ECNL Playoffs

[Anonymous]

I'd be willing to bet that most college coaches would rather have a set showcase schedule than a tournament schedule that is based on results.

They have limited budget and limited time and have no interest in the outcomes of these games other than trying to schedule time to see the players on their list.

They don't care about the score or wins a trophy or not. They care that the games are properly seeded so that the games are competitive and balanced and they care about knowing the "tier" of the teams playing as a barometer. They do not go to just watch a game. Outside of family and coaches nobody else are at these games because nobody really cares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, the ignorance is strong here.

Last time I checked the NCAA Div I had a National Championship. So did Div II, and DIV III. All called National Championships. Oh, wait, we also have the same structure in State High School Championships. Not to mention AAU basketball and NBA Youth, AAU Track and USTAF track.

ECNL, GA or USYS is no different. All are "leagues" that create a National Championship playoff to see who comes out on top from around the US. To say it does not mean something is absolutely ignorant. Even the young players in USYS Presidents' Cup are having a great time competing to win.

Is there a difference in the level of talent and competition? Certainly. Some players are gifted with talent and work hard as compared to others. Many are also gifted into families with a lot of money to invest in training. Do you think if Olivia Moultrie, Christian Pulisic, or Claudio Reyna were born into lower middle class families, they would be where they are today? Of course not. But what they were born into is not there fault.

Look, life is not fair. That's just how it is. We compete to try to win. If we knew who would win every game, we wouldn't play. Would the GA Nat'l Champ beat the ECNL Nat'l Champ? I have no idea other than it would be a great game. One thing I do know, College coaches were there watching both teams on the way to win there respective Nat'l Championship. You know where else College coaches were? They were attending games of players on other fields who have spent the time emailing them all while they were practicing and trying to keep excellent grades.

Playoffs matter and showcases matter.

It is completely different. This is pay to play youth sports. Not college level. Enjoy it but see what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, the ignorance is strong here.

Last time I checked the NCAA Div I had a National Championship. So did Div II, and DIV III. All called National Championships. Oh, wait, we also have the same structure in State High School Championships. Not to mention AAU basketball and NBA Youth, AAU Track and USTAF track.

ECNL, GA or USYS is no different. All are "leagues" that create a National Championship playoff to see who comes out on top from around the US. To say it does not mean something is absolutely ignorant. Even the young players in USYS Presidents' Cup are having a great time competing to win.

Is there a difference in the level of talent and competition? Certainly. Some players are gifted with talent and work hard as compared to others. Many are also gifted into families with a lot of money to invest in training. Do you think if Olivia Moultrie, Christian Pulisic, or Claudio Reyna were born into lower middle class families, they would be where they are today? Of course not. But what they were born into is not there fault.

Look, life is not fair. That's just how it is. We compete to try to win. If we knew who would win every game, we wouldn't play. Would the GA Nat'l Champ beat the ECNL Nat'l Champ? I have no idea other than it would be a great game. One thing I do know, College coaches were there watching both teams on the way to win there respective Nat'l Championship. You know where else College coaches were? They were attending games of players on other fields who have spent the time emailing them all while they were practicing and trying to keep excellent grades.

Playoffs matter and showcases matter.

You are free to enjoy the experience but it also doesn't matter. Who said anything about it being fair? I don't think you understand what a "closed league" means. It means that there is no promotion or relegation. The league allows participation to CLUBS via a application process. It shuts out smaller clubs who might have teams or the ability to retain teams that could compete at this level.

It is a "National Championship" of self selected participants and is not open to all capable participants. On top of it there are TWO national leagues further dilution and fracturing the overall product.

This isn't about Socio Economic access, this is about a true merit based tournament. ECNL and GA are both nothing more than Echo Chambers.

I'm not saying your kid or team are not good at soccer. I'm not saying the competition isn't good. I am saying that it is ultimately meaningless, especially if your goal is simply to get recruited to the best school possible. But beyond your clubs social media or your own Facebook posts to Grandma, literally nobody else cares about the results. Not a soul here could tell you who won the U17 ECNL Championship 3 years ago. Nobody here could tell you who is even still alive now without looking it up. NOBODY CARES! There are no parades, ESPN will not report it, your local paper won't mention it. Your kid can't get an endorsement deal out of it. It has no tangible value.

And getting booted in group play has absolutely no value either. Whether they had a championship or not ECNL would have seeded the showcase the exact same way. Whether GA had a Championship or not would not have changed how they would have seeded the event. They just want YOU to put more emphases on it for their own marketing. It is a gimmick.

[Anonymous]

It's a business. So what. Maybe a few believe the hype but most parents doing this are aware this is an expensive soccer league for kids the way it is structured to really only be for players with the money to pay stinks but that ship has sailed.

[Anonymous]

[guardian]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, the ignorance is strong here.

Last time I checked the NCAA Div I had a National Championship. So did Div II, and DIV III. All called National Championships. Oh, wait, we also have the same structure in State High School Championships. Not to mention AAU basketball and NBA Youth, AAU Track and USTAF track.

ECNL, GA or USYS is no different. All are "leagues" that create a National Championship playoff to see who comes out on top from around the US. To say it does not mean something is absolutely ignorant. Even the young players in USYS Presidents' Cup are having a great time competing to win.

Is there a difference in the level of talent and competition? Certainly. Some players are gifted with talent and work hard as compared to others. Many are also gifted into families with a lot of money to invest in training. Do you think if Olivia Moultrie, Christian Pulisic, or Claudio Reyna were born into lower middle class families, they would be where they are today? Of course not. But what they were born into is not there fault.

Look, life is not fair. That's just how it is. We compete to try to win. If we knew who would win every game, we wouldn't play. Would the GA Nat'l Champ beat the ECNL Nat'l Champ? I have no idea other than it would be a great game. One thing I do know, College coaches were there watching both teams on the way to win there respective Nat'l Championship. You know where else College coaches were? They were attending games of players on other fields who have spent the time emailing them all while they were practicing and trying to keep excellent grades.

Playoffs matter and showcases matter.

You are free to enjoy the experience but it also doesn't matter. Who said anything about it being fair? I don't think you understand what a "closed league" means. It means that there is no promotion or relegation. The league allows participation to CLUBS via a application process. It shuts out smaller clubs who might have teams or the ability to retain teams that could compete at this level.

It is a "National Championship" of self selected participants and is not open to all capable participants. On top of it there are TWO national leagues further dilution and fracturing the overall product.

This isn't about Socio Economic access, this is about a true merit based tournament. ECNL and GA are both nothing more than Echo Chambers.

I'm not saying your kid or team are not good at soccer. I'm not saying the competition isn't good. I am saying that it is ultimately meaningless, especially if your goal is simply to get recruited to the best school possible. But beyond your clubs social media or your own Facebook posts to Grandma, literally nobody else cares about the results. Not a soul here could tell you who won the U17 ECNL Championship 3 years ago. Nobody here could tell you who is even still alive now without looking it up. NOBODY CARES! There are no parades, ESPN will not report it, your local paper won't mention it. Your kid can't get an endorsement deal out of it. It has no tangible value.

And getting booted in group play has absolutely no value either. Whether they had a championship or not ECNL would have seeded the showcase the exact same way. Whether GA had a Championship or not would not have changed how they would have seeded the event. They just want YOU to put more emphases on it for their own marketing. It is a gimmick.

It matters to the kids that are playing, and that’s all that matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[guardian]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, the ignorance is strong here.

Last time I checked the NCAA Div I had a National Championship. So did Div II, and DIV III. All called National Championships. Oh, wait, we also have the same structure in State High School Championships. Not to mention AAU basketball and NBA Youth, AAU Track and USTAF track.

ECNL, GA or USYS is no different. All are "leagues" that create a National Championship playoff to see who comes out on top from around the US. To say it does not mean something is absolutely ignorant. Even the young players in USYS Presidents' Cup are having a great time competing to win.

Is there a difference in the level of talent and competition? Certainly. Some players are gifted with talent and work hard as compared to others. Many are also gifted into families with a lot of money to invest in training. Do you think if Olivia Moultrie, Christian Pulisic, or Claudio Reyna were born into lower middle class families, they would be where they are today? Of course not. But what they were born into is not there fault.

Look, life is not fair. That's just how it is. We compete to try to win. If we knew who would win every game, we wouldn't play. Would the GA Nat'l Champ beat the ECNL Nat'l Champ? I have no idea other than it would be a great game. One thing I do know, College coaches were there watching both teams on the way to win there respective Nat'l Championship. You know where else College coaches were? They were attending games of players on other fields who have spent the time emailing them all while they were practicing and trying to keep excellent grades.

Playoffs matter and showcases matter.

You are free to enjoy the experience but it also doesn't matter. Who said anything about it being fair? I don't think you understand what a "closed league" means. It means that there is no promotion or relegation. The league allows participation to CLUBS via a application process. It shuts out smaller clubs who might have teams or the ability to retain teams that could compete at this level.

It is a "National Championship" of self selected participants and is not open to all capable participants. On top of it there are TWO national leagues further dilution and fracturing the overall product.

This isn't about Socio Economic access, this is about a true merit based tournament. ECNL and GA are both nothing more than Echo Chambers.

I'm not saying your kid or team are not good at soccer. I'm not saying the competition isn't good. I am saying that it is ultimately meaningless, especially if your goal is simply to get recruited to the best school possible. But beyond your clubs social media or your own Facebook posts to Grandma, literally nobody else cares about the results. Not a soul here could tell you who won the U17 ECNL Championship 3 years ago. Nobody here could tell you who is even still alive now without looking it up. NOBODY CARES! There are no parades, ESPN will not report it, your local paper won't mention it. Your kid can't get an endorsement deal out of it. It has no tangible value.

And getting booted in group play has absolutely no value either. Whether they had a championship or not ECNL would have seeded the showcase the exact same way. Whether GA had a Championship or not would not have changed how they would have seeded the event. They just want YOU to put more emphases on it for their own marketing. It is a gimmick.

It matters to the kids that are playing, and that’s all that matters.

Remember this when you say “scrimmages matter to the kids too”.

If your kid isn’t on the field when the college she reached out to shows up because your coach is playing for the “win” will it matter then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[guardian]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, the ignorance is strong here.

Last time I checked the NCAA Div I had a National Championship. So did Div II, and DIV III. All called National Championships. Oh, wait, we also have the same structure in State High School Championships. Not to mention AAU basketball and NBA Youth, AAU Track and USTAF track.

ECNL, GA or USYS is no different. All are "leagues" that create a National Championship playoff to see who comes out on top from around the US. To say it does not mean something is absolutely ignorant. Even the young players in USYS Presidents' Cup are having a great time competing to win.

Is there a difference in the level of talent and competition? Certainly. Some players are gifted with talent and work hard as compared to others. Many are also gifted into families with a lot of money to invest in training. Do you think if Olivia Moultrie, Christian Pulisic, or Claudio Reyna were born into lower middle class families, they would be where they are today? Of course not. But what they were born into is not there fault.

Look, life is not fair. That's just how it is. We compete to try to win. If we knew who would win every game, we wouldn't play. Would the GA Nat'l Champ beat the ECNL Nat'l Champ? I have no idea other than it would be a great game. One thing I do know, College coaches were there watching both teams on the way to win there respective Nat'l Championship. You know where else College coaches were? They were attending games of players on other fields who have spent the time emailing them all while they were practicing and trying to keep excellent grades.

Playoffs matter and showcases matter.

You are free to enjoy the experience but it also doesn't matter. Who said anything about it being fair? I don't think you understand what a "closed league" means. It means that there is no promotion or relegation. The league allows participation to CLUBS via a application process. It shuts out smaller clubs who might have teams or the ability to retain teams that could compete at this level.

It is a "National Championship" of self selected participants and is not open to all capable participants. On top of it there are TWO national leagues further dilution and fracturing the overall product.

This isn't about Socio Economic access, this is about a true merit based tournament. ECNL and GA are both nothing more than Echo Chambers.

I'm not saying your kid or team are not good at soccer. I'm not saying the competition isn't good. I am saying that it is ultimately meaningless, especially if your goal is simply to get recruited to the best school possible. But beyond your clubs social media or your own Facebook posts to Grandma, literally nobody else cares about the results. Not a soul here could tell you who won the U17 ECNL Championship 3 years ago. Nobody here could tell you who is even still alive now without looking it up. NOBODY CARES! There are no parades, ESPN will not report it, your local paper won't mention it. Your kid can't get an endorsement deal out of it. It has no tangible value.

And getting booted in group play has absolutely no value either. Whether they had a championship or not ECNL would have seeded the showcase the exact same way. Whether GA had a Championship or not would not have changed how they would have seeded the event. They just want YOU to put more emphases on it for their own marketing. It is a gimmick.

It matters to the kids that are playing, and that’s all that matters.

They are kids. Explain to them what is going on. Don't let them be manipulated into a gimmick without flying them into reality. They will still care and give it their all but they don't need to be suckers.

[Anonymous]

Cluing them into reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, the ignorance is strong here.

Last time I checked the NCAA Div I had a National Championship. So did Div II, and DIV III. All called National Championships. Oh, wait, we also have the same structure in State High School Championships. Not to mention AAU basketball and NBA Youth, AAU Track and USTAF track.

ECNL, GA or USYS is no different. All are "leagues" that create a National Championship playoff to see who comes out on top from around the US. To say it does not mean something is absolutely ignorant. Even the young players in USYS Presidents' Cup are having a great time competing to win.
.

NCAA championships are absolutely different. Colleges recruit players from all over the country and world. They are not based on geography and luck of who lives nearby. ECNL, GA, USYS teams do not recruit from all over the country and world to fill rosters. There may be some limited local recruiting when there are multiple teams in a small region, but this just dilutes all the teams.

AAU basketball is largely based on geography although, unlike soccer, there are a decent number of basketball boarding prep schools where players come from all over to attend.

[Anonymous]

Comparing events for recruited college athletes to events for pay to pay youth athletes is not a good comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, the ignorance is strong here.

Last time I checked the NCAA Div I had a National Championship. So did Div II, and DIV III. All called National Championships. Oh, wait, we also have the same structure in State High School Championships. Not to mention AAU basketball and NBA Youth, AAU Track and USTAF track.

ECNL, GA or USYS is no different. All are "leagues" that create a National Championship playoff to see who comes out on top from around the US. To say it does not mean something is absolutely ignorant. Even the young players in USYS Presidents' Cup are having a great time competing to win.

Is there a difference in the level of talent and competition? Certainly. Some players are gifted with talent and work hard as compared to others. Many are also gifted into families with a lot of money to invest in training. Do you think if Olivia Moultrie, Christian Pulisic, or Claudio Reyna were born into lower middle class families, they would be where they are today? Of course not. But what they were born into is not there fault.

Look, life is not fair. That's just how it is. We compete to try to win. If we knew who would win every game, we wouldn't play. Would the GA Nat'l Champ beat the ECNL Nat'l Champ? I have no idea other than it would be a great game. One thing I do know, College coaches were there watching both teams on the way to win there respective Nat'l Championship. You know where else College coaches were? They were attending games of players on other fields who have spent the time emailing them all while they were practicing and trying to keep excellent grades.

Playoffs matter and showcases matter.

We compete to try to win.

Of course. But in the case of these tournaments/showcases, winning for these players is getting signed to play in college. That’s the purpose of the entire thing. If there were no college coaches at these events, how many teams would put up the time and expense to attend? There is no interest outside of the college recruiting process. The little league World Series has genuine fan interest and is on TV. Ok, maybe there isn’t zero interest in these manufactured soccer championships. Clearly you are very interested. But just don’t assume your interest is typical or goes beyond a small group of diehards like you. It is what it is. It’s what we do to want the best for our kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, the ignorance is strong here.

Last time I checked the NCAA Div I had a National Championship. So did Div II, and DIV III. All called National Championships. Oh, wait, we also have the same structure in State High School Championships. Not to mention AAU basketball and NBA Youth, AAU Track and USTAF track.

ECNL, GA or USYS is no different. All are "leagues" that create a National Championship playoff to see who comes out on top from around the US. To say it does not mean something is absolutely ignorant. Even the young players in USYS Presidents' Cup are having a great time competing to win.

Is there a difference in the level of talent and competition? Certainly. Some players are gifted with talent and work hard as compared to others. Many are also gifted into families with a lot of money to invest in training. Do you think if Olivia Moultrie, Christian Pulisic, or Claudio Reyna were born into lower middle class families, they would be where they are today? Of course not. But what they were born into is not there fault.

Look, life is not fair. That's just how it is. We compete to try to win. If we knew who would win every game, we wouldn't play. Would the GA Nat'l Champ beat the ECNL Nat'l Champ? I have no idea other than it would be a great game. One thing I do know, College coaches were there watching both teams on the way to win there respective Nat'l Championship. You know where else College coaches were? They were attending games of players on other fields who have spent the time emailing them all while they were practicing and trying to keep excellent grades.

Playoffs matter and showcases matter.

We compete to try to win.

Of course. But in the case of these tournaments/showcases, winning for these players is getting signed to play in college. That’s the purpose of the entire thing. If there were no college coaches at these events, how many teams would put up the time and expense to attend? There is no interest outside of the college recruiting process. The little league World Series has genuine fan interest and is on TV. Ok, maybe there isn’t zero interest in these manufactured soccer championships. Clearly you are very interested. But just don’t assume your interest is typical or goes beyond a small group of diehards like you. It is what it is. It’s what we do to want the best for our kids

I disagree with this. These are tournaments like any other tournaments - except the level is higher than most - and the kids enjoy them and most certainly want to win. I'm pretty sure the teams would show up if no college coaches attended since there are plenty of teams showing up from the younger age groups as well where there are no college coaches watching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, the ignorance is strong here.

Last time I checked the NCAA Div I had a National Championship. So did Div II, and DIV III. All called National Championships. Oh, wait, we also have the same structure in State High School Championships. Not to mention AAU basketball and NBA Youth, AAU Track and USTAF track.

ECNL, GA or USYS is no different. All are "leagues" that create a National Championship playoff to see who comes out on top from around the US. To say it does not mean something is absolutely ignorant. Even the young players in USYS Presidents' Cup are having a great time competing to win.

Is there a difference in the level of talent and competition? Certainly. Some players are gifted with talent and work hard as compared to others. Many are also gifted into families with a lot of money to invest in training. Do you think if Olivia Moultrie, Christian Pulisic, or Claudio Reyna were born into lower middle class families, they would be where they are today? Of course not. But what they were born into is not there fault.

Look, life is not fair. That's just how it is. We compete to try to win. If we knew who would win every game, we wouldn't play. Would the GA Nat'l Champ beat the ECNL Nat'l Champ? I have no idea other than it would be a great game. One thing I do know, College coaches were there watching both teams on the way to win there respective Nat'l Championship. You know where else College coaches were? They were attending games of players on other fields who have spent the time emailing them all while they were practicing and trying to keep excellent grades.

Playoffs matter and showcases matter.

We compete to try to win.

Of course. But in the case of these tournaments/showcases, winning for these players is getting signed to play in college. That’s the purpose of the entire thing. If there were no college coaches at these events, how many teams would put up the time and expense to attend? There is no interest outside of the college recruiting process. The little league World Series has genuine fan interest and is on TV. Ok, maybe there isn’t zero interest in these manufactured soccer championships. Clearly you are very interested. But just don’t assume your interest is typical or goes beyond a small group of diehards like you. It is what it is. It’s what we do to want the best for our kids

I disagree with this. These are tournaments like any other tournaments - except the level is higher than most - and the kids enjoy them and most certainly want to win. I'm pretty sure the teams would show up if no college coaches attended since there are plenty of teams showing up from the younger age groups as well where there are no college coaches watching.

This is the problem, during recruiting years you BELIEVE these events to be Tournaments. They are showcases, glorified scrimmages. The tourney portion is for you and you alone. The college coaches don't look at the brackets, they don't ask what the score is, they don't stick around for the finals. Honestly the most important thing in these events is quality playing time against an appropriate opponent. That's it.

The kids play hard because they are kids and they enjoy the competition but you are missing the point and your coach is doing players a disservice if their primary mission is "winning the national championship". The primary mission is to have the kids prepared, make sure they play an appropriate amount of time and play well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, the ignorance is strong here.

Last time I checked the NCAA Div I had a National Championship. So did Div II, and DIV III. All called National Championships. Oh, wait, we also have the same structure in State High School Championships. Not to mention AAU basketball and NBA Youth, AAU Track and USTAF track.

ECNL, GA or USYS is no different. All are "leagues" that create a National Championship playoff to see who comes out on top from around the US. To say it does not mean something is absolutely ignorant. Even the young players in USYS Presidents' Cup are having a great time competing to win.

Is there a difference in the level of talent and competition? Certainly. Some players are gifted with talent and work hard as compared to others. Many are also gifted into families with a lot of money to invest in training. Do you think if Olivia Moultrie, Christian Pulisic, or Claudio Reyna were born into lower middle class families, they would be where they are today? Of course not. But what they were born into is not there fault.

Look, life is not fair. That's just how it is. We compete to try to win. If we knew who would win every game, we wouldn't play. Would the GA Nat'l Champ beat the ECNL Nat'l Champ? I have no idea other than it would be a great game. One thing I do know, College coaches were there watching both teams on the way to win there respective Nat'l Championship. You know where else College coaches were? They were attending games of players on other fields who have spent the time emailing them all while they were practicing and trying to keep excellent grades.

Playoffs matter and showcases matter.

We compete to try to win.

Of course. But in the case of these tournaments/showcases, winning for these players is getting signed to play in college. That’s the purpose of the entire thing. If there were no college coaches at these events, how many teams would put up the time and expense to attend? There is no interest outside of the college recruiting process. The little league World Series has genuine fan interest and is on TV. Ok, maybe there isn’t zero interest in these manufactured soccer championships. Clearly you are very interested. But just don’t assume your interest is typical or goes beyond a small group of diehards like you. It is what it is. It’s what we do to want the best for our kids

I disagree with this. These are tournaments like any other tournaments - except the level is higher than most - and the kids enjoy them and most certainly want to win. I'm pretty sure the teams would show up if no college coaches attended since there are plenty of teams showing up from the younger age groups as well where there are no college coaches watching.

This is the problem, during recruiting years you BELIEVE these events to be Tournaments. They are showcases, glorified scrimmages. The tourney portion is for you and you alone. The college coaches don't look at the brackets, they don't ask what the score is, they don't stick around for the finals. Honestly the most important thing in these events is quality playing time against an appropriate opponent. That's it.

The kids play hard because they are kids and they enjoy the competition but you are missing the point and your coach is doing players a disservice if their primary mission is "winning the national championship". The primary mission is to have the kids prepared, make sure they play an appropriate amount of time and play well.

Everyone has different goals.

The college coaches want to recruit the best kids.
The kids and families/supporters want to win AND get recruited.
The club wants to win and get kids recruited - both of these help the club's marketing.

And for the kids who are not of recruiting age (i.e. half the kids - U13, U14 and U15), clearly it is just about winning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, the ignorance is strong here.

Last time I checked the NCAA Div I had a National Championship. So did Div II, and DIV III. All called National Championships. Oh, wait, we also have the same structure in State High School Championships. Not to mention AAU basketball and NBA Youth, AAU Track and USTAF track.

ECNL, GA or USYS is no different. All are "leagues" that create a National Championship playoff to see who comes out on top from around the US. To say it does not mean something is absolutely ignorant. Even the young players in USYS Presidents' Cup are having a great time competing to win.

Is there a difference in the level of talent and competition? Certainly. Some players are gifted with talent and work hard as compared to others. Many are also gifted into families with a lot of money to invest in training. Do you think if Olivia Moultrie, Christian Pulisic, or Claudio Reyna were born into lower middle class families, they would be where they are today? Of course not. But what they were born into is not there fault.

Look, life is not fair. That's just how it is. We compete to try to win. If we knew who would win every game, we wouldn't play. Would the GA Nat'l Champ beat the ECNL Nat'l Champ? I have no idea other than it would be a great game. One thing I do know, College coaches were there watching both teams on the way to win there respective Nat'l Championship. You know where else College coaches were? They were attending games of players on other fields who have spent the time emailing them all while they were practicing and trying to keep excellent grades.

Playoffs matter and showcases matter.

We compete to try to win.

Of course. But in the case of these tournaments/showcases, winning for these players is getting signed to play in college. That’s the purpose of the entire thing. If there were no college coaches at these events, how many teams would put up the time and expense to attend? There is no interest outside of the college recruiting process. The little league World Series has genuine fan interest and is on TV. Ok, maybe there isn’t zero interest in these manufactured soccer championships. Clearly you are very interested. But just don’t assume your interest is typical or goes beyond a small group of diehards like you. It is what it is. It’s what we do to want the best for our kids

I disagree with this. These are tournaments like any other tournaments - except the level is higher than most - and the kids enjoy them and most certainly want to win. I'm pretty sure the teams would show up if no college coaches attended since there are plenty of teams showing up from the younger age groups as well where there are no college coaches watching.

This is the problem, during recruiting years you BELIEVE these events to be Tournaments. They are showcases, glorified scrimmages. The tourney portion is for you and you alone. The college coaches don't look at the brackets, they don't ask what the score is, they don't stick around for the finals. Honestly the most important thing in these events is quality playing time against an appropriate opponent. That's it.

The kids play hard because they are kids and they enjoy the competition but you are missing the point and your coach is doing players a disservice if their primary mission is "winning the national championship". The primary mission is to have the kids prepared, make sure they play an appropriate amount of time and play well.

Everyone has different goals.

The college coaches want to recruit the best kids.
The kids and families/supporters want to win AND get recruited.
The club wants to win and get kids recruited - both of these help the club's marketing.

And for the kids who are not of recruiting age (i.e. half the kids - U13, U14 and U15), clearly it is just about winning.

Well, at U13, U14 and u15 it should be about development.

But again, since winning this thing is so important then by all means, without looking it up, tell us who won the ECNL National Championship at U17 in 2019. You can't and the only people who can are the two teams who were there.