Hey guys, In about a month im turning 19 and currently play for a local mens team and its very competitive ( everyones fit, some get paid , etc ) Is there any advice someone here with experience can give me? am i getting to old and is my time running out? PS: This is in the states, and no i dont play college ball for specific reasons. Thanks!
What state do you live in, what league do you play in, is the division you play the leagues best division? Why are you not being paid to play, what positions do you play? The MLS teams had open tryouts one or twice a year. Contact the team you want to tryout for and send them your players ressume. Do soccer people in your state know who you are and that you can really play.
getting to old at 19? deppends on your current level and ambitions. If you cant play as a starting member in a local team then i would say that its too late for you too dream to get into an MLS team(though i dont really whatch football in america so i wouldnt know if the level is high or whatnot). If you are a good player however and are just missing the extra step than it is certantly not too late. if you are not getting noticed then you are not playing to your strenghts... what are your strenghts, how can you use them to the benefit of the team? are you playing in a postion that plays to your strenghts? what would you like to see in a player if you were a coach? are you doing that? Ask these questions to yourself and work on it, 19 years old is nothing if you train right...
You only need to be seen that one time, I know from experience, and if the time is right youll know. Alot of scouts hide but you can pick them out
Not too old. I spoke to a member of a development team staff for an MLS team and they said they usually cap it off at about 25. Besides being an awesome player, try to network properly so the right people see you.
Teams in the NASL (2nd division) and USL PRO (3rd division) have tryouts every year. Even some teams in the mls have tryouts. You should check teams websites for information or attend a usl combine. Also, if your ok with playing pro indoor/arena soccer you could go to MISL or PASL tryouts. Both are pretty popular the MISL has an average attendance of over 4,000 and the PASL has an average attendance of 1,300. You are definitly not too old to go pro. Good luck, I hope this helps.
In all honesty, if I were you i'd go to another country. I know independiente in Argentina has a good program. So does Sao Paulo FC and Flamengo.