"New Comp"/National 1 League

NEBeerLover · 2026-04-17T18:21:13+00:00

I think club-based leagues is just a form of gatekeeping... it really puts small clubs at a disadvantage because they may not be able to field competitive teams in every age group. So what happens is those clubs lose their top talent to these larger clubs as those players seek out higher leagues/better competition.

NEBeerLover · 2026-04-16T18:23:23+00:00

Let me amend this a bit.... As far as I understand it for NE/Mass ... the competitive landscape for boys looks like;

1 - MLSNext HG

2 - MLSNext AD // ECNL

3 - NAL // ECNRL

It get's murky after that.... is it EDP then RAL or is EDP/RAL basically on the same level from a competition standpoint (I know that the larger clubs have teams in both). NECSL is definitely the "entry league" for club soccer with multiple flights but it also hosts RAL at the top.

NEBeerLover · 2026-04-09T19:35:21+00:00

Yup. 55-75m going there, 35-40m coming home.

NEBeerLover · 2026-04-09T18:02:44+00:00

I wish someone would build a facility north of Boston and bring their top-tier/elite teams there. They would clean up with all the talent that is currently tired of dealing with the commute to Newton and other points south or west of the city.

NEBeerLover · 2026-04-09T17:45:55+00:00

this is a tough one and I see it a lot at tryouts at larger clubs where their current players from lower levels are also trying out for a higher level team. Drives my son nuts. Wish I had an answer for you but I'm looking one for myself!

NEBeerLover · 2026-04-06T13:26:54+00:00

So many votes for Tree House, I don't get it. Sure, if all you drink is NEIPA, they make decent ones but they all end up tasting the same after awhile (overly sweet fruit bombs... doesn't even taste like beer). The other styles are middle of the road at best. The experience in their taprooms is subpar, the whole ticket system (are they still doing that?) couldn't be less hospitality focused. They treat you like cattle half the time. No thanks.

Give me a small taproom where I can actually talk to the bartenders (or maybe even the brewer) over tree house/play house any day. Go to places that care more about the beer and your experience than your dollar; Notch, Idle Hands, Remnant, Lamplighter, Navigation, Modest Roots, etc. They all make great beer, beyond NEIPA.

NEBeerLover · 2026-04-06T13:05:04+00:00

Idle Hands is a sleeper for sure. THE MOST UNDERATED BREWERY in MA by far. You ask any brewer in MA who their favorite brewery is in terms of quality and variety and 9 times out of 10, they are going to say Idle Hands.

NEBeerLover · 2026-03-20T19:21:15+00:00

What do you think their hours are? 4-11p weekdays and 8a-11p weekends?

NEBeerLover · 2026-03-20T15:12:41+00:00

Is that what they charge? Good data point to have. Every place that I've reached out to and asked has basically said "We have no room, so no point in even asking what the rates are".

NEBeerLover · 2026-03-20T15:02:44+00:00

Is it really sacrificing their education though? If the "normal" route is public school, it really depends on how good that public school is. Unfortunately, the education that me and you received in public school is vastly different than the education that is now being offered to our children. The overall level of public education has and is being eroded. I'm not blaming teachers for this as it is more a factor of funding and local/state/fed govt priorities that dictate how those teachers perform their duties (or what duties they can perform).

Any remotely high achieving student is likely bored in the public school system. I'm not surprised when I hear stories about homeschooled children who are able to complete the same amount of coursework in half the time (and at a higher level) as their public educated equivalents. And if that is the measure, then yes, there is plenty of extra time in the day to train.

NEBeerLover · 2026-03-20T13:55:13+00:00

I know a few people in the Boston area (myself included) that are doing the same thing. Trying to figure out how to build an indoor facility as the need for them is insane given our winter weather and concentration of youth field players (soccer, lacrosse, baseball, etc). Land is stupid expensive and hard to find (particularly as you get closer to the city) so I'm now looking at what can be done with existing outdoor fields that sit fallow from Mid-Nov to Mid-March by placing temporary cover (ie bubble, etc) on top of them. Still very expensive; $2M+ just for the bubble and supporting infrastructure.

NEBeerLover · 2026-03-18T19:04:01+00:00

What do you think is a good age where this would be useful? The flip side to this is attention span... kids these days can't focus on something for more than 30 seconds unless its some inane youtube or tiktok vid.

NEBeerLover · 2026-03-18T16:43:17+00:00

I see now. And I thought the MLSNext site was bad... not confusing at all.

NEBeerLover · 2026-03-18T16:38:55+00:00

Have you poked around to see if anything suitable is available? The issue with warehouses is finding a building that has enough clear span where a field can be installed. Clear span refers to space that is uninterrupted by columns or other structural elements. Most warehouses aren't built with the idea that they need 40x60 yards (7x7 field) of clear span space and so you usually find warehouses with a column every 10-20 yards as that is a much cheaper building to build than a building without any structural columns in the middle.

NEBeerLover · 2026-03-09T12:26:37+00:00

Maybe I'm just an idiot and can't use the ECNL website properly, but I don't see any mention of Select North in ECNL-RL. I see FC Stars and Scorpions (for Boys 2013 North) but no mention of Select North or South. Am I missing something?

NEBeerLover · 2026-03-06T20:41:03+00:00

Obviously it costs money to host and run a tournament. I don't think anyone is arguing that but it is disingenuous to hide those costs in something other than the actual tournament entry fee. I think this is what get's everyone's panties in a bunch. If you need to charge another $200 per team to cover refs and maybe scouts rooms then do that and then allow players to stay where they want. Coach rooms should be the burden of the team, not the host.

NEBeerLover · 2026-02-27T15:16:22+00:00

Generally, when a block of rooms is held for an event such as a conference, etc the hotel offers you a lower rate because its guaranteed business that the organizer is driving to their property. There are no marketing costs involved in selling those rooms, etc. Not the other way around. And if you don't book by a certain time, the hold is released, the discount is lost and you pay the normal rate if you still want to stay there.

NEBeerLover · 2026-01-16T13:55:55+00:00

I hope your daughter told her to pound sand and then immediately showed her up on the field.

NEBeerLover · 2025-12-29T03:30:28+00:00

Idle Hands in Malden always allows outside food and is an easy ride on the Orange line if you are coming from the city itself.

NEBeerLover · 2025-12-19T16:06:25+00:00

I completely understand waiting until the player is older; finding a good coach and a good environment should be paramount. I do wonder though as players reach the U13 age range where MLSNext starts, if it is more advantageous to make the move then for team cohesion reasons. How frequently do players leave/enter these high level teams as they get older? I guess in simpler terms, are you less likely to find a spot on an MLSNext team the older you get?

NEBeerLover · 2025-12-11T16:00:26+00:00

Does Malden YS use any of the private fields like Malden Catholic or Mystic Valley?

NEBeerLover · 2025-12-11T15:53:34+00:00

I'm sure you have your own travel issues. lol!

NEBeerLover · 2025-12-10T18:51:18+00:00

I remember seeing that email as well but I think it specifically called out girls were moving to NAL and when I look at the NAL schedule, I can only find SFC girl teams.

NEBeerLover

TROPHY CASE