The West Florida Flames are excited to be one of the 77 elite clubs that are members of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) across the country. The ECNL is the highest level girls soccer program in the United States and involves the U14 to U18 age groups. The West Florida Flames are one of only two soccer clubs in Florida that have been granted membership into the ECNL. For more information, visit www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com
About the Elite Clubs National League ("ECNL")
MISSION: The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female 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 female 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 female 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 (ECNL) is to change the landscape for elite female 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.
ACTION PLAN (Summary): To accomplish this goal, the ECNL developed a common organizational structure, composed of individual clubs operating collectively under the direction of a commissioner. Because the ECNL exists to promote the common interest of its member clubs, the ECNL operating model is unified and comprehensive and values accessibility and sustainability. The ECNL utilizes four primary delivery mechanisms, or platforms, for “Changing the Daily Environment":
The Competition Platform;
The Player Identification Platform;
The Club and Coach Development Platform, and
The HER Platform (a female-specific health, wellness, and rejuvenation platform).
* The ECNL is a tax-exempt 501c(3) organization.
College and National Team Coaches on the ECNL
Texas A&M coach Phil Stephenson: “Basically ECNL has brought better teams together. From standpoint of evaluating talent, you’re watching talent play against talent all the time. You rarely get a wasted game from an evaluation standpoint. That’s what ECNL does.”
University of Notre Dame and US U-23 National Team Coach Randy Waldrum: “the dynamics of recruiting have really changed in the last 2-3 years … bringing all the top clubs together has really changed the dynamics of recruiting.”
US Soccer Women’s Technical Director April Heinrichs: “The ECNL has very quickly become this elite environment for our club youth players between the ages of 14 and 18. We’re really excited about what ECNL is doing”
University of Miami coach Tom Anagnost: “ECNL is the highest level of soccer for girls in this country. It is in this league where we look to find most of our players at the U!”
Florida Gulf Coach University Jim Blakenship: “When we recruit at ECNL matches, we know that the players are being tested against the best competition possible. It is the closest they can come to the college level.”
Texas State University Coach Kat Conner: “We [college coaches] kind of chase the ECNL events around.”
University of Michigan Coach Greg Ryan: “You’ve got the best players here, in the top league, in ECNL.”
Northwestern University Coach Michael Moynihan: “The ECNL, it is kind of the cream of the crop. When you see kids here, you know they are competing at a high level, against other high-level kids …”
University of Central Florida Coach Josh Walters: “The ECNL is changing the way development is happening in the US. There is more of an emphasis on development and quality competition. It is simply the reason why all college coaches around the country recruit heavily within the ECNL”
University of Florida Coach Becky Burleigh: “Since the ECNL has come to Florida we get to see the players play league games at a high level and also get to recruit the teams that come to play our Florida ECNL clubs. The ECNL has definitely raised the level of soccer in Florida.”
University of South Florida Coach Denise Schilte-Brown: “In my opinion, during this current landscape of youth soccer in the US, the ECNL offers the most competitive environment for female players. In addition, it offers us as coaches the opportunity to collectively see the majority of the best players in a series of events throughout the year.”
Jacksonville University Coach Brian Copham: “ECNL has been a great progression for women’s soccer in the US. ECNL clubs are committed to improving the level of the women’s game. It is a great avenue to see some of the best teams and some of the best players compete against each other on a regular basis.”
Fairleigh Dickinson coach Richard Stainton: “The ECNL has enhanced the college recruiting scene by providing a platform for its well-structured member clubs to exhibit their player’s talents in highly competitive environments. The infrastructure of these member clubs are professional, goal-oriented, and emphasize development for the game. The setting these players participate in, prepare them for their future in college soccer.”
Florida State University coach Mark Krikorian: “The ECNL has become part of the foundation of recruiting in college soccer. The level of competition is very good and offers a unique experience. It is clear that the ECNL is very committed to the development of the game and its players.”
University of North Florida coach Linda Hamilton: “It is an opportunity to see the players in great competition. You know the quality will be there because of the great players involved.”
University of Arkansas Coach Colby Hale: “The ECNL provides the highest level of competition. Day in and day out it creates an environment where the players have to compete both within their teams and against their opponents. You can tell from league games to the showcase environment that every result matters. One of their goals is preparing the players for college and they are accomplishing that goal effectively.”
Florida International University Coach Thomas Chestnut: “ECNL is the best way to prepare players for the college game. The ECNL having coming to Florida will do nothing but elevate soccer in the state.”
The role played by the ECNL and ECNL clubs in developing nationally elite players is clear even in US Soccer’s Youth National Teams - where ECNL players are the clear majority of participants. Below are the rosters of the most recent US Soccer National Team Camps:
-U14 Girls National Pool – May 2012 Camp: 30 ECNL players out of 48
-U15 Girls National Team – June 2012 Camp: 17 ECNL players out of 24
-U17 Girls National Team – June 2012 Camp: 23 ECNL players out of 24
-U18 Girls National Team – June 2012 Camp: 19 ECNL players out of 24
Notre Dame and U23 National Team Coach on the ECNL:
