Have you seen girls move to ECNL after U14?

[Anonymous]

My daughter is a top player on the team beneath ECNL in a large club with a strong ECNL team.
She was in the mix for making U14 ECNL (per her coach and at the tryouts she was tried out with the top kids until the very last cuts but they took transfers from other ECNL/DA programs instead of advancing any kids from within).
Her current coach keeps talking about my daughter's future "when she's playing ECNL"--I've never broached the subject--the coach brings it up.
Have you seen kids make this jump after U15? To me it seems as she's running out of time to become a top player.
(and I know that just making the team means nothing if she'll then ride the bench all season which is the next issue).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is a top player on the team beneath ECNL in a large club with a strong ECNL team.
She was in the mix for making U14 ECNL (per her coach and at the tryouts she was tried out with the top kids until the very last cuts but they took transfers from other ECNL/DA programs instead of advancing any kids from within).
Her current coach keeps talking about my daughter's future "when she's playing ECNL"--I've never broached the subject--the coach brings it up.
Have you seen kids make this jump after U15? To me it seems as she's running out of time to become a top player.
(and I know that just making the team means nothing if she'll then ride the bench all season which is the next issue).

Yes, but each year it gets harder and harder to catch up with the pace of play the rest are already used to. My advice is to have her tryout for other area teams, ECNL or DA, depending on what your best options are.

[Anonymous]

+1

An outside club will give her a more fair look. Very hard to move up from within current club. Attend some practices of other ECNL/DA teams and see how she fits in. It’s not too late

[Anonymous]

which virginia club you at?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is a top player on the team beneath ECNL in a large club with a strong ECNL team.
She was in the mix for making U14 ECNL (per her coach and at the tryouts she was tried out with the top kids until the very last cuts but they took transfers from other ECNL/DA programs instead of advancing any kids from within).
Her current coach keeps talking about my daughter's future "when she's playing ECNL"--I've never broached the subject--the coach brings it up.
Have you seen kids make this jump after U15? To me it seems as she's running out of time to become a top player.
(and I know that just making the team means nothing if she'll then ride the bench all season which is the next issue).

Does she get offered the opportunity to train with the ECNL team? How many players are currently on the U14 ECNL roster?

[Anonymous]

Is it possible your current club is holding the Ecnl card over your head so you can stay ? Oldest trick in the book

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is a top player on the team beneath ECNL in a large club with a strong ECNL team.
She was in the mix for making U14 ECNL (per her coach and at the tryouts she was tried out with the top kids until the very last cuts but they took transfers from other ECNL/DA programs instead of advancing any kids from within).
Her current coach keeps talking about my daughter's future "when she's playing ECNL"--I've never broached the subject--the coach brings it up.
Have you seen kids make this jump after U15? To me it seems as she's running out of time to become a top player.
(and I know that just making the team means nothing if she'll then ride the bench all season which is the next issue).

The problem with ECNL is teams often carry large rosters already because high school soccer compresses the season. So, more opportunities but if your not already there then it is a lot of kids in the way. Add to that the handful of DA kids who move to ECNL so they can play high school soccer and it does get harder to crack the roster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible your current club is holding the Ecnl card over your head so you can stay ? Oldest trick in the book

OP here. Who knows. We actually have no intent on every leaving this club so they have no need to hold anything over our head.
I have 3 kids and am maxed out with driving and making sports for all of them work. If my daughter makes the jump with her current club to ECNL and really wants to do it I guess
we would make it work by hiring help but I can't see us choosing to go elsewhere (and driving further).

To answer another question--she practices with the ECNL kids weekly.

I'm just curious about this all more than anything. She goes to a pretty demanding school and the academics are getting intense this year (tons of homework). I'm just wondering what her future is with soccer--
I can see her moving up to ECNL and I can see her quitting all together. I'd be fine with either. Just wondered if there is any chance in moving up at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is a top player on the team beneath ECNL in a large club with a strong ECNL team.
She was in the mix for making U14 ECNL (per her coach and at the tryouts she was tried out with the top kids until the very last cuts but they took transfers from other ECNL/DA programs instead of advancing any kids from within).
Her current coach keeps talking about my daughter's future "when she's playing ECNL"--I've never broached the subject--the coach brings it up.
Have you seen kids make this jump after U15? To me it seems as she's running out of time to become a top player.
(and I know that just making the team means nothing if she'll then ride the bench all season which is the next issue).

Yes, but each year it gets harder and harder to catch up with the pace of play the rest are already used to. My advice is to have her tryout for other area teams, ECNL or DA, depending on what your best options are.

+1 Yes of course it is possible to rise to the next level but if you stay put you will have to outwork the ECNL-rostered kids (which means extra training, extra fitness) to improve faster than they will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible your current club is holding the Ecnl card over your head so you can stay ? Oldest trick in the book

OP here. Who knows. We actually have no intent on every leaving this club so they have no need to hold anything over our head.
I have 3 kids and am maxed out with driving and making sports for all of them work. If my daughter makes the jump with her current club to ECNL and really wants to do it I guess
we would make it work by hiring help but I can't see us choosing to go elsewhere (and driving further).

To answer another question--she practices with the ECNL kids weekly.

I'm just curious about this all more than anything. She goes to a pretty demanding school and the academics are getting intense this year (tons of homework). I'm just wondering what her future is with soccer--
I can see her moving up to ECNL and I can see her quitting all together. I'd be fine with either. Just wondered if there is any chance in moving up at this point.

If she's on the team just below ECNL, that would mean she is playing for the ECNL Regional team, correct? Her current schedule (regular season, anyway) should be very similar to what you'd be looking at with ECNL.

If they are asking her to practice with the ECNL team regularly (assuming that there are not a large number of other players doing this as well), then I would think that is a good sign that they may look to move her up. That being said, players from outside the club typically have the advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible your current club is holding the Ecnl card over your head so you can stay ? Oldest trick in the book

OP here. Who knows. We actually have no intent on every leaving this club so they have no need to hold anything over our head.
I have 3 kids and am maxed out with driving and making sports for all of them work. If my daughter makes the jump with her current club to ECNL and really wants to do it I guess
we would make it work by hiring help but I can't see us choosing to go elsewhere (and driving further).

To answer another question--she practices with the ECNL kids weekly.

I'm just curious about this all more than anything. She goes to a pretty demanding school and the academics are getting intense this year (tons of homework). I'm just wondering what her future is with soccer--
I can see her moving up to ECNL and I can see her quitting all together. I'd be fine with either. Just wondered if there is any chance in moving up at this point.

If she's on the team just below ECNL, that would mean she is playing for the ECNL Regional team, correct? Her current schedule (regular season, anyway) should be very similar to what you'd be looking at with ECNL.

If they are asking her to practice with the ECNL team regularly (assuming that there are not a large number of other players doing this as well), then I would think that is a good sign that they may look to move her up. That being said, players from outside the club typically have the advantage.

Not for clubs that do CCL vs. NPL (now rebranded to ECNL Regional but still referred to by most as NPL).

Players outside the club have an advantage because they are an unknown quantity. So unless your kid dramatically improves her skills and soccer IQ, gets a speed and/or growth spurt, or a bunch of existing players leave ... if they thought she was good enough ... she'd be on the regular ECNL roster already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible your current club is holding the Ecnl card over your head so you can stay ? Oldest trick in the book

OP here. Who knows. We actually have no intent on every leaving this club so they have no need to hold anything over our head.
I have 3 kids and am maxed out with driving and making sports for all of them work. If my daughter makes the jump with her current club to ECNL and really wants to do it I guess
we would make it work by hiring help but I can't see us choosing to go elsewhere (and driving further).

To answer another question--she practices with the ECNL kids weekly.

I'm just curious about this all more than anything. She goes to a pretty demanding school and the academics are getting intense this year (tons of homework). I'm just wondering what her future is with soccer--
I can see her moving up to ECNL and I can see her quitting all together. I'd be fine with either. Just wondered if there is any chance in moving up at this point.

If she's on the team just below ECNL, that would mean she is playing for the ECNL Regional team, correct? Her current schedule (regular season, anyway) should be very similar to what you'd be looking at with ECNL.

If they are asking her to practice with the ECNL team regularly (assuming that there are not a large number of other players doing this as well), then I would think that is a good sign that they may look to move her up. That being said, players from outside the club typically have the advantage.

Not for clubs that do CCL vs. NPL (now rebranded to ECNL Regional but still referred to by most as NPL).

Players outside the club have an advantage because they are an unknown quantity. So unless your kid dramatically improves her skills and soccer IQ, gets a speed and/or growth spurt, or a bunch of existing players leave ... if they thought she was good enough ... she'd be on the regular ECNL roster already.

I would add that even if by some form of events she makes the team, she'll almost certainly never be more than a sub. Players that struggle to get moved up, DPs, and PTs almost never get off of peripheral status.

[Anonymous]

Except for the fact that injuries happen, players are cut the next year, , players unhappy with playing time and they end up leaving, players for other reasons, other stuff happens opening up roster spaces. Ecnl and DA teams seem to have a fairly High turnover rate at the younger age groups

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible your current club is holding the Ecnl card over your head so you can stay ? Oldest trick in the book

OP here. Who knows. We actually have no intent on every leaving this club so they have no need to hold anything over our head.
I have 3 kids and am maxed out with driving and making sports for all of them work. If my daughter makes the jump with her current club to ECNL and really wants to do it I guess
we would make it work by hiring help but I can't see us choosing to go elsewhere (and driving further).

To answer another question--she practices with the ECNL kids weekly.

I'm just curious about this all more than anything. She goes to a pretty demanding school and the academics are getting intense this year (tons of homework). I'm just wondering what her future is with soccer--
I can see her moving up to ECNL and I can see her quitting all together. I'd be fine with either. Just wondered if there is any chance in moving up at this point.

If she is practicing with the ECNL team weekly, why ask us if she has a chance to make the team. Ask the coach when you attend a practice. It should be hard to ask how she's doing and what her chances are of making the team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible your current club is holding the Ecnl card over your head so you can stay ? Oldest trick in the book

OP here. Who knows. We actually have no intent on every leaving this club so they have no need to hold anything over our head.
I have 3 kids and am maxed out with driving and making sports for all of them work. If my daughter makes the jump with her current club to ECNL and really wants to do it I guess
we would make it work by hiring help but I can't see us choosing to go elsewhere (and driving further).

To answer another question--she practices with the ECNL kids weekly.

I'm just curious about this all more than anything. She goes to a pretty demanding school and the academics are getting intense this year (tons of homework). I'm just wondering what her future is with soccer--
I can see her moving up to ECNL and I can see her quitting all together. I'd be fine with either. Just wondered if there is any chance in moving up at this point.

You seem a bit in conflict with either what you want/hope for her and rationalizing any particular outcome.

If you are maxed out with sport obligations that is fair. If you are concerned about academic and soccer overload, that is also fair. As long as she is happy, enjoying where she is at and being challenged then don’t worry about making or not making ECNL. Just don’t worry about the odds or anything. Enjoy the sport and her participation for what it is and if ECNL happens it happens.

If she is practicing with them she could make an ECNL team elsewhere if you seriously pursued that path. If it is something she really wants then that is a different story and a harder thing to work out.