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In NC at u13 ENCL-R we played 24 league games over the year, 8 in the fall, 16 in the Spring.
Plus a showcase, tournaments etc. It was frankly overwhelming at times.
Plus a showcase, tournaments etc. It was frankly overwhelming at times.
For boys, MLS Next represents the new "best" - although they have two tiers, the actual academy teams and the clubs they filled in the map with.
Academy teams are typically fully paid for and provide a direct path to being a professional soccer player. They will be the ultimate desired destination for a male US youth player in the country.
Now a club might not want to chase getting into MLS-Next that because its not profitable to have one highly selective boys team in a handful of age groups vs. boys and girls, national and regional, and all of the years experience ENCL brings to table. They also won't be as attractive as the academy teams - so they'll get good players, but not the best. They also won't have any real say in the league.
Academy teams are typically fully paid for and provide a direct path to being a professional soccer player. They will be the ultimate desired destination for a male US youth player in the country.
Now a club might not want to chase getting into MLS-Next that because its not profitable to have one highly selective boys team in a handful of age groups vs. boys and girls, national and regional, and all of the years experience ENCL brings to table. They also won't be as attractive as the academy teams - so they'll get good players, but not the best. They also won't have any real say in the league.
The correct etiquette is to let them know ahead of time that you won't be trying out. You don't need to overshare or say what you are doing, just that you won't be pursuing a spot at their club.
It can get a little sticky if there are games between now and then and if your coach will retaliate by benching the kid. Even so, offers are usually extended within a day or two of tryouts so sometime soon you'll have to come clean.
For ENCL/R its all super awkward if your team makes it to the playoffs and you are switching clubs but stuck until July with the old team.
It can get a little sticky if there are games between now and then and if your coach will retaliate by benching the kid. Even so, offers are usually extended within a day or two of tryouts so sometime soon you'll have to come clean.
For ENCL/R its all super awkward if your team makes it to the playoffs and you are switching clubs but stuck until July with the old team.
Trapped players are 8th graders or Seniors in high school who are young for their team and old for their school in places where the club teams don't play in the fall due to school sports.
Example, for U15, some kids are playing for their high school team in the fall and not playing club, and half are still in middle school. This repeats senior year where half the kids graduate high school while the other half have a full year left to play. (So the spring season for club is missing half the kids).
ENCL-R does not play, in my state, during the Fall.
Example, for U15, some kids are playing for their high school team in the fall and not playing club, and half are still in middle school. This repeats senior year where half the kids graduate high school while the other half have a full year left to play. (So the spring season for club is missing half the kids).
ENCL-R does not play, in my state, during the Fall.
Appreciate the tips and links - as you can guess I'm interested in figuring out historically which programs are more successful in my area (on the field at least).
The college commits would be another interesting kind of historical data.
The college commits would be another interesting kind of historical data.
The ENCL and ENCL-RL standings site works fine for the current year, but, I'm curious about prior year records. Is there a listing somewhere?
I checked the ENCL site, emailed them, and googled around.
I checked the ENCL site, emailed them, and googled around.
The developer Mark is also responsive and helpful if you have suggestions or questions.
If you are confident about your local club knowledge, you can assist the app by linking up different records and correcting names.
For example at u13 there are a few clubs who kept a team but renamed it ENCL (RL), linking the old record to the new creates a more accurate ranking.
The other item I saw a lot of when reviewing was a team that was in a tournament under one name, but had their ENCL (or RL) record under another. Bringing those together is very helpful for the rankings.
If you are confident about your local club knowledge, you can assist the app by linking up different records and correcting names.
For example at u13 there are a few clubs who kept a team but renamed it ENCL (RL), linking the old record to the new creates a more accurate ranking.
The other item I saw a lot of when reviewing was a team that was in a tournament under one name, but had their ENCL (or RL) record under another. Bringing those together is very helpful for the rankings.
We'll be in Raleigh for the NCFC Jr. Showcase tournament - this weekend is boys and last weekend girls? A little worried about the weather messing things up but hopeful.
onetwo wrote:So below u12/13 the emphasis is on developing the minimum skills needed to play soccer. U9 the kids are grouped in to teams roughly base on aggressive then speed and size not soccer skill. Very few U9s have the spatial awareness and vision to see the field. Specially when they have to look down to dribble, pass or receive. Spatial awareness and vision develop later after you have developed ball skills.
When the kids get older (u14 plus) skill under pressure, ball skills and speed of play(one or two touch play, receiving and passing under a second) and control in tight spaces sets players apart. This is what the coaches are trying to develop.
Most u9s are kicking the ball by a player and chasing the ball. This is all about aggression and how fast you run. Playing this way releases control of the ball and turning possession in to a 50/50 ball. The fastest most aggressive player will win the ball and maybe score. It works at u9 but will works less and less each year. You really do not need to practice this. A good soccer player is one who can go by a defender with the ball at their feet and still look to pass, change pace, move to open space because they control the ball. This needs to be developed and practiced.
Winning at u9 does not mater.
I agree with all these things but will note that in my experience most (not all!) clubs will fast track those aggressive fast kids into the top level teams and get them more opportunities, better coaching, better fields, more training nights, etc. Yes, later on kids with more skill can fight their way up into the top teams for sure, but they'll be doing it by pushing out these early kids. It's the early focus on winning that plagues youth sports - despite it not mattering.
I would rather have DC win a state championship. He's not likely to play in college and it would be the peak of his soccer career.
This is not likely though at a smaller school!
This is not likely though at a smaller school!
The August games are not just unreported for our ENCL-R program but they are not even listed as part of the schedule.
Novafam wrote:
Had to reply as my DC was in this same exact situation. After a year of moving from a top team in a top club to a smaller club for the purpose of more playing time and "leadership," I can confidently say it was a VERY bad move. Similar to some of the comments, the main difference was the quality of players on the small club team vs big club team. I can also say after seeing this first hand, it is 100% correct that your DC will only develop based on teammate ability during PRACTICE. More game time (Played almost every minute of every game) did absolutely nothing for development. Now at the end of season, it is clear that my DC's skills has tremendously suffered while teammates that were not as skilled at the beginning of the year significantly improved. It was as if they absorbed my DC's skills and my DC was worse for it. To see my DC play at a level that is below what is was before the season started is very frustrating. It is like wasting a year and now having to redevelop over the summer and catch up with their new team for next year. Save yourself the frustration and use avoid the pitfall we went through.
100% agree - in order to make the leap up to a higher tier of play my DS had to do extra activity outside the team (mostly a trainer once per week but also summer camps and practicing alone). The rest of the team just didn't push him at all to improve and though the teams we played did, that's just a small slice of the total time played.
We were in a somewhat different spot as prior to the fall he hadn't been excelling, so I don't feel the year was wasted, but rather eye opening.
This year we were on the mid-tier U12B team, fun, loved the parents, great fall but bad spring season where the gap between the committed players and the less serious ones showed through.
At tryouts DS went for one of the clubs ENRL teams, which is a notch higher than the current team but below the ENCL team. Tryouts didn't go great, for a variety of reasons including his own performance and how they are run. At the top of his game, he might have won a spot, but that's not the game he brought.
At the same time we tried out for the main rival club's ENRL team. Lo and behold he did great and won a spot. It hadn't really been our intention to switch clubs but the opportunity to move up a level and some lingering irritation with the current club as well as the known churn on the team (4+ moving on to other teams) led us to make the switch.
At tryouts DS went for one of the clubs ENRL teams, which is a notch higher than the current team but below the ENCL team. Tryouts didn't go great, for a variety of reasons including his own performance and how they are run. At the top of his game, he might have won a spot, but that's not the game he brought.
At the same time we tried out for the main rival club's ENRL team. Lo and behold he did great and won a spot. It hadn't really been our intention to switch clubs but the opportunity to move up a level and some lingering irritation with the current club as well as the known churn on the team (4+ moving on to other teams) led us to make the switch.
It is true that rec coaches are a mixed bag and you'll struggle to improve if you don't move past it. Especially since both the teammates and competition will be weaker and there will be far fewer overall opportunities to play.
However, note, like the poster above noted, a huge amount of improvement is on his shoulders alone. He needs to practice at home and in the back yard. Someone who wants to be a pro has the ball at their feet all the time every day and watches games and commentary in their downtime.
However, note, like the poster above noted, a huge amount of improvement is on his shoulders alone. He needs to practice at home and in the back yard. Someone who wants to be a pro has the ball at their feet all the time every day and watches games and commentary in their downtime.
Our club's national programs (ENCL/ENCL-R) for boys are this week and next but the state level teams are after the season in late May. It's still a little awkward but not as terrible as it could be.
Initially I thought the tryouts were before the last traveling tournament and cringed at the thought of kids knowing they were cut or being moved to the lower team and still being asked to play their best.
Initially I thought the tryouts were before the last traveling tournament and cringed at the thought of kids knowing they were cut or being moved to the lower team and still being asked to play their best.