Rising Through the Ranks
A USL history of Edson Elcock
By Patrick Nobbe for USLSoccer.com
Friday, August 29, 2008
BAYAMON, PR – The United Soccer Leagues is well known for being the largest organization of elite-level soccer leagues in North America, and their dedication to growing the sport and developing elite youth soccer was again on display last week when Puerto Rico’s midfielder Edson Elcock was named USL-1 Player of the Week. Elcock earned the USL-1 Player of the Week nod after netting two of his team’s three goals in a 3-0 win over the Sounders on the road.
Since emerging as the U15 Brooklyn Knights Most Valuable Player in the first-ever Super Y-League North American Finals tournament in Stone Mountain, Georgia 10 seasons ago, Elcock has continued his rise through the USL pyramid and is now staring on the USL’s biggest stage for the Puerto Rico Islanders. His winding journey to the professional ranks began in 1999 with the Super Y-League’s Brooklyn Knights.
 “I remember his speed of play was miles ahead of everyone,” said Brooklyn Knights President Chuck Jacob. “He was noticeably faster than everyone on the field and also was a great finisher.”
The Brooklyn Knights spin on Elcock’s career was two-fold. First, it gave Elcock, who grew up in the Caribbean section of the inner-cities in Brooklyn, a chance to play soccer in an area that the sport was not very prevalent. The Knights provided a venue for Elcock’s talent, helping to shape his love for soccer. Secondly, and more importantly in 1999, the Knights brought the spotlight of the first national youth league in North America dedicated to the professional development of youth players.
“We cannot take sole credit for the advancement of Edson’s soccer career,” said Jacob. “We did provide him with some exposure to get his name out there, as we try to do with all of our players.”
Another goal of Brooklyn, as well as the entire Super Y-League, is to create a professional atmosphere for elite youth soccer players.
“The league is constructed in a setting where you get to see the adaptation of players,” said Jacob. “They get familiar with the traveling aspects of the sport as well as the extreme level of competition that is out there. In this league you have to bring your best to every game if you want a chance at winning.”
The Knights had no problem winning while Elcock was scoring their goals. The U14 side ended the inaugural Super Y-League regular season with a record of 8-0-0, scoring 56 goals and allowing only 12. At the North American Finals the side went 1-2-0 against the top four Super Y-League teams in the U.S, finishing in third place.  Much like Elcock, the Super Y-League also continued to rise, now in its tenth season the league grew to 120 teams in 2000 and 650 at the five-year mark in 2004.
After his Super Y-League stint, Elcock spring-boarded up the development ladder, eventually moving to USL’s Premier Development League with the Virginia Beach Submariners. One of the highlights of Elcock’s PDL playing days came when he faced his former mates, the Brooklyn Knights. With his team trailing 2-1 in the 80th minute, Elcock's side scored two goals in the final ten minutes to squeak out a 3-2 win for the Submariners.
“I have loved watching Edson play his entire career,” said Jacob. “But for those ten minutes I wished he wasn’t as good as he was.”
Edson’s play in the PDL was another step in the maturation of his soccer career. He was able to raise his game to next level of competition and grew tremendously as a player. The PDL put him on a national stage and exposed him to the daily grind of a top professional league.
“The PDL gives players a national perspective that can really help in all aspects of their game,” said Director of PDL Operations Lee Cohen. “The league allows the players to stay on top of their game and provides them with great competition during the summer.”
At 21, Elcock continued to show well on the collegiate level. A senior forward for Old Dominion University in 2006, Elcock scored 11 goals and added six assists. Last season he signed a development contact with the Kansas City Wizards before joining the Islanders in 2008. This year the speedy midfielder has over 250 minutes in eight games for the second place Islanders.
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