Anonymous
10/29/2025 09:07
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would never recommend an MLS Next Academy to any player that genuinely wants to play professionally at a very high level (eg, La Liga, EPL, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, etc.).
I would focus 100% on developing your game individually and attending as many ID sessions (for Europe) and elite camps led and owned by the European clubs.
The coaches are bad, the evaluators are poor, and the way they play is horrific. Plain and simple: our system is littered mostly with people that don’t know anything about the sport (or at least not at a high level).
If your focus is playing division 1 maybe that is okay.
If you are posting stuff like this, why don’t you specify how to develop individually and which Euro ID sessions are authentic and not trying to make money off gullible US parents? It’s so unhelpful to say all coaching sucks in the U.S. without providing concrete, realistic advice. All the more unhelpful when you need dual passports to even make euro a possibility.
I don’t disagree that many clubs don’t know how to develop or coach but there are certainly a few clubs that can and have had success sending players off abroad or at least made them competitive once there.
I am saying the vast majority of then are poor. There are outstanding coaches and clubs, but they are a small minority, unfortunately.
There are several European clubs that host ID camps that seem to be good. The best ones provide written feedback and evaluation to go along with a virtual session to go over the evaluation. Some even have virtual sessions before the camps where they specifically tell the players what they’re looking for.
A very easy way to see if an ID camp is good is its track record of placing players in professional academies or first or second divisions.
I am familiar with one (Serie A Elite) that has placed multiple players at the professional level, but this only happened after the players moved to Italy and spent a year or more training and playing matches there. They offer full scholarships (inclusive of housing) to the top players, so the expenses the players have to cover is relatively low.[/quote]
And what would be even more helpful is sharing where these players who moved to Italy trained and played in the US.
I only know these details of one player. He was a goalkeeper that didn’t play ECNL or MLS Next. Maybe the other good league for boys. I really don’t know.
My son actually got a full scholarship offer to this Serie A program. He was supposed to start this coming January after he turns 15. The education is poor in our opinion, so we declined it.
At his ID camp there were a lot of MLS Next players. The MLS Next players we know did not get scholarship offers.
Anonymous
10/29/2025 00:06
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leagues letters come and go. The clubs are interacting with kids daily. National leagues are actually local 95% of time. A few big p2p clubs’ owners sitting together could make mlsn irrelevant
Also add a little more.
I have an older and a younger playing. This summer we went to a big boys/girls tournament. Every MLS club had what seemed like 5-6 youngers boys teams at every age. The ECNL clubs had 1 maybe 2 boys teams per age group. It wasnt like this six years ago when my oldest was a little.
I just dont see a situation where boys ECNL can end around MLS.
I think theres just a lot of girl dad ECNL cheerleaders that like to comment online about MLS + girls ECNL is all they know.
What you noticed is completely accurate when it comes to littles boys. They all tend to flock to the MLS Next clubs when young. Honestly MLS should just create its own regional littles league for boys and stop playing nice.
All those big mls next clubs are pushing for SY, because they have 10 other teams per age group including boys and girls to manage and coordinate other all other letter leagues
100 on this. Those big P2P MLSN clubs will want to align with SY. Their 95% players are SY and tournaments are big hassle too. No money incentive for their MLS1 team to stay in BY alone.
Absolutely right, and everyone that denies it simply doesn’t know how P2P clubs are self organized.
Give me a break, and get off your soapbox.
This an adult conversation, only grown ups should be up. Tomorrow go to school to learn, kiddo.
Anonymous
10/28/2025 23:52
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leagues letters come and go. The clubs are interacting with kids daily. National leagues are actually local 95% of time. A few big p2p clubs’ owners sitting together could make mlsn irrelevant
Also add a little more.
I have an older and a younger playing. This summer we went to a big boys/girls tournament. Every MLS club had what seemed like 5-6 youngers boys teams at every age. The ECNL clubs had 1 maybe 2 boys teams per age group. It wasnt like this six years ago when my oldest was a little.
I just dont see a situation where boys ECNL can end around MLS.
I think theres just a lot of girl dad ECNL cheerleaders that like to comment online about MLS + girls ECNL is all they know.
What you noticed is completely accurate when it comes to littles boys. They all tend to flock to the MLS Next clubs when young. Honestly MLS should just create its own regional littles league for boys and stop playing nice.
All those big mls next clubs are pushing for SY, because they have 10 other teams per age group including boys and girls to manage and coordinate other all other letter leagues
100 on this. Those big P2P MLSN clubs will want to align with SY. Their 95% players are SY and tournaments are big hassle too. No money incentive for their MLS1 team to stay in BY alone.
Absolutely right, and everyone that denies it simply doesn’t know how P2P clubs are self organized.
Give me a break, and get off your soapbox.
Anonymous
10/28/2025 18:25
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leagues letters come and go. The clubs are interacting with kids daily. National leagues are actually local 95% of time. A few big p2p clubs’ owners sitting together could make mlsn irrelevant
Also add a little more.
I have an older and a younger playing. This summer we went to a big boys/girls tournament. Every MLS club had what seemed like 5-6 youngers boys teams at every age. The ECNL clubs had 1 maybe 2 boys teams per age group. It wasnt like this six years ago when my oldest was a little.
I just dont see a situation where boys ECNL can end around MLS.
I think theres just a lot of girl dad ECNL cheerleaders that like to comment online about MLS + girls ECNL is all they know.
What you noticed is completely accurate when it comes to littles boys. They all tend to flock to the MLS Next clubs when young. Honestly MLS should just create its own regional littles league for boys and stop playing nice.
All those big mls next clubs are pushing for SY, because they have 10 other teams per age group including boys and girls to manage and coordinate other all other letter leagues
100 on this. Those big P2P MLSN clubs will want to align with SY. Their 95% players are SY and tournaments are big hassle too. No money incentive for their MLS1 team to stay in BY alone.
Absolutely right, and everyone that denies it simply doesn’t know how P2P clubs are self organized.
Anonymous
10/28/2025 16:28
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would never recommend an MLS Next Academy to any player that genuinely wants to play professionally at a very high level (eg, La Liga, EPL, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, etc.).
I would focus 100% on developing your game individually and attending as many ID sessions (for Europe) and elite camps led and owned by the European clubs.
The coaches are bad, the evaluators are poor, and the way they play is horrific. Plain and simple: our system is littered mostly with people that don’t know anything about the sport (or at least not at a high level).
If your focus is playing division 1 maybe that is okay.
If you are posting stuff like this, why don’t you specify how to develop individually and which Euro ID sessions are authentic and not trying to make money off gullible US parents? It’s so unhelpful to say all coaching sucks in the U.S. without providing concrete, realistic advice. All the more unhelpful when you need dual passports to even make euro a possibility.
I don’t disagree that many clubs don’t know how to develop or coach but there are certainly a few clubs that can and have had success sending players off abroad or at least made them competitive once there.
I am saying the vast majority of then are poor. There are outstanding coaches and clubs, but they are a small minority, unfortunately.
There are several European clubs that host ID camps that seem to be good. The best ones provide written feedback and evaluation to go along with a virtual session to go over the evaluation. Some even have virtual sessions before the camps where they specifically tell the players what they’re looking for.
A very easy way to see if an ID camp is good is its track record of placing players in professional academies or first or second divisions.
I am familiar with one (Serie A Elite) that has placed multiple players at the professional level, but this only happened after the players moved to Italy and spent a year or more training and playing matches there. They offer full scholarships (inclusive of housing) to the top players, so the expenses the players have to cover is relatively low.[/quote]
And what would be even more helpful is sharing where these players who moved to Italy trained and played in the US.
Anonymous
10/28/2025 16:26
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would never recommend an MLS Next Academy to any player that genuinely wants to play professionally at a very high level (eg, La Liga, EPL, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, etc.).
I would focus 100% on developing your game individually and attending as many ID sessions (for Europe) and elite camps led and owned by the European clubs.
The coaches are bad, the evaluators are poor, and the way they play is horrific. Plain and simple: our system is littered mostly with people that don’t know anything about the sport (or at least not at a high level).
If your focus is playing division 1 maybe that is okay.
If you are posting stuff like this, why don’t you specify how to develop individually and which Euro ID sessions are authentic and not trying to make money off gullible US parents? It’s so unhelpful to say all coaching sucks in the U.S. without providing concrete, realistic advice. All the more unhelpful when you need dual passports to even make euro a possibility.
I don’t disagree that many clubs don’t know how to develop or coach but there are certainly a few clubs that can and have had success sending players off abroad or at least made them competitive once there.
I am saying the vast majority of then are poor. There are outstanding coaches and clubs, but they are a small minority, unfortunately.
There are several European clubs that host ID camps that seem to be good. The best ones provide written feedback and evaluation to go along with a virtual session to go over the evaluation. Some even have virtual sessions before the camps where they specifically tell the players what they’re looking for.
A very easy way to see if an ID camp is good is its track record of placing players in professional academies or first or second divisions.
I am familiar with one (Serie A Elite) that has placed multiple players at the professional level, but this only happened after the players moved to Italy and spent a year or more training and playing matches there. They offer full scholarships (inclusive of housing) to the top players, so the expenses the players have to cover is relatively low.
Just to add that you don’t need a European passport to qualify for the Seria A scholarship.
I am originally from Latin America, so I could get a Spanish passport relatively easily. When my son has been in camps we always tell them we can get a passport relatively quickly.
Anonymous
10/28/2025 16:22
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I would never recommend an MLS Next Academy to any player that genuinely wants to play professionally at a very high level (eg, La Liga, EPL, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, etc.).
I would focus 100% on developing your game individually and attending as many ID sessions (for Europe) and elite camps led and owned by the European clubs.
The coaches are bad, the evaluators are poor, and the way they play is horrific. Plain and simple: our system is littered mostly with people that don’t know anything about the sport (or at least not at a high level).
If your focus is playing division 1 maybe that is okay.
If you are posting stuff like this, why don’t you specify how to develop individually and which Euro ID sessions are authentic and not trying to make money off gullible US parents? It’s so unhelpful to say all coaching sucks in the U.S. without providing concrete, realistic advice. All the more unhelpful when you need dual passports to even make euro a possibility.
I don’t disagree that many clubs don’t know how to develop or coach but there are certainly a few clubs that can and have had success sending players off abroad or at least made them competitive once there.
I am saying the vast majority of then are poor. There are outstanding coaches and clubs, but they are a small minority, unfortunately.
There are several European clubs that host ID camps that seem to be good. The best ones provide written feedback and evaluation to go along with a virtual session to go over the evaluation. Some even have virtual sessions before the camps where they specifically tell the players what they’re looking for.
A very easy way to see if an ID camp is good is its track record of placing players in professional academies or first or second divisions.
I am familiar with one (Serie A Elite) that has placed multiple players at the professional level, but this only happened after the players moved to Italy and spent a year or more training and playing matches there. They offer full scholarships (inclusive of housing) to the top players, so the expenses the players have to cover is relatively low.
Anonymous
10/28/2025 15:34
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leagues letters come and go. The clubs are interacting with kids daily. National leagues are actually local 95% of time. A few big p2p clubs’ owners sitting together could make mlsn irrelevant
Also add a little more.
I have an older and a younger playing. This summer we went to a big boys/girls tournament. Every MLS club had what seemed like 5-6 youngers boys teams at every age. The ECNL clubs had 1 maybe 2 boys teams per age group. It wasnt like this six years ago when my oldest was a little.
I just dont see a situation where boys ECNL can end around MLS.
I think theres just a lot of girl dad ECNL cheerleaders that like to comment online about MLS + girls ECNL is all they know.
What you noticed is completely accurate when it comes to littles boys. They all tend to flock to the MLS Next clubs when young. Honestly MLS should just create its own regional littles league for boys and stop playing nice.
All those big mls next clubs are pushing for SY, because they have 10 other teams per age group including boys and girls to manage and coordinate other all other letter leagues
So easier to manage is better than more teams,? (because of the MLS association)
Anonymous
10/28/2025 15:14
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:MLS Next age brackets are still undecided.
I work for a club from Madison/Milwaukee area, we’ve got MLS Next AD and HG teams at North and Mid America divisions.
We talked on last Thursday with our regional MLS Next representative. He confirmed to us they are still debating, pros and cons.
Clubs are pushing to align AD and HG age cutoffs, otherwise it’d be very difficult for us to organize the rosters and feeders from younger teams, below U13s.
Again: it’s still undecided.
Did they give any indication of when the decision would be made?
No indication at all.
Regional representatives are gathering input from p2p clubs like us.
I believe there is a conflict of interests between MLS academies (they prefer BY) and we MLS Next p2p clubs (we push for SY).
Do you think it’s likely MLS Academies stay BY and MLS P2P clubs change to SY?
Yes
But to add a little more.
There are a few non MLS Homegrown clubs that hold their own against them. It will be interesting to aee how theae clubs end up BY or SY. If they stay BY its essentially saying that Homegrown is its own league. But Even with BY and SY the Homegrown teams would just play up 6 months against MLS P2P clubs so its not that big of a deal.
So this isn’t the guy who says he works for an mlsn club responding? You’ve got your terminology mixed up. There are mls elite academies, mls homegrown/mlsn1, and mls academy division/mlsn2.
No, I’m a different guy.
Anonymous
10/28/2025 15:14
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:I would never recommend an MLS Next Academy to any player that genuinely wants to play professionally at a very high level (eg, La Liga, EPL, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, etc.).
I would focus 100% on developing your game individually and attending as many ID sessions (for Europe) and elite camps led and owned by the European clubs.
The coaches are bad, the evaluators are poor, and the way they play is horrific. Plain and simple: our system is littered mostly with people that don’t know anything about the sport (or at least not at a high level).
If your focus is playing division 1 maybe that is okay.
If you are posting stuff like this, why don’t you specify how to develop individually and which Euro ID sessions are authentic and not trying to make money off gullible US parents? It’s so unhelpful to say all coaching sucks in the U.S. without providing concrete, realistic advice. All the more unhelpful when you need dual passports to even make euro a possibility.
I don’t disagree that many clubs don’t know how to develop or coach but there are certainly a few clubs that can and have had success sending players off abroad or at least made them competitive once there.
Anonymous
10/28/2025 15:06
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leagues letters come and go. The clubs are interacting with kids daily. National leagues are actually local 95% of time. A few big p2p clubs’ owners sitting together could make mlsn irrelevant
Also add a little more.
I have an older and a younger playing. This summer we went to a big boys/girls tournament. Every MLS club had what seemed like 5-6 youngers boys teams at every age. The ECNL clubs had 1 maybe 2 boys teams per age group. It wasnt like this six years ago when my oldest was a little.
I just dont see a situation where boys ECNL can end around MLS.
I think theres just a lot of girl dad ECNL cheerleaders that like to comment online about MLS + girls ECNL is all they know.
What you noticed is completely accurate when it comes to littles boys. They all tend to flock to the MLS Next clubs when young. Honestly MLS should just create its own regional littles league for boys and stop playing nice.
All those big mls next clubs are pushing for SY, because they have 10 other teams per age group including boys and girls to manage and coordinate other all other letter leagues
100 on this. Those big P2P MLSN clubs will want to align with SY. Their 95% players are SY and tournaments are big hassle too. No money incentive for their MLS1 team to stay in BY alone.
Anonymous
10/28/2025 15:02
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leagues letters come and go. The clubs are interacting with kids daily. National leagues are actually local 95% of time. A few big p2p clubs’ owners sitting together could make mlsn irrelevant
Also add a little more.
I have an older and a younger playing. This summer we went to a big boys/girls tournament. Every MLS club had what seemed like 5-6 youngers boys teams at every age. The ECNL clubs had 1 maybe 2 boys teams per age group. It wasnt like this six years ago when my oldest was a little.
I just dont see a situation where boys ECNL can end around MLS.
I think theres just a lot of girl dad ECNL cheerleaders that like to comment online about MLS + girls ECNL is all they know.
What you noticed is completely accurate when it comes to littles boys. They all tend to flock to the MLS Next clubs when young. Honestly MLS should just create its own regional littles league for boys and stop playing nice.
All those big mls next clubs are pushing for SY, because they have 10 other teams per age group including boys and girls to manage and coordinate other all other letter leagues
Anonymous
10/28/2025 14:44
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
I would never recommend an MLS Next Academy to any player that genuinely wants to play professionally at a very high level (eg, La Liga, EPL, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, etc.).
I would focus 100% on developing your game individually and attending as many ID sessions (for Europe) and elite camps led and owned by the European clubs.
The coaches are bad, the evaluators are poor, and the way they play is horrific. Plain and simple: our system is littered mostly with people that don’t know anything about the sport (or at least not at a high level).
If your focus is playing division 1 maybe that is okay.
I would focus 100% on developing your game individually and attending as many ID sessions (for Europe) and elite camps led and owned by the European clubs.
The coaches are bad, the evaluators are poor, and the way they play is horrific. Plain and simple: our system is littered mostly with people that don’t know anything about the sport (or at least not at a high level).
If your focus is playing division 1 maybe that is okay.
Anonymous
10/28/2025 13:18
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
and the final year and the first year and they never play with their actual pier group....
Anonymous
10/28/2025 13:14
Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2
Trapped players only have issues in 8th grade with HS soccer and Freshman/Sophmore year with recruiting.
BY or SY makes no difference ar the youngers ages.
BY or SY makes no difference ar the youngers ages.