DA vs ECNL vs everything else

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do the better CCL girls teams compare to the ECNL girls teams, are they pretty similar in talent/ability?

Club Champions League and ECNL are very similar now. That is what parents at our big club have been saying. The cost of ECNL is higher, but some think that CCL and ECNL are now basically equal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DA is brand new and from what I hear from parents, there have been many bumps. It might very well end up stronger than ECNL but that is not the case yet. I came across a list of all the DA grads that committed to DI but the reality is those kids developed on ECNL and other elite teams. I can think of only a few girls who left elite teams for DA. Again, it is just a shiny object being waved in front of parents. Do you seriously think the top DI programs are all going to bail on ECNL and major showcases? Sorry but I am not buying.

Like I said, I think DA is another option for girls but I don't believe it is doom and gloom for non-DA clubs. Rememebr, many folks turned down DA because they want to play HS soccer.

I am not going to encourage my kid to get caught up in the feeding frenzy created by parents who see DA as the next best thing.

ECNL is for families that value crappy high School soccer. Yes, go right ahead. Pay the same as DA, and watch the DA girls get the looks. You have to have the guts to drop crap HS soccer, but if 2nd rate is what you want, fortunate for you there are six million ecnl clubs around now.

Like I said, some fish aren't fazed by the shiny lure and see it for what it is, another attempt to seperate you from your money by making you feel that you are elite. It doesn't not matter how much you pay, teams from places like Baltimore and rural PA will always rake the field with the priviledged teams in the DC-area that are driven by parents focused on elite status when in reality elite status has to be earned.

If DA is the best option for your child, go that route. If ECNL is the best, go that rout. If neither DA nor ECNL is feasible, find an whatever option works. Having gone through travel soccer with a son and daughter, I have seen great players in many different situations. I can also confirm that many players receive great training through u16/u16 from non-ECNL clubs but then move clubs to gain greater exposure. The point is that kids can develop just fine outside of DA/ECNL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DA is brand new and from what I hear from parents, there have been many bumps. It might very well end up stronger than ECNL but that is not the case yet. I came across a list of all the DA grads that committed to DI but the reality is those kids developed on ECNL and other elite teams. I can think of only a few girls who left elite teams for DA. Again, it is just a shiny object being waved in front of parents. Do you seriously think the top DI programs are all going to bail on ECNL and major showcases? Sorry but I am not buying.

Like I said, I think DA is another option for girls but I don't believe it is doom and gloom for non-DA clubs. Rememebr, many folks turned down DA because they want to play HS soccer.

I am not going to encourage my kid to get caught up in the feeding frenzy created by parents who see DA as the next best thing.

ECNL is for families that value crappy high School soccer. Yes, go right ahead. Pay the same as DA, and watch the DA girls get the looks. You have to have the guts to drop crap HS soccer, but if 2nd rate is what you want, fortunate for you there are six million ecnl clubs around now.

Like I said, some fish aren't fazed by the shiny lure and see it for what it is, another attempt to seperate you from your money by making you feel that you are elite. It doesn't not matter how much you pay, teams from places like Baltimore and rural PA will always rake the field with the priviledged teams in the DC-area that are driven by parents focused on elite status when in reality elite status has to be earned.

If DA is the best option for your child, go that route. If ECNL is the best, go that rout. If neither DA nor ECNL is feasible, find an whatever option works. Having gone through travel soccer with a son and daughter, I have seen great players in many different situations. I can also confirm that many players receive great training through u16/u16 from non-ECNL clubs but then move clubs to gain greater exposure. The point is that kids can develop just fine outside of DA/ECNL.

+1

[Anonymous]

How do they compare?

Well, prior to DA, older ECNL teams would dominate any older CCL team across the board (14-18).

Now, ECNL is essentially taking over those same CCL teams and rebranded them. However, those CCL teams have been weakened by player flight to DA. (

Like I said, in Nova, ECNL has shot themselves in the foot due to over saturation.

And by the way...the college comittments you are looking at now are mostly ECNL kids because they never left because they were in the middle of their recruitment years. This absoulty will not be the case starting with the 04 (maybe 03) going forward.

[Anonymous]

DA is a shiny new object for girls?

10 years ago ECNL was a shiny new object for girls. It turned into the most successful youth soccer league in the country. So successful that it forced US Soccer to get off their butts. Make no mistake, the ECNL is why the DA now exist. Its a shame they couldnt work together and form a juggernaut.

But the DA has the power now. Like I said before, just watch the recruitment in years to come. Be patient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DA is a shiny new object for girls?

10 years ago ECNL was a shiny new object for girls. It turned into the most successful youth soccer league in the country. So successful that it forced US Soccer to get off their butts. Make no mistake, the ECNL is why the DA now exist. Its a shame they couldnt work together and form a juggernaut.

But the DA has the power now. Like I said before, just watch the recruitment in years to come. Be patient.

I don't disagree that DA could become the better program but just like you had teams outside of ECNL -- Loudon and Arlingtons in NoVA and Pipeline and SAC in MD, you will have other strong clubs outside of DA and ECNL. For any number of reasons, good players will decide that DA/ECNL are not for them. What is likely to happen is that mid-tier and lower will suffer. ECNL will still maintain strong programs and get strong players even if they lose a few to DA. The elite independants will also pick up a few players to replace those that they lose to DA or ECNL. These new players are the top players on mid-tier teams.

We shoudl all be grateful that these options exists for our girls because they did no exists when I was is school.

[Anonymous]

If you are an 03 or older and have an important team role on a ECNL squad in the peak of your players recruitment year you are most definitely staying with your ECNL team. You have already made contacts with coaches, you know your role, where you'll be, when you'll play etc. There is no need to rock the boat and move to a DA team and start from scratch team wise.

There is no surprise that some top performing older ECNL teams stuck together because there was no motive or value in leaving UNLESS you were legitimately on the National Team radar. So DA cannot be judged based on essentially legacy recruitments either way. The proof will be the 04 class and younger. The makeup of the 05 DA teams will be the first true litmus test of where the talent eventually goes.

There are two areas of interest that will put this to the test.
1. Where do Loudoun Red players go?
2. Where do VDA and VSA/PWSI players go?

Arlington just slammed the door on their kids leaving with getting DA. But with Loudoun, VSA and PWSI having a choice between staying "in house" for ECNL or leaving for either DA or another DA will be telling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DA is a shiny new object for girls?

10 years ago ECNL was a shiny new object for girls. It turned into the most successful youth soccer league in the country. So successful that it forced US Soccer to get off their butts. Make no mistake, the ECNL is why the DA now exist. Its a shame they couldnt work together and form a juggernaut.

But the DA has the power now. Like I said before, just watch the recruitment in years to come. Be patient.

I don't disagree that DA could become the better program but just like you had teams outside of ECNL -- Loudon and Arlingtons in NoVA and Pipeline and SAC in MD, you will have other strong clubs outside of DA and ECNL. For any number of reasons, good players will decide that DA/ECNL are not for them. What is likely to happen is that mid-tier and lower will suffer. ECNL will still maintain strong programs and get strong players even if they lose a few to DA. The elite independants will also pick up a few players to replace those that they lose to DA or ECNL. These new players are the top players on mid-tier teams.

We shoudl all be grateful that these options exists for our girls because they did no exists when I was is school.

Can you please stop using Pipeline as an example of a non-DA team? They are affiliated with Spirit, their better players will filter into DA and the rest will stay at Pipeline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are an 03 or older and have an important team role on a ECNL squad in the peak of your players recruitment year you are most definitely staying with your ECNL team. You have already made contacts with coaches, you know your role, where you'll be, when you'll play etc. There is no need to rock the boat and move to a DA team and start from scratch team wise.

Anonymous wrote:

From personal experience with a daughter who has been a major contributor on her ECNL team, this is absolutely not true. And letting college coaches know about the move is not difficult nor particularly troublesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are an 03 or older and have an important team role on a ECNL squad in the peak of your players recruitment year you are most definitely staying with your ECNL team. You have already made contacts with coaches, you know your role, where you'll be, when you'll play etc. There is no need to rock the boat and move to a DA team and start from scratch team wise.

There is no surprise that some top performing older ECNL teams stuck together because there was no motive or value in leaving UNLESS you were legitimately on the National Team radar. So DA cannot be judged based on essentially legacy recruitments either way. The proof will be the 04 class and younger. The makeup of the 05 DA teams will be the first true litmus test of where the talent eventually goes.

There are two areas of interest that will put this to the test.
1. Where do Loudoun Red players go?
2. Where do VDA and VSA/PWSI players go?

Arlington just slammed the door on their kids leaving with getting DA. But with Loudoun, VSA and PWSI having a choice between staying "in house" for ECNL or leaving for either DA or another DA will be telling.

Honestly is VDA, VSA/PWSI players moving a litmus of league, club or team specific? probably a bit of each.

[Anonymous]

Listen, stop using Loudoun, SAC, Pipeline, Arlington, etc. as a baseline. All of them are strong at U13 and below. NONE of them are strong at u14 and above. Why doesn't anyone get this?

Don't believe me? Look at Loudoun college commitments and then look at FCV / McLean college commitments.

Historically, all these top kids left their non-ECNL club for ECNL teams when they got to u14 and over.

Loudoun thinks they are going to hold onto their kids now because they have ECNL...WRONG. All top Loudoun kids will go to FCV DA which is directly next door...is just a fact...maybe some wont...but most will.

DA runs the show from 04 and beyond. The older ECNL teams will stay intact for college recruitment. BUT, its a dying league.

Loudoun and VDA got to the table late...and VDA is only doing it because their BIG BOSS MAN got a job with US Club Soccer which is associated with ECNL...go figure.

[Anonymous]

Also, a lot of VDA kids probably want to play HS for Battlefield and I'm sure the Battlefield coach wasn't to please to lose all their talent for DA.

Lot of politics

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are an 03 or older and have an important team role on a ECNL squad in the peak of your players recruitment year you are most definitely staying with your ECNL team. You have already made contacts with coaches, you know your role, where you'll be, when you'll play etc. There is no need to rock the boat and move to a DA team and start from scratch team wise.

Anonymous wrote:

From personal experience with a daughter who has been a major contributor on her ECNL team, this is absolutely not true. And letting college coaches know about the move is not difficult nor particularly troublesome.

Letting coaches know about the move is not difficult, knowing what role you will have on a new team is what is not certain. If your player is put in a different position and perhaps has less a role than before or the chemistry is not quite right? That is perhaps to much of an unknown to bother with the switch if it just isn't at all necessary. If you are actively being recruited and things are going well why make a change just for change sake?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DA is a shiny new object for girls?

10 years ago ECNL was a shiny new object for girls. It turned into the most successful youth soccer league in the country. So successful that it forced US Soccer to get off their butts. Make no mistake, the ECNL is why the DA now exist. Its a shame they couldnt work together and form a juggernaut.

But the DA has the power now. Like I said before, just watch the recruitment in years to come. Be patient.

I don't disagree that DA could become the better program but just like you had teams outside of ECNL -- Loudon and Arlingtons in NoVA and Pipeline and SAC in MD, you will have other strong clubs outside of DA and ECNL. For any number of reasons, good players will decide that DA/ECNL are not for them. What is likely to happen is that mid-tier and lower will suffer. ECNL will still maintain strong programs and get strong players even if they lose a few to DA. The elite independants will also pick up a few players to replace those that they lose to DA or ECNL. These new players are the top players on mid-tier teams.

We shoudl all be grateful that these options exists for our girls because they did no exists when I was is school.

Can you please stop using Pipeline as an example of a non-DA team? They are affiliated with Spirit, their better players will filter into DA and the rest will stay at Pipeline.

Clueless, Ppileine is not sending its best payers to WS. WS is just there for marketing pursposes.

[Anonymous]

It doesn’t matter, nobody is going to drive by a ECNL or DA club to play for Pipeline either.