Reflecting Back ... and Moving Forward

Looking back sometimes helps in finding the best path forward.   This statement summarizes the focus of the ECNL as the league begins its 6th season this month. By remembering where the ECNL has come, and why the ECNL was formed, we hope to make the 2014-2015 season the best one yet.

The first ECNL games ever played were in August 2009. At the time, the league consisted of only 40 clubs, playing in only 3 age groups (U15-U17). Each team played 9 ECNL games in the season, and there was no such thing as a "stand-alone" ECNL event. The ECNL mission statement was to "change the landscape," but there was a significant distance between our aspirations and the reality.

Fast forward to the ECNL's fifth season (2013-2014) ... and the changes that have been made in the landscape of elite youth female soccer are incredible. The 2014 ECNL Play-Offs, once again in Redmond, WA, were the most competitive female youth club event in the world.   Except for the defined off-season, ECNL competition now takes place on almost every weekend of the year, and the ECNL National Events are the biggest college recruiting and scouting platforms in the United States. The league operates Coaching Development Programs to raise the standard of coaching, and Player Development Programs to provide more resources and opportunity to top players. The ECNL is now the focus of the country's very best female youth soccer players, teams, and clubs.

It is with this progress and these memories in mind that the ECNL Board of Directors and staff met in July to discuss the past, present, and future. This meeting was the start of a discussion that will continue for many more months - starting with remembering why the league was created, and the goals and aspirations for the league. This backdrop created the context for discussion about the future: analysis of what the league does well and where it needs to improve, questions about which competition structure was best and what tools can be utilized to improve coach and player development, consideration of what can be done to reduce costs for players and families in the league, and more. The discussion was fantastic, but more importantly, it was productive.

I am excited to state that there will be several changes for the 2014-2015 season that are designed to help make this the best season yet in the ECNL, and to make the ECNL even better for players and teams:

• Hotel Subsidy for the ECNL Finals. To reduce the cost of travel for players in the league, the ECNL will cover the cost of the majority of player hotel rooms for teams that qualify for the 2015 ECNL Finals. The league will allocate multiple rooms for every day of the event to each team participating in the ECNL Finals.
• Changes in the ECNL Play-Offs. While the structure of the Champions League (32 teams) will remain the same, the North American Cup will be limited to 16 teams in 2014-2015. To reduce travel for these teams, the North American Cup Champion will be crowned at the ECNL Play-Offs in a four-game "knock-out" - like a true cup competition. These changes will allow these teams to finish their competition season in June, without the cost of an additional post-season trip. (16 additional teams will attend the ECNL Play-Offs in the Showcase Division where they will play 3 games.)
• Improvements in U14 Event Atmosphere and Choice. To improve the experience and atmosphere at U14 Showcase Events, the league will host only 4 events in 2014-2015: 2 of the U14 events will be in conjunction with existing ECNL National Events for U15-U18 teams (Phoenix and San Diego), and 2 of these events will be specially focused on U14 teams. To help each club manage their travel costs more effectively, clubs will be free to choose to attend any number of these U14 Showcase Events. Clubs with heavier travel burdens may choose not to participate in any, and clubs with lighter travel burdens may choose to participate in multiple events.

More details on all of these changes will be released in the coming weeks, but there are even more changes going on behind the scenes: the league has hired additional staff to improve communications and club services, additional resources are being put into coaching and club development, the player identification and scouting system for ECNL PDPs and the ECNL / id2 National Training Camp is being refined - and so much more!

Every change made by the league is made in an attempt to help make the ECNL better for players, clubs, and families. We hope you agree and are excited by some of this news.

The ECNL was created to elevate the landscape in youth female soccer - to improve the daily player experience, to improve club and coach development, and to raise the level of the game. In 5 years, there has been incredible progress in these goals. Now, as we begin the 2014-2015 season, the 6th year of ECNL, we are recommitting ourselves to reviewing and analyzing the ECNL and its platforms to insure that the next 5 years are even more positive for the game and the players.

Thank you for your support!

Christian Lavers

President, Board of Directors

Elite Clubs National League

ECNL ALUMS ARE EVERYWHERE AT THE U20 FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP

The 2014 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup kicked off on August 5th in Canada with a highly anticipated match between the 2012 U20 World Cup Finalists, the United States and Germany.  While the US lost the game 2-0, they rebounded with a tough 1-0 win over Brazil a few days ago - with the goal and assist coming from ECNL alums Summer Green (MI Hawks) and Lindsey Horan (CO Rush).

The ECNL is well represented at the World Cup, with 18 of the 21 women on the U20 Women's National Team being ECNL Alums.  This accomplishment speaks volumes about the quality of competition in the ECNL, and the great work being done by ECNL Member Clubs in player development!   

The 2014-15 ECNL season is dedicated to celebrating the Amazing Young Women that have helped mold this league into the top female youth club soccer platform in the world.  As we introduce this campaign, we start by celebrating the 21Amazing Young Women on the US Soccer U20 FIFA Women's World Cup Team.    

U20 US Women's National Team Roster:

• ECNL Phoenix:  Fri, Nov 14 - Sun, Nov 16, 2014 | Team List
• ECNL Sanford, FL:  Sun, Dec 28 - Tues, Dec 30, 2014 | Team List
• ECNL Fort Worth, TX:  Fri, Feb 27 - Sun, March 1 | Team List
• ECNL San Diego, CA:  Fri, April 10 - Sun, April 12, 2015 | Team List
• ECNL PDA, NJ:  Sat, May 23 - Mon, May 25, 2015 | Team List

Christen Press, current member of the US Women's National Team, professional women's soccer player for the Chicago Red Stars, and alum of Slammers FC could be on the cover of the next Wheaties Box!  But, she needs your help to win Wheaties NEXT!

Supporters can vote for their athlete of choice by logging workouts on the following website: www.mapmyfitness.com/wheatiesnext. The competition runs from July 1st- to August 31st.  

Most importantly, for every workout logged for Team Press, General Mills will make a generous donation to Grass Roots Soccer- a non-profit organization that uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize communities to stop the spread of HIV. 

Find out more about the rules of the competition by logging on to wheaties.com.

1. Sign up for the Wheaties NEXT challenge at mapmyfitness.com/wheatiesnext and start logging! 
2. Rally your friends and your network, by sharing the above link.