DA...ECNL...where?

I think a lot of us are just trying to understand how the landscape has changed. It has changed a lot, especially in Southern California (with our TWO new closed leagues). So I have really appreciated the insights people with knowledge on the topic have been sharing on this site.

In the hope of adding something of value to the conversation, I did some research to try to get a sense of how the national landscape has changed this year. Here's what I found out (I don't guaranty the following is 100% accurate, but it should be pretty close):

1) What happened to last season's ECNL clubs?

Last season there were 84 ECNL clubs nationally. Of those, 66 are still in ECNL. Of the 66 that came back, 14 are dual DA-ECNL. It appears all 18 that left ECNL are now DA-only clubs. At quick glance the 14 dual DA-ECNL seem by and large to have been among the most successful clubs in ECNL's history. The 18 that left to become DA-only, perhaps less successful. (But I'll reserve final judgment on that.)

The change from 2016-17 in the Southwest ECNL Conference was as follows:

Now Dual DA-ECNL:
So Cal Blues
Slammers FC
San Diego Surf
West Coast FC

Still ECNL-Only:
Strikers FC
Arsenal FC
Heat FC
Sereno SC

Left ECNL and Now DA-Only:
SC del Sol
Eagles SC
Real So Cal

So 8 of 11 teams in So Cal's regional ECNL conference are back. (There is a separate issue as to how rosters might have changed. The roster impact likely varied by age group, as others have noted above.)

2) What teams joined ECNL?

Though 18 clubs left ECNL, they were replaced by only 14 (to bring the total back up to 80 nationwide). In the Southwest Conference the Del Mar Sharks were the only new club invited to join (meaning our area conference is down 2 teams).

3) Where did the rest of the DA clubs come from?

There are 69 total DA clubs. As indicated above, 31 DA clubs were in ECNL last year (14 still are). That means there are 38 clubs that, for whatever reason, did not participate in ECNL previously and are now DA. Though they are without ECNL experience these 38 clubs now claim they can offer a more elite soccer experience than has ever existed for girls before.

In the case of So Cal, that could theoretically be possible. The non-ECNL clubs that joined DA are pretty good. They include:

Albion SC
Beach Futbol Club
LA Galaxy FC
LA Galaxy San Diego
Legends FC
Los Angeles Premier Futbol Club
Pateadores

4) What are the odds of DA players earning a spot on the USWNT?

Not high enough to give any serious thought to. There are 23 or so roster spots on the USWNT. Current players range in age from 19 to 32 (spanning 14 different age groups). Assuming DA rosters average 20 players, the 69 DA clubs might have 27,000 or more players over 14 different age groups. So the odds would probably less than one in a thousand, even if you assumed all future USWNT players will come out of DA.

5) My daughter plays for ECNL (or DA). How big will her college scholarship be?

I estimate there's fewer than 4,000 Division I and Division II partial women's soccer scholarships handed out to each graduating high school class. ECNL was very good at placing players on college teams. But there used to be 84 ECNL teams and are now 149 DA and ECNL teams each year combined (ignoring the dual age years). Nevertheless, the odds of earning a partial scholarship still look pretty good. ECNL and DA would seemingly graduate only about 3,000 players a year who might be the first to compete for those 4,000 scholarships. (And that's not accounting for other levels of college soccer that some ECNL and DA players might choose to play, including none at all.)

That said, the average Div I women's soccer scholarship is $17,121. For Div. II it's $7,756. If you are looking for financial help for your daughter to attend college, a much smarter investment would be to hire a tutor and have her study year-round for the PSAT. If she makes National Merit Finalist she'd get an automatic 1/2 tuition scholarship at USC (worth about $26,000 annually). A side benefit is your child's odds of actually getting into USC would be much better too!

6) Where does the Development Player League (DPL) Fit In?

Personally, I don't know. The 10 DPL clubs in our region are the only DA teams in the country that decided to form a second closed league like this. I've heard the DPL clubs argue that it is needed because they don't have an ECNL team. But that seams pretty weak given that there are 69 DA clubs nationally and only 14 are dual DA-ECNL. Given the success the dual clubs had in ECNL, you can see why they stuck with it. It doesn't otherwise seem like there is a compelling reason to have a second team participating in a closed league. And given that DPL is not national, a closed league would seem to limit opportunities, if anything. The only purpose I can imagine is as a marketing tool to try to draw more top players to their clubs, which is part of the reason I've been so critical of DPL in my other posts, including of their decision to hide their rosters this fall. But I recognize others may have a different view, especially DPL parents and those directly involved in the league's founding.

7) Is DA a good thing?

That's both subjective and to be determined. If this becomes simply a fight for market share between DA and ECNL clubs (which it has kind of started out to be given that most clubs joining DA were non-ECNL clubs), then I think it could be harmful and destabilizing. However, if it results in an increased investment in top coaches and facilities beyond what exists in ECNL and area leagues, it could be quite positive.
 
I think a lot of us are just trying to understand how the landscape has changed. It has changed a lot, especially in Southern California (with our TWO new closed leagues). So I have really appreciated the insights people with knowledge on the topic have been sharing on this site.

In the hope of adding something of value to the conversation, I did some research to try to get a sense of how the national landscape has changed this year. Here's what I found out (I don't guaranty the following is 100% accurate, but it should be pretty close):

1) What happened to last season's ECNL clubs?

Last season there were 84 ECNL clubs nationally. Of those, 66 are still in ECNL. Of the 66 that came back, 14 are dual DA-ECNL. It appears all 18 that left ECNL are now DA-only clubs. At quick glance the 14 dual DA-ECNL seem by and large to have been among the most successful clubs in ECNL's history. The 18 that left to become DA-only, perhaps less successful. (But I'll reserve final judgment on that.)

The change from 2016-17 in the Southwest ECNL Conference was as follows:

Now Dual DA-ECNL:
So Cal Blues
Slammers FC
San Diego Surf
West Coast FC

Still ECNL-Only:
Strikers FC
Arsenal FC
Heat FC
Sereno SC

Left ECNL and Now DA-Only:
SC del Sol
Eagles SC
Real So Cal

So 8 of 11 teams in So Cal's regional ECNL conference are back. (There is a separate issue as to how rosters might have changed. The roster impact likely varied by age group, as others have noted above.)

2) What teams joined ECNL?

Though 18 clubs left ECNL, they were replaced by only 14 (to bring the total back up to 80 nationwide). In the Southwest Conference the Del Mar Sharks were the only new club invited to join (meaning our area conference is down 2 teams).

3) Where did the rest of the DA clubs come from?

There are 69 total DA clubs. As indicated above, 31 DA clubs were in ECNL last year (14 still are). That means there are 38 clubs that, for whatever reason, did not participate in ECNL previously and are now DA. Though they are without ECNL experience these 38 clubs now claim they can offer a more elite soccer experience than has ever existed for girls before.

In the case of So Cal, that could theoretically be possible. The non-ECNL clubs that joined DA are pretty good. They include:

Albion SC
Beach Futbol Club
LA Galaxy FC
LA Galaxy San Diego
Legends FC
Los Angeles Premier Futbol Club
Pateadores

4) What are the odds of DA players earning a spot on the USWNT?

Not high enough to give any serious thought to. There are 23 or so roster spots on the USWNT. Current players range in age from 19 to 32 (spanning 14 different age groups). Assuming DA rosters average 20 players, the 69 DA clubs might have 27,000 or more players over 14 different age groups. So the odds would probably less than one in a thousand, even if you assumed all future USWNT players will come out of DA.

5) My daughter plays for ECNL (or DA). How big will her college scholarship be?

I estimate there's fewer than 4,000 Division I and Division II partial women's soccer scholarships handed out to each graduating high school class. ECNL was very good at placing players on college teams. But there used to be 84 ECNL teams and are now 149 DA and ECNL teams each year combined (ignoring the dual age years). Nevertheless, the odds of earning a partial scholarship still look pretty good. ECNL and DA would seemingly graduate only about 3,000 players a year who might be the first to compete for those 4,000 scholarships. (And that's not accounting for other levels of college soccer that some ECNL and DA players might choose to play, including none at all.)

That said, the average Div I women's soccer scholarship is $17,121. For Div. II it's $7,756. If you are looking for financial help for your daughter to attend college, a much smarter investment would be to hire a tutor and have her study year-round for the PSAT. If she makes National Merit Finalist she'd get an automatic 1/2 tuition scholarship at USC (worth about $26,000 annually). A side benefit is your child's odds of actually getting into USC would be much better too!

6) Where does the Development Player League (DPL) Fit In?

Personally, I don't know. The 10 DPL clubs in our region are the only DA teams in the country that decided to form a second closed league like this. I've heard the DPL clubs argue that it is needed because they don't have an ECNL team. But that seams pretty weak given that there are 69 DA clubs nationally and only 14 are dual DA-ECNL. Given the success the dual clubs had in ECNL, you can see why they stuck with it. It doesn't otherwise seem like there is a compelling reason to have a second team participating in a closed league. And given that DPL is not national, a closed league would seem to limit opportunities, if anything. The only purpose I can imagine is as a marketing tool to try to draw more top players to their clubs, which is part of the reason I've been so critical of DPL in my other posts, including of their decision to hide their rosters this fall. But I recognize others may have a different view, especially DPL parents and those directly involved in the league's founding.

7) Is DA a good thing?

That's both subjective and to be determined. If this becomes simply a fight for market share between DA and ECNL clubs (which it has kind of started out to be given that most clubs joining DA were non-ECNL clubs), then I think it could be harmful and destabilizing. However, if it results in an increased investment in top coaches and facilities beyond what exists in ECNL and area leagues, it could be quite positive.
Good post!
 
6) Where does the Development Player League (DPL) Fit In?
Personally, I don't know. The 10 DPL clubs in our region are the only DA teams in the country that decided to form a second closed league like this. I've heard the DPL clubs argue that it is needed because they don't have an ECNL team. But that seams pretty weak given that there are 69 DA clubs nationally and only 14 are dual DA-ECNL. Given the success the dual clubs had in ECNL, you can see why they stuck with it. It doesn't otherwise seem like there is a compelling reason to have a second team participating in a closed league. And given that DPL is not national, a closed league would seem to limit opportunities, if anything. The only purpose I can imagine is as a marketing tool to try to draw more top players to their clubs, which is part of the reason I've been so critical of DPL in my other posts, including of their decision to hide their rosters this fall. But I recognize others may have a different view, especially DPL parents and those directly involved in the league's founding.

Very good post and thank you for the information. As for DPL fitting in......this is not a joke. Some of the distinguishing factors for DPL versus CSL, SCDSL, etc. are the following:
1. Trainer at every game.
2. Pop up tents at every game.
3. Water jugs (gatorade/powerade) at every game.

So as you can see, the other leagues (besides ECNL and DA) pale in comparison to DPL (sarcasm).

The DPL is no different that EGSL was. These are the "sister or B teams" for the full DA or ECNL teams. The thought is that when the full DA or ECNL team has a need for another player, they would promote from within. That happens sometimes, but more frequently the coaches of these DA or ECNL teams would rather poach players from their competitors than promote from within.
 
Very good post and thank you for the information. As for DPL fitting in......this is not a joke. Some of the distinguishing factors for DPL versus CSL, SCDSL, etc. are the following:
1. Trainer at every game.
2. Pop up tents at every game.
3. Water jugs (gatorade/powerade) at every game.

So as you can see, the other leagues (besides ECNL and DA) pale in comparison to DPL (sarcasm).

The DPL is no different that EGSL was. These are the "sister or B teams" for the full DA or ECNL teams. The thought is that when the full DA or ECNL team has a need for another player, they would promote from within. That happens sometimes, but more frequently the coaches of these DA or ECNL teams would rather poach players from their competitors than promote from within.

I've already seen Pats promote from within.
 
5) My daughter plays for ECNL (or DA). How big will her college scholarship be?

I estimate there's fewer than 4,000 Division I and Division II partial women's soccer scholarships handed out to each graduating high school class. ECNL was very good at placing players on college teams. But there used to be 84 ECNL teams and are now 149 DA and ECNL teams each year combined (ignoring the dual age years). Nevertheless, the odds of earning a partial scholarship still look pretty good. ECNL and DA would seemingly graduate only about 3,000 players a year who might be the first to compete for those 4,000 scholarships. (And that's not accounting for other levels of college soccer that some ECNL and DA players might choose to play, including none at all.)

That said, the average Div I women's soccer scholarship is $17,121. For Div. II it's $7,756. If you are looking for financial help for your daughter to attend college, a much smarter investment would be to hire a tutor and have her study year-round for the PSAT. If she makes National Merit Finalist she'd get an automatic 1/2 tuition scholarship at USC (worth about $26,000 annually). A side benefit is your child's odds of actually getting into USC would be much better too!

I want to focus on this number because for women's soccer on average the number is lower. Now if you have a unicorn it is often higher but I believe the true average number for a women's soccer scholarship is like $9-$10k a year. Also although you are correct that tuition and fees at $C are $52k once you add books, housing and a mealplan you are at abotu $70k! Even a unicorn with a 75%+ scholarship is paying $18k a year at Stanford or $C and those are the facts (trust me on this one..). Even a UC is going to run $28-$30k a year out the door. However a 75%+ scholarship at a UC means that you are paying $7500 or less a year which is a little more budget friendly. That number is even less for some of the CSU schools (San Diego St., CSUF, CSUN etc.).

I also want to mention that a player's scholarship size has nothing to do with what club or team that they play for. It has everything to do with how good that individual is and how the coach sees them fitting in. A bigger scholarship means a larger expected role although I know some talented players with big roles that didn't necessarily get a large amount of money and vice versa. Just some food for thought.
 
Very good post and thank you for the information. As for DPL fitting in......this is not a joke. Some of the distinguishing factors for DPL versus CSL, SCDSL, etc. are the following:
1. Trainer at every game.
2. Pop up tents at every game.
3. Water jugs (gatorade/powerade) at every game.

So as you can see, the other leagues (besides ECNL and DA) pale in comparison to DPL (sarcasm).

The DPL is no different that EGSL was. These are the "sister or B teams" for the full DA or ECNL teams. The thought is that when the full DA or ECNL team has a need for another player, they would promote from within. That happens sometimes, but more frequently the coaches of these DA or ECNL teams would rather poach players from their competitors than promote from within.

I see the analogy between the DPL and EGSL quite often and I am not sure why. With the exception of the marketing aspect, the two have NOTHING in common.

Speaking of FALL league play....
1. DPL is a closed league. It is a concept adopted by the DA clubs to manipulate (for the most part as I realize some have eyes wide open...like bababooey) PARENTS into staying with the club by believing that DPL would be a stepping stone for their daughter to be promoted to the real DA team (yes Einsteins , I am generalizing, and yes, there may be that one exception of a girl that probably should have been on the DA team to begin with, not because she "developed" in this new league to get promoted). EGSL is not a league at all.
2. DPL is limited to certain age groups that are aligned with the DA age groups. EGSL is open to any age group. ECNL teams starting at U14 but there are U8 EGSL teams.
3. DPL is limited to DA Clubs. EGSL is open to ECNL clubs and anyone remotely associated with them...Clubs, affiliates, friends, family, etc. Think Slammers FC being ECNL but the CDA poser franchises are/were filled with EGSL teams.
4. For FALL league play, DPL clubs can camouflage their level of play because it is a closed league and they won't be measured by outside competition. EGSL teams play in regular league play (normally flight 1), any tournaments, state cup, etc. which makes it very difficult to hide their competitive level.
 
Very good post and thank you for the information. As for DPL fitting in......this is not a joke. Some of the distinguishing factors for DPL versus CSL, SCDSL, etc. are the following:
1. Trainer at every game.
2. Pop up tents at every game.
3. Water jugs (gatorade/powerade) at every game.

So as you can see, the other leagues (besides ECNL and DA) pale in comparison to DPL (sarcasm).

The DPL is no different that EGSL was. These are the "sister or B teams" for the full DA or ECNL teams. The thought is that when the full DA or ECNL team has a need for another player, they would promote from within. That happens sometimes, but more frequently the coaches of these DA or ECNL teams would rather poach players from their competitors than promote from within.
@Babbbooey - From all your posts, you appear to have a good understanding of soccer politics, can see thru all the BS marketing and your daughter is on a DPL team for all the right reasons, (good coach, time commitment, etc). My issue is with parents that think it is the next great thing and cheerlead way too much. Geeze there was not even half the hype for EGSL. My other issue is that it creates another closed league when there is plenty of competition for this group in Socal. Fine they want to have showcases, go ahead. But don't make everyone else travel farther to play when CSL, SCDSL and maybe SDDA have enough competition. Wishing your daughter all the success she wants in soccer and life, she sounds like a kid with her priorities straight.
 
Very good post and thank you for the information. As for DPL fitting in......this is not a joke. Some of the distinguishing factors for DPL versus CSL, SCDSL, etc. are the following:
1. Trainer at every game.
2. Pop up tents at every game.
3. Water jugs (gatorade/powerade) at every game.

So as you can see, the other leagues (besides ECNL and DA) pale in comparison to DPL (sarcasm).

The DPL is no different that EGSL was. These are the "sister or B teams" for the full DA or ECNL teams. The thought is that when the full DA or ECNL team has a need for another player, they would promote from within. That happens sometimes, but more frequently the coaches of these DA or ECNL teams would rather poach players from their competitors than promote from within.

Agree that a bit of fluff like tents and gatorade at games is neither here nor there but having a trainer at every game sounds like a step in the right direction for any league/gaming circuit. Bit like why everyone is willing to pay more for the "bigger/better" tournaments in the summer who play out of only 1 or 2 locations like Surf and Blues Cup so trainers are at the fields unlike ones that are spread out all over the place.

I'd be more interested to hear if DA coaches are actually present at DPL games? I thought the whole selling point of the league was that the reserve/B team players would have opportunities to be seen by the DA coaches as they controlled the schedule? Was this just a bit of lip service by the clubs that then isn't followed through on or can any parents confirm if their clubs DA staff go to the games and watch/help coach? Do the DA coaches ever train the DPL teams as well or was that just another sales pitch?

I can see it being hard for the sister team players in ECNL/SCDSL/CSL to get watched by the DA coaches as they are at the mercy of the leagues schedulers but there really isn't any excuse with DPL.
 
Once again haters hate and spout the same old negatives mostly from the outside. Whether you agree or not with the formation of DPL the league is seeming to be working well so far and is likely here to stay. So far the fields have been nice, good refs (can't believe I wrote this), water stations present, and 45 minute halves for 2001's is a plus. The no re-entry in the same half takes some getting use to. It is also nice to play at the same time every week. No early games!

The 10 clubs that formed DPL are big clubs and the intent is that their second teams will play in it. So playing for the 2nd team for Beach, Legends, etc.. is not a bad place to be. Most of these are new teams so I expect the level of play to continue to get better as these teams gel. These teams will play National Cup, allow High School play, and are free to attend tournaments so they will get to play other non DPL teams. So those that feel the need to rank teams will eventually get the information they crave.

So far I have seen our DA coaches at DPL games as their schedules permit and I have even seen them talking with the teams after games to give them feedback. I have seen them observing DPL practices. Some of our DPL games are against the same club the DA is playing at the same complex which helps. Some DPL girls have been invited to individual DA training sessions and some on an ongoing basis. A few will likely get a chance to be a DP. Still a long shot to be added full time to the DA. Finally, I believe we did not pay anymore than the average of what other clubs with paid coaches charge and ECNL is not an option anymore is LA or Ventura Counties.
 
Once again haters hate and spout the same old negatives mostly from the outside. Whether you agree or not with the formation of DPL the league is seeming to be working well so far and is likely here to stay. So far the fields have been nice, good refs (can't believe I wrote this), water stations present, and 45 minute halves for 2001's is a plus. The no re-entry in the same half takes some getting use to. It is also nice to play at the same time every week. No early games!

The 10 clubs that formed DPL are big clubs and the intent is that their second teams will play in it. So playing for the 2nd team for Beach, Legends, etc.. is not a bad place to be. Most of these are new teams so I expect the level of play to continue to get better as these teams gel. These teams will play National Cup, allow High School play, and are free to attend tournaments so they will get to play other non DPL teams. So those that feel the need to rank teams will eventually get the information they crave.

So far I have seen our DA coaches at DPL games as their schedules permit and I have even seen them talking with the teams after games to give them feedback. I have seen them observing DPL practices. Some of our DPL games are against the same club the DA is playing at the same complex which helps. Some DPL girls have been invited to individual DA training sessions and some on an ongoing basis. A few will likely get a chance to be a DP. Still a long shot to be added full time to the DA. Finally, I believe we did not pay anymore than the average of what other clubs with paid coaches charge and ECNL is not an option anymore is LA or Ventura Counties.

Apples and oranges. Let me ask you this, do you think it was necessary to form this new league?
 
Apples and oranges. Let me ask you this, do you think it was necessary to form this new league?

And let me give you my answer. I beleive it was absolutely unnecessary and is actually counterproductive to "soccer development." What you want is a concentration of talent playing each other (steel sharpening steel). By forming a new league you are not allowing your good teams to play other similarly talented teams in the the league they would have been in. With more leagues and teams, everything get watered down. Look at the 2 last place teams in the 04 division, they are clearly not at the level of the other teams, so what benefit do the better teams get out of playing those teams?
 
Like, really, is anything "necessary" besides some players, a ball, and a goal??? But as for the DPL, one can pretty much assume a huge reason why it became a reality is because of this:
So what if LA and Ventura don't have ECNL anymore. How many of those ECNL girls purposely choose DPL over DA? I would guess none. LA and Ventura just switched from one top league to the new top league.

DPL was only created for the lining of the pockets of tracksuit wearing used car salesmen.
 
News Flash...new league forming better jump on the chance to get involved with the new "elite academy league" sweeping the nation the PEAL or short for pets elite academy league.

You can PEAL all your worries away while watching your pets play full time, no worries. If your pet is truly elite you will find food sponsor's lined up and the chance to appear in a "National" commercial with the PEAL national team.

Headers are allowed and no handball's so don't bother with that no-sense shouting. Our Boston is loving the 4 day a week training, see you on the pitch.

13896cca1822060593dc12f9d0f2fbf6.jpg
 
News Flash...new league forming better jump on the chance to get involved with the new "elite academy league" sweeping the nation the PEAL or short for pets elite academy league.

You can PEAL all your worries away while watching your pets play full time, no worries. If your pet is truly elite you will find food sponsor's lined up and the chance to appear in a "National" commercial with the PEAL national team.

Headers are allowed and no handball's so don't bother with that no-sense shouting. Our Boston is loving the 4 day a week training, see you on the pitch.

13896cca1822060593dc12f9d0f2fbf6.jpg

Will there be ez ups and Gatorade at all games?
 
Will there be ez ups and Gatorade at all games?

No but the uniforms can double as a sweater

Forget to mention there are no referees in PEAL only attendant's that you pay to "pick up" after your pet, $1 a pop or poop. Please don't yell at your player if they have a "accident" during the course of play, holding back can take the "fun" out of the game for the player(s), so please no shouting.

If your player(S) want to increase there chances to go national they will may have to sniff a lot of butt but please no licking.

51856eedf6832bc9fd14762723c65cc3--futbol-soccer-soccer-jerseys.jpg

The lab training to be a keeper

46b8ed532d2f014a06bf138b6c1fd079--funny-sports-funny-soccer-memes.jpg
 
So what if LA and Ventura don't have ECNL anymore. How many of those ECNL girls purposely choose DPL over DA? I would guess none. LA and Ventura just switched from one top league to the new top league.

DPL was only created for the lining of the pockets of tracksuit wearing used car salesmen.

As were all the other leagues. It is a free market here.
 
From all your posts, you appear to have a good understanding of soccer politics, can see thru all the BS marketing and your daughter is on a DPL team for all the right reasons, (good coach, time commitment, etc). My issue is with parents that think it is the next great thing and cheerlead way too much. Geeze there was not even half the hype for EGSL. My other issue is that it creates another closed league when there is plenty of competition for this group in Socal. Fine they want to have showcases, go ahead. But don't make everyone else travel farther to play when CSL, SCDSL and maybe SDDA have enough competition. Wishing your daughter all the success she wants in soccer and life, she sounds like a kid with her priorities straight.


Agree, I have a real issue with the excessive amount of needles travel. Some of our local leagues provide high enough level of competition. My son only played during his junior year at a top club and it was in my opinion a waste of time. He grew up mainly playing in a community soccer league. He was recently offered a partial scholarship at a Cal State school. In my opinion it was only possible because of persistence, hard work, a positive environment, and luck. It's unrealistic to think that being at a top club traveling to faraway lands guarantees anything. I see how much money is injected into these top programs and it makes me sad for some of the families.
 
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