Richmond, VA + Huntington Beach, CA (August 12, 2020) – The ECNL and Trace are excited to announce an expanded relationship with additional benefits for ECNL Member Clubs. Trace will provide ECNL clubs with the ability to capture game results and deliver automated, individual player moments that are ready to share with college coaches, through an exclusive free trial period to the first 50 clubs that register.
Trace allows teams to combine automated filming, personalized moments, player performance data, and recruiting all in one platform that is seamless to navigate and easy to share. Trace does not require any additional editing, allowing clubs to offer immediate video content for their players to send to college coaches, even from intra-club scrimmages if sanctioned competitions are not back in full swing yet.
”The ability of players to be seen and evaluated by college coaches over the past 6 months has been greatly impacted by COVID-19, and there is great need for updated film to help players move forward in the recruiting process,” said ECNL President Christian Lavers. “This expanded partnership is part of our continued effort to create new resources and maximize the benefits of emerging technologies for our clubs, teams and players. We know from our communications with college coaches that having individual clips and highlights are a valuable part of the recruiting process, especially right now.”
An ECNL survey of more than 300 college coaches revealed that 77% preferred to receive clips or edited highlights vs. 11% seeking full games. This opportunity from the ECNL to expose more clubs and teams to video comes after a long suspension of the sport, and at a time when teams still have some limitations for competitive play, showcase events are limited, and the NCAA recruiting dead period continues.
Every player using Trace also has access to Trace iD, a new and crucial tool for player identification and recruiting exposure. Trace iD, launched this March as a response to the restrictions from COVID-19, puts recruiting back in the hands of the player. Not only can players update their Trace iD easily with only two clicks, but fresh video content and player performance statistics will also automatically update after every new match, providing college coaches with a consistent library of new video. Athletes have already used Trace iD to secure college scholarships during COVID.
“We’re thrilled to be expanding our partnership with ECNL and provide the member clubs with so much value,” said David Lokshin, the CEO and Founder of Trace. “The past half-year has shown how important and powerful video can be, and Trace’s mission is to make sure moments from scrimmages, friendlies, games, and showcases are available without any extra work or effort. You shouldn’t have to be a video editing pro to get the content you care about and ECNL has been a fantastic partner in that future and vision.”
In addition, Trace and TGS, also a partner of the ECNL, will be launching a search and discovery portal designed for college coaches to access Trace ECNL video. Recruiters will be able to access Trace video and individual player moments, making search fast and easy, supercharging the recruiting experience. The portal, which will allow for search by geographic area, team, and player, will breathe new life into the recruiting dead period and change the face of the college recruiting process for years to come.
Trace is the official video provider of the ECNL. Over 50 ECNL clubs, including clubs in every conference, are already using Trace. ECNL Members can find more information on their exclusive Trace benefits at www.traceup.com/ecnl.
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About Elite Clubs National League Girls: The Elite Clubs National League Girls (ECNL Girls) 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 ECNL Girls is sanctioned by US Club Soccer and is sponsored by Nike Soccer.
Twitter: @theECNL | Instagram: /theECNL | Facebook: /theECNL
About Elite Clubs National League Boys: Elite Clubs National League Boys (ECNL Boys) was founded to provide a top class, club-based development, training, and competition platform for youth male soccer players in the United States. The mission of the ECNL Boys is to improve the landscape for players in the United States through innovative, player-centered programming that raises standards of quality and improves the player experience in all aspects of the game. The ECNL Boys is sanctioned by US Club Soccer and is sponsored by PUMA North America.
Instagram: BoysECNL | Facebook: /BoysECNL | Twitter: @BoysECNL
Media Contact:
Mary Conway
MConway@MKCStrategies.com
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About Trace: Trace is a sports technology company that is changing the way teams and clubs film and consume soccer video. Trace uses a robot camera, GPS sensors, and powerful software to film the game and create moments for every player automatically. With Trace, coaching, player development, and recruiting are seamless.
Instagram: @traceup | Facebook: /traceup
Contact:
Maggy Mahalick – Director of Strategic Partnerships
maggy@traceup.com
