Anonymous wrote:Don't buy into the "ECNL/DA is the only way" mentality. Both ways are the best way to get recruited by DI schools and that is a proven fact but they are not the only way and you don't have to do it at u13.

Case in point, MRM Rush us not ECNL yet was the best team in the DMV outside of FCV DA. The top players from that team went over to Bethesda''s ECNL and displaced half the team of playes who had been playing ECNL for two years. Top clubs are always picking up new players at u15 and u16.

Rush has a good program and BSC girls program has been in a downward spiral for some time. There most likely will be other year groups at BSC that experience the same treatment. This is the exception to the rule. Remember a few coaches from Rush jumped ship to BSC and took their players with them. The BSC coaches were move out to make room for the new coaches and did not have a say in the new team. I wonder how that is going over with both programs?

Anonymous wrote:In my experience it's really hard to break in to ECNL after U13 unless you're really, really good.
This year Mclean (for example) took 5 girls for ECNL U14. All were from other DA and ECNL clubs. I know some outstanding kids who tried out from other CCL clubs but they weren't chosen.
There were very few spots and they went to kids who were already tried and true from other ECNL level play. There's enough movement from DA to ECNL that they clubs don't have to look outside of this pool.

This is true. Specially on the girls side. The player from outside the DA/ECNL team will have to be a lot better vs the player she is replacing. The other thing is kids get slotted. If you are on the second team or at a small club, coaches think you are there for a reason. You do not see much movement after u12/u13 in terms of girls new to travel or playing on smaller clubs breaking into a big clubs top team. I know people here think this is not true but it is. If you do not believe it, take your kid to a few practices at the local DA/ECNL team. See where the coach thinks your kid would fit in their system- ie what team.

Don't buy into the "ECNL/DA is the only way" mentality. Both ways are the best way to get recruited by DI schools and that is a proven fact but they are not the only way and you don't have to do it at u13.

Case in point, MRM Rush us not ECNL yet was the best team in the DMV outside of FCV DA. The top players from that team went over to Bethesda''s ECNL and displaced half the team of playes who had been playing ECNL for two years. Top clubs are always picking up new players at u15 and u16.

Anonymous wrote:15 is a great year to get into ECNL

ECNL is about recruiting, play in front of hundreds of coaches, there are different levels of ECNL clubs in the area

High level
McLean/BRYC

Mid level
VDA

Lower Level
Loudoun

Not for 07/08/09 parents reading this thread.

You can trust what you read from anonymous posters write or figure it out for yourself. Look at the rosters for the schools you want to attend.

Playing in college is an individual journey. Nothing is guaranteed by playing on any particular team.

In my experience it's really hard to break in to ECNL after U13 unless you're really, really good.
This year Mclean (for example) took 5 girls for ECNL U14. All were from other DA and ECNL clubs. I know some outstanding kids who tried out from other CCL clubs but they weren't chosen.
There were very few spots and they went to kids who were already tried and true from other ECNL level play. There's enough movement from DA to ECNL that they clubs don't have to look outside of this pool.

Look at the college rosters. They list where the athletes played club soccer.

15 is a great year to get into ECNL

ECNL is about recruiting, play in front of hundreds of coaches, there are different levels of ECNL clubs in the area

High level
McLean/BRYC

Mid level
VDA

Lower Level
Loudoun

The original question was:

Is it really true that a 2007/ 2008 player who is not playing DA or ECNL has little chance of eventually making it in one of these and playing in college?

The answer is:

If you are good enough to play in college, it doesn't matter where you currently play.

If you play on a no-name team in rural Montana and are truly good enough to play in college, then you can likely play in college.

You just have to prove it by going to an ID camp and being on the field with comparable players, because a college coach is not going to go out to rural Montana to see you play.

Anonymous wrote:Fewer than 2% of the 400,000 girls youth soccer players at the HS level in the US will play D1 soccer. Where do you think the vast majority of those players come from?

I don't understand this comment.

Fewer than 2% of the 400,000 girls youth soccer players at the HS level in the US will play D1 soccer. Where do you think the vast majority of those players come from?

The leagues themselves and clubs with DA/ECNL teams would like you to believe this but it is a falsehood

Absolutely not. It's all about coaching and if your player is developing individually. Level of competition needs to be appropriate but you do not need to be traveling to another state every other weekend to play decent competition.

I was reading the thread about the 2005 player wanting to play in college.

Is it really true that a 2007/ 2008 player who is not playing DA or ECNL has little chance of eventually making it in one of these and playing in college? Really? These are 11 and 12 year old kids! There is still so much time for them to improve. Please explain