That's what I mean. As the academies start getting these kids in they'll eventually take all the elite talent in the country making the draft useless. Why draft a mediocre player when you can just sign one of your youth kids who has been brought up on your system and is more then likely more developed?
Right now MLS academies don't have all the nations' best youth prospects in their academies. They have restrictions who they can sign, who can train, roster restrictions on how many, where they come from, travel limitations, many are in Bradenton, other DA teams, in college, no way for the best to easily switch teams and all travel to train with MLS academies because there essentially are no residential options even at the MLS level.
Because it's free, AND you can use it to deal for what you want with another team who might not have as good of an academy, or have something you might want.
What's free? Signing 22 yr old from the draft or an 18 yr old from you own academy both costs money. Am I missing something.
That's fine for now. I'm not saying the draft needs to be killed off asap but this strategy will change when other teams start producing higher level players and these same teams are forced to spend on the market to keep up because they didn't develop their own players. The academy is the most economic investment that a team can make and it will hurt the draft which I'm all for.
How about doing something along the lines of giving the "discovery rights" of the Bradenton residency players to the closest club geographically to their non-residency team, assuming it's not already an MLS academy. For example, Junior Flores's discovery rights would be given to DC United, and then any MLS team could take him, but would have to pay a fee to do so. This doesn't undermine the draft, as it is only affecting ~20 kids every two years, and realistically less because not all the residency kids are good enough while ein residency. It also would allow kids like Flores to sign professionally while still most likely being able to live at home. That way, a 15 year old doesn't have to move halfway across the country and be forced to stay by himself, and the family doesn;t have to uproot itself to allow the kid to follow his dream.
I don't want to get in a pissing contest with anyone here but if you actually believe that this statement is actually true then I don't know what to say. You're saying everything is a guarantee no matter what it is, which isn't the case for anything.
Huh? Pissing match? Just trying to pull out some ideas from you of what eventually needs to happen for MLS academies to be able to have access to the best prospects in the nation in the easiest way possible.
So DC United would be given "discovery rights" to the entire Southeastern U.S.? Why should DCU be given "a fee" so another MLS team can sign a residency player from Florida that the USSF developed?
Not at all. I agree with you and would be interested in your ideas on how we eventually get there sooner than later.
yeah but the mls academies can only hold so many players... how about all the players in independent academies that maybe have fallen a little under the radar or figured it out a little later??
We need to get away from who developed who for how long. The world's teams don't care. We need only worry about how MLS teams can recruit THEN develop our nation's best professionals.
Then we would have to agree that the best way for a professional to be developed is not by the teams they ultimately will play for. How about they go to the professional teams at a point that the professional team deems them proficient enough at that time. Whether its 15 or 17 or 19 or 21?
Ok, hadn't thought of that. How about from inside the range that an academy is allowed to sign players from. The 50 mile radius or whatever it is. Because Flores' non-residency team, the one he's still listed for the U17 YNT camps as being a part of, is Mclean, which is inside that range, DC would get discovery rights for him. A player like Rubio Rubin, who plays in Oregon, would have his discovery rights given to Portland. But someone from Montana or Florida, outside of those ranges, would go through the current process.
I like this. If we draw a 90 mile circle around each MLS team wouldn't we have 80-85 percent of the US population covered? It also sets up a basic partnership whereby the MLS teams interact as partners with all the clubs in that area to enhance training and scouting. Every coach will have name and number of MLS training director to advise on who's good in that area. The only main population area uncovered is the SE. From NC-FL over to LA up to TN. Free for all anyone?
Given your posting history, I'm sure you believe in rewarding teams that invest in development instead of simply awarding players to MLS teams based on geography. I don't see how arguing that a Bradenton prospect who grew up in Jacksonville or Atlanta should not have their "discovery rights" assigned to DCU can be controversial. Your "free market" approach doesn't have a lot to do with the current MLS model. I also think the league will be very careful about turning the signing of U-17 prospects into a bidding war between MLS teams for obvious reasons. Will it change? To some degree it already has with a few tentative steps toward residency and FC Dallas bringing international players into their academy. People just want what they want when they want it but these things take time...
i would agree, but at the same time it does worry me a bit. Maybe its from following college football recruiting, but certain areas are typically far more talent rich than others... i wonder if that would cause issues with competitive balance
MLS better want what they want and that better be improving the recruiting, acquiring, and training our nation's best prospects. It only helps their on field product. I think we can merge some elements of territory vs some free movement. If there is a way for Jr. Flores to be in DC United's territory I'm all for it. If DC United doesn't want Jr. Flores I also think he should be able to go to anyone he thinks benefits himself. The rules now elimnate's both options to MLS' detriment. I'd much rather error on the side of getting these players into MLS environments vs erroring on the side of pushing our top youth players to other countries. It's just stupid. MLS says out of one side of there mouths that they want to enhance their play and yet does nothing to enhance the free movement and compeition to improve their domestic youth talent acquisistion.
As I implied, MLS has improved the recruiting and training of prospects significantly over the last few years. They obviously need to continue investing time, energy, and financial resources in solving the unique challenges we're presented with in developing elite soccer prospects in this country. They will never sign everyone. If Flores leaves, it won't be because he can't play for DC United. If the player is good enough, MLS can (and has) made exceptions. It sounds like you're arguing for making all youth players the equivalent of "free agents" which might potentially disrupt the league's single entity structure. Clearly MLS will seek to prevent a situation in which youth players are going back and forth between two academies. You can bemoan that fact but you can't ignore it. For better or worse, the league wants no part of Wesley Wade going to the Philadelphia Union, NYRB, NER, and DCU and saying, "Make me an offer."
I did not say that. I would like to see a hybrid approach. I would like to see all youth teams within their proximal regions affilated with MLS academies with clear logical steps to the MLS academy. I would like to see MLS academies to become residential so top players within that region be funneled up to the MLS academy to increase and enhance training for our elite players. I would like the MLS team to act as the beacon to all teams in the area for training, consultancy, trials, and residency. I would like MLS to eliminate the 1 yr rule. I would like to see flexability to the rules. S. Rodriquez was in Chivas region and they wanted him. That is a strong example of the foolishness of the MLS rules. Tijana bound. J. Allen from Rochester NY is training in RSL AZ but other players can't easily switch to MLS teams due to the proximity rules. I would also like the recognition that we are a transient society and many of us have relationships that allow kids in Fl to live with relatives in NE to get better training with concentration of talent not the dilution of talent. If the alternative to Wesley Wade staying in the MLS with some flexability of the rules and Wesley Wade not in MLS but training in Germany then rules be damned and logic prevail. Its cutting off your nose to spite your face. I don't want to pay a little more money to have our top domestic youth players play in the MLS because I don't want MLS teams competing for talent but I will compete vs teams from all over the world and establish a rule whereby I can overpay for youth from other countries with the youth DP rule. It makes no sense to me. I don't want Free Agency for US players but I will allow free agency for anyone from other countries. Huh? Without some fear that teams might lose a prospect to another team they have no incentive to build up their residential academies to attract the best domestic prospects. MLS teams have stated that there is no reason to invest money in youth development because of all the restrictions to whom they can recruit, trial, train, and sign. It takes time sometimes means we have no reason to do it. The major growth to the on field product starts with having more top players playing more with an easy direct path up through the profesional development ladder. A ladder that is now missing some major rungs.
You can see why I might be confused. But even though I seem to have mischaracterized what you were asking for on the broad scale, in this specific case I think Flores could give MLS a list of 3 teams he'd be willing to play for and get that concession in his contract. Gil did it so why not Flores? Of course not every prospect has that kind of leverage. I don't think all your ideas are practical or feasible in the near term but I appreciate your passion and certainly appreciate your contributions to the board. I might argue about some of the particulars but I don't really see the point of nitpicking your post. There is a wide spectrum from overly stodgy pragmatism to starry-eyed idealism and there is room for everyone.
I can see why you're confused because its not a black and white opinion but rather shades of grey. Yes we can start out with Jr. Flores in DC United's territory but if they choose not to offer a contract and Junior has relatives close in Dallas and Junior wants a familial support system while staying domestically to trialing with a professional team pror to signing MLS should try to easily make that happen as much as possible. Teams do have caps and some roster limitations to stay under so in my mind its not really absolute Free Agency. More elite players in MLS benefits MLS longterm and not some short sighted we have rules mantra. Its not going to all the teams and say make me an offer its quickly and easilty working up the hierarchy of preferred outcomes. I do like your 3 team option alittle bit. It offers limited competition but not a free for all. But then again what is worst case free for all outcome. Someone pays our best U17 player some solid money to keep him in the league for the short term. If he develops he can go overseas if not he gets paid his 2nd contract compenserate with his developing ability. I really don't see alot of bad in paying young players what they need in a domestic environment. Its not alot of money in the long run for the few players that fit the elite category. Oh well you're right in that what the MLS thinks and my ideas are a pipe dream for now.