# Trapped 8th graders



## Surf Zombie (Oct 6, 2019)

I’m sure this has been covered many times, so apologies in advance. 

My 2007 is a 7th grade U13 player, class of 2025.

The 2006 U14 team has 18 players (all 2006 birth year), 12 are class of 2024 while 6 are class of 2025. 

Next year, when the 2006 team moves up to U15 there will be no fall ECNL for them because of high school soccer. 

What happens to the 6 girls who will be trapped 2006 eight graders?  Are they permitted to play down with the 2007 team for the fall and then return to their 2006 team for the spring?


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## Buckyballer (Oct 6, 2019)

Girls that are identified as 'Trapped' can play down to the ECNL team below them.  We are an 04 team.  Last year (when most of our girls were freshmen in high school), our 05 players (eighth graders) were allowed to play with the 05 ECNL team.  They can both train with them and attend their games and tournaments.  It's in the ECNL Competition Rules.


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## Surf Zombie (Oct 6, 2019)

Thanks for the response.  So how did that work in application, roster of say 17 goes to 22 or whatever for the fall season and then the trapped players return to their U15 team in the spring?


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## StylinAndProfilin (Oct 7, 2019)

Surf Zombie said:


> I’m sure this has been covered many times, so apologies in advance.
> 
> My 2007 is a 7th grade U13 player, class of 2025.
> 
> ...


From the ECNL Member Club Handbook:

Players Playing Down
• Yes, you may move ECNL rostered players down without penalty as long as they are age eligible. The  
ECNL suggests rostering players on the ECNL team, which they will be playing the majority of their  
games with; in most cases this is their proper age group.​So it would appear the answer is no, they cannot play down because they aren't age eligible.


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## dad4 (Oct 7, 2019)

Does anyone have experience with the flip side?  A kid who is in a higher grade than her age group cohort?  

Does this mess things up in some way with recruiting or schedules?


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## mlx (Oct 7, 2019)

Surf Zombie said:


> I’m sure this has been covered many times, so apologies in advance.
> 
> My 2007 is a 7th grade U13 player, class of 2025.
> 
> ...



Here's the full text of the rules (Directly from the ECNL Competition Rules document, page 5):

2.9 Trapped Player Exceptions.

2.9.1 Trapped U18/U19 Player. An ECNL Registered Player that is in 11th grade, but who is
age appropriate for the U18/U19 age group is classified as a “Trapped U18/U19 Player”.
A Trapped U18/U19 Player is eligible to participate in games at two (2) U17 ECNL
National Events in the ECNL Season (excluding the ECNL Post Season). No more than
three (3) Trapped U18/U19 Players may participate in any single game at any such U17
ECNL National Event.

2.9.1.1 A “Trapped U18/U19 Player” is a player that is a senior in high school (12th grade),
who has aged out according to our Age Eligibility Chart above, but still enrolled in high
school classes. A Trapped U18/U19 Player is eligible to participate in U18/U19 ECNL
Competition provided they submit proof of high school enrollment.

2.9.2 Trapped U15 Player. An ECNL Registered Player that is in 8th grade (not in high
school), but who is age appropriate for the U15 age group is classified as a “Trapped U15
Player”. A Trapped U15 Player is eligible to participate in U14 ECNL Competition that is
played during the player’s high school association’s sanctioned soccer season. A
Trapped U15 Player that competes in an U14 ECNL Competition pursuant to this Rule
2.9.2 may also compete in the same ECNL Fixture at U15 through U18/U19, provided she
only plays one (1) ECNL Competition per day. No more than two (2) Trapped U15
Players may participate in any individual U14 ECNL Competition.


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## mlx (Oct 7, 2019)

StylinAndProfilin said:


> From the ECNL Member Club Handbook:
> 
> Players Playing Down
> • Yes, you may move ECNL rostered players down without penalty as long as they are age eligible. The
> ...


Actually, there's the "exception" for "trapped players". See above the rule and the link directly to the Competition Rules. So, it is possible but with limits.


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## mlx (Oct 7, 2019)

dad4 said:


> Does anyone have experience with the flip side?  A kid who is in a higher grade than her age group cohort?
> 
> Does this mess things up in some way with recruiting or schedules?


I think this case is the one described on the rule 2.9.1.1 above?


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## espola (Oct 7, 2019)

mlx said:


> Actually, there's the "exception" for "trapped players". See above the rule and the link directly to the Competition Rules. So, it is possible but with limits.


"age appropriate" makes many arguments pointless.


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## timbuck (Oct 7, 2019)

Surf Zombie said:


> I’m sure this has been covered many times, so apologies in advance.
> 
> My 2007 is a 7th grade U13 player, class of 2025.
> 
> ...


You say the "fall" season?  Don't you mean "winter?"  Are you in So Cal?  High School soccer is from mid/late November through early February.


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## Surf Zombie (Oct 7, 2019)

No, in Boston. HS season is August to November.


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## StylinAndProfilin (Oct 7, 2019)

...deleted


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## Buckyballer (Oct 8, 2019)

dad4 said:


> Does anyone have experience with the flip side?  A kid who is in a higher grade than her age group cohort?
> 
> Does this mess things up in some way with recruiting or schedules?


We had this situation too - a G04 with a Jan. birthday started school early - she was a freshman when most of the rest of the G04 girls were in 8th grade.  Yes, it messed things up because we had to start State Cup without her.  She finally joined us for the semifinal game and was just not herself - high school soccer is a very different beast.  We lost.

It took her a long time to get back to club soccer form and she stood out because the rest of the girls had been playing at a high level in state cup.  It made a lot of our girls NOT want to play in high school - they didn't want to get that bad (they all played anyway).

As for recruiting - Yes, I believe she is now at a disadvantage - we are in our prime recruiting year - most of the girls are Sophomores but she is a junior.  We should have a lot of coaches at our showcases coming up but last year, we only had 40 at most.  If she had started school at the appropriate time for her age, she'd have an easier time of it.  Our recruiting brochure has to point out that she is a junior and it doesn't work in her favor.


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## dad4 (Oct 8, 2019)

Buckyballer said:


> We had this situation too - a G04 with a Jan. birthday started school early....r.


Thanks.  what club?  ECNL?

Was it an option to play up for showcases?  Or does that not work?


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## Buckyballer (Oct 8, 2019)

dad4 said:


> Thanks.  what club?  ECNL?
> 
> Was it an option to play up for showcases?  Or does that not work?


Yes, ECNL club team.

Playing up was and is not an option since the G03 team is at 23.

Player should get recruited but it will just happen a bit later than you'd expect given ECNL exposure.  Our 03's had 80 to 100 coaches at their games during the showcases, and we only had 40.  She could have been in front of many more coaches if she'd played her correct school year. It's been interesting to see. Not something I would have thought of when I put my kid in kindergarten way back when.


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## dad4 (Oct 8, 2019)

Buckyballer said:


> Yes, ECNL club team.
> 
> Playing up was and is not an option since the G03 team is at 23.
> 
> Player should get recruited but it will just happen a bit later than you'd expect given ECNL exposure.  Our 03's had 80 to 100 coaches at their games during the showcases, and we only had 40.  She could have been in front of many more coaches if she'd played her correct school year. It's been interesting to see. Not something I would have thought of when I put my kid in kindergarten way back when.


thank you, it helps.  hope your teammate gets the school she wants.


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## Justus (Oct 9, 2019)

Buckyballer said:


> We had this situation too - a G04 with a Jan. birthday started school early - she was a freshman when most of the rest of the G04 girls were in 8th grade.  Yes, it messed things up because we had to start State Cup without her.  She finally joined us for the semifinal game and was just not herself - high school soccer is a very different beast.  We lost.
> 
> It took her a long time to get back to club soccer form and she stood out because the rest of the girls had been playing at a high level in state cup.  It made a lot of our girls NOT want to play in high school - they didn't want to get that bad (they all played anyway).
> 
> As for recruiting - Yes, I believe she is now at a disadvantage - we are in our prime recruiting year - most of the girls are Sophomores but she is a junior.  We should have a lot of coaches at our showcases coming up but last year, we only had 40 at most.  If she had started school at the appropriate time for her age, she'd have an easier time of it.  Our recruiting brochure has to point out that she is a junior and it doesn't work in her favor.


Just curious Baller, did the kid play Varsity as a freshman?  Reason I ask, most Freshman who played Varsity soccer and start for a good soccer program come back to club more in shape and tougher then before from what I have witnessed.  "trapped 8th grader" is an understatement


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## Buckyballer (Oct 9, 2019)

Justus said:


> Just curious Baller, did the kid play Varsity as a freshman?  Reason I ask, most Freshman who played Varsity soccer and start for a good soccer program come back to club more in shape and tougher then before from what I have witnessed.  "trapped 8th grader" is an understatement


Yes - varsity as a freshman. Picked up lots of bad habits. Took months to undo them.


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## Overtime (Oct 9, 2019)

Agree with Justus.  It depends on the program but in my experience the combination of playing with older players and focus on conditioning has actually made players better going into the spring portion of Club.


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## Justus (Oct 9, 2019)

Buckyballer said:


> Yes - varsity as a freshman. Picked up lots of bad habits. Took months to undo them.


Good program?  Bad habits like what?  I've been reading bio's this year of college soccer players to see what it takes to play at big time D1.  Everyone seems to have played HS Soccer and was All State and All that.  I guess 2021, 2022 will be the first year where No HS will ever be mention in top players bio.  It will be, "two time TC participate", "one time call up to National Training Center" "ECNL XI" "YNT"and stuff like that I bet.  So weird to watch this all unfold and have folks like you say how bad HS Soccer is and how it actually caused your team to lose basically because of her lousy decision to play with her friends.  Maybe she's burned out and has other things she wants to work hard for now?  This is right around the time some girls say, "No Mas."  More say, "No Mas" in college but we just don't read about it here.


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## Buckyballer (Oct 9, 2019)

Justus said:


> Good program?  Bad habits like what?  I've been reading bio's this year of college soccer players to see what it takes to play at big time D1.  Everyone seems to have played HS Soccer and was All State and All that.  I guess 2021, 2022 will be the first year where No HS will ever be mention in top players bio.  It will be, "two time TC participate", "one time call up to National Training Center" "ECNL XI" "YNT"and stuff like that I bet.  So weird to watch this all unfold and have folks like you say how bad HS Soccer is and how it actually caused your team to lose basically because of her lousy decision to play with her friends.  Maybe she's burned out and has other things she wants to work hard for now?  This is right around the time some girls say, "No Mas."  More say, "No Mas" in college but we just don't read about it here.


I can tell you my player played HS and came away both better and worse - better in that she was faster and had a bigger, stronger kick, worse, in that she didn't look for the pass as quickly because she'd played with girls who couldn't received a pass, so she stopped passing. She had fun overall though and has no regrets.

I think high school has lots of benefits for girls and my DD will play again this year. I don't think it is all bad but there are bad habits that can form and it seems to take a while for players that come back to club to get back into club form.


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## Justus (Oct 9, 2019)

Buckyballer said:


> I can tell you my player played HS and came away both better and worse - better in that she was faster and had a bigger, stronger kick, worse, in that she didn't look for the pass as quickly because she'd played with girls who couldn't received a pass, so she stopped passing. She had fun overall though and has no regrets.
> 
> I think high school has lots of benefits for girls and my DD will play again this year. I don't think it is all bad but there are bad habits that can form and it seems to take a while for players that come back to club to get back into club form.


I agree baller.  It's all about coach, program and the TEAM.  Mine would be a no if it wasn't fun.


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