MLS Next Announcement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how would it work when the MLS next team is playing in a tournament? For example, mls next team is birth year U14 playing in the Columbia cup. They play against the u14s that are an MLS next to team at a different club that have to play school year. So it’s feasible there would be a full year of difference between the kids if you had one team have mainly older kids and the other team have mainly younger kids in their school year. What would you do in that case? That’s not fair.

Mlsn1 teams won’t play outside tournaments or if they did a u15 BY team would be playing up against a u15 SY team.

Since both leagues are always trying to top each other MLSN1 will have to move to school year at some point, otherwise SY teams will have the advantage at every tournament.

THEY. DON'T. CARE. ABOUT. TOURNAMENT. RESULTS.

They care about developing 1-2 sellable players. At a certain point, you parents will understand development.

MLS 1 is mostly p2p clubs. They don’t care about developing 1-2 players. They also don’t care about outside tournaments but they do care about the neverending headache that this decision will be.

Mls1 p2p is not mls academies.

The BY top tier players will still be better than 2nd tier SY players

Agree, the ECNL parents are doing whatever they can to make it sound like the sky is falling but its not.

Splitting the MLSN Homegrown teams from the P2P teams is something that had to happen. MLS needed a place to park ECNL + other SY teams before they switch to BY MLS. MLS can still do things like MLS2 talent id events that get looked at by MLS1 coaches for providing the pathway to pro.

MLSN2 is officially meaningless now.

Mathis whole thread is meaningless. If you kid is on the younger side that only means he’s getting reps with older players will only strengthen his game.

Grow a sack, dads.

They aren’t though. Aug-December will be playing an age group younger until MLSN officially starts.

Yes! That is the problem! MLSN1 teams will now be stacked even more so with Q1 and Q2 kids. RAE is very real especially with less sophisticated US coaches and the pressure to win with size and speed. The different age cutoffs make Q3 and 4 kids pigeonholed not only to MLSN2 but with younger kids. This regresses their development . Maybe MLsn didn’t think of this or doesn’t care. But clubs parents and kids do.

Skipping u12 is just not going to be realistic for the majority of these kids. They will either be studs from u8 or they won’t be on the MLSN path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's the point of MLSN2 now?

I see MLSN2 meaningless, a real scam, because many P2P clubs were lured to MLSN2 under the incentive of having a promotion/relegation system towards MLSN1, and also a pathwary for players to potentially move for 2nd teams MLSN2 up to 1st teams MLSN1.

Now those pathways are completed closed.

With this decision the winners are MLS academies and ECNL, the obvious losers are P2P clubs (both MLSN1 and MLSN2).

Pathways are never closed for the truly talented

It was never open to the rest

Ignoramus.

Approximately 31% of top-league soccer players are born in the first three months of the year (Q1), which is significantly more than those born in the later quarters, due to a relative age effect.

This overrepresentation is often due to the physical advantages older children have in youth leagues, leading to earlier identification and development into higher-level play.

First Quarter (Q1): Around 31% of top-league players are born in the first quarter of the year, which is significantly higher than any other quarter.
Fourth Quarter (Q4): The number of players born in the fourth quarter is substantially lower, with one study showing only about 19%.

Reasons: This difference is often attributed to the "relative age effect," where players born earlier in the calendar year are physically more developed and receive more attention in youth leagues, which are often organized by birth year.

Impact: This initial advantage can lead to a higher dropout rate for younger players, and the trend persists into professional leagues.

What does any of that have to do with the statement that pathways to pro is for the truly talented?

Because "talent" must be developed, worked, exposed, incentivized ...

I was born in Portugal, I know many professional soccer players of my age, they went with me to school and high school is Lisbon, none of them were a "talent" like CR or Vitinha (both February, by the way).

30% of Liga Portugal soccer players were born January, February and March. Were they more "talented" when kids? NO, they just had more opportunities because their earlier physical maturity.

So kids without talent are identified in Portugal and placed on a pathway to pro?

Kids born Q1 have more chances of being place on a pro pathway, in comparison to kids Q4 with equal or similar talent.

Kids born Q1 have more chances of exploiting, sharping, exposing, working their talent .... than kids Q4 with equal natural talent.



You are wrong if think that "talent" is the only factor.

Really?
So there are Q1 kids without talent on pathway to pro tracks here and abroad?

Where did I say talent is the only factor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's the only secret of all this discussion: puberty and amount of testosterone (power, speed, resilience) make a difference at these ages. Not just talent.

Agree. and parents that are on the right side of age cutoff love to throw stones and say suck it up. But now, Aug-dec birthdays do not have good options other than ECNL. Stuck on MLSN2 and an age group lower is stifling to development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's the point of MLSN2 now?

I see MLSN2 meaningless, a real scam, because many P2P clubs were lured to MLSN2 under the incentive of having a promotion/relegation system towards MLSN1, and also a pathwary for players to potentially move for 2nd teams MLSN2 up to 1st teams MLSN1.

Now those pathways are completed closed.

With this decision the winners are MLS academies and ECNL, the obvious losers are P2P clubs (both MLSN1 and MLSN2).

Pathways are never closed for the truly talented

It was never open to the rest

Ignoramus.

Approximately 31% of top-league soccer players are born in the first three months of the year (Q1), which is significantly more than those born in the later quarters, due to a relative age effect.

This overrepresentation is often due to the physical advantages older children have in youth leagues, leading to earlier identification and development into higher-level play.

First Quarter (Q1): Around 31% of top-league players are born in the first quarter of the year, which is significantly higher than any other quarter.
Fourth Quarter (Q4): The number of players born in the fourth quarter is substantially lower, with one study showing only about 19%.

Reasons: This difference is often attributed to the "relative age effect," where players born earlier in the calendar year are physically more developed and receive more attention in youth leagues, which are often organized by birth year.

Impact: This initial advantage can lead to a higher dropout rate for younger players, and the trend persists into professional leagues.

What does any of that have to do with the statement that pathways to pro is for the truly talented?

Because "talent" must be developed, worked, exposed, incentivized ...

I was born in Portugal, I know many professional soccer players of my age, they went with me to school and high school is Lisbon, none of them were a "talent" like CR or Vitinha (both February, by the way).

30% of Liga Portugal soccer players were born January, February and March. Were they more "talented" when kids? NO, they just had more opportunities because their earlier physical maturity.

So kids without talent are identified in Portugal and placed on a pathway to pro?

Kids born Q1 have more chances of being place on a pro pathway, in comparison to kids Q4 with equal or similar talent.

Kids born Q1 have more chances of exploiting, sharping, exposing, working their talent .... than kids Q4 with equal natural talent.



You are wrong if think that "talent" is the only factor.

Really?
So there are Q1 kids without talent on pathway to pro tracks here and abroad?

Where did I say talent is the only factor?

Can you read English? (here a Portuguese giving English lessons )

I meant Q1 kids with SIMILAR OR EQUAL TALENT than his Q4 peers.

What I'm saying is that at equal talent, RAE or age unties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's the only secret of all this discussion: puberty and amount of testosterone (power, speed, resilience) make a difference at these ages. Not just talent.

Agree. and parents that are on the right side of age cutoff love to throw stones and say suck it up. But now, Aug-dec birthdays do not have good options other than ECNL. Stuck on MLSN2 and an age group lower is stifling to development.

Exactly, as a dad of a Q4 kid I believe it will be better for my kid's development and exposure ECNL rather than MLSN2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how would it work when the MLS next team is playing in a tournament? For example, mls next team is birth year U14 playing in the Columbia cup. They play against the u14s that are an MLS next to team at a different club that have to play school year. So it’s feasible there would be a full year of difference between the kids if you had one team have mainly older kids and the other team have mainly younger kids in their school year. What would you do in that case? That’s not fair.

Mlsn1 teams won’t play outside tournaments or if they did a u15 BY team would be playing up against a u15 SY team.

Since both leagues are always trying to top each other MLSN1 will have to move to school year at some point, otherwise SY teams will have the advantage at every tournament.

THEY. DON'T. CARE. ABOUT. TOURNAMENT. RESULTS.

They care about developing 1-2 sellable players. At a certain point, you parents will understand development.

MLS 1 is mostly p2p clubs. They don’t care about developing 1-2 players. They also don’t care about outside tournaments but they do care about the neverending headache that this decision will be.

Mls1 p2p is not mls academies.

The BY top tier players will still be better than 2nd tier SY players

Agree, the ECNL parents are doing whatever they can to make it sound like the sky is falling but its not.

Splitting the MLSN Homegrown teams from the P2P teams is something that had to happen. MLS needed a place to park ECNL + other SY teams before they switch to BY MLS. MLS can still do things like MLS2 talent id events that get looked at by MLS1 coaches for providing the pathway to pro.

MLSN2 is officially meaningless now.

Mathis whole thread is meaningless. If you kid is on the younger side that only means he’s getting reps with older players will only strengthen his game.

Grow a sack, dads.

They aren’t though. Aug-December will be playing an age group younger until MLSN officially starts.

Yes! That is the problem! MLSN1 teams will now be stacked even more so with Q1 and Q2 kids. RAE is very real especially with less sophisticated US coaches and the pressure to win with size and speed. The different age cutoffs make Q3 and 4 kids pigeonholed not only to MLSN2 but with younger kids. This regresses their development . Maybe MLsn didn’t think of this or doesn’t care. But clubs parents and kids do care.

Exactly, that's the key.

This is a market, and we parents/players are the customers. For instance, evolution of MLSN2 vs ECNL will be decided by parents/players, who will be discovering their best interest and making decision.

In my case, my son is a 2013 September, starter and top scorer at his MLSN2 team (our club and region doesn't have MLSN1). Now, we are seriously thinking of moving to ECNL. My son is no less technically/tactically talented than anybody in his state, but as a striker he is struggling with studs (Q1 2013 and biobanded 2012s), simply they have developed more testosterone due tu puberty.

That's the only secret of all this discussion: puberty and amount of testosterone (power, speed, resilience) make a difference at these ages.

Why didn't you play ECNL over MLS2 in the first place if your area doesn't have MLS1. I don't know what difference it makes. There's no MLS1 in your area, MLS2 and ECNL are both currently BY, and next season they'll both be SY.

[Anonymous]

My .02

ECNL and MLSN AD are now EXACTLY the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how would it work when the MLS next team is playing in a tournament? For example, mls next team is birth year U14 playing in the Columbia cup. They play against the u14s that are an MLS next to team at a different club that have to play school year. So it’s feasible there would be a full year of difference between the kids if you had one team have mainly older kids and the other team have mainly younger kids in their school year. What would you do in that case? That’s not fair.

Mlsn1 teams won’t play outside tournaments or if they did a u15 BY team would be playing up against a u15 SY team.

Since both leagues are always trying to top each other MLSN1 will have to move to school year at some point, otherwise SY teams will have the advantage at every tournament.

THEY. DON'T. CARE. ABOUT. TOURNAMENT. RESULTS.

They care about developing 1-2 sellable players. At a certain point, you parents will understand development.

MLS 1 is mostly p2p clubs. They don’t care about developing 1-2 players. They also don’t care about outside tournaments but they do care about the neverending headache that this decision will be.

Mls1 p2p is not mls academies.

The BY top tier players will still be better than 2nd tier SY players

Agree, the ECNL parents are doing whatever they can to make it sound like the sky is falling but its not.

Splitting the MLSN Homegrown teams from the P2P teams is something that had to happen. MLS needed a place to park ECNL + other SY teams before they switch to BY MLS. MLS can still do things like MLS2 talent id events that get looked at by MLS1 coaches for providing the pathway to pro.

MLSN2 is officially meaningless now.

Mathis whole thread is meaningless. If you kid is on the younger side that only means he’s getting reps with older players will only strengthen his game.

Grow a sack, dads.

They aren’t though. Aug-December will be playing an age group younger until MLSN officially starts.

Yes! That is the problem! MLSN1 teams will now be stacked even more so with Q1 and Q2 kids. RAE is very real especially with less sophisticated US coaches and the pressure to win with size and speed. The different age cutoffs make Q3 and 4 kids pigeonholed not only to MLSN2 but with younger kids. This regresses their development . Maybe MLsn didn’t think of this or doesn’t care. But clubs parents and kids do care.

Exactly, that's the key.

This is a market, and we parents/players are the customers. For instance, evolution of MLSN2 vs ECNL will be decided by parents/players, who will be discovering their best interest and making decision.

In my case, my son is a 2013 September, starter and top scorer at his MLSN2 team (our club and region doesn't have MLSN1). Now, we are seriously thinking of moving to ECNL. My son is no less technically/tactically talented than anybody in his state, but as a striker he is struggling with studs (Q1 2013 and biobanded 2012s), simply they have developed more testosterone due tu puberty.

That's the only secret of all this discussion: puberty and amount of testosterone (power, speed, resilience) make a difference at these ages.

Why didn't you play ECNL over MLS2 in the first place if your area doesn't have MLS1. I don't know what difference it makes. There's no MLS1 in your area, MLS2 and ECNL are both currently BY, and next season they'll both be SY.

Because all clubs that joined MLSN2 in my area (two states) were told that MLSN2 would be a promotion/relegation pathway for clubs towards MLSN1.

Now, we know it was a lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My .02

ECNL and MLSN AD are now EXACTLY the same thing.

Wrong. ECNL is the first team on a club, MLSN is the second team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how would it work when the MLS next team is playing in a tournament? For example, mls next team is birth year U14 playing in the Columbia cup. They play against the u14s that are an MLS next to team at a different club that have to play school year. So it’s feasible there would be a full year of difference between the kids if you had one team have mainly older kids and the other team have mainly younger kids in their school year. What would you do in that case? That’s not fair.

Mlsn1 teams won’t play outside tournaments or if they did a u15 BY team would be playing up against a u15 SY team.

Since both leagues are always trying to top each other MLSN1 will have to move to school year at some point, otherwise SY teams will have the advantage at every tournament.

THEY. DON'T. CARE. ABOUT. TOURNAMENT. RESULTS.

They care about developing 1-2 sellable players. At a certain point, you parents will understand development.

MLS 1 is mostly p2p clubs. They don’t care about developing 1-2 players. They also don’t care about outside tournaments but they do care about the neverending headache that this decision will be.

Mls1 p2p is not mls academies.

The BY top tier players will still be better than 2nd tier SY players

Agree, the ECNL parents are doing whatever they can to make it sound like the sky is falling but its not.

Splitting the MLSN Homegrown teams from the P2P teams is something that had to happen. MLS needed a place to park ECNL + other SY teams before they switch to BY MLS. MLS can still do things like MLS2 talent id events that get looked at by MLS1 coaches for providing the pathway to pro.

MLSN2 is officially meaningless now.

Mathis whole thread is meaningless. If you kid is on the younger side that only means he’s getting reps with older players will only strengthen his game.

Grow a sack, dads.

They aren’t though. Aug-December will be playing an age group younger until MLSN officially starts.

Yes! That is the problem! MLSN1 teams will now be stacked even more so with Q1 and Q2 kids. RAE is very real especially with less sophisticated US coaches and the pressure to win with size and speed. The different age cutoffs make Q3 and 4 kids pigeonholed not only to MLSN2 but with younger kids. This regresses their development . Maybe MLsn didn’t think of this or doesn’t care. But clubs parents and kids do care.

Exactly, that's the key.

This is a market, and we parents/players are the customers. For instance, evolution of MLSN2 vs ECNL will be decided by parents/players, who will be discovering their best interest and making decision.

In my case, my son is a 2013 September, starter and top scorer at his MLSN2 team (our club and region doesn't have MLSN1). Now, we are seriously thinking of moving to ECNL. My son is no less technically/tactically talented than anybody in his state, but as a striker he is struggling with studs (Q1 2013 and biobanded 2012s), simply they have developed more testosterone due tu puberty.

That's the only secret of all this discussion: puberty and amount of testosterone (power, speed, resilience) make a difference at these ages.

Why didn't you play ECNL over MLS2 in the first place if your area doesn't have MLS1. I don't know what difference it makes. There's no MLS1 in your area, MLS2 and ECNL are both currently BY, and next season they'll both be SY.

Because all clubs that joined MLSN2 in my area (two states) were told that MLSN2 would be a promotion/relegation pathway for clubs towards MLSN1.

Now, we know it was a lie.

How could you have pro/rel if you don't have MLSN1?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My .02

ECNL and MLSN AD are now EXACTLY the same thing.

Wrong. ECNL is the first team on a club, MLSN is the second team.

Not true. There are lots of stand alone AD teams and will be more soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My .02

ECNL and MLSN AD are now EXACTLY the same thing.

Wrong. ECNL is the first team on a club, MLSN is the second team.

Not true. There are lots of stand alone AD teams and will be more soon.

Hard to imagine serious players will sign up for those clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My .02

ECNL and MLSN AD are now EXACTLY the same thing.

Wrong. ECNL is the first team on a club, MLSN is the second team.

Not true. There are lots of stand alone AD teams and will be more soon.

Hard to imagine serious players will sign up for those clubs.

Easy to imagine. They've got the badge that's part of the top league. I mean that's what ECNL says about ECRL, right, except their 2nd best when it comes to boys?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how would it work when the MLS next team is playing in a tournament? For example, mls next team is birth year U14 playing in the Columbia cup. They play against the u14s that are an MLS next to team at a different club that have to play school year. So it’s feasible there would be a full year of difference between the kids if you had one team have mainly older kids and the other team have mainly younger kids in their school year. What would you do in that case? That’s not fair.

Mlsn1 teams won’t play outside tournaments or if they did a u15 BY team would be playing up against a u15 SY team.

Since both leagues are always trying to top each other MLSN1 will have to move to school year at some point, otherwise SY teams will have the advantage at every tournament.

THEY. DON'T. CARE. ABOUT. TOURNAMENT. RESULTS.

They care about developing 1-2 sellable players. At a certain point, you parents will understand development.

MLS 1 is mostly p2p clubs. They don’t care about developing 1-2 players. They also don’t care about outside tournaments but they do care about the neverending headache that this decision will be.

Mls1 p2p is not mls academies.

The BY top tier players will still be better than 2nd tier SY players

Agree, the ECNL parents are doing whatever they can to make it sound like the sky is falling but its not.

Splitting the MLSN Homegrown teams from the P2P teams is something that had to happen. MLS needed a place to park ECNL + other SY teams before they switch to BY MLS. MLS can still do things like MLS2 talent id events that get looked at by MLS1 coaches for providing the pathway to pro.

MLSN2 is officially meaningless now.

Mathis whole thread is meaningless. If you kid is on the younger side that only means he’s getting reps with older players will only strengthen his game.

Grow a sack, dads.

They aren’t though. Aug-December will be playing an age group younger until MLSN officially starts.

Yes! That is the problem! MLSN1 teams will now be stacked even more so with Q1 and Q2 kids. RAE is very real especially with less sophisticated US coaches and the pressure to win with size and speed. The different age cutoffs make Q3 and 4 kids pigeonholed not only to MLSN2 but with younger kids. This regresses their development . Maybe MLsn didn’t think of this or doesn’t care. But clubs parents and kids do care.

Exactly, that's the key.

This is a market, and we parents/players are the customers. For instance, evolution of MLSN2 vs ECNL will be decided by parents/players, who will be discovering their best interest and making decision.

In my case, my son is a 2013 September, starter and top scorer at his MLSN2 team (our club and region doesn't have MLSN1). Now, we are seriously thinking of moving to ECNL. My son is no less technically/tactically talented than anybody in his state, but as a striker he is struggling with studs (Q1 2013 and biobanded 2012s), simply they have developed more testosterone due tu puberty.

That's the only secret of all this discussion: puberty and amount of testosterone (power, speed, resilience) make a difference at these ages.

Why didn't you play ECNL over MLS2 in the first place if your area doesn't have MLS1. I don't know what difference it makes. There's no MLS1 in your area, MLS2 and ECNL are both currently BY, and next season they'll both be SY.

Because all clubs that joined MLSN2 in my area (two states) were told that MLSN2 would be a promotion/relegation pathway for clubs towards MLSN1.

Now, we know it was a lie.

We know nothing, except there'll be two age classifications. The rest by a group here is just trying to build a case for ECNL -- which has its own problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how would it work when the MLS next team is playing in a tournament? For example, mls next team is birth year U14 playing in the Columbia cup. They play against the u14s that are an MLS next to team at a different club that have to play school year. So it’s feasible there would be a full year of difference between the kids if you had one team have mainly older kids and the other team have mainly younger kids in their school year. What would you do in that case? That’s not fair.

Mlsn1 teams won’t play outside tournaments or if they did a u15 BY team would be playing up against a u15 SY team.

Since both leagues are always trying to top each other MLSN1 will have to move to school year at some point, otherwise SY teams will have the advantage at every tournament.

THEY. DON'T. CARE. ABOUT. TOURNAMENT. RESULTS.

They care about developing 1-2 sellable players. At a certain point, you parents will understand development.

MLS 1 is mostly p2p clubs. They don’t care about developing 1-2 players. They also don’t care about outside tournaments but they do care about the neverending headache that this decision will be.

Mls1 p2p is not mls academies.

The BY top tier players will still be better than 2nd tier SY players

Agree, the ECNL parents are doing whatever they can to make it sound like the sky is falling but its not.

Splitting the MLSN Homegrown teams from the P2P teams is something that had to happen. MLS needed a place to park ECNL + other SY teams before they switch to BY MLS. MLS can still do things like MLS2 talent id events that get looked at by MLS1 coaches for providing the pathway to pro.

MLSN2 is officially meaningless now.

Mathis whole thread is meaningless. If you kid is on the younger side that only means he’s getting reps with older players will only strengthen his game.

Grow a sack, dads.

They aren’t though. Aug-December will be playing an age group younger until MLSN officially starts.

Yes! That is the problem! MLSN1 teams will now be stacked even more so with Q1 and Q2 kids. RAE is very real especially with less sophisticated US coaches and the pressure to win with size and speed. The different age cutoffs make Q3 and 4 kids pigeonholed not only to MLSN2 but with younger kids. This regresses their development . Maybe MLsn didn’t think of this or doesn’t care. But clubs parents and kids do care.

Exactly, that's the key.

This is a market, and we parents/players are the customers. For instance, evolution of MLSN2 vs ECNL will be decided by parents/players, who will be discovering their best interest and making decision.

In my case, my son is a 2013 September, starter and top scorer at his MLSN2 team (our club and region doesn't have MLSN1). Now, we are seriously thinking of moving to ECNL. My son is no less technically/tactically talented than anybody in his state, but as a striker he is struggling with studs (Q1 2013 and biobanded 2012s), simply they have developed more testosterone due tu puberty.

That's the only secret of all this discussion: puberty and amount of testosterone (power, speed, resilience) make a difference at these ages.

Why didn't you play ECNL over MLS2 in the first place if your area doesn't have MLS1. I don't know what difference it makes. There's no MLS1 in your area, MLS2 and ECNL are both currently BY, and next season they'll both be SY.

Because all clubs that joined MLSN2 in my area (two states) were told that MLSN2 would be a promotion/relegation pathway for clubs towards MLSN1.

Now, we know it was a lie.

How could you have pro/rel if you don't have MLSN1?

Because our club (and the rest of clubs of our area) were told that joining MLSN2 would be a first step to next season 2026/27 the teams qualifying to promote towards MLSN1.

Now that we know MLSN2 is a dead end, we'd better move to ECNL.