ECNL vs GA

[Anonymous]

I agree with what others have said, with the caveat that you should not accept the RL offer with the expectation that your DD will be promoted within the club. While it does happen, it is rare and by U13, most clubs are filling top teams with girls from other clubs.

A GA team will probably give your DD the best chance of moving to a better GA team or an ECNL team going forward.

From RL, she can probably get to a GA team next year and then aim for an ECNL team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ECNL much more competative than GA top to bottom. Not going to chance for a few years if it does at all. Nobody can tell the future other than there have been big swings every few years.

GA Top teams much better than RL top teams in our area. If we were in California or Texas, might be a different story.

Not a big difference between GA and RL when it comes to bottom table teams. If on this level, it's a coin toss up really. Go with coach and playing time if this is your DD.

Ignore this person. Everyone else on here was able to answer with out GA hoodie or ECNL Hat.

[Anonymous]

Which team practices closest to your house?
Which team has the best coach?

Is your kid a starter? I ask because if not who's on the team will determine your kids minutes.

All the rest is about the same at the highest levels nationally for both GA and ECNL. Locally either ECNL or GA might have a better league. But sometimes its nice to be a big fish in a small pond. Just as long as your coach is preparing the team to compete nationally.

[Anonymous]

All things being equal - that is playing time, coach, commute, I would consider GA over ENCL-RL if that's where you can get.

I think that GA is building and would provide greater exposure over ENCL-RL.

There's been one player on my DD's current roster that moved up from our ECNL-RL club to the ECNL club.

FWIW, my DD plays ECNL and will be U17 next year.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Unless your DD is a top level star and be a starter anywhere, going where “she will get more playing time” usually means going to a weaker team. And that’s fine! I would actually argue it would be better to get more playing time on a weaker team than it is to sit the bench on a stronger team. Whether GA or ECNL, she will be in a top league. While on the top league, I would prefer my kid gets more time on the pitch to gain valuable experience.

[Anonymous]

GA and ECNL are on par with each other. RL is a B team. ECNL currently has better college pathway. However with the new rules, once a team goes MLSN, they cant keep ECNL on boys side. Once that happens they lose girls ECNL. So GA is currently where things are heading. Current clubs that have both, have been told they must give up one league. And most are heading MLSN and GA. Vice keeping ECNL.. Boys draw more money to clubs.

[Anonymous]

OP - This is a mistake I've seen some fellow parents make. ENCL-RL folks think that because they've heard "ECNL" is best it translates down to ECNL-RL.

None of the good things associated with ECNL apply to RL. So if you are considering RL or GA, just look at what the two platforms offer.

RL is a local watered down program. GA is a growing national program even though it has many teams that are at the RL level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - This is a mistake I've seen some fellow parents make. ENCL-RL folks think that because they've heard "ECNL" is best it translates down to ECNL-RL.

None of the good things associated with ECNL apply to RL. So if you are considering RL or GA, just look at what the two platforms offer.

RL is a local watered down program. GA is a growing national program even though it has many teams that are at the RL level.

Sort of true, but it really depends on if you are in VA (very watered down, basically EDP-esque) to MD (less watered down as there are no RL-only teams. All MD RL teams are the second team of ECNL teams- which means lots more travel, but generally higher talent bc less diluted.)

[Anonymous]

Do not join the ECNL-RL team because you think it's a better pathway to ECNL. It doesn't work that way. Very few players are ever promoted from RL teams to NL within the same club.

RL team has better coaching/teamates/commute/playing time? Absolutely join RL. But just know if you want to eventually play on a national platform you will need to change clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GA and ECNL are on par with each other. RL is a B team. ECNL currently has better college pathway. However with the new rules, once a team goes MLSN, they cant keep ECNL on boys side. Once that happens they lose girls ECNL. So GA is currently where things are heading. Current clubs that have both, have been told they must give up one league. And most are heading MLSN and GA. Vice keeping ECNL.. Boys draw more money to clubs.

GA is not on par with ECNL yet. Maybe it will be in less than two years. But it is not now.
That said, I would not put GA as tier 2. It’s more like tier 1.5

[Anonymous]

GA is all talk. There are 2 maybe 3 decent teams in each conference then it falls off. They preach mental health, but do nothing to help the girls. It’s all just about money, and trying to ruin Ecnl. All the new teams that joined them this year were all weak teams, no Ecnl teams. Put it this way, if Rochester is winning a conference you know it’s weak. That club is a bunch of parent coaches there for one reason, yo get their kids play time. None off the parent coaches kids leave the field, and most of their kids are the weaker players on the team. Also that club has had girls leave with mental health issues because of the coaches this year, and where are the GA people, no where to be found. Should they not be looking into this if they are all about the girls, and their mental health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do not join the ECNL-RL team because you think it's a better pathway to ECNL. It doesn't work that way. Very few players are ever promoted from RL teams to NL within the same club.

RL team has better coaching/teamates/commute/playing time? Absolutely join RL. But just know if you want to eventually play on a national platform you will need to change clubs.

Truth! Many RL girls are leaving their club for top team at GA bc they are upset with the run around and “hope” from coaches that “one day” they will be brought up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GA is all talk. There are 2 maybe 3 decent teams in each conference then it falls off. They preach mental health, but do nothing to help the girls. It’s all just about money, and trying to ruin Ecnl. All the new teams that joined them this year were all weak teams, no Ecnl teams. Put it this way, if Rochester is winning a conference you know it’s weak. That club is a bunch of parent coaches there for one reason, yo get their kids play time. None off the parent coaches kids leave the field, and most of their kids are the weaker players on the team. Also that club has had girls leave with mental health issues because of the coaches this year, and where are the GA people, no where to be found. Should they not be looking into this if they are all about the girls, and their mental health.

Isnt there only 2 or 3 decent teams in ECNL conference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GA and ECNL are on par with each other. RL is a B team. ECNL currently has better college pathway. However with the new rules, once a team goes MLSN, they cant keep ECNL on boys side. Once that happens they lose girls ECNL. So GA is currently where things are heading. Current clubs that have both, have been told they must give up one league. And most are heading MLSN and GA. Vice keeping ECNL.. Boys draw more money to clubs.

GA is not on par with ECNL yet. Maybe it will be in less than two years. But it is not now.
That said, I would not put GA as tier 2. It’s more like tier 1.5

disagree seen many a ECNL vs GA. They are on par. ECNL however has better college pathway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GA is all talk. There are 2 maybe 3 decent teams in each conference then it falls off. They preach mental health, but do nothing to help the girls. It’s all just about money, and trying to ruin Ecnl. All the new teams that joined them this year were all weak teams, no Ecnl teams. Put it this way, if Rochester is winning a conference you know it’s weak. That club is a bunch of parent coaches there for one reason, yo get their kids play time. None off the parent coaches kids leave the field, and most of their kids are the weaker players on the team. Also that club has had girls leave with mental health issues because of the coaches this year, and where are the GA people, no where to be found. Should they not be looking into this if they are all about the girls, and their mental health.

MLSN has ruined ECNL. Boys rule u unfortunately in this business.