As of now... 9 girls teams are in the IWSL. 5 of them are in the C division which is essentially rec soccer these days. 1 is in the D division - not sure why parents would pay for that. 1 is A/B division and is 0-3-0. 1 is in MCW 1 is 05/06... All I know is that the 2005 team was put into the silly Club v Club where they went 0-6-0. They scored 1 goal and had 26 scored on them. So basically this is really a Conference Qualifier team. There u18 team was excellent - but they are off to college. There 06 teams is excellent as well. So realistically as it is today - this is not even close to a "Best of the Rest" club for girls which is really surprising given the resources they have including fields, indoor and LM/FM. Honestly Crystal Lake Force would have been a more suitable club as they have #s and are more centralized to a greater population. Now all that said - Raptors is heavily recruiting - and I know enough good players that are looking that way. Signing those players is a different story - any coach or club director will tell you that. Outside of recruiting, Raptors also has deals with Campton, FCX and Inferno - just a few that I know of. They will provide opportunities for high level players to participate in some ECNL events - with the hope that they will come over the following season.
What I don't get is the geography of the Raptors and their partners. Would it make more sense of those club's parents that partnered with Rockford to instead go to Evolution? Is that not a closer and easier drive for what I'm assuming will end up being a ECNL team. I assume that about Evolution, not knowing anything about Chicago Inter. But I do know that the ECNL would prefer to have another two teams join at once to keep the travel partner system. As of right now, without Rockford, Eclipse is our travel partner. Meaning any team coming to play us, plays Eclipse or Eclipse North on the way back to their respective homes. This season without Rockford that number is odd so things can be a bit weird with other teams and their travel. With Rockford coming in, all the out of state teams can go to Chicago and get both games in very easily, while we will partner with Rockford.
The Full ECNL badge will draw talent to Rockford. Their previous results in the IWSL and MWC are irrelevant. That is the power of a full ecnl badge. Frank and Louie Mateus will get that program rolling in no time. Not quite sure where your information regarding Evolution is coming from, but in my experience if you were to rank Chicagoland clubs on the boys and girls side, I do not think many people would place them near the top. Inter, Libertyville, and Galaxy have had significantly more success ( State cup championships, regional qualifiers, Nationals qualifiers, National League PRO results.) Just my opinion, not trying to bash you....
So again, me on my city limits horse, there is no team worthy within the city limits of Chicago? Chicago Fire Juniors City/Chicago Fire Youth Soccer Club or Chicago City Soccer Club or Chicago Blues?
Just curious, what do people think of Super Y? Is it just a organized way to continue to play games during the summer? Do people think it is a high level or just a relaxed summer program?
Yes it already is... Regarding the bold...Now they will try to build a competitive club? Or wait let me fix that - now that they've been given a competitive advantage they will find success. Sounds like a solid business plan. Point being - they are grossly un-deserving of an ECNL badge based on past ECNL requirements - I mean short of the facilities, they have nothing that would come close to what the ECNL called for in 2009 and many subsequent years. This is not a reward for a good club - this is an effort to control the entire feeder system of good players by becoming the new MRL/Premiership and everything but IWSL. And money.
No worries, someone else posted it in this thread. But it's also up on their (Evolution) Instagram page. Says they are joining the RL. As far as Super Y. Up here it's actually quite terrible. Pay and travel to get a mix and match version of girls who sometimes are available for summer and sometimes are not. Mix in a subpar training and getting blown out by other teams who do take it seriously make it a disaster up here. I'm willing to bet that down there with more clubs and more clubs taking it seriously, it has potential. I can't help but think the ECNL saw what happened with Eclipse last fall combined what the GA did this summer in adding a teams from Kentucky, Iowa, and Minnesota and immediately got the idea to schmooze and invite as many Chicago land clubs that would entertain the idea.
It will be an interesting time for the GA. I have heard they are dropping some garbage teams in their Midwest conference and adding some decent teams. They are definitely going the route of being a little more surgical in how they grow vs the ECNL handing out regional teams like dinner mints and then maybe or maybe not promoting them. I have seen some games, the Ecnl-r teams are pretty poor. Assuming the new teams will play their top teams in the league you now have a league of 3-4 teams and the rest is existing Ecnl clubs B or C teams. How long will these new clubs hang around if they don’t get promoted in a year or two? Even naming conventions of teams…a lot of clubs in the country call their teams Bigclub 08g Ecnl or GA or ECNL-RL. Will those teams play in e64 or MwC and then lose and perception of ECNL gets worse. The biggest suckers are the parents and those who didn’t get on this exclusive league gravy train earlier.
Those RL teams do not have to be good off the bat - but they will recruit players from Prem I and Prem II slowly while those who get the full on badge will take those Prem I and Prem II players at a rapid rate. This will grow the RL and ECNL league - provide for a ton of revenue and like I said, destroy the Midwest and other IYSA conferences right off. The real battle will be between E64 and ECNL/ECNL-RL. If E64 goes down and those teams run to the ECNL then it's over for IYSA at any serious level of soccer. Many clubs are in BOTH E64 and the new ECNL clubs so we'll circle back to the issue of the day when DA annoucned the girls side and you had clubs in both ECNL and DA. Where do you put your first team and where do you put your second? ECNL will threaten clubs to have their first teams in their league otherwise they are out and E64 will become a deflated mess and get flushed down the youth soccer toilet like club v club will in a few short years - if not sooner. That leaves the GA in a very bad position as it has to pull from mostly ECNL and RL clubs for prospects. It leaves ECNL with a shit ton of cash!
That’s assuming Ecnl-rL becomes more desirable than a GA club, not sure ecnl second tier league will drawn more. But if ECNL starts to offer sockers or fcu a full membership things could get interesting.
RL does not have to be more desirable then GA. Its competing with MRL. If RL nabs all the quality players from IYSA upper leagues then it may get harder to recruite decent players for the GA.
Yea I agree with that. I just think the ECNL found a way to get a bigger footprint in Illinois by telling all these teams. Come play in our RL, and if you do and show you can fall in line, you'll get promoted. Teams will do it because they want the ECNL. And the ECNL will do it because it gives them a chance to double or triple the amount of teams in the state. Makes you wonder what took so long.
There's a thread about Super Y hanging out at the edge of the first page (or top of second). My impression from U11 is that it's a decent level of play, but it's a lot of soccer tourism. We drove 1500 miles. Our coach was in it to win it, not to develop players, and was blinded by individual ability of players rather than the ability of players to play as a team. I enjoyed the soccer tourism and seeing teams from other states, but my philosophy differed too much from the coach's philosophy to enjoy it. If it isn't your usual club, as in our case, there is a benefit to your player learning a different style and working with different players. I think DS got more from just that and the practices than he did from the games.
After the fit USYS threw over GA teams being in e64, I'd think they won't be too happy with ECRL (US Club) sides playing in e64. However, they may have no choice. It was a brilliant move by ECRL to eviscerate the MWC. Who's left among the more powerful clubs? Galaxy, Chicago Fire Juniors South, Wizards, Ela, Rush, FC-1, Chicago City, Northwind? How long until they jump to ECRL if they can?
Galaxy, Rush, Force, Chicago City, Polonia, Jags, KC Athletics, JB Marine, Madison 56ers... ECNL just needs those clubs to get a RL badge and MCW is over.
KC Athletics is already in the ECNL. Their U15s won nationals last season. Polonia, if youre talking about the Polonia club in Wisconsin has really lost much of its luster. And I have heard from some SC Wave coaches that if there would ever be another GA team in Wisconsin it would be the 56ers.
Thanks on the correction for KC. I only mention Polonia and Madison 56ers because they have a presense in MRL so giving them "RL" status would help to deepen the ECNL hold on the feeder system. Of the two, only the 56ers would even be eligible for the bump to full ECNL.
What's up with Chicago Rush? They have 66 teams on the boys side and 47 teams on the girls side but are not in the GA, MLS or ECNL/RL. I know they have some good teams and many college coaches on their staff nation-wide. Just seems that they would be knocking at the door for access to one of the top leagues.
Aren't they an affiliate of the Colorado Rush? On boys side they are MLS next and on Girls side they are a GA.
What is the feeder system? Do ECNL teams have the ability to call up kids from other clubs in the ECNL-RL system? Seems like the Ecnl-r club wouldn’t be too happy about that, or the existing members of the host ECNL team.
The best of the rest just below ECNL and GA. So basically all USYS leagues (Club v Club, E64, National and Regional leagues) ECNL is a US Club santioned league and the two (USYS/USClub) do not play nice at all. So if the ECNL intend to offer more non-ECNL clubs RL badges - that will pull those teams/players out of USYS and into USClub while expanding and providing massive revenue to ECNL. I would imagine in 2 years (if this is the plan), that USYS Regional and National & Premeirship leagues will comprise of your local A and B level teams - leaving very few decent players for GA to pull from. Not that an RL - or even an ECNL player could not go to a GA team/club. This would not create a blocker by any means. But ECNL has a solid record of college placement and a far better reputation then the GA (less the issues at Eclipse that they have seemed bury completely). I'm following the $$$ on this one and ECNL is playing a smart game. My guess is that USYS will offer free pizza and soda as part of their many ridiculous "National Championships" and fancy named leagues that parents like to think makes their teams one of the best in America.
The feeder system for the ECNL is and will be the Regional League. Inside the same club, (for example) Eclipse. They can pull from their RL teams and put them on a ECNL team for that week if needed or wanted. It's also visa versa where a RL team can use a ECNL player for that week. Not allowed to do both in one weekend though. I agree with Volk though that this has very quickly tuned into a hostile takeover on Illinois. Specifically where for so long the state needed more than one ECNL team, and now the RL came in and has gone from 1 ECNL and RL team to potentially 4. It doesn't seem to be done by accident. From a Wisconsin perspective, the talent in that area of the state alone puts our kills our entire state.
Witnessed a dad on the sideline yesterday openly and loudly question the gender of a girl in a malicious way because she had short hair. Such trash and so disrespectful. What is wrong with these people. It's so embarrassing. These were 12-13 year olds. Can you imagine being so wrapped up in children's soccer that you get that nasty?
Happens more often than you would think. I’ve actually seen a fight almost break out between dads because of it. Just ingnorance.