MLSNext watered down
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Anonymous
Fixed |
Anonymous
Hopefully Loudoun can make this an attractive option but this will be more impactful in markets without existing MSL academies. Maybe DCU's incompetence will allow them to build something. |
Anonymous
You're like an Adele breakup song on repeat |
Anonymous
Hahahaha. Loudoun is a mess. They have 10,000,000 kids in football each year and field woeful, mediocre non-competitive teams year after year. |
Anonymous
| Outside of the fully funded academies, what big purpose is there for the other leagues MLSNext/ECNL, other than rich families showing off a patch? This is a serious question. Can pay for play boys get a pro contract or scholarship to college? If not, is this just an expensive recreational youth sport? |
Anonymous
I think it is sort of the only option for kids that will likely never be academy material but still want a higher level of competition. That said, parents I talk with are wising up to the situation and with the economy and high cost/time of travel, there is going to be a breaking point in the MLSN model. Some of the better players are passing up MLSN1for 2 or ECNL/RL for less travel and chance to play high school. MLSN becoming too exclusive and their player pool is going to become more of what you are talking about, we much don’t necessarily represent the best players but the ones with parents (and kids) that want and can afford all the fees/time/travel costs. |
Anonymous
I think it’s myopic to say that the players who continue to stay in MLSNext are not the best players just because players leave because of the fee/time/travel costs. Those who decide to drop down to a different level have done the cost benefit analysis (which families do regularly) where the fees/time/travel costs are not worth it because perhaps the player cannot keep up with the competition (not a lot of playing time for example) despite the time and effort put in, perhaps their goals have changed. Another reason is that their families are going a different way to get to academies and a pro career. The latter is more common in families where a parent or relative has had an accomplished soccer career alrdy (d1 and above) and know what to do to develop their kid and expose them. Most families know what they’re getting into in MLSNext. Because it’s hard to get on a team in the first place! It can be a bit of a reality check especially for players who may have been at the MLSNext club and assumed that they’d get on the team but instead a whole lot of outsiders are selected. But there is a lot of development going on at small grassroots clubs. But the purpose of MLSNext and ECNL is for academies to recruit from. Sure, there are recruits outside of these platforms but the majority are from these leagues. If your player is not one of the very few that the club is hoping to develop to get onto an academy, or not academy level as the PP says, it still make sense to stay if one wants to play in college (any level), it’s still the easiest gauge of skill level for college scouts and allows you to say, hey, I know you’re going to be at this tournament, I will be too, please come watch me bc I want to play for u, etc. But yes, unless ur goal is academy or college, I don’t think MLSNext/ECNL is the best platform for u. Everyone on DS team and a goal of academy or college soccer. I do think MLSNext2 is unnecessary, it’s rebranding of existing leagues that cater to those who don’t want the MLSNext investment or who can’t get into an MLSNext team just yet. |
Anonymous
This is literally every travel sport league. The purpose is to provide a service that customers are willing to pay for. Just like all the non-sport activities out there that we spend money on. |
Anonymous
Exactly. If your player enjoys his team, coach, and is competing. Is a win/win. |
Anonymous
lol...this is funny and so American. The top players don't pay anything. The less than top players and their families are funding the top players. I don't foresee a shortage in DMV families looking for status. Sidwell, Maret, Bullis all have survived recessions before. Good for those who play regionally if they know they are not national level talent. Smart choice that others should be making. Only a very small % of kids should be playing nationally to compete with other talent across the country. The rest should compete regionally and locally. |
Anonymous
Partly because clown coaches call themselves ‘professional’ in their bios LOL |
Anonymous
52 States? Are we counting Greenland and Canada already? 
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Anonymous
 To the previous poster's credit - there might be 52 "state associations" eg. Eastern PA/Western PA are different regions (I think NorCal/SoCal are different as well). Not sure if there are more, but that makes 52!
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Anonymous
Florida and South Florida Virginia and Northern Virginia |
Anonymous
Eh- not really. They sort of serve different audiences. The best Next teams might be better overall but the best ECNL clubs are better than the middling and low tier next clubs. Let's take VDA, Pipeline, and Richmond vs. WVA and Alexandria Achilles as just a few local examples |