# USYS Elite 64



## G07KeeperMom (Apr 6, 2022)

USYS NATIONAL LEAGUE ELITE 64 GROWS WITH MORE YOUTH SOCCER CLUBS • SoccerToday
					

SoccerToday - Voice of American Soccer




					www.soccertoday.com
				




Talk to me about this new league. So now we’ll have ECNL, GA and Elite 64? Phoenix Rising (for example) is listed as a club in the Elite 64…are they leaving ECNL, or are they in both? 

What do you guys know about this?


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## Larzby (Apr 7, 2022)

G07KeeperMom said:


> USYS NATIONAL LEAGUE ELITE 64 GROWS WITH MORE YOUTH SOCCER CLUBS • SoccerToday
> 
> 
> SoccerToday - Voice of American Soccer
> ...


There are many discussions about this on other discussions boards, and on other threads within this group.
From what I hear, Elite 64 does not seem to be living up to what it said, which was that clubs entering Elite 64 would have to enroll their top ("A") teams.  In fact, many of the clubs are enrolling their 3rd or 4th teams there.  This is what I'm hearing - don't blame me if I'm wrong, but nowhere have I seen a top tier club indicate that they are pulling their top ECNL team or top GA team and adding them to Elite 64.  The teams that they have announced as joining are certainly not even close to being the "best of the best" as Elite 64 advertised.  Nonetheless, the teams don't seem all that bad, either.  As it stands, it seems like a decent option, but is it a format that there is enough demand for and will it withstand the competition for top leagues?  Who knows?


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## timbuck (Apr 7, 2022)

If all of these leagues keep popping up, what do we need SoCal league for?  
everyone join an "Elite" league.  Anyone who doesn't should just play rec soccer.


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## soccersc (Apr 7, 2022)

Well, as far as leagues go it looks like Coast is a gonner…check out the list of teams added to SoCal League


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## Letsplaysoccer (Apr 8, 2022)

soccersc said:


> Well, as far as leagues go it looks like Coast is a gonner…check out the list of teams added to SoCal League


You can add LASC (LA Soccer Club to that) and maybe even Strikers


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## Paul Spacey (Apr 8, 2022)

Why are so many fools still not getting it? Every new elite/super/academy league that gets added to the already outrageous list of “we’ll make your kid a star” leagues, does nothing to improve coaching standards and player development in this country.

Imagine being so stupid and arrogant to think you can continue using the same playbook and get a different/better outcome. Politics is a corrupt clown show but youth soccer is right up there with it.


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## crush (Apr 8, 2022)

Paul Spacey said:


> Why are so many fools still not getting it? Every new elite/super/academy league that gets added to the already outrageous list of “we’ll make your kid a star” leagues, does nothing to improve coaching standards and player development in this country.
> 
> Imagine being so stupid and arrogant to think you can continue using the same playbook and get a different/better outcome. Politics is a corrupt clown show but youth soccer is right up there with it.


We need help to fix this Paul.  France, Italy and Spain have some great ideas.  Here in da States, the parents get played on words, like "Elite" "World Class" "Premier" "Development" "Scholarship" "Club" and they are sold all sorts of promises and then they pay to play.  I was taught early to find the best coach and then just hope she doesn't get cut each year.  To me, the best coaches make cuts every year.  I found such a coach.  However, parents got pissed off when their kids got cut or didnt make the A team so they blamed him and others like him for not developing the kids and just being a recruiter of the best players, not the richest parents.  So they made the B team and the treasurer of the club thought it best to have a C team as well and then other leagues to boot to have even more teams.  They just keep making soccer players and you need more leagues.  My dd top coach said he has to cut each year to keep up with the competition.  Plus, as we see today, lot's of girls stop playing and just focus on school or other fun things to do.


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## Larzby (Apr 8, 2022)

Paul Spacey said:


> Why are so many fools still not getting it? Every new elite/super/academy league that gets added to the already outrageous list of “we’ll make your kid a star” leagues, does nothing to improve coaching standards and player development in this country.
> 
> Imagine being so stupid and arrogant to think you can continue using the same playbook and get a different/better outcome. Politics is a corrupt clown show but youth soccer is right up there with it.


All of the parents on my daughter's team love where we're at, and very few of us think our kids will be a "star", including me. So I think there are good reasons for the "elite" leagues. Mostly, our kids love it, are learning leadership, goal-setting, discipline, teamwork, and other things too numerous for me to think of right now.  Yes, there are leagues/clubs/coaches to sell snake oil and something should be done about those situations.  I wish there was a magic wand we could wave and take care of those dishonest actors.  Promotion/relegation is one very big thing that I believe would help.  Also, putting more power into the hands of the parents & kids would help, but as a concept, there's nothing wrong with someone starting an "elite" league, even if there are many "elite" leagues already.


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## espola (Apr 8, 2022)

Paul Spacey said:


> Why are so many fools still not getting it? Every new elite/super/academy league that gets added to the already outrageous list of “we’ll make your kid a star” leagues, does nothing to improve coaching standards and player development in this country.
> 
> Imagine being so stupid and arrogant to think you can continue using the same playbook and get a different/better outcome. Politics is a corrupt clown show but youth soccer is right up there with it.


Politics and youth soccer intersect in Southern California.  Someone should write an insider's tell-all book about what happened to destroy Cal South, for example.


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## crush (Apr 8, 2022)

Larzby said:


> All of the parents on my daughter's team love where we're at, and very few of us think our kids will be a "star", including me. So I think there are good reasons for the "elite" leagues. Mostly, our kids love it, are learning leadership, goal-setting, discipline, teamwork, and other things too numerous for me to think of right now.  Yes, there are leagues/clubs/coaches to sell snake oil and something should be done about those situations.  I wish there was a magic wand we could wave and take care of those dishonest actors.  Promotion/relegation is one very big thing that I believe would help.  Also, putting more power into the hands of the parents & kids would help, but as a concept, there's nothing wrong with someone starting an "elite" league, even if there are many "elite" leagues already.


How's the gas price at Costco bro?  I almost was tempted but the line went around the costco so I paid a little more at Mobile.  Mobile is better gas and today I paid $6.09, .10 cents less then before so we have some hope.  Promotion/Reg will solve this mess once and for all.  No more steeling tag lines....lol!  The words are not owned by anyone so I kind of agree with you.  If the kids are happy and the parents are happy then everyone should be happy.  Now if someone could fix the divisions that would be great.  I think we can have four divisions of the top four leagues.


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## Paul Spacey (Apr 8, 2022)

Larzby said:


> All of the parents on my daughter's team love where we're at, and very few of us think our kids will be a "star", including me. So I think there are good reasons for the "elite" leagues. Mostly, our kids love it, are learning leadership, goal-setting, discipline, teamwork, and other things too numerous for me to think of right now.  Yes, there are leagues/clubs/coaches to sell snake oil and something should be done about those situations.  I wish there was a magic wand we could wave and take care of those dishonest actors.  Promotion/relegation is one very big thing that I believe would help.  Also, putting more power into the hands of the parents & kids would help, but as a concept, there's nothing wrong with someone starting an "elite" league, even if there are many "elite" leagues already.


You make some very good points but the concept of so-called “elite” leagues being added to already existing “elite” leagues just baffles me. I know it’s a nice dinner table boast to say your kid is in an “elite” league but if these leagues are all truly “elite”, where is the conveyor belt of “elite” players they are helping to develop? I’m embarrassed that I just wrote the word elite so many times; more so that I include quotation marks to emphasize it.

Ultimately my point is that new leagues or league names are not the solution to improving youth soccer. It’s all a distraction rather than addressing issues directly; again, much like politics.

I realize now we should have called our club FC Elite. We missed a trick, big time.


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## crush (Apr 8, 2022)

Paul Spacey said:


> You make some very good points but the concept of so-called “elite” leagues being added to already existing “elite” leagues just baffles me. I know it’s a nice dinner table boast to say your kid is in an “elite” league but if these leagues are all truly “elite”, where is the conveyor belt of “elite” players they are helping to develop? I’m embarrassed that I just wrote the word elite so many times; more so that I include quotation marks to emphasize it.
> 
> Ultimately my point is that new leagues or league names are not the solution to improving youth soccer. It’s all a distraction rather than addressing issues directly; again, much like politics.
> 
> I realize now we should have called our club FC Elite. We missed a trick, big time.


Paul, the true meaning of being elite in your chosen field is this: a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society.
I think marketing folks use this word to let the customer know that their league will have 64 elite teams.  It is what it is.


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## Paul Spacey (Apr 8, 2022)

crush said:


> Paul, the true meaning of being elite in your chosen field is this: a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society.
> I think marketing folks use this word to let the customer know that their league will have 64 elite teams.  It is what it is.


Exactly. I rest my case.


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## G07KeeperMom (Apr 8, 2022)

Interesting!  I had not seen the other threads.  I guess I was wondering if this new league was going to dilute the competitiveness of other clubs (like ECNL and GA) by taking clubs away from them, or if it was trying to bring in the best of all leagues and create a space for them to compete against each other (like, you could still be SoccerFC ECNL but compete in the Elite 64 against other "elite teams" from the GA, Coast or whatever other league is out there).   Seems like neither is the case, it's just another league.  Thanks for clarifying.


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## Emma (Apr 8, 2022)

G07KeeperMom said:


> Interesting!  I had not seen the other threads.  I guess I was wondering if this new league was going to dilute the competitiveness of other clubs (like ECNL and GA) by taking clubs away from them, or if it was trying to bring in the best of all leagues and create a space for them to compete against each other (like, you could still be SoccerFC ECNL but compete in the Elite 64 against other "elite teams" from the GA, Coast or whatever other league is out there).   Seems like neither is the case, it's just another league.  Thanks for clarifying.


The creators of Elite 64 intended to get GA and ECNL teams to join in, but didn't offer anything to draw those teams in.   I think they went about it the wrong way.  Grass roots first and then build to national, like AYSO is starting to do.  If AYSO continues to build out their system for higher quality players and regional teams, with low prices and local small regional clubs, they may be on to something in 5-10 years.


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## Larzby (Apr 8, 2022)

Emma said:


> The creators of Elite 64 intended to get GA and ECNL teams to join in, but didn't offer anything to draw those teams in.   I think they went about it the wrong way.  Grass roots first and then build to national, like AYSO is starting to do.  If AYSO continues to build out their system for higher quality players and regional teams, with low prices and local small regional clubs, they may be on to something in 5-10 years.


I've always thought the same thing....there's a natural inclination to stay with the club you're in, and no one has more grassroots players in their player pool.  So if they do it right, they could be right up there with the best in a few years.  But there's still some very lousy coaching - and a child abuse scandal every couple years doesn't help either.


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## sascbreakaway83 (Apr 10, 2022)

This Elite 64 league will have players wear gps vests for each match. The vest then gathers data and sends it it a list of College coaches and then the coaches use the data to scout players without having to attend any of the matches. Also every game is recorded with VEO and if the coach wants to watch the match and highlights he can just watch it from the comfort of his home. This is the gimmick they are using and they are running with it.

Ex. LASC got declined by MLS NEXT/ EA LEAGUE so they went this route, clubs need this to keep parents excited and be relevant, 90-95% of parents never ever kicked a ball in their entire life and they love to hear “Elite” in their kids league name.
This is just another league that offers a better option for college scouts compared to say CSL.


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## crush (Apr 10, 2022)

sascbreakaway83 said:


> This Elite 64 league will have players wear gps vests for each match. The vest then gathers data and sends it it a list of College coaches and then the coaches use the data to scout players without having to attend any of the matches. Also every game is recorded with VEO and if the coach wants to watch the match and highlights he can just watch it from the comfort of his home. This is the gimmick they are using and they are running with it.
> 
> Ex. LASC got declined by MLS NEXT/ EA LEAGUE so they went this route, clubs need this to keep parents excited and be relevant, 90-95% of parents never ever kicked a ball in their entire life and they love to hear “Elite” in their kids league name.
> This is just another league that offers a better option for college scouts compared to say CSL.


Those stupid vests should only be put on those who want them to get better or for pros getting paid.  The first year of GDA they had this and I heard numerous stories of girls being shamed with the vests.  I can hear a coach now say, "Hey Girl, if you dont start running more, I'm going to send this to all the college coaches.  Wow, this is starting to all sound weird again and just controlling.  What happen to just playing for the love of the game.


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## toucan (Apr 11, 2022)

sascbreakaway83 said:


> This Elite 64 league will have players wear gps vests for each match. The vest then gathers data and sends it it a list of College coaches and then the coaches use the data to scout players without having to attend any of the matches. Also every game is recorded with VEO and if the coach wants to watch the match and highlights he can just watch it from the comfort of his home. This is the gimmick they are using and they are running with it.
> 
> Ex. LASC got declined by MLS NEXT/ EA LEAGUE so they went this route, clubs need this to keep parents excited and be relevant, 90-95% of parents never ever kicked a ball in their entire life and they love to hear “Elite” in their kids league name.
> This is just another league that offers a better option for college scouts compared to say CSL.


You say that the perception of being "elite" is important to parents.  I agree.  But if a *Club* is sucked into that mentality, then the *Club* is wrong.  A Club should strive for excellence; not perception.  Unfortunately, the Elite 64 league is a Flight 2 league.  I'm not saying the league is a joke, and it might improve over time.  But right now,  if Truth in Advertising laws applied, it would rechristened as the "Mediocre 64."  

Which brings me to the vests, which we both agree is a marketing gimmick.  If it were me, I'd ask for the free toaster instead.


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## GoldenGate (Apr 11, 2022)

crush said:


> We need help to fix this Paul.  France, Italy and Spain have some great ideas.  Here in da States, the parents get played on words, like "Elite" "World Class" "Premier" "Development" "Scholarship" "Club" and they are sold all sorts of promises and then they pay to play.  I was taught early to find the best coach and then just hope she doesn't get cut each year.  To me, the best coaches make cuts every year.  I found such a coach.  However, parents got pissed off when their kids got cut or didnt make the A team so they blamed him and others like him for not developing the kids and just being a recruiter of the best players, not the richest parents.  So they made the B team and the treasurer of the club thought it best to have a C team as well and then other leagues to boot to have even more teams.  They just keep making soccer players and you need more leagues.  My dd top coach said he has to cut each year to keep up with the competition.  Plus, as we see today, lot's of girls stop playing and just focus on school or other fun things to do.


France, Italy and Spain all have a long and glorious history of women's WC success.  We should definitely do what they do over there.


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## GoldenGate (Apr 11, 2022)

Paul Spacey said:


> Why are so many fools still not getting it? Every new elite/super/academy league that gets added to the already outrageous list of “we’ll make your kid a star” leagues, does nothing to improve coaching standards and player development in this country.
> 
> Imagine being so stupid and arrogant to think you can continue using the same playbook and get a different/better outcome. Politics is a corrupt clown show but youth soccer is right up there with it.


IKR, player development on the girls side has been the absolute worst in the U.S.  The WNT hasn't won anything in the last decade due to all the corruption and incompetence that has been going on with all these corrupt youth leagues.


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## MicPaPa (Apr 11, 2022)

GoldenGate said:


> IKR, player development on the girls side has been the absolute worst in the U.S.  The WNT hasn't won anything in the last decade due to all the corruption and incompetence that has been going on with all these corrupt youth leagues.


Couldn't have anything to do with the WNT going with the woke garbage, right? Maybe put the focus back on soccer and respecting ones country.


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## myself (Apr 12, 2022)

MicPaPa said:


> Couldn't have anything to do with the WNT going with the woke garbage, right? Maybe put the focus back on soccer and respecting ones country.


Whoosh


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## Gkdad1 (Apr 12, 2022)

toucan said:


> You say that the perception of being "elite" is important to parents.  I agree.  But if a *Club* is sucked into that mentality, then the *Club* is wrong.  A Club should strive for excellence; not perception.  Unfortunately, the Elite 64 league is a Flight 2 league.  I'm not saying the league is a joke, and it might improve over time.  But right now,  if Truth in Advertising laws applied, it would rechristened as the "Mediocre 64."
> 
> Which brings me to the vests, which we both agree is a marketing gimmick.  If it were me, I'd ask for the free toaster instead.


Define a Flight 2 league? Are DPL and ECNL_RL flight 2 leagues?


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## GoldenGate (Apr 12, 2022)

MicPaPa said:


> Couldn't have anything to do with the WNT going with the woke garbage, right? Maybe put the focus back on soccer and respecting ones country.


The only person who doesn't respect their country is you.  You're the one who has spent the last eight years actively hoping the "woke" WNT would lose and feeling sorry for yourself that it has been on its greatest run of dominance in the entire history of the sport.  Neither you nor your other bigot friends were able to stop them despite your best efforts.  Only old age has been able to stop the purple haired women who has been in your head the last decade.


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## toucan (Apr 12, 2022)

Gkdad1 said:


> Define a Flight 2 league? Are DPL and ECNL_RL flight 2 leagues?


Definition for Flight 2:  Roughly equal to the talent in the Socal Soccer League's Flight 2.  Some Elite 64 teams might be a little better or worse, but the average level of the teams in the league would fit comfortably into Flight 2 of the Socal league.

DPL: Yes, probably Flight 2, although there are a few DPL teams that are definitely Flight 1 quality.
ECNL-RL: More like Flight 1 at the lower half of the group, but definitely stronger than Flight 1 on the upper half.


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## GoldenGate (Apr 12, 2022)

crush said:


> Those stupid vests should only be put on those who want them to get better or for pros getting paid.  The first year of GDA they had this and I heard numerous stories of girls being shamed with the vests.  I can hear a coach now say, "Hey Girl, if you dont start running more, I'm going to send this to all the college coaches.  Wow, this is starting to all sound weird again and just controlling.  What happen to just playing for the love of the game.


What happened to just playing for the love of the game?  I don't know, maybe it died when your daughter was in middle school and you were telling everyone here and also college coaches to f**k off because you were convinced she was going to go pro right out of HS.  Maybe it died the first of many times that you club shopped for free handouts.  Maybe it died when your middle school aged daughter won a "national championship" that you still haven't stopped talking about.  Maybe it died during the six years you spent here blaming everyone but yourself about why soccer hasn't been fun for your daughter. The only thing that kept it from being fun was your pissy attitude.


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## crush (Apr 12, 2022)

GoldenGate said:


> *telling everyone here and also college coaches to f**k off*
> *Maybe it died the first of many times that you club shopped for free handouts.*


You are quite the little liar.  I have never in my life told a college girls soccer coach to "F" off.  You're slandering me GG.  I never ever called a DOC for a free handout, ever.  That is a lie. They all called me and made the offers.  I will have my attorney PM you.


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## GoldenGate (Apr 12, 2022)

crush said:


> You are quite the little liar.  I have never in my life told a college girls soccer coach to "F" off.  You're slandering me GG.  I never ever called a DOC for a free handout, ever.  That is a lie. They all called me and made the offers.  I will have my attorney PM you.


Sweet.  Have your attorney read the threads "ECNL Policies" and "ECNL vs. DA tur war has created a 'toxic environment'.  Maybe Dr. Fauci will join my countersuit against you.


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## Larzby (Apr 12, 2022)

Gkdad1 said:


> Define a Flight 2 league? Are DPL and ECNL_RL flight 2 leagues?


When people here say "Flight 2" they are referring to SoCal Soccer League's second tier division, called "Flight 2."\






						Socal Soccer League | Home
					






					socalsoccerleague.org
				




Often, people here will say a team is "Flight 2 at best" when they want to insult the team.  But there's some decent teams in Flight 2, and in any division there will be a very broad range of talent

The complication starts from there:  There are several "elite" leagues, which are all claiming to be the most "elite" of the elite.  DPL (DPLEAGUE.ORG) and ECNL_RL (ecnlgirls.com) are the step-up leagues to the GAL and the ECNL, respectively.  You could call them Flight 2, if you want, but they are distinct from SoCal Soccer League's Flight 2.  

The broad range of talent in each league means there is much overlap, and you cannot base your understanding of the talent of any given team by what league they are in.  Unfortunately, now that Youth Soccer Rankings is gone, there are not too many more ways to compare teams' respective competitiveness.  GotSoccer is one, but it is very flawed and favors teams that play in their tournaments.  So you would have to do it the old fashioned way and ask around - just be sure to get many viewpoints, because it seems there's many, many people who just want to trash certain leagues or divisions within leagues unfairly.

The upshot:  Flight 2 might be the right fit for your player.  Or maybe Flight 1 or DPL, or ECNL_RL or GAL, or ECNL.  Just try to avoid the haters, and remember that the important part is what coach and teammates are a good fit for your kid.


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## MicPaPa (Apr 12, 2022)

GoldenGate said:


> The only person who doesn't respect their country is you.  You're the one who has spent the last eight years actively hoping the "woke" WNT would lose and feeling sorry for yourself that it has been on its greatest run of dominance in the entire history of the sport.  Neither you nor your other bigot friends were able to stop them despite your best efforts.  Only old age has been able to stop the purple haired women who has been in your head the last decade.


The beauty about numbers and history is you can ignore them, but not change them.

Speaking of in your head, I noticed Daddy still lives rent free in the empty one attached to your yellow spine.


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## MicPaPa (Apr 12, 2022)

myself said:


> Whoosh


Try plugging your ears.


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## justneededaname (Apr 12, 2022)

My dd's team is going to be in E64 this year. At least as of last week. In general we parents are ready to give it the benefit of the doubt. We all know it isn't ECNL or GA. We realize that our club is not invited to those parties. We all have daughters that want to play together, for this coach, at this club. We don't care to name drop the league to friends. Our team was set to play in DPL. We knew that wasn't going to be good based on experience either playing teams in the league, or playing the first teams of clubs in the league. We don't know how E64 will be for competition, but at this point the unknown is better than the known.


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## Primetime (May 3, 2022)

Well,  After reading through some rhetoric, lol.   I’ll go back to the original question(s).  
Elite 64 will have a 2 part season schedule similar to ECNL. This will be in place of whatever league said teams are currently playing.  It will also include 2-3 showcases that follow the NL Pro league series.   Like ECNL and other similar leagues this is a Club league not a team league so involved Clubs will have to field a team for every age group and clubs will play one another the whole game day again like ECNL.   Some clubs will have both boys and girls accepted in while some Might only have one side.  It’ll be 8 clubs for each gender in the new Southern Cal division.  For example clubs like SLAMMERS, Blues, Legends, ect (not saying those clubs are in) that have ECNL for example this would be their next best team.   So it would basically be ECNL, ECNL-RL then Elite 64.   Similar with MLS those teams would stay there for those clubs it would be they’re next up.  Some clubs might be pulling their EA squads so could be those teams for some of those clubs.  As I mentioned above for most it would Likely be their top Discovery NPL team or comparable.  There might be a few clubs that get in that currently have no “Elite League” status like LASC who appears to be one already.   Clubs like Strikers who just lost ECNL might move one of those teams into there ?  Besides good competition Some selling points I hear they’re throwing out are detailed stat keeping system for stuff like goals, assist, saves and all that jazz for every player, which look at all the hoopla in the other threads here about the YSR ranking system and tell me people wouldn’t love that $h”t.  Open rosters so clubs can have unlimited guest players to field top teams (although most clubs would just have designated teams but able to player pass freely). And some playoff pathways through the NL league system.  Short story long it’s gonna pull mostly the top couple Discovery teams and a handful from maybe EA/GA/DPL.    ECNL and MLS Next still sit on top.


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## Carlsbad7 (May 3, 2022)

Primetime said:


> Well,  After reading through some rhetoric, lol.   I’ll go back to the original question(s).
> Elite 64 will have a 2 part season schedule similar to ECNL. This will be in place of whatever league said teams are currently playing.  It will also include 2-3 showcases that follow the NL Pro league series.   Like ECNL and other similar leagues this is a Club league not a team league so involved Clubs will have to field a team for every age group and clubs will play one another the whole game day again like ECNL.   Some clubs will have both boys and girls accepted in while some Might only have one side.  It’ll be 8 clubs for each gender in the new Southern Cal division.  For example clubs like SLAMMERS, Blues, Legends, ect (not saying those clubs are in) that have ECNL for example this would be their next best team.   So it would basically be ECNL, ECNL-RL then Elite 64.   Similar with MLS those teams would stay there for those clubs it would be they’re next up.  Some clubs might be pulling their EA squads so could be those teams for some of those clubs.  As I mentioned above for most it would Likely be their top Discovery NPL team or comparable.  There might be a few clubs that get in that currently have no “Elite League” status like LASC who appears to be one already.   Clubs like Strikers who just lost ECNL might move one of those teams into there ?  Besides good competition Some selling points I hear they’re throwing out are detailed stat keeping system for stuff like goals, assist, saves and all that jazz for every player, which look at all the hoopla in the other threads here about the YSR ranking system and tell me people wouldn’t love that $h”t.  Open rosters so clubs can have unlimited guest players to field top teams (although most clubs would just have designated teams but able to player pass freely). And some playoff pathways through the NL league system.  Short story long it’s gonna pull mostly the top couple Discovery teams and a handful from maybe EA/GA/DPL.    ECNL and MLS Next still sit on top.


Sounds a lot like a "Super Double Secret Elite Champions" league.


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## Paul Spacey (May 3, 2022)

Primetime said:


> Well,  After reading through some rhetoric, lol.   I’ll go back to the original question(s).
> Elite 64 will have a 2 part season schedule similar to ECNL. This will be in place of whatever league said teams are currently playing.  It will also include 2-3 showcases that follow the NL Pro league series.   Like ECNL and other similar leagues this is a Club league not a team league so involved Clubs will have to field a team for every age group and clubs will play one another the whole game day again like ECNL.   Some clubs will have both boys and girls accepted in while some Might only have one side.  It’ll be 8 clubs for each gender in the new Southern Cal division.  For example clubs like SLAMMERS, Blues, Legends, ect (not saying those clubs are in) that have ECNL for example this would be their next best team.   So it would basically be ECNL, ECNL-RL then Elite 64.   Similar with MLS those teams would stay there for those clubs it would be they’re next up.  Some clubs might be pulling their EA squads so could be those teams for some of those clubs.  As I mentioned above for most it would Likely be their top Discovery NPL team or comparable.  There might be a few clubs that get in that currently have no “Elite League” status like LASC who appears to be one already.   Clubs like Strikers who just lost ECNL might move one of those teams into there ?  Besides good competition Some selling points I hear they’re throwing out are detailed stat keeping system for stuff like goals, assist, saves and all that jazz for every player, which look at all the hoopla in the other threads here about the YSR ranking system and tell me people wouldn’t love that $h”t.  Open rosters so clubs can have unlimited guest players to field top teams (although most clubs would just have designated teams but able to player pass freely). And some playoff pathways through the NL league system.  Short story long it’s gonna pull mostly the top couple Discovery teams and a handful from maybe EA/GA/DPL.    ECNL and MLS Next still sit on top.


Good info and helpful to understand the potential E64 landscape.

As much as I am a critic of the outrageous list of letter leagues and the BS that goes with the marketing and promotion of them all, I do think it's possible that we end up in a position in a few years whereby the well organized, stronger leagues survive and the others collapse; then we move back to less number of leagues with more of a focus on quality over quantity and local/regional games with less travel. Perhaps some parallels with politics; everything expands and becomes more polarized until it reaches a critical point where the BS bubble finally explodes and we revert back to some sanity


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## Code (May 3, 2022)

I hope this league works out for the players who just want a chance to compete and are locked out of the ECNL and GA clubs.  But, I’m very skeptical of what is being sold to everybody.  My perspective is from the Girls side, so the Boys may be different.  I don't see how a league that is going to be comprised primarily of teams that played at the Discovery League NPL (SOCAL Flight 1 teams who play other Flight 1 team from a different region of SOCAL, instead of the Flight 1 teams in their own area), is suddenly going to have stronger base of teams than the GA or DPL.  If most of the clubs currently playing GA and DPL don’t make the move to Elite 64, certainly Elite 64 can’t spontaneously be at a higher level than GA.  US Youth Soccer (former Development Academy now GA) was competing with US Club Soccer (ECNL) for the top league status.  There are endless debates on the forums about who was better, but it’s a moot point now, because the DA folded up in 2020.  The top players all migrated to the ECNL.  Then US Youth Soccer rebrands the DA with a few new rules in 2021 (now allows player to play in High School), calling its new league Girls Academy (GA/DA 2.0) hoping to regain the players it lost.  Most ECNL players and clubs stay in the ECNL.  Currently the GA is struggling on the West Coast and showing signs of decline on the East Coast because the clubs and ECNL players are not coming back.  Now US Youth Soccer starts yet another league (Elite 64), that is going to be at a higher level than GA, while the GA still exists…how?  It doesn’t make any logical sense.  The only way Elite 64 will be better than GA is if US Youth Soccer shuts down GA, which may be why the Elite 64 (DA 3.0) is being created.  If GA is still around this Fall, then the pecking order will be ECNL, ECRL, GA, DPL, Elite 64, Local League Flight 1 (whatever cool sounding name they call it this year).  Elite 64 is US Youth Soccer’s attempt to take a piece of the local leagues’ revenue, by creating a travel league for teams that don’t need to travel to find competitive teams to play.  Why else would you create three “top” leagues (GA, DPL, Elite 64) that are competing against each other for players, if you are trying to compete with US Club Soccer’s ECNL and ECRL.


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## Carlsbad7 (May 3, 2022)

Code said:


> I hope this league works out for the players who just want a chance to compete and are locked out of the ECNL and GA clubs.  But, I’m very skeptical of what is being sold to everybody.  My perspective is from the Girls side, so the Boys may be different.  I don't see how a league that is going to be comprised primarily of teams that played at the Discovery League NPL (SOCAL Flight 1 teams who play other Flight 1 team from a different region of SOCAL, instead of the Flight 1 teams in their own area), is suddenly going to have stronger base of teams than the GA or DPL.  If most of the clubs currently playing GA and DPL don’t make the move to Elite 64, certainly Elite 64 can’t spontaneously be at a higher level than GA.  US Youth Soccer (former Development Academy now GA) was competing with US Club Soccer (ECNL) for the top league status.  There are endless debates on the forums about who was better, but it’s a moot point now, because the DA folded up in 2020.  The top players all migrated to the ECNL.  Then US Youth Soccer rebrands the DA with a few new rules in 2021 (now allows player to play in High School), calling its new league Girls Academy (GA/DA 2.0) hoping to regain the players it lost.  Most ECNL players and clubs stay in the ECNL.  Currently the GA is struggling on the West Coast and showing signs of decline on the East Coast because the clubs and ECNL players are not coming back.  Now US Youth Soccer starts yet another league (Elite 64), that is going to be at a higher level than GA, while the GA still exists…how?  It doesn’t make any logical sense.  The only way Elite 64 will be better than GA is if US Youth Soccer shuts down GA, which may be why the Elite 64 (DA 3.0) is being created.  If GA is still around this Fall, then the pecking order will be ECNL, ECRL, GA, DPL, Elite 64, Local League Flight 1 (whatever cool sounding name they call it this year).  Elite 64 is US Youth Soccer’s attempt to take a piece of the local leagues’ revenue, by creating a travel league for teams that don’t need to travel to find competitive teams to play.  Why else would you create three “top” leagues (GA, DPL, Elite 64) that are competing against each other for players, if you are trying to compete with US Club Soccer’s ECNL and ECRL.


Not sure if I agree with your assessment "ECNL, ECRL, GA, DPL, Elite 64, Local League Flight 1".

In Socal you do have a lot of teams playing in ECNL that are very good. But it's not like that everywhere. Also, Many of the top team clubs tend to put all their resources into ECNL only (ECRL is a holding tank but not focused on). This is what allows GA, DPL, etc to continue to hang around.

As a parent would you choose the 2nd team of a top club or the 1st team of a close to top club? In the end 99.9% chance it won't matter so you might as well pick whichever club is closer.


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## Code (May 3, 2022)

Carlsbad7 said:


> Not sure if I agree with your assessment "ECNL, ECRL, GA, DPL, Elite 64, Local League Flight 1".
> 
> In Socal you do have a lot of teams playing in ECNL that are very good. But it's not like that everywhere. Also, Many of the top team clubs tend to put all their resources into ECNL only (ECRL is a holding tank but not focused on). This is what allows GA, DPL, etc to continue to hang around.
> 
> As a parent would you choose the 2nd team of a top club or the 1st team of a close to top club? In the end 99.9% chance it won't matter so you might as well pick whichever club is closer.


You are correct, I am only focused on the SoCal area, and not other regions of the country in my perspective.  Honestly, if I was picking between a 2nd team top club and 1st team close team, my focus would be on how my DD fits into the teams Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) on the field.  Performance Cusp Models in sports psychology find the most efficient development occurs when an athlete’s rate of success, when performing at their best, is at 50-70%.  What I mean is that when an athlete is placed in a challenging environment, where even their best performance with no mistakes will only find success 50-70% of the time, they will develop and grow faster than any other situation.  It is hard to judge that scenario in soccer, because the challenge and performance of the individual is dependent upon the team.  I would attempt to judge where your players KSAs fall in relation to the rest of the team, when they are giving 100%.  If you want your athlete to develop as efficiently as possible, they should be somewhere in the 50-70% on the team.  Any lower and they become discouraged and/or frustrated and begin to develop learned helplessness over time; any higher and it is too easy for them, they do not develop learned industriousness that will be needed as they face more challenging competition as they grow.  The only reason I would be content with my DD playing on a team where she was in the 80-100 percentile of KSAs on the team, is if there was no better team available for her to play on.  Finding the team that is just right for the player is easier said than done, but I wouldn't let a team’s ranking order at a club, or the clubs clout determine where they should play.  If you can find the 50-70% sweet spot for your DD, and the coach is good, I would go with it.


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## Primetime (May 3, 2022)

Code said:


> I hope this league works out for the players who just want a chance to compete and are locked out of the ECNL and GA clubs.  But, I’m very skeptical of what is being sold to everybody.  My perspective is from the Girls side, so the Boys may be different.  I don't see how a league that is going to be comprised primarily of teams that played at the Discovery League NPL (SOCAL Flight 1 teams who play other Flight 1 team from a different region of SOCAL, instead of the Flight 1 teams in their own area), is suddenly going to have stronger base of teams than the GA or DPL.  If most of the clubs currently playing GA and DPL don’t make the move to Elite 64, certainly Elite 64 can’t spontaneously be at a higher level than GA.  US Youth Soccer (former Development Academy now GA) was competing with US Club Soccer (ECNL) for the top league status.  There are endless debates on the forums about who was better, but it’s a moot point now, because the DA folded up in 2020.  The top players all migrated to the ECNL.  Then US Youth Soccer rebrands the DA with a few new rules in 2021 (now allows player to play in High School), calling its new league Girls Academy (GA/DA 2.0) hoping to regain the players it lost.  Most ECNL players and clubs stay in the ECNL.  Currently the GA is struggling on the West Coast and showing signs of decline on the East Coast because the clubs and ECNL players are not coming back.  Now US Youth Soccer starts yet another league (Elite 64), that is going to be at a higher level than GA, while the GA still exists…how?  It doesn’t make any logical sense.  The only way Elite 64 will be better than GA is if US Youth Soccer shuts down GA, which may be why the Elite 64 (DA 3.0) is being created.  If GA is still around this Fall, then the pecking order will be ECNL, ECRL, GA, DPL, Elite 64, Local League Flight 1 (whatever cool sounding name they call it this year).  Elite 64 is US Youth Soccer’s attempt to take a piece of the local leagues’ revenue, by creating a travel league for teams that don’t need to travel to find competitive teams to play.  Why else would you create three “top” leagues (GA, DPL, Elite 64) that are competing against each other for players, if you are trying to compete with US Club Soccer’s ECNL and ECRL.


Aside from this league or that league all that really matters is are the games competitive?   Pick any of these "Elite" levels/leagues and chances are the answer is yes.    The people arguing that all we need is Gold, Bronze and Silver don't have a case.   Go to that format and you'll have blowouts unless you kick a couple thousand kids out all together.  which some would argue for too.   If its consistently close competitive games then more power to them.   

Far as Pecking order your partially correct with the big exception that no club has all those options you listed so not like its a clubs 4th or 5th tier.     On the Girls side ECNL is on their own planet and 90% of RL teams are better than anything GA or DPL has.   Now if you look at the Clubs that have ECNL and point to their 3rd teams or in slammers case 5th teams those teams I would say are also better than what's in GA or DPL.    looking at Blues, Slammers, Legends, Beach maybe Strikers in some age groups I would Say their best teams that are not any ECNL would be atop the standings in GA or DPL.   But to one of your points I think you might see some clubs also possibly pull out of those leagues and opt for the E64 route.   As watered down as Discovery is if you look at the top 1-2 places in most age groups I'd bet on those teams over what's in GA and DPL.    From a national standpoint the E64 league has already picked up some top clubs across the country and if it gets a handful from SoCal it'll help raise that bar a little more.


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## VegasParent (May 3, 2022)

Primetime said:


> Aside from this league or that league all that really matters is are the games competitive?   Pick any of these "Elite" levels/leagues and chances are the answer is yes.    The people arguing that all we need is Gold, Bronze and Silver don't have a case.   Go to that format and you'll have blowouts unless you kick a couple thousand kids out all together.  which some would argue for too.   If its consistently close competitive games then more power to them.
> 
> Far as Pecking order your partially correct with the big exception that no club has all those options you listed so not like its a clubs 4th or 5th tier.     On the Girls side ECNL is on their own planet and 90% of RL teams are better than anything GA or DPL has.   Now if you look at the Clubs that have ECNL and point to their 3rd teams or in slammers case 5th teams those teams I would say are also better than what's in GA or DPL.    looking at Blues, Slammers, Legends, Beach maybe Strikers in some age groups I would Say their best teams that are not any ECNL would be atop the standings in GA or DPL.   But to one of your points I think you might see some clubs also possibly pull out of those leagues and opt for the E64 route.   As watered down as Discovery is if you look at the top 1-2 places in most age groups I'd bet on those teams over what's in GA and DPL.    From a national standpoint the E64 league has already picked up some top clubs across the country and if it gets a handful from SoCal it'll help raise that bar a little more.


What are you basing your opinion on that 90% of RL teams or 3rd team from Slammers or other teams you stated are better than GA teams? I know quite a few GA teams are as good as many ECNL teams and definitely better then most RL teams.


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## Larzby (May 3, 2022)

Code said:


> You are correct, I am only focused on the SoCal area, and not other regions of the country in my perspective.  Honestly, if I was picking between a 2nd team top club and 1st team close team, my focus would be on how my DD fits into the teams Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) on the field.  Performance Cusp Models in sports psychology find the most efficient development occurs when an athlete’s rate of success, when performing at their best, is at 50-70%.  What I mean is that when an athlete is placed in a challenging environment, where even their best performance with no mistakes will only find success 50-70% of the time, they will develop and grow faster than any other situation.  It is hard to judge that scenario in soccer, because the challenge and performance of the individual is dependent upon the team.  I would attempt to judge where your players KSAs fall in relation to the rest of the team, when they are giving 100%.  If you want your athlete to develop as efficiently as possible, they should be somewhere in the 50-70% on the team.  Any lower and they become discouraged and/or frustrated and begin to develop learned helplessness over time; any higher and it is too easy for them, they do not develop learned industriousness that will be needed as they face more challenging competition as they grow.  The only reason I would be content with my DD playing on a team where she was in the 80-100 percentile of KSAs on the team, is if there was no better team available for her to play on.  Finding the team that is just right for the player is easier said than done, but I wouldn't let a team’s ranking order at a club, or the clubs clout determine where they should play.  If you can find the 50-70% sweet spot for your DD, and the coach is good, I would go with it.


Ok, this the most helpful post I've ever read on this list....thanks for the insightful comments!


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## Sike (May 4, 2022)

VegasParent said:


> I know quite a few GA teams are as good as many ECNL teams and definitely better then most RL teams.


In SoCal, I don't believe this is true at this point. With an exception here or there for a strong GA team that been able to retain their players, I think you will find that ECNL teams in SoCal are better than GA teams across the board. There is certainly more of a debate when you compared ECRL teams to GA teams, but there is no way that GA teams in SoCal are "better than most RL teams". I'd still put my kid in GA over ECRL, but only because I think the exposure to college coaches at events is better (not because the competition is better).


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## what-happened (May 4, 2022)

Sike said:


> I*I'd still put my kid in GA over ECRL, but only because I think the exposure to college coaches at events is better (not because the competition is better).*


This is where the GA will continue to demonstrate "value".  Of course the better teams are in ECNL, hard to change that.  Parents are more concerend about how "good" the leagues than college coaches.  There are roster spots for almost every player who wants one.   The GAs infrastructure is good, their leadership is respected, and they have established the fact that their showcases are well run.  Plenty of coaches show up to them.  They continue to expand.  Not every player is going to play at a P5 conference, a Santa Clara, etc.  There is plenty of room for two "top" leagues.  They will let the parents argue over which one is best.  Your DDs first day on the pitch in  college isn't going to be spent comparing leagues.


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## Primetime (May 5, 2022)

VegasParent said:


> What are you basing your opinion on that 90% of RL teams or 3rd team from Slammers or other teams you stated are better than GA teams? I know quite a few GA teams are as good as many ECNL teams and definitely better then most RL teams.


Ya your right, I'll retract that statement.  I went back and looked and definitely found plenty of instances where RL teams beat or tied GA teams but overall it looked like GA is bout smack in the middle.   Competitive with the top end of RL and the bottom end of ECNL (in General)


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## Carlsbad7 (May 5, 2022)

Primetime said:


> Ya your right, I'll retract that statement.  I went back and looked and definitely found plenty of instances where RL teams beat or tied GA teams but overall it looked like GA is bout smack in the middle.   Competitive with the top end of RL and the bottom end of ECNL (in General)


What age group were you looking at?

The reason I ask is as players get older power shifts from Clubs to Parents. This is because of injuries, players dropping out, less new talent adding into the funnel.

Once kids get to later middle school / early high school Players, Coaches, and Parents all know each other. Play becomes less about winning as a team (you still want to win as a team) + more about getting noticed by College/Pro scouts/coaches.

ECNL and GA and Next and Etc all have great platforms for showcasing talent + in the end top players will get noticed.


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## LouSag (May 5, 2022)

Sike said:


> In SoCal, I don't believe this is true at this point. With an exception here or there for a strong GA team that been able to retain their players, I think you will find that ECNL teams in SoCal are better than GA teams across the board. There is certainly more of a debate when you compared ECRL teams to GA teams, but there is no way that GA teams in SoCal are "better than most RL teams". I'd still put my kid in GA over ECRL, but only because I think the exposure to college coaches at events is better (not because the competition is better).


This is spot on.  ECNL is far superior to GA in So Cal.  Big club ERCL (Slammers, Surf, Blues ECRL teams) are better than GA.  The big club ECRL teams are packed with ECNL capable players, that would get significant playing time at the minnow ECNL clubs or GA.  They stay at the bigger clubs for a variety of reasons; however the recent trend is a movement away from ECRL bigger clubs.  
ECNL screwed the pooch at the recent Phoenix showcase.  ECNL and ECRL events hosted at the same time about a 1 hour drive apart.  Showcase for the ECRL?  Take a wild guess as to which location all the college coaches went to scout.  ECRL is attempting to provide dedicated showcases next year (Fall 2022 and beyond) and a national tournament in Seattle this June (once again, the same time as the ECNL tourney….fool me once, fool me twice…).
At a minimum, The GA provides dedicated showcases, that college coaches (ok, assistant coaches) will attend.  So there is exposure for the players in GA.  
Overall, the big club ECRL programs are losing some players to the weaker ECNL clubs and some GA.  This trend will continue until ECRL gets their plan together on national showcases.  For now, if you play ECRL and have a desire to play college ball, your best way in is to show well at the ID camps, because coaches are not seeing you play.


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## VegasParent (May 5, 2022)

LouSag said:


> At a minimum, The GA provides dedicated showcases, that college coaches *(ok, assistant coaches)* will attend.  So there is exposure for the players in GA.


There were large numbers of power 5 and other D1 *head coaches* at the GA showcase in NC last weekend. But even if only assistant coaches were attending GA showcases why is that a problem? Pretty sure assistant coaches attend ECNL showcases also. One of the best things I have seen someone post on here is that colleges recruit players, not teams or leagues.


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## what-happened (May 5, 2022)

VegasParent said:


> There were large numbers of power 5 and other D1 *head coaches* at the GA showcase in NC last weekend. But even if only assistant coaches were attending GA showcases why is that a problem? Pretty sure assistant coaches attend ECNL showcases also. *One of the best things I have seen someone post on here is that colleges recruit players, not teams or leagues.*


The idea that GA showcases are being shunned by head coaches is interesting and is 100% parent driven.  They aren't being shunned at all.  Again, colleges will let the parents fret over the alphabet.  They will recruit where they need to recruit and where they can recruit.

For now it appears that DPL is the better organized second league in terms of showcases.  Not saying the talent is better, but their organization is better - plenty of success stories for DPL players moving on to the next level, to include D1 P5 schools.  More are going to non D1 schools but doesn't diminish the fact that the DPL platform is well organized.  

It seems as if ECNL as an organization is more worried about how "good" they are VS what good they are doing for their players.  It appears as if the GA has embraced their role as the  next best league, populated with players that have the desire and talent to play at the next level.  They are cleverly positioning their brand to attract players and parents.  Doesn't hurt that their leadership is rather well established in the soccer community. 

Plenty of room in the soccer landscape for  two "elite" leagues.  Players and colleges will benefit.


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## LouSag (May 5, 2022)

VegasParent said:


> There were large numbers of power 5 and other D1 *head coaches* at the GA showcase in NC last weekend. But even if only assistant coaches were attending GA showcases why is that a problem? Pretty sure assistant coaches attend ECNL showcases also. One of the best things I have seen someone post on here is that colleges recruit players, not teams or leagues.


All true.  In the college game, the assistant coaches do ALL the heavy lifting on recruiting.  They screen the emails, the video, the instagram etc…they are the initial filter.  And it’s usually the “newer” asst coach doing this.  The one who is making poverty level wages and running 3 club teams.  In the end, the head coach is the decision maker—more than likely he/she is only looking at that player because the player passed muster with the assistant coach.  
A new head coach who was contemplating travel to a hot humid location for recruiting one weekend was so aptly advised, “Hey coach, that’s what assistant coaches are for”.


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## Primetime (May 5, 2022)

Listen, we’re getting sidetracked here.   The point is that Elite 64 is the new best league.  GA and ECNL might as well be CSL Bronze once E64 is up and running.


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## soccersc (May 5, 2022)

Paul Spacey said:


> Good info and helpful to understand the potential E64 landscape.
> 
> As much as I am a critic of the outrageous list of letter leagues and the BS that goes with the marketing and promotion of them all, I do think it's possible that we end up in a position in a few years whereby the well organized, stronger leagues survive and the others collapse; then we move back to less number of leagues with more of a focus on quality over quantity and local/regional games with less travel. Perhaps some parallels with politics; everything expands and becomes more polarized until it reaches a critical point where the BS bubble finally explodes and we revert back to some sanity


You mean kinda what’s happening to Cal South and Coast?

You’re right though…collapse would probably be the next best thing to happen


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## socalkdg (May 6, 2022)

Strikers FC North just joined Elite 64.  Girls teams are also joining GA.


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## Soccerfambam (May 6, 2022)

socalkdg said:


> Strikers FC North just joined Elite 64.  Girls teams are also joining GA.


Was there an announcement regarding Strikers girls joining GA? I only see their Elite 64 announcement.


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## gauchos1991 (May 7, 2022)

timbuck said:


> If all of these leagues keep popping up, what do we need SoCal league for?
> everyone join an "Elite" league.  Anyone who doesn't should just play rec soccer.


Tim a lot of club teams are rec soccer, just practice more and carry the label club. Honestly that is ok. Let the kids play, stay fit, and grow to love the sport.  
The elite leagues or teams are geared to college aspiring players and to be honest based on the level of play, college is simply and extension of club soccer at the adult level, avg skill  with the exception of 5-10 big programs.  MLS Next teams and USL academy teams are the elite youth teams. The recent high level of play shown at the  2022 Adidas youth cup by MLS teams who went toe to teo with europes big clubs was great to see.


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## Carlsbad7 (May 7, 2022)

gauchos1991 said:


> Tim a lot of club teams are rec soccer, just practice more and carry the label club. Honestly that is ok. Let the kids play, stay fit, and grow to love the sport.
> The elite leagues or teams are geared to college aspiring players and to be honest based on the level of play, college is simply and extension of club soccer at the adult level, avg skill  with the exception of 5-10 big programs.  MLS Next teams and USL academy teams are the elite youth teams. The recent high level of play shown at the  2022 Adidas youth cup by MLS teams who went toe to teo with europes big clubs was great to see.


Girls college soccer tends to be direct to the fastest forward. 

Top level Club teams tend to be posession.

Slightly different types of play.


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## From the Spot (May 9, 2022)

Soccerfambam said:


> Was there an announcement regarding Strikers girls joining GA?


Heard they weren't accepted into GA? Lot's of Striker's girls at tryouts all over SoCal.


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## Fortheloveofsoccer (May 9, 2022)

Here's my take on it. If your player is good, they are good and colleges will find you, but are you going to get good playing against low caliber teams? If you look at the 07 USYNT ID roster it is spread out over top ECNL teams, lower ECNL teams and even a few GA teams. It'll be intresteing to see who fo those advance and if the GA players can hold up when playing against ECNL players.  In Socal it is heavily unbalanced with the best teams being in ECNL and then there is a HUGE drop to GA and ECNLR teams, but that is Socal. It also doesn't make sense for anyone to be on a top team or an ECNL team unless they're seeing a good amount of playing time on the team...or else what good is going to events with college scout exposure if your player hardly touches the field? My advice if your in Socal, go to a ECNL team where you will be getting the most playing time that way you will have the exposure not just from going to these events, but from scouts seeing you play at these events, which is the most important. If you're not seeing playing time go to a lower ECNL team and if you're still not happy with palying then I would suggest GA.


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## what-happened (May 9, 2022)

Fortheloveofsoccer said:


> Here's my take on it. If your player is good, they are good and colleges will find you, but are you going to get good playing against low caliber teams? If you look at the 07 USYNT ID roster it is spread out over top ECNL teams, lower ECNL teams and even a few GA teams. It'll be intresteing to see who fo those advance and if the GA players can hold up when playing against ECNL players.  In Socal it is heavily unbalanced with the best teams being in ECNL and then there is a HUGE drop to GA and ECNLR teams, but that is Socal. It also doesn't make sense for anyone to be on a top team or an ECNL team unless they're seeing a good amount of playing time on the team...or else what good is going to events with college scout exposure if your player hardly touches the field? My advice if your in Socal, go to a ECNL team where you will be getting the most playing time that way you will have the exposure not just from going to these events, but from scouts seeing you play at these events, which is the most important. If you're not seeing playing time go to a lower ECNL team and if you're still not happy with palying then I would suggest GA.


As a parent, YNT shoudn't be in your calculation, unless you have a proven unicorn who's regularly attended ID centers since U14.   It's such a small population and the funnel gets smaller as they get older.  With that said, continued invites to ID centers and a regional camp here and there makes for good resume stuff.

Solid advice to a parent is to pick a league/club that is within reasonable driving distance that your DD can consistently get minutes and develop.   The calculus should likely include access to showcases, proven club relationships with colleges.  If your GOAT at U15/16 is that much better than anyone else, then socal ECNL is great, as are the top SOCAL GA clubs.  Both will have equal pathways.  I promise you college coaches aren't including ECNL/GA in their decsion criteria for a player. 

Parents often get caught up with keeping up with jones.  This costs your DD playing time and development.  There are only so many roster slots at Surf, Slammers (both), Legends, Beach, etc.  If you are good enough to sit their bench and attend practice, you are likley good enough to fill a roster spot with more playing time and better exposure somewhere else that has just as good a pathway.  Besides,when players get to U16, it becomes more about them than the team.


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