Student loans. Put them even more in debt than they already are. All to play a sport with no real income potential (most that do have this potential play pro and skip college anyhow kind of like baseball here and the Europeans and South Americans with soccer).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both of these leagues work for the super elite players from families with means but are horrible for the rest of girls playing soccer. ECNL just created Regional ECNL or ECNL, which means that the B teams from clubs like FCV, Bethesda, and MUFC will no longer play in state cup and against other local teams. The top non-ECNL/DA teams are increasingly unable to play the ECNL/DA teams in tournaments. College coaches don't even bother with no-ECNL/DA showcases. Where does that leave girls that are strong enough to play ECNL/DA but for financial reasons, can't join a team.

High level youth soccer is for kids with enough disposable income. Outside of boys funded academies, that is who this business serves. Will not change. It is a business and exists for those customers that can pay that is just the way it is.

College coaches would do well to look outside the country club leagues if they want to find good players that have talent but not a lot of cash.

Perhaps, but as is always pointed out here, college coaches aren't giving a lot of scholarships even to great players. So those talented players would still have to come up with the cash to attend college to play soccer.

Anonymous wrote:Both of these leagues work for the super elite players from families with means but are horrible for the rest of girls playing soccer. ECNL just created Regional ECNL or ECNL, which means that the B teams from clubs like FCV, Bethesda, and MUFC will no longer play in state cup and against other local teams. The top non-ECNL/DA teams are increasingly unable to play the ECNL/DA teams in tournaments. College coaches don't even bother with no-ECNL/DA showcases. Where does that leave girls that are strong enough to play ECNL/DA but for financial reasons, can't join a team.

High level youth soccer is for kids with enough disposable income. Outside of boys funded academies, that is who this business serves. Will not change. It is a business and exists for those customers that can pay that is just the way it is.

College coaches would do well to look outside the country club leagues if they want to find good players that have talent but not a lot of cash.

Oh, I know!

Combine ECNL and DA at the top of a player talent pyramid, with the number of player ‘slots’ in a geographic region capped in accordance with populations to encourage real selection. State/Region-based Teams converge into aN annual national championship where lots of college coaches hang out. Even at the state level, there is cachet and the possibility of being seen by a national team scout. ODP used to be this thing.

Have a single, regionally based, club-based, pro/rel league that trains the players who compete for the slots in the the ECNL/DA top-of-pyramid league and teams that would compete in meaningful tournaments like Jeff Cup, meaningful State Cups and ultimately national championships, another venue for college coaches. NCSL and WAGS used to be this thing.

What happened? The purist would say that there wasn’t a coherent enough training environment in the ODP system for the US to develop the talent necessary to feed the national teams. And that the chaos of the regional club-based leagues, without a unitary, nation-wide governing body setting standards and curriculum, wasn’t working for the elite players. The cynics would say follow the ‘power’ and the money . . . To the mega-clubs and to expensive league organizations.

Best example of the $$$$$$ Is The St James, which buys already high-level teams in volleyball, lax, soccer, you name it across the youth landscape and captures adult members for their health club and juice bar facilities in the process!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both of these leagues work for the super elite players from families with means but are horrible for the rest of girls playing soccer. ECNL just created Regional ECNL or ECNL, which means that the B teams from clubs like FCV, Bethesda, and MUFC will no longer play in state cup and against other local teams. The top non-ECNL/DA teams are increasingly unable to play the ECNL/DA teams in tournaments. College coaches don't even bother with no-ECNL/DA showcases. Where does that leave girls that are strong enough to play ECNL/DA but for financial reasons, can't join a team.

I dunno. My DD plays ECNL and loves it. Yes, the travel is over the top. Yes, it's political. Yes, it is expensive. Just like life in alot of respects. But the alternative is quite a bit worse currently.

All sports change, leagues rise and fall. ODP and State Cup's are gone for better or worse. Next year there will be more change. I might not like it, but I accept it.

ECNL Regional is NOT ECNL. They do not play the same clubs, they do not play the same schedule. They literally replaced the words NPL with ECNL Regional. There is no difference.

If you didn't complain about VA NPL then you should have no complaint now either.

The ECNL regional teams in the Northeast division play all the exact same teams as the ECNL teams....same fields, same weekend, etc etc. So you couldnt be more wrong.

Unless you are speaking of VIRGINIA ONLY.

I am speaking of Virginia only and as far as the North East ECNL regional these are still NPL clubs. ECNL and NPL are US Club soccer. The player cards are transferable so most ECNL club's B teams are NPL anyways.

ECNL regional is simply not the same as ECNL. The ECNL showcase schedule does not apply to the Regional teams. ECNL Regional are mostly B teams of ECNL clubs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both of these leagues work for the super elite players from families with means but are horrible for the rest of girls playing soccer. ECNL just created Regional ECNL or ECNL, which means that the B teams from clubs like FCV, Bethesda, and MUFC will no longer play in state cup and against other local teams. The top non-ECNL/DA teams are increasingly unable to play the ECNL/DA teams in tournaments. College coaches don't even bother with no-ECNL/DA showcases. Where does that leave girls that are strong enough to play ECNL/DA but for financial reasons, can't join a team.

I dunno. My DD plays ECNL and loves it. Yes, the travel is over the top. Yes, it's political. Yes, it is expensive. Just like life in alot of respects. But the alternative is quite a bit worse currently.

All sports change, leagues rise and fall. ODP and State Cup's are gone for better or worse. Next year there will be more change. I might not like it, but I accept it.

ECNL Regional is NOT ECNL. They do not play the same clubs, they do not play the same schedule. They literally replaced the words NPL with ECNL Regional. There is no difference.

If you didn't complain about VA NPL then you should have no complaint now either.

The ECNL regional teams in the Northeast division play all the exact same teams as the ECNL teams....same fields, same weekend, etc etc. So you couldnt be more wrong.

Unless you are speaking of VIRGINIA ONLY.

Anonymous wrote:Both of these leagues work for the super elite players from families with means but are horrible for the rest of girls playing soccer. ECNL just created Regional ECNL or ECNL, which means that the B teams from clubs like FCV, Bethesda, and MUFC will no longer play in state cup and against other local teams. The top non-ECNL/DA teams are increasingly unable to play the ECNL/DA teams in tournaments. College coaches don't even bother with no-ECNL/DA showcases. Where does that leave girls that are strong enough to play ECNL/DA but for financial reasons, can't join a team.

Both leagues and clubs have resources.

1) Non-full time players, PT or DP can play locally, or get a ride from another player for a farther game.

2) Club scholarships exist

3) If the conversation devolves into family/guardians can't get them there- so no rides, carpools don't exist, or traffic can turn into a hr drive that's not possible, then you are on your own.

I've seen financial reasons mitigated when the player (family) talks to the club and they are good enough to play.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both of these leagues work for the super elite players from families with means but are horrible for the rest of girls playing soccer. ECNL just created Regional ECNL or ECNL, which means that the B teams from clubs like FCV, Bethesda, and MUFC will no longer play in state cup and against other local teams. The top non-ECNL/DA teams are increasingly unable to play the ECNL/DA teams in tournaments. College coaches don't even bother with no-ECNL/DA showcases. Where does that leave girls that are strong enough to play ECNL/DA but for financial reasons, can't join a team.

I dunno. My DD plays ECNL and loves it. Yes, the travel is over the top. Yes, it's political. Yes, it is expensive. Just like life in alot of respects. But the alternative is quite a bit worse currently.

All sports change, leagues rise and fall. ODP and State Cup's are gone for better or worse. Next year there will be more change. I might not like it, but I accept it.

ECNL Regional is NOT ECNL. They do not play the same clubs, they do not play the same schedule. They literally replaced the words NPL with ECNL Regional. There is no difference.

If you didn't complain about VA NPL then you should have no complaint now either.

Anonymous wrote:It’s true. I do not know how the parents. U12 girls traveling 4-5 hours one way for a league game kind of sucks. I have seen a lot of talented kids drop because of the demands(both financially and travel time).

ECNL Regional is NPL. Nothing more.

Anonymous wrote:Both of these leagues work for the super elite players from families with means but are horrible for the rest of girls playing soccer. ECNL just created Regional ECNL or ECNL, which means that the B teams from clubs like FCV, Bethesda, and MUFC will no longer play in state cup and against other local teams. The top non-ECNL/DA teams are increasingly unable to play the ECNL/DA teams in tournaments. College coaches don't even bother with no-ECNL/DA showcases. Where does that leave girls that are strong enough to play ECNL/DA but for financial reasons, can't join a team.

I dunno. My DD plays ECNL and loves it. Yes, the travel is over the top. Yes, it's political. Yes, it is expensive. Just like life in alot of respects. But the alternative is quite a bit worse currently.

All sports change, leagues rise and fall. ODP and State Cup's are gone for better or worse. Next year there will be more change. I might not like it, but I accept it.

Anonymous wrote:Both of these leagues work for the super elite players from families with means but are horrible for the rest of girls playing soccer. ECNL just created Regional ECNL or ECNL, which means that the B teams from clubs like FCV, Bethesda, and MUFC will no longer play in state cup and against other local teams. The top non-ECNL/DA teams are increasingly unable to play the ECNL/DA teams in tournaments. College coaches don't even bother with no-ECNL/DA showcases. Where does that leave girls that are strong enough to play ECNL/DA but for financial reasons, can't join a team.

Everything in life is a choice.

It’s true. I do not know how the parents. U12 girls traveling 4-5 hours one way for a league game kind of sucks. I have seen a lot of talented kids drop because of the demands(both financially and travel time).

Anonymous wrote:Both of these leagues work for the super elite players from families with means but are horrible for the rest of girls playing soccer. ECNL just created Regional ECNL or ECNL, which means that the B teams from clubs like FCV, Bethesda, and MUFC will no longer play in state cup and against other local teams. The top non-ECNL/DA teams are increasingly unable to play the ECNL/DA teams in tournaments. College coaches don't even bother with no-ECNL/DA showcases. Where does that leave girls that are strong enough to play ECNL/DA but for financial reasons, can't join a team.

ECNL Regional is simply rebranded NPL. There really is no difference other than the ability to earn ones way into the lowest level ECNL showcase.

Nothing is preventing ECNL Regional teams from playing in State Cup.

Overreacting

????

Both of these leagues work for the super elite players from families with means but are horrible for the rest of girls playing soccer. ECNL just created Regional ECNL or ECNL, which means that the B teams from clubs like FCV, Bethesda, and MUFC will no longer play in state cup and against other local teams. The top non-ECNL/DA teams are increasingly unable to play the ECNL/DA teams in tournaments. College coaches don't even bother with no-ECNL/DA showcases. Where does that leave girls that are strong enough to play ECNL/DA but for financial reasons, can't join a team.