The Elite Clubs National League was founded in 2009 and continues to lead by daring to do things differently, embedded with grit, collaboration and tenacity – all things learned from the beautiful game. The ECNL protects and propels the integrity of the game and everyone it impacts by facilitating the perfect symmetry of excellence and humility, exclusivity and accessibility, freedom and community. We believe that challenging everyone to rise to their best creates game-changers that live well, long after cleats are unlaced. Born out of the belief in a better way. Continued in the ever-evolving pursuit of excellence.
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.
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.
The ECNL Podcast features NFL Super Bowl XLIV MVP and Champion Drew Brees and ECNL Medical Advisor Dr. Drew Watson. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Brees about the power of mentorship and overcoming adversity and talks with Dr. Watson on how the league will start integrating ways to address mental health in athletes.
The ECNL Podcast features Christian Lavers, President and CEO of The ECNL , Ceri Bowley, Technical Advisor of The ECNL and Jay Howell, Executive Director of the Richmond Strikers and Richmond United. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Lavers, Bowley and Howell on what to look forward to at the 7th annual ECNL Coaching Symposium and AGM.
The ECNL Podcast features Dan Naidu, Kansas City Scott Gallagher Girls Director of Coaching, and Mike Aubry, Executive Director of Greater Toledo Futbol Club Impact. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, talks with both about their coaching careers, their time with their current clubs, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features ECNL Girls alumni and 2023 NCAA National Champions Lauren Flynn and Taylor Huff of Florida State University, as well as ECNL Boys alumni and 2023 NCAA National Champions Brandon Parrish and Tyler Trimnal of Clemson University. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, talks with all four about their recent experience winning the National Championship and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Michele Krzisnik, President and Director of Coaching of the Michigan Hawks. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Krzisnik about her coaching career, the Michigan Hawks time in the ECNL, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features ECNL Boys Commissioner Jason Kutney. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Kutney about his time as the ECNL Boys Commissioner, his career in soccer, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Solar SC ECNL Director Matt Colvin, Sting Soccer Technical Director Stuart Hilton, Executive Director of Challenge SC Pat O'Toole, and CEO of Real Colorado Jared Spires. ECNL Girls Commissioner Ralph Richards talks with all four about last weekend's inaugural ECNL Texas Cup.
The ECNL Podcast features Christian Lavers, President and CEO of the ECNL, and ECNL Technical Advisor Ceri Bowley. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Lavers and Bowley about the ECNL Methodology Workshop, Bowley's time as the ECNL Technical Advisor, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features the ECNL Boys 2023 U18/19 National Player of the Year Michael Groeneveld of San Diego Surf and now the Stanford Cardinal. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Groeneveld about Surf's run to the U18/19 National Championship this summer, his time now at Stanford, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features the 2023 ECNL Kwik Goal Coaches of the Year, Danny Tonks of San Diego Surf and Ralph Richards of St. Louis Scott Gallagher. ECNL Boys Commissioner Jason Kutney, speaks with both about their past seasons, their careers in coaching, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features ECNL alumni Tess Boade of the NWSL's North Carolina Courage and Meg Boade, member of the Northwestern Women's Soccer team. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with both about how the ECNL prepared them for the collegiate and professional levels.
The ECNL Podcast features Kameron Simmonds of the Jamaica Women's National Team and the University of Tennessee, as well as 2023 ECNL National Champion Nick Simmonds, also a recent signee of the Richmond Kickers. ECNL Boys Commisioner Jason Kutney talks with both about their incredible accomplishments over the summer and more on this week's episode.
The ECNL Podcast features 2019 US Women's World Cup Champion Jessica McDonald. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with McDonald about this year's FIFA Women's World Cup, the NWSL, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Karse Klijian and Charlie Kosakoff of this year's U18/19 National Champion San Diego Surf team. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Klijian and Kosakoff about winning the National Championship, their time in the ECNL, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Faith George and Savi King, who just won the ECNL Girls U18/19 National Championship with Slammers FC HB Køge. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with George and King about the National Championship Game, both players' upcoming college careers, and more.
The ECNL podcast features Dr. Kim Quigley, CEO of OnRise, and Dr. Brenda McBride, Chief Medical Officer for OnRise. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke speaks with both Dr. Quigley and Dr. McBride about the importance of mental health, care athletes need from a mental health perspective, and more.
Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with VP of Education and Development for US Club Soccer, Dr. Missy Price. Dr. Price reflects on her first four months at US Club Soccer and the relationship with the ECNL.
Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Lehigh Men's Soccer Head Coach Dean Koski. Dean speaks about his 32 years at Lehigh and the influence The ECNL has had on his own youth club, Lehigh Valley United.
Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Albertin Montoya & Durwood Williams. Albertin is the Director of Coaching/Technical Director at MVLA and has spent time leading US Youth National Teams, WPS, and NWSL. Later, Durwood Williams, Director of Business Development at Soccer.com, joins Dean Linke and discuss the relationship with The ECNL and the genesis of Soccer.com.
The ECNL Podcast features ECNL National Selection Program Director & East Meadow Soccer Club Director of Coaching, Ruairi McGuinness. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Ruairi about the crux of the the National Selection Game and what it has become to identify talent across the league.
The ECNL Podcast features US Club Soccer CEO Mike Cullina and US Club Soccer Director of Coaching Education Vince Ganzberg. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Cullina and Ganzberg about the partnership between the ECNL and US Club Soccer, what the Coaching Education Department brings to US Club Soccer, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Dr. Drew Watson, Chief Medical Advisor for the ECNL. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Dr. Watson about his presentation, The Relationship Between Injuries and the Mind, that he gave at this year's ECNL Coaching Symposium, the importance of athletes getting necessary amounts of sleep to help prevent injuries, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Ceri Bowley, the ECNL Technical Advisor. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Bowley about his career in soccer, his time with City Football Group, his future with the ECNL, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Margueritte Aozasa, UCLA women's soccer head coach. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Aozasa about winning the National Championship, her coaching career, her time with MVLA, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Ryan Hawk, host of The Learning Leader Show, and Christian Lavers, President and CEO of the ECNL. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, speaks with Hawk about his career, some of his favorite guests on his podcast, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Jason Kutney, ECNL Boys Commissioner, Ralph Richards, ECNL Girls Commissioner, and Blayne Fink, ECNL Senior Manager of Events and Selection Programs. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, previews next week's ECNL Coaching Symposium with them, talks with Fink about her time with the ECNL, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Doug Lemov, the ECNL's Coaching Methodology Advisor and New York Times Best-Selling author, and Memo Sifuentes, the Austin FC U12 Academy Coach. President and CEO of the ECNL, Christian Lavers, talks with Lemov and Sifuentes about gameday coaching, halftime talks, how to help regulate players' emotion and attention while they play, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Drew Rea, Boys Director at Legends FC, and Ever Morataya, Boys Technical Director at Legends FC. ECNL Boys Commissioner, Jason Kutney, speaks with Rea and Morataya about the development of Legends FC in Southern California, their time at ECNL South Carolina in December, their careers in soccer, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Didier Chambaron, Director of Coaching Education for U.S. Soccer. President and CEO of the ECNL, Christian Lavers, talks with Chambaron about his career in soccer, how he got into coaching, the future of U.S. Soccer in coaching education, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Ronnie Woodard, Director of Member Services for the Tennessee Soccer Club as well as the ECNL U19 Girls Head Coach. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, talks with Woodard about her career as a coach, last weekend's ECNL National Event in Tennessee, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Kristine Lilly, the all-time leader in international caps for both men and women. Lilly is also a two-time World Cup champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and won four NCAA National Championships at the University of North Carolina. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, talks with Lilly about her career with the US Women's National Team, her time at North Carolina, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Mike Whiteman, Director of Sports Science for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, as well as an author at SimpliFaster. ECNL Boys Commissioner, Jason Kutney, speaks with Whiteman about sports science, the way sports performance training has developed over the years, the future of sports science moving forward, and more.
Episode 54 of Breaking The Line: The ECNL Podcast features Iowa Hawkeye senior, Sam Cary. Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, talks with Cary about the people who inspired and motivated her throughout her career, her time in the ECNL playing for SLSG, and her time with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The ECNL Podcast features Hue Menzies, previously head coach of the Jamaican Women's National Team, and Lorne Donaldson, current head coach of the Jamaican Women's National Team. Menzies and Donaldson speak with ECNL Communications Manager, Ryan Bothmann, about their coaching careers, time in the ECNL, and share stories of their time leading Jamaica to its first ever Women's World Cup appearance.
The ECNL Podcast features Riley Jackson, midfielder for Concorde Fire Platinum, and Jackson Ozburn, goalkeeper for University of Washington and formerly Crossfire Premier. Both Jackson and Ozburn were named the U18/19 Players of the Year for the 2021-22 season. ECNL Boys Commissioner, Jason Kutney, speaks with both players about their playing careers.
The ECNL Podcast features Christian Lavers, President and CEO of the ECNL, and Doug Bracken, Vice President of the ECNL. In the State of the Union episode, Breaking the Line podcast host, Dean Linke, talks with Lavers and Bracken about the past season, the growth of the league, and looks forward to an exciting upcoming season.
The ECNL Podcast features Garvin Quamina, head coach at Concorde Fire Platinum, and Mark Howard, head coach at Oklahoma Energy FC. ECNL Boys Commissioner, Jason Kutney, and ECNL Girls Commissioner Ralph Richards, announce Quamina and Howard as the 2022 Kwik Goal ECNL Coaches of the Year. They also discuss the people who helped develop them into the coaches they are today, the impact they have had at their clubs, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Drew Roff, head coach of women's soccer at Purdue University, and Neil Jones, head coach of men's soccer at the University of Wisconsin. Both coaches talk with Breaking the Line podcast host Dean Linke about their coaching careers, importance of assembling a good coaching staff, upcoming seasons, the important role ECNL events play in helping them scout players, and more.
Episode 48 of Breaking The Line: The ECNL Podcast features Edvaldo Pedro, ECNL Director at DKSC, Athletic Director at Allegiance Academy, and ECNL Boys U15 National Champions and Juan Martinez, President and Executive Director for D'feeters Kicks Soccer Club. ECNL Boys Commissioner, Jason Kutney, talks with Pedro and Martinez about the merging of D'Feeter and Dallas Kicks, their admission into The ECNL boys, The Allegiance Academy, winning a National Championship, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Ralph Richards, ECNL Girls Director for St. Louis Scott Gallagher and Head Coach of the ECNL Girls U16 National Champions. Breaking the Line podcast host Dean Linke chats with Richards about winning the ECNL Girls U16 national championship, the culture around St. Louis Scott Gallagher, his journey throughout soccer and more.
The ECNL Girls and ECNL Boys National Finals are right around the corner, and Breaking the Line podcast host Dean Linke dives into both championship events, previewing what's ahead. Linke is first joined by ECNL COO and ECNL Girls Commissioner Jen Winnagle to discuss the ECNL Girls National Finals in Richmond, Va. from July 8-11, and then he sits down with ECNL Boys Commissioner Jason Kutney and Pipeline SC ECNL Boys Director Brandon Quaranta to survey the field for the ECNL Boys National Finals in St. Louis. MO from July 15-18. It's all that and much more on this edition of Breaking the Line, the ECNL Podcast!
The ECNL Podcast features Lori Trautmann and Sean Bubb of the Florida Club League. Trautmann, the organization's Executive Director and Bubb, the FCL's North Advisor, both chat with Breaking the Line podcast host Dean Linke about the league, their involvement with the ECNL at the Regional League level, how teams have been able to go from the Regional League to the ECNL Club Competition, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features John Pardini, Adam Reekie, Gary Gartner and Scott Wollaston, key members of the NC Fusion leadership group. Breaking the Line podcast host Dean Linke chats with the group about the formation of NC Fusion, the impact of the ECNL on the club's players, the expectations for ECNL National Playoffs and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Novi Maric, CEO of Florida Premier. Breaking the Line podcast host Dean Linke chats with Maric about growing up and playing youth soccer in Germany, coming to the US and coaching youth soccer by the age of 22, growing Florida Premier FC with his twin brother, Bosho, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Dr. Drew Watson, the ECNL's Chief Medical Advisor. As May is Mental Health Awareness Month, Breaking the Line podcast host Dean Linke speaks with Watson about the importance of mental health awareness, especially in adolescents Resources: For adolescents National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) US Department of Health and Human Services information: https://opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health/mental-health-adolescents National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry facts for families: https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_Youth/Facts-for-Families/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Layout/FFF_Guide-01.aspx?hkey=fd45e409-3c3c-44ae-b5d4-39ba12e644b7#letterE American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry anxiety information: https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/The-Anxious-Child-047.aspx American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry depression information: https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/The-Depressed-Child-004.aspx For/about athletes: American Academy of Pediatrics article on sports and mental health during COVID: https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/19600/Research-shows-youth-sports-vital-for-mental NCAA Mental Health Resources: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2016/8/4/mental-health-educational-resources.aspx USOPC resources for mental health: https://www.teamusa.org/mentalhealth American Medical Society for Sports Medicine position statement on mental health: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/4/216
The ECNL Podcast features Meg Nemzer, the new head coach of Maryland's women's soccer program. Breaking the Line podcast host Dean Linke chats with Nemzer about the growth of youth soccer since her playing days at Bethesda, her new opportunity with the Terrapins, the talent of ECNL players, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Walker Zimmerman, two-time MLS Defender of the Year and USMNT standout, and Nuno Piteira, GSA Executive Director and former coach for Zimmerman. Breaking the Line Podcast host Dean Linke chats sits down with the pair, chatting about Zimmerman's experiences in youth soccer, how youth soccer has changed since he was a kid, how Piteira helped foster Zimmerman's leadership qualities and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Ben Pirmann, Head Coach of Memphis 901 of the USL Championship. Breaking the Line Podcast host Dean Linke sits down with the former NCAA and pro player, chatting about his experience playing youth soccer with current ECNL club Vardar, his journey through the coaching ranks, and more.
The ECNL Podcast features Warren Barton (Del Mar Sharks), Lee Morris (South Carolina United) and Brian Quinn (SDSC Surf), all former professional soccer players who are now coaching in the ECNL. Breaking the Line Podcast host Dean Linke chats with the three pros about their time playing professional soccer in Europe, what brought them over to the United States, how the game is taught differently in North America vs. Europe, and much more.