Breaking the Line: The ECNL Podcast
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.
Episodes
144 episodes
A Discussion Continued: Ideas to Improve American Youth Soccer Part 2 | Ep. 143
Following a robust discussion and an incredible response from you, the Breaking the Line listeners, ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken continue their discussion of ideas to improve youth soccer within the Unite...
BTL Special Edition: Ideas to Improve American Soccer | Ep. 142
It's a special edition of Breaking the Line, the ECNL Podcast, as ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken, fresh of the ECNL Boys and ECNL Girls National Finals and the World Cup Final, sit down to discuss tangible,...
Breaking the Line: Live at ECNL Girls National Playoffs and Finals | Ep. 141
Breaking the Line is once again live in Seattle, this time at the ECNL Girls National Playoffs and Finals. ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken are joined by esteemed guests Erin Montoya, MVLA Girls T...
Breaking the Line: Live at ECNL Boys National Playoffs | Ep. 140
Breaking the Line returns for Episode 140, where ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken sit down with guests on the sidelines of the ECNL Boys National Playoffs at Surf Sports Park in San Diego, California.
Pitch-Proven Results: How US Soccer Compares to the European Game | Ep. 138
Fresh off the heels of the ECNL International Tournament, powered by Coaches' Voice and in association with Everton International Academy, Oklahoma Energy Director of Coaching Mark Howard joins Breaking the Line to discuss everything about the ...
Connecting ECNL Players to the Pros with Data and Video feat. Hudl | Ep. 137
ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken welcomed Matt Mueller, President of Hudl, to Breaking the Line this week to dive into everything about the video streaming platform and the partnership between Hudl and the EC...
ECNL Goes International: Building Culture, Memories and Passion | Ep. 136
ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken return to the airwaves with ECNL Boys Commissioner Jason Kutney and North Carolina FC Youth CEO Gary Buete for an in-depth look at the ECNL International Series and its first ...
How Athletes Can Get the Most From Individual Training | Ep. 135
Following a riveting episode regarding sport specialization, Breaking the Line welcomes David Copeland-Smith, founder of Beast Mode Soccer, to discuss all things regarding individual training. ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECN...
The Truth About Sport Specialization And Injury Risk In Youth Soccer | Ep. 134
Breaking the Line welcomes ECNL Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Drew Watson to the podcast for Episode 134 to discuss his latest research from the ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance. Watson sits down with ECNL President Chris...
Build The Pyramid, Inspire The Journey: A Conversation with ECNL Boys Commissioner Jason Kutney | Ep. 133
Following a highly successful ECNL Coaching Symposium at the Circa Resort in Las Vegas, ECNL President Christian Lavers sits down with ECNL Boys Commissioner Jason Kutney for a candid conversation about the ECNL Boys as a league and the youth s...
Understanding Youth Soccer's New Pyramid | Ep. 132
Breaking the Line returns to the airwaves with more news regarding youth soccer's newest pyramid: a collaboration between US Club Soccer, ECNL, NPL and now USYS. Building off of Episode 131, ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL ...
New Pyramids, Postseasons and Pathways: A Look Inside The Collaboration Between US Club Soccer, ECNL and NPL | Ep. 131
It's 2026 and Breaking the Line is back for a brand new episode following the holiday break, and it's a meaty one as ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken sit down with US Club Soccer President Mike Cullina to dis...
Playing Formats in American Soccer: Smaller Sides = Bigger Gains | Ep. 130
Breaking the Line returns to the airwaves for Episode 130 with a Thanksgiving flair. ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken tackle a hot topic within soccer circles, one that will be moving to the fore...
From the US to Finch Farm: A Conversation with Everton International Academy's Mark Thompson | Ep. 129
Breaking the Line has gone international!After the historic announcement of the ECNL International Tournament, Powered by Coaches' Voice and in association with Everton International Academy, ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice...
The Lifespan of a Coach: When Should Change Happen? | Ep. 128
Breaking The Line returns for Episode 128 with ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken getting inspiration for this week’s topic from breaking news on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Hearing news of LS...
The Economics of Youth Sports: The Factors And The Future | Ep. 127
This week's edition of Breaking the Line features a hot topic across the soccer landscape and the sports world as a whole: the economics of sport, and youth sport in particular. ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice Presiden...
A Growth Mindset: Facilitating Player Development | Ep. 126
The Breaking the Line team has returned for another player-focused episode, this time discussing player development. ECNL Vice President kicks off the conversation with a thought-provoking question: if you were building an ECNL club...
Communication is Key: Unboxing Parent-Player-Coach Dynamics | Ep. 125
It's a very special episode of Breaking the Line, as the podcast celebrates its 125th episode!After an invigorating discussion about navigating birth years and skill levels within youth soccer, ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vi...
Is Age Just A Number? Navigating Birth Years and Team Placements | Ep. 124
After a quick Labor Day pause, the Breaking the Line team returns to your airwaves. Fall is in the air, the kids are back at school and the 2025-26 soccer season is ready to kick off. This week, ECNL President Christian Lavers and E...
The Pre-ECNL and Zone 1: Balancing Development with Competition | Ep. 123
Breaking the Line, the ECNL Podcast, welcomes newly-hired Pre-ECNL Commissioners Bobby Reiss and Ruairi McGuinness to the airwaves for a riveting discussion surrounding the ECNL’s entry into Zone 1: the Pre-ECNL. ECNL President Chri...
Expanding Talent Identification: ECNL, id2 and the Search for America’s Next Soccer Stars | Ep. 122
Fresh off the ECNL National Playoffs and Finals, and a live podcast recording, Breaking the Line returns to the airwaves with its newest episode featuring a very special guest, US Club Soccer’s Technical Director Ross Paule. Paule j...
Breaking the Line Live at the ECNL Boys National Playoffs: A Winning Mentality | Ep. 121
Filmed LIVE on Day 1 of the ECNL Boys National Playoffs in Redmond, Washington, the Breaking the Line team sits down right on the fields to discuss all things ECNL Playoffs. ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Do...
The Great Balancing Act: Finding Your Path in High School and Club Soccer | Ep. 120
The Breaking the Line team returns for its newest episode diving into a topic of discussion at every ECNL club and across the youth soccer landscape: high school soccer vs. club soccer. ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice ...
Behind the Numbers: The True Odds of Turning Pro and Analytics vs. Results | Ep. 119
Breaking the Line is back with ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken and the team hits two topics this week that every soccer parents should be paying attention to. In Episode 119, Breaking the Line first ...