How to Make the Jump from RL to NL

Hey everyone, just wanted some honest opinions.
If your kid’s team was undefeated in RL and ranked top 10 in California (based on the usual ranking apps), but your club’s NL team is also undefeated and ranked top 3 in the nation — what would you do? We love our club and don’t really want to leave, but we’re being realistic… there’s probably no open spots on the NL roster next season. Would you stick it out and hope something opens up, or start looking around now in case there’s a better NL opportunity elsewhere? Curious to hear how others have handled this kind of situation. ⚽
 
The club is unlikely to ever get a second NL team. If you want to participate in NL events, you ultimately need to be on a NL team. It is awesome that the RL team is fantastic, better than not only most all RL teams, but many NL teams as well. But no matter how individually talented - the kids on that team are going to be exposed to way fewer opportunities over the next few years compared to their NL counterparts, even if/as they stay within the top 20 in CA. If the club can't offer a NL spot, and a desired NL spot is available elsewhere that works logistically, I'd advise her to seriously consider it - but it's always up to the player. I certainly don't mean she should consider moving to a team that she wouldn't be fully happy with.
 
There are several factors to consider when making this decision. If your kid is happy and getting good playing time, that could change when moving to what is considered a higher level team. Unless they are clearly better then players currently on the team, it may be hard to get good playing time. Also, you could run into cliques on the team that may make your kid feel left out. The social aspect of playing youth soccer is something that doesn't get discussed very much. If your kid wants to play college soccer, what level are they looking to play. If it's high level D1 (P4, Big East, WCC) their best chance is to play ECNL. I'm not saying it can't happen playing ECRL, the exposure at the ECNL showcases is currently the best. If lower level D1, D2, D3 or NAIA is fine, then staying RL may not be a problem especially if it is a very competitive RL team.
 
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