Anonymous
Post 01/11/2025 14:34     Subject: MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 20:44     Subject: Re:MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do you know why it works for EDP because most of those kids don’t care about winning or losing. They just there to be with friends play somewhat competitive games tournaments and they aren’t good enough to play in higher levels for the most part.

Ask those kids on higher level teams in higher level leagues if they would stay on demoted team. They wouldn’t.
So, parents leave teams because the team is not good enough in search of a higher-level team that satisfies their ego? That is not merit-based. That is pure "Pay to Play" and why the DCUM crowd is being pushed out of the DMV soccer landscape. That mentality is the most American, "this is why we suck as soccer," thing I have heard. No wonder this area does not produce talent!

We were in EDP 1 and played against Bethesda I, Potomac I, Alexandria I, Armor, SYC II and Coppermine II in EDP because we are young before this MLS Next hoopla will start. I will tell you that the pro/rel helps to level out the playing field to prevent 10-0 outcomes because it is hard to gauge the talent of the teams until they actually play.

We have been approached by Bethesda, Alexandria and Arlington already about their "pre-MLS Next" programs already. While parents on this forum poke out their chest about being on first team BSC, ASA, etc., those same clubs are drooling over the kids who kept their heads down, train on their own for 2+ hours a day and develop over time. 70% of the local kids will drop out at age 14 because of DCUM parents focused on leagues, titles, etc. and throw temper tantrums when they are relegated or don't make first team. Those kids are surpassed by kids on 2nd and 3rd teams or playing in EDP, NCSL or MLS Next 2 or whatever situation that allowed those kids to develop.
Your journey just started if you have about a 9 year old/around 4th grader and have a few years before you even hit 11v11. Buckle up for the youth soccer ride over the next decade if you make it. It is bumby and can induce vomiting. Your take on the scene is going to evolve as you go through the sausage grinder.
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 20:34     Subject: Re:MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:Do you know why it works for EDP because most of those kids don’t care about winning or losing. They just there to be with friends play somewhat competitive games tournaments and they aren’t good enough to play in higher levels for the most part.

Ask those kids on higher level teams in higher level leagues if they would stay on demoted team. They wouldn’t.


So, parents leave teams because the team is not good enough in search of a higher-level team that satisfies their ego? That is not merit-based. That is pure "Pay to Play" and why the DCUM crowd is being pushed out of the DMV soccer landscape. That mentality is the most American, "this is why we suck as soccer," thing I have heard. No wonder this area does not produce talent!

We were in EDP 1 and played against Bethesda I, Potomac I, Alexandria I, Armor, SYC II and Coppermine II in EDP because we are young before this MLS Next hoopla will start. I will tell you that the pro/rel helps to level out the playing field to prevent 10-0 outcomes because it is hard to gauge the talent of the teams until they actually play.

We have been approached by Bethesda, Alexandria and Arlington already about their "pre-MLS Next" programs already. While parents on this forum poke out their chest about being on first team BSC, ASA, etc., those same clubs are drooling over the kids who kept their heads down, train on their own for 2+ hours a day and develop over time. 70% of the local kids will drop out at age 14 because of DCUM parents focused on leagues, titles, etc. and throw temper tantrums when they are relegated or don't make first team. Those kids are surpassed by kids on 2nd and 3rd teams or playing in EDP, NCSL or MLS Next 2 or whatever situation that allowed those kids to develop.
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 20:13     Subject: MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Pro/Rel is not useful in youth soccer where the player rosters change so much from season to season. Last year’s roster may be substantially different. It will just encourage bad behaviors.

I’m not sure what problem pro/rel is meant to solve? Having too many lopsided games? There are always going to be teams at top and bottom of the table.


it solves league jumping by clubs and helps to solve player jumping following league jumps. If you know that a team will be at a certain level and will only move up or down based on performance, you have more stability

No it doesn't.

If a club or team is relegated often they jump to a different league.

If a club or team is relegated all the players will leave that club or team and find other places to play.

These are the primary reasons leagues won't implement pro/rel.


Yet it works just fine for EDP and NCSL. Clubs won't implement it because league affiliation is marketing and that's what matters to them. They would rather a team get blown out every game in an elite league than compete in an appropriate league

It works fine for EDP and NCSL because they have multiple divisions. If a team is relegated in NCSL they are still in NCSL. Nothing changes for the team’s experience
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 19:04     Subject: MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kids play in NCSL for a small club. Our director was telling us about this and how they might switch the club to MLS Next. I had no clue what he was talking about, but now it makes sense. Will be interesting how it pans out.


NCSL to MLSNext is wild. Totally money grab.


It made me chuckle.

It’s when all tournament brackets are : elite, premier, championship

Not: muddling, average, etc

The shysters know if they put “premier elite” in the name they’ll be able to extract more &.
\

Is double platinum higher or lower than blue diamond?


Maybe the person's kid is on an NCSL team but the club may have higher level teams. Absolutely not getting into MLS2 if your highest level is NCSL. I believe in this area teams in NAL were only those that had MLS2 teams from clubs that MLSN. As it continues to grow I wouldn't be suprised if they implemented an MLSN3 for those small clubs that consistently have competitive teams.
Agree, the new MLSN II league seems already mostly built with NAL (mostly east coast) and rebadging those other leagues (mostly west coast) mentioned in the PR. Not sure they have time to add many more teams through the application process for next year considering they are starting to advertise so late.

In the end they are cobbling together an ECRL league, with associated tournaments to keep as much of the soccer youth programs locked in with birth year. They have a one year head start during the lame duck year, thanks to U.S. Soccer. Will be interesting to see if it works.

I love how the ECNL hats are trying to throw shade in any way possible. Unfortunately for them boys have already chosen MLS.

Give it time and clubs will trade having a boys program with MLS over nothing with ECNL. If ECNL tries to pull the ECNL girls card clubs will just swith to GA over having no boys teams at all.
I have never known anybody on my kid's teams, parents or kids, to give a crude about what league they play in or hate any other league.

I am genuinely curious about your animosity with ECNL so much so that a stranger wearing a hat sets you into a meltdown.

The importance for kid soccer would be teammates, coaches and then clubs. The importance of rankings and leagues seem far down the list and very parent invented because they really don't affect the soccer experience for kids.

Running around as a fanboy boy for GA or MLSN and then have some pent rage towards ECNL/RL seems loony tunes.

ECNL/GA/ECRL/MLSN trade the same clubs and coaches back and forth and use the same refs, fields, coaching accreditations, etc. They are pretty similar.

Multiple youth leagues will always coexist and they will come and go. The leagues may be fighting over clubs to switch leagues but at the end of the day, the kids play another team every weekend regardless of league affiliation.

The only real difference between the leagues has been MLSN having waivers for a handful of boys to play a year down.

If the teams are evenly matched each weekend, the process worked regardless league.

It will be nice that there will finally be at least one real difference between the leagues when SY and BY are both in play and kids/parents have a choose.

So my question to you is, how has ECNL personally wronged you?

You don't think that you're throwing shade at anything not ECNL? Give me a break.

The reason people call out ECNL hats is because it's stupid and it's weird. Would you go to a pro football game and wear a hat that says "NFL"? Would you go to a pro baseball game and wear a hat that said "MLB"? Would you go to a pro basketball game and wear a hat that says "MBA"? Would you go to a pro soccer game and wear a hat that says "MLS"? I could go on but I think even you get the point. No matter the league or the level people wear clothing (or hats) that call out the team they support or in youth soccer's case the club/team their kid plays on.

Wearing an ECNL hat is like saying "look I'm part of the group but don't ask which team I support because they're terrible." Which everyone already knows because you're wearing a hat hyping a league not a specific team.

Make sense now?
I mean no offensive when I say I hope you can get over your feelings jealousy and negativity to people that you are judging. Rodney King, singled out for hatred and violence by responded by saying, "Can't we all just get along."

No idea what kind of nonsense you're trying to convey.
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 18:59     Subject: MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kids play in NCSL for a small club. Our director was telling us about this and how they might switch the club to MLS Next. I had no clue what he was talking about, but now it makes sense. Will be interesting how it pans out.


NCSL to MLSNext is wild. Totally money grab.


It made me chuckle.

It’s when all tournament brackets are : elite, premier, championship

Not: muddling, average, etc

The shysters know if they put “premier elite” in the name they’ll be able to extract more &.
\

Is double platinum higher or lower than blue diamond?


Maybe the person's kid is on an NCSL team but the club may have higher level teams. Absolutely not getting into MLS2 if your highest level is NCSL. I believe in this area teams in NAL were only those that had MLS2 teams from clubs that MLSN. As it continues to grow I wouldn't be suprised if they implemented an MLSN3 for those small clubs that consistently have competitive teams.
Agree, the new MLSN II league seems already mostly built with NAL (mostly east coast) and rebadging those other leagues (mostly west coast) mentioned in the PR. Not sure they have time to add many more teams through the application process for next year considering they are starting to advertise so late.

In the end they are cobbling together an ECRL league, with associated tournaments to keep as much of the soccer youth programs locked in with birth year. They have a one year head start during the lame duck year, thanks to U.S. Soccer. Will be interesting to see if it works.

I love how the ECNL hats are trying to throw shade in any way possible. Unfortunately for them boys have already chosen MLS.

Give it time and clubs will trade having a boys program with MLS over nothing with ECNL. If ECNL tries to pull the ECNL girls card clubs will just swith to GA over having no boys teams at all.
I have never known anybody on my kid's teams, parents or kids, to give a crude about what league they play in or hate any other league.

I am genuinely curious about your animosity with ECNL so much so that a stranger wearing a hat sets you into a meltdown.

The importance for kid soccer would be teammates, coaches and then clubs. The importance of rankings and leagues seem far down the list and very parent invented because they really don't affect the soccer experience for kids.

Running around as a fanboy boy for GA or MLSN and then have some pent rage towards ECNL/RL seems loony tunes.

ECNL/GA/ECRL/MLSN trade the same clubs and coaches back and forth and use the same refs, fields, coaching accreditations, etc. They are pretty similar.

Multiple youth leagues will always coexist and they will come and go. The leagues may be fighting over clubs to switch leagues but at the end of the day, the kids play another team every weekend regardless of league affiliation.

The only real difference between the leagues has been MLSN having waivers for a handful of boys to play a year down.

If the teams are evenly matched each weekend, the process worked regardless league.

It will be nice that there will finally be at least one real difference between the leagues when SY and BY are both in play and kids/parents have a choose.

So my question to you is, how has ECNL personally wronged you?

You don't think that you're throwing shade at anything not ECNL? Give me a break.

The reason people call out ECNL hats is because it's stupid and it's weird. Would you go to a pro football game and wear a hat that says "NFL"? Would you go to a pro baseball game and wear a hat that said "MLB"? Would you go to a pro basketball game and wear a hat that says "MBA"? Would you go to a pro soccer game and wear a hat that says "MLS"? I could go on but I think even you get the point. No matter the league or the level people wear clothing (or hats) that call out the team they support or in youth soccer's case the club/team their kid plays on.

Wearing an ECNL hat is like saying "look I'm part of the group but don't ask which team I support because they're terrible." Which everyone already knows because you're wearing a hat hyping a league not a specific team.

Make sense now?
I mean no offensive when I say I hope you can get over your feelings jealousy and negativity to people that you are judging. Rodney King, singled out for hatred and violence by responded by saying, "Can't we all just get along."
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 18:50     Subject: MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kids play in NCSL for a small club. Our director was telling us about this and how they might switch the club to MLS Next. I had no clue what he was talking about, but now it makes sense. Will be interesting how it pans out.


NCSL to MLSNext is wild. Totally money grab.


It made me chuckle.

It’s when all tournament brackets are : elite, premier, championship

Not: muddling, average, etc

The shysters know if they put “premier elite” in the name they’ll be able to extract more &.
\

Is double platinum higher or lower than blue diamond?


Maybe the person's kid is on an NCSL team but the club may have higher level teams. Absolutely not getting into MLS2 if your highest level is NCSL. I believe in this area teams in NAL were only those that had MLS2 teams from clubs that MLSN. As it continues to grow I wouldn't be suprised if they implemented an MLSN3 for those small clubs that consistently have competitive teams.
Agree, the new MLSN II league seems already mostly built with NAL (mostly east coast) and rebadging those other leagues (mostly west coast) mentioned in the PR. Not sure they have time to add many more teams through the application process for next year considering they are starting to advertise so late.

In the end they are cobbling together an ECRL league, with associated tournaments to keep as much of the soccer youth programs locked in with birth year. They have a one year head start during the lame duck year, thanks to U.S. Soccer. Will be interesting to see if it works.

I love how the ECNL hats are trying to throw shade in any way possible. Unfortunately for them boys have already chosen MLS.

Give it time and clubs will trade having a boys program with MLS over nothing with ECNL. If ECNL tries to pull the ECNL girls card clubs will just swith to GA over having no boys teams at all.
I have never known anybody on my kid's teams, parents or kids, to give a crude about what league they play in or hate any other league.

I am genuinely curious about your animosity with ECNL so much so that a stranger wearing a hat sets you into a meltdown.

The importance for kid soccer would be teammates, coaches and then clubs. The importance of rankings and leagues seem far down the list and very parent invented because they really don't affect the soccer experience for kids.

Running around as a fanboy boy for GA or MLSN and then have some pent rage towards ECNL/RL seems loony tunes.

ECNL/GA/ECRL/MLSN trade the same clubs and coaches back and forth and use the same refs, fields, coaching accreditations, etc. They are pretty similar.

Multiple youth leagues will always coexist and they will come and go. The leagues may be fighting over clubs to switch leagues but at the end of the day, the kids play another team every weekend regardless of league affiliation.

The only real difference between the leagues has been MLSN having waivers for a handful of boys to play a year down.

If the teams are evenly matched each weekend, the process worked regardless league.

It will be nice that there will finally be at least one real difference between the leagues when SY and BY are both in play and kids/parents have a choose.

So my question to you is, how has ECNL personally wronged you?

You don't think that you're throwing shade at anything not ECNL? Give me a break.

The reason people call out ECNL hats is because it's stupid and it's weird. Would you go to a pro football game and wear a hat that says "NFL"? Would you go to a pro baseball game and wear a hat that said "MLB"? Would you go to a pro basketball game and wear a hat that says "MBA"? Would you go to a pro soccer game and wear a hat that says "MLS"? I could go on but I think even you get the point. No matter the league or the level people wear clothing (or hats) that call out the team they support or in youth soccer's case the club/team their kid plays on.

Wearing an ECNL hat is like saying "look I'm part of the group but don't ask which team I support because they're terrible." Which everyone already knows because you're wearing a hat hyping a league not a specific team.

Make sense now?
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 18:30     Subject: Re:MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do you know why it works for EDP because most of those kids don’t care about winning or losing. They just there to be with friends play somewhat competitive games tournaments and they aren’t good enough to play in higher levels for the most part.

Ask those kids on higher level teams in higher level leagues if they would stay on demoted team. They wouldn’t.

Give me a break. Losing 10-0 every game with a badge on your arm isn't
benefiting anyone. If your on a high level team and only care about the badge on your arm and not being competitive you aren't high level and never will be.



I understand that. But these leagues have criteria’s as in ever age group needs to be in the league so of course some age groups in clubs will be weaker than the others. And in EDP the coach can select what level is right for each team unlike mls/GA/ECNL.


The coaches from each club have coaches meetings and in the beginning of the season the club register person who registers each team to a league (EDP) or whatever state league asks each coach what level is appropriate then in spring they do the same thing for the spring season. They either can move up or down.

Even in the pros there’s teams that are bottom of the table. But I’m sure most of them would rather stay in the premier league than play in the championship or league 1


So you think the kids in EDP playing for teams trying to get promoted don't care about winning, but the kids on ECNL/MLSNext/GA teams getting blown out in every game do care about winning?



Sure all kids care about winning some kids more than others…but you right though
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 17:08     Subject: MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kids play in NCSL for a small club. Our director was telling us about this and how they might switch the club to MLS Next. I had no clue what he was talking about, but now it makes sense. Will be interesting how it pans out.


NCSL to MLSNext is wild. Totally money grab.


It made me chuckle.

It’s when all tournament brackets are : elite, premier, championship

Not: muddling, average, etc

The shysters know if they put “premier elite” in the name they’ll be able to extract more &.
\

Is double platinum higher or lower than blue diamond?


Maybe the person's kid is on an NCSL team but the club may have higher level teams. Absolutely not getting into MLS2 if your highest level is NCSL. I believe in this area teams in NAL were only those that had MLS2 teams from clubs that MLSN. As it continues to grow I wouldn't be suprised if they implemented an MLSN3 for those small clubs that consistently have competitive teams.
Agree, the new MLSN II league seems already mostly built with NAL (mostly east coast) and rebadging those other leagues (mostly west coast) mentioned in the PR. Not sure they have time to add many more teams through the application process for next year considering they are starting to advertise so late.

In the end they are cobbling together an ECRL league, with associated tournaments to keep as much of the soccer youth programs locked in with birth year. They have a one year head start during the lame duck year, thanks to U.S. Soccer. Will be interesting to see if it works.

I love how the ECNL hats are trying to throw shade in any way possible. Unfortunately for them boys have already chosen MLS.

Give it time and clubs will trade having a boys program with MLS over nothing with ECNL. If ECNL tries to pull the ECNL girls card clubs will just swith to GA over having no boys teams at all.
I have never known anybody on my kid's teams, parents or kids, to give a crude about what league they play in or hate any other league.

I am genuinely curious about your animosity with ECNL so much so that a stranger wearing a hat sets you into a meltdown.

The importance for kid soccer would be teammates, coaches and then clubs. The importance of rankings and leagues seem far down the list and very parent invented because they really don't affect the soccer experience for kids.

Running around as a fanboy boy for GA or MLSN and then have some pent rage towards ECNL/RL seems loony tunes.

ECNL/GA/ECRL/MLSN trade the same clubs and coaches back and forth and use the same refs, fields, coaching accreditations, etc. They are pretty similar.

Multiple youth leagues will always coexist and they will come and go. The leagues may be fighting over clubs to switch leagues but at the end of the day, the kids play another team every weekend regardless of league affiliation.

The only real difference between the leagues has been MLSN having waivers for a handful of boys to play a year down.

If the teams are evenly matched each weekend, the process worked regardless league.

It will be nice that there will finally be at least one real difference between the leagues when SY and BY are both in play and kids/parents have a choose.

So my question to you is, how has ECNL personally wronged you?
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 16:09     Subject: MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Yes, we all know who those bottom feeders teams are. Interested to see the relegation process starting to take place.
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 16:02     Subject: Re:MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do you know why it works for EDP because most of those kids don’t care about winning or losing. They just there to be with friends play somewhat competitive games tournaments and they aren’t good enough to play in higher levels for the most part.

Ask those kids on higher level teams in higher level leagues if they would stay on demoted team. They wouldn’t.

Give me a break. Losing 10-0 every game with a badge on your arm isn't benefiting anyone. If your on a high level team and only care about the badge on your arm and not being competitive you aren't high level and never will be.


+1
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 15:42     Subject: Re:MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do you know why it works for EDP because most of those kids don’t care about winning or losing. They just there to be with friends play somewhat competitive games tournaments and they aren’t good enough to play in higher levels for the most part.

Ask those kids on higher level teams in higher level leagues if they would stay on demoted team. They wouldn’t.

Give me a break. Losing 10-0 every game with a badge on your arm isn't
benefiting anyone. If your on a high level team and only care about the badge on your arm and not being competitive you aren't high level and never will be.



I understand that. But these leagues have criteria’s as in ever age group needs to be in the league so of course some age groups in clubs will be weaker than the others. And in EDP the coach can select what level is right for each team unlike mls/GA/ECNL.


The coaches from each club have coaches meetings and in the beginning of the season the club register person who registers each team to a league (EDP) or whatever state league asks each coach what level is appropriate then in spring they do the same thing for the spring season. They either can move up or down.

Even in the pros there’s teams that are bottom of the table. But I’m sure most of them would rather stay in the premier league than play in the championship or league 1


So you think the kids in EDP playing for teams trying to get promoted don't care about winning, but the kids on ECNL/MLSNext/GA teams getting blown out in every game do care about winning?
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 15:40     Subject: Re:MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do you know why it works for EDP because most of those kids don’t care about winning or losing. They just there to be with friends play somewhat competitive games tournaments and they aren’t good enough to play in higher levels for the most part.

Ask those kids on higher level teams in higher level leagues if they would stay on demoted team. They wouldn’t.

Give me a break. Losing 10-0 every game with a badge on your arm isn't
benefiting anyone. If your on a high level team and only care about the badge on your arm and not being competitive you aren't high level and never will be.



I understand that. But these leagues have criteria’s as in ever age group needs to be in the league so of course some age groups in clubs will be weaker than the others. And in EDP the coach can select what level is right for each team unlike mls/GA/ECNL.


The coaches from each club have coaches meetings and in the beginning of the season the club register person who registers each team to a league (EDP) or whatever state league asks each coach what level is appropriate then in spring they do the same thing for the spring season. They either can move up or down.

Even in the pros there’s teams that are bottom of the table. But I’m sure most of them would rather stay in the premier league than play in the championship or league 1
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 14:48     Subject: Re:MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Anonymous wrote:Do you know why it works for EDP because most of those kids don’t care about winning or losing. They just there to be with friends play somewhat competitive games tournaments and they aren’t good enough to play in higher levels for the most part.

Ask those kids on higher level teams in higher level leagues if they would stay on demoted team. They wouldn’t.

Give me a break. Losing 10-0 every game with a badge on your arm isn't benefiting anyone. If your on a high level team and only care about the badge on your arm and not being competitive you aren't high level and never will be.
Anonymous
Post 01/10/2025 14:29     Subject: Re:MLS Next expects to 'more than double' number of clubs, players with new competition tier

Do you know why it works for EDP because most of those kids don’t care about winning or losing. They just there to be with friends play somewhat competitive games tournaments and they aren’t good enough to play in higher levels for the most part.

Ask those kids on higher level teams in higher level leagues if they would stay on demoted team. They wouldn’t.