Speaking of jokes.

6862 points for one tournament?

Sorry to chime on but reading what you wrote about the ECNL if you look at what you wrote and what is on their website and doing research.........

PDA Showcase-----ECNL Tournament
Surf Cup (San Diego) ECNL Tournament
Final Four ECNL Tournament

So out of what your wrote and Sanford which is in Florida I don't dont know it that is Disney but its in Dec. is an ECNL tournament.

So if thats SECOND to none............I think thats pretty good but I think some of you are putting the cart before the horse and worrying about the wrong things at this age or any age for that matter. Trust me if your kid has talent............THEY will find her or him.

Eric Harris
Representing Exit #117 The EZ-PASS Express Lane (GSP)

There already is a league called JAGS MAPS which consists of PDA (3 teams), World Class, Manhattan, NJ Crush & NR. They have been playing each other for the past 2 years (Fall/Spring). Would love to see a Northport, EM, HBC join but will they travel off the Island for a match? I can assure these games have been highly competative and would compare them to any other league in Region 1 for this age.

Stevie,

To prove you wrong would just be leaving it as it is. I don't think these teams or coaches care about egos.......I don't think they care to much about winning or losing either. I would imagine that is why these very teams you mentioned play outside of their age group. Or not travel to a lot of tournaments. I see a lot of teams just playing games to just play and only care about working on things to developing their kids. You mentioned abuot 1% of the really good teams out there. I mean maybe you haven't seen them all but there are a ton of great teams out there that you didn't mention and to try to put all of them in one league would be impossible not only that but you would be traveling all over the TRI-STATE well NY NJ PA CT. and for what.....................I know you may be bitter with the ECNL and maybe your team is not in it or hasn't been excepted or something. Really................whocares when it comes down to it and I am sure you know that when the time comes for your child to move on to college and playing soccer there I highly doubt it that he or she is going to be talking about they played for an ECNL team. I seriously doubt that. If you think about and not to take away from any other age group but I would the U12 age group has a whole lot of great teams. I mean seriously the U12 age group has so many teams in general really. Its like we all decided to mate arould the same time of year back in 1999 lol lol lol well anyway enjoy your Thanksgiving.

Eric Harris
Representing Exit #117 The EZ-Pass Express Lane

Eric,

These showcase events may be hosted by an ECNL club, but that does not make them ECNL events. They accept all types of clubs in to them as long as they are good enough. ECNL has specified tournaments. And no, the Sandford tournament is NOT the Disney Showcase, it is a distant second.

Why, you may ask are these established tournaments, not just becoming ECNL events only seen as they are ECNL clubs hosting? Money, is #1. The level of competition is #2 - ECNL just doesn't have it yet, you would be cutting off so much talent and the College scouts would look elsewhere for the necessary talent - thus decreasing the prestige of the established tournaments. Furthermore, the money the clubs would lose would be catastrophic.

The only top level showcase event listed as an ECNL event below is the PDA Showcase, yet they still accept outside teams in. They are the club making the decisions in this League in the first place (such as teams accepted) and I suppose, have much more to lose if they didn't stake so much in the League.

So no, you are wrong...the ECNL events are different and have no real reputation. The listed ECNL events are:
National Showcase: Phoenix | October 8-10, 2011 | Phoenix, AZ
National Showcase: Sanford | December 28-30, 2011 | Sanford, FL
National Showcase: Texas | February 24-26, 2012 | San Antonio, TX
National Showcase: San Diego | March 31-April 2, 2012 | San Diego, CA
National Showcase: PDA | May 26-28, 2012 | Zarepath, NJ
2012 ECNL National Championship | June 2012 | Waukegan Sports Park (Chicago, IL)

The top showcase events are:

Disney Showcase, FL Dec 31-Jan 3rd
San Diego Surf Cup, CA July
Jefferson Cup, VA March
San Diego Surf College Cup, CA, November
CASL Shootout, NC, December
Las Vegas College Showcase, NV, March
PDA Showcase, NJ May
NEWSS, NYE, November
Players Showcase, NV, March

Again there are still many more that eclipse far outweigh the ECNL events for prestige and college coach attendance. Also bare in mind that this does not even include the USYA Regional and National Final events either that are huge in terms of attendance. In addition to the Regional Premier League playoff finals across the country either.

Okay.......maybe I was wrong and you are right but I clearly think you have it all wrong about the ECNL and its obvious that you have a gripe with those that are involved in it for whatever reason. I don't care if you are in the ECNL or not I will say it and I am sure any coach would agree. If you can play and if you have the talent and skill to fit into that program colleges will recruit you. I think some of us parents care alittle too much sometime. Soccer is like a prestige golf club or belonging to beach club or something. If you don't belong to my club then your crap or you stink kinda attitude. I think we as a soccer community have to learn that its okay sometimes to not be a part of EVERYTHING. What we need to learn and what we need to worry about is that our children are developing at their pace and as long as we instill in them that whatever dream they have or what goals they have set for themselves can be and only be achieve by their hardwork and dedication. I will tell you a good recruitment tip that is basic common sense.......ask your child to give you 5 to 10 schools that he or she would like to play for...................Take that list and you as a parent personally call that school or coach and them that your kid is interested in their program. If you are close to any of the school ask them if you can come up for a visit. Trust me I do it all the time for kids and not one time has a coach turned me down or the kid down from coming to visit. Its the easiest way trust me. Anyway thanks giving me your opinion on the ECNL although I think otherwise its good to have some dialogue about something.

Eric Harris
Representing Exit #117 The EZ-PASS Lane

now that some gu12 teams can apply for premier, isn't it time to add a gu12 premier thread?

Premier does not truly start until u 13 Spring. Thats when Nerp and Colonial start. These other leagues just call themselves premiere. Another moneymaker for unsuspecting parents who just want to be able to say their child plays premier!

Really? When does it really matter at u10... u12? Now it is at u13, that's when premier starts. No ecnl. is joke! no premier is #1! no my league is #1! Just shut the #%¥+ up and let the kids be kids, let the coaches do their job, sit, enjoy and support your child!!! C soccer