ECNL announces Composite Events for 2015-2016, encouraging ‘playing up’
RICHMOND, Va. (Via ECNL) – In an effort to further player development and deepen the player pool from which elite players are developed, the Elite Clubs National League will be hosting a select number of “Composite Events” for ECNL member clubs beginning in the 2015-2016 season. These new and unique events are established to provide players from ECNL Member Clubs with additional competition structures for mixed age group teams, teams competing in non-traditional seasons, and for other development purposes.
“The ECNL recognizes that youth soccer clubs are the drivers of player development across the United States, and one of the biggest ways to improve player development is to help develop stronger, deeper clubs,” said Christian Lavers, ECNL President. “The ECNL Composite Events will be a great tool to help member clubs provide additional competition for their elite players in quiet periods of the year, and also to deepen and strengthen the player pool from which the elite player is developed.“
ECNL Composite Events will provide each participating team three games. To encourage players to “play up” against older competition, ECNL Composite Events will only include U-16 and U-18 age groups, and will be expected to consist predominantly of mixed age-group teams. Befitting the name “composite,” games at each event will be scheduled to provide “like vs. like” competition based on the make-up of each participating team.
“The ECNL Composite Events will provide multiple positives for player and club development,” said Sarah Kate Noftsinger, ECNL Commissioner. “First, as the trend of top players playing club soccer year round continues to grow across the country, the Composite Events will provide great competition opportunities in these times of the year for these players. Second, the combined age group format will allow players from multiple age groups to play together, pushing young players “up” and challenging them in new ways. Finally, these events will provide exposure and development opportunity for some players on the fringe of ECNL teams to gain more experience and potentially prepare to move up to the ECNL in the future.”
The inaugural ECNL Composite Event will take place December 4-6, 2015 in Greensboro, NC, occurring in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer College Cup held in Raleigh, NC. The second 2015-2016 ECNL Composite event will be announced in the coming months, and will take place in the late spring of 2016.
The ECNL will hold two ECNL Composite Events each season, giving each member club the opportunity to participate in at least one event in their primary season and one event in their off-season.
Information on how to register for a 2015-2016 ECNL Composite Event will be released in the coming weeks.
