[chapulincolorado]

Is CD Chivas USA planning to scout or start academies in the US to develop Mexican-American/Latino youts?

[Atom'sDad]

They do have over 70 in Mexico and so I would think they would open some up here. I would say maybe 2 in CA and 1 each in AZ, NM and TX.

[chapulincolorado]

Originally Posted by Atom'sDad

They do have over 70 in Mexico and so I would think they would open some up here. I would say maybe 2 in CA and 1 each in AZ, NM and TX.

I hope so. Futbol has grown so much as a sport in our region, Lower Rio Grande valley, Texas, that I have always felt that it has never been properly channeled by those w/i our region and those outside the region, specially USSF or MLS. The talent is there. Hopefully, with a CDCHIVASUSA academia in the Valley, the connection between our community (Chicano community) mand MLS and professional futbol grows. Maybe. Who knows. A chabalo from McAllen can grow up to wear a CD CHIVAS USA jersey.

[efernandez9]

daniel hernandez is from the small tejano town of Tyler

played for MLS with the mutiny and now with Necaxa

[CCTX SoccerFreak]

Originally Posted by efernandez9

daniel hernandez is from the small tejano town of Tyler

played for MLS with the mutiny and now with Necaxa

That's true but Tyler is easily 9hrs away from us in South Texas. I agree with ECC that it would be nice to see a kid from the South Texas wearing ANY kind of pro jersey! There IS a lot of talent in this area that people just don't come down to check out as a matter of fact we have to go out to show our kids. Texas is huge! When I say go out, I mean 8 to 9 hrs away from your hometown to be seen by the folks that need to see you or your kids to get a good look as a prospect. I'm not frustrated...

[swedcrip34]

A serious problem in Texas is the lack of college soccer programs other than SMU (rest are smaller schools). Florida has the same problem (USF only). A kid that wants to go to UF (or FSU - say the kid lost his mind) or UT-Austin (or Texas A&M, Texas Tech) has to choose between that and playing college soccer.

[chapulincolorado]

Originally Posted by swedcrip34

A serious problem in Texas is the lack of college soccer programs other than SMU (rest are smaller schools). Florida has the same problem (USF only). A kid that wants to go to UF (or FSU - say the kid lost his mind) or UT-Austin (or Texas A&M, Texas Tech) has to choose between that and playing college soccer.

Word!

My alma mater. UT-Pan American. Has NO soccer program. No soccer stadium. No nothing. We only have a new baseball stadium because we are sharing it with a professional baseball team (RoadRunners). We have a basketball team that is a disgrace. No american football team cuz it costs to much and, anyway, no stadium. We used to have a student run team, but like any student club, without support from administration, it didn't go anywhere. Sad. Our region (Hidalgo, Starr, Willacy, and Cameron Counties) produces great players and state champions (Brownsville Lope HS Los Lobos Class 4A 2004 State Champions ), and we have about four to five soccer academies just in my county (Border Bandits, Cruz Azul, Atlas, and Tigres Academies). But. No local university to channel all that sports knowledge and caliber.

What happens is that many universities like in San Antonio, UT-Austin, and those outside Texas recruit them. Great for our youth. But. I just hope we could provide that same experience in our university.

[CCTX SoccerFreak]

Originally Posted by swedcrip34

A serious problem in Texas is the lack of college soccer programs other than SMU (rest are smaller schools). Florida has the same problem (USF only). A kid that wants to go to UF (or FSU - say the kid lost his mind) or UT-Austin (or Texas A&M, Texas Tech) has to choose between that and playing college soccer.

Amen. That's the problem.

[swedcrip34]

I did a search a while back and was shocked to see how few schools at any level in TX and the surrounding states (NM, OK, LA, AR, NE, etc) have NCAA programs.

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showp...2&postcount=55

that's where I did the search

it's a catch-22 type situation because until more programs start teams, others have noone to play (travel costs become prohibitive if noone is within driving distance)

[ezpatari]

In answer to a specific questoin, Tonio Cue definitely said at the Chivas reception earlier this month they would begin with two schools, probably at least one in Los Angeles, for starters, and definitely using the operating model that has worked for them in Mexico. He said that we should be patient, that it would take a long time, that it was necessarily a long-term investment, but that it would roll out in the USA just as it has in Mexico.