ECNL moving to school year not calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:does this change apply to ECNL-RL too?

There has been no actual announcment so this is all just speculation. Personally I hope this happens and applies to all youth soccer but for now NO ONE ACTUALLY KNOWS anything.

[Anonymous]

I’ve heard they are considering allocating a specific number (possibly 3-5) trapped players that can play with their graduation year team per age group if the club and families want to use that option. This would only be for ECNL no idea about US soccer or other leagues.

Again this is what I was told no idea what will actually happen.

[Anonymous]

School year is the way to go. Let kids compete with who they will graduate with. I have February and December born kids playing ECNL and see it from both sides. As much as my older child has benefited from being older I have seen how difficult just making an ECNL team is for my younger December born player. Doing everything they can just to keep up with the Jones’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard they are considering allocating a specific number (possibly 3-5) trapped players that can play with their graduation year team per age group if the club and families want to use that option. This would only be for ECNL no idea about US soccer or other leagues.

Again this is what I was told no idea what will actually happen.

Until ECNL makes a statement on their plans all of this does not matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School year is the way to go. Let kids compete with who they will graduate with. I have February and December born kids playing ECNL and see it from both sides. As much as my older child has benefited from being older I have seen how difficult just making an ECNL team is for my younger December born player. Doing everything they can just to keep up with the Jones’s.

This change would work out well for your family, but not one with a August birthday. Then the August kid would have to do everything they can just to keep up with the Jones's. The trapped player argument has some merit, your "keep up with the Jonse's" does not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School year is the way to go. Let kids compete with who they will graduate with. I have February and December born kids playing ECNL and see it from both sides. As much as my older child has benefited from being older I have seen how difficult just making an ECNL team is for my younger December born player. Doing everything they can just to keep up with the Jones’s.

This change would work out well for your family, but not one with a August birthday. Then the August kid would have to do everything they can just to keep up with the Jones's. The trapped player argument has some merit, your "keep up with the Jonse's" does not.

Agreed. I honestly think it's really depends on the kid? We have August and November birthday on the ECNL team and they are better players than Jan/ Feb kids. Someone will always have an advantage and some will not. This will all sorted out once they hit U15 anyway so really it's only U13/U14 when everyone is hitting puberty differently then birthday wouldn't be better anymore. To be honest, at that level and that age, playing a kid a year older/ younger shouldn't make that much difference anymore.

[Anonymous]

It does make a difference, both socially and for recruiting later on. Absent a compelling reason to keep the dates, other than inertia, they should make the move.

[Anonymous]

Socially? Most kids that wants to play ECNL and get recruited aren’t looking to be social. It’s just the perks. Now recruiting yes but only to the few trap players.

Skill wise - it shouldn’t make any difference at all anymore at that age. Your kid shouldn’t feel like she’s trying to keep up with the early birthday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Socially? Most kids that wants to play ECNL and get recruited aren’t looking to be social. It’s just the perks. Now recruiting yes but only to the few trap players.

Skill wise - it shouldn’t make any difference at all anymore at that age. Your kid shouldn’t feel like she’s trying to keep up with the early birthday.

This is where it's at? A kid can't be friends with other kids in the same birth year and potentially the same high school team because they want to play ECNL?

Ya'll need to get a real grip on life or you're gonna wonder why your kid goes no contact after they turn 24.

[Anonymous]

It will be interesting to watch trapped players now get moved down to their new teams. I’m sure a lot have friendships and safe positions they don’t want to move away from. Curious how many will now want to play up.

[Anonymous]

Just announced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just announced.

Where???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It will be interesting to watch trapped players now get moved down to their new teams. I’m sure a lot have friendships and safe positions they don’t want to move away from. Curious how many will now want to play up.

Nobody has to be moved down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just announced.

Where???

The same day as the Boys Finals?
Again a troll seeing how many people he can get riled up.
My guess bored teen….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard they are considering allocating a specific number (possibly 3-5) trapped players that can play with their graduation year team per age group if the club and families want to use that option. This would only be for ECNL no idea about US soccer or other leagues.

Again this is what I was told no idea what will actually happen.

This makes far more sense than ECNL just changing their age categories without a change across all US youth soccer. And is similar to MLS Next's "bio-banding" that allows late in year birthdays to play down a year.