ECNL moving to school year not calendar

[Anonymous]

There are 18 pages on this and other threads. This is not happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is born late December 2012. She’s the only 5th grader on her team. The maturity and size difference is very obvious. When she’s in 8th grade she’ll have a shortened fall season because the rest of her team has school ball. Her junior year won’t be as meaningful because the rest of her team will be seniors and mentally checked out of club ball. Then senior year she needs a new team. Every other sport is grad year.

Not accurate that every other sport is graduation year. Swim is June. Little league softball is calendar year. Baseball is May. AAU has both age and grade tournaments. Football is age plus weight matrixes. Lacrosse has an overlapping 15 month age range starting June 1.

[Anonymous]

ECNL is not moving to school year. They can't make this change because the rules on age are governed by USSF. You people need to learn a few things before you pile into this crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is not moving to school year. They can't make this change because the rules on age are governed by USSF. You people need to learn a few things before you pile into this crap.

There are already exceptions for trapped players and even MLS Next has biobanding. Rules change, bend, break, etc. And rec leagues often go by school year dates, like MSI. This calendar age thing seems to be not a law or even a lemma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd imagine trapped players have have a cause for action simmular to House vs NCAA.

That may be the real cause fo the change thats coming.

lol wut?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL does not have the ability to change U9-U12. Unless they decide to establish a pre-ECNL league or showcases for the younger teams.

My opinion is School year makes more sense as kids should play with and compete against kids who they will graduate with, obviously outliers who can play “up” would still be welcome to do so. Having a system that’s 3/4 9th graders and 1/4 8th graders doesn’t make sense. If we are talking about creating a system where kids are competing for college scholarships.

Why is school important in the soccer discussion?
Is ECNL governed and run by school systems?
Are they replacing school teams?
Do all players on each ECNL team go to the same school?

How did Lamal develop successfully without playing with schoolmates?
How did Cavan Sullivan develop without playing with schoolmates?

What are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is not moving to school year. They can't make this change because the rules on age are governed by USSF. You people need to learn a few things before you pile into this crap.

Right!

There are cascading issues for moving back: tournament play, international play, national teams and camps, etc.

Like you said, they can’t unilaterally make the change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is not moving to school year. They can't make this change because the rules on age are governed by USSF. You people need to learn a few things before you pile into this crap.

There are already exceptions for trapped players and even MLS Next has biobanding. Rules change, bend, break, etc. And rec leagues often go by school year dates, like MSI. This calendar age thing seems to be not a law or even a lemma.

Biobanding is international and has been going on for decades

[Anonymous]

The ECNL could change the age cut line if they wanted. Of course they could. But, there is little incentive to do so. The role (and input) of the USSF is zero when it comes to league management of the ECNL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is not moving to school year. They can't make this change because the rules on age are governed by USSF. You people need to learn a few things before you pile into this crap.

There are already exceptions for trapped players and even MLS Next has biobanding. Rules change, bend, break, etc. And rec leagues often go by school year dates, like MSI. This calendar age thing seems to be not a law or even a lemma.

Biobanding is international and has been going on for decades

Exactly, just call kids born between August and December biobanders. Issue solved.

While some parents are for and some against the change what most surprised me about the ECNL podcasts was that the clubs were pushing this because of the cost and hassle for programming for trapped kids.

[Anonymous]

How does this idea work exactly? Different school systems have different cut offs. For example some you have to be 5 by Sept 1 and others by Oct 1. When I was young it was Dec 31! And what about people who redshirt their kids? My August boy was not red shirted but in school with kids up to 18 months older who were. So if it goes to school year does that mean you play with the team in your intended grade vs enrolled grade? I think the birth year is more fair and standardized. Someone will always be the youngest. And it will mess up tournament age groups. While the ECNL boosters like to believe everyone cares what ECNL does, not everyone would follow them. Why would MLSN do that on the boys side?

There’s no point in getting worked up either way over rumors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does this idea work exactly? Different school systems have different cut offs. For example some you have to be 5 by Sept 1 and others by Oct 1. When I was young it was Dec 31! And what about people who redshirt their kids? My August boy was not red shirted but in school with kids up to 18 months older who were. So if it goes to school year does that mean you play with the team in your intended grade vs enrolled grade? I think the birth year is more fair and standardized. Someone will always be the youngest. And it will mess up tournament age groups. While the ECNL boosters like to believe everyone cares what ECNL does, not everyone would follow them. Why would MLSN do that on the boys side?

There’s no point in getting worked up either way over rumors.

When I was young the soccer calendar year the cut off was Aug 1 not Dec 31. It's still a date cut off red shirting has nothing to do with it. Read the thread, listen to the podcast. Even if this change never happens your nonsensicle arguments would be addressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The ECNL could change the age cut line if they wanted. Of course they could. But, there is little incentive to do so. The role (and input) of the USSF is zero when it comes to league management of the ECNL.

There's a reason why all the major youth soccer leagues use birth year, the USSF. They regulate all the sanctioned tournaments and leagues. I doubt ECNL would want to be the odd league out. There are very few rules that a league can modify. The age matrix is not one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is not moving to school year. They can't make this change because the rules on age are governed by USSF. You people need to learn a few things before you pile into this crap.

There are already exceptions for trapped players and even MLS Next has biobanding. Rules change, bend, break, etc. And rec leagues often go by school year dates, like MSI. This calendar age thing seems to be not a law or even a lemma.

Biobanding is international and has been going on for decades

For pro prospects not for our system which is basically set up for college. Only the identified professional player track needs biobanding. College lets some many players biobanding is unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is born late December 2012. She’s the only 5th grader on her team. The maturity and size difference is very obvious. When she’s in 8th grade she’ll have a shortened fall season because the rest of her team has school ball. Her junior year won’t be as meaningful because the rest of her team will be seniors and mentally checked out of club ball. Then senior year she needs a new team. Every other sport is grad year.

Not accurate that every other sport is graduation year. Swim is June. Little league softball is calendar year. Baseball is May. AAU has both age and grade tournaments. Football is age plus weight matrixes. Lacrosse has an overlapping 15 month age range starting June 1.

Well if we are gonna compare other sports, swim is not June. Summer swim has a June cutoff but otherwise, if you’re talking competitive (year round) swim, there are age groups and once you turn that age, you are in that group as of your birthday (eg you are in 11-12 once you turn 11 and move up to 13-14 the day you turn 13). Volleyball (USAV) is July 1-June 30.