ECNL moving to school year not calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could see it helping recreationally, but there's no guarantees you will be on the same team as your classmates in club and it helping add customers to the big ticket of club soccer. Then add in that it's become even more difficult to reach collegiate play.

Many layers to increased participation. For ex, current trapped players likely to find other sports and leave soccer in their down season so reduce trapped players then reduce quits, etc.

[Anonymous]

Will it be announced tomorrow?

[Anonymous]

Our ECNL director discussed with coaches upcoming changes. Looks like they got some kind of document from the league that they were reviewing. And they said that August kids would be the oldest going forward. They were also trying to decide if they should try new teams in the Spring somehow as opposed to waiting for the Fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's a 'repeater'?

My guess are the Aug - Dec birthdays that will have to repeat whatever year they are in now.

So a 2011 current player is playing against 2012's next season if this passes?

How does that help the kid?

Don't you see that dynamic in their middle school team?

Right - and the same can be said for the Jan kid in the current system. “How does playing with Aug - Dec kids in a grade below help my kid?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could see it helping recreationally, but there's no guarantees you will be on the same team as your classmates in club and it helping add customers to the big ticket of club soccer. Then add in that it's become even more difficult to reach collegiate play.

Many layers to increased participation. For ex, current trapped players likely to find other sports and leave soccer in their down season so reduce trapped players then reduce quits, etc.

Really? Missing 2 months of a club sport is going to drive ECNL level players away who have been playing soccer for over decade by this point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could see it helping recreationally, but there's no guarantees you will be on the same team as your classmates in club and it helping add customers to the big ticket of club soccer. Then add in that it's become even more difficult to reach collegiate play.

Many layers to increased participation. For ex, current trapped players likely to find other sports and leave soccer in their down season so reduce trapped players then reduce quits, etc.

Really? Missing 2 months of a club sport is going to drive ECNL level players away who have been playing soccer for over decade by this point?

Did PP say ECNL level players? I interpreted it to mean club players generally (a much bigger pool).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Set to 9/1. ECNL issues waiver to Aug. player to play down to their grade during the showcase.

ECNL on podcast said they are against waivers, against exceptions so August kids can find a team to play up if desired. It may not be the top team but it will be a team that aligns with their grade.

They are against bio banding they never said anything about “waivers”? To be anti all waivers is a stretch.

Biobanding is a big loophole that gives an older player legal way to beat down players 18 months younger. Has to give a applause to ECNL against biobanding abuse.

In Europe, biobanding is only used in professional club youth academy teams, not pay-to-play clubs like us.

Yes let’s all applaud them for being the 2nd best boys academy. With MLS a mile ahead.

Congratulations on your son's finding the loophole to be able to play against 18-month-old younger kids, as he has no hope of playing in his own age group.

Where are you getting this 18 month fake news from?

You are an idiot. You have no idea on MLSN biobanding abuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They should provide waivers for kids who are being moved down due to late birthday that is causing them to play a grade down. The waiver would allow them to stay with their grad year as a younger player - essentially as it stands now. Forcing them to repeat 8th grade ECNL year while being in 9th grade doesn't make sense and screws up recruiting for them. It's like a reverse trap.

The so-called "waiver" requires him to excel at the tryouts against his current teammates and the older Q3/Q4 players.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know what MLS Next clubs are doing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know what MLS Next clubs are doing?

Most likely the same. It has been announced as well.

[Anonymous]

I just reviewed all 50 states school entry dates. 99.9% have a date after 8-1 (some random 7-31 dates and wonky county dates earlier). 90+% are no later than Sept 15th. So it seems like a no brainer that they make the date 8-1 to include virtually all kids in a grade. Then for those "tweeners" with August or September birthdays but are in a grade above, they are "allowed" to play up with their current team or other team in their correct grade classification. Much easier to allow a child to play up vs playing down.

I get that the August birthday playing up is a disadvantage as they will now be the youngest on a team. And, I guess, the child could self select to play with the grade below technically there by being the oldest. So they have an "option" to be with their current grade OR be "reverse trapped" and be the oldest on a team. Seems pretty reasonable on the surface.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know what MLS Next clubs are doing?

Most likely the same. It has been announced as well.

I haven't seen any MLS Next announcement. Can you point to it? Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our ECNL director discussed with coaches upcoming changes. Looks like they got some kind of document from the league that they were reviewing. And they said that August kids would be the oldest going forward. They were also trying to decide if they should try new teams in the Spring somehow as opposed to waiting for the Fall.

The document was from the upper echelons of ECNL?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know what MLS Next clubs are doing?

Most likely the same. It has been announced as well.

I haven't seen any MLS Next announcement. Can you point to it? Thanks

There is no MLS Next announcement per se that I know, but it has been addressed in our MLS Next club. Given that this is a consolidated effort at the US youth soccer. Most leagues will be affected by this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know what MLS Next clubs are doing?

Most likely the same. It has been announced as well.

I haven't seen any MLS Next announcement. Can you point to it? Thanks

There is no MLS Next announcement per se that I know, but it has been addressed in our MLS Next club. Given that this is a consolidated effort at the US youth soccer. Most leagues will be affected by this.

Gotcha. Thanks!