Kinda like when you had satellite Surf clubs like Murrieta Surf with the "Pre-Academy" moniker attached to some of their teams."Pre-ECNL" is just a marketing term. It has no official designation. Some teams play up, some teams play at their age range. There is no Pre-ECNL league.
Is there such a thing as "pre-pregnant"? You're either pregnant, ECNL, Academy, or whatever. Making a league for the "Pre-ECNL" is
just another way of them keeping themselves surrounded with the money so parents don't go chase the carrot elsewhere.