http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3360421 Article above says Becks is to found two initial academies, one in Los Angeles and one in London. Could bode very well for youth in the states unable or unwilling to pursue the college route.
I hate to be a wet blanket but it might be a for-profit venture that has nothing but his named attached.
Brand name marketing. If my son were good enough to be a potential professional, this would be the last place in the world I would send him. OK, the 3rd from last, because Ajax Orlando and the rumored Real Madrid Houston academy occupy the bottom 2 spots. I'm a sucker for Euro thieves, but not that much of a sucker.
A local soccer club that has a history of putting out professionals. Chicago Sockers would be an example, with one alum at Man U (Spector), several in MLS, and a couple more currently at Bradenton.
John, I certainly would say a place like Chicago Sockers under Dave Richardson would be a good option I agree with you. I think another option often missed is that very often some smaller clubs will have outstanding coaches who may be every bit as good as anything a big name club like Sockers have. For instance in Illinois I think while club's like HUSA or Rockford Raptors might not be able to compete at every age group I think the teams coached by Marc McElligott at HUSA and Frank Mateus at Rockford Raptors are teams who get every bit as good a soccer education as players at bigger name clubs. I think looking at individual coaches is important in considering options as well.
Are you a U14 fan? OK, I guess U15 this year ... At any rate, I agree. The big-name clubs are not the only options for development. Eddie Gaven played for a smaller-name club on a team that never advanced past the state cup quarterfinals. Looks like he did OK for himself. Better than if he would have been forking over his parents' hard-earned money to a European brand-marketing academy!
Of course the club youth system has turned out just about every American born player that has ever played professionally...simply because there is no academy system in place with pro-teams. I wasn't clear from reading the article whether it will offer free scholarships or be a pay as you go financial venture for money to burn parents with delusions of granduer about their kids soccer abilities. I like the former, am cynical about the latter. But back to the youth club system... I still maintain - and have harped on like a broken record on this issue - that the mechanism for professional development in the states is woefully lacking. The recognition system in my opinion allows far too many youth players with obvious high potential to slip through the net, and eventually just give up the game. This occurs for a variety of reasons: Lack political connections, poor school grades, unstable homelives, uninvolved parents or just plain bad luck. Bradenton feeds from the ODP system, which itself is primarily a feeder system to college coaches rather than an organ focused purely on soccer talent. Any American kid who is not recognised by the ODP system by age 16 has hit the brick wall potential-wise, unless like my 17 y/o he has a British passport and can trial with teams in the UK as he is presently doing.
A quote from the article: Why do I see this point being raised time and time again by British media. How much did Beckham's soccer status in the US really get boosted by that? I think his SPORTS status would be truely boosted by appearing on the front cover of Sports Illustrated or ESPN the Magazine--not Vanity Fair. It doesn't seem to have made that big of an effect--so many people in this country still don't know who David Beckham is (personally, I think that Beckham's interview on SportsCenter last summer had a bigger effect than appearing on Vanity Fair)
Great post. I fully agree. However, as problematic as the current youth system is, it is preferable to a cynical Euro-venture that preys on U.S. youths' hopes so as to sell team merchandise. Words are cheap. The admission to Ajax Orlando's "discovery" camps is not. P.S. My 11 year old is eligible for a Lithuanian passport. However, as I remind him when his head swells after scoring a couple of goals, no professional side would find any use for him, not even the now-defunct WUSA.
Haha. Careful John, junior may just have dad eating crow in the not too distant future as he bangs his fourth hattrick of the season in for Atlantas Klaipeda. Glad you clarified your position regarding the Euro academies, since i think a scenario like the one you cite above would only further poison the well in the development of American youth soccer, and be kind of sickening actually. As it is, ODP requires time and additional money that many working class parents can ill aford on the back of already burdensome club fees and tournament costs ensuring a largely privilaged team body. There are some positive notes though in my opinion in that many professional foreign clubs now have full-time scouts touring the States in search of eligible talent. These include teams from Mexico & England that I am aware of, and most certainly from other nations too. My kid is currently awaiting a yes or no from Dunfermline Athletic of Scotland after being asked to stay on an additional month after his intial 10 day trial. He spent years at premier level youth, yet apparently never excited ODP scouts enough to be invited to trial for that program. At 17 (this Sunday) he had nothing to lose by giving the academy system in the UK an opportunity to review him.
Congrats and good luck indeed Shannon. I had a team mate of mine spend some time at Raith Rovers when they were in the SPL. OK yes I know that was a very short spell He didn't quite make it at that level but you never really know which player will be the one to make it. It is not always the one obvious kid who was clearly the star at the younger ages. John, yes HUSA and Raptors now U15 teams are obviously those clubs top teams but I think we both agree even aside from teams like that sometimes parents get caught up with the bright lights so to speak of the big name clubs when often smaller clubs will have some teams that are superbly coached such as the HUSA and Raptors teams under McElligott and Mateus.
I had heard that it was Spector's father who did most of the training for his son. Clubs like sockers and wind do not provide enough individual skills training. True?
True.........Big clubs like Magic and Sockers emphasise team work over individual skills.Most good players supplement their training with private skills coaching.
True. American clubs give a backbone of basic skills & tactics training, along with the opportunity to play competitive games. But unlike some of the European development programs, which are time- and skills-intensive and which can be pretty much a full-blown course of soccer instruction in and of themselves (i.e., Everton having Wayne Rooney 6 days per week from a very young age), the American clubs are no more than a starting point. They must be supplemented by a lot of other work.
Who, then, can afford to do that!??! I guess if I want my kid to be a good soccer player, I need to get another job to pay for not only already expensive traveling team cost but also private training cost. Are their any clubs in Chicago/north suburbs where a kid can get both team and individual training?
I don't know that I would go along with that...Just because Spector (allegedly) did individual skills trainning with his dad, is not an indication that diamond in the rough players will only fully realise their potential by having a one-on-one several times a week with a former Athletico Madrid player. I did my best as a mediocre player (and I abuse the term) during my son's young age (3 -4) to teach my American born son as much as I knew having grown up in England about kicking a ball. Bottom line is he learned a cart-load (this is a youth forum right?) from guys who coached his AYSO teams who in all likelyhood couldn't kick their way out of a wet paper bag - He learned basic rules, and basic teamsmanship from those thankless, work-tired men that put in their spare time in to teach a few ragamuffins to enjoy this most lovely of games. later he would join the California club soccer circuit, with it's more intensive results focused matches. He learned from some really classy coaches (Americans for the most part) most of the skills he acquired that have enabled him to trial with top teams in the UK at 16/17 years of age (I'm still waiting, so watch this post). This country CAN learn from those that have developed the game into its modern form with regards to youth development, but it is the sheer numbers of children exposed to the sport that America has by far eclipsed the rest of the world. Youth soccer should not be a cause to remortgage the home, since it is affordable if not ridiculously indulged, plus most top clubs have a scholarship system for the families that really find the funds hard to find. my son's comments about trying to reach the top level are that it requires a level of time-dedication that means other diversions take a huge backseat (6 hour training 6 days a week...seventh day training college). He didn't have one one one coaches....and in fact none of his U19 scholars ever did either. You've got it or you aint...but the nice thing about football is even if you don't have the ability, you can enjoy it as a pure pastime.