Eclipse Select SC

What ages and program levels does Eclipse Select SC offer?Rising Stars covers ages 4–7 as a high-level introductory track. Youth Select programming includes U8–U12 team ages at multiple sites, with additional bands for older Select players depending on the hub. Pre-ECNL youth elite programming targets U11–U12 players before they move into older elite tracks. Girls ECNL and ECNL Regional League represent the top girls pathway, with dedicated coaching and tryout processes. Elite boys programming for adolescent ages was still expanding for 2026–27, so families should confirm roster openings and age coverage when they register.

Where does the club train and hold tryouts?Oak Brook training uses OB Central Park North grass at 1315 Kensington Road and OB Central Park South turf at 1310 Forest Gate Road, with many tryouts on the Forest Gate turf. Naperville uses Knoch Park’s turf field and additional Naperville training locations by assignment. Darien trains at Westwood Park near 75th Street and Fairview Avenue. Lake Forest uses Deerpath Community Park at 95 Deerpath Road. Elite girls ECNL and ECNL Regional League tryouts use Oak Brook turf and Naperville’s Knoch Park turf.

How do tryouts and registration work?Complete the club’s tryout registration for the target year before attending any session; walk-ups without registration are not accepted. When two sessions are scheduled for a program, attending both is recommended for full evaluation. Session times, age bands, and field assignments for Oak Brook, Naperville, Darien, and Lake Forest update with each registration cycle—start at eclipseselect.org/tryouts so you pick the right hub and birth year before you attend. Rising Stars follows a tryout registration step, then program registration, then staff follow-up.

What is the club’s mission and coaching philosophy?Eclipse Select aims to combine competitive challenge with support so every player—from beginners to elite prospects—has a developmental home. Commitment, pride, persistence, and passion anchor daily expectations. Coaching stays positive and pathway-driven, developing the whole person as well as match performance. Rising Stars focuses first on foot skills and confidence so young players can grow into higher levels with a solid technical base.

What is changing for youth age groups in 2026–27?Starting in fall 2026, U.S. governing bodies move many youth programs to birth-year bands that run August 1 through July 31 so teams align more closely with school grades. The 2025–26 season stays on the prior January–December birth-year grouping through the end of that soccer year; 2026–27 Eclipse Select programming adopts the new system across its competitive leagues. Players still place by birth date, not grade alone, though the window shifts; the club will still consider play-up requests case by case.

How can families contact Eclipse Select SC?Email Katie Milne, Director of Administration, at katie.milne@eclipseselect.org for administrative questions. For program questions including Rising Stars, email Pat McCraney at pat.mccraney@eclipseselect.org. ECNL girls and boys directors are reachable at alex.munoz@eclipseselect.org and cleo.huitron@eclipseselect.org. Email addresses for other directors and coaches are grouped by role at eclipseselect.org/our-staff.