ELITE CLUBS NATIONAL LEAGUE

Legends FC SD are members of ECNL (Elite Clubs National League).  In modern soccer, no youth platform has sent more players to college, had more alums earn collegiate honors, and had more impact on the collegiate game.  In the past two years alone, the ECNL has sent more than2,500 graduating seniors to play women’s collegiate soccer, with 2,028 in NCAA Division I programs alone.  92% of the Class of 2017 – almost every high school senior in the league – will be moving on to play at the collegiate level.

About the League

MISSION: The Elite Clubs National League, Inc. (“ECNL”) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit member-based organization founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of the elite youth soccer players in the United States through:

• Improving the competitive environment through creation of a true national competitive league with multiple flights;

• Improving the process for identifying elite soccer players for the U.S. Soccer youth national teams through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competitions; and

• Improving the daily training environment at top elite youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs.

GOAL: The goal of the Elite Clubs National League is to change the landscape for elite soccer players in the United States through innovative, player-centered programming and to enhance the overall experience by creating a better, more enjoyable, and more successful player, coach, and club development model.

Player Identification

Identifying players with the potential to play with the US Soccer Youth National Teams, and to provide additional exposure and opportunity to top players across the ECNL. The ECNL Player ID Program identifies the top players in the ECNL and then provides opportunities for these players to be seen and trained by U.S. Soccer National Team staff. The ECNL Player ID Program was created under 4 key principles:

1. Players should be scouted and evaluated in their regular environment.

2. There should be no additional cost to players for scouting and identification.

3. To insure accurate evaluations, multiple people should evaluate players over multiple events.

4. To insure accurate evaluations, the coaches that train and develop the identified players should be consulted as the best source of information regarding overall ability, mentality, and current form.

By scouting players in their regular team environment, while they are competing against the best players in the country, the ECNL Player ID Program increases opportunities for identified players at no additional cost to the players. The program also does not add congestion to the player calendar by requiring multiple levels of “try-outs” and other competitions to identify players.

ECNL scouts are assigned to observe and analyze ECNL games at each ECNL National Showcase Event. A standardized evaluation program has been established by the ECNL for these scouts whereby identified players will be evaluated on a variety of technical, tactical, physical, and psychological characteristics based upon their performances. ECNL scouts include coaches from member clubs of the ECNL, independent coaches, coaches with experience with US Soccer Youth National Teams, and coaches from top Division I, II,

Coaching Education Initiative

ECNL Coaching Development Initiative (CDI) consists of educational seminars put on by various staff, each scheduled around an existing ECNL National Event. Ongoing education is a key part of being a professional, and is an expectation of being a member of the top girls developmental league in the country. Every club in attendance at each of these events should attend the CDI if at all possible. Multiple coaches from each ECNL club are welcome and encouraged to attend.

The ECNL is committed to improving the level of coaching in the United States, and providing new resources for coaching education. Continuing education is an integral part of ongoing professional development. All ECNL Member Club coaches are invited to attend.