Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 20:33     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did Arlington change how they are doing ECNL tryouts for rising U13? At one point their website said there were ID sessions for players outside the club, with a posted schedule that obviously has to change with the weather. Now there's this whole description about who can come to ECNL tryouts and it doesn't include players outside their club. But it says RL tryouts are open with a schedule TBA. So are they saying they aren't looking for anyone outside the club now/have already made offers to who they want from outside? VDA and FVU have both communicated about changes to their tryout schedule, but nothing from Arlington.


Arlington emailed those who registered through playmetrics a few hours ago.


What was the email
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 20:23     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:Did Arlington change how they are doing ECNL tryouts for rising U13? At one point their website said there were ID sessions for players outside the club, with a posted schedule that obviously has to change with the weather. Now there's this whole description about who can come to ECNL tryouts and it doesn't include players outside their club. But it says RL tryouts are open with a schedule TBA. So are they saying they aren't looking for anyone outside the club now/have already made offers to who they want from outside? VDA and FVU have both communicated about changes to their tryout schedule, but nothing from Arlington.


Arlington emailed those who registered through playmetrics a few hours ago.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 19:47     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:VDA is run by very petty and childish people so this is no surprise.


Can you tell us more?
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 19:39     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Did Arlington change how they are doing ECNL tryouts for rising U13? At one point their website said there were ID sessions for players outside the club, with a posted schedule that obviously has to change with the weather. Now there's this whole description about who can come to ECNL tryouts and it doesn't include players outside their club. But it says RL tryouts are open with a schedule TBA. So are they saying they aren't looking for anyone outside the club now/have already made offers to who they want from outside? VDA and FVU have both communicated about changes to their tryout schedule, but nothing from Arlington.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 19:05     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Arlington and VDA are moving quickly


I call bullshit. Arlington is known for moving quickly so it doesn’t lose top talent. Not so much for VDA.


You have no idea what's going on with VDA and Arlington.


Arlington and VDA both have made offers to top players in all age groups. If you didn't get an offer, I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket.


Not Arlington and not VDA. Vda has made offers to outside players though.


What age group?
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 18:51     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Arlington and VDA are moving quickly


I call bullshit. Arlington is known for moving quickly so it doesn’t lose top talent. Not so much for VDA.


You have no idea what's going on with VDA and Arlington.


Arlington and VDA both have made offers to top players in all age groups. If you didn't get an offer, I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket.


Not Arlington and not VDA. Vda has made offers to outside players though.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 18:28     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

VDA is run by very petty and childish people so this is no surprise.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 17:57     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Arlington and VDA are moving quickly


I call bullshit. Arlington is known for moving quickly so it doesn’t lose top talent. Not so much for VDA.


Offers for VDA girls have definitely been made (to outside players) and accepted already.


Offers to outside players before tryouts? What age group and where did you get that from ?


Confirmed. Vda has been soft recruiting all year.


What age group? Girls or boys ?
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 17:56     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Arlington and VDA are moving quickly


I call bullshit. Arlington is known for moving quickly so it doesn’t lose top talent. Not so much for VDA.


Offers for VDA girls have definitely been made (to outside players) and accepted already.


Offers to outside players before tryouts? What age group and where did you get that from ?


Confirmed. Vda has been soft recruiting all year.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 17:53     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Arlington and VDA are moving quickly


I call bullshit. Arlington is known for moving quickly so it doesn’t lose top talent. Not so much for VDA.


Offers for VDA girls have definitely been made (to outside players) and accepted already.


Offers to outside players before tryouts? What age group and where did you get that from ?
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 16:08     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Arlington and VDA are moving quickly


I call bullshit. Arlington is known for moving quickly so it doesn’t lose top talent. Not so much for VDA.


Offers for VDA girls have definitely been made (to outside players) and accepted already.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 11:21     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:FWIW. My DS is on the top team at Arlington and we haven't heard anything nor have we heard of anyone else getting an offer. Also, I have no reason to believe that he won't stay on the top team. I say all that to say, maybe some of this chatter is age and/or gender specific.


You may be on top team but that doesn't mean your coach thinks you are a top player.


Lol And you may post on an anonymous chat board but that doesn't mean you know me, my kid, my intentions or your a$$hole from a hole in the wall. All I'm suggesting here, friend, is that not hearing about offers at this stage should not necessarily be of concern. That was my point. I'm not concerned. I'd ask you if you are but I truly don't care.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 08:51     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Arlington’s specifically says ID sessions are for players outside the club



They mean the lower players, not the existing ECNL players. They don't let RL players who want to try and compete for a spot come.


What? They won't let their own RL players come tryout for a spot on the ecnl team?


No, Arlington does not allow this. I thought it was normal. Do other clubs?


It is a Crap Move. Bigger clubs do this. Even if they did let them tryout, they won't make it. They typically only attract new players from other clubs by offering them sports on the 1st team. It happens all the time. Clubs pigeonhole 2nd team players and peg them as such. Over the years, we have seen 1 kid move up internally from the 2nd team, while 8 kids have transferred into the 1st team over a 3 year period.


In the ECNL world, if a coach truly wants a player on their team, they make it happen—especially if that player is already in their building. If you’ve been "training up" for a full season with no movement, the club has likely made its decision, and it is simply protecting its RL roster/revenue.


This. ID sessions is not try outs. Coaches already know who they have and where they rank. They know who they will cut and who they will cut if someone better showed up. They will take people from the ID sessions and they know where to slot them.

The idea that an afternoon will change a year or more of observations is nuts. Also for RL, if there was an RL player that was even close, that person would have been invited to practices multiple times. Also that person would have guested for the Ecnl team when there were injuries or players were not available. The coaches know the RL players that can make the team. An afternoon is not going to change that.


Don’t waste your time on a third ID session if the offer hasn't come yet. By that point, you aren't a 'recruit' anymore—you're just 'numbers' for their drills. If they don't value the player enough to offer a spot after two looks, it's time to take your talent and your tuition elsewhere


I don’t think this is necessarily true. If the player is trying out for a position that is already well covered but the coach likes him / her, a third or fourth ID session could help determine if (a) you could compete for a starting position or (b) be flexible enough to help the team in a different position.

Too often parents (most of whom don’t know anything about soccer) make blanket statements that are just plan wrong.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 13:05     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

A mid top team player will likely get an offer eventually.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 13:00     Subject: ECNL ID Sessions - current players not attending

Anonymous wrote:FWIW. My DS is on the top team at Arlington and we haven't heard anything nor have we heard of anyone else getting an offer. Also, I have no reason to believe that he won't stay on the top team. I say all that to say, maybe some of this chatter is age and/or gender specific.


You may be on top team but that doesn't mean your coach thinks you are a top player.