ECNL moving to school year not calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, can't read all 246 pages but am I wrong that the consensus seems to be girls are going SY and boys are staying BY?

If you believe the astroturf campaign.

MLSN hasn't made a statement on BY or SY
ECNL wants SY

MLSN doesn't need to change anything unlike the other leagues that need to change as a group.

MLSN has EA. If EA stays in BY, it will lose many players.

There is no apparent financial advantage to staying in BY alone, so MLSN will be forced to change.

MLS Next isn't forced to do anything. They literally don't care what other leagues are doing. Boys will continue to choose MLSN over ECNL.

My son will switch to ECNL after the change. In my area, the ECNL is better than MLSN. Play high school is also very important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to clarify for people the age groups changing is a done deal as the governing bodies have already had their vote to change things up, the vote on the 22nd will decide what cut offs will be used 8/1 or 9/1.

This is what is still being worked on and they will present a various roll out plans for 8/1 and 9/1 and US soccer will approve one of them and that’s what it will be.

For example this will possibly start being phased in spring 25 with teams allowed X amount of players to join the team rules will be in place to limit the chaos. With this fully being implemented by Fall 26 for ALL clubs and leagues under the US soccer umbrella.

Another phase plan is no change for spring 25 but a full on start for all teams in Fall 25 however clubs will have the option to play up if they do not want to rip teams apart and start from scratch.

ECNL is waiting for this all to be approved and they have a master plan they will start and announce by January. Im told they will have slightly different age groupings but won’t be drastically different from the plan approved.

Which even they are not sure which it will be 8/1 or 9/1.

Not sure clubs will have much of a choice about this. To maintain a team, they would likely have to do that across all ages. Those teams would then be playing against clubs that made the adjustment and likely got stronger at each age group.

For example, Club Alpha has quality teams across all age groups, parents and kids are generally happy with current rosters and the club maintains status quo. Club Bravo, adjusts per the new suggested guidelines, having Q4s in current system move down (i.e. kids born SEP-DEC 11 now take roster spots on the current 12's). Club Bravo likely strengthened their roster relative to Club Alpha.

Clubs will adjust and adapt. Or lose more. This is the way.

So many people are concerned about the social impact of disrupting their teams, yet maintain that playing with classmates isn't important because only unserious players care about maximizing their social experience. Either the social side of soccer is more important than they're saying, or their real fear is losing their status on their team, instead of the irreplacable camaraderie. Lots of Jan-Jul parents saying, "grandfather our team in, my kid loves having those sweet trapped players on his/her team's bench, they're buddies!" The Aug-Dec parents are saying, "it's been fun, but peace out."

You're not wrong... we have 1 parent openly excited to make the top team at a lower age group and and is ready to go w their 4th qtr b-day player. Also, we have a potentially new 'Trapped Player' with an August 15th birthday, who is grade higher and could be the oldest player on the team now. But then, will not play in any show cases their junior year as the majority of the team will be sophomores. The August and Sept birthday kids might get royally scre#ed on this one if playing in a college showcase their Junior year is right for them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to clarify for people the age groups changing is a done deal as the governing bodies have already had their vote to change things up, the vote on the 22nd will decide what cut offs will be used 8/1 or 9/1.

This is what is still being worked on and they will present a various roll out plans for 8/1 and 9/1 and US soccer will approve one of them and that’s what it will be.

For example this will possibly start being phased in spring 25 with teams allowed X amount of players to join the team rules will be in place to limit the chaos. With this fully being implemented by Fall 26 for ALL clubs and leagues under the US soccer umbrella.

Another phase plan is no change for spring 25 but a full on start for all teams in Fall 25 however clubs will have the option to play up if they do not want to rip teams apart and start from scratch.

ECNL is waiting for this all to be approved and they have a master plan they will start and announce by January. Im told they will have slightly different age groupings but won’t be drastically different from the plan approved.

Which even they are not sure which it will be 8/1 or 9/1.

Not sure clubs will have much of a choice about this. To maintain a team, they would likely have to do that across all ages. Those teams would then be playing against clubs that made the adjustment and likely got stronger at each age group.

For example, Club Alpha has quality teams across all age groups, parents and kids are generally happy with current rosters and the club maintains status quo. Club Bravo, adjusts per the new suggested guidelines, having Q4s in current system move down (i.e. kids born SEP-DEC 11 now take roster spots on the current 12's). Club Bravo likely strengthened their roster relative to Club Alpha.

Clubs will adjust and adapt. Or lose more. This is the way.

So many people are concerned about the social impact of disrupting their teams, yet maintain that playing with classmates isn't important because only unserious players care about maximizing their social experience. Either the social side of soccer is more important than they're saying, or their real fear is losing their status on their team, instead of the irreplacable camaraderie. Lots of Jan-Jul parents saying, "grandfather our team in, my kid loves having those sweet trapped players on his/her team's bench, they're buddies!" The Aug-Dec parents are saying, "it's been fun, but peace out."

They also conveniently miss mentioning ECNL/MLSN team can have as many as 30% turnover rate every season.

[Anonymous]

Spot on... September parent saying peace out.

[Anonymous]

Things are already happening. One kid who plays ECNL and another younger kid playing rec. The winter program signup for rec came out and the age structures are stated to align with "FCPS calendar". That means they will follow the age cutoffs for school calendar of Fairfax County. Doubt the change is a coincidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, can't read all 246 pages but am I wrong that the consensus seems to be girls are going SY and boys are staying BY?

If you believe the astroturf campaign.

MLSN hasn't made a statement on BY or SY
ECNL wants SY

MLSN doesn't need to change anything unlike the other leagues that need to change as a group.

MLSN has EA. If EA stays in BY, it will lose many players.

There is no apparent financial advantage to staying in BY alone, so MLSN will be forced to change.

MLS Next isn't forced to do anything. They literally don't care what other leagues are doing. Boys will continue to choose MLSN over ECNL.

My son will switch to ECNL after the change. In my area, the ECNL is better than MLSN. Play high school is also very important.

Then why did he go to MLS Next in the first place?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spot on... September parent saying peace out.

December parent signing out… Next stop 2011s. Luckily we scrimmage our 2011 team twice a week and are a solid group will be an easy transition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, can't read all 246 pages but am I wrong that the consensus seems to be girls are going SY and boys are staying BY?

If you believe the astroturf campaign.

MLSN hasn't made a statement on BY or SY
ECNL wants SY

MLSN doesn't need to change anything unlike the other leagues that need to change as a group.

MLSN has EA. If EA stays in BY, it will lose many players.

There is no apparent financial advantage to staying in BY alone, so MLSN will be forced to change.

MLS Next isn't forced to do anything. They literally don't care what other leagues are doing. Boys will continue to choose MLSN over ECNL.

My son will switch to ECNL after the change. In my area, the ECNL is better than MLSN. Play high school is also very important.

Then why did he go to MLS Next in the first place?

To avoid trap year. He is 2010, but an 8th grader. Glad we switched from ECNL so he can avoid the trap year. His brother is in ECNL and only 6 players show up in the practice this week since HS soccer begins. ECNL still has 2 games to play to finish fall season. Whoever denies the ECNL to switch to SY only cares about his own kid.

[Anonymous]

2011 December bday. Peace out here. Can’t wait to make the switch to the 2012 team.

Ready to make the call and if we have to wait until fall or if we can get ti know kids in the spring. Ecnl rostered but so ready to play with the grade level kids.

[Anonymous]

So much astroturfing going on.

There's 4 "trapped" players on my daughters 2010 team and nobody is excited about playing down with the 2011s.

Not sure how the people are that are rejoicing in the street but it's not my experience with trapped player parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So much astroturfing going on.

There's 4 "trapped" players on my daughters 2010 team and nobody is excited about playing down with the 2011s.

Not sure how the people are that are rejoicing in the street but it's not my experience with trapped player parents.

Agreed, maybe my kid plays on a higher level team but she's not excited to play down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So much astroturfing going on.

There's 4 "trapped" players on my daughters 2010 team and nobody is excited about playing down with the 2011s.

Not sure how the people are that are rejoicing in the street but it's not my experience with trapped player parents.

October parent here, ready to peace out. In my daughter's case, I don't think the older girls truly know how she feels. When they started at U8, she was of course smaller, a year behind from rec, put on B team. Worked hard, moved to A team. Eventually grew enough to catch up in size to the older ones too. But even though she says the older girls are all nice to her, she says they aren't nice to the B team girls, who are still her friends. She has been holding a grudge over it for years. She also thinks the older girls are lazy and just there because they were huge and fast back in third grade.

[Anonymous]

Are most leagues going to implement the change for Fall 2025 or is it going to be delayed until Fall 2026?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much astroturfing going on.

There's 4 "trapped" players on my daughters 2010 team and nobody is excited about playing down with the 2011s.

Not sure how the people are that are rejoicing in the street but it's not my experience with trapped player parents.

October parent here, ready to peace out. In my daughter's case, I don't think the older girls truly know how she feels. When they started at U8, she was of course smaller, a year behind from rec, put on B team. Worked hard, moved to A team. Eventually grew enough to catch up in size to the older ones too. But even though she says the older girls are all nice to her, she says they aren't nice to the B team girls, who are still her friends. She has been holding a grudge over it for years. She also thinks the older girls are lazy and just there because they were huge and fast back in third grade.

Wow that's a lot for kid to consider. Sounds more like a parent with a chip on their shoulder.

Most Top teams play against the year up and down in inner club scrimmages.

I'm surprised there's so much anomicity.

[Anonymous]

I'm ready to peace out, we already getting college junk mails based on being u15 for camps we can't attend for another year.

My son is torn, it would have been amazing years ago to play with his best friend next door neighbor but now he has the same reservations about playing with the U11s.

In all cases want the change next fall and for us to play this Spring with the current team.