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Hammerheads Join ECNL

By dg, 03/20/18, 8:15PM EDT

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Boys and girls programs set to join selective national league in fall, 2018

 

RICHMOND, VA (February 28, 2018) – The Girls Elite Clubs National League is excited to announce that Wilmington Hammerheads will be joining the Girls ECNL beginning in the 2018-2019 ECNL Season. The Girls ECNL will be the only national league in which the club will compete, and the focal point of its competitive efforts.

Wilmington Hammerheads has a history of preparing players for college and providing a fantastic development environment. Surrounded by great college soccer programs throughout North Carolina, 11 current Hammerhead players are moving on to play at the college level, and the younger Hammerheads teams have shown big potential and already generated large interest from major schools in the area.

“Being accepted and joining the ECNL is a big moment for our club.” said Carson Porter, Executive Director for Wilmington Hammerheads.  “The ECNL has long been the platform for our country’s elite clubs and players, and we are honored to be joining the ECNL and excited to compete.  We are equally excited to join a soccer community that includes some of the very best coaches and soccer leaders in our country.  The opportunity to learn, collaborate, and share ideas within the ECNL community is special and unique, and something we look forward to being a part of.”

The Girls ECNL is the nation’s top development and competition platform for female soccer players, with conference competition in six age groups (U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, and U18/U19) and unmatched collegiate exposure through the ECNL National Events, the largest collegiate showcases in the country.  In addition to the competition platform, the Girls ECNL offers player identification and development opportunities for top players in every conference, unique coaching education and club development programs, and player health and education resources.

“We are very excited to welcome Wilmington Hammerheads into the Girls ECNL,” said ECNL Commissioner Jen Winnagle. “As a new club in the Mid-Atlantic Conference, they will provide a platform for the top players in Wilmington to play at the nation’s top level. Just as importantly, the leadership and philosophy of the Hammerheads aligns perfectly with the ECNL values.”

Wilmington Hammerheads will begin formal competition in the Girls ECNL in August 2018. Additional new clubs will be announced in the Girls ECNL in the coming weeks.

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About Girls Elite Clubs National League: The Girls Elite Clubs National League (Girls ECNL) was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States through: (i) improving the competitive environment through creation of a true national competitive league; (ii) improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competitions; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at top female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs. The Girls ECNL is sanctioned by US Club Soccer and is sponsored by Nike Soccer.