Why do clubs have both NCSL and EDP teams?

[Anonymous]

Is it just that one has more travel than the other and some parents equate travel distance to better soccer development? Especially if on a lower level travel team, would think most would prefer to play more locally? Or are there more differences to NCSL v EDP and apologies if obvious answer- am clueless and when looked up only really saw differences being EDP is more north east so more driving to games.

[Anonymous]

EDP is considered to have higher level competition. So most clubs put their top teams there and their lower levels on NCSL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:EDP is considered to have higher level competition. So most clubs put their top teams there and their lower levels on NCSL.

So would this be typical order: start lowest NCSL division 4 then move up to 3, 2, 1 and then after that EDP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:EDP is considered to have higher level competition. So most clubs put their top teams there and their lower levels on NCSL.

So would this be typical order: start lowest NCSL division 4 then move up to 3, 2, 1 and then after that EDP?

Do you mean your child will move up teams until they play on a team that plays in EDP? I guess that’s one way to progress but you’re really not guaranteed that the club will develop your kid to progress. It’s not like grades, you complete grade 1 so you move on to grade 2. Many kids can improve significantly and go straight to the top. Every year, just make sure your kid is on a team where they’re getting development and playing time.

[Anonymous]

Also, sometimes a coach may prefer one over the other for various reasons--maybe they coach a Maryland club team, but want more games in Virginia because they live there. From my son's experience, at least up to U11, a good number of his away games were in Virginia and closer to his coach's home in Fairfax while his home games were in Maryland.

[Anonymous]

I have seen more MD clubs play in EDP and more VA clubs play in NCSL. NCSL is the legacy league and EDP has been spreading slowly down south as it is based out of NJ and NJ has a pretty recognized futbol scene.

I have seen a lot of the top clubs put their 1st team in EDP and 2nd team in NCSL. On the NCSL side, many of those clubs are already in Pre-ECNL league at U11 and U12. The MLS Next clubs wait until U12 to start breaking out but that might change this year.

We have only been exposed to EDP and coming from NW DC, the furthest commutes have been either Gaithersburg, B-More, Upper Marlboro or Springfield. We have seen commutes to Delaware and PA in EDP in the older age groups which I do think is ridiculous when you have enough talent locally to suffice at the level those kids are playing.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes clubs enter teams into both leagues at the same time. This is done with top teams to further develop the team, by giving the team as many games as possible.

Another reason is, sometimes leagues have small brackets and only schedule 7 games in a season, which is often viewed as enough games to help develop the team and thus, a need to play more games arises.

[Anonymous]

*not enough games*

[Anonymous]

my DD played EDP in the fall and the club switched the team to NCSL in Spring because EDP doesn't have a spring season in VA. We would have had to play all our games in MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my DD played EDP in the fall and the club switched the team to NCSL in Spring because EDP doesn't have a spring season in VA. We would have had to play all our games in MD.

This makes a ton of sense.