FC Dallas Rejoins ECNL After the Demise of the DA
ECNL was the first premier girls player development program in the USA and has grown only stronger and more vibrant through the years.
The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) Girls is excited to announce that FC Dallas will be joining the ECNL Girls in the 2020-2021 season. The addition of FC Dallas to the league marks another national leader in girls soccer re-aligning with the ECNL.
“We are thrilled to welcome FC Dallas back to the ECNL Girls,” said ECNL Girls Commissioner Jen Winnagle. “Having the club return to the league is great for competition within the Texas conference and in the Texas ECNL Regional League.”
“This is a true homecoming of sorts, as FC Dallas was an original member of the league when it was founded in 2009.”
Jen Winnagle, ECNL Girls Commissioner
FC Dallas Youth is the youth development platform for FC Dallas of Major League Soccer.
Comprised of more than 250 teams in the DFW metroplex and another 11 outside of market affiliate clubs, the program provides an opportunity for more than 5500 youth players to explore and enjoy the sport of soccer, develop on and off the field, and gain a clear pathway to collegiate and professional soccer.
Read: SAN DIEGO SURF AND REAL SO CAL LEAVE DA AND JOIN ECNL GIRLS
FC Dallas has a rich history of success by its competitive youth teams, including capturing the U15 ECNL National Championship in 2017 and the U15 Development Academy Championship in 2018.
Before, FC Dallas was a member of the Girls’ U.S. Soccer Development Academy and had an established and proven track record in the Boys DA with earning Multi-National Championships. The DA program was shut down by U.S. Soccer on April 15 citing among other things financial reasons due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
The club has also helped hundreds of female players move on to college soccer over the past decade.
“FC Dallas is honored to be joining the Elite Clubs National League Girls for the 2020-2021 season,” said Vice President of Youth Soccer, Chris Hayden. “We have a strong belief in the platform and the extraordinary opportunity that it provides our highest level female athlete. We are excited for this new chapter in our program’s history.”
Nearly 90% of ECNL Girls alumni move on to play in the college game, where they overwhelmingly dominated individual conference honors in 2019 across the “Power 5” conferences.
In total, over 1,100 ECNL Alums played this year across the five conferences, accounting for more than 62% of all rostered players in the Power 5.
Read: TOP MID ATLANTIC BOYS TEAMS MOVE TO ECNL IN WAKE OF DA TURMOIL
Source: Media Release
