Anonymous
Post 02/22/2026 17:32     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For larger clubs isn’t that when teams move to ECNL/GA?


Ding ding ding. This is the answer.

NCSL loses the most competitive teams at U13 because they move to ECNL, GA EDL or NAL.

3rd level teams suddenly become the top dogs by U14 in NCSL.

Doesn't this start at U-11 with pre-ecnl
Yes
Anonymous
Post 02/22/2026 16:31     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For larger clubs isn’t that when teams move to ECNL/GA?


Ding ding ding. This is the answer.

NCSL loses the most competitive teams at U13 because they move to ECNL, GA EDL or NAL.

3rd level teams suddenly become the top dogs by U14 in NCSL.

Doesn't this start at U-11 with pre-ecnl
Anonymous
Post 02/22/2026 10:25     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:I saw a clip of a podcast that talked about the decline in girls’ basketball participation in the last 20 years or so. They talked about multiple factors including the rise of other sports for girls, but one thing that stood out to me was the fact that pro leagues have stated to sort of push their way down into youth sports through partnerships/“pathways” and things like that. One might think that would lead to growth in a spot, but the host made the point that what it might actually be doing is making some girls think there’s no point in continuing if they are not on track to “make it” i.e. play on a top level team. I could see that being true for soccer as well. In the teen years there are many other things kids can do with their time. I think we used to think of sports as something you keep doing as long as you enjoy it, but we have now professionalized it to the point that some kids don’t see a value in doing it “for fun”. It’s a shame.


Great observation. When you dig into the actual data, it also looks like there are a lot of correlative exits from sports that aren’t necessarily negative. More kids than ever are college-bound and prioritizing academics, while hobbies, creative interests, and other passions increasingly become their “main thing.”

Even in widely cited reports like Project Play, the raw data and the coaching/industry interpretation don’t always perfectly align. Coaches and parents both tend to frame trends through their own lenses, and that part isn’t new. What is new is the sheer number of options kids have today. With more pathways available than ever, it makes sense that many choose to specialize in something else rather than simply “drop out” of sports.

Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 20:26     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:For larger clubs isn’t that when teams move to ECNL/GA?


Ding ding ding. This is the answer.

NCSL loses the most competitive teams at U13 because they move to ECNL, GA EDL or NAL.

3rd level teams suddenly become the top dogs by U14 in NCSL.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 15:14     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For larger clubs isn’t that when teams move to ECNL/GA?


Yep, that is the reason. You have RL and Aspire as well…


Again, forget specific leagues. The total # of teams drops drastically after 11v11. Talent coalesces, but you have huge rosters at different clubs. Even if the same # of kids participated there would be less teams. Now take into account kids pursuing other options, it really falls off a cliff at the lower levels.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 14:03     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:For larger clubs isn’t that when teams move to ECNL/GA?


Yep, that is the reason. You have RL and Aspire as well…
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 13:27     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There’s a crazy stat out there about most girls dropping out of organized sports by 12/13.


That’s the age rec sports end in most leagues. If you don’t have the time/money/desire for travel, your options are limited.


I think this is the answer.
Even in my own experience, I did dance until I was 13 and then there was nowhere to go other than a competitive team. My mom took one look at the time commitment and noped out—- she was not about to spend every weekend traveling with me. And this for a kid who badly wanted it! If your kid is meh on the whole process it becomes something easy to cut out.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 13:24     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:It is just the cream rises to the top. And if you want to be part of that cream and continue past U13 with bigger goals , you got to work harder with parent support and get to a top first team. Otherwise, it is better to drop and focus on other things. Playing in a second team or below past U13 is a waste of time unless the kid just wants to use sports to hang out with friends and have fun.


What an effed up take.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 13:16     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:Yes once their interests shifts from soccer to substances/s*x/boys/texting at this age they lose their focus.


This was exactly what happen at our Maryland club once they hit u14
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:03     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
They're in different leagues, but also keep in mind the rosters also get much bigger for 11v11. Maybe 3 teams go down to 2 etc.

11v11 is almost a different sport from u-little for kids especially those who might be on the more casual side.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 12:02     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It is just the cream rises to the top. And if you want to be part of that cream and continue past U13 with bigger goals , you got to work harder with parent support and get to a top first team. Otherwise, it is better to drop and focus on other things. Playing in a second team or below past U13 is a waste of time unless the kid just wants to use sports to hang out with friends and have fun.

What other reason would there be to play a sport? Notice the word “play”. We play a sport. Play=fun. A job is not fun. We don’t play a job we work a job. Work is not fun. What a strange comment to suggest we drop things that are for fun and play at 13 years old or any age really.


This language has permeated youth sports and is part of the problem. You hear parents saying their kid play sport A year round, and sport B “for fun”. Implying that sport A is some sort of job. Last I checked most of us are paying for our kids to play all of these sports not the other way around. It shouldn’t feel like a job unless or until you are being compensated in some way such as a scholarship or salary. If it feels like a job at the youth level, that’s a sign that a kid is likely to burn out before they even get the chance for the paid opportunities.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 11:57     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
I saw a clip of a podcast that talked about the decline in girls’ basketball participation in the last 20 years or so. They talked about multiple factors including the rise of other sports for girls, but one thing that stood out to me was the fact that pro leagues have stated to sort of push their way down into youth sports through partnerships/“pathways” and things like that. One might think that would lead to growth in a spot, but the host made the point that what it might actually be doing is making some girls think there’s no point in continuing if they are not on track to “make it” i.e. play on a top level team. I could see that being true for soccer as well. In the teen years there are many other things kids can do with their time. I think we used to think of sports as something you keep doing as long as you enjoy it, but we have now professionalized it to the point that some kids don’t see a value in doing it “for fun”. It’s a shame.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 09:21     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:Check EDP to round out your data.

NCSL is on life support.


EDP + ECNL + ECNL RL + GA + Aspire + RL

Those leagues all begin at U13. NCSL is mostly lower level teams from VA at that point
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 09:17     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Anonymous wrote:Yes once their interests shifts from soccer to substances/s*x/boys/texting at this age they lose their focus.


Working with this age group, most of them are not exploring sex and drugs. Self esteem takes a big hit at they hit puberty and become more self aware.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 08:51     Subject: Decline in female players past U13
Yes once their interests shifts from soccer to substances/s*x/boys/texting at this age they lose their focus.