The ECNL’s Profound Impact on Youth Soccer
The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), founded in 2009, is one of the premier youth soccer development platforms in the United States. The ECNL was formed to foster a positive, daily environment for elite girl youth soccer players.
The ECNL consisted of 40 girls soccer clubs with more than 2,000 players competing in the U15, U16, and U17 age groups in its inaugural season. Over the years, the ECNL expanded to include the U13, U14, and U18 age groups.
Now in its 13th season, the ECNL has 122 member clubs divided into nine conferences:
- Mid-Atlantic
- Midwest
- New England
- North Atlantic
- Northwest
- Ohio Valley
- Southeast
- Southwest
- Texas
The season culminates with the ECNL National Championship in late June. Additionally, there are other post-season divisions such as the North American Cup, the Showcase Cup, and the Open Cup.
ECNL Tenets
The ECNL ‘Raise the Game’ mission encompasses “a total commitment to create the best possible environment for players, coaches, referees, and administrators, with a determination to constantly question convention and challenge the status quo in youth sports.”
The ECNL Commitment is to“lead, set our eyes on new horizons, and pursue them relentlessly. [The commitment] is born out of the belief in a better way and continued in the ever-evolving pursuit of excellence.”
To assist with their mission, the ECNL elected Jen Winnagle as their first Chief Operations Officer (COO). Winnagle also has served as the ECNL Girls Commissioner since 2015.
ECNL and Collegiate Soccer
The 2020 NCAA Division I Women’s College Cup was well-represented with ECNL alumni.
In the Final Four, ECNL alumni accounted for 80 players on the rosters of Florida State University, University of North Carolina, Santa Clara University, and the University of Virginia.
Approximately 70 percent of NCAA champion Santa Clara’s roster was ECNL alumni.
COO Jen Winnagle has expressed her pride in the growing accomplishments of the ECNL and its alumni:
“We are incredibly proud of all of the talented ECNL alumni who continue to lead their teams to the pinnacle of college soccer and congratulate them and their college programs… This accomplishment is also a testament to the preparation the players received in their youth clubs, the challenge of a league environment designed to continuously push the nation’s best athletes, and to the players’ own incredible work and dedication to improve for years.”
ECNL National Training Camp
The ECNL National Training Camp, also known as the ECNL National Selection Program, is an annual event to showcase the abilities of the league’s top players.
Approximately 90 female youth players are selected for one weekend of elite training and competition. The national camp gives players the chance to compete in front of top college coaches and train with elite youth coaches.
The Impact of the ECNL
The league has elevated girls’ soccer. By competing against some of the best players in the country, players maximize their physical, psychological, technical, and tactical development.
The ECNL provides girl soccer players in the U.S. the opportunity to develop as players, become impactful leaders, grow as young people, and foster a passion for the game. ECNL alumni make up a large portion of elite college players and players at the professional level. Some notable names are
Featured image via @ecnlgirls on Instagram
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