What's the end game for ECNL RL?

[Anonymous]

DS is a top 1/3 bucket U13B player on a mid ECNL RL team in the DMV area. I'm sure he will eventually make his HS team, likely to start too. What's next? Any shot at playing at a NCAA D3 schools that's also decent with academics? He also excels in 2 other travel sports so eventually we need to cut to just 1 travel sport.

I feel this is a question a parent who has an older DS can answer easily.

I grew up in this area and played NCSL D1 through half of HS. Then I just went to college and played some club sports.

[Anonymous]

What does he want? That should drive the end game.

[Anonymous]

Let his passion drive him towards a desired outcome. U13 is such an odd age group and won't level out until U16, so focus on this fall as the end game. Top tier players at U13 can very quickly be bench warmer at U15 or the reverse. No one on this forum can give you any credible guidance, just listen to your son. He will find a way to tell you if you listen.

[Anonymous]

End game for ECNL-RL:
1. Have fun
2. stay in shape
3. meet new friends
4. maybe get the chance to move up to ECNL-N
5. play div 2 or 3 college soccer
6. learn to love soccer
7. stay off the street corners
8. a great hobby to have

[Anonymous]

OP, there are some very strong D3 schools academically and in soccer. They tend to be a bit smaller than the D1 programs. Two that my older son considered are W&L and Haverford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a top 1/3 bucket U13B player on a mid ECNL RL team in the DMV area. I'm sure he will eventually make his HS team, likely to start too. What's next? Any shot at playing at a NCAA D3 schools that's also decent with academics? He also excels in 2 other travel sports so eventually we need to cut to just 1 travel sport.

I feel this is a question a parent who has an older DS can answer easily.

I grew up in this area and played NCSL D1 through half of HS. Then I just went to college and played some club sports.

At U13 nothing is off the table as far as his next steps, D1 is going to be hard because there is a lot of competition for international players. Top RL players should have an easy transition into D2/D3, some even play D1, there are some really good teams and some really bad teams, so making a roster will be the easy part - it's finding the school that he wants to go to. I also wouldn't discount JUCOs (Junior Colleges), the NJCAA is very well established, they have schools all over the US and most if not all offer scholarships and because it's a junior college, the first 2 years are relatively cheap compared to traditional 4-years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a top 1/3 bucket U13B player on a mid ECNL RL team in the DMV area. I'm sure he will eventually make his HS team, likely to start too. What's next? Any shot at playing at a NCAA D3 schools that's also decent with academics? He also excels in 2 other travel sports so eventually we need to cut to just 1 travel sport.

I feel this is a question a parent who has an older DS can answer easily.

I grew up in this area and played NCSL D1 through half of HS. Then I just went to college and played some club sports.

At U13 nothing is off the table as far as his next steps, D1 is going to be hard because there is a lot of competition for international players.

Same in D3. Our RL kid has similar goals...a good academinc D3. I've been looking at a lot of rosters online, and about a third of the kids are international.
Don't assume D3 will be a given for any RL kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a top 1/3 bucket U13B player on a mid ECNL RL team in the DMV area. I'm sure he will eventually make his HS team, likely to start too. What's next? Any shot at playing at a NCAA D3 schools that's also decent with academics? He also excels in 2 other travel sports so eventually we need to cut to just 1 travel sport.

I feel this is a question a parent who has an older DS can answer easily.

I grew up in this area and played NCSL D1 through half of HS. Then I just went to college and played some club sports.

At U13 nothing is off the table as far as his next steps, D1 is going to be hard because there is a lot of competition for international players.

Same in D3. Our RL kid has similar goals...a good academinc D3. I've been looking at a lot of rosters online, and about a third of the kids are international.
Don't assume D3 will be a given for any RL kid.

No one said anything about D3 will be given for any RL kids - it has to be earned and taken

it all depends on what school you're looking at...Shenandoah and Virginia Wesleyan have 1 combined international players between the two rosters and are primarily VA based players from non ECNL/MLSNext (FCV, PWSI, FC Richmond) clubs, but there is colleges like Roanoke that is 50/50 international and only have 3~4 VA based players with the rest from out of state.

[Anonymous]

Depends on your coach. If you gave a motivated coach, go to show cases.. and have opps for D1 to D3. Top RL teams are able to beat bottom to Mid ECNL teams. ECNL has become so diluted that is really lost it’s purpose. Walk on is also option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, there are some very strong D3 schools academically and in soccer. They tend to be a bit smaller than the D1 programs. Two that my older son considered are W&L and Haverford.

OP Here. Appreciate all the helpful feedback. Of course nothing is given and everything is earned. But it's good to see that it's possible to go from ECNL RL to NCAA D3 (continue to play competitive soccer as a student-athlete). He excels academically so some of the solid smaller universities / liberal arts colleges could become options one day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, there are some very strong D3 schools academically and in soccer. They tend to be a bit smaller than the D1 programs. Two that my older son considered are W&L and Haverford.

OP Here. Appreciate all the helpful feedback. Of course nothing is given and everything is earned. But it's good to see that it's possible to go from ECNL RL to NCAA D3 (continue to play competitive soccer as a student-athlete). He excels academically so some of the solid smaller universities / liberal arts colleges could become options one day.

It is the journey not a destination. You can nurture happiness and love but you cannot track it and grow it like a tomato vine tethered.

This is worth understanding earlier rather than later but is not generally embraced in travel soccer and NoVa mentality

[Anonymous]

End game is and always will be to make more $$$. The more clubs they have join the richer they will be.

[Anonymous]

you can always play at the very bottom ranked D3 school in the country

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:End game for ECNL-RL:
1. Have fun
2. stay in shape
3. meet new friends
4. maybe get the chance to move up to ECNL-N
5. play div 2 or 3 college soccer
6. learn to love soccer
7. stay off the street corners
8. a great hobby to have

Seriously, why is that is hard, this is exactly what it should be. Stop thinking your kid is Ronaldo (and even so, let it happen and stop pushing it)