ECNL rising, GA falling . . . Where will the 06 and younger D1-thinking girls go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well this turned ugly lol

How else do you think ECNL plays?

Knee slapper.

It’s absolutely astonishing that some parents, with zero understanding, think that GA is a player or even a viable alternative for ECNL.

ECNL is king
The USSF tried to steal it (Let that sink in)
The ECNL and DA were about even for two years
The DA collapsed and everyone ran back to ECNL
The GA emerged under Tophat leadership
The GA is laughable compared to their big sis, the DA
Every club in GAME would take ECNL right now.

Thanks Richmond.

Seriously, what parent who’s kid is talented, on a good team and will be showcased and recruited talks like this?

It is odd that no teams in particular are mentioned, just the league. And on top of it, this seems to be a very League centric point of view completely dismissing the DD’s club, team and coach.

It seems to me, if my kid was on a particular team and I wanted to improve that team I’d talk about the team and not the league.

This isn’t how most parents really talk or think. Keep coming here though Richmond.

If that person mentioned a particular team, you’d say “aaahhh that’s only one example” and so on. The write up you responded to is a more strategic viewpoint, like telling you what’s going on from 30,000 feet. Won’t know all the details, but can tell you what’s going on.

There are parents here talking about their club and team all the time. Nobody is this loyal to a patch, almost to the exclusion of their actual club or team.

People will generally self identify with things they are closely connected to, like “I’m a Washington Football fan” versus, “I love the NFL”

But to come on these boards and create thread after thread about a league, and to be so proud of a league seems oddly disconnected from the actual club or team.

Now the one post about Player A vs Player B could explain these posts with a parent as a source and not Richmond. In the cited example, Player B is a sub on a ECNL team. The parent is trying to rationalize not starting on this ECNL team because their DDs affiliation with the league and her connection to the coach is what they believe will make a difference. While they are certain their DD would probably start on a GA team they are convinced that ECNL is the unquestionable road to recruitment. They aren’t going to talk about their club by name because we all know by now that NOVA ECNL clubs are among the worst performing clubs in their own conference. So again, attach to the patch.

I’m sorry you wasted or plan on wasting four of your DDs years watching soccer instead of playing soccer. If she can’t start the patch isn’t gonna save her.

Five years ago ECNL had around 1700 players nationally per recruiting class. By this time next year that number will be nearly 3000 kids per recruiting class. Please tell us how, with nearly 3000 kids for colleges to choose from will a role player stand out?

Your kid isn’t even the best player on her own team and you think the league she is in, a league with nearly 3000 players to choose from and your comparing her to a starting player in another league? I’d suggest you worry about standing out against the 18-25 kids on your own team before you worry about another league.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there was no COVID, DA might not have folded as bad but it also helped prevent ECNL taking all the top ex-DA players. Now that we are coming back to a normalized society, we’ll see ECNL clubs be the destination club for many of the best players. It’s just the way it is. Yes, McLean doesn’t have great track record of developing players. They don’t need to, because players go there for the older teams and coaches. Because of the platform (league).

And that’s why VDA will succeed and BRYC will return to a viable option. But if Arlington ever gets girls ECNL, lawd have mercy.

Dude, all of the best DA, clubs, teams and players were ECNL teams and players. The DA was nothing more than a snatch and grab with a rebranding. For some reason, people keep over looking this highly important fact. 95 percent or more of the original ECNL clubs are back in the fold. Only a few remain GA...and it’s not by choice.

Every league has survived COVID. Let’s not make fake excuses of why the league didn’t succeed.

The ECNL survived an outright coup to steal their league when negotiations fell apart. The ECNL won and is still here despite the hostile takeover attempt and COVID.

You think a bunch of rebranded NPL teams and two former ECNL clubs turns DA turned GA and blocked from being ECNL is going to compete with ECNL? Let get real about this conversation.

USSF created this mess. No one else. Stop blaming anyone else.

We, on ECNL teams,welcome all talented players. Please come tryout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there was no COVID, DA might not have folded as bad but it also helped prevent ECNL taking all the top ex-DA players. Now that we are coming back to a normalized society, we’ll see ECNL clubs be the destination club for many of the best players. It’s just the way it is. Yes, McLean doesn’t have great track record of developing players. They don’t need to, because players go there for the older teams and coaches. Because of the platform (league).

And that’s why VDA will succeed and BRYC will return to a viable option. But if Arlington ever gets girls ECNL, lawd have mercy.

Dude, all of the best DA, clubs, teams and players were ECNL teams and players. The DA was nothing more than a snatch and grab with a rebranding. For some reason, people keep over looking this highly important fact. 95 percent or more of the original ECNL clubs are back in the fold. Only a few remain GA...and it’s not by choice.

Every league has survived COVID. Let’s not make fake excuses of why the league didn’t succeed.

The ECNL survived an outright coup to steal their league when negotiations fell apart. The ECNL won and is still here despite the hostile takeover attempt and COVID.

You think a bunch of rebranded NPL teams and two former ECNL clubs turns DA turned GA and blocked from being ECNL is going to compete with ECNL? Let get real about this conversation.

USSF created this mess. No one else. Stop blaming anyone else.

We, on ECNL teams,welcome all talented players. Please come tryout.

Didn’t ECNL backfill those departed ECNL clubs with NPL clubs? In NOVA alone, they added a poor performing and new DA club, VDA and then added talent bereft clubs like Loudoun and BRYC. The NOVA ECNL clubs that were added after DA were among the worst performing, and four years later they still are among the worst performing.

And that’s why these posts come up every tryout season. Your teams suck, you need players and you know it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there was no COVID, DA might not have folded as bad but it also helped prevent ECNL taking all the top ex-DA players. Now that we are coming back to a normalized society, we’ll see ECNL clubs be the destination club for many of the best players. It’s just the way it is. Yes, McLean doesn’t have great track record of developing players. They don’t need to, because players go there for the older teams and coaches. Because of the platform (league).

And that’s why VDA will succeed and BRYC will return to a viable option. But if Arlington ever gets girls ECNL, lawd have mercy.

Dude, all of the best DA, clubs, teams and players were ECNL teams and players. The DA was nothing more than a snatch and grab with a rebranding. For some reason, people keep over looking this highly important fact. 95 percent or more of the original ECNL clubs are back in the fold. Only a few remain GA...and it’s not by choice.

Every league has survived COVID. Let’s not make fake excuses of why the league didn’t succeed.

The ECNL survived an outright coup to steal their league when negotiations fell apart. The ECNL won and is still here despite the hostile takeover attempt and COVID.

You think a bunch of rebranded NPL teams and two former ECNL clubs turns DA turned GA and blocked from being ECNL is going to compete with ECNL? Let get real about this conversation.

USSF created this mess. No one else. Stop blaming anyone else.

We, on ECNL teams,welcome all talented players. Please come tryout.

Didn’t ECNL backfill those departed ECNL clubs with NPL clubs? In NOVA alone, they added a poor performing and new DA club, VDA and then added talent bereft clubs like Loudoun and BRYC. The NOVA ECNL clubs that were added after DA were among the worst performing, and four years later they still are among the worst performing.

And that’s why these posts come up every tryout season. Your teams suck, you need players and you know it.

Try not being so angry in the morning.


ECNL added VDA after VDA departed GDA. At that time, it was Spirit, FCV and VDA.
VDA was one of the only club in the nation that had both BDA and GDA. VDA left GDA after one year and went to ECNL at the same time PDA, Hawks, and others departed. THIS is what created the void for Arlington to get their girls into an elite league. Prior to that, they were playing CCL and USY.

The DA gave them partial DA status for the younger girl teams. The next year, they got full DA. Let’s be clear, Arlington was not invited into ECNL or DA. They got in to fill a void left by VDAs departure. They had ONE year of competition in DA before it collapsed.

Loudoun got into ECNL to fill the void left by FCV after Loudoun vacated their fake DA merger with them. This is one of the reasons why FCV can’t get back in now.

I can’t explain why BRYC was added other than it was part of a turf war to win NOVA.

Either way, it’s not tryout season. And l, you sound worry that your kids team will break up at some point. Relax and breathe. It’s not that serious.



added BRYC and Loudoun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there was no COVID, DA might not have folded as bad but it also helped prevent ECNL taking all the top ex-DA players. Now that we are coming back to a normalized society, we’ll see ECNL clubs be the destination club for many of the best players. It’s just the way it is. Yes, McLean doesn’t have great track record of developing players. They don’t need to, because players go there for the older teams and coaches. Because of the platform (league).

And that’s why VDA will succeed and BRYC will return to a viable option. But if Arlington ever gets girls ECNL, lawd have mercy.

Dude, all of the best DA, clubs, teams and players were ECNL teams and players. The DA was nothing more than a snatch and grab with a rebranding. For some reason, people keep over looking this highly important fact. 95 percent or more of the original ECNL clubs are back in the fold. Only a few remain GA...and it’s not by choice.

Every league has survived COVID. Let’s not make fake excuses of why the league didn’t succeed.

The ECNL survived an outright coup to steal their league when negotiations fell apart. The ECNL won and is still here despite the hostile takeover attempt and COVID.

You think a bunch of rebranded NPL teams and two former ECNL clubs turns DA turned GA and blocked from being ECNL is going to compete with ECNL? Let get real about this conversation.

USSF created this mess. No one else. Stop blaming anyone else.

We, on ECNL teams,welcome all talented players. Please come tryout.

Didn’t ECNL backfill those departed ECNL clubs with NPL clubs? In NOVA alone, they added a poor performing and new DA club, VDA and then added talent bereft clubs like Loudoun and BRYC. The NOVA ECNL clubs that were added after DA were among the worst performing, and four years later they still are among the worst performing.

And that’s why these posts come up every tryout season. Your teams suck, you need players and you know it.

Try not being so angry in the morning.


ECNL added VDA after VDA departed GDA. At that time, it was Spirit, FCV and VDA.
VDA was one of the only club in the nation that had both BDA and GDA. VDA left GDA after one year and went to ECNL at the same time PDA, Hawks, and others departed. THIS is what created the void for Arlington to get their girls into an elite league. Prior to that, they were playing CCL and USY.

The DA gave them partial DA status for the younger girl teams. The next year, they got full DA. Let’s be clear, Arlington was not invited into ECNL or DA. They got in to fill a void left by VDAs departure. They had ONE year of competition in DA before it collapsed.

Loudoun got into ECNL to fill the void left by FCV after Loudoun vacated their fake DA merger with them. This is one of the reasons why FCV can’t get back in now.

I can’t explain why BRYC was added other than it was part of a turf war to win NOVA.

Either way, it’s not tryout season. And l, you sound worry that your kids team will break up at some point. Relax and breathe. It’s not that serious.



added BRYC and Loudoun.

Yeah it is tryout season. Dates are beginning to get posted, parents are thinking about it. ECNL parents all start to post here after Groundhog Day as the earliest sign of spring.

Your team still sucks, it still needs players, all hail ECNL.

[Anonymous]

No need to lash out at ECNL parents. It will all sort itself out in the long run. Hard working talented players will succeed wherever they are playing. GIrls Academy will become less relevant over time though and younger talent (players and coaches) will migrate to or remain at ECNL clubs, including Loudoun

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No need to lash out at ECNL parents. It will all sort itself out in the long run. Hard working talented players will succeed wherever they are playing. GIrls Academy will become less relevant over time though and younger talent (players and coaches) will migrate to or remain at ECNL clubs, including Loudoun

ECNL parents are starting these threads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No need to lash out at ECNL parents. It will all sort itself out in the long run. Hard working talented players will succeed wherever they are playing. GIrls Academy will become less relevant over time though and younger talent (players and coaches) will migrate to or remain at ECNL clubs, including Loudoun

Exactly. Dust is still settling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No need to lash out at ECNL parents. It will all sort itself out in the long run. Hard working talented players will succeed wherever they are playing. GIrls Academy will become less relevant over time though and younger talent (players and coaches) will migrate to or remain at ECNL clubs, including Loudoun

Lmfao Loudoun staffers do not get a break. Justify that salary patrolling the Internet forums. This is comical I’m getting an ab workout from it 😂

There is zero reason to “migrate” or “flock” to Loudoun Sucker. Hold on to your ECNL patch as much as you can. The moment you get it stripped away it will begin an inevitable and inexorable shrinking of your name and brand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to lash out at ECNL parents. It will all sort itself out in the long run. Hard working talented players will succeed wherever they are playing. GIrls Academy will become less relevant over time though and younger talent (players and coaches) will migrate to or remain at ECNL clubs, including Loudoun

Exactly. Dust is still settling

Quite the opposite is happening in this area. GA is winning in the younger ages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to lash out at ECNL parents. It will all sort itself out in the long run. Hard working talented players will succeed wherever they are playing. GIrls Academy will become less relevant over time though and younger talent (players and coaches) will migrate to or remain at ECNL clubs, including Loudoun

ECNL parents are starting these threads.

OP here. I’m currently a GA parent. And I started the thread because I think this is the way things are going to go. Slow rise of ECNL, slow fade out of GA. Was just curious what others were thinking not so much for next year but over the next three to five years. Because it is best for a DD to move to a club that will develop her AND provide the best possible college recruiting platform sooner rather than later, if that’s possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to lash out at ECNL parents. It will all sort itself out in the long run. Hard working talented players will succeed wherever they are playing. GIrls Academy will become less relevant over time though and younger talent (players and coaches) will migrate to or remain at ECNL clubs, including Loudoun

Exactly. Dust is still settling

Quite the opposite is happening in this area. GA is winning in the younger ages.

You do realize they will become ECNL players by the time they are U14 right? Again this is the same thing that has happened before, Arlington players will leave Arlington for ECNL. Arlington (girls) will feed McLean, although boys program will thrive. Alexandria/Springfield will feed BRYC or VDA. Even FCV... they’ll go to Loudoun or McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to lash out at ECNL parents. It will all sort itself out in the long run. Hard working talented players will succeed wherever they are playing. GIrls Academy will become less relevant over time though and younger talent (players and coaches) will migrate to or remain at ECNL clubs, including Loudoun

ECNL parents are starting these threads.

OP here. I’m currently a GA parent. And I started the thread because I think this is the way things are going to go. Slow rise of ECNL, slow fade out of GA. Was just curious what others were thinking not so much for next year but over the next three to five years. Because it is best for a DD to move to a club that will develop her AND provide the best possible college recruiting platform sooner rather than later, if that’s possible.

And it’s a great discussion to have, obviously we all hope the best for you and your child. The majority of the best players will play in the best league, which is ECNL. GA is good, miles above CCL and NCSL. But you are right... GA will fade. Society returning to normal will start that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to lash out at ECNL parents. It will all sort itself out in the long run. Hard working talented players will succeed wherever they are playing. GIrls Academy will become less relevant over time though and younger talent (players and coaches) will migrate to or remain at ECNL clubs, including Loudoun

Exactly. Dust is still settling

Dust is settling. You have to kidding. Wake up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to lash out at ECNL parents. It will all sort itself out in the long run. Hard working talented players will succeed wherever they are playing. GIrls Academy will become less relevant over time though and younger talent (players and coaches) will migrate to or remain at ECNL clubs, including Loudoun

Exactly. Dust is still settling

Dust is settling. You have to kidding. Wake up

Go ahead and think Metro United is a destination. Go ahead and think FCV goal scorer or stud player will stay in GAL.