About the ECNL:
The ECNL is a national youth soccer league founded in 2009 for U-15,
U-16 and U-17 girls' teams 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 and
development program, which will seek to include players in US Soccer's
National Teams. The 2009-10 season is the ECNL’s inaugural season,
during which each team will play nine regular-season games and two
postseason games. Each of the 40 member clubs in 2009-10 will have a
team in the U-15, U-16 and U-17 age groups.
Mission Statement:
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 female youth soccer players in the
United States through: (i) improving the competitive environment
through creation of a true nationally-based competitive league with
multiple flights; (ii) improving the process for identifying elite
female soccer players for the U.S. Soccer youth national teams through
a systematic scouting and identification program based on national
competition; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at
female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and
training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs.
2009-10 ECNL Competition:
The ECNL is the elite competitive league for youth female soccer
players in the United States. In the inaugural 2009-10 season, the
ECNL will consist of 40 of the top female youth soccer clubs throughout
the United States competing in two 20-team flights - Challenge A and
Challenge B. Each team will participate in nine regular-season games
within their flight. Each ECNL club will play regular-season games at
three ECNL events, selected from five regular-season ECNL events: (i)
the Eclipse ECNL Showcase in August in Chicago, Ill.; (ii) the ECNL
Divisions at the Final Four Showcase in December in College Station,
Texas; (iii) the ECNL Divisions at Disney’s Soccer Showcase presented
by Chelsea in January in Orlando, Fla.; (iv) the ECNL Divisions at the
Las Vegas College Showcase in March in Las Vegas, Nev.; and (v) the
ECNL Divisions at the PDA College Showcase in May in Zarephath, N.J.
Following the conclusion of the regular-season, the ECNL will host the
ECNL National Championships July 15-18, 2010, in Seattle. At the ECNL
National Championships, every ECNL team will compete in two post-season
playoff games to determine final standings in each division at each age
group. At the conclusion of the ECNL National Championships,
individual age group ECNL National Champions will be crowned, an
overall ECNL Club National Champion will be crowned, three teams from
Challenge B will be promoted to Challenge A at each age group, and
three teams from Challenge A will be relegated to Challenge B at each
age group.