Breaking the Line: The ECNL Podcast

Ashley Willis, Partnership Activation and Alumni Relations Manager for the ECNL, shares her expertise on navigating the college soccer recruitment landscape. She highlights critical differences between boys' and girls' recruiting and the importance of genuine passion for the game. Listeners gain insights on self-presentation, teamwork, and selecting the right college fit. Throughout the conversation, Willis stresses maintaining a healthy perspective on recruitment while focusing on long-term development and team success.

Let us know the topics of interest to you!Following an enormous response from our previous episode where we discussed tryouts and relative age effect, this episode takes a deeper dive into the disputed topic with Dr. Drew Watson, the ECNL Chief Medical Advisor. Dr. Watson joins Christian Lavers and Doug Bracken in discussing relative age effect lasting outcomes across the youth soccer landscape. The honest discussion is capped off with the concept of biobanding, what is it, and how could it effect your player?

Let us know the topics of interest to you!Unlock the secrets of navigating youth soccer tryouts with the expert guidance of ECNL’s Christian Lavers and Doug Bracken, not to mention the firsthand tales from our own Ashley Willis. From the ethics of recruitment to the emotional toll on everyone involved, get ready for a candid discussion on the pressures of tryout season, the sometimes overlooked importance of loyalty, and the strategies clubs use to minimize disruptions.

Let us know the topics of interest to you!Join us as we peel back the curtain on the complexities of club promotion, where it's not just about a single age group's success but the collective performance of an entire organization. In this discussion, we shine a light on the varying regional league performances and the weight of postseason victories in the journey to ECNL elevation. We also tackle the controversial birth year versus school year registration debate, a hot-button issue that hits close to home for players and parents alike.

Let us know the topics of interest to you!The ECNL Podcast features ECNL President and CEO, Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President, Doug Bracken. Breaking the Line Podcast host, Dean Linke, talks with Lavers and Bracken about the new format of the podcast, and what listeners can look forward to as the podcast looks to pivot to having more candid conversations amongst themselves and other special guests as they discuss all things ECNL, as well as youth and professional soccer in here in the States.

Let us know the topics of interest to you!The ECNL Podcast features Pat McStay founder of The Heritage Project, MVLA’s boys technical director Michael Renwick and NWSL’s North Carolina Courage head coach Sean Nahas. Breaking the Line Podcast host, Dean Linke, talks with McStay about how the Heritage Project helps educate and connect players playing within the ECNL to countries with whom they could qualify to play for through their lineage. Linke also speaks with Renwick on his time as a professional player in Scotland and MVLA’s club philosophies within the ECNL pathway. And finally, Linke catches up with former ECNL coach, Nahas, and what he has learned in his time as the head coach for NC Courage.

Let us know the topics of interest to you!Episode 90 of Breaking the Line: The ECNL Podcast features Paul McVeigh a former international with Northern Ireland and Premier League player turned performance psychologist, and Steve Danbusky the Executive Director at Beach FC in Virginia. Breaking the Line Podcast host, Dean Linke, talks with McVeigh about his time as a professional player and how that's translated into how he works to improve the players in the game today, and Danbusky about his club philosophy and their time in the ECNL pathway.

Let us know the topics of interest to you!Episode 89 of Breaking the Line: The ECNL Podcast features Joe Nemzer the Philadelphia Ukraine Nationals Technical Director, Gronthik Chatterjee Executive Director for Nationals SC and Executive Director Mark Hiemenz along with Girls Academy Director Russell Finch out of Colorado Rush. Breaking the Line Podcast host, Dean Linke, talks with the directors whose clubs will all be joining the Girls ECNL starting in the 2024/2025 season. 

Let us know the topics of interest to you!Episode 88 of Breaking the Line: The ECNL Podcast features NC Courage Academy Director David Maddren and GSA Girl’s Program Director Campbell Chapman. Breaking the Line Podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Maddren and Chapman on their clubs philosophies in player development and the ECNL pathway.

Let us know the topics of interest to you!The ECNL Podcast features PDA alum and recent Angel City signee Casey Phair as she talks about her decision to make the leap into becoming a professional soccer player in the NWSL. Casey is joined by her PDA club Madison Tiernan. Director of Coaching Mike O’Neill and Director of Programming Nick Heinemann also join the podcast to discuss the ethos that makes PDA who they are.