Pre ECNL or EA?
- Thread starter Lou789
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The big reason would be if your kid wants to do mls next and the club you are looking at has ea teams that promote into mls next. That said, everything gets shuffled once they make that shift and most have open try outs so you get different opinions about how big that advantage is (minimal-moderate). The other thing to look at is if you think your boy will play high school (while there are ways around it mls next players generally do not) and will stick with the team long term (another big if).
Yes there is.
I just read this
theecnl.com
ECNL ANNOUNCES TWO NEW PRE-ECNL LEAGUES FOR 2024-25 SEASON
The ECNL is excited to announce the formation of two new Pre-ECNL leagues for the 2024-25 season, one for the ECNL Boys and one for the ECNL Girls. This fall, the inaugural season of the Pre-ECNL Lake Michigan will expand player pathways for clubs in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
theecnl.com
One of my sons that this question is geared to does want to play HS for sure. So I know he would not want to do pre ECNL. Our current club has EA but not ECNL and not mls next.
I dont know what to do I grew up playing an entirely different sport in HS and college. For soccer is it best to switch to a club that has ECNL and try out for a pre ECNL team? My son has really outgrown his flight 1 team this year. He is the top player and it’s Not challenging anymore. But I don’t should we stay and try out for the EA teams the club has or go elsewhere.
In SoCal?
That was my question in my head. My sister-in-law wants to know if there is a Pre-GA and I'm curious. Carlsbad? My advice is this. If you have over $100,000+ laying around for the next 4-5 years and your daughter or son is 100% going to college and is average player, then find a Pre ECNL or GA club and your "investment" will have some value.
I’d worry more about what level of play is appropriate to your son, and whether he likes the culture at the club. You can safely ignore the patch at that age.
Definitely try out a few places. Seeing him play against some stronger players will give you a sense for where he fits in.
Then the question is how far you want them to go. If your kid wants to play college, its best to get them into an MLS Next or ECNL club and to get them on that tier. You don't have to necessarily worry about it at U11, but most definitely by U13. If they have pro ambitions the only way really forward is the academies (LAFC, Galaxy, San Diego) and a couple of the top tier MLS Next clubs (Strikers, Barca). The problem with the EA team at your current club is that he'll be tapped out if he's a top player...no where to go....so again by U13 you'll want to go....there's no great urgency to do it this year if he wants to stay with the club at EA, but you'll definitively want to start thinking about moving in the next couple years. Again, if he does want to play high school, avoiding MLS Next.
The other question you need to look at this age is his height and closeness to the age line...if he's older/taller and great with his skills, he'll be successful at the highest levels. If he's younger/shorter regardless of his soccer skills, he may struggle as he makes his way to puberty (some coaches just care about size thinking they'll train the skills). Regardless, unless you know based on parent genetics, long term it's going to be question partly of if he hits the puberty lottery.
Interesting. I stand corrected. But it looks like only boys?
girls have a pre-ECNL league as well but not in SoCal currently. Current Pre-ECNL year is 2013. SoCal teams are still playing SoCal Flight1 for 2013. I'm pretty sure the top SoCal teams do the Pre-ECNL showcases though so they can technically call themselves the Pre-ECNL team.
There's no official "Pre-GA" that I'm aware of. Some clubs might use it as a marketing term to tell parents to get on XYZ U13 team before the roster is "locked" when you go into GA the next season.
GA clubs in Socal put top teams in SOCAL league (so they can participate in State Cup) before switching to GA at U14.
I think ECNL is pretty much the same way. There might be "Pre-ECNL" leagues in different parts of the country. But these are designed to limit competition and funnel FOMO parents into official ECNL/RL teams at U14.
Here's a secret for all the FOMO parents that think getting on a "Pre-XYZ" team will make a difference. It won't, the top teams MLS, GA, ECNL, etc will hold tryouts each year. If your kid doesn't deliver they'll get cut and likely quit. Also coaches will cycle top players from other teams/leagues in and out all the time. What I'm saying is that there's limited benifit in getting involved with a team/club early. The best players will always filter up to the top teams.
My son is very tall for his age. Taller than every kid in his school class and the tallest kid on his soccer team with one more kid close in height but still shorter. The rest are much shorter. Out of 10 kids total.
When you say SoCal teams are still playing flight 1 for 2013 do you mean girls? Or boys?
In our club, 7 kids from the EA team made it to mls next team. 3 of those kids can tryout anywhere and make any team. 4 of those kids I am not sure if they can make the team if the coach didn’t get to watch them for the whole EA season. Getting in early allows you time to show your effort and work ethics. If your kid can’t dribble five people and then make the right pass, I suggest you get in early.
according to the ECNL website there is a currently a Pre ECNL league (2013 Age Group) for Boys but not Girls. Boys is all the same clubs as the girls normally have in ECNL with the addition of Rangers, SDSC and West Coast. Check out the ECNL website.
youthsoccerfan
BRONZE
I generally agree with this sentiment.
I have two daughters who have played for one club since their ulittle days, and both played on the ECNL team for their respective age groups. However, if I could rewind the clock, I would probably have my kids play for different clubs in the elementary school / middle school years as long as you can find an excellent coach who prioritizes technical development and allows the players to be creative.
From my observations, outside the top 2-3 players, most kids on the ECNL team (including both of mine) lose a little creativity and play very predictable within the structure of the club and/or coach when playing for an extended period.
The kids who joined the ECNL team a season or two before recruiting kicks into high gear tend to be more creative and dynamic, especially for the midfield and attacking positions. These kids were usually the best players on a team at a level lower than ECNL and were used to carrying the load and being the featured player for that team.
Kids who are creative, dynamic, and not afraid to play on the more individual side (from being the best player on an average team) have an easier time standing out during the showcases.
However, going this route instead of joining the ECNL club at a young age also has drawbacks. It is easier to make the ECNL team and keep your spot (as long as you keep up with the team) when you join the club at a young age.
For this alternative scenario to work, your daughter needs to be better than half of the girls on the ECNL team when you attend a team practice. The coach has no incentive to add a player for roster spots 15-18 as they typically will not play a lot and will not impact the team's success.
Messi>CR7
GOLD
There is no difference between EA and pre-ECNL for a U11 boy. There are very strong teams in both league, and there are plenty of so-so teams in both as well.
If all (playing time, appropriate level, etc.) being equal, go with the one that's closest to your home.
Both ECNL and EA allow playing HS. MLS Next officially does not allow playing HS, but I heard exception can be made if you go to a private HS.
For a U11 (5th grader), it's too early to worry about HS. In four years, you son 1) might not want to play MLS Next, 2) might not make it to MLS Next, 3) might want to play football and quit soccer.
Best of luck.
If all (playing time, appropriate level, etc.) being equal, go with the one that's closest to your home.
Both ECNL and EA allow playing HS. MLS Next officially does not allow playing HS, but I heard exception can be made if you go to a private HS.
For a U11 (5th grader), it's too early to worry about HS. In four years, you son 1) might not want to play MLS Next, 2) might not make it to MLS Next, 3) might want to play football and quit soccer.
Best of luck.