Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 09:02     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So just to be 1000% clear before age guy misinterprets what they're saying.

ECNLdude plans to roster Aug birthdays on grade down teams for league them play them grade correct (up) for showcases. This has NOTHING to do with older players playing down at showcases.

While this does address the alignment issue with college coaches. The problem is the player will be used to competing at a lower level. Then suddenly they'll be expected to play up at their correct grade level in front of college scouts. This is not a situation that typically ends well.

This is a hack so clubs will look good in league at Aug birthdays expense. Just play Aug birthdays on their correct grade in school team and you do t have to deal with all the nonsese and workarounds. And Aug birthdays wont get ignored by college coaches because they're playing on a grade down team.

He actually does cover playing grade down at showcases. This occurs the second year after the season when the Aug birthday who played up (on their correct grade level) in showcaees. In the next season they play in the same Showcase level again (down a grade). This lets them be seen 2x at the grade level (Sophmore) that recruiters are most interested in. Its kind of confusing and I agree with you that its much easier for clubs to play Aug birthdays at their correct grade level.

But whats the advantage? You might look better playing against younger players but you're playing on a grade down team and recruiters will ignore you at that point.

Not that Im advocating this but it would make more sense for an Aug birthday to play up on thier correct grade in school team. Then participate in sophmore showcases generating interest from college coaches. Then the next year when their Junior grade in school is playing in Junior level showcases. They play down in a Sophmore level Showcase again blowing everyone up because they're used to playing older and faster players.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 08:53     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Anonymous wrote:So just to be 1000% clear before age guy misinterprets what they're saying.

ECNLdude plans to roster Aug birthdays on grade down teams for league them play them grade correct (up) for showcases. This has NOTHING to do with older players playing down at showcases.

While this does address the alignment issue with college coaches. The problem is the player will be used to competing at a lower level. Then suddenly they'll be expected to play up at their correct grade level in front of college scouts. This is not a situation that typically ends well.

This is a hack so clubs will look good in league at Aug birthdays expense. Just play Aug birthdays on their correct grade in school team and you do t have to deal with all the nonsese and workarounds. And Aug birthdays wont get ignored by college coaches because they're playing on a grade down team.

He actually does cover playing grade down at showcases. This occurs the second year after the season when the Aug birthday who played up (on their correct grade level) in showcaees. In the next season they play in the same Showcase level again (down a grade). This lets them be seen 2x at the grade level (Sophmore) that recruiters are most interested in. Its kind of confusing and I agree with you that its much easier for clubs to play Aug birthdays at their correct grade level.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 08:45     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

So just to be 1000% clear before age guy misinterprets what they're saying.

ECNLdude plans to roster Aug birthdays on grade down teams for league them play them grade correct (up) for showcases. This has NOTHING to do with older players playing down at showcases.

While this does address the alignment issue with college coaches. The problem is the player will be used to competing at a lower level. Then suddenly they'll be expected to play up at their correct grade level in front of college scouts. This is not a situation that typically ends well.

This is a hack so clubs will look good in league at Aug birthdays expense. Just play Aug birthdays on their correct grade in school team and you do t have to deal with all the nonsese and workarounds. And Aug birthdays wont get ignored by college coaches because they're playing on a grade down team.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 02:09     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Age guy is so pathetic that hes been deduced to copying other people's work and trying to add play downs into it. Too bad hes dumb and doesnt understand math. Which makes his cut and paste job even more laughable.


I think the combined sharing of the maxtrix makes this thread even worse/less useful than ever!

If age guy wasnt posting intentionally misleading and incorrect matrix's it wouldnt be so annoying. But he has an agenda for older players to play down against younger players so what do you do?

People will quickly see that one of the matrixes doesnt make sense if they look closely at the birthdate ranges.

True but its pathetic that he's posting intentionally incorrect info. All to try and normalize playing down. This is against the rules and something only cheaters embrace.
What is against the rules and cheating? Ridiculous. And what team in the DMV let's kids choose to play up just cause? None, the answer is none. All your misdirection has been for naught.

Anybody can play based on their 8/1-7/31 DOB. Calling this cheating is a you problem, nobody else is questioning the rules like they have to be rewritten to help their kid but you. Always has been.

Look at Age guys matrices. A 2010 senior is just not possible unless the skipped 2 grades. This is the issue' hes relaying incorrect information to try and justify playing down.


So, this ECNL director from Michigan basically says they’re going to do what makes the most sense for their individual players (Case-by-case). Play them on age and showcase them on grade, if/when, that makes sense. He does say college coaches want to see all players of a class together but also notes what league, who the opponents are also vital in player evaluation. He says some of their best players they’ve had, including a YNT now a GK at Penn State, were late developers. Also, this club plays year round, so hasn't had to deal with trap players.

The age change is discussed between roughly 14-20 minutes of this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdLkj6MmgIA

Highlighting key parts:

I Hate Soccer Guy: I get DMs all the time about, well, my daughter's an August birthday, but she's graduating and whatever. And like, what are you doing? Okay, let's say a kid falls on the junior team. … Junior class team, but she's graduating this year with the seniors or whatever. … I know a lot of Flash girls are just going to stay in their grad year. What are you guys going to do?

ECNL dude: So we actually we spent a lot of time talking to a lot of the top clubs, a lot of like we talked to players, people in the federation, we talked to people in college like what would be the best thing to do because at some point as well you have to rip the band-aid off. It's like if you keep everything as is, you just push the problem down the road. So for us, every single kid is going to where their birth date aligns. Okay? And that includes like no exceptions.

So now if we find a situation now where we need to move a kid because they're just unchallenged, right? Then you can move them from there. Yeah. Right. But let's align it all. We'll rip the band-aid off. Right. And now we can truly see things. And not only that, but you look at like if I'm a if I'm a senior and I have the opportunity to play U17 again, I'm doing it a 100 out of 100 times because there's six playoff spots. There's an environment where you're competing for longer, right? right? You got the opportunity to do things and the motivation level is really high. The senior year always curtails unfortunately. Yeah. Um you know with kids. So you know for me it's a lot of people fall into that and as well you get a great benefit of if you're uncommitted you now get to get a redo on some of the exposure that you know you maybe wouldn't have before if you were on a senior team, right?

So there's there's a lot of benefits. So for us, you know, we're in a situation where everyone's going into that and then we can move things off of that if it's the right thing. Now then you also have to look at it. Okay, if a player goes into an age younger but their grade level is here, how do you help them with showcasing? So for us, we have made sure that in our kind of roster assembly, we created opportunities so that you know at ECNL showcases or Jefferson Cup or something like that, we have the ability to bring this player with us. So now they still get the best of both worlds, right? If you can develop inside this environment, we can also then showcase you with your grade level, but also if you're maybe a little bit of a late developer, like for example, your typical recruitment, your elite players are getting watched a lot, their sophomore years.

Your next tier is mainly the junior year, but let's say you make it to junior year and you've really developed, but now you're on a mainly sophomore team. You get the opportunity to now get re-seen, right, by a lot of those schools that maybe aren't watching junior classes anymore.

I Hate Soccer Guy: I've never thought of it like that.

ECNL dude: Yeah. Okay. So, there's a lot of benefits to it. That's a positive of being playing down again.

Like another positive because the younger parts of the older grade are typically going to be your late developers, right? So, it gives you the opportunity now to really help them because they, you know, whether it's physical maturation, mental, whatever it might be. It's ultimately up to the kid, but they can showcase because we've had a ton of kids that have come in, you know, and been late developers. They've been on second and third teams and they've risen and they've gone, you know, RL to ECNL to power four, right? And that's, you know, one of our one of our goalkeepers is one of my favorite stories of all time. She's a sophomore at Penn State right now. … So you know, yeah, those late developers are there. And that's the thing is you have to have ways to help them, right? And this kind of provides a natural way. If you are a younger part of your grade, you now have a second opportunity that maybe you wouldn't have got before.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 00:29     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Anonymous wrote:Still 100% correct.

This is for next fall when SY starts.

11v11 = U18/U19 = ≤ 8/1/2007 ≈ Senior
11v11 = U17 = ≤ 8/1/2009 ≈ Junior
11v11 = U16 = ≤ 8/1/2010 ≈ Sophmore
11v11 = U15 = ≤ 8/1/2011 ≈ Freshman
11v11 = U14 = ≤ 8/1/2012 ≈ 8th grade
11v11 = U13 = ≤ 8/1/2013 ≈ 7th grade
9v9/11v11 = U12 = ≤ 8/1/2014 ≈ 6th grade
9v9 = U11 = ≤ 8/1/2015 ≈ 5th grade
9v9 = U10 = ≤ 8/1/2016 ≈ 4th grade
7v7 = U9 = ≤ 8/1/2017 ≈ 3rd grade
7v7 = U8 = ≤ 8/1/2018 ≈ 2nd grade
4v4 = U7 = ≤ 8/1/2019 ≈ 1st grade
4v4 = U6 = ≤ 8/1/2020 ≈ Kindergarten

Using U14 as an example what this is saying is...

1. They play 11v11
2. Players turn 14 after Aug 1
3. Players are younger than or equal to 8/1/2012
4. Players are most likely in 8th grade
The age groups need to end with 7/31 to match what clubs post and use because they block playing up for all but a few around the DC area.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 00:27     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Age guy is so pathetic that hes been deduced to copying other people's work and trying to add play downs into it. Too bad hes dumb and doesnt understand math. Which makes his cut and paste job even more laughable.


I think the combined sharing of the maxtrix makes this thread even worse/less useful than ever!

If age guy wasnt posting intentionally misleading and incorrect matrix's it wouldnt be so annoying. But he has an agenda for older players to play down against younger players so what do you do?

People will quickly see that one of the matrixes doesnt make sense if they look closely at the birthdate ranges.

True but its pathetic that he's posting intentionally incorrect info. All to try and normalize playing down. This is against the rules and something only cheaters embrace.


Cheating is forcing your competition into a different age group.
Yup, like trying to force kids to not be allowed to play in their age group but to force them to play with older kids so the older kids get an advantage by playing with younger kids.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 00:24     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

100% correct

And here if you want more info.

This one is for next fall when SY starts.

U18/U19; 8/1/2007 - 7/31/2009 ~ Senior
U17; 8/1/2009 - 7/31/2010 ~ Senior
U16; 8/1/2010 - 7/31/2011 ~ Junior
U15; 8/1/2011 - 7/31/2012 ~ Sophomore
U14; 8/1/2012 - 7/31/2013 ~ Freshman
U13; 8/1/2013 - 7/31/2014 ~ 8th
U12; 8/1/2014 - 7/31/2015 ~ 7th
U11; 8/1/2015 - 7/31/2016 ~ 6th
U10; 8/1/2016 - 7/31/2017~ 5th
U9; 8/1/2017 - 7/31/2018 ~ 4th
U8; 8/1/2018 - 7/31/2019 ~ 3rd
U7; 8/1/2019 - 7/31/2020 ~ 2nd
U6; 8/1/2020 - 7/31/2021 ~ 1st

Using U14 as an example what this is saying is...

1. They play 11v11
2. Players turn 14 after Aug 1
3. Players are younger than or equal to 8/1/2012
4. Players are most likely Freshman or younger
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 00:17     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Anonymous wrote:Still 100% correct.

This is for next fall when SY starts.

11v11 = U18/U19 = ≤ 8/1/2007 ≈ Senior
11v11 = U17 = ≤ 8/1/2009 ≈ Junior
11v11 = U16 = ≤ 8/1/2010 ≈ Sophmore
11v11 = U15 = ≤ 8/1/2011 ≈ Freshman
11v11 = U14 = ≤ 8/1/2012 ≈ 8th grade
11v11 = U13 = ≤ 8/1/2013 ≈ 7th grade
9v9/11v11 = U12 = ≤ 8/1/2014 ≈ 6th grade
9v9 = U11 = ≤ 8/1/2015 ≈ 5th grade
9v9 = U10 = ≤ 8/1/2016 ≈ 4th grade
7v7 = U9 = ≤ 8/1/2017 ≈ 3rd grade
7v7 = U8 = ≤ 8/1/2018 ≈ 2nd grade
4v4 = U7 = ≤ 8/1/2019 ≈ 1st grade
4v4 = U6 = ≤ 8/1/2020 ≈ Kindergarten

Using U14 as an example what this is saying is...

1. They play 11v11
2. Players turn 14 after Aug 1
3. Players are younger than or equal to 8/1/2012
4. Players are most likely in 8th grade


This fails because most people have no idea what ≈ means.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 00:16     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Age guy is so pathetic that hes been deduced to copying other people's work and trying to add play downs into it. Too bad hes dumb and doesnt understand math. Which makes his cut and paste job even more laughable.


I think the combined sharing of the maxtrix makes this thread even worse/less useful than ever!

If age guy wasnt posting intentionally misleading and incorrect matrix's it wouldnt be so annoying. But he has an agenda for older players to play down against younger players so what do you do?

People will quickly see that one of the matrixes doesnt make sense if they look closely at the birthdate ranges.

True but its pathetic that he's posting intentionally incorrect info. All to try and normalize playing down. This is against the rules and something only cheaters embrace.
What is against the rules and cheating? Ridiculous. And what team in the DMV let's kids choose to play up just cause? None, the answer is none. All your misdirection has been for naught.

Anybody can play based on their 8/1-7/31 DOB. Calling this cheating is a you problem, nobody else is questioning the rules like they have to be rewritten to help their kid but you. Always has been.

Look at Age guys matrices. A 2010 senior is just not possible unless the skipped 2 grades. This is the issue' hes relaying incorrect information to try and justify playing down.


You're not reading it correctly.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 00:16     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Still 100% correct.

This is for next fall when SY starts.

11v11 = U18/U19 = ≤ 8/1/2007 ≈ Senior
11v11 = U17 = ≤ 8/1/2009 ≈ Junior
11v11 = U16 = ≤ 8/1/2010 ≈ Sophmore
11v11 = U15 = ≤ 8/1/2011 ≈ Freshman
11v11 = U14 = ≤ 8/1/2012 ≈ 8th grade
11v11 = U13 = ≤ 8/1/2013 ≈ 7th grade
9v9/11v11 = U12 = ≤ 8/1/2014 ≈ 6th grade
9v9 = U11 = ≤ 8/1/2015 ≈ 5th grade
9v9 = U10 = ≤ 8/1/2016 ≈ 4th grade
7v7 = U9 = ≤ 8/1/2017 ≈ 3rd grade
7v7 = U8 = ≤ 8/1/2018 ≈ 2nd grade
4v4 = U7 = ≤ 8/1/2019 ≈ 1st grade
4v4 = U6 = ≤ 8/1/2020 ≈ Kindergarten

Using U14 as an example what this is saying is...

1. They play 11v11
2. Players turn 14 after Aug 1
3. Players are younger than or equal to 8/1/2012
4. Players are most likely in 8th grade
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 00:15     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Age guy is so pathetic that hes been deduced to copying other people's work and trying to add play downs into it. Too bad hes dumb and doesnt understand math. Which makes his cut and paste job even more laughable.


I think the combined sharing of the maxtrix makes this thread even worse/less useful than ever!

If age guy wasnt posting intentionally misleading and incorrect matrix's it wouldnt be so annoying. But he has an agenda for older players to play down against younger players so what do you do?


Except yours is continually wrong because your agenda is to force SOME younger players to play with older ones regardless of soccer skill.

Rules say this is allowed cry about it all you want. Playing down is not allowed.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 00:14     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Age guy is so pathetic that hes been deduced to copying other people's work and trying to add play downs into it. Too bad hes dumb and doesnt understand math. Which makes his cut and paste job even more laughable.


I think the combined sharing of the maxtrix makes this thread even worse/less useful than ever!

If age guy wasnt posting intentionally misleading and incorrect matrix's it wouldnt be so annoying. But he has an agenda for older players to play down against younger players so what do you do?

People will quickly see that one of the matrixes doesnt make sense if they look closely at the birthdate ranges.

True but its pathetic that he's posting intentionally incorrect info. All to try and normalize playing down. This is against the rules and something only cheaters embrace.
What is against the rules and cheating? Ridiculous. And what team in the DMV let's kids choose to play up just cause? None, the answer is none. All your misdirection has been for naught.

Anybody can play based on their 8/1-7/31 DOB. Calling this cheating is a you problem, nobody else is questioning the rules like they have to be rewritten to help their kid but you. Always has been.

Look at Age guys matrices. A 2010 senior is just not possible unless the skipped 2 grades. This is the issue' hes relaying incorrect information to try and justify playing down.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 00:13     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Age guy is so pathetic that hes been deduced to copying other people's work and trying to add play downs into it. Too bad hes dumb and doesnt understand math. Which makes his cut and paste job even more laughable.


I think the combined sharing of the maxtrix makes this thread even worse/less useful than ever!

If age guy wasnt posting intentionally misleading and incorrect matrix's it wouldnt be so annoying. But he has an agenda for older players to play down against younger players so what do you do?

People will quickly see that one of the matrixes doesnt make sense if they look closely at the birthdate ranges.

True but its pathetic that he's posting intentionally incorrect info. All to try and normalize playing down. This is against the rules and something only cheaters embrace.


Cheating is forcing your competition into a different age group.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 00:12     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Age guy is so pathetic that hes been deduced to copying other people's work and trying to add play downs into it. Too bad hes dumb and doesnt understand math. Which makes his cut and paste job even more laughable.


I think the combined sharing of the maxtrix makes this thread even worse/less useful than ever!

If age guy wasnt posting intentionally misleading and incorrect matrix's it wouldnt be so annoying. But he has an agenda for older players to play down against younger players so what do you do?


Except yours is continually wrong because your agenda is to force SOME younger players to play with older ones regardless of soccer skill.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 00:09     Subject: ECNL moving to school year part 2

This is the original made up one. Should have stuck with that, it's more readable.

"I extended it out for you. Yes this makes much more sense.

8/1/2009 and younger = Senior
8/1/2009 and younger = Junior

8/1/2011 and younger = Sophmore
8/1/2012 and younger = Freshman
8/1/2013 and younger = 8th
8/1/2014 and younger = 7th
8/1/2015 and younger = 6th
8/1/2016 and younger = 5th
8/1/2017 and younger = 4th
8/1/2018 and younger = 3rd
8/1/2019 and younger = 2nd
8/1/2020 and younger = 1st
8/1/2021 and younger = kindergarten"