It's going to be interesting. The Washington Spirit are planning a full tier of youth teams and touting it as a way of grooming talent for the professional team, but that's all out the window if their products have to go through the usual college draft.
I see what you're saying, but there are some major difference between the sports in college and professionally. There are no other legit pro (american) football leagues in the rest of the world and the professional basketball leagues around the world are a few notches below ours. The professional women's soccer leagues of Europe are much better than the current league in USA and you can make an argument just as good as our WPS when it was around... just different circumstances between the sports and money and quality of play...
I agree they arent gonna stop young players who choose Europe over college, but they can restrict the age of players in the league within limits. Certainly, if they chose, they could only accept players over 21 except for special circumstances. There will always be exceptional players who have the opportunies abroad at a young age. What I would think they will try and stem, is large numbers of players going straight to NWSL after high school, which would hurt the free college feeder system.
First, I think you're overestimating the number of players who will want to go NWSL straight after high school to avoid college. For better or worse, the thinking is college first right now. Second, I don't think there really is anything that needs to be protected. As mentioned, only the exceptional will want to and have the opportunity to skipp college ball in favor of pro ball, and honestly, if they want to do so, they should have the opportunity to do so. And if it should come that large numbers skip and -- so ...? As mentioned in the NCAA threads, the NCAA wants to play many players while winning, which is not necessarily the same as preparing players for pro. And they're pretty set in their ways, from what I understand. It'd be different if the NCAA rules were more close to FIFA's (i.e. the ones they'll play under as pros) and was more like a second div. league but it's not. It's a different thing with different goals and as such, should be treated differently. That shouldn't prevent teams that train up youth players and second teams from being able to keep their players. There's no incentive for the teams to set up youth development and feeder systems then! There will always be players who want to play college ball: maybe that's their limit (or they don't want to play higher) and that's where they want to be. And college ball will be there for them.
Problem is it will be the cream. Only the best high school age players will consider going league rather than college. So let's say only 12 do it. That's not a big number. Course after four years NCAA has lost 48 of the best young players in the country. What's the parallel? High school soccer. How many top soccer players actually play soccer for their school? Most play for a club instead. Course this is all speculation. Nothing has been mentioned about the league not accepting players before their college class graduates.
... Okay. I see no problem with this. If they are adults and consent to do so (such as giving up eligibility and entering the draft or just skipping entirely), I again see no reason why the league should specifically prohibit such. I think the bigger issue will just be that most players are not ready at that age so it's probably not a good idea for them.
Actually under these circumstances I would say that it is a high number . How many just graduaded players made it into WPS/year?
I find it interesting we talk about the quality of the European leagues, but send over an 18 year old to France, still nursing an injury and suffering from a language deficit, and she scores 7 goals in her first 9 games. I realize she plays for one of the best French teams and there is a huge imbalance in the league, but if a recent HS grad came into NWSL and did that, we would be absolutely stunned.
Well it's a dumb decision. This isnt the NBA or NFL where a borderline pro is still set for life. For most of the players who even make it in the league, there going to end up supporting themselves from their college degree not their pro soccer career. They prohibit it in basketball and football because they want the college game to thrive. It's not only a free feeder system but also builds the fan base for the pro league. How many times have u heard U of Portland referenced when talking bout the Portland Thorns?
Ur prolly right, I just picked a number. It would be interesting to compare the WPS numbers. I still think the Horan decision helps Horan but doesnt help soccer. As for it helping the WNT, Id be more excited if she played a position of need.
You don't build a bunch of rules for problems you don't have. The money isn't there in the pro league by a large margin. You will not see dozens, or even a handful of players skipping college to play in NWSL. The option has existed for players to go the Lindsey Horan route for many years, but she was the first to take it. Before the top players can skip college there have to be coaches/teams that would take them and pay them. The market is not there yet.
Well, look at baseball. How many high school seniors turn down full baseball scholarships a year to enter the notoriously poor paying minor league baseball system. They do it because cash in hand looks a lot better to an 18 yo who is convinced he'll be a star someday even tho most dont make the big leagues. In my opinion Horan made a huge mistake. I dont know what an out of state student pays for a for a 4 year education at UNC but im sure it's sizable. She missed out on leaving with a college education to fall back on. She missed out on the college experience which would have included at least one national championship. What she got was cash, and a nice amount considering she's an unproven commodity. She got much better playing environment against better competition. But does that guarantee her the WNT spot she seems to crave? Not really. US is loaded at forward, most of them young. She could have gotten the free education, still gone to Europe and played afterwards and then gotten onto the USWNT at exactly the same time.
Horan didn't even play on her high school team according to her bio, just played for a local club team. What is the thought process behind that from her family's point of view? Is she just being groomed from a young age to only play for club teams? Seems like her case is very extreme.
Even the most expensive undergrad tuition (i.e. Harvard or something) is prob. only around 40k. UNC is 28k. For 4 years, 120k. (Well, 112k but whatever.) So, she's making net 60k in her 3rd year + whatever she makes her 4th. It's not like she's now barred from going to college and her team is helping to pay for her studies anyway in Paris. If she likes Paris, picks up enough French, she could just attend a Paris university. Paris has a fair amount of top-ranked universities. *shrugs* Nothing's guaranteed but she's definitely in the conversation a lot earlier than her peers (and yes, being the first means that a lot of the USSF officials and coaches know who she is). See the fact that no one talks about bringing Green into USWNT camp early. People are fine with seeing Horan in a year or so (and some have even said bring her in the Feb. camp).
Schools go over 40k, and that's not including living expenses, but i still like you said "only". ;-) Might as well go for 6 years and enjoy it if it's only 35 K. wish i would have. This whole adult/responsibility thing is highly over-rated, especially with this recent economy.
Green has a lot of skill but is a bit of a project. She's a big scorer against bad teams but has trouble with defenses that make her work for it. She's also a high school senior, or should be so she has some maturing to do. Hopeful she reaches her potential. It's my guess PSG paying her education was how she got her parents to sign off on it. Her comment on skipping UNC was I dont like studying anyway.
Lot's of them just play club now. They get much better competition and coaching but miss out on something as well.
summer green just won national championship with UNC. Agree about her game tho.. I've watched her a few times, she has potential, not there yet. I'm very excited to see Horan.. and Press on Nat team. and Dunn (sorry, at right back, I know she wants to be a winger) And Engen..where the hell is she? And Morgan Brian and JJ as holding mid..fun times ahead.
Yeah. Did great against CONCACAF U-17 CBs but had a ton of trouble with the U-17 international caliber CBs in the U-17 WWC. That French CB shut her down really well.
And maybe the most impressive one in the pipe is Roccaro. Only 18 and already a solid defender. Actually wants to play a position of need. Tall and mobil. Already plays like she 25. Isnt Engen playing in Liverpoole?
Quite a few of the top female girls in my area(and now almost all the academy boys) are skipping high school soccer. I know Horan's club, Colorado Rush has a special program called The Center where kids come for training before school up to 5 days per week. that is on top of their regular team trainings three days per week. Top level training from top level coaches. Every day. Rush also has an open training policy where players can drop in to other team's practices as well. So, if your body can take it, you could up to 10 trainings per week plus a game. Other than the ego pumping cheering from the sidelines and the chance to play at DSGP stadium (assuming there are 10 other serviceable players to get you there), I'm not seeing the advantages to going the High School soccer route. If your goal is to be a professional (or get a top level scholarship), the environment Rush has created for these girls works (at least for Horan and four all americans on the current U18s it did). Horan has always said she wanted to be a pro. Schooling was secondary as it is for many top level athletes. She's getting paid to play professional soccer in freakin PARIS, the club is putting away money for future schooling (college isn't going away) and she is setting herself up for a nice coaching career in the future (what she has said she wants to do as a career).
Yeah and because silly high schools have rules against working teenagers like pros This has been the trend for a while now and not only in soccer. Kids specialize early in one sport instead of playing a variety. They chose a club environment instead of representing their school. While I have no doubt it aids them in the quest for a pro chance, I wonder if they arent sacrificing too much to soon.
totally agree with you. she was the only 18 year old / high schooler on the u20 team and she was starting... she has a huge upside.... Dunn and JJ stole the limelight but she is very smart/good defender.
Its the signing bonus for those kids that the big $, but you are right that the regular minor league salaries are relatively low.
I usually ignore the ridiculous discussions that brew up here since all it would do is keep the fire going on this thread and lead to nowhere but I had to comment about this. Horan can do whatever the heck she wants since she's 18 and legally an adult, however assuming that you'll get on the USWNT and skipping what would have been considered a free education at a quality university(Something many impoverished families would dream for their children) is either a really stupid idea or a really genius idea depending on if she played her cards right. It's a huge risk though and if she gets severely injured can can't play, what future does she have now? She has no education, nothing to fall back on. The money that she earns from her club team in Paris, she'll most likely blow off partying, and living a high life. As for someone who said she'll go a university "eventually"... that sounds realllllly promising... Lastly, ALL OF OUR GREATEST US FEMALE SOCCER PLAYERS WENT TO UNIVERSITIES and they have stood the test of time and matured into wonderful people. Keep in mind that I'm an educator so I guess I am a bit bias and would never tell any of my students to skip out on education for a temporary career...