super helpful this is what I was looking for
How do leagues stack up?
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Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr
SILVER
I doubt this is measurable. But, IMO, quite the opposite from what I've seen.
Have you seen the college signing announcement of MLS next and ECNL clubs in orange county? I have to say if my kid goes to those schools, I would question my investment in soccer. Most of these kids don't get full rides. When families figure this out, and eventually they do, EA is looking all that better.
I always find it amusing when parents take the line of thinking that dollars into soccer will yield some future financial windfall for their kids when the odds are so extremely low for anyone other than someone who is a true gamechanging talent (and even that's hard to predict given how non-linear most kids are in their development). If windfall is the motive, take the money, put it in a real investment and see real returns instead of playing youth soccer lotto.
The real "investment" should be in the lifelong lessons that sports teach:
Teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership, ambition, that you need to work hard and be dedicated to something to achieve your goals and how to push back in the face of adversity, among others. Or maybe even just the sheer love of playing the sport.
Anything else, scholarships, going pro, whatever, should be considered an unexpected bonus.
Time investment sitting in freeway traffic. Kids need to ask themselves, if it wasn't for soccer, would I be going to those crappy schools.
Code
GOLD
How is EA any different than ECNL in terms of travel, the number of games, and the registration fee's/costs of the clubs? Either way you are playing games in San Diego, Inland Empire, OC, LA, Ventura, ect.. Appears to me that the leagues are playing roughly the same amount of games throughout the year, and traveling roughly the same places for games; with possibly an exception of the once a year trip to Phoenix and/or Las Vegas for those teams. If school is not a factor for you, and traveling is a big deal, it seems as though SOCAL NPL would be the best option. I really don't see a significant difference in the cost, time, and travel commitments between ECNL and EA. NPL on the boys side is playing at the same level as all of the above, with much less travel.
Usually higher level competition =s more possession and lower level =s more direct.
Possession takes more time to develop.
In the end it doesnt matter as long as your kid is having fun.
If OC MLS next and ECNL clubs can't send kids to good schools, why play MLS next or ECNL? I would just do EA 5 mins from my house.
Code
GOLD
Maybe because MLS Next and ECNL are 5 min from their house. You didn't answer the question though. How are ECNL and EA different?
Code
GOLD
Nice statements, but none of them answer the question. How is EA any different than ECNL in terms of travel, the number of games, and the registration fee's/costs of the clubs?
I have no idea which is higher level ECNL or EA in Orange county.
I could probabaly tell you which league is higher level by attending a few practices/games + watching how different teams play and/or are coached. Same principles apply. More possession generally =s higher level.
Boys are harder than Girls to determine competiton level because they're faster + tend to switch up style of play more quickly. Also a single dominate male player can be much more of a game changer than a single female player.
The magic and mystery of watching 8 years of competitive soccer from the sidelines.
The chief difference is that ea is where a lot of the mls next teams place their second teams. Those that don’t are aspiring mls next clubs. So some parents if they want to get their kids in front of the mls next coaches (whether from the same club or in scrimmages with other clubs mls teams) will lean ea. there are also some kids that get send down from the mls next teams and there may not be another mls next team in their area. The clubs use the ea as a feeder so the quality of the ea teams may vary wildly year to year and has nothing to do with coaching: it all depends on what the needs are of the mls next team (which will raid the ea team if necessary) and how many kids are battling to get from ea to mls next (which for a winning mls next team might be enough to produce a winning ea team capable of beating even lower mls next teams…see the strikers 08 teams for instance). Some of the mls next kids in turn are looking to get in front of the Galaxy and lafc.
ecnl has no higher division so those dynamics do not occur. To switch or get an academy look you are either going to try to swing a trial invitation or you are changing clubs to one in the mls ea system.
From what I’ve seen there isn’t much difference in fees between EA and ECNL. In the SW division, there was only one away game in Vegas this year and none in Arizona. It‘s travel to the showcases and playoffs that gets expensive for ECNL but that’s also where a lot of the college exposure comes from. For most boys, that won’t be meaningful until U17.
I really think that the idea of EA being a feeder for MLSN and ECRL being a feeder for ECNL is a bit of an empty sales pitch. Players are just as likely to be recruited from outside.
Yes BUT: 1) that doesn’t stop the parents from falling for the sales pitch and 2) it’s dependent on the needs on the mls team….depends on how the mls team is stacked: some mls teams have a long line of players interested, others for whatever reason do not and in any case that leaves a smaller pool of top talent available for the ea team once the mls team has first pick.
soccerbasketball
BRONZE
They always say ecnl, mls next, ga or whatever top league it is those players/family spend a lot but my question is do you really pay less if your kid plays on lower leagues? hmmm In our soccer journey the only time it was not expensive when my kid played in core ayso because it was pure volunteer. Even ayso select and extra is expensive. I think you spend the same amount of money. I say regular club teams go on at least 6 tournaments a year. I think most of SW ECNL teams goes to at least 6 tournaments also 2-3 ecnl showcases and 3 local tournaments. So is it really more expensive to play in top leagues???
For boys, there are inexpensive and expensive options at every level. At the very top are fully-sponsored programs. Also, even “expensive” teams often extend needs-based scholarships. So it is not necessarily more expensive to play in top leagues.
IMHO families really should understand why they are paying premium fees and for out of town travel. Could be the right decision but depends on the individual player and finances.
For youngers
OC club with ECNL affiliation - $2600 a year.
OC club with EA affiliation - $1500 a year.
OC club with MLS next affiliation - $2300
I think even if your kids are not currently on an ECNL or MLS next team, you are subsidizing for them just because your club is affiliated with those leagues.
Then you get to college and realize 2/3 of the schools play direct.
