US Youth Development

[QuigrNYCFC]

http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/us...er-youth-players-fifa-rules-european-passport

Great post about the development of American youth players, the obstacles they face when it comes to joining youth academies abroad and Christian Pulisic specifically.

My hot take on this:

1. Either Fifa relaxes it's rules on minors playing abroad.
2. We get our own youth systems up to par with Europe (which is impossible in the short run)
3. Eliminate pay-to-play and centralize youth development. (also very difficult)

 

[Fantazma]

http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/us...er-youth-players-fifa-rules-european-passport

Great post about the development of American youth players, the obstacles they face when it comes to joining youth academies abroad and Christian Pulisic specifically.

My hot take on this:

1. Either Fifa relaxes it's rules on minors playing abroad.
2. We get our own youth systems up to par with Europe (which is impossible in the short run)
3. Eliminate pay-to-play and centralize youth development. (also very difficult)

half of 2 and 3...improve the youth coaching...i keep reading that the youth coaches here are not up there...and the coaching schools are too expensive and very frat like ( read this in reddit circles so take with grain of salt). still even if its expensive you still need it to be worth something....but its still lacking it seems.

pay to play should be reduced subsidized with the "profits" that USSF makes i think. however pay to play its a whole complete business on its own and wont want to give away just like that. Clubs should focus on it but the country is so big that USSF can sure help in investing in the youth coaches and maybe even some teams or centers

as for 1....this wont happen....you open the doors to everyone around the world not just US. there are many kids im sure in other parts of the world that big clubs want as well. I think FIFA does this so then local clubs get something out of the kid before he moves on. if he leaves before getting pro contract then he leaves and the clubs get nothing in return

 

[mgarbowski]

I was shocked at how low the pay-to-play fees were. I realize $1,000 to $1,500 can be a significant obstacle to many, but I thought the figure was $10k and higher for the better academies. That place in Florida -- IMG Academy -- where NYC played its preseason in 2016 -- don't they charge like $70k plus fees to go there for a year?

If it really is as low as that article suggests, then (1) the fees are an obstacle to far fewer people than I realized (again, yes an impossible obstacle for a meaningful number but still less than expected) and (2) an annual fundraiser run by AO with the help of MLS SGs could pay for several dozen kids easily I think.

 

[LionNYC]

I was shocked at how low the pay-to-play fees were. I realize $1,000 to $1,500 can be a significant obstacle to many, but I thought the figure was $10k and higher for the better academies. That place in Florida -- IMG Academy -- where NYC played its preseason in 2016 -- don't they charge like $70k plus fees to go there for a year?

If it really is as low as that article suggests, then (1) the fees are an obstacle to far fewer people than I realized (again, yes an impossible obstacle for a meaningful number but still less than expected) and (2) an annual fundraiser run by AO with the help of MLS SGs could pay for several dozen kids easily I think.

Yes, at IMG Academy for full-year student-athlete boarding option is $75,200 for high school. $55,200 just for boarding sport option.

 

[mgarbowski]

Yes, at IMG Academy for full-year student-athlete boarding option is $75,200 for high school. $55,200 just for boarding sport option.

So I get they are an outlier? It's boarding, plus full time training plus regular education. Are local academies where you stay in your regular school and live at home and just train with them really just $1-2k per year? I really figured $7-15k easy for serious academy training.

 

[QuigrNYCFC]

So I get they are an outlier? It's boarding, plus full time training plus regular education. Are local academies where you stay in your regular school and live at home and just train with them really just $1-2k per year? I really figured $7-15k easy for serious academy training.

I would imagine that the 1-2K per year teams are your elite club teams.

Is ODP(olympic development program) still a thing for youth soccer? I haven't heard that program come into the conversation at all.

 

[Keith Putnam]

Here's a poorly-thought-out brainstorm I just had.

Part of our national problem is that our country is so large, right?

USSF should create youth teams, at the various age levels, which represent each state. So, like, you'd have a New York team and a Michigan team, etc., as if they were mini national teams. These teams would compete in regional tournaments which would lead to national championships.

Along with this, each state gets an appropriately staffed team of youth scouts and youth coaches.

I don't care how much this costs.

 

[Fake Jew]

I just started reading Das Reboot. When I finish I'm going to come back here with an essay on how to implement it into the US.

 

[Ulrich]

Here's a poorly-thought-out brainstorm I just had.

Part of our national problem is that our country is so large, right?

USSF should create youth teams, at the various age levels, which represent each state. So, like, you'd have a New York team and a Michigan team, etc., as if they were mini national teams. These teams would compete in regional tournaments which would lead to national championships.

Along with this, each state gets an appropriately staffed team of youth scouts and youth coaches.

I don't care how much this costs.

I’m willing to bet money we don’t have the necessary coaching pool for 50 teams at each age level (x) 8-10 age levels.

What could possibly work are 3-6 regional teams that function the same way that create the pool for a single national team at each level. So players are called in either for the national team or regional team, but they’re constantly being called in for one or the other. Kinda like NYCFC’s affiliates except the affiliates aren’t just under the umbrella but are 100% incorporated with a uniform philosophy.

 

[Keith Putnam]

I’m willing to bet money we don’t have the necessary coaching pool for 50 teams at each age level (x) 8-10 age levels.

What could possibly work are 3-6 regional teams that function the same way that create the pool for a single national team at each level. So players are called in either for the national team or regional team, but they’re constantly being called in for one or the other. Kinda like NYCFC’s affiliates except the affiliates aren’t just under the umbrella but are 100% incorporated with a uniform philosophy.

Yeah, I'd take that too.

 

[Mario]

I would imagine that the 1-2K per year teams are your elite club teams.

Is ODP(olympic development program) still a thing for youth soccer? I haven't heard that program come into the conversation at all.

For USSDA its at least $2k to play for an academy. There's two showcase tournaments every year. club/USSDA does not cover that, and is not included in the initial 2k to play for the academy.
ODP is still a thing but the talent is not there anymore. come 12-13 years old kids go to academies or pre-academies now. thats also another good fee on top of whatever the local or premier club costs.

To become a USSF A grade coach (the highest coach) 10 years ago, basically all you had to do was pay like $500 and take a couple of bullshit generic coaching courses. it's obviously improved but its still not adequate. and eventually if you plan on furthering your "knowledge" or go up a grade you will have to take courses on the west coast for like $7000 unless your club hooks you up.

 

[Schwallacus]

I just started reading Das Reboot. When I finish I'm going to come back here with an essay on how to implement it into the US.

Lol started reading it too. I'm incredibly biased being that I'm a big Germany fan, but the insight and setup of their reconstruction in youth systems was awesome. Really hope something like this can happen for the US, or at least push them into something like this for the future.

Can we send this book to the presidents/leaders/higher-ups of USSoccer?

 

[Gotham Gator]

I just started reading Das Reboot. When I finish I'm going to come back here with an essay on how to implement it into the US.

If only there were a German national who was involved in that program that we could bring on in some capacity.

 

[Gotham Gator]

There has been a lot of attention to pay-for-play as a problem.

Realistically, however, how many kids do we need to eliminate that for in order to field a top notch 23-man team in 10-20 years? 1,000? 2,000? 5,000?

This assumes you can skim the cream off the top to some degree.

I have seen arguments about how it would cost too much to do it for 100,000 kids, but we aren't talking about that many. Not anything close to it.

Another question. How many kids are getting top notch training for free right now anyway? How many kids out there are in academies, whether MLS or otherwise, that provide free training to the most promising people they find?

NYCFC held a one-day "clinic" for my kids travel program this past August. That was just a scouting exercise.

 

[sbrylski]

I was shocked at how low the pay-to-play fees were. I realize $1,000 to $1,500 can be a significant obstacle to many, but I thought the figure was $10k and higher for the better academies.

Over half the youth population probably doesn't have parents that are able to pay those fees, and that's probably the lowest it gets.

 

[Mario]

MLS Academy is free to play believe it or not. the other clubs are about 2k. (this is starting at around the age of 14, before that its whatever each club decides)

 

[Mario]

Only two players who have won the Hermann trophy in the last 10 years have become relevant to the USMNT. (this being the trophy equal to the heisman trophy for best player). just goes to show the scale from how poor college soccer is to the MLS


patrick mullins doesn't count because he sucks.

 

[Keith Putnam]

MLS Academy is free to play believe it or not.

Except DC United.

 

[Fake Jew]

The next step after now having MLS academies churning out legit prospects is incentive to sell to Europe. There is no reason why the hell Dallas should be selling Acosta because the GAM that they'll be getting back isn't worth it. After making a reason to pay players USSF needs to make sure not only MLS academies are free but the whole USDA.

 

[Mario]

Except DC United.

i only looked into a few of them, and they were free figured at least most of them were