If the boys' side works like the girls' side, then ECNL doesn't begin until U15, with U13 and U14 playing a modified pre-ECNL schedule that involves less travel. So no 8 year olds are going to NC to play an ECNL league game. The younger teams play in a league of their club's choice.

Also, it was my understanding that ECNL re-organized geographically to align regions based on when the high school season occurred. So for example, VA teams whose HS season is in the spring would play other ECNL clubs from states whose HS season is also in the spring. But I could be wrong. I know that's why our region no longer includes Ohio and Indiana like it did last year.

Anonymous wrote:There are so many teams in the DMV. As a parent, I find it hard to believe I need to drive to Wilmington, NC to find competiton. What is the point of joining ECNL other than HS play?

You are absolutely right, there are a number of teams in the DMV and you are free to have your kid play for any of them and not have to drive to NC for a league game.

Anonymous wrote:There are so many teams in the DMV. As a parent, I find it hard to believe I need to drive to Wilmington, NC to find competiton. What is the point of joining ECNL other than HS play?

Things would be much different if they really cared about how to best develop players...USSF should come in and set underlying rules on how to organize leagues to serve players instead of clubs.

So McLean is only going to be playing 7 other teams, with no pro/rel? Yea... I don’t care what you’ve been told or sold, that lack of competition will not make players better. You’ll be driving for several hours to the Carolinas just to have the “status”.

Anonymous wrote:There are so many teams in the DMV. As a parent, I find it hard to believe I need to drive to Wilmington, NC to find competiton. What is the point of joining ECNL other than HS play?

I agree. I also don’t see the point in a 2-hour drive one way to West Virginia for an 8–year old’s regular season game. 4 hours in the car for 60 min—with each kid playing 30 min.

ECNL is dividing up conferences the same way for girls and boys. The girls already drive to NC and don't play MD teams. Annoying.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got an email from McLean Youth Soccer that it has been accepted into the National ECNL league. MYS highlights that one key difference between ECNL and DA is the ability for the boys to play HS soccer. ECNL will be U12-U19 for the green teams. Others will continue with CCL and NCSL but all players will be eligible to guest-play on ECNL team...

Are any clubs in the area doing boys ECNL? who will they play against?

Thoughts?

Too much travel? Seems only BRYC and Maryland United are local.

http://www.boysecnl.com/2018/03/boys-ecnl-announces-new-mid-atlantic-conference-for-2018-2019-season/

Seems they will travel to North Carolina a lot.

BRYC Elite Academy*
Carolina Rapids
Carolina Elite Soccer Academy*
McLean YSA
North Carolina Fusion
North Carolina FC Youth
South Carolina United
Wilmington Hammerheads

Bizarre that they would not place BRYC / Mclean in same conference as MD United and the Baltimore team assuming they are still in ECNL. They need to figure this out better or Boys ECNL will flop.

There are so many teams in the DMV. As a parent, I find it hard to believe I need to drive to Wilmington, NC to find competiton. What is the point of joining ECNL other than HS play?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can't there just be one league? All these leagues are hurting soccer.

I agree. There should be one league with pro/rel. let the cream rise to the top.

Great, I'll great the league and every teams registration will be $1k per season with guaranteed 10% price increase. I won't be willing to adjust any schedules for any reason. If you don't like my attitude about it, go create your own league... oh that's exactly what happened...

Exactly the issue with NCSL. Not only that but the outdated way to report scores. Even ODSL uses an app that updates the score and standings right away.

I don't think anyone here cares if the current NCSL administrators administer this one league many of us want. Nor do we care if it's called NCSL. You can call it CCL for all we care, it just needs to be a local pro-rel league with the general league structure and general geographical reach of NCSL, open to any club that meets the basic field requirements and agrees to whatever player development values the league organizers think are important. Bring your fancy score reporting software if you want, and by all means have the administrators be customer friendly.

I believe one of the draws to CCL was that the travel coach could be at more of his team's games without having to travel hours across the DMV or use a secondary coach for his other teams.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can't there just be one league? All these leagues are hurting soccer.

I agree. There should be one league with pro/rel. let the cream rise to the top.

Great, I'll great the league and every teams registration will be $1k per season with guaranteed 10% price increase. I won't be willing to adjust any schedules for any reason. If you don't like my attitude about it, go create your own league... oh that's exactly what happened...

Exactly the issue with NCSL. Not only that but the outdated way to report scores. Even ODSL uses an app that updates the score and standings right away.

I don't think anyone here cares if the current NCSL administrators administer this one league many of us want. Nor do we care if it's called NCSL. You can call it CCL for all we care, it just needs to be a local pro-rel league with the general league structure and general geographical reach of NCSL, open to any club that meets the basic field requirements and agrees to whatever player development values the league organizers think are important. Bring your fancy score reporting software if you want, and by all means have the administrators be customer friendly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got an email from McLean Youth Soccer that it has been accepted into the National ECNL league. MYS highlights that one key difference between ECNL and DA is the ability for the boys to play HS soccer. ECNL will be U12-U19 for the green teams. Others will continue with CCL and NCSL but all players will be eligible to guest-play on ECNL team...

Are any clubs in the area doing boys ECNL? who will they play against?

Thoughts?

Here's the boys' club map for this year: http://www.boysecnl.com/conferences/
I assume they're adding clubs for next year.

New Mid-Atlantic division created:

http://www.boysecnl.com/2018/03/boys-ecnl-announces-new-mid-atlantic-conference-for-2018-2019-season/

Most team are in Carolina. Still far, not that much different than driving to PA, NJ or even NY

Could McLean actually see players leave the club after this move to either join a DA team or to avoid that frequent horrendous travel to the Carolinas?

Likely their CCL team, which would now be their 2nd team, will be much more competitive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got an email from McLean Youth Soccer that it has been accepted into the National ECNL league. MYS highlights that one key difference between ECNL and DA is the ability for the boys to play HS soccer. ECNL will be U12-U19 for the green teams. Others will continue with CCL and NCSL but all players will be eligible to guest-play on ECNL team...

Are any clubs in the area doing boys ECNL? who will they play against?

Thoughts?

Too much travel? Seems only BRYC and Maryland United are local.

http://www.boysecnl.com/2018/03/boys-ecnl-announces-new-mid-atlantic-conference-for-2018-2019-season/

Seems they will travel to North Carolina a lot.

BRYC Elite Academy*
Carolina Rapids
Carolina Elite Soccer Academy*
McLean YSA
North Carolina Fusion
North Carolina FC Youth
South Carolina United
Wilmington Hammerheads

Looks like a new rivalry will be created between McLean and BRYC. Arlington will no longer be McLean biggest rival.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got an email from McLean Youth Soccer that it has been accepted into the National ECNL league. MYS highlights that one key difference between ECNL and DA is the ability for the boys to play HS soccer. ECNL will be U12-U19 for the green teams. Others will continue with CCL and NCSL but all players will be eligible to guest-play on ECNL team...

Are any clubs in the area doing boys ECNL? who will they play against?

Thoughts?

Here's the boys' club map for this year: http://www.boysecnl.com/conferences/
I assume they're adding clubs for next year.

New Mid-Atlantic division created:

http://www.boysecnl.com/2018/03/boys-ecnl-announces-new-mid-atlantic-conference-for-2018-2019-season/

Most team are in Carolina. Still far, not that much different than driving to PA, NJ or even NY

Could McLean actually see players leave the club after this move to either join a DA team or to avoid that frequent horrendous travel to the Carolinas?

^^^What happened to the school spirit fostered by playing for your HS team? Is that a totally dead sentiment? Plus, boys who want to play other sports??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got an email from McLean Youth Soccer that it has been accepted into the National ECNL league. MYS highlights that one key difference between ECNL and DA is the ability for the boys to play HS soccer. ECNL will be U12-U19 for the green teams. Others will continue with CCL and NCSL but all players will be eligible to guest-play on ECNL team...

Are any clubs in the area doing boys ECNL? who will they play against?

Thoughts?

Here's the boys' club map for this year: http://www.boysecnl.com/conferences/
I assume they're adding clubs for next year.

New Mid-Atlantic division created:

http://www.boysecnl.com/2018/03/boys-ecnl-announces-new-mid-atlantic-conference-for-2018-2019-season/

Most team are in Carolina. Still far, not that much different than driving to PA, NJ or even NY

Would have had made sense to also include the MD teams as well since MD is part of the Mid-Atlantic.

The explanation from McLean seems to be centered around allowing boys to play HS soccer as most of the games are during the fall and HS games are in the Spring. I thought and I've heard from reputable coaches that the better players are better served sticking to Travel only and not having HS negatively impact their ability to play travel