Home territory

[ATPDC]

Sorry if that has been discussed already but can somebody tell he what DCU's home territory encompasses? Additionally, does this mean that other clubs cannot develop players in this area or simply DCU has first priority. On the college front, does DCU have first dibs on college players in that area if they put them in the system prior to a draft?

Thanks.

[JoeSoccerFan]

the world, but particurlarly throughout the US

[GUTuna]

This doesn't contain the firm answer on what DC United's home territory is for youth development but does indicate that the area may vary widely. It's a good look at the youth system overall.

http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_4946274

"Reportedly, Chivas and the Galaxy each have a 70-mile radius around the Home Depot Center, while a team is a less populated area like Kansas City might have multiple states."

One would think we would get DC/MD/VA at least. The key question is if we get the Amish Country and Philly areas or if we would have to open an academy there to tap that talent (like Chicago has done in Mississippi).

[revelation]

DC United's home territory:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/earth_1_apollo17_big.gif

And we have the other side too... :)

There are no rules in MLS about "dibs" on players from colleges. MLS just implemented youth team development, whereby the team can pull players from their youth development team without sending them into the draft. But this just went into effect and DC United doesn't have a youth development team system.

[JoeSoccerFan]

Sorry if that has been discussed already but can somebody tell he what DCU's home territory encompasses? Additionally, does this mean that other clubs cannot develop players in this area or simply DCU has first priority. On the college front, does DCU have first dibs on college players in that area if they put them in the system prior to a draft?

Thanks.

Excluding the youth academies, no one has a priority according to locale in the draft.

As far as youth academies, it's new and I'll defer to someone who may have been following this development.

[DangerMouse37]

I was going to say the same. Earth, though we are trying to expand.

[Aaron Stollar]

One would think we would get DC/MD/VA at least. The key question is if we get the Amish Country and Philly areas or if we would have to open an academy there to tap that talent (like Chicago has done in Mississippi).

Do we get North Carolina as well? I know more and more players are coming out of the CASL in Raleigh amongst other programs.

[monster]

I don't know if anyone noticed, but a hidden story from Flordia brought up a part of the youth development program that was not discussed before.

As per the MLS Youth Development Program, clubs are allowed to affiliate with two clubs outside of their normal geographic zone.

http://www.soccerfla.com/2006/20061222.htm

So we will probably have a MD/DC/VA territory and need to find two spots to grab elsewhere. RSL will have Tampa and Phoenix, according to that story.

[John_Harkes_6]

I don't know if anyone noticed, but a hidden story from Flordia brought up a part of the youth development program that was not discussed before.



http://www.soccerfla.com/2006/20061222.htm

So we will probably have a MD/DC/VA territory and need to find two spots to grab elsewhere. RSL will have Tampa and Phoenix, according to that story.

I vote Philly

[monster]

I vote Philly
I wonder if there could be a fight over Philly between DCU and RBNY.

[SteveWWJ]

I vote Philly
Yep, FC Delco wouldn't be a bad club to pair with.

And definitely one in NC.

Either a Charlotte area club or one in the Raleigh/Durham/Greensboro/Winston-Salem area.

Also, Atlanta or Orlando wouldn't be bad either.

[Z010 Union]

I wonder if there could be a fight over Philly between DCU and RBNY.


Philly will have Philly in 08.

[nobletea]

I wonder if there could be a fight over Philly between DCU and RBNY.


Or between DCU, RBNY, and Philly?

I assume teams would have to give up rights to players not registered with academies in expansion areas after expansion.

Question then, is it worth it to claim a territory or spent resources on the area if it's likely to be handed over, ie. Philly?

[SteveWWJ]

Considering the number of quality players that have come out of the Philly area, I'd think that even just a year's worth of resources spent there may be worth it.

[PhillyMLS]

I vote Philly

Actually there is a very good question buried in here. Lets say you guys set up shop in the Philly area. What happens if Philly gets a team? You have already set up a foundation in the area and all of a sudden get kicked out? What about the teams you would have already been training? You might have several players you like that have been playing for you for 2 years but are only 15 and not really old enough to be brought into the first team. Do you lose them now despite your interest? This is actually a question for across the board because there are at least 2 areas (assuming NY gets a "2nd" team, 3 if they don't) that will have their own team by 2010 and their own home area that a team may have set up shop. The question only gets more complicated in 10 years if a team moves into a market where someone has had a presence for 8 to 10 years.

[mcontento]

DC United's home territory:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/earth_1_apollo17_big.gif



Madagascar!

[PhillyMLS]

Considering the number of quality players that have come out of the Philly area, I'd think that even just a year's worth of resources spent there may be worth it.

Except that you have to have a player in your system for 2 years in order to qualify to sign him. That means you'd be able to sign him in 2009 if the team established a youth market there right now. However, I have a feeling that any Philly team would set-up a youth establishement as soon as they were announced in order to start the clock on being able to sign local players as quickly as possible.

[SteveWWJ]

Ya, that 2 year thing is the catch... although, if DC were to start players in their system, I think MLS would have a tiger by the tail, if they then told DC's front office:

"Oh by the way, those kids you've spent all these resources on over the past year... we're just going to give them to the Philly team. Sorry about that".

It makes sense to me, that DC would retain those kids' rights who were in the DC system prior to Philly's announcement, and going forward, Philly would control the market.

[Th4119]

So we will probably have a MD/DC/VA territory and need to find two spots to grab elsewhere. RSL will have Tampa and Phoenix, according to that story.

Does Bradenton fall under the Tampa regoin? Would that automatically give RSL rights to the IMG players or would it defer to their hometown?

It may not matter because the IMG kids wouldn't leave their program to be on the RSL youth squad, but does the rights to the players continue even if they're trained by another program in the team's region?

[Winoman]

Ya, that 2 year thing is the catch... although, if DC were to start players in their system, I think MLS would have a tiger by the tail, if they then told DC's front office:

"Oh by the way, those kids you've spent all these resources on over the past year... we're just going to give them to the Philly team. Sorry about that".

It makes sense to me, that DC would retain those kids' rights who were in the DC system prior to Philly's announcement, and going forward, Philly would control the market.

You're a reasonable man, SteveWWJ. ;)