ECNL moving to school year part 2

[Anonymous]

U19 next year is 3 age groups? 07,08,09?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.kopsc.org/age-group-formation-for-2026-2027-season

USYS set the date range as August 1 - July 31 in order to account for the majority of school cut off dates across the country and to best align players with their grade level peers. The majority of our players attend schools with September 1 cut off dates so in order to best align our players with their accurate grade level, we will be using an August 1 + actual grade year approach.


This change will not impact the Spring 2026 season and our current travel teams will remain as they were in Fall 2025. This change will begin for the Fall 2026 season such that this year's Competitive Academy tryouts will run by August 1 + grade year.


Example 1 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 6th grade - plays with 6th grade team (U12).

Example 2 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 5th grade (held back in terms of grade year) - plays with 5th grade team (U11).


This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team. The Board has worked tirelessly to determine best handling and will continue to work with our staff, volunteer coaches, and families to make this transition as smooth as possible

It isn't getting talked about but the local teams with volunteer coaches like this one letting kids play up with classmates is the right attitude, following the rec mentality to keep kids playing.

Of course the more competitive teams are ignoring grades and using the strict 12 month window while allowing only the extreme best to play up an age group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.kopsc.org/age-group-formation-for-2026-2027-season

USYS set the date range as August 1 - July 31 in order to account for the majority of school cut off dates across the country and to best align players with their grade level peers. The majority of our players attend schools with September 1 cut off dates so in order to best align our players with their accurate grade level, we will be using an August 1 + actual grade year approach.


This change will not impact the Spring 2026 season and our current travel teams will remain as they were in Fall 2025. This change will begin for the Fall 2026 season such that this year's Competitive Academy tryouts will run by August 1 + grade year.


Example 1 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 6th grade - plays with 6th grade team (U12).

Example 2 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 5th grade (held back in terms of grade year) - plays with 5th grade team (U11).


This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team. The Board has worked tirelessly to determine best handling and will continue to work with our staff, volunteer coaches, and families to make this transition as smooth as possible

It isn't getting talked about but the local teams with volunteer coaches like this one letting kids play up with classmates is the right attitude, following the rec mentality to keep kids playing.

Of course the more competitive teams are ignoring grades and using the strict 12 month window while allowing only the extreme best to play up an age group.

Sush a loser. This is a USYS club with competitive teams.

"This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team."

At least theyre being upfront and honest with parents and players

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.kopsc.org/age-group-formation-for-2026-2027-season

USYS set the date range as August 1 - July 31 in order to account for the majority of school cut off dates across the country and to best align players with their grade level peers. The majority of our players attend schools with September 1 cut off dates so in order to best align our players with their accurate grade level, we will be using an August 1 + actual grade year approach.


This change will not impact the Spring 2026 season and our current travel teams will remain as they were in Fall 2025. This change will begin for the Fall 2026 season such that this year's Competitive Academy tryouts will run by August 1 + grade year.


Example 1 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 6th grade - plays with 6th grade team (U12).

Example 2 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 5th grade (held back in terms of grade year) - plays with 5th grade team (U11).


This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team. The Board has worked tirelessly to determine best handling and will continue to work with our staff, volunteer coaches, and families to make this transition as smooth as possible

It isn't getting talked about but the local teams with volunteer coaches like this one letting kids play up with classmates is the right attitude, following the rec mentality to keep kids playing.

Of course the more competitive teams are ignoring grades and using the strict 12 month window while allowing only the extreme best to play up an age group.

Sush a loser. This is a USYS club with competitive teams.

"This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team."

At least theyre being upfront and honest with parents and players

"Who will coach my player's team?
We have a vast pool of volunteer coaches across our current Competitive Academy teams and are always securing new coaches."

Do you know what USYS is? Cause it has over 10,000 teams. KOPSC is a state team. These types teams are invaluable to the youth soccer ecosystem to bridge rec with national league travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.kopsc.org/age-group-formation-for-2026-2027-season

USYS set the date range as August 1 - July 31 in order to account for the majority of school cut off dates across the country and to best align players with their grade level peers. The majority of our players attend schools with September 1 cut off dates so in order to best align our players with their accurate grade level, we will be using an August 1 + actual grade year approach.


This change will not impact the Spring 2026 season and our current travel teams will remain as they were in Fall 2025. This change will begin for the Fall 2026 season such that this year's Competitive Academy tryouts will run by August 1 + grade year.


Example 1 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 6th grade - plays with 6th grade team (U12).

Example 2 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 5th grade (held back in terms of grade year) - plays with 5th grade team (U11).


This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team. The Board has worked tirelessly to determine best handling and will continue to work with our staff, volunteer coaches, and families to make this transition as smooth as possible

It isn't getting talked about but the local teams with volunteer coaches like this one letting kids play up with classmates is the right attitude, following the rec mentality to keep kids playing.

Of course the more competitive teams are ignoring grades and using the strict 12 month window while allowing only the extreme best to play up an age group.

Sush a loser. This is a USYS club with competitive teams.

"This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team."

At least theyre being upfront and honest with parents and players

"Who will coach my player's team?
We have a vast pool of volunteer coaches across our current Competitive Academy teams and are always securing new coaches."

Do you know what USYS is? Cause it has over 10,000 teams. KOPSC is a state team. These types teams are invaluable to the youth soccer ecosystem to bridge rec with national league travel.

Keep dumping on USYS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.kopsc.org/age-group-formation-for-2026-2027-season

USYS set the date range as August 1 - July 31 in order to account for the majority of school cut off dates across the country and to best align players with their grade level peers. The majority of our players attend schools with September 1 cut off dates so in order to best align our players with their accurate grade level, we will be using an August 1 + actual grade year approach.


This change will not impact the Spring 2026 season and our current travel teams will remain as they were in Fall 2025. This change will begin for the Fall 2026 season such that this year's Competitive Academy tryouts will run by August 1 + grade year.


Example 1 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 6th grade - plays with 6th grade team (U12).

Example 2 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 5th grade (held back in terms of grade year) - plays with 5th grade team (U11).


This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team. The Board has worked tirelessly to determine best handling and will continue to work with our staff, volunteer coaches, and families to make this transition as smooth as possible

It isn't getting talked about but the local teams with volunteer coaches like this one letting kids play up with classmates is the right attitude, following the rec mentality to keep kids playing.

Of course the more competitive teams are ignoring grades and using the strict 12 month window while allowing only the extreme best to play up an age group.

Sush a loser. This is a USYS club with competitive teams.

"This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team."

At least theyre being upfront and honest with parents and players

"Who will coach my player's team?
We have a vast pool of volunteer coaches across our current Competitive Academy teams and are always securing new coaches."

Do you know what USYS is? Cause it has over 10,000 teams. KOPSC is a state team. These types teams are invaluable to the youth soccer ecosystem to bridge rec with national league travel.

Keep dumping on USYS

You are deflecting. All the dumping is on you.

[Anonymous]

This thread is titled "ECNL".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.kopsc.org/age-group-formation-for-2026-2027-season

USYS set the date range as August 1 - July 31 in order to account for the majority of school cut off dates across the country and to best align players with their grade level peers. The majority of our players attend schools with September 1 cut off dates so in order to best align our players with their accurate grade level, we will be using an August 1 + actual grade year approach.


This change will not impact the Spring 2026 season and our current travel teams will remain as they were in Fall 2025. This change will begin for the Fall 2026 season such that this year's Competitive Academy tryouts will run by August 1 + grade year.


Example 1 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 6th grade - plays with 6th grade team (U12).

Example 2 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 5th grade (held back in terms of grade year) - plays with 5th grade team (U11).


This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team. The Board has worked tirelessly to determine best handling and will continue to work with our staff, volunteer coaches, and families to make this transition as smooth as possible

Yea! It's America ... Nothing wrong with having different approaches like this.... People can/will vote with their feet/pocketbook if they don't like being forced up. ... And that's the tough part about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.kopsc.org/age-group-formation-for-2026-2027-season

USYS set the date range as August 1 - July 31 in order to account for the majority of school cut off dates across the country and to best align players with their grade level peers. The majority of our players attend schools with September 1 cut off dates so in order to best align our players with their accurate grade level, we will be using an August 1 + actual grade year approach.


This change will not impact the Spring 2026 season and our current travel teams will remain as they were in Fall 2025. This change will begin for the Fall 2026 season such that this year's Competitive Academy tryouts will run by August 1 + grade year.


Example 1 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 6th grade - plays with 6th grade team (U12).

Example 2 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 5th grade (held back in terms of grade year) - plays with 5th grade team (U11).


This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team. The Board has worked tirelessly to determine best handling and will continue to work with our staff, volunteer coaches, and families to make this transition as smooth as possible

Yea! It's America ... Nothing wrong with having different approaches like this.... People can/will vote with their feet/pocketbook if they don't like being forced up. ... And that's the tough part about this.

That there's no perfect solution and some will always feel on the short end of this decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eventually if play grade down guy actually has an Aug birthday kid it will be interesting to see how they'll use rae as an excuse when college coaches ignore their kid when recruiting.

The grade down guy is a littles parent that thinks he knows everything. Once players get to HS (and should be before) groupings are all done by grade because this is what college coaches are looking for.

I see brackets defined by grade all the time at tournaments 🙄

Showcases will be by grade starting next year.

Is this documented anywhere?

Posted by USYS

Was in very small print.

Grouping older players by school year places players in a more consistent emotional and physical developmental environment.
School age grouping will help college recruitment. Players of the same graduating class will be participating together in high-level tournaments and showcase matches.

As youve been told multiple times. This does not mean GY. USYS is just calling out that by changing from BY to SY + along with August birthdays playing up all players on the field will be one grade in school. (As opposed to the way things were under BY)

That doesn't make any sense. It doesn't mention August playing up and many kids in age groups, not just August, are off grade. Going grade year requires a bunch of kids switching teams, some will play up and some will play down.

Showcases going graduation year, "Players of the same graduating class will be participating together in high-level tournaments and showcase matches."

Think about it.

In SY all players on the field will be one grade assuming Aug birthdays play up (not down).

This is what USYS means + the way things were pre 2017.

I find it ridiculous that people are saying Aug-Sept kids playing with their school year, what you call up, is playing up. My DC is an Aug -Sept and has been playing school year, what next year is called playing next “up”, for 8 years. Next year the league says they should go down, outside of school year, and you say they will be playing up for showcases if they play on school year. This means they will be dropped down for all non-showcase events and then be playing with the team they have been playing for almost a decade and you call that playing up. This is nonsense. The new rules place them down, even though they were good enough to play on school year the whole time they have been playing. Then they play down, with lower year skill and are expected to just jump into playing against bigger stronger better kids during showcases, when scouts will be watching, when the whole first part of the year they were playing with younger kids. Just dumb. If they should play on grade for showcases, when it matters, then they should play on grade all year, with their current teams, so they are ready for the showcases.

I get your frustration, but your DC didn't play on school year the last 8 years. Your DC played in a 12-month window with older/younger players, some of which were the same grade and some of which weren't. Next season, they'll be kids who were playing at a higher level. It'll be different.

That is the misinformation that is being spread. Almost every person on my DC’s team was in the same SY, thus on grade. The change makes almost half the kids move to non-SY. Let’s start with that as what is happening on the ground. That is a fact. 100% were playing with their classmates, or kids whose parents held them back, but were the same age. Now 50% are negatively impacted. Why should my DC be negatively impacted because they started school on time, played in the right age, with their classmates, because a couple parents held their kid back? Make a smarter rule. SY unless your kid is not in the correct SY, then Aug-Jul, how hard is that? Fixes everyone’s issues and doesn’t hose a bunch of kids. This is stupid.

But my kid’s team is the exact opposite. More than half the kids are playing “up” to the team that is calendar-wise the year above them (my kid is a November birthday). So, for them, this change will make teams much closer to matching school year. Obviously how this affects an individual team will vary, but this will obviously result in more kids playing with their SY given that it only excludes outliers rather than 4-5 months of the year.

Half of a team is playing a year up to balance school year grade?
This must be a low level recreational league

No, it’s not about balancing school year grade. Half the kids are August to December birthdays that currently play with their assigned BY, but with a team that is 50% the year ahead of them in school. Literally the team split 50/50 between two school years. It is the second team of one of the most respected programs in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eventually if play grade down guy actually has an Aug birthday kid it will be interesting to see how they'll use rae as an excuse when college coaches ignore their kid when recruiting.

The grade down guy is a littles parent that thinks he knows everything. Once players get to HS (and should be before) groupings are all done by grade because this is what college coaches are looking for.

I see brackets defined by grade all the time at tournaments 🙄

Showcases will be by grade starting next year.

Is this documented anywhere?

Posted by USYS

Was in very small print.

Grouping older players by school year places players in a more consistent emotional and physical developmental environment.
School age grouping will help college recruitment. Players of the same graduating class will be participating together in high-level tournaments and showcase matches.

As youve been told multiple times. This does not mean GY. USYS is just calling out that by changing from BY to SY + along with August birthdays playing up all players on the field will be one grade in school. (As opposed to the way things were under BY)

That doesn't make any sense. It doesn't mention August playing up and many kids in age groups, not just August, are off grade. Going grade year requires a bunch of kids switching teams, some will play up and some will play down.

Showcases going graduation year, "Players of the same graduating class will be participating together in high-level tournaments and showcase matches."

Think about it.

In SY all players on the field will be one grade assuming Aug birthdays play up (not down).

This is what USYS means + the way things were pre 2017.

I find it ridiculous that people are saying Aug-Sept kids playing with their school year, what you call up, is playing up. My DC is an Aug -Sept and has been playing school year, what next year is called playing next “up”, for 8 years. Next year the league says they should go down, outside of school year, and you say they will be playing up for showcases if they play on school year. This means they will be dropped down for all non-showcase events and then be playing with the team they have been playing for almost a decade and you call that playing up. This is nonsense. The new rules place them down, even though they were good enough to play on school year the whole time they have been playing. Then they play down, with lower year skill and are expected to just jump into playing against bigger stronger better kids during showcases, when scouts will be watching, when the whole first part of the year they were playing with younger kids. Just dumb. If they should play on grade for showcases, when it matters, then they should play on grade all year, with their current teams, so they are ready for the showcases.

I get your frustration, but your DC didn't play on school year the last 8 years. Your DC played in a 12-month window with older/younger players, some of which were the same grade and some of which weren't. Next season, they'll be kids who were playing at a higher level. It'll be different.

That is the misinformation that is being spread. Almost every person on my DC’s team was in the same SY, thus on grade. The change makes almost half the kids move to non-SY. Let’s start with that as what is happening on the ground. That is a fact. 100% were playing with their classmates, or kids whose parents held them back, but were the same age. Now 50% are negatively impacted. Why should my DC be negatively impacted because they started school on time, played in the right age, with their classmates, because a couple parents held their kid back? Make a smarter rule. SY unless your kid is not in the correct SY, then Aug-Jul, how hard is that? Fixes everyone’s issues and doesn’t hose a bunch of kids. This is stupid.

But my kid’s team is the exact opposite. More than half the kids are playing “up” to the team that is calendar-wise the year above them (my kid is a November birthday). So, for them, this change will make teams much closer to matching school year. Obviously how this affects an individual team will vary, but this will obviously result in more kids playing with their SY given that it only excludes outliers rather than 4-5 months of the year.

Half of a team is playing a year up to balance school year grade?
This must be a low level recreational league

No, it’s not about balancing school year grade. Half the kids are August to December birthdays that currently play with their assigned BY, but with a team that is 50% the year ahead of them in school. Literally the team split 50/50 between two school years. It is the second team of one of the most respected programs in the DMV.

How does the team being in two different school grades impact the team, coaching and individual development on the field?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:U19 next year is 3 age groups? 07,08,09?

The 07s should be in college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U19 next year is 3 age groups? 07,08,09?

The 07s should be in college

Not the late starters or hold backs. This is why showcases next year will be juniors only and seniors only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.kopsc.org/age-group-formation-for-2026-2027-season

USYS set the date range as August 1 - July 31 in order to account for the majority of school cut off dates across the country and to best align players with their grade level peers. The majority of our players attend schools with September 1 cut off dates so in order to best align our players with their accurate grade level, we will be using an August 1 + actual grade year approach.


This change will not impact the Spring 2026 season and our current travel teams will remain as they were in Fall 2025. This change will begin for the Fall 2026 season such that this year's Competitive Academy tryouts will run by August 1 + grade year.


Example 1 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 6th grade - plays with 6th grade team (U12).

Example 2 - August 15, 2015 birthday and going into 5th grade (held back in terms of grade year) - plays with 5th grade team (U11).


This is a significant shift that will impact every Competitive Academy team. The Board has worked tirelessly to determine best handling and will continue to work with our staff, volunteer coaches, and families to make this transition as smooth as possible

Yea! It's America ... Nothing wrong with having different approaches like this.... People can/will vote with their feet/pocketbook if they don't like being forced up. ... And that's the tough part about this.

What clubs do and what clubs say they'll do are often two different things. If there's an Aug birthday parent thats dead set on playing down. Clubs will do one of two things. They'll let them try out with the lower level team and say darn you didnt quite make the A team but we have a spot on the lower level or correct grade B team (which is the same thing). Or they'll dual roster the player on two age level teams slowly making them choose the correct grade in school team.

You have to keep in mind that clubs want money so they're not going to turn anyone away. But they want things easy which means no HS players on 8th grade teams. They also want as many college commitments as posdible because they’re free advertising for the club and last an entire year. This is why clubs want Aug birthdays to play on the team thats their grade in school. Even if clubs wont come out and say it.

BTW this is how things functioned pre 2017 before switching to BY

Unfortunately you've got age guy commenting on this thread 24/7 megablasting his black and white interpretation of the rules. He'll just need to experience SY to understand that there's rules about how to play and there's also reality about how the game is played (while following the rules). Things won't function the way he thinks they will at the highest levels and over time lower level clubs will copy what higher level clubs do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U19 next year is 3 age groups? 07,08,09?

The 07s should be in college

Not the late starters or hold backs. This is why showcases next year will be juniors only and seniors only.

Oldest age group in u18/u19 in SY.

Even if you held Junior and Senior level showcases. Technically because of the u18/u19 grouping players can choose which event they want to attend. Which means its GY showcases for Juniiors and Seniors.

General FYI this is why holdbacks in HS generally start getting involved with club soccer Junior year. This is when because of the u18/u19 grouping they can play on a correct grade in school team in club.