Boys ECNL Conferences

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The inaugural season for Boys divisions is going forward for 17-18'
https://www.boysecnl.com/

Northest, Southest, Midwest Conferences have been announced & the
Boys ECNL Inaugural National Event in Seminole County, Florida in January 2018
https://www.boysecnl.com/2016/12/bo...t-in-seminole-county-florida-in-january-2018/

However as of yet no Southwest Conference announcement. The usual suspects (Arsenal, Real Socal, San Diego Surf, Strikers, West Coast, etc) are already in the DA league for the Boys so I'm wondering if they will even be a southwest conference in 17-18? and what clubs applied or if there is any local interest? Please post up if you have any more info about a possible Southwest conference for the boys
 
Since I haven't heard anybody talk about a ECNL southwest conf for boys I assume that http://nationalpremierleagues.com/ will remain for nocal premier and the socal npl leagues http://www.nationalpremierleagues.com/SCNPL/index_E.html so there would be no need for ECNL unless I'm missing something? This all starts at u14 for NPL through usclub Soccer.

yeah good call I guess; Eight clubs make up the new NPL member in Southern California, which begins with a 2017-18 season: Albion SC, Arsenal, FC Golden State, Irvine Strikers, LA Galaxy, Pateadores, Real So Cal and Surf.

http://usclubsoccer.org/2017/01/11/...nd-norcal-premier-as-qualifying-competitions/

Looks like this instead of boysecnl for Socal and Norcal Teams:

“Many top clubs have chosen to join the new NPL in Southern California to help bridge the gap between academy and club soccer by providing a consistent, competitive season throughout the spring,” said Jon Szczuka, Pateadores Senior Director of Coaching. “We are looking forward to exposing our players to further professional programming similar to what is provided within the USDA"
 
Academy League took a big chunk of talent out of CSL and SCDSL. Won't forming a boys ECNL take a further chunk of talent out of CSL and SCDSL? How does throwing in another league solve the problem of a lack of competitive games for the top non-academy teams? Doesn't it water down the talent further, making it worse.
 
Academy League took a big chunk of talent out of CSL and SCDSL. Won't forming a boys ECNL take a further chunk of talent out of CSL and SCDSL? How does throwing in another league solve the problem of a lack of competitive games for the top non-academy teams? Doesn't it water down the talent further, making it worse.

SC NPL as part of ENPL is a done deal so those 8 clubs now have a league for teams between club and DA leagues. That solves the competitive problems for those clubs and regulates the others leagues to basically 3rd tier for them.

All those 8 clubs also are in the DA league so they can now have reserve or 2nd teams play in the ENPL if they choose.

For the clubs not in either this doesn't help I agree, they are likely to lose more players to these 8 clubs in SC.
 
SC NPL as part of ENPL is a done deal so those 8 clubs now have a league for teams between club and DA leagues. That solves the competitive problems for those clubs and regulates the others leagues to basically 3rd tier for them.

All those 8 clubs also are in the DA league so they can now have reserve or 2nd teams play in the ENPL if they choose.

For the clubs not in either this doesn't help I agree, they are likely to lose more players to these 8 clubs in SC.

I agree with you that this NPL league is basically turning into academy teams attempt to create a league for their reserve teams.

I just don't think the talent is there.

The Galaxy reserve team has been blown out in Regional League. I don't think the LAUFA reserve team is doing that great in Regional League either. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think the Pats, Strikers, LAUFA or FCGS flight 1/Coast Gold teams have been on top of their leagues.

So you put together a bunch of mid-tier flight 1/coast gold teams, how does that make an elite league?

IMO they should merge CSL and SCDSL so they have enough teams to put together a legitimate top flight division. With teams divided into 3 leagues, the one or two good teams in each league are just gonna kill the watered down competition.
 
I agree with you that this NPL league is basically turning into academy teams attempt to create a league for their reserve teams.

I just don't think the talent is there.

The Galaxy reserve team has been blown out in Regional League. I don't think the LAUFA reserve team is doing that great in Regional League either. Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think the Pats, Strikers, LAUFA or FCGS flight 1/Coast Gold teams have been on top of their leagues.

So you put together a bunch of mid-tier flight 1/coast gold teams, how does that make an elite league?

IMO they should merge CSL and SCDSL so they have enough teams to put together a legitimate top flight division. With teams divided into 3 leagues, the one or two good teams in each league are just gonna kill the watered down competition.

Yeah every year seems to be more leagues and dilution has been happing for several years now when SCDSL started up and CS created CRL. The rise of the affiliates has caused even more dilution.

LA Galaxy tried the reserve teams from several years in SCDSL but gave up after a couple. I'm not too familiar with those other clubs 2nd teams but normally they have a hard time attracting or holding onto players once they realize their desires of making the academy of 1st team are not being realized, these teams start strong from a new recruitment class and then fade.

Some would say this SC NPL league makes the "rich richer" because of the clubs involved, does give them another selling point....DA or NPL is a cut above the other leagues so come play for us. Retention and recruitment will be easier for them because now players have a good 2nd league to participate in if that can't make DA.

In all of this Cal South might be losing players, they had a real opportunity and window with CRL that's turned into a 2nd or 3rd supplemental league. So much promise on the champions league concept but the cost, management, scheduling, and comp of the that leagues has disappointed. Same could be said for SCDSL, lots of early promise that fizzles out a bit.

This is a way for US Club Soccer to have a real earned qualified national championship/playoffs (not like St/Nt cup where anybody that pays can get in) competition while making sure that the clubs follow consistent technical, training, and playing standards

The Boys pyramid for 17'18 might look something like:

USSDA
ENPL
CSL, SCDSL, CRL
Presido, Recreational, Signature and other CS Leagues
AYSO
 
Yeah every year seems to be more leagues and dilution has been happing for several years now when SCDSL started up and CS created CRL. The rise of the affiliates has caused even more dilution.

LA Galaxy tried the reserve teams from several years in SCDSL but gave up after a couple. I'm not too familiar with those other clubs 2nd teams but normally they have a hard time attracting or holding onto players once they realize their desires of making the academy of 1st team are not being realized, these teams start strong from a new recruitment class and then fade.

Some would say this SC NPL league makes the "rich richer" because of the clubs involved, does give them another selling point....DA or NPL is a cut above the other leagues so come play for us. Retention and recruitment will be easier for them because now players have a good 2nd league to participate in if that can't make DA.

In all of this Cal South might be losing players, they had a real opportunity and window with CRL that's turned into a 2nd or 3rd supplemental league. So much promise on the champions league concept but the cost, management, scheduling, and comp of the that leagues has disappointed. Same could be said for SCDSL, lots of early promise that fizzles out a bit.

This is a way for US Club Soccer to have a real earned qualified national championship/playoffs (not like St/Nt cup where anybody that pays can get in) competition while making sure that the clubs follow consistent technical, training, and playing standards

The Boys pyramid for 17'18 might look something like:

USSDA
ENPL
CSL, SCDSL, CRL
Presido, Recreational, Signature and other CS Leagues
AYSO

The ENPL is a spring league only run by US Club Soccer. It has nothing to do with the fall season. The clubs will continue to play in their regular league in the fall season whether that's CSL, SCDSL or Presidio.
It's for the boys U14-U19 age groups only.
While it says 2017-2018 season, in several parts of the country, their ENPL's are the only league they play in because they only participate in US Club Soccer leagues. In SoCal it will start in spring of 2018.
This is a "B" team league for the boys DA clubs as you will notice only boys DA clubs are members. Much like what EGSL is on the girls side with the ECNL clubs.
Nothing to get excited about. It's just another spring league. No one is pulling out of their current fall league. They will only be pulling out of National Cup.
There won't be a Boys ECNL in SoCal (or the Southwest ECNL conference as it's known in ECNL) because Boys ECNL can only be ECNL members and ECNL has to decide if the member clubs have strong enough boys programs. In the Southwest, So Cal Blues doesn't have a boys program, the AZ clubs don't have strong boys boys programs and neither does Eagles or Slammers so there aren't enough ECNL clubs to form a Boys ECNL in this conference.
You will only see ENPL in SoCal.
 
The ENPL is a spring league only run by US Club Soccer. It has nothing to do with the fall season. The clubs will continue to play in their regular league in the fall season whether that's CSL, SCDSL or Presidio.
It's for the boys U14-U19 age groups only.
While it says 2017-2018 season, in several parts of the country, their ENPL's are the only league they play in because they only participate in US Club Soccer leagues. In SoCal it will start in spring of 2018.
This is a "B" team league for the boys DA clubs as you will notice only boys DA clubs are members. Much like what EGSL is on the girls side with the ECNL clubs.
Nothing to get excited about. It's just another spring league. No one is pulling out of their current fall league. They will only be pulling out of National Cup.
There won't be a Boys ECNL in SoCal (or the Southwest ECNL conference as it's known in ECNL) because Boys ECNL can only be ECNL members and ECNL has to decide if the member clubs have strong enough boys programs. In the Southwest, So Cal Blues doesn't have a boys program, the AZ clubs don't have strong boys boys programs and neither does Eagles or Slammers so there aren't enough ECNL clubs to form a Boys ECNL in this conference.
You will only see ENPL in SoCal.

Interesting, NPL in northcal has fall, winter, and spring seasons so not just a spring league.

In socal you can participate in a US soccer league, US youth soccer league (Cal South; SCDSL, CSL, etc), ussda, and other leagues so there are options. In the past the SC NPL has been run in the spring only but the announcement says this is a new "NPL" and the teams are all new this time,

What are the "B" team for boys DA clubs you're referring to. Each club has one team per age group in the boys ussda league.

Some clubs like the LA Galaxy only have one team per age group, there is no "B" team. They have to form a new team for this and what league would they play in rest of the year if NPL is only spring?

"Kevin Payne, US Club Soccer CEO. “For players who are not playing in the Development Academy, ENPL will ensure a similarly outstanding, every-day training experience and fantastic competition.”

“Many top clubs have chosen to join the new NPL in Southern California to help bridge the gap between academy and club soccer by providing a consistent, competitive season throughout the spring,” said Jon Szczuka, Pateadores Senior Director of Coaching. “We are looking forward to exposing our players to further professional programming similar to what is provided within the USDA"

This is new and not all the info is out yet so let's see what the 8 member club plans are going forward?
 
Interesting, NPL in northcal has fall, winter, and spring seasons so not just a spring league.

In socal you can participate in a US soccer league, US youth soccer league (Cal South; SCDSL, CSL, etc), ussda, and other leagues so there are options. In the past the SC NPL has been run in the spring only but the announcement says this is a new "NPL" and the teams are all new this time,

What are the "B" team for boys DA clubs you're referring to. Each club has one team per age group in the boys ussda league.

Some clubs like the LA Galaxy only have one team per age group, there is no "B" team. They have to form a new team for this and what league would they play in rest of the year if NPL is only spring?

"Kevin Payne, US Club Soccer CEO. “For players who are not playing in the Development Academy, ENPL will ensure a similarly outstanding, every-day training experience and fantastic competition.”

“Many top clubs have chosen to join the new NPL in Southern California to help bridge the gap between academy and club soccer by providing a consistent, competitive season throughout the spring,” said Jon Szczuka, Pateadores Senior Director of Coaching. “We are looking forward to exposing our players to further professional programming similar to what is provided within the USDA"

This is new and not all the info is out yet so let's see what the 8 member club plans are going forward?

NorCal is more entrenched in US Club than SoCal is so their leagues are mostly sanctioned by US Club. They aren't as heavily involved in USYS as SoCal is which is why you see the NorCal clubs playing in US Club leagues year around. US Club has been trying for years to get a foot in the door in SoCal but they just don't have much to offer. Their National Cup isn't as strong as USYS so they just can't seem to break into the scene. One of the biggest issues with US Club is that any event that the SoCal teams qualify in to will be everywhere but SoCal. So with the ENPL being a qualifier into the US Club Regional event, travel will be involved. They aren't supportive of having events in SoCal because the majority of US Club membership is mid-west to east coast and they don't want to travel here. They want the SoCal teams to travel to them.

The SCNPL spring league that you have seen in the past was/is run by CSL. That league, nor those teams, are involved in the SoCal ENPL. One has nothing to do with the other. It remains to be seen if the SCNPL will still exist as US Club only wanted the strongest clubs in a conference to be part of the ENPLs across the country.

As for the "B" teams for the boys DA clubs, the "true" LA Galaxy does only have 1 team in each age group so their ENPL team will most likely be either a) the DA reserve players or b) the LA Galaxy South Bay will put an ENPL team together for this league. But the clubs that are not MLS are very deep in each age group so they have plenty of players to form the ENPL teams.

The clubs can do what they want with these teams. For clubs like Pats who have so many chapters, they could put together an ENPL team from the best players from each chapter or it can be their fall season team. I'm guessing that will be up to each club how they put those rosters together and who those rosters are comprised of. They will be registered through US Club so fall registration through Cal South will have nothing to do with it.

The SoCal ENPL won't start until spring of 2018 so there will be changes upon changes before then. My understanding is that even though there are parts of the country that will start in the fall of 2017, there is still no format, no rules, no leadership, no anything really. US Club just wanted to get the announcements out as quickly as possible and then make the decisions on everything else moving forward.
 
Are the reserve teams from MLS like LA Galaxy play to play? I'd assume the rest are all play to play....
 
It is all really silly if you think about it....
They are just renaming and rebranding what is already there with the flight system, likely in an effort to weed out players and with a smaller player pool make those 8 clubs have the best players from other flight 1 teams.
 
This is true, LAGSB applied for DA status and possibly fielding teams to make up an ENPL team might be an option if they don't get it. Not sure..but pats and others could easily put teams together as "reserve" or "b" teams whatever you want to call it...



"As for the "B" teams for the boys DA clubs, the "true" LA Galaxy does only have 1 team in each age group so their ENPL team will most likely be either a) the DA reserve players or b) the LA Galaxy South Bay will put an ENPL team together for this league. But the clubs that are not MLS are very deep in each age group so they have plenty of players to form the ENPL teams.

The clubs can do what they want with these teams. For clubs like Pats who have so many chapters, they could put together an ENPL team from the best players from each chapter or it can be their fall season team. I'm guessing that will be up to each club how they put those rosters together and who those rosters are comprised of. They will be registered through US Club so fall registration through Cal South will have nothing to do with it."
 
Interesting, NPL in northcal has fall, winter, and spring seasons so not just a spring league.

In socal you can participate in a US soccer league, US youth soccer league (Cal South; SCDSL, CSL, etc), ussda, and other leagues so there are options. In the past the SC NPL has been run in the spring only but the announcement says this is a new "NPL" and the teams are all new this time,

What are the "B" team for boys DA clubs you're referring to. Each club has one team per age group in the boys ussda league.

Some clubs like the LA Galaxy only have one team per age group, there is no "B" team. They have to form a new team for this and what league would they play in rest of the year if NPL is only spring?

"Kevin Payne, US Club Soccer CEO. “For players who are not playing in the Development Academy, ENPL will ensure a similarly outstanding, every-day training experience and fantastic competition.”

“Many top clubs have chosen to join the new NPL in Southern California to help bridge the gap between academy and club soccer by providing a consistent, competitive season throughout the spring,” said Jon Szczuka, Pateadores Senior Director of Coaching. “We are looking forward to exposing our players to further professional programming similar to what is provided within the USDA"

This is new and not all the info is out yet so let's see what the 8 member club plans are going forward?


great questions, except if LAGSB plays in SCDSL in the fall then NPL in spring....curious to see what happens
 
great questions, except if LAGSB plays in SCDSL in the fall then NPL in spring....curious to see what happens

LA Galaxy Academy is independent from any of the alliance clubs & the org that's been approved for NPL. They are likely to move some of their players not getting playing time in the DA league to the NPL if they even enter teams plus other players promoted/recruited according to what I heard this weekend. They have not even decided to enter what teams at this point, very early and they are looking into the different age gorups, rules, player passing possibilities etc.

LA Galaxy is a separate organization that has an alliance program with several clubs: OC, Bakersfield, SD, Etc and they can't just transfer the rights to play in the league to any alliance club. About all they could do is take players from those teams but in the past several external non-alliance clubs players are selected each year and I doubt that will change much in the future.
 
http://www.elitenationalpremierleague.com/boys-ecnl-southwest-conference

The Boys ECNL Southwest Conference includes the following initial clubs:

  • Blackhawks (AZ)
  • Beach FC (CA)
  • Del Mar Carmel Valley Sharks (CA)
  • Gilbert Arsenal (AZ)
  • Heat FC (NV)
  • LA Premier (CA)
  • Legends (CA)
  • Players Soccer Club (NV)
  • Sereno (AZ)
  • Slammers (CA)
  • Tucson Soccer Academy (AZ)
  • West Coast FC (CA)

Interesting now there is both a new boys ECNL SW conference and new NPL in SC.
http://usclubsoccer.org/2017/01/11/...nd-norcal-premier-as-qualifying-competitions/

Looks like a bunch of travel with (4) AZ teams, (2) NV, and (4) CA teams. Are they playing on playing Fall, take a break: Dec, Jan, Feb start back up in March and play through May like the Girls ECNL or is this going to be another spring league like NPL?
 
Interesting now there is both a new boys ECNL SW conference and new NPL in SC.
http://usclubsoccer.org/2017/01/11/...nd-norcal-premier-as-qualifying-competitions/

Looks like a bunch of travel with (4) AZ teams, (2) NV, and (4) CA teams. Are they playing on playing Fall, take a break: Dec, Jan, Feb start back up in March and play through May like the Girls ECNL or is this going to be another spring league like NPL?

But you are right it is interesting how they still use NPL for some So Call teams....and then for others...they use the term ECNL.
 
Interesting now there is both a new boys ECNL SW conference and new NPL in SC.
http://usclubsoccer.org/2017/01/11/...nd-norcal-premier-as-qualifying-competitions/

Looks like a bunch of travel with (4) AZ teams, (2) NV, and (4) CA teams. Are they playing on playing Fall, take a break: Dec, Jan, Feb start back up in March and play through May like the Girls ECNL or is this going to be another spring league like NPL?
This is the internal power struggle in US Club. CL wanted all of the Girls ECNL clubs to sign on and do Boys ECNL with their top boys teams but in some cases the clubs in ECNL were in Boys DA and couldn't put their A teams in Boys ECNL so they went with the ENPL model. No travel, local competition easy solution.
What I find funny is that clubs that have been trying to get in to ECNL for years and never could are suddenly asked to be in Boys ECNL and they jump at the chance. I know what my reaction would have been had I been squeezed out for the last 7 years and then CL came knockin' at my door needing me to help him. THat would have been a 2-word conversation at most.
CL wanted/needed a SoCal Boys ECNL SO BAD to support the rest of the conferences that he settled for non-ECNL clubs to make that happen and clubs like Blues have no boys program to support it. Originally US Club said that wouldn't happen and then CL did what he wanted anyways and made it happen. Why would these clubs who never could get in to ECNL on the girls side be so ready to sell out and jump in on the boys side? Most did it because they have nothing to offer on their boys side. The majority of clubs in Boys ECNL have no depth on the boys side. This will be a fall and spring league which means no National Cup for these teams.
I also don't expect that West Coast will put their boys A teams in Boys ECNL. They are the strongest club in Boys ECNL and their top boys teams clean up in National Cup. I hope they didn't buy the sour milk and stale cookies that putting the A teams in Boys ECNL was going to be a better option than National Cup.
The biggest issue here will be the travel. More travel in Boys ECNL SoCal Conference than on the girls side. 2 trips to AZ (and not easy trips since once club is in Tuscon). 2 showcases with one being in MA or MD or someplace on the east coast. This is going to be a tough financial pitch for the parents of boys who are not accustomed to traveling like the girls teams do and for a LOT less exposure. Girls commit to college earlier than boys. ECNL was a marketing machine on the girls side. Boys college coaches aren't showing up to watch U14, U15, U15 B team players.
At the end of the day, this is US Club competing against itself but both ENPL and Boys ECNL play in to the same meaningless Regional playoffs. US Club is so desperate to crack the SoCal market that they start 2 leagues with different levels of teams and then the teams have to opt out of USYS National Cup and the competition continues to be diluted everywhere. The water has gotten so murky and the level of competition has dropped everywhere. Girls and Boys DA will end up with the cream of the crop and Girls and Boys ECNL will become the red-headed steptwins to DA.
Clubs are so desperate to keep the B team players that everyone is scrambling to be a part of the next great nothing. It's really sad to see. Egos, money, politics, lies, corruption. Oh the stories that could be told if the truth actually were told....Sounds like a daytime soap opera but all of it happens at the expense of our kids. Maybe it's time to take up tennis.
 
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