Soccer leagues in md, D.C., va - which is best?

[Anonymous]

My DS is new to travel soccer so we are unfamiliar with the leagues we are hearing about. So far I have heard there is NCSL, ODFC, CCL, VPL, ECNL. Currently, we are on an ncsl team doing ok at u9. Which league should we be gearing towards?

[Anonymous]

At U9-U12, my suggestion is to look for a club that provides good training and works for your family logistically and financially. The league in which your kid competes is not all that important until they get to middle and high school.

[Anonymous]

At this age NCSL is fine. In a couple years you want to be shooting for ECNL or DA if you think your kid is really good. CCL and VPL are a step down from those two leagues, NCSL and CCL2 are lower than CCL. They are all fine for an average player though. The overall club training will matter more than the league. Driving 45 minutes to practice 2-3 times a week is a way to kill your kid's enjoyment of it.

[Anonymous]

Dude, did you not watch the big game last night??? This league stuff means jack shit.

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT---geez--especially at the earliest ages through the early teens.

This is why we lost to a team ranked in the 90s and we have one of the largest populations of teams competing. A 300,000 population country makes us look like a bunch of chumps.

When these questions continue to be asked, we are getting nowhere in this sport.

Parents are still so focused on 'teams' and 'leagues', not quality training and development. They don't go hand and hand.

[Anonymous]

The above PP is correct. Choose the club with the coaches you like. Ask to attend a practice to get a feel. Choose something convenient! We chose the club that practices closest to our home, which also happened to be the club that my child enjoyed practicing with the most. The coaches we met at the practice and tryout seemed very warm and caring. I knew nothing of the leagues at the time. As it turns out, our club plays in CCL and NCSL. It just depends on the level of the team. My son currently plays in CCL. CCL has worked out well for us because at this age U10 the games are all within an hour with most being 30-45 minutes away. Friends in other leagues like NCSL seem to be traveling further but even then it varies by week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The above PP is correct. Choose the club with the coaches you like. Ask to attend a practice to get a feel. Choose something convenient! We chose the club that practices closest to our home, which also happened to be the club that my child enjoyed practicing with the most. The coaches we met at the practice and tryout seemed very warm and caring. I knew nothing of the leagues at the time. As it turns out, our club plays in CCL and NCSL. It just depends on the level of the team. My son currently plays in CCL. CCL has worked out well for us because at this age U10 the games are all within an hour with most being 30-45 minutes away. Friends in other leagues like NCSL seem to be traveling further but even then it varies by week.

It looks like several people posted while I was typing. I was saying I agree with 9:01!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At this age NCSL is fine. In a couple years you want to be shooting for ECNL or DA if you think your kid is really good. CCL and VPL are a step down from those two leagues, NCSL and CCL2 are lower than CCL. They are all fine for an average player though. The overall club training will matter more than the league. Driving 45 minutes to practice 2-3 times a week is a way to kill your kid's enjoyment of it.

Yeah, I think we're all saying the same thing, and it's correct. If you're in a good environment and your kid is learning, no need to change at this point. If the closest club is CCL, fine, if it's not, also fine. Things change a bit around U11 or U12.

[Anonymous]

CCL parent here, I agree that we didn't drive very far for away games at u9-u10. U11, that all changed but the still a good program. Trolls will attack CCL in a min, but I have no complaints.

NCSL travels much further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CCL parent here, I agree that we didn't drive very far for away games at u9-u10. U11, that all changed but the still a good program. Trolls will attack CCL in a min, but I have no complaints.

NCSL travels much further.

Depends a bit on your draw, and NCSL generally keeps the travel down at U9-U10 as well. After that, you may have the occasional St. Mary's-to-Winchester game.

In CCL, beyond U10, you're going to have trips to Roanoke, Virginia Beach, Richmond and Charlottesville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is new to travel soccer so we are unfamiliar with the leagues we are hearing about. So far I have heard there is NCSL, ODFC, CCL, VPL, ECNL. Currently, we are on an ncsl team doing ok at u9. Which league should we be gearing towards?

You can't be serious

[Anonymous]

CCL travel is worse than NCSL. VPL is similar to CCL. ECNL travel is awful.

[Anonymous]

go check out some local games in those leagues at same age groups. I was shocked by the differences in overall talent in the competition, not just the one impactful kid, as years profressed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CCL travel is worse than NCSL. VPL is similar to CCL. ECNL travel is awful.

We like ECNL and would not describe it as awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CCL travel is worse than NCSL. VPL is similar to CCL. ECNL travel is awful.

We like ECNL and would not describe it as awful.

I meant the actual travel part.