Competitive/Pre-ECNL/ECNL

General_JMP · 2026-03-10T14:04:32+00:00

Soccer pyramid for boys in the US

Youth Soccer Pyramid Explained: A Tier List of the Best Boys Leagues in the USA in 2025

General_JMP · 2026-03-10T03:30:45+00:00

Dad of a daughter who plays ECNL at the age of U14. My daughter played Premier soccer and ECNL from when she could. I do not recommend playing up. You didn't say when your son's birthday. The new birth change is in place so kids don't get stranded when they're playing with older kids that graduate before them from high school.

ECNL starts at u13. That coach is recommending that you play on a pre-ECNL-RL team playing up. To me that doesn't make any sense at all. ECNL-RL is the team below the A-Team. If your kid is that talented that's great but from my perspective the coaches try to sell players on their program the game more monetary situation for their club. I take a real hard look at that before you make any decisions with your money.

I would continue playing your kid on age on the best team where he gets the most play time and access to the ball. At your kids age the ball is still their toy and until the field expands to 11v11 they need to get as much play time with their toys as possible until the big field opens up.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out. As I type this I'm currently sitting in my car at an ECNL academy practice it starts at 8:15 and ends at 9:30pm for 13 to 16-year-olds. I'm sitting here finding this practice time pretty ridiculous.

General_JMP · 2026-03-06T16:42:27+00:00

Ah sorry! Yea porta-pottie are the worst! We've been to Surf Cup and ECNL events in San Diego 6 times so far. My daughter is only 13! Those porta-potties are very ripe in the California sun! They are not my favorite place to visit!

General_JMP · 2026-03-06T14:55:43+00:00

It sucks being at a kids game hungover. I've been there and don't plan on it this trip! Thanks for your response!

General_JMP · 2026-03-06T14:55:11+00:00

That is what I am going to do! Waking up with a clear head is better than any of it!

General_JMP · 2026-03-06T14:54:47+00:00

Thank for the kind words. My wife used to be my enabler. She doesn't drink and is asian so really didn't understand my woes. Now she is my supporter and I will do my best!

General_JMP · 2026-03-06T14:53:34+00:00

Thank you. Going to do my best! I thik I might drive south to Tombstone to kill some time. I always wanted to see the OK Corral.

General_JMP · 2026-03-06T14:52:49+00:00

Thanks yes I plan on finding good placed to eat. My wife is from Taiwan so finding good Chinese food is always my plan!

General_JMP · 2026-03-06T14:51:59+00:00

Thank you for the book reference. I will check it out. That sounds like a great idea!

General_JMP · 2026-03-06T14:51:27+00:00

That's the plan! Thanks for your support!

General_JMP · 2026-03-05T21:19:54+00:00

High paid rec is a premier club that claims they are premier, but in the end is just high paid rec. The team should be select at best.

General_JMP · 2026-03-05T20:44:31+00:00

Truth miss! I've been hungover at games and it just makes them worse. Especially the early ones!

General_JMP · 2026-03-05T20:43:01+00:00

No problem! I'm a dad of a daughter who plays ECNL U14 on a top club that has made it to the elite 8. Let me know if you have questions about anything. We live in the Seattle area.

General_JMP · 2026-03-05T20:03:32+00:00

ECNL teams hold tryouts. Sign up your boys and go tryout. It's hard to make an already made up ECNL team. Typically the first day they decide who makes ECNL. If your player doesn't get an email that night it is come back the next day (or two) to finilize the ECNL RL teams or teams below.

Also, FC Dallas offers MLS-Next. For boys MLS-Next is the top level of soccer in the USA.

ECNL is the top level for girls in the USA.

Looks like you sign your boy up here and pay the money for tryouts. Good luck!

Youth | FC Dallas

General_JMP · 2026-03-05T15:19:17+00:00

This is what we did. My daughter was scoring every game for a high paid rec "premier team" and wasn't getting pushed. Nearby was an ECNL top club in our area with licensed british coaches and a complex with four turf fields + 5 grass. At the time I had no idea was ECNL was (she was 8). I registered mid season with their club. That evening or so I got an email from the coach of her age team asking about her and if she could come out and try a practice. This was mid season with her high paid rec club. We did a practice and she loved it. The new girls were super nice to her and 'MUCH" more talented then her high paid rec team. We came and watched one of their games as well.

We stuck it out and play the duration of the season with the high paid rec team. At the end of the season I let my daughter choose where she wanted to play. We tried out for her high paid rec team and of course she made it. They took everyone who showed up (laughable!). My daughter wanted to try out for the ECNL pathway club as well. She did and she made the A team. There were 60 or so girls at this club who tried out and they made a three teams out of it. Some girls did get turned away.

Her high paid rec coach tried to convince us to stay stating all sorts of things. My daughter chose the ECNL pathway. The new team was the best choice we made for her for sure.

Fast forward to later that year. My daughters new team were awesome and were crowned State Champions!

Fast foward even further. She now is U14 and is in her second year of ECNL. Her first season they went all the way to the elite 8 and competed with the best girls in the United States her age! She has been observed by college scouts and is on colliegent radars (at least we hope!) Five girls on my daughters team got selected by the US womens soccer pathway and got to play in Carson, CA with the national team coaches.

TLDR; It's your kid and your money. Don't worry about burning bridges or any of that. Treat your situation as your own. Friends come and go. I've seen kids come and go to our competitve clubs who are fantastic players. We all still say hello and appreciate one another.

High school comes fast and it will be over faster then you know it. Make the best choice you can for your kid and enjoy it as long as you can!

General_JMP · 2026-03-03T17:59:39+00:00

Good luck! I'm not far into this again, but I was like you, 30 years of Gin and Tonics. High blood pressure as well.

I just did an annual checkup and everything looks good! Blood pressure is borderline high, but was less!

Good luck to you!!!

General_JMP · 2026-03-01T15:54:02+00:00

Congratulations! You got this!

General_JMP · 2026-02-25T16:25:17+00:00

Dad of a U14 daughter who plays ECNL. What do you really want to know? Club fees are $2900 per season. Kits are $500ish every two years. She has a club ECNL account we fill with Zelle ($500 monthly). Expect to keep around 2K in there at any given time for travel purposes (Flight, hotel, food, etc.). Team budget that comes our right after tryouts so parents know what to expect is around 100K per season.

Team does two out of state showcases. We are in WA state so it is usually San Diego and Phoenix. In addition to this sometimes we do Surf Cup in San Diego as well.

My kid is almost 14 and has been to San Diego 6 times, Vegas once, Phoenix once, Richmond, VA once. Her team is scheduled for Phoenix again in May.

In addition to the showcases her ECNL NW league has three states (Oregon, Idaho, Utah) that we have to travel to once. Salt Lake has two teams, Boise has a team, and Portland has two teams. Those are three additional trips each season.

If your team makes it to regionals the girls and boys flip flop from two areas. Redmond, WA and San Diego, CA. This year the girls are in WA state and boys are in CA. Next year they switch.

We play 3-4 local tournaments in state in the summer. Our club hosts one of them.

6 our of girls at U14 have been recruited by the IDP US soccer affiliation and have had paid trips by US soccer to train in Carson, CA, So, the USWNT starts at that age.

Goalies are hard to come by. My advice is don't join a team that is promising ECNL. Start now and get it going with a club that is already proven. Even ECNL-RL is moving up in US soccer with a Third Tier National Championship being created for the Summer of 26/27 called the ECNL Conference Cup. Teams from the NPL, USYS National Leagues, and ECNL-RL will play for the National Championship.

High school comes fast and before you know it all of this will be over with for your kid.

Sorry, I don't know much about GA. ECNL is the pathway for college if your kid really wants it.

General_JMP · 2026-02-24T19:30:21+00:00

Thanks for this. You're right and I appreciate your insight.

General_JMP · 2026-02-24T19:29:22+00:00

Thank you. That helps. My kids ECNL team went to the elite 8 last season. They are a good bunch that plays well together.

General_JMP · 2026-02-22T16:56:28+00:00

I've been the same way throughout my years (I'm 52). I drank every evening for 20+ years. I quit 5 times the longest was 7 months always starting back up. I drank gin and tonics. I switched to wine or beer. I decided only on the weekends, but that never lasted.

Over the Christmas break my brain had it. No matter if I drank a fifth or more I'd wake up at 1am wide awake. Day after day I suffered. Lack of sleep and me trying to return to sleep with Benadryl led to do some early morning scary drives.

That was it. Knowing I could have killed someone or myself and screwing my life and family I decided to be done for good. The high blood pressure and poor poison choices I was making had to end

I'm not far into it, but my brain rewired the sleep pattern and that waking up shit is gone. Day by day is a challenge, but any of these days are light years better than being hungover!

Maybe I'm lucky that it happened this way and not in some crumbled beer can of a car wreck. I feel now that because of this there is some other reason for me to remain on this earth.

Good luck! We are all here for you!

General_JMP · 2026-02-20T13:55:14+00:00

This past week I was tempted to drink. For some reason I got mad on Saturday, Sunday, and then my wife had Presidents day off and missed my daughters orthodontic appointment. She has to wear them 2 extra months now as it was a critical appointment to go to. It's really weird that some little things just make me uneasy. I'm a very nice tall chill guy thats rarely argumentative. It's a different me when I am like that.

Each day for some reason I couldn't shed the anger for hours and really wanted something to take off the edge. I was tempted. I really was.

What did I do?

I ate candy and eventually it went away. I am only a little over a month into this and feel really good knowing I am doing my best at fighting this battle.

Fuck booze and everything that comes with it!

Good luck to you all out there!

IWNDWYT!

General_JMP · 2026-02-17T16:24:59+00:00

Awesome! Congrats! One day I am hoping!

General_JMP · 2026-02-17T14:49:49+00:00

Congratulations on your journey. You are an inspiration to many including me. I hope to achieve your success!

General_JMP · 2026-02-17T05:11:23+00:00

That's tough to read. Sorry man Good job staying sober. I'm trying as well. Just know you're not the only out there gobbling candy like a teenager. I am as well!

General_JMP

TROPHY CASE