A youth soccer coach advises players in MLS NEXT 2 or NAL to target Division III and II schools first, since Division I spots are unpredictable. He recommends MLS NEXT 2 over NAL-only teams because NAL teams don't get invited to MLS NEXT 2 events like FLEX and FEST.
NLS Next 2 or NAL. First of all, I want to tell you that if you're playing in either of these two leagues, you should be aiming for Division III and Division II schools first. Now, does it not— does it mean you're not the level for Division I? Remember, Division I means many things. You could go play Division I and not play a single minute. You could go play for Notre Dame Division I or Wake Forest Division I, or you could go play for IUPUI Division I. Those are very different. Now, on a given year, the no-name quote-unquote school or the lower-tier school could could very well go and beat the Notre Dame or Wake Forest that year. Like, my school was Valparaiso University. It was a no-name school relatively, but in my year, we were a top 25 program and won the conference. So it varies, you know, per given year, which is why the coach is really what matters. Having said that, between MLS Next 2 and NAL, the good news is NAL technically runs MLS Next 2 from a logistical perspective, but the NAL teams, if you're only NAL, are not being invited to the MLS Next 2 events. Which are the same as the MLS NEXT events, the FLEX and the FEST. So the short answer is I would pick MLS NEXT 2. The good news is it's likely that your NAL team eventually will get to switch to the MLS NEXT 2, which is probably partially why they made that arrangement in the first place. If you want a list of camps in your state, comment the word CA for California or IL for Illinois, and then the word camp, and I'll be able to send you a list of camps in your state. If you want more help, give me a call, links in the bio. Talk soon.
