NCSL vs CCL Next Gen

[Anonymous]

I may regret asking this but can someone tell me the pros and cons of each league for little kids (U9s)?

[Anonymous]

I should add, I am asking this more to understand which is most convenient for a kid in NW DC rather than for any great debate about ability. Although I do have some interest in that as have no desire to see my kid’s team get destroyed every weekend.

[Anonymous]

its u9. Play with whatever is the closest soccer team. After that play on a year round futsal team if you want your kid to be really good in a few years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:its u9. Play with whatever is the closest soccer team. After that play on a year round futsal team if you want your kid to be really good in a few years

Yeah, I get that and agree but would like to know how much driving time I am signing up to.

[Anonymous]

We live in Alexandria and play NCSL. Our farthest game during the fall season was at the MD Sportsplex, about a 40 minute drive.

[Anonymous]

We never did CCL with little kids so i don’t know about ‘next gen’, all i know is that for older kids u11+ The CCL games are MUCH more driving than NCSL. like they play in Richmond and Virginia beach

[Anonymous]

The answer would have been different last year but Next Gen fell apart. You used to have Bethesda, Arlington, Alexandria, McLean, SYC, etc. all very close to DC put top two teams in. Every game would have been within 30 mins except for maybe Loudon. They all left for NCSL (McLean and BRYC now put bottom teams in Next Gen). It's completely different than before with many smaller clubs farther out in VA. You can see on their website. I know not your main focus but quality is leaps and bounds below what it was before. That also means less likely you will get killed.

NCSL now has those teams and other near suburbs, so more closer, but there are some teams pretty far out in VA. Not many. NCSL has more divisions and tiers. Not officially at u9/10, but unofficially. The lettered divisions are still done with the intent to divide by levels, and even within each lettered division there are two tiers that only play within that tier.

[Anonymous]

Go with ncsl. So many more teams and competition. Furthest games are out in Shenandoah or southern MD. Pretty rare. You can see schedules on ncsl site so you can get an idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The answer would have been different last year but Next Gen fell apart. You used to have Bethesda, Arlington, Alexandria, McLean, SYC, etc. all very close to DC put top two teams in. Every game would have been within 30 mins except for maybe Loudon. They all left for NCSL (McLean and BRYC now put bottom teams in Next Gen). It's completely different than before with many smaller clubs farther out in VA. You can see on their website. I know not your main focus but quality is leaps and bounds below what it was before. That also means less likely you will get killed.

NCSL now has those teams and other near suburbs, so more closer, but there are some teams pretty far out in VA. Not many. NCSL has more divisions and tiers. Not officially at u9/10, but unofficially. The lettered divisions are still done with the intent to divide by levels, and even within each lettered division there are two tiers that only play within that tier.

Next Gen sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The answer would have been different last year but Next Gen fell apart. You used to have Bethesda, Arlington, Alexandria, McLean, SYC, etc. all very close to DC put top two teams in. Every game would have been within 30 mins except for maybe Loudon. They all left for NCSL (McLean and BRYC now put bottom teams in Next Gen). It's completely different than before with many smaller clubs farther out in VA. You can see on their website. I know not your main focus but quality is leaps and bounds below what it was before. That also means less likely you will get killed.

NCSL now has those teams and other near suburbs, so more closer, but there are some teams pretty far out in VA. Not many. NCSL has more divisions and tiers. Not officially at u9/10, but unofficially. The lettered divisions are still done with the intent to divide by levels, and even within each lettered division there are two tiers that only play within that tier.

+1. Everyone left ccl and ncsl has more tiers so if you get destroyed one season, you can drop down a teir for completion closer to tour level. Or if the competition is too easy, vice versa.

[Anonymous]

At that age its more about securing a spot on the A team. Its much easier to move to a better club if youre already coming from an A team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go with ncsl. So many more teams and competition. Furthest games are out in Shenandoah or southern MD. Pretty rare. You can see schedules on ncsl site so you can get an idea.

Can anyone imagine this bring reality 5 years ago? It shows the soccer landscape is constantly changing and your A team a few years ago for a club is considered C team by today's standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go with ncsl. So many more teams and competition. Furthest games are out in Shenandoah or southern MD. Pretty rare. You can see schedules on ncsl site so you can get an idea.

Can anyone imagine this bring reality 5 years ago? It shows the soccer landscape is constantly changing and your A team a few years ago for a club is considered C team by today's standards.

Nobody who knows what they are doing is judging any team based on club rep. There is wide variability even across A teams and across genders. Where their U9-12 teams are playing is completely irrelevant, and always has been. It would be nice to have a single, central league for U9-10 teams where the top teams could play each other a little more consistently to avoid the blowouts you see at those ages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go with ncsl. So many more teams and competition. Furthest games are out in Shenandoah or southern MD. Pretty rare. You can see schedules on ncsl site so you can get an idea.

Can anyone imagine this bring reality 5 years ago? It shows the soccer landscape is constantly changing and your A team a few years ago for a club is considered C team by today's standards.

Nobody who knows what they are doing is judging any team based on club rep. There is wide variability even across A teams and across genders. Where their U9-12 teams are playing is completely irrelevant, and always has been. It would be nice to have a single, central league for U9-10 teams where the top teams could play each other a little more consistently to avoid the blowouts you see at those ages.

NCSL seems to have consolidated all of the top teams, at least locally in northern VA, at the U9-10 age groups. The issue is that there is a wide gap between the top 3-4 teams and everyone else resulting in blowouts even within the top subset of the first tier group. The best MD teams should be included to create a schedule that doesn’t have a ton of blowouts. Since NCSL moves teams up and down after the Fall according to results, they wouldn’t have to be the same clubs every year allowing for the best possible matchups accounting for the varying levels of success within a club from one age group to the next. Every club should play in NCSL in the younger ages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go with ncsl. So many more teams and competition. Furthest games are out in Shenandoah or southern MD. Pretty rare. You can see schedules on ncsl site so you can get an idea.

Can anyone imagine this bring reality 5 years ago? It shows the soccer landscape is constantly changing and your A team a few years ago for a club is considered C team by today's standards.

Nobody who knows what they are doing is judging any team based on club rep. There is wide variability even across A teams and across genders. Where their U9-12 teams are playing is completely irrelevant, and always has been. It would be nice to have a single, central league for U9-10 teams where the top teams could play each other a little more consistently to avoid the blowouts you see at those ages.

NCSL seems to have consolidated all of the top teams, at least locally in northern VA, at the U9-10 age groups. The issue is that there is a wide gap between the top 3-4 teams and everyone else resulting in blowouts even within the top subset of the first tier group. The best MD teams should be included to create a schedule that doesn’t have a ton of blowouts. Since NCSL moves teams up and down after the Fall according to results, they wouldn’t have to be the same clubs every year allowing for the best possible matchups accounting for the varying levels of success within a club from one age group to the next. Every club should play in NCSL in the younger ages.

Bethesda played (most) of these top NOVA teams in fall NCSL. TBH, you aren't going to get less blowouts with other MD teams unless you go farther out and include SAC or the Baltimore teams.