We’ve all seen the stats. We all know that soccer has quickly grown beyond the niche sport that it was a mere 40 years ago. Its growth and participation among youth continue to outpace those of the other three major sports in the United States: football, basketball, and baseball. We also recognize that the game of soccer is set to explode further here in the United States in the next three years, with the 2024 Copa America, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup all being held here. Not to mention a guy named Messi, whose jersey is the second biggest selling jersey among all athletes sold in the United States. It would likely be the top seller if Adidas could keep up with the demand.
Needless to say, soccer in the United States right now is more significant and popular than it has ever been. But if the sport is so popular and its growth trajectory so steep, why is access for youth to play it at the highest levels so disproportionately spread across the country?
First, a quick background on the top tiers of boys youth soccer.
There are two primary leagues that offer Tier 1 development and soccer playing opportunities for boys soccer, MLS NEXT and ECNL (Elite Clubs National League). These two leagues are crucial components in the development of young soccer talent in the United States. They play different, yet complementary roles in nurturing and advancing youth soccer players.
### MLS NEXT
1. **Successor to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy**: MLS NEXT was established after the U.S. Soccer Development Academy was disbanded in 2020. The academies of MLS teams serve as the premier youth development platform for the highest level of youth soccer in the United States and Canada. Non-MLS affiliated teams within the MLS NEXT league, although generally seen as a step below the MLS club-affiliated academies, also offer an outstanding development and playing platform for young players.
2. **Direct Link to Professional Soccer**: Being closely associated with Major League Soccer, MLS NEXT provides a direct pathway to professional soccer. It's an integral part of the MLS's strategy to develop homegrown talent for the league.
3. **High-Level Competition and Training**: The platform offers a highly competitive environment with regular matches against other top youth teams. The coaching and training are typically of a very high standard, reflecting the latest in soccer coaching methodologies.
4. **Exposure to Professional Scouts**: Players in MLS NEXT have the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of MLS scouts. This exposure can lead to opportunities within the MLS academy systems and, eventually, to professional contracts.
5. **Holistic Development**: Along with technical and tactical training, most MLS NEXT clubs also state that they focus on the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of their players, preparing them for the challenges of professional soccer.
### ECNL Boys
1. **Competitive Youth Soccer Platform**: The ECNL for boys offers a competitive nationwide league for youth soccer clubs outside the MLS system. The clubs that participate in ECNL play are widely regarded as among the best youth soccer clubs in the country.
2. **College Soccer Pathway**: While ECNL also provides opportunities for players to progress to professional soccer, it is particularly well-known for being a pathway to college soccer. Many players in the ECNL are scouted by top college programs.
3. **High-Quality Competition and Coaching**: ECNL clubs typically maintain high coaching standards and competitive teams, offering a strong environment for player development.
4. **National Showcase Events**: ECNL organizes national events and showcases which attract college scouts and sometimes professional scouts, giving players opportunities to be seen and recruited.
5. **Player-Centric Approach**: The league emphasizes individual player development within the team context, focusing on creating well-rounded players both on and off the field.
### Complementary Roles
- **Different Avenues for Talent**: MLS NEXT is more directly aligned with the professional pathway, particularly MLS, while ECNL provides both a path to collegiate soccer and potential professional opportunities.
- **Geographical and Club Diversity**: ECNL covers a wide range of clubs across the country, some of which might not have direct ties to MLS academies, thus providing opportunities to a broader pool of talent.
- **Collaboration in Player Development**: Both platforms can be seen as part of a larger ecosystem in U.S. soccer, contributing to the overall development of players at various levels and providing multiple pathways for young talents to progress in their soccer careers.
Together, MLS NEXT and ECNL Boys form integral parts of the American youth soccer landscape, each playing a vital role in nurturing and developing young talents across the nation.
These two leagues offer the best environments to grow top talent in the United States. But why do they provide opportunities for development of players in some areas, while offering much less, or even no opportunity, for development and top-level play in other areas?
We looked at both MLS NEXT and ECNL to see where they had clubs located for the 2023-24 season. We then determined the Top 100 metro areas based on the number of age-eligible boys that would be available to play for an MLS NEXT or ECNL club.
- The total number of age-eligible boys across the Metro Areas that are served by MLS NEXT and ECNL is 9,723,972.
- There are a combined 286 MLS NEXT and ECNL Clubs/Teams in the United States. (A few clubs have more than one team that participates in the league; when this occurs, they are counted twice.) This equates to one club for every 34,000 age-eligible boys.
- We found that within these Top 100 areas of the country, 20 metro areas had no MLS NEXT nor ECNL club in their metro area.
- We then looked at these 20 metro areas and focused on identifying the ones that are most underserved considering their age-eligible population of boys and distance to the nearest metro-area with at least one ECNL or MLS NEXT club.
- We also examined which metro areas that already had at least one MLS NEXT or ECNL club were most underserved when you compare the number of age-eligible boys in their metro to the national average of one club for every 34,000 age-eligible boys.
Let's dive straight into the list of the Top 3 Metro Areas that are NOT served by MLS NEXT or ECNL clubs.
The #1 Most Underserved Metro Area in the country with Zero Access is the greater Memphis TN-AR-MS area.
- The greater Memphis TN-AR-MS metro area has 83,680 age-eligible boys.
- With the average number of age-eligible boys in each area with an MLS NEXT or ECNL team being 34,000, this implies that the boys in Memphis would benefit most from having at least two clubs in either one or both of the two leagues.
- This is the only area of the Top 40 metro areas where there is no access for age-eligible boys to join either an MLS NEXT or ECNL club.
- The nearest MLS NEXT or ECNL club is 210 miles away in the Nashville metro area.
- The Nashville metro area has two MLS NEXT clubs and one ECNL club serving their 92,845 age-eligible boys (30,948 boys per club).
- The second closest metro area to Memphis is the Birmingham AL metro area, which is 224 miles away.
- The Birmingham metro area has one MLS NEXT and one ECNL club serving 51,513 age-eligible boys (25,758 boys per club).
- Memphis is large enough to be home to one of only 29 NBA franchises, the Memphis Grizzlies, yet hasn't been appropriated even 1 of the 286 ECNL and MLS NEXT clubs.
- According to sportsplanningguide.com, Memphis hosts one of the top 10 youth soccer complexes in the country, the Mike Rose Soccer Complex, which includes 18 full-sized lit fields on 136 acres.
- A 2017 study by SBnation.com placed Tennessee at #11 in elite football recruits per capita. (With Mississippi and Arkansas, both part of the greater Memphis area, at #4 and #17 respectively).
- This area has 56,112 age-eligible boys.
- The nearest MLS NEXT or ECNL club is 70 miles away in the Baton Rouge metro area.
- Baton Rouge has one MLS NEXT club serving 41,243 age-eligible boys.
- The second closest metro areas with either an MLS NEXT or ECNL club are Houston TX and Birmingham AL, approximately 340 miles away.
- New Orleans, home to both the NBA's Pelicans and the NFL's Saints, lacks both an ECNL and MLS NEXT club.
- A 2017 SBnation.com study ranked Louisiana #2 in elite football recruits per capita, indicating a large pool of athletic talent.
The #3 Most Underserved Metro Area with Zero Access is Bakersfield - Delano, CA.
- This area has 52,826 age-eligible boys.
- The nearest MLS NEXT or ECNL club is 109 miles away in the Los Angeles Metro Area.
- Los Angeles has 15 clubs serving 605,976 age-eligible boys (40,398 boys per club).
- The second closest metro area is Oxnard - Thousand Oaks - Ventura, CA, 140 miles away, with one ECNL club and one MLS NEXT club serving a total of 41,423 age-eligible boys (20,711 per club).
- Bakersfield is a lower-income area compared to many served by ECNL and MLS NEXT clubs.
Honorable Mentions with zero access:
These metro areas lack access to MLS NEXT or ECNL clubs but have age-eligible populations larger than the average of 34,000 and are more than 100 miles from the nearest club.
- El Paso, TX: 48,974 age-eligible boys, 320 miles from the nearest club.
- Boise City, ID: 40,494 age-eligible boys, 305 miles from the nearest club.
- Little Rock, AR: 35,195 age-eligible boys, 216 miles from the nearest club.
- Jackson, MS: 34,017 age-eligible boys, 232 miles from the nearest club.
This data highlights a significant service gap in the TN-MS-AR-LA area, known for producing blue-chip athletes.
Now let's examine metro areas currently served by MLS NEXT and ECNL to identify those most underserved.
Topping the list of Most Underserved Areas with at least one existing MLS NEXT or ECNL club is
**Cleveland - Elyria, OH metro area **
- Cleveland - Elyria has 92,198 age-eligible boys.
- Served by one ECNL club, Cleveland Force SC.
- The next closest club is 129 miles away in Pittsburgh, PA, with one ECNL club and one MLS NEXT club serving 96,088 boys (48,044 per club).
- The second closest metro area is Columbus, OH, 130 miles away, with one ECNL club and one MLS NEXT club for 101,375 boys (50,687 per club).
- Despite having an NFL, NBA and MLB team they only have one Tier 1 club.
(An interesting note to make here is that the number one metro area on the no access list above, the Memphis TN-AR-MS area, would be #2 on this underserved list if it even had one Tier 1 club in the area.)
**Virginia Beach - Chesapeake - Norfolk, VA Metro Area (Rank #2)**
- The area has 81,975 age-eligible boys.
- Served by just one ECNL club: Beach FC (VA).
- The nearest alternative, MLS NEXT or ECNL club, is located 107 miles away in Richmond, VA, catering to 59,055 age-eligible boys.
- Washington DC - Arlington - Alexandria, at 170 miles distance, has 13 clubs serving 293,140 age-eligible boys, averaging 22,549 per club.
**Oklahoma City, OK (Rank #3)**
- Home to 70,785 age-eligible boys.
- One ECNL club, Oklahoma Energy FC, serves the area.
- The nearest club is 106 miles away in Tulsa, OK, which supports 50,296 age-eligible boys.
- Wichita, KS, 155 miles away, has one club for 33,675 age-eligible boys.
**Special Note on Underserved Areas:**
All of the above underserved areas have just one club. But there are major metro areas also appear underserved when considering the ratio of age-eligible boys per club.
**Two Major Metro Areas with Notable Underservice:**
1. **Chicago, IL** - Averages 68,009 age-eligible boys per club.
2. **Houston - Pasadena - The Woodlands - Sugar Land, TX** - Averages 62,248 age-eligible boys per club.
Given the above data, we want to look at what areas MLS NEXT and ECNL should prioritize for the next round of expansion.
**Areas That Should be a Prioritization for MLS Next or ECNL Expansion:**
1. **Memphis TN-AR-MS Metro Area**
- Pros: Largest community of age-eligible boys without high-level soccer access; over 200 miles to nearest metro area with Tier 1 access; has one of the largest soccer facilities in the country; history of producing top athletes.
- Cons: Longer travel distances for games than some areas, although comparable to many existing club locations.
2. **Cleveland, OH Metro Area**
- Pros: Significantly underserved; Over 100 miles to the next MLS Next or ECNL club, a state known for high-level athletes and soccer support.
- Cons: Presence of an existing top-tier club.
3. **Chicago, IL**
- Pros: Only seven top clubs for the third-largest population of age-eligible boys; established soccer culture; consistent production of high-level athletes.
- Cons: Existing clubs in the area.
4. **New Orleans, LA**
- Pros: Large community without access to top-tier boys' soccer; high per-capita production of elite athletic talent.
- Cons: Proximity (80 miles) to an MLS NEXT Club; not traditionally a soccer-focused area.
5. **Houston, TX**
- Pros: Fifth-largest population of age-eligible boys, yet only six top-tier clubs; strong soccer culture; high talent levels.
- Cons: Existing clubs in the area.
**Honorable Mention - Little Rock, AR or Jackson, MS Metro Area**
- Pros: Like Louisiana, Mississippi produces exceptional per-capita athletic talent; no easy access to top-level play or training within 200 miles.
- Cons: Not traditionally soccer-centric areas.
**Looking Ahead**
It remains to be seen whether ECNL and MLS NEXT will cater to the needs of these communities in their next expansion. Historically, there has been a tendency for well-established areas to gain further resources while neglected areas continue to be neglected. However, addressing the disparities in access is crucial.
If you believe in equitable access to top-tier soccer for all communities, we encourage reaching out to MLS NEXT and ECNL via email and social media. Advocate for change and help ensure that talent, regardless of location, gets the opportunity to thrive.
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Coming in our next article, we will look at which areas of the country have much more access than others. (And heres a quick note about that, one metro area has an MLS club to serve just 6,413 age-eligible boys, with the next closest area with a club being only 8 miles away! That is the equivalent of Cleveland OH metro area having 14 MLS Next clubs.)