or the exposure of the 3 ECNL showcases.

It could be argued that the Regionals will be on par with the 1st round of the ECNL playoffs but at the end of the day the girls in the ECNL will have played more games against better teams over the season.

While the gross cost for the ECNL are higher the per quality game costs are nearly the same.

[Unregistered]

There are still CA teams on the NW ECNL league schedule but I agree about the WA teams loosing out on tougher league games. However, that is not the choice of Oregon parents.

The Academy showcases are not going to have either the competition or the exposure of the 3 ECNL showcases.

It could be argued that the Regionals will be on par with the 1st round of the ECNL playoffs but at the end of the day the girls in the ECNL will have played more games against better teams over the season.

While the gross cost for the ECNL are higher the per quality game costs are nearly the same.

Not necessarily. I think it is wonderful that you are able to feel very confident with your decision to participate in ECNL. (We also participate) I think it quite silly to wave the victory flag over competition before we get underway. Additionally, I don't feel any need to attempt to devalue the Thorns Academy or any Timbers Alliance teams. We really do not know as yet how this will all shake out. I think we are all in a wait and see mode. I personally am very disappointed with the selection of two ECNL clubs rather than one in Oregon at the same time as the Thorns academy finally got underway.

I know from first hand experience that there is a lot of variance between teams in the ECNL. For example when we played some teams we were winning by a > 5 goal margin. At the showcases they generally do not pit lower performing teams against the best .. ie as that is an honor. So as an example Crossfire can play Dallas Texans, Colorado Rush, Sporting Blue Valley etc. where it is unlikely that Oregon will for some time. Oregon will play the Idaho's and other lower performing clubs UNTIL time allows Oregon to prove itself worthy of the higher competition. I guess it remains to be seen how great all of this competition will be.

[Unregistered]

Not necessarily. I think it is wonderful that you are able to feel very confident with your decision to participate in ECNL. (We also participate) I think it quite silly to wave the victory flag over competition before we get underway. Additionally, I don't feel any need to attempt to devalue the Thorns Academy or any Timbers Alliance teams. We really do not know as yet how this will all shake out. I think we are all in a wait and see mode. I personally am very disappointed with the selection of two ECNL clubs rather than one in Oregon at the same time as the Thorns academy finally got underway.

I know from first hand experience that there is a lot of variance between teams in the ECNL. For example when we played some teams we were winning by a > 5 goal margin. At the showcases they generally do not pit lower performing teams against the best .. ie as that is an honor. So as an example Crossfire can play Dallas Texans, Colorado Rush, Sporting Blue Valley etc. where it is unlikely that Oregon will for some time. Oregon will play the Idaho's and other lower performing clubs UNTIL time allows Oregon to prove itself worthy of the higher competition. I guess it remains to be seen how great all of this competition will be.

ECNL post of the year nominee. It's funny but we spoke with a college coach about playing ECNL and he said to do it. However when I mentioned the situation he reconsidered. He said it sounds like Las Vegas and ECNL isn't working out great there.

There are some great ECNL teams out there and it would be great to play them on a regular basis. However given the dilution of the NW division of ECNL, I'm not sure the competition will be consistently high. And as you say, the showcase tournaments will likely slot teams of similar level, which may mean Oregon teams are playing the more marginal ECNL teams. This might bode well for results but might not bode well for development or exposure. But time will tell. Things might turn out just fine.

[Unregistered]

ECNL post of the year nominee. It's funny but we spoke with a college coach about playing ECNL and he said to do it. However when I mentioned the situation he reconsidered. He said it sounds like Las Vegas and ECNL isn't working out great there.

There are some great ECNL teams out there and it would be great to play them on a regular basis. However given the dilution of the NW division of ECNL, I'm not sure the competition will be consistently high. And as you say, the showcase tournaments will likely slot teams of similar level, which may mean Oregon teams are playing the more marginal ECNL teams. This might bode well for results but might not bode well for development or exposure. But time will tell. Things might turn out just fine.

Well, there's always the FWRL and hoping to get accepted to surf.

[Unregistered]

Well, there's always the FWRL and hoping to get accepted to surf.

And there's sitting and hoping your kid makes the travel team, at least once during the year.

[Unregistered]

Well, there's always the FWRL and hoping to get accepted to surf.

Hey, that post was actually giving you some hope you might win a game this year. Hope anyway.

[Unregistered]

Hey, that post was actually giving you some hope you might win a game this year. Hope anyway.

Gee thanks.