The tide is turning - NFL? no thanks

[Zitor]

Often we read stories of how kids play soccer and in high school they change to other sports.
Here is Kyle Brown's story taking advantage of what MLS offers to the ones that pursue their dream of being pro in Soccer. Although it doesn't mean a deep change, it might mean an example to others to hang in there, that there is hope in the sport they loved in their youth.


Carroll grad turning into a Real deal (http://www.star-telegram.com/549/story/251342.html)

"...and in football, he amassed 87 catches, 1,381 yards and 13 touchdowns receiving and more than 2,000 all-purpose yards"

[Bill Schmidt]

These discussions about a young athlete's choice of sports often focus on the amount of money available to American pro athletes in soccer vs. some other sport. I think it's odd to assume that factor is a major one in the decisions of all but a few 13-15-year-old athletes. At that age, even for future all-star pro athletes, a pro career is far from guaranteed. I think the high-school status associated with a particular sport is a more common consideration at that age. Those differences can be realized immediately.

[Beau Dure]

Bocanegra was a solid high school gridiron player, too.

For that matter, Wanchope was a hoops star.

[boomersooner027]

To play for Southlake Carroll(and yes they recruit from all over the DFW metroplex), you've gotta be the best of the best. These guys have lost 1 game in like 4 years and that was a couple of weeks ago to the #2(they took Carroll's #1 spot) team in the nation. Probably half their games are on the local FSN here in Dallas and they'll get 40k people for their playoff games in Texas stadium.

[sidefootsitter]

Money-wise, while world soccer rarely pays as well as the NFL for the free agent offensive linemen, there are way more jobs available that allow one to retire comfortably at the age of 33-35.

All one has to do is to get the hell out of MLS to have a chance at that.

[Hed7181]

Money-wise, while world soccer rarely pays as well as the NFL for the free agent offensive linemen, there are way more jobs available that allow one to retire comfortably at the age of 33-35.

All one has to do is to get the hell out of MLS to have a chance at that.

or be good enough in MLS to earn a higher salary.

Adin Brown admitted that he was earning less in Norway than he was in MLS. Charlie Davies admitted that he was offered more money to play in MLS rather than Sweden, but could not be guaranteed the team of his choice so he picked Hammarby.

It is true that the minimum in MLS is very very low, but the opportunity exists, just like in other leagues, to earn more. Of course, there are some leagues that will always pay more than MLS. That's obvious, but who's to say the players earning low numbers in MLS could get a deal in one of these leagues (I would site the Greg Dalby case, even though he has finally found a team in Belgium).

This whole debate over player salaries and earning potential is not as simple as you make it sound.

[sch2383]

Money-wise, while world soccer rarely pays as well as the NFL for the free agent offensive linemen, there are way more jobs available that allow one to retire comfortably at the age of 33-35.

I believe you need to hang on a roster for 3 seasons to start getting a pension from the player's union that is in the 6 figures.

[Sandon Mibut]

This is nothing new.

Taylor Twellman went to Maryland on a baseball scholarship.

Jay Heaps played hoops at Duke.

Kyle Beckerman was a state champion wrestler in HS in Maryalnd. (His older brother was a total bad-ass in wrestling and went on to wrestle at Nebraska.)

Johann Smith was a HS track star in Connecticut.

Tony Meola played baseball at Virginia.

Chris Gbandi, Carl Bussey and Jason Thompson were D-I football prospects in Texas. (Not as kickers, btw,)

Tim Howard was a highly regarded HS basketball player in New Jersey.

Zach Thornton was a lacrosse midfielder at Loyoa. (That's D-I lacrosse.

Brad Friedel was all-state in basketball in Ohio and asked to walk-on to UCLA's basketball team. (He didn't because of soccer conflicts.)

As Beau noted, Carlos Bocanegra was a D-I football prospect. (Not as a kicker.)

Jamie Swanner (look him up if you don't know) played baseball at Clemson.

Kyle Rote, Jr., played football at SMU. (Not as a kicker.)

Bruce Arena was a star lacrosse player at Cornell.

Hell, I think one of the guys on the Game of Their Lives team in 1950 played minor league baseball.

The point is, getting great athletes isn't the problem, and hasn't been for awhile. On the other hand, getting players with great technical skill and keel tactical understanding...?

[grumpdogg]

Often we read stories of how kids play soccer and in high school they change to other sports.
Here is Kyle Brown's story taking advantage of what MLS offers to the ones that pursue their dream of being pro in Soccer. Although it doesn't mean a deep change, it might mean an example to others to hang in there, that there is hope in the sport they loved in their youth.


Carroll grad turning into a Real deal (http://www.star-telegram.com/549/story/251342.html)

"...and in football, he amassed 87 catches, 1,381 yards and 13 touchdowns receiving and more than 2,000 all-purpose yards"

As a person living in the area who watches a lot of hs football, it doesn't surprise me that Brown had good stats at Southlake Carroll. Their offense is so advanced and refined versus most teams in the state that they can pretty much plug players in and they will do well. Carroll doesn't have the best players in the are, but they teach the team offense and defensive systems starting in middle school and they have a ton of money for their facilities so they basically crush everyone in the state.

[The Prophet]

To play for Southlake Carroll(and yes they recruit from all over the DFW metroplex), you've gotta be the best of the best. These guys have lost 1 game in like 4 years and that was a couple of weeks ago to the #2(they took Carroll's #1 spot) team in the nation. Probably half their games are on the local FSN here in Dallas and they'll get 40k people for their playoff games in Texas stadium.

I though it was illegal to recruite at the high school level in texas. UIL has laws about recruiting.

[boomersooner027]

I though it was illegal to recruite at the high school level in texas. UIL has laws about recruiting.

Of course it is, you think that stops them though? Also, they are much too large of a district for just one school but they know if they put in another high school their football team will suffer.

[Maitreya]

And what position would Carlos Bocanegra have played in Div-I Am. football? He looks slow on the soccer field, and he's no giant by gridiron standards. The only positions a person with his size could play are: corner, safety, kicker, punter, quarterback, wide receiver, and running back. His lack of speed eliminates all but qb, kicker and punter, and maybe safety (a stretch).

[Beau Dure]

And what position would Carlos Bocanegra have played in Div-I Am. football? He looks slow on the soccer field, and he's no giant by gridiron standards. The only positions a person with his size could play are: corner, safety, kicker, punter, quarterback, wide receiver, and running back. His lack of speed eliminates all but qb, kicker and punter, and maybe safety (a stretch).

WR/DB
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/2003-10-29-bocanegra-chicago-fire_x.htm

[Maitreya]

WR/DB
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/2003-10-29-bocanegra-chicago-fire_x.htm

Thanks for the link. I still think he would have been one of the slowest db/wrs in Div-I. He better have had great hands.

[Beau Dure]

Thanks for the link.

Always happy to confuse the page-view counters by linking to a 4-year-old story of mine. :)

[peledre]

These discussions about a young athlete's choice of sports often focus on the amount of money available to American pro athletes in soccer vs. some other sport. I think it's odd to assume that factor is a major one in the decisions of all but a few 13-15-year-old athletes. At that age, even for future all-star pro athletes, a pro career is far from guaranteed. I think the high-school status associated with a particular sport is a more common consideration at that age. Those differences can be realized immediately.

So we just need to start paying cute high school girls to hang out with the soccer players instead of the gridiron players and we'll be on our way!

[AndSomeAreAngels]

So we just need to start paying cute high school girls to hang out with the soccer players instead of the gridiron players and we'll be on our way!

If that's the case, then I don't think there's a problem. All the hotties at my high school definitely flocked to the soccer players.

[tambo]

Yeah, I've never understood this (occasional) perception either. During my time on the earth, soccer players -- high school and elsewhere -- have always landed the hotties.

In fact, in my high school, it was the soccer and baseball players who always did best with the chicks. There were a couple of golden-god football players (the quarterback, for instance, is almost always gonna enjoy that role), but otherwise the football guys were pretty much the fat, dumb dudes. They may have gotten girls, but they certainly didn't get THE girls.

[striker]

Taylor Twellman went to Maryland on a baseball scholarship.

Didn't Twellman turn down a Yankee's (minor league) contract to sign for MLS? Somehow, I have this "factoid" stuck in my head. IIRC, his grandfather also played for the Yankees. Am I totally out of my mind?

[ToMhIlL]

Didn't Twellman turn down a Yankee's (minor league) contract to sign for MLS? Somehow, I have this "factoid" stuck in my head. IIRC, his grandfather also played for the Yankees. Am I totally out of my mind?You're close. Twellman had a chance to play for the Royals, and his grandfatehr played for the St. Louis Browns, who were the forerunners of the Baltimore Orioles. His father, Tim, played in the NASL for Minnesota, and was a pretty good player, one of the better Americans in the league. I think one of his uncles was a PGA tour pro golfer, and his mom was a great athlete as well. Good genes in that family.