Tennessee United Soccer Club is proud to announce we have been invited and accepted to join the Girls ECNL Regional League for the 2024/2025 season for our upcoming U13-U18/19 age groups. This bid is the result of the growing success of our club and long term commitment to player development platforms and leagues that provide a regional and national footprint for our players.
TUSC will be a part of the ECNL Regional League – Mid America Conference. TUSC will be a part of the South Division that will have 8 clubs including: Germantown Legends, Lobos Rush, Mississippi Rush, Tupelo FC, Tennessee Soccer Club, FC Alliance, and Indiana Fire South.
Of the invitation, TUSC Girls Director of Coaching and Programs Eddie Carvacho comments, “This is an exciting opportunity for our players and families as the format provides an improved, regular and consistent schedule. This will allow our players to expose their talents, personalities, potential and passions. To continuously measure their progress and strive to elevate their standards of dedication and excellence. To be challenged by competing against very strong competition in what is a very “friendly” regional travel landscape with the ability to take advantage of regional and national showcase events.”
Teams will play a home and away schedule along with regional showcases. Top teams in each division will qualify and progress to ECNL-RL regionals, national showcase championships, and finals events.
More information about the ECNL Regional League and what it means for TUSC players, can be found below.
Release by ECNL detailing the expansion: https://theecnl.com/news/2024/
Registration for TUSC 2024/2025 Tryouts is now open. Register your players now through PlayMetrics.
The ECNL was founded in 2009 by forward-thinking Directors of Coaching across the country who saw a need for change in and special commitment to improving the daily environment for American elite female youth soccer players. These Directors came together and collaborated to build what would become the top female youth development platform in the world. The grassroots leadership and cooperation were unprecedented in American youth soccer, and the ECNL continues to be the most progressive and innovative development platform in the country while also being the home for the very best youth players in the United States.
ECNL RL is a regional youth soccer league for boys and girls, first piloted in 2018 and then expanded, which is managed and operated by the ECNL.
The biggest difference between ECNL and ECNL-RL is that the ECNL-RL is limited to playing teams in their region, whereas ECNL teams play nationally. When making the decision between the two leagues, one needs to consider the athlete’s talent, commitment, preferences, mobility, and long-term soccer goals. ECNL is the first-tier league and considered to be the more competitive league within the national pyramid. ECNL-RL is just a step below allowing the league focus and match appropriate developmental opportunities. ECNL-RL is basically an extension under the umbrella and oversight of the ECNL as a preparation or breeding ground for clubs and players seeking and aspiring for the top ECNL level.
It is a requirement that all clubs must register their top team in each age group from U13-U19. For the 2024/2025 year, the following teams will be ECNL RL:
TUSC 2012 Girls – U13
TUSC 2011 Girls – U14
TUSC 2010 Girls – U15
TUSC 2009 Girls – U16
TUSC 2008 Girls – U17
TUSC 2006-2007 Girls – U18/19
TUSC will be in the ECNL Regional League – Mid America South Division. The clubs in this division are:
Travel distance will be similar to current Tennessee State League and/or USYS MidSouth Conference travel, with the addition of travel to some regionally based clubs in Mississippi and Indiana. There will also be the potential of more nationally based travel events and this will be based on standings and results during the regular ECNL-RL season. TUSC will play each of the other clubs in the Mid America Conference South Division twice – one home and one away during the year.
For our top teams in each age group (U13-U18/19), most likely not, but it is to be further assessed. Although there are no rules prohibiting ECNL-RL teams from doing so, the schedule demands and commitment make participation within the USYS pathway (State League, MidSouth, Regional Championships and National Championships) difficult. However, as a club we will be evaluating the feasibility of a hybrid approach for our ECNL-RL U13 and U14 teams.
For our ECNL-RL high school age teams (U15-U18/19), potentially not playing a state league schedule, can release weekends creating scheduling flexibility and opportunities to consider College Showcases as a viable supplement of highly competitive games and additional exposure to collegiate coaches.
Note: Our HS age 2nd teams, will most likely take advantage of state league participation and will supplement scheduling and number of games with additional local and/or regional based tournaments including collegiate showcases as well when appropriate.
Players in the ECNL RL can expect to pay similar types of fees to that of other TUSC teams: registration, league fees, tournament fees, travel expenses, uniform costs, coaching fees, and other miscellaneous expenses. The ECNL-RL is generally considered to be a more expensive option compared to state-level leagues, as it offers a higher level of competition/resources and requires more travel. 2024/2025 fees will be published in late-April / early-May. You can get an idea of what fees are involved on the Fee Structure page.
The season duration will be similar to current competitive travel soccer seasons (fall and spring) for our U13 and U14 teams (10 months). Our high school age girls teams will come together at the end of their HS season (early November) for a late Fall / early Winter season followed by a full Spring soccer season.
Coaching assignments for TUSC ECNL-RL teams will be available under 2024/2025 Staff. They will be highly qualified, committed, and licensed coaches. TUSC’s ECNL-RL program will be led by TUSC U11-U19 Girls Director Eddie Carvacho.
Additional support will be provided by assistant coaches, speed/agility trainers, and goalkeeper coaches.
The ECNL Girls Regional Leagues offer a pathway to an ECNL Girls Regional League Post-Season, featuring two stages. The ECNL Regional League Championship Series to qualify into the ECNL Regional League Finals along with additional automatic qualifiers from ECNL Regional Leagues, which are held in conjunction with the ECNL Girls Postseason top tier.
Yes, in the 2023/2024 year there were 5 national events offered. Each event is a three-day tournament with one game per day. The number of events ECNL-RL teams will participate in will be assessed and determined as we approach the 2024/2025 year.
While we support players participating in other sports and their benefits, the expectation is that ECNL-RL players prioritize club soccer over other sports when there are conflicts. A diminished level of commitment does have consequences and ulterior effects on team chemistry and other dynamics. All elements that each team coach manages and takes into consideration on final decisions which are to be communicated to each player.
ECNL-RL tryouts will be held in conjunction with regular TUSC club tryouts. These will take place after the end of the Tennessee State Cup tournament in late May – early June.
Yes. ECNL rules allow our players to participate in non-ECNL events, providing maximum college exposure and development opportunities for Challenge players.
The training schedule will consist of a minimum of 3 practice days per week with the potential of an additional 4th session per week.
The ECNL commitment is 10-months, similar to the current Travel team commitment. Breaks will be scheduled around the competition schedule to permit appropriate rest and recovery for all players. U15-U19 ECNL-RL teams are expected to have a “staggered” commitment with late Fall/Winter (micro season) and back in early spring this due to participation in High School soccer.
The ECNL-RL will expose the players to more collegiately attended showcase and playoffs events where exposure to college coaches will be visible.
Of course! We will still have skill and commitment appropriate teams that also compete in the USYS TSSA State League, tournaments, friendlies, and college showcases depending on the level and interest of the team to offer a full soccer experience and growth / development opportunities.
Correct. As a club, for our top teams we are transitioning away from the DPL into the ECNL-RL regional league / conference play and full platform of events. As part of our continuous assessment of offering and creating the proper growth environment for all players, evaluations of additional and balanced competition platforms for our Red teams are ongoing.
Parents are encouraged to learn more about the Girls ECNL-RL at the ECNL website: https://theecnl.com/sports/ECNL-RLl-girls.
Families may also contact Eddie Carvacho, TUSC U11-U19 Girls Director, at eddiecarvacho@tnunitedsc.com
