HS Soccer Maryland/DC and ECNL Virginia

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any experience with their player playing HS in Maryland/DC and ECNL in Virginia?
Or vice versa.

Incoming Freshman and trying to sort out the logistics.

[Anonymous]

All depends on the coaches and what they allow, missing practices, etc. Varies by coach. My advice would be to wait until tryouts or shortly before to ask the HS coach the policy. Club should come before High School on the ECNL level, otherwise play club and HS in same state. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone have any experience with their player playing HS in Maryland/DC and ECNL in Virginia?
Or vice versa.

Incoming Freshman and trying to sort out the logistics.

Don't do it. It's too much. Your kid won't have time to do homework.

[Anonymous]

The kid's on my son's ECNL team, who play HS ball in the fall, do not start. Coach only plays them as subs when HS season is still in effect, because they're too tired all the time.

[Anonymous]

You are fine in VA. There is basically no ECNL season in the spring high school ages.

If you live and play ECNL in VA--but send your kid to private school in MD or DC--they you are f***ked, because the entire Fall season is the most important for ECNL and the HS takes up 99% of their after school time. You get a HS coach that demands 100% of your time and an ECNL coach that wants the same---so you have zero time to study and most end up injured from severe overuse injuries.

By Junior year, my kids just played Club. One moved to MLS Next and the other chose to stay ECNL because they do practice year round and a couple of spring games. If he just did HS it would be all over by the end of October.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kid's on my son's ECNL team, who play HS ball in the fall, do not start. Coach only plays them as subs when HS season is still in effect, because they're too tired all the time.

Yep. And it really screws their recruiting Junior year. Since Club games and showcases are what they need to be doing. Not kick ball HS, getting injured.

[Anonymous]

DS is a sophomore who plays varsity for his MD HS. I have been wondering about this so I’m curious to see what people have to say. We avoided VA teams the last 2 years because he wanted to play HS. His HS coach demands 100% attendance but his EDP club basically did nothing for those months so no conflict. But he has been really unhappy with his club experience and wants to play ECNL. We only have one MD option which is Potomac. He needs more than one option so we are looking at VA clubs for next year even if that means giving up HS. I’d love to see him continue HS for the social aspect. I hate that it’s one or the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a sophomore who plays varsity for his MD HS. I have been wondering about this so I’m curious to see what people have to say. We avoided VA teams the last 2 years because he wanted to play HS. His HS coach demands 100% attendance but his EDP club basically did nothing for those months so no conflict. But he has been really unhappy with his club experience and wants to play ECNL. We only have one MD option which is Potomac. He needs more than one option so we are looking at VA clubs for next year even if that means giving up HS. I’d love to see him continue HS for the social aspect. I hate that it’s one or the other.

As they say, you only need one. I'm not sure why you wouldn't consider the club. You could also look at MLS next. Multiple options that are way more convenient than going to VA. I'm not sure you would get anything out of it other than burnout.

[Anonymous]

There are plenty of kids who do both in this area, especially as the area privates play in the Fall. It is a personal decision, not one size fits all in terms of balancing workload on your body, schoolwork, etc. a lot also depends on how much the games and training overlap clubs practices. I do want to say that my kid thrived doing both and was very happy to have been a part of the school community in that capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a sophomore who plays varsity for his MD HS. I have been wondering about this so I’m curious to see what people have to say. We avoided VA teams the last 2 years because he wanted to play HS. His HS coach demands 100% attendance but his EDP club basically did nothing for those months so no conflict. But he has been really unhappy with his club experience and wants to play ECNL. We only have one MD option which is Potomac. He needs more than one option so we are looking at VA clubs for next year even if that means giving up HS. I’d love to see him continue HS for the social aspect. I hate that it’s one or the other.

As they say, you only need one. I'm not sure why you wouldn't consider the club. You could also look at MLS next. Multiple options that are way more convenient than going to VA. I'm not sure you would get anything out of it other than burnout.

That one has to offer him a spot. He has been turned away in the past so we aren’t putting all our eggs in one basket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a sophomore who plays varsity for his MD HS. I have been wondering about this so I’m curious to see what people have to say. We avoided VA teams the last 2 years because he wanted to play HS. His HS coach demands 100% attendance but his EDP club basically did nothing for those months so no conflict. But he has been really unhappy with his club experience and wants to play ECNL. We only have one MD option which is Potomac. He needs more than one option so we are looking at VA clubs for next year even if that means giving up HS. I’d love to see him continue HS for the social aspect. I hate that it’s one or the other.

As they say, you only need one. I'm not sure why you wouldn't consider the club. You could also look at MLS next. Multiple options that are way more convenient than going to VA. I'm not sure you would get anything out of it other than burnout.

That one has to offer him a spot. He has been turned away in the past so we aren’t putting all our eggs in one basket.

The teams have changed this year with getting ECNL. I would look at other options in Maryland before going to Virginia. It’s a lot to do both high school and club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a sophomore who plays varsity for his MD HS. I have been wondering about this so I’m curious to see what people have to say. We avoided VA teams the last 2 years because he wanted to play HS. His HS coach demands 100% attendance but his EDP club basically did nothing for those months so no conflict. But he has been really unhappy with his club experience and wants to play ECNL. We only have one MD option which is Potomac. He needs more than one option so we are looking at VA clubs for next year even if that means giving up HS. I’d love to see him continue HS for the social aspect. I hate that it’s one or the other.

As they say, you only need one. I'm not sure why you wouldn't consider the club. You could also look at MLS next. Multiple options that are way more convenient than going to VA. I'm not sure you would get anything out of it other than burnout.

That one has to offer him a spot. He has been turned away in the past so we aren’t putting all our eggs in one basket.

The teams have changed this year with getting ECNL. I would look at other options in Maryland before going to Virginia. It’s a lot to do both high school and club.

Yes. Wait until all important Senior year--it's a beast. If you have a high academic kid in all APs/honors in a rigorous HS that wants to maintain his straight A record---and he tries to do BOTH HS and ECNL/MLS Next (for a Club team that plays in the Fall) something is going to give..whether it be the body through over-use injury or the grades slip a bit or the mental health stress. And, it really depends on the RIGOR of the high school, their schedule (honors kid) and the Coaches (whether club or HS work together or each demands 100% attendance at everything).

It didn't work for my kid. Too much wasted time after school and games of no competition (HS) all over god's creation...and then trying not to piss off either Coach. We let my kids decide. Sophomore year, the kid chose not to play Club in the Fall, Junior year he decided to only do Club (same Senior year). He moved to MLSNext for the competition/training and college recruiting. Younger one plans to do the same Junior year--drop HS.

[Anonymous]

It's much easier to do in public HS. For private, the games are much farther away for HS and all those nights leaving the house at 7am and getting home at 10pm are a killer. Then- you have to worry about your club coach being so pissed you have 3 HS games during the week and then you are doubling up on practices all the other nights. not.worth.it. If you don't want to play college--keep HS and drop club or drop to a club team that doesn't care about missing things. If you want to play in college drop HS by junior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a sophomore who plays varsity for his MD HS. I have been wondering about this so I’m curious to see what people have to say. We avoided VA teams the last 2 years because he wanted to play HS. His HS coach demands 100% attendance but his EDP club basically did nothing for those months so no conflict. But he has been really unhappy with his club experience and wants to play ECNL. We only have one MD option which is Potomac. He needs more than one option so we are looking at VA clubs for next year even if that means giving up HS. I’d love to see him continue HS for the social aspect. I hate that it’s one or the other.

As they say, you only need one. I'm not sure why you wouldn't consider the club. You could also look at MLS next. Multiple options that are way more convenient than going to VA. I'm not sure you would get anything out of it other than burnout.

That one has to offer him a spot. He has been turned away in the past so we aren’t putting all our eggs in one basket.

The teams have changed this year with getting ECNL. I would look at other options in Maryland before going to Virginia. It’s a lot to do both high school and club.

Yes. Wait until all important Senior year--it's a beast. If you have a high academic kid in all APs/honors in a rigorous HS that wants to maintain his straight A record---and he tries to do BOTH HS and ECNL/MLS Next (for a Club team that plays in the Fall) something is going to give..whether it be the body through over-use injury or the grades slip a bit or the mental health stress. And, it really depends on the RIGOR of the high school, their schedule (honors kid) and the Coaches (whether club or HS work together or each demands 100% attendance at everything).

It didn't work for my kid. Too much wasted time after school and games of no competition (HS) all over god's creation...and then trying not to piss off either Coach. We let my kids decide. Sophomore year, the kid chose not to play Club in the Fall, Junior year he decided to only do Club (same Senior year). He moved to MLSNext for the competition/training and college recruiting. Younger one plans to do the same Junior year--drop HS.

I meant 'all important Junior year' ^^ the most important one for college.

[Anonymous]

OP- it's totally manageable to do both Freshmen and Sophomore year and totally worth it for the friendships--transition to HS.

By Junior year, for the reasons others stated, somethings gotta give. Our kids both transitioned over spring of sophomore year to higher profile Club teams and left HS soccer. They enjoyed it the first two years, but the level of play really sucked and phased out of by the time they were upper classmen.