ECNL question

I heard something from a dad on our sideline last weekend that I need some clarification on.

Can a player who does not play for an ECNL be dual rostered to allow them to play? Example...

Player X plays for Liverpool, Kicks or any other non ECNL club. Can she be rostered with one of these teams for League play and also go play for an ECNL club?

Yes.

From my understanding, yes.

But I don't see any ECNL coach doing that. She would be expected to be at all of the practices, then have her other team practices to attend, then double the games...it's just too much and I don't think any coach would want that. The game is already too physical and demanding. I doubt any kid could make it all year with all that is required and not get injured and/or burned out.

There are rare occasions when this has occurred to some extent, but generally the player will only spot play for the ECNL team. That means a few games in the fall, a few in the spring, maybe a showcase event, but don't expect much playing time if any at all.

Depending on the practice activities, practicing four times a week instead of two should not necessarily cause a player to get injured and burned out- but it should make them a better player. I can't think of any sport where optimal development comes from training twice a week (training in private skills or on one's own also could serve the need for adequate training, of course). Other youth sports/physical activities have more frequent organized training sessions (any high school sport, plus skating, gymnastics, track & field, ballet, etc.) and it would be unlikely to excel in any of them with only training twice a week.

I agree that too many games is a risk and not the right thing to do- including two games in a day (although it is very common in tournaments). Playing a total of 30-40 games per year is within guidelines from national federations/major clubs that have youth programs.

What hasn't been discussed is the cost to play for two clubs per his example   , assuming she doesn't get a scholarship for at least one of them.

MoveYourFeet wrote:From my understanding, yes.

But I don't see any ECNL coach doing that. She would be expected to be at all of the practices, then have her other team practices to attend, then double the games...it's just too much and I don't think any coach would want that. The game is already too physical and demanding. I doubt any kid could make it all year with all that is required and not get injured and/or burned out.

There are rare occasions when this has occurred to some extent, but generally the player will only spot play for the ECNL team. That means a few games in the fall, a few in the spring, maybe a showcase event, but don't expect much playing time if any at all.

So far, no one has gone into a soccer year with this plan of playing for two Clubs... That would not be good for either team, as I'm sure both would hope for priority... But there have been several who have started the year with a non-ECNL Club and ended up getting some ECNL games in after the year has started...

I believe most of the dual rostering is interclub. For example you could be on a Sting ECNL team and be on a Sting DI team.

Although not sure how practice works in this situation.

And only one club fee, not two.

OP's example was two different clubs, one ECNL and the other non-ECNL (LP, Kicks, etc..)

soccerdad1969 wrote:OP's example was two different clubs, one ECNL and the other non-ECNL (LP, Kicks, etc..)

Yes, it can be done and have been done.

For the 98s, last year at U15 there we two players who were rostered with LP Elite 98 (LH) and FCD 98 (ECNL).   One didn't finish the season due to unrelated injury, and the other finished both LH/ECNL seasons and then fully transferred to ECNL.

At U16, I know of one player who have been playing for Lightning (LH) and Texans (ECNL), and another who have been playing for Liverpool Veasey (LH) and FCD (ECNL).  Both players have practice and games priorities set with their respective coaches.

I believe the Texans ECNL 00s also have a player who plays for a different team/league as well as an ECNL team.

I wonder if these players were scholarshipped at one of the clubs.