With a Spring Season filled with change and uncertainty, the prospect of what the fall season would look like was widely unknown. Fortunately, for our families and staff, the Fall season is well under way, and has brought new exciting changes. This fall is the first season for players and families in the SLSG Illinois family to participate in the ECNL Regional League Heartland Conference.

The ECNL Regional League is housed under what many consider the best Youth Soccer Platform for female soccer players in the United States: The Elite Clubs National League. With the addition of the ECNL Regional League in the 2019 season, the Elite Clubs National League now holds two platforms, for players and clubs around the country. “The competition and professionalism of the ECNL is unmatched in soccer. The addition of the Regional League for the Illinois Division will help drive these amazing young females to achieve their soccer aspirations. The competition in this league will only benefit our players for years to come,” said Mitch Bohnak, SLSG White ECNL RL Coach.

The ECNL Girls Regional Leagues are designed to service a deeper player pool for member clubs of the ECNL, and to provide a competitive platform for objective evaluation for new clubs to become ECNL Member clubs in the future. “The ECNL Regional Leagues are an important platform for players and clubs to fuel development of players, and to provide a proving ground in competition,” said Jen Winnagle, Commissioner, ECNL Girls.

For the SLSG Program on both the Illinois and Missouri sides, we now have SLSG ECNL (White in Illinois and Navy in Missouri), and SLSG ECNL RL (White in Illinois and Navy in Missouri). SLSG is now the only girls club in the area to have two platforms for players to participate in the ECNL, and two additional platforms for players to participate in the ECNL Regional League. “The professionalism of the league that we have experienced through the years of being in the ECNL is second to none. No league in the country can provide, and maintain what the ECNL has built through the years. With the constant drive to grow and push the comfort zone of not only the league, but in return the clubs, staff, and players within the league, “we knew joining the ECNL Regional League would be a huge benefit for the growth of our players and staff,” said SLSG White ECNL Director, Laura Heffington.

SLSG White ECNL RL (ages U13- U18/19) compete in the Heartland Conference, which is comprised of ten different clubs from around the Midwest- FC Wichita, Kansas City Scott Gallagher, Kansas City Athletics, Sporting Blue Valley, SLSG White, SLSG Navy, and Missouri Rush. Our SLSG White teams opened competition at the end of August against our fellow club members, SLSG Navy ECNL RL in an exciting local derbies. In September, teams hit the road for the first time traveling to Kansas City to take on Kansas City Athletics and Gretna Elite Academy. SLSG White ECNL RL Director Jarius Holmes had this to say about the league: “The level of competition has proven to be challenging and will push our players and staff to put their best foot forward each week in training and matches. While these challenges are new for our players and families, it is an exciting time for players and staff to continue to push their boundaries and drive forward their personal growth and development.”

For more information about the ECNL Regional League, please visit, https://www.ecnlgirls.com/ecnl-rl/ #leadersplayhere