Inaugural Northwest Champions League 2010

[soccerpride]

OVERVIEW

The Northwest Champions League strives to take youth soccer to a higher level of professionalism in organization and operation, while creating a unique level of competition for U12 through U18 premier teams in Oregon and Washington. The NWCL will be a supplement (and not a replacement) to other primary youth leagues in Oregon and Washington such as the Oregon Premier League, Player Development League and the Puget Sound Premier League.

Teams for the inaugural season will be selected on the basis of results from the 2009 fall season, 2010 spring season for senior girls, performance in the Oregon and Washington State Championship and other criteria established by the Soccer Advisory Board.

COMPETITIVE FORMAT

U12 through U14 teams will play 11 league games.  The teams that advance to the NWCL finals will play 2 additional games. Washington teams will play 8 games against Oregon teams for a better variety of competition. U15 through U18 teams will play a modified schedule from December through February. The winner of each of the U12 through U14 age groups will receive an automatic berth into Surf Cup XXXI in San Diego, California.

Each participating team must have access to playing facilities that meet the minimum standards of the league. All teams must have a team manager for the duration of the season who will be responsible for all team management, communication, scheduling and registration.

GOVERNANCE

 

The NWCL will be governed by a Soccer Advisory Board composed of coaching directors from participating clubs in Oregon and Washington.

EXPANSION

2011 may bring expansion to more teams in Washington and British Columbia to create a broader regional league and a wider variety of competition.

[soccerpride]

Would love to hear all of your comments on this...

[letemplay]

I'd like to see how it works before giving an opinion.  Feels like a lot of games for our kids, often against teams they will be playing already 2x in league play.  Might be a great opportunity...might suck.  Time will tell....

[Goingu11u13]

For our family this is going to be too many games - 11 NCL games, 14 (?) RCL/PDL games times two kids is 50 games this fall.  I can't see how that is going to do anything but burn us all out.  Plus, our kids are planning to play for their school MS team which means more games on top of that.  It is just too much.

I know there isn't a choice, but looking at the potential competition for both leagues I'd probably have preferred to just do the NCL and skip the RCL.  Then we could fill in with an occasional local jamboree and have a few week-ends off! 

[soccerpride]

@letemplay - I agree, time will tell.

@Goingu11u13 - OMG, when you put it like that, WOW!! So far I only have one soccer playing son, but my only sibling who is 15 plays as well. I try to watch as many of his games as I am able, as he is like my child  but I obviously am not obligated to. I forget how busy some parents are, just running your players around. Great point!!

[West Sider]

Would love to hear all of your comments on this...

Sounds cool to me, but my kid's team is on the outside looking in, so maybe this is just "sour grapes".

I thought the plan was to hold the NWCL games on specific weekends in central locations?  If so, this seems like adding a couple of tournaments -- which the DD and I love. 

But if it's Saturday RCL, and Sunday NWCL... week-after-week... driving all over god's-green-acre, then that would definitely give me pause.

[soccerpride]

The below link contains the "Welcome" letter:

http://www.northwestchampions.com/docs/2010_welcome_U12U14.pdf

It should help get a better understanding of the league/tournament.