ECNL Regional League Boys / Ann Arbor

What is the Elite Clubs National League Boys Regional League (ECNL RL)?

The ECNL Boys Regional Leagues are designed to ensure a consistent environment and level of professionalism across all leagues. They promote club connectivity between levels of play, offering a pathway for players within each Member Club to reach their fullest potential. These leagues also facilitate coordination and collaboration between teams of different levels within ECNL clubs and provide an opportunity for teams and players in other clubs to develop through regular high-level competition.

How will this help my son reach his goals of collegiate and professional soccer?

ECNL Regional League clubs compete against other ECNL Regional League clubs in national tournaments, college showcases, and special cross-conference events. By competing against some of the biggest and best clubs and players in the country, players will face high-quality opponents each week and have the opportunity to showcase their talents on the national stage.

What Conference will Liverpool FC Michigan participate in and who are the clubs/teams?

Liverpool FC Michigan will compete in the North Division of the ECNL Regional League Great Lakes Alliance (GLA) Conference.

The U15-U18/19 (High School age players) teams will play each team in the North Division home and away. The fixtures versus the East and West Division opponents will alternate each season, with a total of 14 league games played. 

The U13-U14 (non-High School age players) teams will play each team in the North Division and a mixture of teams from the East & West Divisions home and away across the Fall and Spring seasons.

How long is the ECNL RL Season?

The U13-U14 season will begin in August and conclude with playoffs in June. High school-aged players U15-U18/19 will start their season in March and conclude with playoffs in June.

What is the travel commitment like?

With the restructuring of the ECNL RL GLA Conference into North, East and West Divisions, travel becomes more manageable for all participating teams. For U13-U14 expect to travel 2-3 weekends in the Fall and Spring, as league games are spread across the entire season, plus showcases/events.

For U15-U18/19, expect to travel 3-4 weekends in the Spring for league games. Showcases/Events for this age may start in November and continue throughout the winter.

How do you qualify for the playoffs?

With the restructuring of the ECNL RL GLA Conference into North, East and West Divisions, the new playoff qualification process is as follows:

For U13-U18/19, the top 2 teams from the North, East and West will advance to play in the ECNL RL playoffs, with the winners advancing to the Regional League National Finals.

How many showcases are hosted per year?

The ECNL Regional League hosts numerous showcase events each year. These events are not required but are suggested by the league. Teams will likely attend 1 or 2 ECNL Regional League event per year, with older (U15-U18/19) teams attending 2 for college recruiting purposes.

Will I be allowed to play school sports while in the ECNL RL?

Yes, participation in school sports is allowed. The focus is on the players, their development, and health. Monitoring will continue during the High School break, as some players may elect not to participate in school sports. Players suffer more injuries due to overuse, and the aim is to support players with proper periodization.

What age groups will Liverpool FC Michigan place in the ECNL Boys Regional League?

Teams will be placed in the U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17, & U-18/19 age groups.