Thoughts on ECNL?

Glitterhater

SILVER ELITE
Hi Everyone,

was hoping to get some advice from those of you with more experience than I have!
I have a daughter who is trying to decide her path forward and we're letting her pretty much make all the decisions as she's the one who'll be living them out.
Do you feel it's necessary to make the move to ECNL by U15 if you want to play college soccer? Or do you need ECNL at all? She is an NPL player now but has a fear that if she doesn't move by u15 she'll be out of luck for college, (she'll be U14 this new season.)
We were told by a coach that the ECNL thing is a "must" and we're just not sure.

thank you for your time!
 
It really depends what club you are currently with. Look at the success of their older age groups and track record of putting players in college. Some NPL clubs to a better job of that over some ECNL clubs.
 
It really depends what club you are currently with. Look at the success of their older age groups and track record of putting players in college. Some NPL clubs to a better job of that over some ECNL clubs.
Thank you! That's a good idea. Her current club used to have DA, but obviously no more! (Not that she ever was interested in DA.) So I think the landscape of her current club may change a bit this year.
 
I think U-16 and U-17 are the key two years.... in So Cal the overriding majority of top players and teams will be playing in the ECNL this year..... some top ones at Beach and Legends playing ECRL..... but so long as your DD wants it I'd try to get her playing against the best players she can every week and with the best showcases and do this by U-16 at the latest..... but whatever team you pick make sure the coach and club is motivated to develop and assist with colleges.... good luck
 
Hi Everyone,

was hoping to get some advice from those of you with more experience than I have!
I have a daughter who is trying to decide her path forward and we're letting her pretty much make all the decisions as she's the one who'll be living them out.
Do you feel it's necessary to make the move to ECNL by U15 if you want to play college soccer? Or do you need ECNL at all? She is an NPL player now but has a fear that if she doesn't move by u15 she'll be out of luck for college, (she'll be U14 this new season.)
We were told by a coach that the ECNL thing is a "must" and we're just not sure.

thank you for your time!
If she wants maximum exposure, she will need to join an ECNL team if that's possible. It's not the end all be all, but it is the best platform for college coach exposure for sure...especially now with DA out of the way. Your approach with letting her make the decisions is the right one, so if she wants to play in college she should try to make the move as soon as possible.
 
I think U-16 and U-17 are the key two years.... in So Cal the overriding majority of top players and teams will be playing in the ECNL this year..... some top ones at Beach and Legends playing ECRL..... but so long as your DD wants it I'd try to get her playing against the best players she can every week and with the best showcases and do this by U-16 at the latest..... but whatever team you pick make sure the coach and club is motivated to develop and assist with colleges.... good luck
That applies more to socal than norcal.

Up here, NPL looks like it will have almost all of the top teams in one place. Some will also play ECNL or GA, but everyone is in NPL.

For exposure, how much difference is there between a showcase and large tournaments like Surf?
 
That applies more to socal than norcal.

Up here, NPL looks like it will have almost all of the top teams in one place. Some will also play ECNL or GA, but everyone is in NPL.

For exposure, how much difference is there between a showcase and large tournaments like Surf?
If your daughter wants to play D1 soccer, I would highly recommend ECNL. The showcases and playoffs generally attract those coaches especially if she is interested to going out of state. With shrinking recruiting budgets, the coaches want to get the most bang for their buck which is ECNL now.
 
Hi Everyone,

was hoping to get some advice from those of you with more experience than I have!
I have a daughter who is trying to decide her path forward and we're letting her pretty much make all the decisions as she's the one who'll be living them out.
Do you feel it's necessary to make the move to ECNL by U15 if you want to play college soccer? Or do you need ECNL at all? She is an NPL player now but has a fear that if she doesn't move by u15 she'll be out of luck for college, (she'll be U14 this new season.)
We were told by a coach that the ECNL thing is a "must" and we're just not sure.

thank you for your time!

No, it's not necessary, because in our experience the ECNL teams really aren't better than anyone else. Some are... but there are few exceptions in Norcal. They do get more visibility... that can't be disputed, but it's not a must. College coaches probably assume the best players migrate to ECNL by that age, and that's probably true, but we are NPL and play ECNL teams frequently. Top to bottom... most of those rosters are not better. They're very compatible. I would move if it's an easy move for you... but coaches know there are really good players that can't do it for several reasons.

Consider this... if an ECNL roster is stacked, will your kid get seen if she plays 10 minutes per half? Or is she better off getting 30 minutes per half playing NPL, against an ECNL team, at something like Vegas or Surf?
 
Hi Everyone,

was hoping to get some advice from those of you with more experience than I have!
I have a daughter who is trying to decide her path forward and we're letting her pretty much make all the decisions as she's the one who'll be living them out.
Do you feel it's necessary to make the move to ECNL by U15 if you want to play college soccer? Or do you need ECNL at all? She is an NPL player now but has a fear that if she doesn't move by u15 she'll be out of luck for college, (she'll be U14 this new season.)
We were told by a coach that the ECNL thing is a "must" and we're just not sure.

thank you for your time!
We are in almost the exact situation that you find yourself in. Recently, my DD opted to make the jump into ECNL and will be having tryouts (whenever that is allowed...hopefully soon). The deciding factors were (1) the challenge of a more competitive league (2) Exposure when she is older.

Important to note that players who make this switch more than likely have to give up some or all of the other sports/school-related activities. Making this jump will probably eliminate school clubs and other after school programs as well as her other sports. That's a tough pill to swallow.

In my opinion, there is no "wrong" answer. Staying at you local competitive club and holding onto the flexibility that brings is a great decision. Going "all-in" to a ECNL club is also a great decision. Each has its advantages.

Whatever is decided, be supportive and try to be without regret.
 
I'm not familiar with NPL in NorCal, but the new Northwest map for ECNL looks quite daunting as far as travel goes. It now includes teams from Colorado in addition to Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

If your kid is going into U14, she should be going into either 7th or 8th grade depending on DOB. That's potentially five or six years of true traveling soccer the entire family needs to commit to, so it's another point to consider. I think @futboldad1 is right on. If your kid is a baller at U16/U17, she will be fine.
 
Playing ECNL doesn't hurt your chances of exposure, but don't be mistaken that it's a better overall program for development. If you do go ECNL, please make sure to check around and see how they develop their players. A lot of Non-ECNL programs have a great track record for moving kids to the next level. Find out what tournaments they play in during the summer? what is the recruiting pipeline of each place. IN some instances, there are much better non-ecnl teams that do just as good of a job or better at developing the whole player. If you play on a non-ecnl team, make sure they going to the bigger showcases (silver lakes and surf for example) and make sure to contact coaches in advance with a video and nice email.
 
Playing ECNL doesn't hurt your chances of exposure, but don't be mistaken that it's a better overall program for development. If you do go ECNL, please make sure to check around and see how they develop their players. A lot of Non-ECNL programs have a great track record for moving kids to the next level. Find out what tournaments they play in during the summer? what is the recruiting pipeline of each place. IN some instances, there are much better non-ecnl teams that do just as good of a job or better at developing the whole player. If you play on a non-ecnl team, make sure they going to the bigger showcases (silver lakes and surf for example) and make sure to contact coaches in advance with a video and nice email.

This is a great post. I'd argue most girls jump to ECNL the last 2-3 years for the exposure... not because they develop better. Some coaches are known for great development and consistency but that's separate from the club.
 
I'm not familiar with NPL in NorCal, but the new Northwest map for ECNL looks quite daunting as far as travel goes. It now includes teams from Colorado in addition to Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

If your kid is going into U14, she should be going into either 7th or 8th grade depending on DOB. That's potentially five or six years of true traveling soccer the entire family needs to commit to, so it's another point to consider. I think @futboldad1 is right on. If your kid is a baller at U16/U17, she will be fine.
It might be, but it might actually be less than we had last year in NorCal. There are now 8 teams in the SF Bay / Sac Area so that likely means a "local" division with 14 local games. An ECNL club typically goes to 2-3 showcase (3 games in 3 days over the weekend plus a Friday or Monday) before the end of the year (June) showcase or playoffs. If I had to guess, I'd say 1-2 weekends for travel for inter-division play. If ECNL commits to reducing travel when possible, in NorCal you might see as few as 4 non-local events - 2 showcases, plus June showcase/playoffs and one travel weekend within the NW.
 
I don't think you can replace ECNL competition week in and week out or their showcases. Sure, some NPL games are quality but it's not every weekend for the good NPL teams. That being said, it depends what club you kid is currently at. Handful of solid NPL clubs who do a good job developing and getting in front of college coaches.

Like others mention, playing time is a big one. Make sure she'd getting at least 50% if considering ECNL assuming you're at a good NPL club. Being an 07 like you say, moving in a year may be the better choice. 07's aren't really getting recruited heavily so no rush if you're not 100% comfortable with the move.
 
Thank you, ALL! I started to try and reply to everyone and then realized that would be very hard :)
I really appreciate all the input! She is a good player but an even better student, (so far anyway, ha!) so we're hoping that if we just can't swing the ECNL commitment as a family, that grades + good development + the best exposure we can swing will all help on some level. It's so nice to hear all the perspectives, so again-thank you!
 
She is a good player but an even better student, (so far anyway, ha!) so we're hoping that if we just can't swing the ECNL commitment as a family, that grades + good development + the best exposure we can swing will all help on some level. It's so nice to hear all the perspectives, so again-thank you!
Time management is going to be key. My DD does all her school work the first thing when she gets home generally speaking. On certain days if practice is earlier, then she simply does the work after. But getting into a routine is key to make sure everything gets taken care of.
 
I asked the question regarding to DA, ECNL, NPL to college coaches in college ID Camps last summer.
All of them said they would be interested in the top players in NPL more than the average players in DA or ECNL. If your DD has enough playing time, her team is in a good position in NPL (champions league or NPL1) and her coach is helping her development, you might not need to move to ECNL.
If you have confidence for your DD to be one of the top players in the ECNL team, you might consider to move. But playing time is really depending on the coach. Even moving to youth team, better to have some reference from a coach or team mate in the new team. It might be a very few chance to make a starter spot in ECNL team by just attending open tryout session. Even though tryout is open for everyone, some team might just look for certain positions, and the coach already have certain candidate in his mind.
 
For exposure, how much difference is there between a showcase and large tournaments like Surf?

Theres lot more scouts ar an ECNL showcase than Surf.

I asked the question regarding to DA, ECNL, NPL to college coaches in college ID Camps last summer.
All of them said they would be interested in the top players in NPL more than the average players in DA or ECNL. If your DD has enough playing time, her team is in a good position in NPL (champions league or NPL1) and her coach is helping her development, you might not need to move to ECNL.
If you have confidence for your DD to be one of the top players in the ECNL team, you might consider to move. But playing time is really depending on the coach. Even moving to youth team, better to have some reference from a coach or team mate in the new team. It might be a very few chance to make a starter spot in ECNL team by just attending open tryout session. Even though tryout is open for everyone, some team might just look for certain positions, and the coach already have certain candidate in his mind.

good thoughts. Ure right that there are top players everywhere, but the numbers of those vary. so Id add that top players develop best plying against other top players so I'd recommend ECNL for them but it sounds like NPL is a nice secondary option in No Cal. Here it is ECNL or ECRL now the DA has gone.
 
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