The Dark Side of Early Professionalism: NWSL's Problematic Youth Recruitment

Image by Michal Jarmoluk

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is facing growing criticism for its increasingly younger player recruitment, a trend that threatens to undermine the integrity of professional soccer and the well-being of young athletes.

The Age Dilemma

Recent developments have exposed a troubling pattern of extremely young players being fast-tracked into professional soccer. While talent identification is crucial, the league's approach raises serious ethical and developmental concerns.

Key issues include:

1. Psychological Stress: Teenagers are being thrust into high-pressure professional environments before they've developed the emotional maturity to handle intense scrutiny, performance expectations, and media attention.

2. Physical Development: Young players' bodies are still developing, making them more susceptible to career-threatening injuries when subjected to professional-level training and competition.

3. Educational Disruption: Early professionalism often comes at the cost of comprehensive education, potentially limiting players' long-term opportunities outside of soccer.

Reputation at Stake

The NWSL's strategy of recruiting very young players undermines the professional ethos of the sport. Professional soccer should represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement - a status that requires years of dedicated training, mental fortitude, and comprehensive skill development.

By prioritizing early recruitment over holistic player development, the league risks:

• Reducing the perceived value of professional athletic achievement

• Creating unrealistic expectations for young athletes

• Potentially exploiting young talent for short-term competitive advantages

A Call for Responsible Development

The solution isn't to eliminate young talent but to implement more robust protections. This includes:

• Mandatory educational support

• Comprehensive mental health resources

• Gradual, structured professional integration

• Strict regulations on training intensity for younger players

The future of women's soccer depends on nurturing talent responsibly, not exploiting it prematurely.

CONTINENTAL TIRE ECNL NATIONAL SELECTION GAME HOUSTON ROSTERS

ECNL GIRLS ANNOUNCES ROSTERS FOR CONTINENTAL TIRE ECNL NATIONAL SELECTION GAME

RICHMOND, Va. (February 14, 2023) – The ECNL Girls is excited to announce the rosters for the Continental Tire National Selection Game. The National Selection Game in Houston will take place at Meyer Park Field on February 18, 2023, at 6:00 PM on Field 4 and will be live streamed here. The game will feature players from the U16-U18/19 age groups.

The Continental Tire ECNL National Selection Games are “all-star” matches that bring top players at each regular season ECNL National Event together for representative competition on the first day of the event. They are one component of the ECNL National Selection Program, which encompasses all player identification and development programs within the league. 

Players were selected for the games by ECNL Player Identification staff through a combination of scouting and recommendations based on performances over the past several months. These athletes will not compete for their clubs on this day in order to properly rest and prepare for the National Selection Game. 

Rosters

East

Kelby Dansby (Sting Dallas Black)

Neliaj Deleon (Classics Elite SA)

Mia Draper Kunz (Eastside FC)

Landry Fieker (Tulsa SC)

Avery Fitzgerald (FC Wisconsin)

Helen Ghertner (Tennessee SC)

Kennedy Husbands (Sting Dallas Royal)

Allison Macke (Sporting Iowa)

Fiona Mahan (Pittsburgh Riverhounds)

Ashley Moody (Real Colorado National)

Brilynn Mueller (Kansas City Athletics)

Maddie Padelski (Tennessee SC)

Gabrielle Poretto (Eclipse Select SC)

Leslie Razo (Dallas Texans)

Carisma Rosales (Eclipse Select SC)

Grace Smith (Challenge SC)

Grace Vest (Sporting Blue Valley)

Kenley Whittaker (Northwest Elite FC)

West

Ava Amsden (Colorado Rapids)

Payten Cooper (Solar SC)

Hadley Delaney (Utah Avalanche)

Macey Fothergill (Pride SC)

Celina Frenz (Real Colorado National)

Narissa Fults (Oklahoma Energy FC)

Allison Goodwin (Albion Hurricanes FC)

Arriannah King (Seattle United)

Allie Love (DKSC)

Maggie Manning (DKSC)

Sophia Martelli (Atlanta Fire)

Isabella Martinez (FC Dallas)

Madeline Munguia (Pacific Northwest Soccer Club)

Teagan Myers (Colorado Rapids)

Taylor Person (FC Dallas)

Kylie Snell (Sting Austin)

Alex Tay (Seattle United)

Sienna Ward (Crossfire Premier)

To view a full list of the rosters for the National Selection Game, click here.

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About the ECNL:

The ECNL is the nation’s leading youth soccer development platform. The ECNL respects and celebrates the unique individuality of every youth soccer player and club, supporting and enabling them to unleash their unfettered passion and fierce tenacity in striving to achieve their potential. 

The ECNL mission to Raise the Game is a total commitment to create the best possible environment for players, coaches, referees and administrators, with a determination to constantly question convention and challenge the status quo in youth sports.

The ECNL Commitment:

We will lead, set our eyes on new horizons, and pursue them relentlessly. Born out of the belief in a better way. Continued in the ever-evolving pursuit of excellence.

www.TheECNL.com 

Girls FB:  /ECNLGirls |  Girls IG: @ECNLGirls  | Girls TW: @ECNLGirls

GAME RECOGNIZES GAME - DO YOU?

Lately, we’ve been getting many questions from parents and players about how players rankings work. How are these players truly being analyzed and evaluated? What we do know is that there isn’t a true science to it. Sometimes it’s just by a few biased eyeballs or the player fits the profile. Other times, it ‘s just the amount of news articles a player can generate. (For example: Got an article mentioning your call up to the US National Team Camp? You just might go from the unknown to top 10) Believe it or not, some of these articles are parent generated. Is this fair? Does this mean this player is the best player? Who’s to say? But this is what you get in a pay to play system that is paid for by parents. Ask any good coach and they’ll tell you. Give me 10 mins and I’ll be able to identify the best players on the pitch. The eye test never lies.

This got us to thinking. Since there isn’t a true evaluation method being implemented, and the U.S. doesn’t have a grass roots system - why don’t we just hear from the players themselves. I mean, they are the ones competing, working hard, and grinding it out against some of the top players in their conference and national events.

So, TG&G wants to know… who is the toughest/best player you’ve played against? We’ll compile this information and let the soccer community know at the end of the 22 2023 season. We’re looking for nominations in age groups U15, U16, and U17. We’ll cover defenders, forwards, midfielders and goalies. So who are they? WE CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU?