Rapids Home Grown/ Youth updates

Nice article on Shane O'Neill in Denver Post. Even made into the print version of today's paper: http://www.denverpost.com/rapids/ci_20588659/oneill-turning-heads-at-developmental-level

 

Interesting that the Rapids are still considering offering O'Neill and Serna contracts despite both of them signing Letters Of Intent to attend college in the fall. I wonder if their time wit the team in pre/early season has shown they're further along than they were when colleges were offering scholarships over the winter.

 

From many articles on USMNT/ US soccer development- they seem to think players progress more in Pro setting playing regular soccer then College where even if NCAA doesn't end the Spring season (this could be final year from what I have read), they don't spend the same time devoted to sport (NCAA imposed limits)

All comes down really to the 10K hour theory I guess.

 

Oh I know that. I would just think that if you were already interested in a player you'd give them an offer at the same time they were getting scholarship offers in order for them to compare the two. The fact that they haven't yet given them offers but are thinking about it leads me to believe that Serna and O'Neill have made big strides in their games in the last few months of working with the first team and reserves.

(It could also be that the new coaching staff wanted a few more months of evaluation before deciding since they didn't really know either of them before January)

 

Personal opinion: on average, NCAA soccer does more harm than good. If these kids are serious about making a living playing the game and they get offered the opportunity, they should take it. College is something that will be there afterward, but if they are serious about taking it to the next level, they're much better off playing against top competition full time and putting further education on hold. Many good players have come from college in the past (and will continue to do so), however the future of the game in this country is elite players bypassing college to play professionally right away. That is what will benefit the quality of the game and the players themselves most IMO.

 

The only caveat I'd add is that there will always be some players in college that become elite MLS-level players. Just like MLB still pulls top players from college even while having the minor-leagues as a way for players to skip from high school to the majors.

 

Yeah, the only problem is that for most of these kids (even the elite u18s) the odds of them making a career of of the MLS (or soccer in general) is pretty slim. College might be there for them later, but if they go there now they can get it paid for via a scholarship.

Davy Armstrong might not regret his decision now, but if he doesn't see any league action before he leaves the Rapids, he probably will.

 

One of the things a number of the teams are offering in the homegrown contracts are college funds. So they may not have a scholarship but at least some of their college is covered.

 

Agreed, and that's the gamble, not just in soccer but in all sports. High risk with a huge possible upside.

 

I wonder how true this is. Very similar complaints have been made of college baseball in regard to developing top pros. Yet top notch baseball players can definitely go through the college systems...notably, Lou Gehrig in the olden days, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and more recently, guys like Weaver, Strasburg and Tulowitzki.

 

What bothers me about the kids that sign with MLS is the lack of game experience. With such a limited reserves schedule these kids spend their time at practice, but never play in meaningful games potentially for a few years unless they make one of the national teams. I can't see how that is good for their development.

 

Some where I have seen this topic before and also what other leagues do.

I suspect, that MLS will eventually change rules that will require players signed under age of 20 to play X minutes a season. I agree that current way Reserves are organized/ games scheduled, helps that much with development, as it should. Now if team reserves played in say USL league, I am sure that would be much better then play a few games against other MLS reserve sides and whatever college's will agree to play you.

 

This is something that I've had bouncing around in my head for a while now. Rather than necessarily fielding the entire reserves squad, I think MLS could come to some kind of agreement with NASL or USL to provide incentive for loaning promising youngsters. I have no idea how NASL and USL's salary structure works, but maybe MLS could agree to pay more than half their salary or something? I agree that playing a full season of D2 or D3 ball is of more value to a developing player than practicing and playing a few Reserve games (Luis Gil is a good example of this). MLS is not a pro/rel league (nor should it be) but I've always wondered why many MLS sides didn't take more advantage of loans to lower division teams.

 

For purely selfish reasons I see college as being a hinderance. I'd prefer to see our players develop younger and become great pros, but that's not a world grounded in reality. That's a world where I don't know the player personally.

My pragmatic side thinks college soccer would be fine if it simply restructured to a system similar to college hockey where fewer schools play in fewer but stronger conferences. That and the college game should simply fall in line with FIFA rules.

 

I've seen Shane play a couple of times for his HS team, Fairview. Both times I left thinking that he was good enough to at least make an MLS squad. He reminds me a lot of JL.

 

Dillon Serna was named to the U.S. U-18 team today.

 

MLS may be able to offer as much or more in “scholarship” money as do the colleges. According to NCAA rules there are up to 12 women’s scholarships and 9.9 men’s scholarships, whereas NAIA permits 9.9 women’s scholarship and 9 men’s scholarships. Typically, prospective soccer players are offered fractional scholarships. Also, typically, soccer scholarships are based on tuition not total cost of attendance.

Money should not be the issue, soccer competition quality, coaching quality, teammate quality, individual maturity and educational goals should be. The elite player who chooses a college scholarship also chooses inferior coaching, inferior teammates and inferior competition. While the gain in maturity may be critical to ones development there is a steep price to be paid. For boys getting 1 or 2 years older is a good thing. A lot of growth takes place annually from 18-25. Likely, I would never have qualified for medical school had I not had an intervening stint in the military. There, I gained maturity learned discipline and how to take care of myself. One must correctly be an elite player and a mature individual to consider MLS &/or other professional opportunity. Very few are.

 

One analogy to look at is baseball. Despite a very well developed minor leagues, college baseball continues to be an important element of the development system. In fact, if you read "Money Ball," many teams prefer college players because they've matured.

 

2 points on this:

1) Most of the "star" guys in college were Star guys in HS but passed on signing contract to go to college. Most stay in no more then 3 years (JC players can be drafted again after freshman year, 4yr college players are eligible their Junior year)
2) like any system, there will always be guys over looked or the "late bloomers" so college will always have some role in MLS. Especially goalies, this could be preferred route to get playing time to develope further.

 

Guy from Real Colorado also made roster for Tourney in Lisbon:

U.S. U-18 LISBON INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT ROSTER

GOALKEEPERS: Ethan Horvath (Real Colorado Academy; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Zackary Steffen (FC Delco Academy; Downington, Pa.)​

DEFENDERS: Jordan Allen (Real Salt Lake Academy; Rochester, N.Y.), Robert Michael Amick (De Anza Force Soccer Academy; Sunnyvale, Calif.), Mobi Fehr (FC Basel; Tokyo, Japan), Trevor Haberkorn (Solar Chelsea Soccer Academy; Keller, Texas), Malcom Harriss (Baltimore Bays Chelsea; Damascus, Md.), Jalen Markey (Seattle Sounders FC Academy; Renton, Wash.)​

MIDFIELDERS: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas Academy; Plano, Texas), Russell Cannouse (Hoffenheim, Germany; Achtzehn Akademie, Germany), Marco Delgado (Chivas USA; Glendora, Calif.), Matthew Dunn (OFK Belgrade; Dallas, Texas), Alejandro Guido (Club Tijuana, Mexico; Chula Vista, Calif.), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids Academy, Brighton, Colo.)​

FORWARDS: Jack McBean (LA Galaxy; Balboa Island, Calif.), Andrew Oliver (Chicago Fire Academy; Indianapolis, Ind.), Zach Pfeffer (Philadelphia Union; Dresher, Pa.), Esteban Rodriguez (Club Tijuana, Mexico; Palmdale, Calif.), Ben Spencer (Chivas USA Academy; Albuquerque, N.M.), Stefanos Stamoulacatos (Empire; Camillus, N.Y.)​

 

US 0-0 Slovakia

Dillon started and went distance, Horvath was in 18. No clue on roster from Poland game earlier this week.
STARTERS
Zackary Steffen, Jordan Allen, Trevor Haberkorn, Michael Amick Defender, Mobi Fehr; Marco Delgado, Kellyn Acosta, Alejandro Guido, Esteban Rodriguez, Ben Spencer, Dillon Serna
SUBSTITUTES
46th minute - Matthew Dunn for Guido
46th minute - Jack McBean for Rodriguez
SUBS NOT USED
Ethan Horvath, Jalen Markey, Stefanos Stamoulacatos, Malcom Harris, Russell Canouse, Andrew Oliver, Zach Pfeffer

 

speaking of shane... there should be news on him in the very near future