Boys ECNL Conferences

Haha I must have missed it sorry
It's hard to keep track of it all and it doesn't make a lot of sense when Legends could never get in to ECNL with the great girls program they have but they get asked to be in Boys ECNL. Go figure.
 
ECNL dropped lost the ball in SoCal and is attempting to salvage something in the territory fight with DA. Unfortunately it is the players that have to suffer through the turmoil.
 
Just heard about this Boys ECNL league...wow.

At the end of the day though, I don't think the Boys ECNL will dilute the talent that much at least for '02s. The SouthWest division only has 6 SoCal teams that are essentially Flight 1.5 - 2 level teams. Apparently West Coast isn't even putting their top team in ECNL. CSL and SCDSL have plenty of teams in the Flight 1.5 - 2 range, so I don't think those 6 teams joining ECNL will be missed if I'm being blunt.

But it really is a shame that the players on those 6 teams are going to be drained financially for almost nothing in return in terms of exposure and quality of competition. The upcoming season the DA '02s are going to be in an off year, so there might be a good chunk of academy level 02s back in the regular club circuit. But I know for my son, I'll be avoiding those clubs with an ECNL team because it'll be more expensive than DA with much less exposure and competition. Not exactly the recruitment tool they were expecting. I'll just find a strong CSL/SCDSL Flight 1 team and call it a day. And even if I was faced with the option of being on a Silver Elite/Flight 2 level CSL/SCDSL team, I would take that over Boys ECNL. Save all that travel money and invest it in private/personal training and pickup games.

This applies to that girls DAII nonsense too, but at some point these clubs need to make sure players and families are actually getting value for their money and time. If clubs join (or fabricate) new leagues recklessly eventually it'll catch up to them. Parents have multiple kids playing soccer. I know for my daughter who is still a few years away from DA, I'm taking notes on the decision-making of the clubs and how they treat their entire player-base, not just their elite teams. The trend of harvesting "B" team players by any means necessary is getting absolutely out of hand.
 
Just heard about this Boys ECNL league...wow.

At the end of the day though, I don't think the Boys ECNL will dilute the talent that much at least for '02s. The SouthWest division only has 6 SoCal teams that are essentially Flight 1.5 - 2 level teams. Apparently West Coast isn't even putting their top team in ECNL. CSL and SCDSL have plenty of teams in the Flight 1.5 - 2 range, so I don't think those 6 teams joining ECNL will be missed if I'm being blunt.

But it really is a shame that the players on those 6 teams are going to be drained financially for almost nothing in return in terms of exposure and quality of competition. The upcoming season the DA '02s are going to be in an off year, so there might be a good chunk of academy level 02s back in the regular club circuit. But I know for my son, I'll be avoiding those clubs with an ECNL team because it'll be more expensive than DA with much less exposure and competition. Not exactly the recruitment tool they were expecting. I'll just find a strong CSL/SCDSL Flight 1 team and call it a day. And even if I was faced with the option of being on a Silver Elite/Flight 2 level CSL/SCDSL team, I would take that over Boys ECNL. Save all that travel money and invest it in private/personal training and pickup games.

This applies to that girls DAII nonsense too, but at some point these clubs need to make sure players and families are actually getting value for their money and time. If clubs join (or fabricate) new leagues recklessly eventually it'll catch up to them. Parents have multiple kids playing soccer. I know for my daughter who is still a few years away from DA, I'm taking notes on the decision-making of the clubs and how they treat their entire player-base, not just their elite teams. The trend of harvesting "B" team players by any means necessary is getting absolutely out of hand.

In other parts of the country boys ecnl might make more sense but in SC having this and the spring NPL does'nt.

For SC this is mostly a marketing gimmick for b teams or to retain players, you can see it already with teams calling or advertising themselves ecnl for tryouts and whatnot. I saw one advertising playing in ever league imaginable but in reality overplaying is going to happen.

Just look at some of teams of HS age players that have some play league, HS, crl, and then the NT cups, broken down on the end with players missing. Need rest physically and mentally, playing 60+ games a season is too much not to mentioned all the traveling & tournaments.
 
2002 is U16 in 17-18' in ussda, 2003 is U15
  • U-16/17: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2001 or later

That's not correct. Currently 02's playing U14 in USSDA and will be U15 next season which is 17-18.
03s is U13 currently. 01's will be U16
 
That's not correct. Currently 02's playing U14 in USSDA and will be U15 next season which is 17-18.
03s is U13 currently. 01's will be U16

Nope did you read the article you posted
  • U-15: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2003 or later
 
Nope did you read the article you posted
  • U-15: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2003 or later

Everyone makes mistakes, including people who write articles.
I can tell you for a fact that in 16-17, which is ongoing USSDA season right now, 02's is playing U14 and will be U15 in 17-18 Season,
01s will be U16.
 
Everyone makes mistakes, including people who write articles.
I can tell you for a fact that in 16-17, which is ongoing USSDA season right now, 02's is playing U14 and will be U15 in 17-18 Season,
01s will be U16.

Your right about 16-17' season but wrong about 17-18' your forgetting or ignoring the facts that ussda caught up and aligned the calendar years. Ussda doesn't post "wrong" info in officials documents or on there web site. http://www.ussoccerda.com/20170203-development-academy-expansion-announcement

You seem to be confused or something:
2002 is U16 for 17-18 & yes they are u14 for 16-17'
  • At the start of the 2017-2018 Boys Development Academy season:
  • U-18/19: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 1999 or later
  • U-16/17: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2001 or later
  • U-15: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2003 or later
  • U-14: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2004 or later
  • U-13: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2005 or later
  • U-11/12: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2006 or later
There you go, look at Cal south or anywhere else age groups are all the same now
 
Your right about 16-17' season but wrong about 17-18' your forgetting or ignoring the facts that ussda caught up and aligned the calendar years. Ussda doesn't post "wrong" info in officials documents or on there web site. http://www.ussoccerda.com/20170203-development-academy-expansion-announcement

You seem to be confused or something:
2002 is U16 for 17-18 & yes they are u14 for 16-17'
  • At the start of the 2017-2018 Boys Development Academy season:
  • U-18/19: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 1999 or later
  • U-16/17: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2001 or later
  • U-15: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2003 or later
  • U-14: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2004 or later
  • U-13: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2005 or later
  • U-11/12: eligible for players born Jan. 1, 2006 or later
There you go, look at Cal south or anywhere else age groups are all the same now

You are right, I stand corrected.
 
You are right, I stand corrected.
Not your fault. Let's face it, the way USSDA did age groups plus birth year change for all of CalSouth is confusing as hell. I know loads of people who thought like you did, including me, and it took four of the dads on my son's team pulling up stuff on our phones for half an hour to figure out this mess.

We were all happy thinking that the addition of the u15 team would split the current u15/u16 academy team into two teams by birth year. Then we figured out it just meant this year's u13s are next year's u15s, and then the following year's u16/u17 combined team.

So it doesn't change the fact that two years from now a bunch of them will be cycled out of academy.
 
Not your fault. Let's face it, the way USSDA did age groups plus birth year change for all of CalSouth is confusing as hell. I know loads of people who thought like you did, including me, and it took four of the dads on my son's team pulling up stuff on our phones for half an hour to figure out this mess.

We were all happy thinking that the addition of the u15 team would split the current u15/u16 academy team into two teams by birth year. Then we figured out it just meant this year's u13s are next year's u15s, and then the following year's u16/u17 combined team.

So it doesn't change the fact that two years from now a bunch of them will be cycled out of academy.

Not likely, ussda has indicated that the following season 18-19' u16 will be a single calendar age group and there will be just one combo U17/18. Season after that (19-20') all will be calendar year and U18 will be end like it has been not U18/19 like it will be for this one year in the upcoming 17-18' season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JJP
Not likely, ussda has indicated that the following season 18-19' u16 will be a single calendar age group and there will be just one combo U17/18. Season after that (19-20') all will be calendar year and U18 will be end like it has been not U18/19 like it will be for this one year in the upcoming 17-18' season.
O yeah? Wow, so the 2003 age group really benefits because they are catching all the new single age group teams.
 
O yeah? Wow, so the 2003 age group really benefits because they are catching all the new single age group teams.

Conversely the 2002 age group can't catch a break. They could have two consecutive years of being in a combined age group where they are the minority age. You theoretically could have a large chunk of academy level 2002 players frozen out of the DA system in both their Sophomore and Junior years. This will freeze many of them out of the major college showcases and National Team camps until their Senior year.

I realize the age gap begins to matter less as they get older, but it's still going to be rough for 2002s if this is true. Most DA teams take 80-90% of the older age group.

If I was a college coach, I would exploit this gap in the DA system and start paying attention to the regular club circuits for the 2002s over the next two years.
 
Conversely the 2002 age group can't catch a break. They could have two consecutive years of being in a combined age group where they are the minority age. You theoretically could have a large chunk of academy level 2002 players frozen out of the DA system in both their Sophomore and Junior years. This will freeze many of them out of the major college showcases and National Team camps until their Senior year.
That's true and it's especially unfortunate for the Aug. to Dec. 02 who, until this year, were beating up on 03s. This year they have to face Jan to June 02, and next year they have to compete with 01s. Plus the 02 group is, IMO, very deep, which makes the competition for spots even harder.

OTOH, the 02s that make it through this grinder and make the combined academy teams for both years will, I'm sure, be targeted by college coaches.
 
For the SC clubs heard at least 2 will start with the 2002's as the youngest group for boys ECNL so 2002, 2001, 2000/99 combo for 3 teams total. No 2003 or 2004's planned so those age groups might only 4 SC teams to play against:
  • Del Mar Carmel Valley Sharks (CA)
  • Legends (CA)
  • Slammers (CA)
  • West Coast FC (CA)
 
For the SC clubs heard at least 2 will start with the 2002's as the youngest group for boys ECNL so 2002, 2001, 2000/99 combo for 3 teams total. No 2003 or 2004's planned so those age groups might only 4 SC teams to play against:
  • Del Mar Carmel Valley Sharks (CA)
  • Legends (CA)
  • Slammers (CA)
  • West Coast FC (CA)

Haven't heard about this, in this case they should just scrap the 03s and 04s from Boys Southwest ECNL.
Because the "season" would be to play the five teams from AZ/NV once and a home and way with the SoCal teams, for a total of 11 games.

Thanks for the intel/rumor Mahrez - wonder what their next move could be, play teams from NorCal?
 
Back
Top