Randy Waldrum, who left his job as head coach at Notre Dame, one of the most successful women’s programs in the country, to take over as the Houston Dash head coach for its launch in 2014, isout. The Dash and Waldrum agreed to part ways just seven games into the 2017 season. Assistant coach Omar […]
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Posted inStory
Anson Dorrance on Girls DA vs. ECNL — and why the focus should be on the youngest ages
Interview by Mike Woitalla Anson Dorrance, coach of theUSA’s first Women’s World Cup championship team in 1991 and head coach of the University of North Carolina since 1979, has been closely following the major change in the girls youth soccerlandscape that’s coming with the introduction of the Girls U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The Girls Development […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Slammers FC take top ECNL prize
Slammers FC, based in Newport Beach, California, was named ECNL “Overall Club Champion” for the 2015-16 season. Slammers FC won 2016 ECNL national titles at U-15 and U-18 divisions andits teams reached the quarterfinals in four of the five ECNL age group national championships and the semifinals in three. 2016 ECNL FinalsU-14: So Cal Blues […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
ECNL adds five clubs
The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), the girls league currently comprised of 79 clubs, has added five new clubs for the 2016-17 season: Boston Breakers Academy, Seattle Reign Academy, Tampa BayUnited, Western New York Flash Academy and Florida’s Weston FC. The Breakers, Seattle Reign and Western New York are affiliated with pro NWSL clubs. “We […]
Posted inStory
Tony DiCicco on the high school ban, coaching education and the future of girls soccer
Interview by Mike Woitalla Tony DiCicco, who coached the U.S. women to the 1996 Olympic gold medal, the 1999 Women’s World Cup title and the 2008 U-20 Women’sWorld Cup crown, spoke with us about the changing landscape of girls soccer in the USA. The U.S. Soccer Federation is launching a Girls Development Academy in 2017. […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
USSF to launch a girls Development Academy in 2017; ECNL plans to forge ahead
By Mike Woitalla The U.S. Soccer Federation is set to launch a Development Academy (DA) for girls in August 2017, replicating the DA for boys that it launched in 2007. Thatthe Federation hadn’t launched a girls DA earlier was attributed mainly to a couple of reasons. One being that because the U.S. women’s national team […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Kevin Payne (Q&A, Part 2): Competing groups create dynamism
Interview by Mike Woitalla Longtime MLS executive Kevin Payne served as D.C. United president during its golden years of the 1990s and has also held key positionswith U.S. Soccer. Payne became U.S. Club Soccer’s CEO in January. U.S. Club Soccer, which gained U.S. Soccer Federation membership in 2001, has member clubs and leagues in all […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
College Recruiting: ECNL Class of 2015
Almost 89 percent of all seniors playing in the Elite Clubs National League have plans to play women’s soccer in college. For all the college-bound members of the ECNL Class of 2015, including theseven players who represented the USA in 2013 U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifying and the one player who represented the USA in […]
Posted inCommentary, Soccer America Daily
Tatu's Sting, Eclipse Select and Surf crowned
[ECNL] Former indoor star Tatu coached the Dallas Sting to the U-17 Champions League title at the 2014 Elite Clubs NationalLeague Finals in Richmond, Va. Eclipse Select completed back-to-back national titles in the under-16 Champions League division, while Surf captured the under-15 Champions League title. Champions werealso crowned in the North American League. ECNL FINALS: […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Spaanstra leads Michigan Hawks to U-14 title
[ECNL] Alexa Spaanstra‘s eighth goal in five games broke a 2-2 tie and give the Michigan Hawks a 3-2 win over Real Coloradoin the Elite Clubs National League under-14 final in Redmond, Wash. Spaanstra had had a hat trick in the Hawks’ 5-2 win over the Crossfire in the semifinals. Coach DerekWiliford‘s team went 4-0-1, scoring 21 […]