The Different Levels of Girls Youth Soccer

One of the most confusing parts of parenting a young girl playing soccer is figuring out what level your daughter should be playing at.  ECNL, ECNL Regional, ODP, Premier, Elite, Club, Travel, House, Select, and Rec are all terms that are thrown around by parents and coaches and it all can be very confusing. Which one is the best for my daughter and my family?  How much should I pay and what am I paying for?  How much will we have to travel?  When are the tryouts and what should I expect?  These are all questions that many parents are asking and understandably so.  We all want to find the level that allows our daughters to have success on the field, and more importantly have fun.   Hopefully, this article will help you sort through some of his jargon and answer some of these questions by defining what these levels are. 

Recreational Soccer

The first level of soccer we are going to talk about is Recreational Soccer.   “Rec” Soccer is designed for players who are looking to learn about and enjoy the game of soccer.  Teams compete locally and all players usually will be assigned to a team.   You can usually find recreational soccer locally. 

Club/Travel Soccer

Club/Travel soccer is built for players and families who enjoy the game would like to spend more time (and usually more money) competing in the game of soccer.   The first thing parents and players need to understand is it is not for everybody.  Typically, there is a tryout and selection of players to the team. There is a bigger time commitment expected of both players and parents.  Players will be practicing more, and teams will travel further distances for games.   US Youth Soccer is a great site to find a local recreational team or travel team. Here is the link https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/

For most parents, it is easy to understand the difference between Recreational and Club soccer.  Where it begins to become slightly confusing are the nuances within club soccer.  Club soccer teams usually play in a league within their area or region.  Every area or region has different levels or subtilties, and every club has different level.  A club could have travel teams at more than one level at the same age group within their organization.  An example would be the Premier level within the club.   This is a very high level of youth soccer and will have many good players.   This is why it will take some research on the part of the player and parents to determine what level of competition the club is currently playing at.

ECNL

At some point, if your daughter progresses in soccer at the club level, you will surely hear about ECNL.  The Elite Clubs National League was founded in 2009 and is a national league with a highly regimented format for Under 14 to Under 17 age groups.  This level of soccer will usually involve significantly more travel, more practice time and often consist of some of the better players within their age group.  If the ECNL team is the top team, the ECNL Regional team is usually a step below it.  The regional team will usually require less travel but will be provided with the similar training and the regimented format that the ECNL provides.  You can find more information on the ECNL on their website here https://theecnl.com/

ODP

The last level of play that parents may consider is the Olympic Development Program (ODP).  ODP was created to identify the best players in the state, region, and in the nation at the different age groups.  Players will either be invited to, or try-out for the state team.  If they make the team, their performance with the state team will usually determine if they will be able to compete at the regional and national level.  The ODP teams do not practice often and is something that players compete in outside of their club or ECNL.  You can find more out about ODP here https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/olympic-development-program/

So, there it is, a quick overview of the different levels of girls soccer.  This obviously does not give you every detail or nuance, but at least can give you a general idea of what is out there and help you determine what level fits you and your daughter best.   Have fun and keep on kicking.