# ECNL “Super Cup”



## WuTang (Dec 2, 2020)

The following is a notice from ECNL about a club first team. Anyone able to explain what this will look like? If they create a club “first team” would that kid still play on a regular say u16 or is this “first team” their only team? Maybe the “first team” is like a club all star team and they go and play some extra games. Anyone with any info?








						ECNL Announces Creation of Super Cup, A Robust “First Team” Platform for Nation’s Top Players
					

Richmond, VA (December 2, 2020) - The ECNL, the nation’s leading youth soccer league, is announcing the creation of a ground-breaking and exciting new program within the league’s Player Identification and Selection Platform in the fall of 2021 focused on further serving and developing the very...




					www.ecnlgirls.com


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## futboldad1 (Dec 2, 2020)

From the announcment's first paragraph...."Super Cup players will continue to roster with their age appropriate teams and competitions, with this added opportunity to train and compete"


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## Soccerfan2 (Dec 2, 2020)

Cool!


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## dad4 (Dec 3, 2020)

Do parents of older players have concerns with the width of the age band?

I know I’d never let my younger play a club game against kids 4 years older, but 10-14 is a huge gap.   Do parents of 15 year olds have similar concerns, or does it matter less as they get closer to the same height and mass?


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## myself (Dec 3, 2020)

dad4 said:


> Do parents of older players have concerns with the width of the age band?
> 
> I know I’d never let my younger play a club game against kids 4 years older, but 10-14 is a huge gap.   Do parents of 15 year olds have similar concerns, or does it matter less as they get closer to the same height and mass?


It would be like high school freshmen playing with the varsity. If they're good enough to play on varsity, they're good enough to hang with the older girls.

Also, like you mentioned, the physical gap between a freshman and a senior is smaller than a 5th grade and a freshman.


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## Desert Hound (Dec 3, 2020)

dad4 said:


> Do parents of older players have concerns with the width of the age band?
> 
> I know I’d never let my younger play a club game against kids 4 years older, but 10-14 is a huge gap.   Do parents of 15 year olds have similar concerns, or does it matter less as they get closer to the same height and mass?


My DD is now practicing with girls who are in college this Dec/Jan. She is a sophomore in HS.


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## Dubs (Dec 3, 2020)

This is nothing but an extension of ECNL PDP.  Esentially they are going to make regional teams that play against other regional teams is how I read it.


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## dad4 (Dec 3, 2020)

Dubs said:


> This is nothing but an extension of ECNL PDP.  Esentially they are going to make regional teams that play against other regional teams is how I read it.


I read it as multi-year teams within a club, not multi-year teams that draw across several clubs.


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## crush (Dec 3, 2020)

Desert Hound said:


> My DD is now practicing with girls who are in college this Dec/Jan. She is a sophomore in HS.


My girl is balling with adult USL coed U25 and male Mexican League.  Basically, playing up big time to get in some work.  The older girls like that challenge my goat brings to the field.  The guys learn they need to put pressure on here because she can make them look silly.....lol!!!  Free soccer is awesome!!!


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## Dubs (Dec 3, 2020)

dad4 said:


> I read it as multi-year teams within a club, not multi-year teams that draw across several clubs.


You might be right.  I was skimming so that's what I picked up from it.  However, I think there is more value to it if they put together regional teams.


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## kickingandscreaming (Dec 3, 2020)

dad4 said:


> Do parents of older players have concerns with the width of the age band?
> 
> I know I’d never let my younger play a club game against kids 4 years older, but 10-14 is a huge gap.   Do parents of 15 year olds have similar concerns, or does it matter less as they get closer to the same height and mass?


Agreed. With my experience limited to the games that my daughter played, in the early years, the best-skilled players I saw were smaller and many played up a year or more at times. My position is that the decision to have a significantly smaller child "play up" should be a game-to-game decision based on the size and physical nature of the opponent. Not only are older girls bigger (10-14 age range), they are also more sophisticated in how to use their bodies. So, in some ways, it's not just the size of the younger player, but also the ability to handle the level of physical play of older players. It's something I'd consider even if your younger child is comparable in size to the older girls. By 15, most, not all, have caught up in size - at least as much as they are going to.


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## NorCal (Dec 3, 2020)

dad4 said:


> Do parents of older players have concerns with the width of the age band?
> 
> I know I’d never let my younger play a club game against kids 4 years older, but 10-14 is a huge gap.   Do parents of 15 year olds have similar concerns, or does it matter less as they get closer to the same height and mass?


*Memory lane*: before the birth year rule, I remember a situation where my daughter (dob 09/04) who was rostered on the 03/04 team guest played with our 04/05 team for a 8v8 game. They must have been 10 or 11 at the time. The game ended and the field was being prepped the for next game, and 11v11 game by our 02/03 team. As the youngers girls were walking off the field, they turned and asked my daughter if she was coming and she said no, I'm playing GK for the 02/03 team. I will never forget the look the youngers girls gave, the sheer size difference (pre-puberty vs. post-puberty) was very noticeable.  

My daughter has always played up but I agree...it shouldn't be done if there is a risk factor involved or if the player is not making an impact with that team.


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## crush (Dec 4, 2020)

NorCal said:


> *Memory lane*: before the birth year rule, I remember a situation where my daughter (dob 09/04) who was rostered on the 03/04 team guest played with our 04/05 team for a 8v8 game. They must have been 10 or 11 at the time. The game ended and the field was being prepped the for next game, and 11v11 game by our 02/03 team. As the youngers girls were walking off the field, they turned and asked my daughter if she was coming and she said no, I'm playing GK for the 02/03 team. I will never forget the look the youngers girls gave, the sheer size difference (pre-puberty vs. post-puberty) was very noticeable.
> 
> My daughter has always played up but I agree...it shouldn't be done if there is a risk factor involved or if the player is not making an impact with that team.


The glory days of the old birth year rule brings me to so many fond memories.  I remember back in the day when my dd got the big call up.  She got fouled in the box and cried.  Ref felt bad and gave us the PK.  We nailed and we won.  I heard the big sore losers next to us say. "she's to small to be out there playing with the big girls and will just get hurt and then cry."


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## crush (Dec 5, 2020)

NorCal said:


> *Memory lane*: before the birth year rule, I remember a situation where my daughter (dob 09/04) who was rostered on the 03/04 team guest played with our 04/05 team for a 8v8 game. They must have been 10 or 11 at the time. The game ended and the field was being prepped the for next game, and 11v11 game by our 02/03 team. As the youngers girls were walking off the field, they turned and asked my daughter if she was coming and she said no, I'm playing GK for the 02/03 team. I will never forget the look the youngers girls gave, the sheer size difference (pre-puberty vs. post-puberty) was very noticeable.
> 
> My daughter has always played up but I agree...it shouldn't be done if there is a risk factor involved or if the player is not making an impact with that team.


@NorCal.  I got a new memory lane that popped in my memory bank:  I'm sure I shared it with Outlaw 100 times....lol!!!  My dd was balling with the #1 team in the country, SC Blues 03/04 back in the day.  The great TB told the girls scrimmaging the Bakers All World 01/02 team and to get ready.  He skipped the Bakers 02/03 because he wanted the 03/04 Blues goats to see reality.  The killed us 11-1.  Keep in mind we gave up zero goals that season in league and we won it all. TB's last team we were told and then the great Gaffer would take the reigns. I believe we still hold the record of the longest streak of not giving up a goal at Blues. @Luis Andres, is that still ring true? Talk about a fierce defense that we had.  That greatest part of that day was when my dd did a sneak attack on one of the best defenders in country and scored the first goal to go up 1-0 on that team.  Like it or not, GB let that team have it like I've never seen before.  He told theme if they ever show up to a game or scrimmage taking an opponent lightly again, they can quit right now.  He also told the defender to sit on da bench.  My dd was pumped after that goal and i thought my dd was all that. The wheels kicked in for that Baker squad after my dd fantastic goal.  She never had another shot after that and was on the grown most of time whipping dirt off her face and her uniform.  In fact, it was insane how great that team was and when they wanted, how physical they could get. Not my style but it sure works.  Turner, Rodman, Jackson and all the other greats.   Man, those were some fun times.


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