February 19, 2010 - We’re excited to announce that WPFC has been invited into the Elite Clubs National League for the 2010-2011 season. The ECNL is a national youth soccer league founded in 2009 for U-15, U-16 and U-17 girls’ teams for the purpose of providing the highest level of competition and the best developmental environment for American female youth soccer players.

The league, begin in 2009 as a precursor to a girls’ academy program, similar to the USSF Development Academy for boys but not affiliated with that organization, is replacing the Red Bull National League that has operated for the past two years, but is much larger in scope than that effort.

Background:

The Elite Clubs National League (the "ECNL") was founded in 2009 to revolutionize the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States through: (i) improving the competitive environment for youth female soccer players; (ii) improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players for the US Soccer youth national teams; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at female youth soccer clubs through standardizing best practices and training and organizational guidelines.  The ECNL is the elite competitive league for youth female soccer players in the United States, and in its inaugural 2009-2010 season, will consist of 40 of the top female youth soccer clubs throughout the United States.

Competition Format:

The ECNL will consist of 40 of the top female youth soccer clubs throughout the United States competing in two twenty-team divisions, "Challenge A" and "Challenge B."  Each team will participate in nine regular-season games within their division.  Each ECNL club will play their regular-season games at three ECNL events, selected from five potential ECNL events: (i) the Eclipse ECNL Showcase in August in Chicago, IL; (ii) the ECNL Divisions at the Final Four Showcase in December in College Station, TX; (iii) the ECNL Divisions at Disney’s Soccer Showcase presented by Chelsea in January in Orlando, FL; (iv) the ECNL Divisions at the Las Vegas College Showcase in March in Las Vegas, NV; and (v) the ECNL Divisions at the PDA College Showcase in May in Zarepath, NJ.  FC Milwaukee’s ECNL teams will participate in the Illinois, Texas, and Nevada ECNL events.

Following the conclusion of the regular-season, the ECNL National Championships will be held July 15-18, 2010 in Seattle, WA.  At the ECNL National Championships, every ECNL team will compete in two post-season play-off games to determine final standings in each division at each age group.  At the conclusion of the ECNL National Championships, individual age group ECNL National Champions will be crowned, an overall ECNL Club National Champion will be crowned, three teams from Challenge B will be promoted to Challenge A at each age group, and three teams from Challenge A will be relegated to Challenge B at each age group.