RL Starter vs. ECNL Bench

[Anonymous]

With the end of tryout and tournament season, to keep the discussions going, welcome any thoughts on a question alluded to (off topic) in another thread. My 2014 DD is at a smaller club that tops out at ENCL RL. Assuming she continues to develop and grow apace over the next year, she projects to be a starter on the RL team at U13, c. player 2-5 in the line-up, with a coach she likes (and we like). There’s also a reasonable chance that she might be able to make an ENCL roster (or GA) in the area, but realistically speaking if she made the team she’d probably be player 10-15, not a definite starter. Not sure how to weigh the tradeoffs between possibly better/more training and better competition vs. more playing time in a known situation. Also don’t have experience with how things go once the substitution rules kick in. And would roster size at the ENCL team factor into this, e.g. a team with a 16-18 person roster vs. a 20-24 person roster? Just trying to figure out how to help DD evaluate the best way forward for DD’s development.

[Anonymous]

If you like the coach and club and she will get a lot of time in u12, then I would stay there for u12.

If she wants to play ECNL or GA at a bigger club the following year (and that seems realistic come next tryout season), then go try a few and see what the clubs are like, what the coaches are like, and what they say to you if they offer you a spot.

I suspect you aren’t going to have an accurate sense where she will be yet today though. I say that because I have a daughter playing on the top u12 team at a pretty big club next year and, although her development trajectory seems like she will keep it up, who knows.

[Anonymous]

If you are spending more than half the game on the bench, you are on the wrong team. No exceptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With the end of tryout and tournament season, to keep the discussions going, welcome any thoughts on a question alluded to (off topic) in another thread. My 2014 DD is at a smaller club that tops out at ENCL RL. Assuming she continues to develop and grow apace over the next year, she projects to be a starter on the RL team at U13, c. player 2-5 in the line-up, with a coach she likes (and we like). There’s also a reasonable chance that she might be able to make an ENCL roster (or GA) in the area, but realistically speaking if she made the team she’d probably be player 10-15, not a definite starter. Not sure how to weigh the tradeoffs between possibly better/more training and better competition vs. more playing time in a known situation. Also don’t have experience with how things go once the substitution rules kick in. And would roster size at the ENCL team factor into this, e.g. a team with a 16-18 person roster vs. a 20-24 person roster? Just trying to figure out how to help DD evaluate the best way forward for DD’s development.

You're assuming a lot. Find a team where you get playing time. If you're good enough you can always make a top team. I've seen lots of girl's parents chase ECNL only to finally end up on GA teams.