ECNL - The Proven Pathway to College

[Unregistered]

If ECNL slides into a second tier spot it will no longer justify the expense.

yes it will....as long as it continues to deliver college placements and scholarship dollars. and it will because of how many spots there are out there. it just won't be the place for top programs any longer - but again that's fine for many players. that's what drives the machine. soccer will continue to be an elite sport in terms of family economics and gda won't change that because it isn't that much cheaper.

and yes the cap button is busted on my phone....

[Unregistered]

So pay $8k a year for second tier ECNL to have community colleges give you $1500 a year scholarships? 00-03 birth year are best off sticking it out s ECNL but 04 and down should all go to GDA. If ECNL drops to second tier they need to find a way to subsidize the travel costs for all their players like GDA. Perhaps charge a $125 tryout fee like GDA.

[Unregistered]

So pay $8k a year for second tier ECNL to have community colleges give you $1500 a year scholarships? 00-03 birth year are best off sticking it out s ECNL but 04 and down should all go to GDA. If ECNL drops to second tier they need to find a way to subsidize the travel costs for all their players like GDA. Perhaps charge a $125 tryout fee like GDA.

I'm sure glad you took the time to write this post and instruct me what to do with my 04 and younger children. Phew! I really needed some sound and unbiased advice. Thank you!

Seriously, do whatever you want. After you pony up that $125 tryout fee, don't be surprised if the girls are pre-placed on teams denoting who the assessors want, and spend the entire tryout period scrimmaging, while the coaches chat each other up and check out social media on their phones. That's exactly what happened last year and that's exactly why my kid TURNED DOWN the spot she was offered. She was disgusted with the lack of attention paid by the coaches and saw it as a sign that she wouldn't be coached well throughout the year. So I guess the $100 I spent last year for her to turn down a spot on the younger team was a good investment after all.

[Unregistered]

I'm sure glad you took the time to write this post and instruct me what to do with my 04 and younger children. Phew! I really needed some sound and unbiased advice. Thank you!

Seriously, do whatever you want. After you pony up that $125 tryout fee, don't be surprised if the girls are pre-placed on teams denoting who the assessors want, and spend the entire tryout period scrimmaging, while the coaches chat each other up and check out social media on their phones. That's exactly what happened last year and that's exactly why my kid TURNED DOWN the spot she was offered. She was disgusted with the lack of attention paid by the coaches and saw it as a sign that she wouldn't be coached well throughout the year. So I guess the $100 I spent last year for her to turn down a spot on the younger team was a good investment after all.

Why does the rest of the world look to send their children to a University for academic reasons and in the USA the first thing we look at is sports? Maybe this is why we are not in the top 20 on the education charts?

[Unregistered]

So pay $8k a year for second tier ECNL to have community colleges give you $1500 a year scholarships? 00-03 birth year are best off sticking it out s ECNL but 04 and down should all go to GDA. If ECNL drops to second tier they need to find a way to subsidize the travel costs for all their players like GDA. Perhaps charge a $125 tryout fee like GDA.

Take a look at recruiting from last year by school. Look the resumes of players at a school like USC (top D1)) vs schools like LaSalle (excellent D3 academics) or UNC Ashville (low level D1). That is what will be the difference with GDA vs ECNL - top D players with lengthy resumes vs lower D1 and D2 and D3 with mostly just club experience, maybe the odd ODP player.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...LpMcc/pubhtml#

Looking from 30,000 feet there are over 1000 D1, D2 and D3 women's teams out there with over 25,000 women playing. Add in JUCO or other and it's over 38,000. ECNL isn't going away. Plenty of places for girls to play at all different levels. For families that can pay to play ECNL will still be seen as a good pathway to college soccer and often times admission to better academic schools because of soccer. That's why they will continue to pay for GDA and ECNL. Cost won't be a differentiator because overall they're not that different. The difference will be skill and for some the non HS sport issue.

http://www.scholarshipstats.com/soccer.html

[Unregistered]

Why does the rest of the world look to send their children to a University for academic reasons and in the USA the first thing we look at is sports? Maybe this is why we are not in the top 20 on the education charts?

That is a uniquely US phenomenon and we definitely have our priorities screwed up. We've been to a few schools that were in need of an uplift, including critical technology - but hey they have sports!!!!

[Unregistered]

Why does the rest of the world look to send their children to a University for academic reasons and in the USA the first thing we look at is sports? Maybe this is why we are not in the top 20 on the education charts?

We are not in the top 20 because we educate all kids. Even dingbats like yours. When you attempt to leave no child behind it skews your results. Most large countries leave the class clowns, jokers and difficult students by the wayside very early. In the USA we don't give up on a kid because a kid is difficult.

[Unregistered]

Why does the rest of the world look to send their children to a University for academic reasons and in the USA the first thing we look at is sports? Maybe this is why we are not in the top 20 on the education charts?

Not sure where you came up with that we are not in the top 20. That is a false statement.

There is more to learning and being successful than just in the books and classroom. I took AP Calculus in HS. I don't ever recall having to solve a differential equation outside of college.

We have parents who look at sports when choosing colleges. We also have parents who spend their time worrying about how others spend their money.

[Unregistered]

That is a uniquely US phenomenon and we definitely have our priorities screwed up. We've been to a few schools that were in need of an uplift, including critical technology - but hey they have sports!!!!

For as screwed up as our priorities are, we seem to do okay.

More people are trying to come into the US then leaving the US.

[Unregistered]

ECNL teams got 40 girls into college soccer last year.

Anyone know the number the thorns got?

[Unregistered]

ECNL teams got 40 girls into college soccer last year.

Anyone know the number the thorns got?

I know they have gotten a community college and NAIA girl over the years.

[Unregistered]

I know they have gotten a community college and NAIA girl over the years.

With all the money one will save now, they will be able to pay their own way through college.

[Unregistered]

With all the money one will save now, they will be able to pay their own way through college.

GDA players won't have enough time for academics which will hurt their college academic success. GDA is for serious players that put soccer above all else, including college.

[Unregistered]

GDA players won't have enough time for academics which will hurt their college academic success. GDA is for serious players that put soccer above all else, including college.

College is not the intent. Thats what you don't understand. This it the path to pros.