Boys ECNL and HS Soiccer in Virginia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good Morning. Did your son play on an ECNL team and play HS Soccer in Virginia? I was speaking to some Pipeline kids and they didn't play any ECNL games in the Fall when their HS season happens. The kids trained with the HS team all season and trained with the club on weekends. They also told me that just about every single kid on the team played HS. In Virginia, the HS season is in the Spring. The ECNL schedules are split evenly between Fall and Spring so the teams will be training through the Spring (unlike Maryland that didn't have games in the Fall). My question is...was your son able to play both ECNL and HS? Was one a priority as far as training goes? What did you do for conflicts for both training and games? I know people are going to be like HS soccer is terrible. It's going to create overuse injuries. etc etc. Maybe I'll start a thread for "why shouldn't my kid play HS soccer?" but, for now, can you just share how your kid managed playing for both? Thank you.

Virginia HS soccer is a spring sport.

yes, he knows that. But the spring ecnl season has games same as in the fall.

Our Spring ECNL season is done by the end of Feb. and HS games don't begin until Mid-March

Do all ECNL teams stop for high school ? I remember seeing something about some would be year round and not have a break for high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something has to give: high school, club, or your legs.

We managed ECNL and high school for a year, but even with the club having a reduced schedule during HS season we still missed probably 1/3 of the practices. It was really hard on our kid and next year he will do one or the other. TBD which that will be.

+1

My son is a Sophomore at a DC private and just played high school this Fall. HS practiced every day there wasn’t a game. 2-4 nights per week there was a game. Club too would have been too much. Most of the boys that did both were injured by mid-season. They would leave HS practice (3-4:30) and go directly to their Club practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some VA ECNL clubs are 6 month clubs and some are 10 month clubs. OP must be at a 10 month club.

Which ones are 6 month clubs?

[Anonymous]

It depends on the coaches and the player/family.

My son played varsity soccer in NOVA for a WCAC HS. This meant fall soccer with training camp in August, weekday practices/conditioning, and two weekly matches followed by conference and State playoffs.

His ECNL coach demanded priority in the fall over HS.

The HS coach accepted the prioritization because, really, what was the option? Bench my son? No, as he was a starter.

My son played in his HS matches and attended HS training when he could (at least once per week). When ECNL conflicted with HS, ECNL won.

A big influence for our family was ECNL gave our son better exposure to college coaches.

Our son did suffer an injury junior year that kept him off the field 5 weeks. However, the injury was not during soccer.

Talking with the coaches is very important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the coaches and the player/family.

My son played varsity soccer in NOVA for a WCAC HS. This meant fall soccer with training camp in August, weekday practices/conditioning, and two weekly matches followed by conference and State playoffs.

His ECNL coach demanded priority in the fall over HS.

The HS coach accepted the prioritization because, really, what was the option? Bench my son? No, as he was a starter.

My son played in his HS matches and attended HS training when he could (at least once per week). When ECNL conflicted with HS, ECNL won.

A big influence for our family was ECNL gave our son better exposure to college coaches.

Our son did suffer an injury junior year that kept him off the field 5 weeks. However, the injury was not during soccer.

Talking with the coaches is very important.

Thank you for sharing your your experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some VA ECNL clubs are 6 month clubs and some are 10 month clubs. OP must be at a 10 month club.

This is dumb- there is not a 6 month ECNL season and a 10 months ECNL season.

ECNL clubs are the same duration clubs, and thats who is being discussed here.

[Anonymous]

Academics, not just injury are a big consideration.

If the kid is going to HS games and practices M-F and then Club too—which also involves travel on the weekends- a kid at a tough HS in honors and APs is going to struggle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Academics, not just injury are a big consideration.

If the kid is going to HS games and practices M-F and then Club too—which also involves travel on the weekends- a kid at a tough HS in honors and APs is going to struggle.

then soccer in college is not for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some VA ECNL clubs are 6 month clubs and some are 10 month clubs. OP must be at a 10 month club.

This is dumb- there is not a 6 month ECNL season and a 10 months ECNL season.

ECNL clubs are the same duration clubs, and thats who is being discussed here.

True for Virginia, but not MD and NC. MD teams are 6 month clubs and some NC teams are 10 months and some are 6 months. All VA clubs are 10 month clubs.

[Anonymous]

What is soiccer

[Anonymous]

Here in NC, CSA has three tiers for ENCL

ENCL National Academy - 10 months, no HS
ENCL National Team - 6 months, play HS if desired
ENCL-Regional - 6 months, play HS if desired

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Academics, not just injury are a big consideration.

If the kid is going to HS games and practices M-F and then Club too—which also involves travel on the weekends- a kid at a tough HS in honors and APs is going to struggle.

then soccer in college is not for them.

Soccer in college will not be for 98% of males in club/travel soccer. Get real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Academics, not just injury are a big consideration.

If the kid is going to HS games and practices M-F and then Club too—which also involves travel on the weekends- a kid at a tough HS in honors and APs is going to struggle.

then soccer in college is not for them.

Soccer in college will not be for 98% of males in club/travel soccer. Get real.

3 of my son's friends quit their ECNL teams Senior year of HS. It becomes pretty clear by Fall of Senior year that's the truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Academics, not just injury are a big consideration.

If the kid is going to HS games and practices M-F and then Club too—which also involves travel on the weekends- a kid at a tough HS in honors and APs is going to struggle.

then soccer in college is not for them.

Soccer in college will not be for 98% of males in club/travel soccer. Get real.

It's not 98% for ECNL kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Academics, not just injury are a big consideration.

If the kid is going to HS games and practices M-F and then Club too—which also involves travel on the weekends- a kid at a tough HS in honors and APs is going to struggle.

then soccer in college is not for them.

Soccer in college will not be for 98% of males in club/travel soccer. Get real.

It's not 98% for ECNL kids.

For males, it is. 98% across ECNL teams will not be getting any kind of scholarship.

Females--it is drastically different.