Boys ECNL? Really?

I guess there are not enough opportunities for the boys. Is this sport really only about new ways to form new leagues and find every last $?

http://www.soccerwire.com/news/clubs/youth-boys/initial-seven-clubs-in-boys-ecnl-texas-conference-announced/

Yes. It's only about squeezing every dime out of the game possible. Do you really think that's not the case?

No, I do. I'm just a little surprised that ECNL felt the need for boys. Guess it's the fear of the DA money drain that forced their hand.

C'mon now guys ... This has been in the works since USSF GDA determined that they would work independently and in competition with ECNL almost a year ago.

And when can we stop using the old "it's all about the money" angle regarding these new programs? While ECNL may cost parents more (travel/tourneys, etc), the Clubs with these programs still take in the same $ as they do with their LH/Plano players.

I think boys ECNL is great. Kind of reminds me of an AAU travel Basketball teams. You are basically just saying yes I am willing to pay more to play in scouted showcases. How scouted? That is to be seen. I would assume after the colleges dig through the DA kids, they will look here. The infrastructure is already there, so as a league, why not try and double down.

tpitty wrote:I would assume after the colleges dig through the DA kids, they will look here.

Is there enough boys scholarships out there?

tpitty wrote:I think boys ECNL is great. Kind of reminds me of an AAU travel Basketball teams. You are basically just saying yes I am willing to pay more to play in scouted showcases. How scouted? That is to be seen. I would assume after the colleges dig through the DA kids, they will look here. The infrastructure is already there, so as a league, why not try and double down.

Agreed. Will likely be the same case with USSF GDA-Girl's ECNL shortly.

I may be the outlier in this argument but I think this is good news.  Competition between the leagues is a good thing for us as end customers.  If another league can do it better, the other leagues are either going to improve their offerings in some aspect or just fade away.  

Classic League dictated too much for far too long and, ultimately, the market has responded accordingly to meet customers' needs.  For a long time the customers were told "take-it-or-leave-it" by Classic.  It was either Classic/Plano or Classic/Arlington or Rec.  (We only had a few indoor options.)  Now things are much better.  We have Classic... Plano... Arlington... DA... ECNL... Indoor... Futsol... Rec... School...

You might not love McDonald's hamburgers but they drove the hamburger market into a much more competitive direction.  Chili's can't charge $25 for a hamburger BECAUSE there's a McDonald's next door offering hamburgers for $0.99.  That competition has benefited the customers.

Sho'Nuff wrote:

tpitty wrote:I would assume after the colleges dig through the DA kids, they will look here.

Is there enough boys scholarships out there?

quick search on scholarships available:

D1 = 1970.1, 199 teams x 9.9 ships
D2 = 1772.1, 179 teams x 9.9 ships
D3 = 401 Teams, academic scholarships only, no athletic
NAIA = 2616, 218 teams x 12 ships

NJCAA = 2448, 136 teams x 18 ships
NJCAA 3 = 78 teams, only academic scholarships available

http://www.active.com/soccer/articles/a-one-stop-guide-to-soccer-scholarships

Not sure on DA players, but if my quick glance is correct, there are 74 teams. (this will have to be double checked) 74 teams x 20 players = ~1480.00 kids

http://www.ussoccerda.com/sam/standings/league/standings.php?leagueId=MTAwMQ%3D%3D

I think there are plenty of opportunities to go around. Are they the top level cream of the crop opps? Not all of them, but the kids that want to play college ball, can find a place to do that. Will it be free?-- most likely not.

Please correct the heck out of those numbers...It was a quick glace to satisfy my own curiosity. ha.

So the 7 clubs below make up the TX conference. There are some very big names conspicuous by their absence. No FC Dallas, Solar, Dallas Texans, Houston Dynamo or Houston Rush.

With the huge geography of the 7 teams involved: Houston (2), Austin (1), San Antonio (1), Tulsa (1), Denver (2) there will be some serious travel required.

Initial 7 Clubs in TX ECNL Boys Conference:
Albion Hurricanes FC (TX)
Classics Elite (TX)
Colorado Storm (CO)
Houston Texans (TX)
Lonestar SC (TX)
Real Colorado (CO)
Tulsa Soccer Club (OK)

yeah, but I believe the release said more to come in the following weeks.

"Additional clubs will be added to the conference."  they snuck that in there.

Got to think USSF is pushing hard for those big names to not join the TX ECNL for boys.

tpitty, regarding your scholarship math. You are counting the scholarships available but aren't those spread across 4 years of players. So you would need to multiply the number of DA players by 4. i.e. 1480 x4 = 5920

davito wrote:So the 7 clubs below make up the TX conference. There are some very big names conspicuous by their absence. No FC Dallas, Solar, Dallas Texans, Houston Dynamo or Houston Rush.

With the huge geography of the 7 teams involved: Houston (2), Austin (1), San Antonio (1), Tulsa (1), Denver (2) there will be some serious travel required.

Initial 7 Clubs in TX ECNL Boys Conference:
Albion Hurricanes FC (TX)
Classics Elite (TX)
Colorado Storm (CO)
Houston Texans (TX)
Lonestar SC (TX)
Real Colorado (CO)
Tulsa Soccer Club (OK)

Multiply the travel by more than 1 kiddo....I might as well work for an airline/hotel if all my bey-bey kids get to the level to participate in this.

Soccer scholarship data by division, male/female and school....

http://www.scholarshipstats.com/soccer.html

It's all very wasteful. Travel leagues for B, C, and D players are just throwing money in the wind. The travel for even A players starts way too early and lasts way too long. For a market like NTX where local comp is better than the regional comp we're traveling to play...makes even less sense.

Liverpool to join boys ECNL Texas conf for 2017/2018

http://www.boysecnl.com/2017/02/liverpool-dallas-to-join-boys-ecnl-texas-conference-for-2017-18-season/

HomeStretch wrote:It's all very wasteful. Travel leagues for B, C, and D players are just throwing money in the wind. The travel for even  A players starts way too early and lasts way too long.  For a market like NTX where local comp is better than the regional comp we're traveling to play...makes even less sense.

Right on the point. Agree 100%.

PowerKick wrote:

HomeStretch wrote:It's all very wasteful. Travel leagues for B, C, and D players are just throwing money in the wind. The travel for even  A players starts way too early and lasts way too long.  For a market like NTX where local comp is better than the regional comp we're traveling to play...makes even less sense.

Right on the point. Agree 100%.

Difficult parents!

SoccerTexas wrote:Liverpool to join boys ECNL Texas conf for 2017/2018

http://www.boysecnl.com/2017/02/liverpool-dallas-to-join-boys-ecnl-texas-conference-for-2017-18-season/

Can the girls side be far behind, maybe 2019?

The point of travel is develop non NTX teams that lack competition in their region.
We really wonder why and how burnout happens.

HomeStretch wrote:It's all very wasteful. Travel leagues for B, C, and D players are just throwing money in the wind. The travel for even  A players starts way too early and lasts way too long.  For a market like NTX where local comp is better than the regional comp we're traveling to play...makes even less sense.

RightWingDad wrote:

SoccerTexas wrote:Liverpool to join boys ECNL Texas conf for 2017/2018

http://www.boysecnl.com/2017/02/liverpool-dallas-to-join-boys-ecnl-texas-conference-for-2017-18-season/

Can the girls side be far behind, maybe 2019?

They'd need at least one of the FCD, Solar, or Texans group to drop out of the local ECNL mix to have a chance --

BigErn wrote:

RightWingDad wrote:

SoccerTexas wrote:Liverpool to join boys ECNL Texas conf for 2017/2018

http://www.boysecnl.com/2017/02/liverpool-dallas-to-join-boys-ecnl-texas-conference-for-2017-18-season/

Can the girls side be far behind, maybe 2019?

They'd need at least one of the FCD, Solar, or Texans group to drop out of the local ECNL mix to have a chance --

How about 'Feet? They seem to be a club on a gradual decline. LP has more teams per age group and a boys side...so obviously a club with more financial resources/potential. I say that from an outside position. No DD or any parent connections to LP or Feet.

at least to me d'feeters has and is shrinking and declining a slow downhill slide. This is the move that makes sense, however that assumes logic makes sense to d'F's... I think it is only a matter of time before LP has the girls side of ECNL. With NPL and the Boys ECNL obviously US Club believes in LP.

Yeah, US soccer believes in Liverpool. LOL, the girls side is changing again with DA eventually dominating the national seen. US Soccer is using you guys to pad their product preparing for clubs that will eventually leave. Man I would be asking the question as Liverfools is why not this recognition the last 4 years?

the post said US Club not US Soccer. In my humble opinion DA gets it wrong, how are the "amazing" results been on the world stage for our MNT ? America is a land built on open and free markets not some oddly contorted funneling system as is the DA. Also as the stated goal of the "da" is USMNT or USWNT is that really the aspirational goal we have for our kids (or that they have). Again, imho, ECNL gets it right as the pathway leads to college and that is the goal ; to think that a USM's or USW's team would not "draft" a top player from UNC whether or not they played DA, ECNL or even no affiliation is nuts. If you look at the success rate and who has done what, there is no question US Club is winning that race. Backing up to my original post, it certainly appears that US Club is liking what LP is doing as they continue to recognize them with invites into their leagues. Agree they may have been a little slow to come around but they are there now and that is what counts.