The following “frequently asked questions” are provided to give basic information about the ECNL, and are grouped into eight basic categories: (i) Background of the ECNL; (ii) Player Development in the ECNL; (iii) Competitive Structure of the ECNL; (iv) the ECNL Player Identification Program; (v) Collegiate Recruiting and the ECNL; (vi) the ECNL National Championship: (vii) Future Years of the ECNL; and (viii) Administration.
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What is the Elite Clubs National League (the "ECNL")?
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The ECNL is a national youth soccer league founded in 2009 for U15, U16 and U17 girls for the purpose of providing the highest level of competition and the best developmental environment for American female youth soccer players, as well as an identification program for identifying players for US Soccer Youth National Teams. The 2009-2010 season is the ECNL’s inaugural season, during which each ECNL team will play 9 regular-season games and 2 post-season games.
The ECNL was founded by many of the best female youth soccer clubs throughout the country based on the belief that elite female player development in the United States needed a structure that would reduce the total number of games on the schedule and increase the number of meaningful, quality games. The ECNL sets forth a vision that provides a clear path to that goal: a national competition schedule and a national identification program linked to that competition, and an organization in which best practices in player development can be shared throughout the country.
In 2009-2010, the ECNL will consist of 40 of the best female youth soccer clubs from across the country. For a complete list of member clubs, please go to www.usclubsoccer.org or www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com. Each member club will have 1 team in the U15, U16, and U17 divisions of the ECNL.
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Why should I play in the ECNL?
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The ECNL was formed with one driving purpose: to improve the developmental environment for elite female soccer players. In order to accomplish this, the ECNL has several specific objectives: (i) increase the frequency with which the top players in the country have the opportunity to compete against each other; (ii) decrease the number of uncompetitive games for the top players in the country so that these players can train more frequently; (iii) increase the collegiate recruiting exposure for top players; and (iv) provide an alternative identification program for these players to be identified for US Soccer Youth National Teams.
Every member club of the ECNL is dedicated to accomplishing these objectives. By coming together into the ECNL, ECNL member clubs can help to make the changes necessary to accomplish these objectives far more quickly, efficiently, and effectively.