Does my daughter Have to play in ecnl

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Question:Does my daughter have to play in ecnl to play at a D1or D2 school ,if she would like to attend college in this region.

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Question:Does my daughter have to play in ecnl to play at a D1or D2 school ,if she would like to attend college in this region.

Overall coaches don't shop leagues, they shop talent. Playing in the nation's top league will get you through doors faster. But if a player is with a competitive club that plays in a competitive league (which around here means a regional league/NPL/NEP, not state level), plays in good showcase events, attends ID events then they can get recruited. If the goal isn't top D1 then yes it can happen, it just will take more work/planning to get seen.
That said, the market is changing. This holds true now. In a few years as GDA takes over players in lower leagues will have an even harder time getting noticed

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Exposure is grossly over rated. The real secret to helping a player find a match with a college program is realistically targeting the possible appropriate academic and athletic fits or more pointedly said, you need to know what you want to buy before you go shopping because one doesn't typically go to the grocery store to buy auto parts. Showcase events are like going to a "speed dating" assembly. They work best when you are the prettiest or most handsome one there and the reality is those types don't really need speed dating to get a date.

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Exposure is grossly over rated. The real secret to helping a player find a match with a college program is realistically targeting the possible appropriate academic and athletic fits or more pointedly said, you need to know what you want to buy before you go shopping because one doesn't typically go to the grocery store to buy auto parts. Showcase events are like going to a "speed dating" assembly. They work best when you are the prettiest or most handsome one there and the reality is those types don't really need speed dating to get a date.

BTNT, do you EVER tire of hearing yourself talk/post the exact same thing over and over every day? What diagnosis would you give yourself? Spectrum on axis 1 and Narcissistic PD on axis 2 with some OCD traits on the side?

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If your kid is interested in D2 a lot of that talent will come from the NPL and a few NEP teams. Typically lower level D1 can also come from NPL. If your kid wants to play high level D1 in this area, not that there are any, but BU, BC, Northeastern, UConn, most likely they will need to be playing at the highest level (ECNL). But if they want a lower level D1 or D2, ECNL is not required. I would recommend ID clinics at the schools she's interested in, as it gives her an opportunity to shine in a small setting, and also allows her to gauge whether she may be aiming too high.

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Exposure is grossly over rated. The real secret to helping a player find a match with a college program is realistically targeting the possible appropriate academic and athletic fits or more pointedly said, you need to know what you want to buy before you go shopping because one doesn't typically go to the grocery store to buy auto parts. Showcase events are like going to a "speed dating" assembly. They work best when you are the prettiest or most handsome one there and the reality is those types don't really need speed dating to get a date.

I agree with this 100%, my daughter is in her second year of ECNL

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If your kid is interested in D2 a lot of that talent will come from the NPL and a few NEP teams. Typically lower level D1 can also come from NPL. If your kid wants to play high level D1 in this area, not that there are any, but BU, BC, Northeastern, UConn, most likely they will need to be playing at the highest level (ECNL). But if they want a lower level D1 or D2, ECNL is not required. I would recommend ID clinics at the schools she's interested in, as it gives her an opportunity to shine in a small setting, and also allows her to gauge whether she may be aiming too high.

Explain kids going to BU, BC, Northeastern, UConn that never set their foot in ECNL. I know of a few. Now that we are at it, let me pick an example: how many FCB sent to those schools being in ECNL? If a player is good enough she will be found. League helps but the talent trumps everything.

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Explain kids going to BU, BC, Northeastern, UConn that never set their foot in ECNL. I know of a few. Now that we are at it, let me pick an example: how many FCB sent to those schools being in ECNL? If a player is good enough she will be found. League helps but the talent trumps everything.

Not disagreeing there will be a few, but it is that much harder if you are not playing the strongest competition. Getting BC to watch my kid play an NEP game is going to be harder than getting them to come watch my D play in an ECNL game. I agree it can be done, you just have to be much more diligent. And yes, there are players in ECNL that are not as strong as players in NEP, ultimately it takes talent. IMO if my kid wanted to play at BC I would have them playing in the best league, because it does open more doors, what they do with it is up to the player.

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I agree with this 100%, my daughter is in her second year of ECNL

LOL. What do you agree with 100%? Maybe a little elaboration?

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Not disagreeing there will be a few, but it is that much harder if you are not playing the strongest competition. Getting BC to watch my kid play an NEP game is going to be harder than getting them to come watch my D play in an ECNL game. I agree it can be done, you just have to be much more diligent. And yes, there are players in ECNL that are not as strong as players in NEP, ultimately it takes talent. IMO if my kid wanted to play at BC I would have them playing in the best league, because it does open more doors, what they do with it is up to the player.

If the team is not strong and competitive the league will not help her. A lot people talked about playing the strongest league and think that's what takes them to top colleges. If your kid is talented enough she will be found.

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If the team is not strong and competitive the league will not help her. A lot people talked about playing the strongest league and think that's what takes them to top colleges. If your kid is talented enough she will be found.

yes....sort of. If you're playing in a cr** league you might not even get your foot in the door/pass the first hurdle. Sure there's the talent piece. But coaches also want to see that you're being challenged by your coach and your competition also. Not saying it doesn't happen but it will be much more challenging to prove you are worthy of consideration first, then you have to actually be considered. Coaches get interest from 100s of players. Most won't watch footage (they might pass it off to an assistant). If they have a long list of candidates playing in A and B leagues then a C league player may not ever even make the list.
Of course all of the above depends on the competitive level of the college program. Lower level it is much easier to get in without the badge.

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If the team is not strong and competitive the league will not help her. A lot people talked about playing the strongest league and think that's what takes them to top colleges. If your kid is talented enough she will be found.

Can you help me understand "how" they will be found? If your kid is a mid level D1 prospect playing on a small club in NEP, with a mediocre team, how exactly will they be found? I highly doubt that these schools are going to even look at these teams during showcases or league play.

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Not disagreeing there will be a few, but it is that much harder if you are not playing the strongest competition. Getting BC to watch my kid play an NEP game is going to be harder than getting them to come watch my D play in an ECNL game. I agree it can be done, you just have to be much more diligent. And yes, there are players in ECNL that are not as strong as players in NEP, ultimately it takes talent. IMO if my kid wanted to play at BC I would have them playing in the best league, because it does open more doors, what they do with it is up to the player.

Don't mean to snipe at you but that is just your mistakes talking. It's not really all that hard once you know what you are doing and you pretty much know that now. Bet though that when you first started the process you bought into the whole exposure thing and wasted valuable time and money following that path which accounts for your apparent belief that the better players need exposure. That's a myth, they don't, because all of the coaches already know about the top players in an age group from the get go because of the resume they have built. The truth is what everyone learns over time is that you basically need to know what level player you have and how/where the coaches at that level recruit. Then it is really just a matter of becoming a fixture with them so that they know your kid.

Now if you really want to get your kid noticed by a highly ranked school you do that by playing them up in age groups, not in leagues. What coaches look for is players that show they can step up to play at a faster pace. Playing up a two to three years shows that a player will have no problem stepping up to a faster pace. As far as getting noticed by the highly ranked programs around here goes, if you want to show the coaches at BC or BU that your kid can play there, get them on a WPSL team playing against players currently playing at BC or BU. Nothing impresses a college coach more than a young kid being able to favorably compete against their current players. Proves they belong. The flip side is also true in that if your kid can't make a WPSL squad it also might be telling you that your target is too high.

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Can you help me understand "how" they will be found? If your kid is a mid level D1 prospect playing on a small club in NEP, with a mediocre team, how exactly will they be found? I highly doubt that these schools are going to even look at these teams during showcases or league play.

Players aren't "found." A player has to first express interest to the coach, send a brief bio, footage etc. If the coach looks at it/is interested then they will make some kind of effort to see them. If the school is very local/convenient they MIGHT come watch a league game, or they'll do quick looksie at a local showcase (again if convenient or they're already there). They don't window shop showcases hoping a player will catch their eye (they might glimpse a few that way but they go with a set list/schedule of all the players they want to see before hand). At a minimum you'll get the standard letter consisting of "Thanks for your interest. Please attend our camp." Yes they send out lots of those. But it can be a good way to at least get their focus on you, especially if you've already been communicating with them, seek them out at the event to introduce yourself etc. Often times a coach will see you at a showcase then want to see you for a much longer period at an ID event.

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Can you help me understand "how" they will be found? If your kid is a mid level D1 prospect playing on a small club in NEP, with a mediocre team, how exactly will they be found? I highly doubt that these schools are going to even look at these teams during showcases or league play.

This is best done in 7th/8th grade. Pick a program that you think your kid can actually get out on the field and player for and then become a fixture at all of their camps and clinics. Not just once or twice but every time for a year or two. You want the coach to know them on site by name. If you target well, they will notice your player's ability and your persistence will demonstrate your kid's desire to be a part of their program.