New youth club set to launch in Ellicott City, Md.

The crowded landscape of Maryland youth soccer is set to grow again next week, as Ellicott City SC enters the scene with a launch party on April 5.

Promising to develop “quality youth using an organization that is serviced by soccer people, making soccer decisions for the good of each participant,” ECSC is run by executive director Tim Ryerson and technical director Bill Stara, and the club’s website states that its member teams will compete in “a variety of leagues including NSCL, WAGS, BBSL, CMSL, Regional League” and State Cup.

Plans are to offer a wide range of programs including a “Tot Development Academy” for children ages three to five, a weekly “Youth Development Academy” for five- to eight-year-olds, a “Transitional Academy” for ages nine to 12, a “Pick-up with a pro” initiative and a special needs program in addition to travel teams, camps and technical training.

ECSC tryouts are scheduled from May 19 to June 4.

“We found soccer people who were willing to serve the soccer families of Howard County and surrounding areas,” says an introduction on the club’s website. “It used to be that people flocked to Howard County to play soccer and we want to get back to those root ideas and practices that created successful youth soccer here and more importantly produced great people!”

There would appear to be a glut of clubs in the suburban area between Washington, D.C. an Baltimore, with the likes of Pipeline, Maryland Rush Montgomery, Maryland United, Baltimore Celtic and others vying for the loyalty of ambitious youth players.

Perhaps that’s why ECSC’s description of their launch event notes that “We understand the sensitivity to any current youth programs you may be aligned with and will respect your desire to have any interest kept as private as we possibly can.”

ECSC’s event next Saturday will take place at 6:30 p.m. ET at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, and be attended by “a mix of new staff of ECSC along with potential coaches, families, sponsors and other supporters of our new club.”