Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is hurting the DEVELOPMENT of kids in NOVA. Less clubs doesn't equal more wins or development of players. It does equal focusing on a few standout selfish players who are all about advancing themselves. Look at the USWNT, they can't win even against average opponents It's a bunch of players aching to claim, I got mine.

ECNL wasn't built to showcase players that can play the international game. It was designed to showcase players for colleges. NCAA soccer is not reflective of the FIFA game/global game.

Maybe when NCAA dissolves or aligns itself with the global game is when things improve.

Why would the NCAA dissolve D1, especially D1 mens may disappear, but DIII sports help attract tuition paying students.

Anonymous wrote:ECNL is hurting the DEVELOPMENT of kids in NOVA. Less clubs doesn't equal more wins or development of players. It does equal focusing on a few standout selfish players who are all about advancing themselves. Look at the USWNT, they can't win even against average opponents It's a bunch of players aching to claim, I got mine.

ECNL wasn't built to showcase players that can play the international game. It was designed to showcase players for colleges. NCAA soccer is not reflective of the FIFA game/global game.

Maybe when NCAA dissolves or aligns itself with the global game is when things improve.

ECNL is hurting the DEVELOPMENT of kids in NOVA. Less clubs doesn't equal more wins or development of players. It does equal focusing on a few standout selfish players who are all about advancing themselves. Look at the USWNT, they can't win even against average opponents It's a bunch of players aching to claim, I got mine.

Anonymous wrote:Destroying NOVA soccer won't boost Richmond soccer. It's not as if players from NOVA would travel to Richmond to play and strengthen those teams. If anything, ECNL would lose hundreds of kids (and parents' money) to another league.

Leagues are in a weird place right now. MLS Next is the best boys league, and no one really argues that. The girls league that clubs try to pair it with, GA is not. MLS Next is also far more hesitant to expand leaving clubs with GA and nothing equivalent on the boys side. That makes ECNL attractive from a club perspective because both boys and girls are accounted for. The problem is the best boys will leave for an MLS next club if given the opportunity

Destroying NOVA soccer won't boost Richmond soccer. It's not as if players from NOVA would travel to Richmond to play and strengthen those teams. If anything, ECNL would lose hundreds of kids (and parents' money) to another league.

Don't the core business of ECNL operate in Richmond? If the soccer environment in NOVA is weaker, doesn't that help the Richmond team compete? Lots of clubs throughout Virginia not competing at the national level but you don't see those clubs getting letters telling them to merge? ECNL inside leadership is trying to destroy the soccer framework from NOVA for a reason.

just a heads up, VA is a middle of the road soccer state. PA, NC, NJ, NY have at least 2x as many players, clubs, leagues, you name it.

You have to remember that there are only 3 soccer hotbeds in VA - NOVA, richmond, and the VA beach area. Outside of that there are pockets but this pales in comparison to other states.

Imagine if we had 15 ECNL clubs in the state... some do.

yes they are the top teams in VA but not nationally... by a long shot.

In any given age group, only 1 out of the 5 NOVA ecnl teams is competitive outside of the mid-Atlantic conference at any one time.

Anonymous wrote:Why is ECNL in Richmond trying to squeeze out Northern Virginia Clubs? Most of the ECNL clubs in Northern VA are in the top 5-10 teams in Virginia at each age group.

I think you do not understand. ECNL is based in Richmond but it is a national leauge. What they want is good programs on both the boys and girls sides. They are adding the top GA clubs and they will keep doing that but to make room they are dropping clubs or they have said they will. McL was not up to standards on the boys side according to their letter. They are going to get rid of the bottom clubs every year. Brave was at the bottom on boys and to a large extent girls. They are not trying to squeeze out NoVa clubs they are trying to get rid of the worst clubs in terms of performance -- which is looked at on both the girls and boys side. This is a good thing in general for ECNL. If they did not like it they could have gone GA.

Go start your own Richmond area soccer blog.

Anonymous wrote:Why is ECNL in Richmond trying to squeeze out Northern Virginia Clubs? Most of the ECNL clubs in Northern VA are in the top 5-10 teams in Virginia at each age group.

because they sense a new opportunity, and they can.

Anonymous wrote:No idea. VDA and Richmond going to run ECNL into the ground.

What?

Huh

No idea. VDA and Richmond going to run ECNL into the ground.

Why is ECNL in Richmond trying to squeeze out Northern Virginia Clubs? Most of the ECNL clubs in Northern VA are in the top 5-10 teams in Virginia at each age group.