What is ECNL RL?
ECNL RL stands for Elite Clubs National League - Regional League. It is a subdivision of ECNL, a nationwide platform for some of the most highly competitive and talented teams and players in the country. One of its regional divisions is in Northern California. Within Northern California there are two ECNL RL divisions: NorCal and Golden State. The NorCal division will comprise approximately 20 U13-19 of those club’s first teams. The Golden State division will be made up of the second teams of clubs who have full ECNL status. Those two divisions may play each other in regional events, state cup and other competitions.

How does ECNL RL compare to other leagues like NPL, GA, or MLS Next?
There are many youth soccer platforms across the United States. Unlike other countries, our national soccer federation, USSF, does not control all aspects of the sport. Therefore, there are competing leagues across the country. The largest and most highly recognized are MLS Next (Boys), GA (Girls Academy) and ECNL (Girls and Boys branches). Depending upon the gender, the age group and the area of the country, one platform may dominate. In Northern California all three have substantial clubs who are members.

What are the benefits of playing in ECNL RL?
ECNL and ECNL RL have many advantages. Some of them include:  

• Robust coaching education/development support for our club coaches
• Promotion and Relegation of clubs and teams to ensure quality competition
• Support for High School Soccer Participation (MLS Next does not allow boys to play High School soccer) that encourages this important avenue for development of the entire student-athlete
• Regional and National Championship Pathways
• Great ID events that are attended by hundreds of college coaches

How did our club earn ECNL RL status?
NorCal, the governing body for competitive soccer in Northern California, completed an extensive research of all member clubs. Each interested club had to provide a thorough application. Our club was chosen based on the competitive progress of our teams, the quality of our coaches, and the philosophy of our club.

Does this mean we are on track to become a full ECNL club in the future?
Full ECNL membership is our short to medium term goal. We will all need to pull together to show that we have a club that can compete successfully at the ECNL RL level across the six girls and six boys age groups (U13-19). We also need to continue to develop our present coaching staff and recruit new top level coaches. Further, our philosophy of player and youth development,as well as our administrative support needs to be first-rate. 74% of the new full ECNL clubs across the country came from the ECNL RL divisions.

What does this change mean for the club’s reputation and player development pathway?
Our club’s reputation continues to grow. Our player development pathways are part of an overall plan that includes top class programs for the entire club including all age groups and levels from our youngest players just getting their feet wet to the recreational players playing for the enjoyment of the experience to the most competitive and ambitious players who want to see our club help them reach their potential.

How does ECNL RL impact college recruiting?
ECNL and ECNL RL offer a high level platform to help in player development that is recognized and respected across the country. College coaches attend regional and national showcase events that are organized by ECNL that our teams will be a part of.

Can ECNL and ECNL RL players be scouted for the youth national team and other higher-level opportunities?
Yes, dozens of ECNL players have been scouted and picked for youth national teams and other high-level opportunities. See our town hall video and slide presentation for specific numbers and information.

Who will we be competing against in ECNL RL?
We will play outstanding clubs from throughout Northern California. There are approximately 20 girls and 20 boys clubs that will be in this new league. Each of our U13-19 teams will play approximately 8 games per season (fall and spring) as well as in showcase events and possibly regional and national championships depending upon the competitive success of each of our teams.

How does the level of competition compare to what we played in before?
In general the level is a step up for our teams, though some of our teams have already reached ECNL RL competitive status over the past few seasons. Moving forward our entire club will compete at this level.

What is the travel commitment for ECNL RL games and showcases?
The travel commitment will be similar to that for our NPL teams presently.

Will ECNL RL teams be considered the top teams in the club?
Yes, and the same is true for all of the clubs that we’ll be competing with.

What happens to existing teams that are not in ECNL RL—will they still compete at a high level?
Stanford Strikers is committed to being a great community club. We will continue to offer competitive teams at a variety of levels below ECNL RL for our players. We will also continue to offer outstanding programs for our younger players (7v7 teams, Futures recreational teams, Juniors and Mini’s). 

Can players move between ECNL RL and other teams within the club?
The roster rules for ECNL RL teams are still being developed. We’ll continue to update that information as we get closer to tryouts in May.

Is there a difference in costs/fees for ECNL RL vs. other teams in the club?
Fees for next year for each of our programs have not been set, yet. Our expectation is that the fees will be in-line with our other programs, though slightly higher to reflect any additional coaching, field and programmatic adjustments. Those fees will be included in information prior to our tryouts in May.

What additional commitments (training, travel, expectations) come with ECNL RL?
The training and travel will be similar to our present NPL teams. The commitment level will be high as this league is being developed for players who want to progress to their highest potential in the game. Regular practice attendance and game availability will be necessary for the teams to succeed at this level.

Will the club need to hire new coaches?
Stanford Strikers will be ramping up in all areas to provide a great experience for all our ECNL RL teams and players. We’ll be asking a lot from our present outstanding coaches and we anticipate bringing on board top coaches from outside the club as well; similar to how we’ve approached continuing to grow the quality of our coaching staff over the years since our merger.

How will tryouts work for ECNL RL teams?
We will hold open tryouts in May. Those tryouts will be incorporated into the practice structure of our present teams. U13 and U14 age groups will begin tryouts the week of May 5th which is the first allowable tryout dates for NorCal. The U15-19 age group teams will begin their tryouts the week of May 19th, the first allowable tryout dates for those age groups as dictated by NorCal.

Will existing players get priority, or will there be open tryouts?
There will be open tryouts every year for spots on the ECNL RL rosters, as is true for all of our competitive teams. We expect that our present club players will make up the backbone of these new ECNL RL rosters. In almost all situations we will find a place for our players in the club with the appropriate level of play if any players are not chosen as members of the ECNL RL teams.

Can players from outside the club join ECNL RL teams?
Absolutely! But they must try out during this tryout window in May-June or if they want to try out at a time outside that window, they must first get permission from their present club.

Does ECNL RL status affect younger teams in the club?
No, only U13-19 Girls and Boys teams.

Could younger age groups eventually compete in ECNL RL?
At this point the league is only for U13-19 age groups. In our opinion Northern California wide leagues with greater travel are generally best kept to the older age groups. But the competitive landscape is ever-changing and we’ll see what the future holds.

What are the club’s long-term goals with ECNL and potential ECNL expansion?
Full ECNL Club status for both our boys and girls U13-19 teams is our short to medium term goal. ECNL is the top competitive platform for girls in the country. ECNL is rapidly growing and challenging MLS Next as the best platform in Northern California for boys. ECNL RL has been the proving ground for clubs to show their readiness to become full ECNL members. The Northern California region of ECNL has stated they will be actively adding clubs from ECNL RL over the next several years.