ECNL Adds Colorado Rush, Nationals, and Ukranian Nationals

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what everyone is trying to say is that NWSL Next is coming.

BOYS DA became MLSn
Girls DA became GA (then hit a speedbump with ECNL but is now back on track + well positioned by US Soccer)

Jessica Berman the NWSL commissioner earlier this year said that several clubs were pushing for Acadamies.
https://equalizersoccer.com/2024/01/12/berman-speaks-of-future-of-nwsl-draft-updates-on-local-broadcasts-and-more/

Berman also addressed the future of youth academies, a mechanism that helped spawn exponential growth for Major League Soccer in recent years. Currently, teams are free to sign youth players but there is no direct line to an NWSL through an academy. MLS, which is in many more cities than NWSL has a home-grown rule that allows clubs to retain players who come up through their youth system.

“It is one of the areas we really hope to make progress on in 2024 as we chart our strategic initiatives. There are a bunch of clubs that are very interested in figuring out the most strategic ways to build academies or invest in youth.

“We also have to recognize that the culture of our country is quite different than Europe. We live in a world where it is entrepreneurial interests that control the youth system. We have to find ways to work with the systems that exist as opposed to being a force that is disruptive just for the sake of being disruptive.”

The latter was a shot at the pay-to-play mechanism that governs youth soccer in the United States. Berman mentioned U.S. Soccer as a necessary partner in navigating the landscape toward having fully built youth programs throughout the league and country. She also mentioned that some clubs are open to partnerships to create youth pathways meaning not every club necessarily needs to start its own academy from scratch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is that ECNL is coming for the rest of GA

NEFC, Tophat, Lou Fusz, Cincinnati United

Maybe, this is only negative for GA if they don't replace IMO. Record shows they have replaced more than they have lost. If more GA clubs want to abandon ship, I don't see it as an obvious negative, more like clubs prioritizing how they want to be seen in the marketplace. ECNL is synomous with winning at all costs so that you can be seen by college coaches. GA is synomous with development at all costs so that girls can identify best options after HS, even if it means losing some notable clubs that are feeling pressure in their markets to win now. Don't think there is much to this continuos debate: One is bigger and attracts top playes to top teams, the other has a bigger vision for girls soccer as a whole and has some competitive teams. Pick the one that aligns with your values and goals.

I'm not sure how you don't see losing top clubs and just replacing them is not a bad thing? It's not just a numbers game. If the GA wants to remain a player in, let alone relevant in, college recruiting, they need to put a good product on the field which attracts the college coaches. If not, they will slowly fade into a second tier league and join the ranks of the many others out there.

It's not a bad thing, time will tell if its actually a good thing for GA. Grassroots development is how every other country does it and that appears to the direction they want to distinguish themselves with. In the US its the fight for college value and prestige, that is so moronic to soccer people outside of the US. Perception wise with parents GA is already 2nd tier, good thing parents pereceptions don't impact college coaches or socuts at all. Educated soccer consumers know there is room for several leagues. Coaches and scouts know to look beyond ECNL events for players, and they know they will always have to becasue all leagues are flawed in their own way, and team quality vary from year to year even

Perception is reality in this case. GA IS is a 2nd tier league.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is that ECNL is coming for the rest of GA

NEFC, Tophat, Lou Fusz, Cincinnati United

Maybe, this is only negative for GA if they don't replace IMO. Record shows they have replaced more than they have lost. If more GA clubs want to abandon ship, I don't see it as an obvious negative, more like clubs prioritizing how they want to be seen in the marketplace. ECNL is synomous with winning at all costs so that you can be seen by college coaches. GA is synomous with development at all costs so that girls can identify best options after HS, even if it means losing some notable clubs that are feeling pressure in their markets to win now. Don't think there is much to this continuos debate: One is bigger and attracts top playes to top teams, the other has a bigger vision for girls soccer as a whole and has some competitive teams. Pick the one that aligns with your values and goals.

I'm not sure how you don't see losing top clubs and just replacing them is not a bad thing? It's not just a numbers game. If the GA wants to remain a player in, let alone relevant in, college recruiting, they need to put a good product on the field which attracts the college coaches. If not, they will slowly fade into a second tier league and join the ranks of the many others out there.

It's not a bad thing, time will tell if its actually a good thing for GA. Grassroots development is how every other country does it and that appears to the direction they want to distinguish themselves with. In the US its the fight for college value and prestige, that is so moronic to soccer people outside of the US. Perception wise with parents GA is already 2nd tier, good thing parents pereceptions don't impact college coaches or socuts at all. Educated soccer consumers know there is room for several leagues. Coaches and scouts know to look beyond ECNL events for players, and they know they will always have to becasue all leagues are flawed in their own way, and team quality vary from year to year even

Perception is reality in this case. GA IS is a 2nd tier league.

Unless you're a college coach or a scout your opinion just doesn't really matter. This thread is short read up, it has been one of the more productive convos highliting differeces and developments of each league.

Save your hot takes for the McBrave thread, getting closer to 200 keep it up folks, great content over there. Great info here, at least for now...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is that ECNL is coming for the rest of GA

NEFC, Tophat, Lou Fusz, Cincinnati United

Maybe, this is only negative for GA if they don't replace IMO. Record shows they have replaced more than they have lost. If more GA clubs want to abandon ship, I don't see it as an obvious negative, more like clubs prioritizing how they want to be seen in the marketplace. ECNL is synomous with winning at all costs so that you can be seen by college coaches. GA is synomous with development at all costs so that girls can identify best options after HS, even if it means losing some notable clubs that are feeling pressure in their markets to win now. Don't think there is much to this continuos debate: One is bigger and attracts top playes to top teams, the other has a bigger vision for girls soccer as a whole and has some competitive teams. Pick the one that aligns with your values and goals.

I'm not sure how you don't see losing top clubs and just replacing them is not a bad thing? It's not just a numbers game. If the GA wants to remain a player in, let alone relevant in, college recruiting, they need to put a good product on the field which attracts the college coaches. If not, they will slowly fade into a second tier league and join the ranks of the many others out there.

It's not a bad thing, time will tell if its actually a good thing for GA. Grassroots development is how every other country does it and that appears to the direction they want to distinguish themselves with. In the US its the fight for college value and prestige, that is so moronic to soccer people outside of the US. Perception wise with parents GA is already 2nd tier, good thing parents pereceptions don't impact college coaches or socuts at all. Educated soccer consumers know there is room for several leagues. Coaches and scouts know to look beyond ECNL events for players, and they know they will always have to becasue all leagues are flawed in their own way, and team quality vary from year to year even

Perception is reality in this case. GA IS is a 2nd tier league.

Who is saying it isn’t?
No one is arguing this

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of things at play here that will determine what the future looks like for youth soccer.

Only time will tell how this will play out.

ECNL Girls > GA
MLS Next > ECNL BOYS

Problem: ECNL BOYS looking to move to MLS NEXT.

Do you cater to ECNL boys or ECNL girls.

Does ECNL allow the rest of the top clubs from GA before things ever worse in the boys side?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is that ECNL is coming for the rest of GA

NEFC, Tophat, Lou Fusz, Cincinnati United

Maybe, this is only negative for GA if they don't replace IMO. Record shows they have replaced more than they have lost. If more GA clubs want to abandon ship, I don't see it as an obvious negative, more like clubs prioritizing how they want to be seen in the marketplace. ECNL is synomous with winning at all costs so that you can be seen by college coaches. GA is synomous with development at all costs so that girls can identify best options after HS, even if it means losing some notable clubs that are feeling pressure in their markets to win now. Don't think there is much to this continuos debate: One is bigger and attracts top playes to top teams, the other has a bigger vision for girls soccer as a whole and has some competitive teams. Pick the one that aligns with your values and goals.

I'm not sure how you don't see losing top clubs and just replacing them is not a bad thing? It's not just a numbers game. If the GA wants to remain a player in, let alone relevant in, college recruiting, they need to put a good product on the field which attracts the college coaches. If not, they will slowly fade into a second tier league and join the ranks of the many others out there.

It's not a bad thing, time will tell if its actually a good thing for GA. Grassroots development is how every other country does it and that appears to the direction they want to distinguish themselves with. In the US its the fight for college value and prestige, that is so moronic to soccer people outside of the US. Perception wise with parents GA is already 2nd tier, good thing parents pereceptions don't impact college coaches or socuts at all. Educated soccer consumers know there is room for several leagues. Coaches and scouts know to look beyond ECNL events for players, and they know they will always have to becasue all leagues are flawed in their own way, and team quality vary from year to year even

Perception is reality in this case. GA IS is a 2nd tier league.

Tell me that you're daughter is u13 without telling me she just made an ECNL club and you're excited about it.

The youth soccer landscape changes all the time. Ten years ago girls ECNL was on the ropes against DA. Ten years before that ECNL didn't exist.

My money is on US Soccer creating DA 2.0. The same people are still in charge and I'm sure they aren't happy how DA blew up. The MLS Next model has been proven successful and likely could be implemented with women now that NWSL is taking off.

Also with all the NCAA lawsuit drama going on right now a single verdict could force all kinds of schools to drop women's soccer programs. What would happen to girls ECNL then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is that ECNL is coming for the rest of GA

NEFC, Tophat, Lou Fusz, Cincinnati United

Maybe, this is only negative for GA if they don't replace IMO. Record shows they have replaced more than they have lost. If more GA clubs want to abandon ship, I don't see it as an obvious negative, more like clubs prioritizing how they want to be seen in the marketplace. ECNL is synomous with winning at all costs so that you can be seen by college coaches. GA is synomous with development at all costs so that girls can identify best options after HS, even if it means losing some notable clubs that are feeling pressure in their markets to win now. Don't think there is much to this continuos debate: One is bigger and attracts top playes to top teams, the other has a bigger vision for girls soccer as a whole and has some competitive teams. Pick the one that aligns with your values and goals.

I'm not sure how you don't see losing top clubs and just replacing them is not a bad thing? It's not just a numbers game. If the GA wants to remain a player in, let alone relevant in, college recruiting, they need to put a good product on the field which attracts the college coaches. If not, they will slowly fade into a second tier league and join the ranks of the many others out there.

It's not a bad thing, time will tell if its actually a good thing for GA. Grassroots development is how every other country does it and that appears to the direction they want to distinguish themselves with. In the US its the fight for college value and prestige, that is so moronic to soccer people outside of the US. Perception wise with parents GA is already 2nd tier, good thing parents pereceptions don't impact college coaches or socuts at all. Educated soccer consumers know there is room for several leagues. Coaches and scouts know to look beyond ECNL events for players, and they know they will always have to becasue all leagues are flawed in their own way, and team quality vary from year to year even

Perception is reality in this case. GA IS is a 2nd tier league.

Who is saying it isn’t?
No one is arguing this

This was stated above: "Perception wise with parents GA is already 2nd tier, good thing parents perceptions don't impact college coaches or scouts at all." It's not just perception....it's reality, and it's on full display when you take out the emotions of it all and look at the facts. Compare college placements. Compare NT players. Compare pro drafts. No matter how you look it objectively, it's not the perception of a 2nd tier league, it's the reality. And the gap is getting wider as more of the stronger GA clubs leave and go to ECNL. Not saying that there isn't room for GA as a league - there is, and should continue to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is that ECNL is coming for the rest of GA

NEFC, Tophat, Lou Fusz, Cincinnati United

Maybe, this is only negative for GA if they don't replace IMO. Record shows they have replaced more than they have lost. If more GA clubs want to abandon ship, I don't see it as an obvious negative, more like clubs prioritizing how they want to be seen in the marketplace. ECNL is synomous with winning at all costs so that you can be seen by college coaches. GA is synomous with development at all costs so that girls can identify best options after HS, even if it means losing some notable clubs that are feeling pressure in their markets to win now. Don't think there is much to this continuos debate: One is bigger and attracts top playes to top teams, the other has a bigger vision for girls soccer as a whole and has some competitive teams. Pick the one that aligns with your values and goals.

I'm not sure how you don't see losing top clubs and just replacing them is not a bad thing? It's not just a numbers game. If the GA wants to remain a player in, let alone relevant in, college recruiting, they need to put a good product on the field which attracts the college coaches. If not, they will slowly fade into a second tier league and join the ranks of the many others out there.

It's not a bad thing, time will tell if its actually a good thing for GA. Grassroots development is how every other country does it and that appears to the direction they want to distinguish themselves with. In the US its the fight for college value and prestige, that is so moronic to soccer people outside of the US. Perception wise with parents GA is already 2nd tier, good thing parents pereceptions don't impact college coaches or socuts at all. Educated soccer consumers know there is room for several leagues. Coaches and scouts know to look beyond ECNL events for players, and they know they will always have to becasue all leagues are flawed in their own way, and team quality vary from year to year even

Perception is reality in this case. GA IS is a 2nd tier league.

Who is saying it isn’t?
No one is arguing this

This was stated above: "Perception wise with parents GA is already 2nd tier, good thing parents perceptions don't impact college coaches or scouts at all." It's not just perception....it's reality, and it's on full display when you take out the emotions of it all and look at the facts. Compare college placements. Compare NT players. Compare pro drafts. No matter how you look it objectively, it's not the perception of a 2nd tier league, it's the reality. And the gap is getting wider as more of the stronger GA clubs leave and go to ECNL. Not saying that there isn't room for GA as a league - there is, and should continue to be.

If you want to talk reality look at the rankings app.

Reality is that most of the top ECNL clubs are in California and Texas.

It's disingenuous to argue that ECNL is some how better for DC ECNL clubs who get blasted into the ozone every time they play them.

If anything you're trying to piggyback on other clubs achievements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of things at play here that will determine what the future looks like for youth soccer.

Only time will tell how this will play out.

For college reccruting ECNL Girls > GA (sure, but that's just one measurement that frankly means nothing to some GA consumers, of course their are strivers in club soccer too. The GA parents feeling second tier thats you. Know what you are consuming people.)

MLS Next > ECNL BOYS

Problem: ECNL BOYS looking to move to MLS NEXT.

Do you cater to ECNL boys or ECNL girls.

Does ECNL allow the rest of the top clubs from GA before things ever worse in the boys side?

[Anonymous]

All I know is that there is a lot of silence right now from both leagues. Maybe they are waiting for after champions cup to make some major announcements.

[Anonymous]

There’s a lot happening behind the scenes. I’ll leave this here.

GA has been working and plotting for 4 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My prediction is that ECNL is coming for the rest of GA

NEFC, Tophat, Lou Fusz, Cincinnati United

Maybe, this is only negative for GA if they don't replace IMO. Record shows they have replaced more than they have lost. If more GA clubs want to abandon ship, I don't see it as an obvious negative, more like clubs prioritizing how they want to be seen in the marketplace. ECNL is synomous with winning at all costs so that you can be seen by college coaches. GA is synomous with development at all costs so that girls can identify best options after HS, even if it means losing some notable clubs that are feeling pressure in their markets to win now. Don't think there is much to this continuos debate: One is bigger and attracts top playes to top teams, the other has a bigger vision for girls soccer as a whole and has some competitive teams. Pick the one that aligns with your values and goals.

I'm not sure how you don't see losing top clubs and just replacing them is not a bad thing? It's not just a numbers game. If the GA wants to remain a player in, let alone relevant in, college recruiting, they need to put a good product on the field which attracts the college coaches. If not, they will slowly fade into a second tier league and join the ranks of the many others out there.

Let's see how proudly they wear the ECNL fan gear when there kid doesn't see the field for 3 months, or in the other scenario when your mid-table dwelling team gets the honor to compete for the North American cup in ECNL, very prestigious def tier 1 soccer happening there.

It's not a bad thing, time will tell if its actually a good thing for GA. Grassroots development is how every other country does it and that appears to the direction they want to distinguish themselves with. In the US its the fight for college value and prestige, that is so moronic to soccer people outside of the US. Perception wise with parents GA is already 2nd tier, good thing parents pereceptions don't impact college coaches or socuts at all. Educated soccer consumers know there is room for several leagues. Coaches and scouts know to look beyond ECNL events for players, and they know they will always have to becasue all leagues are flawed in their own way, and team quality vary from year to year even

Perception is reality in this case. GA IS is a 2nd tier league.

Tell me that you're daughter is u13 without telling me she just made an ECNL club and you're excited about it.

The youth soccer landscape changes all the time. Ten years ago girls ECNL was on the ropes against DA. Ten years before that ECNL didn't exist.

My money is on US Soccer creating DA 2.0. The same people are still in charge and I'm sure they aren't happy how DA blew up. The MLS Next model has been proven successful and likely could be implemented with women now that NWSL is taking off.

Also with all the NCAA lawsuit drama going on right now a single verdict could force all kinds of schools to drop women's soccer programs. What would happen to girls ECNL then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All I know is that there is a lot of silence right now from both leagues. Maybe they are waiting for after champions cup to make some major announcements.

Doesn't work that way.

Schedules need to be created., logos updated, new kits, paperwork, etc, etc, etc.

Clubs generally Start discussions with a new league in the fall and if accepted announced in early spring. This is so everything can get updated and lined up for the next season which starts in July.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All I know is that there is a lot of silence right now from both leagues. Maybe they are waiting for after champions cup to make some major announcements.

Doesn't work that way.

Schedules need to be created., logos updated, new kits, paperwork, etc, etc, etc.

Clubs generally Start discussions with a new league in the fall and if accepted announced in early spring. This is so everything can get updated and lined up for the next season which starts in July.

The logo is key. Did you see the explanation for F-U Forevers West Ham logo? Detailed! That takes time that is totally worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a lot happening behind the scenes. I’ll leave this here.

GA has been working and plotting for 4 years.

I agree with you.

I also think the US Soccer promotion of GA is more than just registration.