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Post by Reality check 15/05/13, 07:09 pm

From a purely economic standpoint, don't have kids.

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Post by DrSoccer 15/05/13, 07:51 pm

I think most players want to play at the highest level they can. For some thats the National Team, for others it's LHD3. Both are being challenged and both are hopefully having a good experience. Economics are a parental issue, we pay what we can afford, or in some cases (mine) we justify it with a scholarship to college that our dd wants to go to(yes even full ones). Playing on an ecln means the players will be training with and playing against most of the other top players in the age group. I equate Ecln to what LH D1 was like several yrs ago when there were only 5-6 teams in D1. (not sure everyone remembers that) Even lh knew then that the top ntx talent only went so deep. I am more disappointed that with all the early academy and ecnl programs we havent seen the development of national level players, and the d1 commits are pretty much the same as 5 yrs ago... we should spend our time evaluating that issue. if your dd played with a club academy since 7 and went to ecnl and isn't exceptional (at least skillwise) then someone dropped the ball at some age..
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Post by MaggieMaggie 16/05/13, 07:31 am

I think many parents start out thinking little Mia is going to college on a full ride. Once they rid themselves of that baggage and continue on, I think there are several factors present in all potential student athletes:
1. love of the sport 2. wanting a like group with similar interests ready for DD in college 3. ego and 4. glory. Depending on the parent and DD the above four points can be switched in priority. The percentage of female athletes who will continue anything but adult rec league after college is extremely small. But, despite at least the potential for a professional career, not too many male athletes will continue on either.
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Post by Mr T 16/05/13, 08:18 am

txtransplant wrote:Here's a list of their commitments for the '95 TSC squad

Mallory Bourgeois, Jenks HS, Oral Roberts University
Kristen Cardano, Jenks HS, University of Florida
Darienne Chapman, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Tulsa
Kenna Dyess, Broken Arrow HS, University of Central Oklahoma
Bailey Haydock, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Michigan
Elizabeth Keester, Jenks HS, Texas A&M
Claire Kelley, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Arkansas
Kristen Killion, Broken Arrow HS, Oklahoma State University
Kaela Little, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Notre Dame
Claire Maris, Union HS, University of Tulsa
Ashley McDaniel, Union HS, University of Central Oklahoma
Shiloh Price, Broken Arrow HS, University of Oklahoma
Madison Saliba, Broken Arrow HS, University of Oklahoma
Katherine Sprouse, Bishop Kelley HS, Clemson University
Lauren Wagner, Broken Arrow HS, Northeastern State University
Brigitte Taylor, Union HS, undecided
Paige Talley, Owasso HS, Northeastern State University


Also, Krissi Killion was invited to the U-20 USWNT camp last month.

ETA: the last two on the roster will graduate in 2014 and have yet to sign a letter of intent.



What a waste of time and money to play ECNL only to end up at Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State.
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Post by 10sDad 16/05/13, 08:30 am

I couldn't resist this thread..and I don't know anything about ECNL. I had a 93BB that played US Academy, so I assume its pretty similar (long distance travel for games, national team oversight, etc.). Here is what I observed from the college recruiting perspective:

1. Playing on these teams does not guarantee that college coaches will be fawning all over you.
2. You CAN get recruited for a full-ride to a big school from a non-ECNL team.

Here's how it works. When my BB went to Disney/Surf/etc. the Academy (ECNL) teams played all their games at the nicest complex that also had the hospitaltity tent, free college coaches breakfasts, check in, and other facilities (like the ESPN WWS complex). The platinum division would play group games at another location, but have their quarters/semis/finals at the primary facility. The gold bracket would only have their finals at the primary facility. Silver? Sorry.

What this does is send an unspoken message to the coaches that there is no need to venture to the other facility(ies). That increases the number of coaches watching the academy (ECNL) games. Sure there were more coaches watching games, but not that many "quality" opportunities - a coach may spot a player they like, but they won't say anything...just keep their eyes out to see if that player contacts them.

Which leads me to my point. You MUST contact coaches of schools you are interested in ahead of time. If you don't contact them, they won't talk to you. If your team is in the gold division, let the coach know your schedule. (s)He may be the only coach at that facility at that time to watch your game...but you have his/her attention, and it is a much more quality contact than 60 coaches that happen to show up to your game, just cuz its an ECNL game (60 coaches watching 36 players).

If you want money, you have to make the contacts, or it won't happen. ECNL is a great bullet point on your soccer resume, and it holds value in getting a coach to come watch you play. It does not guarantee money, and its possible that a gold league player gets money when an ECNL player doesn't. The gold league player may be a master at working the contacts.
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Post by NTXSjunkie 16/05/13, 10:20 am

JH01 wrote:U18-ECNL Leagues Results:

Kristen Killion had four goals in a 7-1 win for TSC Hurricane over D’Feeters Soccer Club on Saturday.
TSC also notched a 3-0 victory over FC Dallas.
TSC wraps up the regular season Mother’s Day with a fixture against Solar-Chelsea Soccer Club.
Hurricane has already clinched the second spot in the Texas Conference.

The ECNL clubs are clearly not getting or training the best players or coaching at the level needed to compete. I think it is the cost, maybe parents are saving money and finding good coaches while learning and growing in the non-ECNL clubs and making it to college soccer anyways without the high Cost of ECNL.

Well let's look at the structure.

ECNL teams are all around the nation. You will travel quite far sometimes to play a game. So the cost for regular club soccer is around $2k a season. I'm assuming the ECNL teams are more expensive... probably between $3-4k a year. On top of that you are going to have travel costs... either gas (which is around $3.50/gallon) or a plane ticket that can cost around $400 round trip (if purchased early enough)... plus hotel costs which if you go cheap will be around $150/night... plus if you fly there you'll need to rent transportation. A team could rent a van for a few hundred bucks for the weekend.

On top of that you have Uniform costs for the season... as well as you're going to have to take your daughter out of school for some games... and there's about 3-4 practices a week...

Is that worth it to you and your daughter? IMO, you'd get burnt out.

Funny thing is, here in the US we think we need to practice all day every day. We need to drill players 100% of their free time. Then we have to get a game in on the weekend to establish who's better, or so that we can win a championship...

In Europe the youth systems meet 2-3 times a week. Most of the time 2 times a week sometimes one on Saturday. They have maybe 2 games a month! It's all about DEVELOPMENT. Not about winning and declaring who is the best. Heck, over in Europe they don't even keep score until they are well into their teenage years... because they want to make sure the players are concentrating on playing the game correctly and not worrying about winning the game.

My biggest concern with the ECNL or Pre-Academy leagues is the time missed from school. Sure, we'd like all our kids to go to college or make it pro one day. But, in reality only about 5% of players make it to college, and of that 5% about 5% make it pro. Especially in the women's game... there really isn't a professional league. At least not one that can help support a family. Kids should also concentrate on preparing for the future at this age... a future that may not include soccer.

IMO, it's not worth it in the long run. Sure you can brag as a parent that your child is on an ECNL team, but when they're 25 and have recovered from two knee injuries they acquired in college and can no longer play and they have a degree in general studies because they couldn't handle studying for a Biology degree because they never learned how to study due to always traveling for games... and are asking you for money because their minimum wage job isn't enough to support their family... then you'll know if it was worth it or not.

On the other hand, if they make it to the National Team... then awesome! But, only 22 women players make that squad... so you have to think, is your daughter good enough or dedicated enough to be one of those players?

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Post by Sweeper 16/05/13, 10:32 am

Mr T wrote:
txtransplant wrote:Here's a list of their commitments for the '95 TSC squad

Mallory Bourgeois, Jenks HS, Oral Roberts University
Kristen Cardano, Jenks HS, University of Florida
Darienne Chapman, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Tulsa
Kenna Dyess, Broken Arrow HS, University of Central Oklahoma
Bailey Haydock, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Michigan
Elizabeth Keester, Jenks HS, Texas A&M
Claire Kelley, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Arkansas
Kristen Killion, Broken Arrow HS, Oklahoma State University
Kaela Little, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Notre Dame
Claire Maris, Union HS, University of Tulsa
Ashley McDaniel, Union HS, University of Central Oklahoma
Shiloh Price, Broken Arrow HS, University of Oklahoma
Madison Saliba, Broken Arrow HS, University of Oklahoma
Katherine Sprouse, Bishop Kelley HS, Clemson University
Lauren Wagner, Broken Arrow HS, Northeastern State University
Brigitte Taylor, Union HS, undecided
Paige Talley, Owasso HS, Northeastern State University


Also, Krissi Killion was invited to the U-20 USWNT camp last month.

ETA: the last two on the roster will graduate in 2014 and have yet to sign a letter of intent.



What a waste of time and money to play ECNL only to end up at Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State.
Bingo. Univ of Michigan and Notre Dame are legit schools and there are some other good schools on the list, but the list is mostly a bunch of schools to which I would not send my DD even assuming a full ride.
I fully get ECNL for the sake of competition or because your DD wants to do it or simply because you think it will be fun, but doing if for the scholarship to your school of choice seems insane to me - and yet that is the most often cited reason for pursuing it.
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Post by txtransplant 16/05/13, 10:36 am

Sweeper wrote:
Bingo. Univ of Michigan and Notre Dame are legit schools and there are some other good schools on the list, but the list is mostly a bunch of schools to which I would not send my DD even assuming a full ride.
I'm sure there are plenty of people in Oklahoma that say the same thing about Texas' schools. Wink
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Post by MaggieMaggie 16/05/13, 10:58 am

Your DD making and maintaining the coaching contacts is key. My DD is looking at schools with her particular major first and then do they have a solid, realistically attainable soccer program? She lost some vital face time last year getting over an injury but has been getting positive coaching responses again, now that's she's back. She has been contacting some of these coaches since Freshman year and I know at least 2 are/were waiting to see if she'd come back after her injury. She has some offers, but not from schools we can afford or they are not good academic fits. She was talking with a Florida D1 coach who liked her video. He happened to be in Dallas for ECNL and wanted to watch her play. Since this could not be arranged, he came to a keeper practice and talked to her keeper coach. This did result in a campus visit. But, DD didn't love the school, they don't have the exact degree she wants to pursue at this school, and she did decide just a little too far away from home. DD may end up at a great school playing intramurals, but heck, that's okay too. Particularly when she buys her dream vintage Z with her own money from that first engineering job she will hopefully land Smile

So, even this looksy was a collateral benefit of a coach coming to Dallas to watch ECNL players.


Last edited by MaggieMaggie on 16/05/13, 11:05 am; edited 1 time in total
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Post by Gunners 16/05/13, 11:00 am

Sweeper wrote:
Mr T wrote:
txtransplant wrote:Here's a list of their commitments for the '95 TSC squad

Mallory Bourgeois, Jenks HS, Oral Roberts University
Kristen Cardano, Jenks HS, University of Florida
Darienne Chapman, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Tulsa
Kenna Dyess, Broken Arrow HS, University of Central Oklahoma
Bailey Haydock, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Michigan
Elizabeth Keester, Jenks HS, Texas A&M
Claire Kelley, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Arkansas
Kristen Killion, Broken Arrow HS, Oklahoma State University
Kaela Little, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Notre Dame
Claire Maris, Union HS, University of Tulsa
Ashley McDaniel, Union HS, University of Central Oklahoma
Shiloh Price, Broken Arrow HS, University of Oklahoma
Madison Saliba, Broken Arrow HS, University of Oklahoma
Katherine Sprouse, Bishop Kelley HS, Clemson University
Lauren Wagner, Broken Arrow HS, Northeastern State University
Brigitte Taylor, Union HS, undecided
Paige Talley, Owasso HS, Northeastern State University


Also, Krissi Killion was invited to the U-20 USWNT camp last month.

ETA: the last two on the roster will graduate in 2014 and have yet to sign a letter of intent.



What a waste of time and money to play ECNL only to end up at Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State.
Bingo. Univ of Michigan and Notre Dame are legit schools and there are some other good schools on the list, but the list is mostly a bunch of schools to which I would not send my DD even assuming a full ride.
I fully get ECNL for the sake of competition or because your DD wants to do it or simply because you think it will be fun, but doing if for the scholarship to your school of choice seems insane to me - and yet that is the most often cited reason for pursuing it.

Wait, what? Before I pounce, please expound on this for me.

And yes, if this seems like I'm handing you just enough rope to hang yourself, then you're right.

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Post by Mr T 16/05/13, 12:03 pm

Several NTX 2013 players used ECNL to get a scholarship to their school of choice:

Southeastern Louisiana
Louisiana - Monroe
LA Tech
McNeese State
Middle Tennessee
Central Arkansas
Memphis
Lamar
St. Mary's
Incarnate Word
Sam Houston
TWU
Texas State
Texas Wesleyan
SFA
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
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Post by MoveYourFeet 16/05/13, 01:02 pm

NTXSjunkie wrote:

Well let's look at the structure.

ECNL teams are all around the nation. You will travel quite far sometimes to play a game.(I guess Tulsa, Houston and Austin a far to you) So the cost for regular club soccer is around $2k a season. I'm assuming the ECNL teams are more expensive...(not in my experience) probably between $3-4k a year. On top of that you are going to have travel costs... either gas (which is around $3.50/gallon) or a plane ticket that can cost around $400 round trip (if purchased early enough)... plus hotel costs which if you go cheap will be around $150/night... plus if you fly there you'll need to rent transportation. A team could rent a van for a few hundred bucks for the weekend.(all the same as the LH teams that go out of town for tournaments)

On top of that you have Uniform costs for the season... as well as you're going to have to take your daughter out of school for some games... and there's about 3-4 practices a week... (all the same as LH teams, except our ECNL team practices twice a week with an occasional Saturday thrown in)

Is that worth it to you and your daughter? IMO, you'd get burnt out. (same as LH teams)

Funny thing is, here in the US we think we need to practice all day every day. We need to drill players 100% of their free time. Then we have to get a game in on the weekend to establish who's better, or so that we can win a championship...

In Europe the youth systems meet 2-3 times a week. Most of the time 2 times a week sometimes one on Saturday. They have maybe 2 games a month! It's all about DEVELOPMENT. Not about winning and declaring who is the best. Heck, over in Europe they don't even keep score until they are well into their teenage years... because they want to make sure the players are concentrating on playing the game correctly and not worrying about winning the game.

My biggest concern with the ECNL or Pre-Academy leagues is the time missed from school.(My DD missed a couple of Fridays this year. Big deal). Sure, we'd like all our kids to go to college or make it pro one day. But, in reality only about 5% of players make it to college, and of that 5% about 5% make it pro. Especially in the women's game...(I'm pulling my kid from soccer right now. There is no hope. Who cares if it is what she loves doing if she can't be a pro) there really isn't a professional league. At least not one that can help support a family. Kids should also concentrate on preparing for the future at this age... a future that may not include soccer. (All those poor former college soccer players now homeless...so sad)

IMO, it's not worth it in the long run. Sure you can brag as a parent that your child is on an ECNL team, but when they're 25 and have recovered from two knee injuries they acquired in college(same for girls that played in LH, Plano, Arlington) and can no longer play and they have a degree in general studies because they couldn't handle studying for a Biology degree because they never learned how to study due to always traveling for games... and are asking you for money because their minimum wage job isn't enough to support their family... then you'll know if it was worth it or not. (Can you get any more over the top with this ridiculousness?)

On the other hand, if they make it to the National Team... then awesome! But, only 22 women players make that squad... so you have to think, is your daughter good enough or dedicated enough to be one of those players? (Like I said, I'm pulling her because without being on the National team, then what is the point?)

So much mis-information in this post from someone that obviously isn't a part of ECNL or has no experience with it.
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Post by TatonkaBurger 16/05/13, 01:14 pm

MoveYourFeet wrote:
NTXSjunkie wrote:

Well let's look at the structure.

ECNL teams are all around the nation. You will travel quite far sometimes to play a game.(I guess Tulsa, Houston and Austin a far to you) So the cost for regular club soccer is around $2k a season. I'm assuming the ECNL teams are more expensive...(not in my experience) probably between $3-4k a year. On top of that you are going to have travel costs... either gas (which is around $3.50/gallon) or a plane ticket that can cost around $400 round trip (if purchased early enough)... plus hotel costs which if you go cheap will be around $150/night... plus if you fly there you'll need to rent transportation. A team could rent a van for a few hundred bucks for the weekend.(all the same as the LH teams that go out of town for tournaments)

On top of that you have Uniform costs for the season... as well as you're going to have to take your daughter out of school for some games... and there's about 3-4 practices a week... (all the same as LH teams, except our ECNL team practices twice a week with an occasional Saturday thrown in)

Is that worth it to you and your daughter? IMO, you'd get burnt out. (same as LH teams)

Funny thing is, here in the US we think we need to practice all day every day. We need to drill players 100% of their free time. Then we have to get a game in on the weekend to establish who's better, or so that we can win a championship...

In Europe the youth systems meet 2-3 times a week. Most of the time 2 times a week sometimes one on Saturday. They have maybe 2 games a month! It's all about DEVELOPMENT. Not about winning and declaring who is the best. Heck, over in Europe they don't even keep score until they are well into their teenage years... because they want to make sure the players are concentrating on playing the game correctly and not worrying about winning the game.

My biggest concern with the ECNL or Pre-Academy leagues is the time missed from school.(My DD missed a couple of Fridays this year. Big deal). Sure, we'd like all our kids to go to college or make it pro one day. But, in reality only about 5% of players make it to college, and of that 5% about 5% make it pro. Especially in the women's game...(I'm pulling my kid from soccer right now. There is no hope. Who cares if it is what she loves doing if she can't be a pro) there really isn't a professional league. At least not one that can help support a family. Kids should also concentrate on preparing for the future at this age... a future that may not include soccer. (All those poor former college soccer players now homeless...so sad)

IMO, it's not worth it in the long run. Sure you can brag as a parent that your child is on an ECNL team, but when they're 25 and have recovered from two knee injuries they acquired in college(same for girls that played in LH, Plano, Arlington) and can no longer play and they have a degree in general studies because they couldn't handle studying for a Biology degree because they never learned how to study due to always traveling for games... and are asking you for money because their minimum wage job isn't enough to support their family... then you'll know if it was worth it or not. (Can you get any more over the top with this ridiculousness?)

On the other hand, if they make it to the National Team... then awesome! But, only 22 women players make that squad... so you have to think, is your daughter good enough or dedicated enough to be one of those players? (Like I said, I'm pulling her because without being on the National team, then what is the point?)

So much mis-information in this post from someone that obviously isn't a part of ECNL or has no experience with it.

MoveYourFeet, you are dead on.

The amount of time I wasted reading Junkie's post I will never get back. That's sad.
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Post by MoveYourFeet 16/05/13, 01:40 pm

TatonkaBurger wrote:
MoveYourFeet wrote:
NTXSjunkie wrote:

Well let's look at the structure.

ECNL teams are all around the nation. You will travel quite far sometimes to play a game.(I guess Tulsa, Houston and Austin a far to you) So the cost for regular club soccer is around $2k a season. I'm assuming the ECNL teams are more expensive...(not in my experience) probably between $3-4k a year. On top of that you are going to have travel costs... either gas (which is around $3.50/gallon) or a plane ticket that can cost around $400 round trip (if purchased early enough)... plus hotel costs which if you go cheap will be around $150/night... plus if you fly there you'll need to rent transportation. A team could rent a van for a few hundred bucks for the weekend.(all the same as the LH teams that go out of town for tournaments)

On top of that you have Uniform costs for the season... as well as you're going to have to take your daughter out of school for some games... and there's about 3-4 practices a week... (all the same as LH teams, except our ECNL team practices twice a week with an occasional Saturday thrown in)

Is that worth it to you and your daughter? IMO, you'd get burnt out. (same as LH teams)

Funny thing is, here in the US we think we need to practice all day every day. We need to drill players 100% of their free time. Then we have to get a game in on the weekend to establish who's better, or so that we can win a championship...

In Europe the youth systems meet 2-3 times a week. Most of the time 2 times a week sometimes one on Saturday. They have maybe 2 games a month! It's all about DEVELOPMENT. Not about winning and declaring who is the best. Heck, over in Europe they don't even keep score until they are well into their teenage years... because they want to make sure the players are concentrating on playing the game correctly and not worrying about winning the game.

My biggest concern with the ECNL or Pre-Academy leagues is the time missed from school.(My DD missed a couple of Fridays this year. Big deal). Sure, we'd like all our kids to go to college or make it pro one day. But, in reality only about 5% of players make it to college, and of that 5% about 5% make it pro. Especially in the women's game...(I'm pulling my kid from soccer right now. There is no hope. Who cares if it is what she loves doing if she can't be a pro) there really isn't a professional league. At least not one that can help support a family. Kids should also concentrate on preparing for the future at this age... a future that may not include soccer. (All those poor former college soccer players now homeless...so sad)

IMO, it's not worth it in the long run. Sure you can brag as a parent that your child is on an ECNL team, but when they're 25 and have recovered from two knee injuries they acquired in college(same for girls that played in LH, Plano, Arlington) and can no longer play and they have a degree in general studies because they couldn't handle studying for a Biology degree because they never learned how to study due to always traveling for games... and are asking you for money because their minimum wage job isn't enough to support their family... then you'll know if it was worth it or not. (Can you get any more over the top with this ridiculousness?)

On the other hand, if they make it to the National Team... then awesome! But, only 22 women players make that squad... so you have to think, is your daughter good enough or dedicated enough to be one of those players? (Like I said, I'm pulling her because without being on the National team, then what is the point?)

So much mis-information in this post from someone that obviously isn't a part of ECNL or has no experience with it.

MoveYourFeet, you are dead on.

The amount of time I wasted reading Junkie's post I will never get back. That's sad.

I just wonder where these people are getting this information? Who tells them this crap? And why do they believe it?
If ECNL is not for you, no problem. We all wish you the best.
But why go out of your way to bash something that you really don't even know about?

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Post by dfeetersarethebomb 16/05/13, 01:48 pm

This argument is no different than being on a rec vs top select team. For some reason, the thought is injuries and burn-out only happen on the top teams and those top teams practice 12 days a week 35 hours per day. From the outside looking in, it's always easy to claim the other side is bad and your side is good - human nature. Just be happy with whatever your decision is - you can't change it once it's past.

Now, if this topic were about ECNL at age 14/15 - different topic altogether.

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Post by Sweeper 16/05/13, 02:00 pm

Gunners wrote:
Sweeper wrote:
Mr T wrote:
txtransplant wrote:Here's a list of their commitments for the '95 TSC squad

Mallory Bourgeois, Jenks HS, Oral Roberts University
Kristen Cardano, Jenks HS, University of Florida
Darienne Chapman, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Tulsa
Kenna Dyess, Broken Arrow HS, University of Central Oklahoma
Bailey Haydock, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Michigan
Elizabeth Keester, Jenks HS, Texas A&M
Claire Kelley, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Arkansas
Kristen Killion, Broken Arrow HS, Oklahoma State University
Kaela Little, Bishop Kelley HS, University of Notre Dame
Claire Maris, Union HS, University of Tulsa
Ashley McDaniel, Union HS, University of Central Oklahoma
Shiloh Price, Broken Arrow HS, University of Oklahoma
Madison Saliba, Broken Arrow HS, University of Oklahoma
Katherine Sprouse, Bishop Kelley HS, Clemson University
Lauren Wagner, Broken Arrow HS, Northeastern State University
Brigitte Taylor, Union HS, undecided
Paige Talley, Owasso HS, Northeastern State University


Also, Krissi Killion was invited to the U-20 USWNT camp last month.

ETA: the last two on the roster will graduate in 2014 and have yet to sign a letter of intent.



What a waste of time and money to play ECNL only to end up at Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State.
Bingo. Univ of Michigan and Notre Dame are legit schools and there are some other good schools on the list, but the list is mostly a bunch of schools to which I would not send my DD even assuming a full ride.
I fully get ECNL for the sake of competition or because your DD wants to do it or simply because you think it will be fun, but doing if for the scholarship to your school of choice seems insane to me - and yet that is the most often cited reason for pursuing it.

Wait, what? Before I pounce, please expound on this for me.

And yes, if this seems like I'm handing you just enough rope to hang yourself, then you're right.

No need to re-explain. Just read my two posts together. It is a pretty simple point.
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Post by Sweeper 16/05/13, 02:09 pm

txtransplant wrote:
Sweeper wrote:
Bingo. Univ of Michigan and Notre Dame are legit schools and there are some other good schools on the list, but the list is mostly a bunch of schools to which I would not send my DD even assuming a full ride.
I'm sure there are plenty of people in Oklahoma that say the same thing about Texas' schools. Wink

No doubt. I did state "other schools" not to offend too many people.

For a top notch education, the list of schools that are providing soccer scholarships (and who knows at what amount) are pretty limited. The lists of scholarships, like the one posted above, that I have seen are mostly made of up schools that are not generally recognized as education powerhouses.

I will say that one of the girls at ESD who just graduated played ECNL for FCD and got a scholarship to UNC. Hard to say if she would or would not have gotten that without ECNL, but clearly that is pretty impressive from an education and soccer standpoint. I have no idea what the amount of the scholarship was in any event.


Last edited by Sweeper on 16/05/13, 02:13 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Post by Gunners 16/05/13, 02:11 pm

Just noticed your avatar, so not going to waste my time.

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Post by Sweeper 16/05/13, 02:14 pm

Gunners wrote:Just noticed your avatar, so not going to waste my time.
Okay
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Post by SdadX2 16/05/13, 03:08 pm

[quote="NTXSjunkie"][quote="JH01"]U18-ECNL Leagues Results:
IMO, it's not worth it in the long run. Sure you can brag as a parent that your child is on an ECNL team, but when they're 25 and have recovered from two knee injuries they acquired in college and can no longer play and they have a degree in general studies because they couldn't handle studying for a Biology degree because they never learned how to study due to always traveling for games... and are asking you for money because their minimum wage job isn't enough to support their family... then you'll know if it was worth it or not.quote]

Don't have a DD in ECNL, but don't agree with this either. Traveling at a young age and missing high school class should force you to learn how to manage time and make you more prepared for college. Just because you play a sport in college doesn't mean you can't be a doctor. I played D1 baseball and my roommate is a doctor. He somehow figured it out. I have a finance degree and playing baseball in college is astronically harder than the other sports when comparing missing classes due to travel. If you figure out how to budget that time in high school, it will certainly help in college. Just my opinion.

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Post by Uncle Numanga 16/05/13, 03:08 pm

Gunners wrote:Just noticed your avatar, so not going to waste my time.

Very Happy
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Post by Gunner9 16/05/13, 03:25 pm

My dd's played pre-ECNL, but I don't see where the cost is any different from a top LHGCL team then. Disney, Surf Cup, WAGS, Klein Challenge, etc. It takes money.

But I don't remember any parent on the teams who were blindly chasing scholarship money or somehow thinking there would be a magical "ROI". The kids were playing at the top level that their ability and interest level would allow. Most went on to play in college and received money, but that was not the driving motivation. Good players want to play with good players on good teams.

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Post by Cmon_Man 16/05/13, 04:44 pm

Sweeper wrote:
MaggieMaggie wrote:The scholarship question has been covered pretty extensively in other threads. Quick answer: Many soccer players have some scholarship money, though it may be a modeest amount. If you mean scholarship as in full ride, rare and hard to find.

It is interesting listening to many of the seniors and reading their FaceBook posts. Amazing most of them are on full soccer scholarship to the college of choice? While there are some full rides, they are rare and usually reserved for the Brahmin superstuds. Most state schools offer in-state tuition for varsity athletes. There is usually some type of requirment like a certain ACT/SAT grade. Some schools offer in-state tuition if there is any athletic scholarship offered, no matter how modest. Tuition and books seems to be a common offer at a state school. From the schools we have looked at, in-state tuition is about a $10k savings. Private schools: St. Edwards is a great school with a solid D2 team. They offer 0 to full ride with the average scholarship of $6,500. Wonderful private school, but $6,500 might cover your meal plan? For the newies, scholarships are renewed annually. DD has a great year, she could get a scholarship the next year. Bad year/bad attitude, could loose the scholarship. DO NOT GO TO A SCHOOL YOU CAN NOT AFFORD WITHOUT AN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP.

Back to ECNL. Your DD can get an offer from a good coach/team without ECNL, but a lot harder and DD will have to do a lot more work to get that coach to notice her. Also, IMO, if a coach is deciding whether he/she has time to look at an ECNL player verses a regular club player, the coach will probably go to watch the ECNL player.

Looked and there are now a couple of 2016 verbals posted. Smile

web site that seems to be updated regularly [url=https://sites.google.com/site/soccerrecruits
https://sites.google.com/site/soccerrecruits[/quote[/url]]
Good analysis.
From a purely economic standpoint, puting the amount spent on soccer in a 529 education savings account each year makes a lot more sense than spending the money in hopes of a scholarship to your school of choice.

I understand your point and mostly agree with it…speaking to if a parent only chooses ECNL to get their dd a scholarship to a particular set of schools. However, I think that few parents base their decision on that alone.

That said I also agree with gunners- change your avatar and you are likely to get more creditability on this subject. JP
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Post by tornado11 20/05/13, 08:44 am

The best way to get a scholarship offer is to attend the live in summer camp at the school of choice. The girl from ESD who will attend North Carolina on a scholarship did it this way. She went to the camp between her fr/so year...did the same thing between her so/jr year and was offered a scholarship. At that point she had NEVER played ecnl.

The coaches get to see the complete young woman for a week and the girl gets to take her game to them. Provided she can actually PLAY the game at the required level, this route is far better than that provided by ANY ecnl team.

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Post by Sweeper 20/05/13, 09:14 am

tornado11 wrote:The best way to get a scholarship offer is to attend the live in summer camp at the school of choice. The girl from ESD who will attend North Carolina on a scholarship did it this way. She went to the camp between her fr/so year...did the same thing between her so/jr year and was offered a scholarship. At that point she had NEVER played ecnl. The coaches get to see the complete young woman for a week and the girl gets to take her game to them. Provided she can actually PLAY the game at the required level, this route is far better than that provided by ANY ecnl team.
Sounds like great advice and a better, more focused way of obtaining a scholarship at a particular school.
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Post by Reality check 20/05/13, 09:31 am

tornado11 wrote:The best way to get a scholarship offer is to attend the live in summer camp at the school of choice. The girl from ESD who will attend North Carolina on a scholarship did it this way. She went to the camp between her fr/so year...did the same thing between her so/jr year and was offered a scholarship. At that point she had NEVER played ecnl. The coaches get to see the complete young woman for a week and the girl gets to take her game to them. Provided she can actually PLAY the game at the required level, this route is far better than that provided by ANY ecnl team.
This is her third year playing ECNL. I do agree with the summer camps helping you. But you have to play against the highest level of competition to continue to develop and play at the top level.
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