Written by ESNN (Elite Soccer News Network)
February 27, 2009
A group of club coaches are making an effort to bring an academy-type setup to the girls' side of elite youth soccer in America.
A proposal to begin a new initiative and compe***ion called the Elite Clubs National League will be presented to a group of approximately 40 club directors at the Las Vegas College Showcase on March 12. The proposal is the result of more than a year of discussion among leading figures around the country in girls youth soccer. It has been designed by a handful of Midwestern youth coaches from clubs including Eclipse Select, FC Milwaukee, St. Louis Scott Gallagher, Ohio Premier and Ohio Elite
The proposal, a synopsis of which was shared with TopDrawerSoccer.com, includes a five-year plan for compe***ions involving players U15 through U17 including a national league, a national championship, a player identification program and a U18 Super League for a dozen member clubs. The league will replace the Red Bull National League, which while completing its 2nd season in substance with events in Las Vegas and New Jersey, is no longer sponsored by the energy drink company.
Elite club soccer players compete.
Red Bull is out, but who exactly is coming in?
The new format would be phased in, with the first two years featuring 40 teams split into two flights of two divisions each and an approximately 12-game schedule. Teams competing would not be permitted to play in the U.S. Youth Soccer National League, but otherwise would be free to compete in any other event.
In years 3 and 4 (possibly sooner), the teams will expand the schedule to 21-24 matches, while year 5 would bring an anticipated exclusive 30-40-match schedule. League play would conclude with national champions awarded for each of three age groups plus promotion and relegation between the flights.
The plan calls for a 7-member board of governors including one club director from each of four regions and three at-large directors. The player ID component of the plan proposes allying with the US Club Soccer id2 program at a national event held at Home Depot Center.
Invited clubs are asked to commit to the league by the end of March, about three weeks after the formal presentation (which is much more detailed than what was shared with us) is given.
Eclipse Select director Rory Dames said the organizing group is trying to be realistic in its goal-setting, but bold in its vision.
"Anytime you're trying to change anything you need to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run," Dames said. "All of us need to prove to ourselves and each other that we can do it. It makes sense to go in, piece by piece.
"I think the clubs are the ones in the trenches doing the work. We understand what's going on with the game and how it needs to continue to develop," Dames continued. "Clubs are getting nailed as being in this to make money, but in fact it's the cost of all the leagues, and state cup and regionals and nationals, that's where the expense is. That's where it starts to get crazy. We need a league where it's run by soccer people and needs to have soccer at heart and not how an organization can make money off the clubs."
"Nobody in this is making money. The people putting it together are doing it on their own time and their own accord. Everybody is in it for the right reasons. We're trying to move the women's game forward."
Dames said the absence of involvement thus far by the U.S. Soccer Federation will not deter the group of coaches from moving forward.
"We spent the whole of last year speculating and worrying about that and trying to figure out what they would do," he said. "At this point I don't think it matters. If they want to come in, great. Nobody would balk at that. But at this point they haven't shown a real interest in doing this in the girls' game, so we can't walk around and fear it is going to come, but we can't sit on our hands and think it will. We're just doing this under the pretense that it won't' come. If it does, that's even better."
Dames said if enough clubs commit, it will then be up to the board of directors to negotiate what events the compe***ion will align with, along with managing decisions like league administration (US Club Soccer is rumored to be interested).
"At the end of the day this will be the top product in women's youth soccer," he said. "For everyone who says they want what's best for women's youth soccer, this is the time to put their money where their mouth is."
Ohio Elite's Doug Bracken was one of the coaches who designed the specific proposal, said a key for the ECNL will be solidarity among the member clubs.
"This is something that by and large we'll have to do together. The last year of discussions have presented the hurdles we have to overcome and I think we've addressed those," he said. "We understand we have to be together on this thing to make it work. I think when you look at this proposal and the way we set it out, I don't see why people wouldn't do it. The regular season games are at showcases by and large we already go to. The national championship is an even we will put on ourselves, but it fits nicely into the schedule elite-level clubs have. When you throw in the opportunities for an ID program with no extra cost to the families, it makes a lot of sense."
Bracken said the ECNL model would follow that of the USSF Academy on the boys side in some ways, but would also be a unique en***y. He was also philosophical on the potential involvement of the Academy.
"We would love US Soccer to come in and bring a developmental academy for girls, but in reality there is no definitive answer to whether they'll do that," he said. "We recognize we have to take the lead and do it. If they decide to come in then all bets are off, but at the end of the day what we want is what's best for players and we got to the point where we said ‘Hey, we have to put something concrete in place here.'"
February 27, 2009
A group of club coaches are making an effort to bring an academy-type setup to the girls' side of elite youth soccer in America.
A proposal to begin a new initiative and compe***ion called the Elite Clubs National League will be presented to a group of approximately 40 club directors at the Las Vegas College Showcase on March 12. The proposal is the result of more than a year of discussion among leading figures around the country in girls youth soccer. It has been designed by a handful of Midwestern youth coaches from clubs including Eclipse Select, FC Milwaukee, St. Louis Scott Gallagher, Ohio Premier and Ohio Elite
The proposal, a synopsis of which was shared with TopDrawerSoccer.com, includes a five-year plan for compe***ions involving players U15 through U17 including a national league, a national championship, a player identification program and a U18 Super League for a dozen member clubs. The league will replace the Red Bull National League, which while completing its 2nd season in substance with events in Las Vegas and New Jersey, is no longer sponsored by the energy drink company.
Elite club soccer players compete.
Red Bull is out, but who exactly is coming in?
The new format would be phased in, with the first two years featuring 40 teams split into two flights of two divisions each and an approximately 12-game schedule. Teams competing would not be permitted to play in the U.S. Youth Soccer National League, but otherwise would be free to compete in any other event.
In years 3 and 4 (possibly sooner), the teams will expand the schedule to 21-24 matches, while year 5 would bring an anticipated exclusive 30-40-match schedule. League play would conclude with national champions awarded for each of three age groups plus promotion and relegation between the flights.
The plan calls for a 7-member board of governors including one club director from each of four regions and three at-large directors. The player ID component of the plan proposes allying with the US Club Soccer id2 program at a national event held at Home Depot Center.
Invited clubs are asked to commit to the league by the end of March, about three weeks after the formal presentation (which is much more detailed than what was shared with us) is given.
Eclipse Select director Rory Dames said the organizing group is trying to be realistic in its goal-setting, but bold in its vision.
"Anytime you're trying to change anything you need to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run," Dames said. "All of us need to prove to ourselves and each other that we can do it. It makes sense to go in, piece by piece.
"I think the clubs are the ones in the trenches doing the work. We understand what's going on with the game and how it needs to continue to develop," Dames continued. "Clubs are getting nailed as being in this to make money, but in fact it's the cost of all the leagues, and state cup and regionals and nationals, that's where the expense is. That's where it starts to get crazy. We need a league where it's run by soccer people and needs to have soccer at heart and not how an organization can make money off the clubs."
"Nobody in this is making money. The people putting it together are doing it on their own time and their own accord. Everybody is in it for the right reasons. We're trying to move the women's game forward."
Dames said the absence of involvement thus far by the U.S. Soccer Federation will not deter the group of coaches from moving forward.
"We spent the whole of last year speculating and worrying about that and trying to figure out what they would do," he said. "At this point I don't think it matters. If they want to come in, great. Nobody would balk at that. But at this point they haven't shown a real interest in doing this in the girls' game, so we can't walk around and fear it is going to come, but we can't sit on our hands and think it will. We're just doing this under the pretense that it won't' come. If it does, that's even better."
Dames said if enough clubs commit, it will then be up to the board of directors to negotiate what events the compe***ion will align with, along with managing decisions like league administration (US Club Soccer is rumored to be interested).
"At the end of the day this will be the top product in women's youth soccer," he said. "For everyone who says they want what's best for women's youth soccer, this is the time to put their money where their mouth is."
Ohio Elite's Doug Bracken was one of the coaches who designed the specific proposal, said a key for the ECNL will be solidarity among the member clubs.
"This is something that by and large we'll have to do together. The last year of discussions have presented the hurdles we have to overcome and I think we've addressed those," he said. "We understand we have to be together on this thing to make it work. I think when you look at this proposal and the way we set it out, I don't see why people wouldn't do it. The regular season games are at showcases by and large we already go to. The national championship is an even we will put on ourselves, but it fits nicely into the schedule elite-level clubs have. When you throw in the opportunities for an ID program with no extra cost to the families, it makes a lot of sense."
Bracken said the ECNL model would follow that of the USSF Academy on the boys side in some ways, but would also be a unique en***y. He was also philosophical on the potential involvement of the Academy.
"We would love US Soccer to come in and bring a developmental academy for girls, but in reality there is no definitive answer to whether they'll do that," he said. "We recognize we have to take the lead and do it. If they decide to come in then all bets are off, but at the end of the day what we want is what's best for players and we got to the point where we said ‘Hey, we have to put something concrete in place here.'"
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