ECNL moving to school year not calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be ready everyone NWSL will eventually merge with GA similar to MLS/MLSN will be rebranded
as NWSLN. Will not just be a pro pathway but also completion platform that attracts players who want to goto college will have showcases and all the jazz parents want.

Clubs are going to pull out of ECNL before Fall 26 and more by Fall 27. So Boys can be MLSN and girls can be NWSLN.

'Completion platform' and showcases you say? Wow, revolutionary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the upside for MLSN staying BY? Some have said international tourneys. That doesn’t seem like enough given the downsides.

The people actually in MLSN have said they don't really play in any meaningful international competitions, despite that being the most cited reason. It's very expensive to add in international travel. BY leagues are more likely to attract the kids who will go on to play for youth national teams, being disproportionately Jan-Jul. If that is a significant marketing angle ("All the ynt players are coming from our league"), that could be their main advantage.

Add to that, international competitions are not a real reason, most tournaments in Europe already have provisions that support English teams which are already on a SY model. In fact the only times my kids have ever played internationally in European tournaments they seemed by and large a lot more flexible about ages than any tournament we've ever played in in the US. As far as I can tell Europeans at least seem way less hung up on this, what with the bio banding, and flexibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the upside for MLSN staying BY? Some have said international tourneys. That doesn’t seem like enough given the downsides.

BY crowds will do ultimate mental gymnastics until the shoe drops. Give them 2 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the upside for MLSN staying BY? Some have said international tourneys. That doesn’t seem like enough given the downsides.

The people actually in MLSN have said they don't really play in any meaningful international competitions, despite that being the most cited reason. It's very expensive to add in international travel. BY leagues are more likely to attract the kids who will go on to play for youth national teams, being disproportionately Jan-Jul. If that is a significant marketing angle ("All the ynt players are coming from our league"), that could be their main advantage.

Add to that, international competitions are not a real reason, most tournaments in Europe already have provisions that support English teams which are already on a SY model. In fact the only times my kids have ever played internationally in European tournaments they seemed by and large a lot more flexible about ages than any tournament we've ever played in in the US. As far as I can tell Europeans at least seem way less hung up on this, what with the bio banding, and flexibility.

You can have 2 older players playing down in the MIC cup, so that you can have a SY team. You can't argue with BY crowds. They have to win the argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the upside for MLSN staying BY? Some have said international tourneys. That doesn’t seem like enough given the downsides.

The people actually in MLSN have said they don't really play in any meaningful international competitions, despite that being the most cited reason. It's very expensive to add in international travel. BY leagues are more likely to attract the kids who will go on to play for youth national teams, being disproportionately Jan-Jul. If that is a significant marketing angle ("All the ynt players are coming from our league"), that could be their main advantage.

Funny how our best National Team Player was not born between Jan-Jul….

He is a September Bday…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the upside for MLSN staying BY? Some have said international tourneys. That doesn’t seem like enough given the downsides.

The people actually in MLSN have said they don't really play in any meaningful international competitions, despite that being the most cited reason. It's very expensive to add in international travel. BY leagues are more likely to attract the kids who will go on to play for youth national teams, being disproportionately Jan-Jul. If that is a significant marketing angle ("All the ynt players are coming from our league"), that could be their main advantage.

Funny how our best National Team Player was not born between Jan-Jul….

He is a September Bday…

Well...he did play in the SY system prior to the change to BY...so that would explain it.

There are a lot of articles and books that discuss...but if you look at the rosters of professional teams in BY systems...it's a very high percentage of early birthdays. But, generally the best players have late birthdays. They attribute it to the fact that player probably had to learn to be more dedicated, play smarter and more technical when they were not the fastest/strongest. Later when they have the same physical attributes, they dominate. The problem a lot of those later birthdays get discouraged and quit..or just never get the opportunity.

But that is a development and RAE ..both BY and SY will have that issue.

[Anonymous]

So NWSL merges with GA and all the Top 40 Clubs in the country move to the GA and absolutely destroy all of the teams that think they're all that at high school ages in the GA. Couldn't care less, don't own an ECNL hat and never bought a GA hoodie (and never will). Don't have any financial interest in either league but facts are facts. GA (currently as of April 2025) has less teams, with less talent, and place far less kids to D1 schools or pro or uswnt.

[Anonymous]

Why would NWSLN partner with the lesser league?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would NWSLN partner with the lesser league?

Because BY, obvs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the upside for MLSN staying BY? Some have said international tourneys. That doesn’t seem like enough given the downsides.

The people actually in MLSN have said they don't really play in any meaningful international competitions, despite that being the most cited reason. It's very expensive to add in international travel. BY leagues are more likely to attract the kids who will go on to play for youth national teams, being disproportionately Jan-Jul. If that is a significant marketing angle ("All the ynt players are coming from our league"), that could be their main advantage.

Funny how our best National Team Player was not born between Jan-Jul….

He is a September Bday…

Well...he did play in the SY system prior to the change to BY...so that would explain it.

There are a lot of articles and books that discuss...but if you look at the rosters of professional teams in BY systems...it's a very high percentage of early birthdays. But, generally the best players have late birthdays. They attribute it to the fact that player probably had to learn to be more dedicated, play smarter and more technical when they were not the fastest/strongest. Later when they have the same physical attributes, they dominate. The problem a lot of those later birthdays get discouraged and quit..or just never get the opportunity.

But that is a development and RAE ..both BY and SY will have that issue.

Diego Luna?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the upside for MLSN staying BY? Some have said international tourneys. That doesn’t seem like enough given the downsides.

The people actually in MLSN have said they don't really play in any meaningful international competitions, despite that being the most cited reason. It's very expensive to add in international travel. BY leagues are more likely to attract the kids who will go on to play for youth national teams, being disproportionately Jan-Jul. If that is a significant marketing angle ("All the ynt players are coming from our league"), that could be their main advantage.

Funny how our best National Team Player was not born between Jan-Jul….

He is a September Bday…

Well...he did play in the SY system prior to the change to BY...so that would explain it.

There are a lot of articles and books that discuss...but if you look at the rosters of professional teams in BY systems...it's a very high percentage of early birthdays. But, generally the best players have late birthdays. They attribute it to the fact that player probably had to learn to be more dedicated, play smarter and more technical when they were not the fastest/strongest. Later when they have the same physical attributes, they dominate. The problem a lot of those later birthdays get discouraged and quit..or just never get the opportunity.

But that is a development and RAE ..both BY and SY will have that issue.

Diego Luna?

Assuming pp is referring to Pulisic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would NWSLN partner with the lesser league?

ECNL maybe doesn’t see a need to do so? If they did would only make the gab larger. I assume it has a lot to do with money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So NWSL merges with GA and all the Top 40 Clubs in the country move to the GA and absolutely destroy all of the teams that think they're all that at high school ages in the GA. Couldn't care less, don't own an ECNL hat and never bought a GA hoodie (and never will). Don't have any financial interest in either league but facts are facts. GA (currently as of April 2025) has less teams, with less talent, and place far less kids to D1 schools or pro or uswnt.

For sure and I agree doesn’t make a difference to me what any of these clubs decide to do but still fun to talk about it.
If GA does merge with the NWSL and their partnership with MLS brings more top girls clubs over it could really change the whole girls soccer landscape.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the upside for MLSN staying BY? Some have said international tourneys. That doesn’t seem like enough given the downsides.

The people actually in MLSN have said they don't really play in any meaningful international competitions, despite that being the most cited reason. It's very expensive to add in international travel. BY leagues are more likely to attract the kids who will go on to play for youth national teams, being disproportionately Jan-Jul. If that is a significant marketing angle ("All the ynt players are coming from our league"), that could be their main advantage.

Add to that, international competitions are not a real reason, most tournaments in Europe already have provisions that support English teams which are already on a SY model. In fact the only times my kids have ever played internationally in European tournaments they seemed by and large a lot more flexible about ages than any tournament we've ever played in in the US. As far as I can tell Europeans at least seem way less hung up on this, what with the bio banding, and flexibility.

True but the academies are just starting to get a foothold in some of those competitions and doing decently. Just saw a clip with Chicago beating PSG at U16. People don't like to change when things seem to be working... I think it would be very problematic for the MLSN clubs to not go SY but if the academies put their foot down and insist on BY, they'll find a way to make it work I guess. They won't leave MLSN for ECNL just over that.

In the long run though, they will switch to SY, even if they initially decide to try and stay BY. It will be too much of a problem trying to recruit from all of the SY programs and the MLSN clubs will be behind the scenes constantly advocating for SY (to make their lives easier).

[Anonymous]

Just wait until next year the times are a changing. Sounds like more ECNL clubs will leave for GA if that means their boys can be part of MLSN.

GA will partner with the NWSL and join and compete against their academy teams.