Came across this article a few days ago on how young prospects struggle to balance themselves between academy and high school commitments. Most significant quote, IMO, is from a kid talking about how colleges scout players: Academy teams are the main platform to get players playing at the next level, which is problem for non academy players. If you don’t play academy it is very hard to be seen by even “average” D1 schools. If that's true, we've got a big issue on our hands. If the academy is the primary way forward, how many kids are we leaving behind because of geographic, scouting issues?
Well really any of the lower divisions of soccer. As they become more organized. Players who are in those non MLS academy areas. Some will still be playing at the college level of NCAA DI, DI mid majors, DII schools. Most of those players will go on and play for different PDL clubs in the summer. A PDL club from the area in which they live and may go home in the summer. A club that is within a region of their school and other schools. They will play against MLS Academy U-23 clubs and/or a scouting area of a MLS club or now an NASL club. Players may or may not get drafted among the MLS drafts. They may ended up playing on the USLPro DIII or NASL club and work their way that route to the MLS. Just off the top of my head Luke Mullholland may not be the best example because he is an English National but he did play at a DII school, then in the PDL in the summer. Moved onto the then formation of USLPro DIII to NASL DII and now into the MLS.
He loses credibility as an objective observer with many of his comments. So I take his comment that if you don't play academy it is very hard to be seen by even 'average' D1 schools. SU who is in the top 10 has many academy and non-academy players as one example. Many, Many colleges are also not near academy teams so I find it very hard to believe they are not recruiting their local proximity of players sufficient for their level school. If they aren't that's on them and not on academy football. We also falsely believe that every college coach will be able to see every talented player for that level school. Its also up to the player to be 'seen' and get recruited by the colleges they want to pursue. Its not always one way traffic as passive scouting is only one way to be seen. Players have to be active in the process too.
Maybe a bit off topic but I think that every pro sport in the North America US/Canada is that there needs to be other options for players coming out of HS opposed to just going through college athletics. going to a traditional college is not for everyone. Baseball has had minor league development for years and to an extent in Canada Junior Hockey is a great route for players to get to the NHL.
There are more than 200 D1 schools. All the academies in the country can't fill the recruiting classes for the top half of NCAA D1, and I'm not even counting walk-ons.
Another reason simple logic proves that many of the HS coaches lose a great deal of credibility in the 'debate'.
Hey wrote the article. Thanks for reading! Counted 77 DAs. Rosters looked like they held around 20 kids. Divided by 205 D1 schools, that's 7 1/2 incoming freshmen per school, not counting incoming internationals or transfers. Obviously not all the players are going to go D1 though. I definitely agree about the scouting not being one way. It's not that hard to put together a highlight vid and send it to a coach these days. I will say that Madden played for a lower FC Dallas affiliate team (not the DA) and was later Texas HS POTY so he should have been "known" in the area. I'm not exactly sure if that means colleges aren't looking outside of DA in the Dallas area, if Madden didn't publicize himself enough, or if he just felt more comfortable going to a D3 school for whatever reason. Last thing, most schools don't take their soccer program as seriously as Coppell does. Maybe 50 schools in the state would be close to what they're doing. Don't think it's even that high though. If you go to a school with a serious program, then I could understand being conflicted about playing HS v DA but most of the time I don't think this is an issue as far as prestige goes. And in those cases, Madden still found a good club team to play for.
Only thing is, the DAs have two-year age groupings at the U-16 and U-18 levels. So that's only 10 per academy per year who are graduating high school, not all of whom are going to play D1.
While I think that US Soccer should have tried to be more cooperative with the school game, I think it just comes down to money and culture. At some places they demand and expect well funded and equiped football and basketball programs, soccer doesn't have the cultural demand. Could it in the future? Maybe, but parents and alumni would have to pony up because schools won't just do it out of the kindess of their hearts. Because school sports are such a big deal in the country, I think if the NCAA did enact rumored changes to the college game it could POTENTIALLY affect high school soccer as well. Bringing the school game in line with the FIFA standard like we do for all our olympic sports would probably be a big thing for spreading the games popularity outside its existing hardcore base.
The US is odd in that it uses school sports at HS and college level as the main platform for big time sports in Basketball and Football specifically for both HS and College age. Baseball and hockey now have become big time in NCAA now but baseball has had in place minor league systems for that age range. Junior Hockey in Canada is also the best way to go for development. US cities, mostly in the Northwest have joined the CHL Junior A. Not pay to play club and academy systems will still be the best training ground going forward. PDL has offered a National College summer league and having a minor league set up will allow players to turn pro earlier. Like baseball has had and hockey is now starting is other levels of minor league teams beyond the top level.
CIF or any High school soccer conference should consider an extended season. It could possibly improve the HS game, development of players while focusing on education...it could also focus on those non-development academy kids.
What is very frustrating is...if you don't live anywhere near the DA's and you have to go live. It is kind of unfair and D1 colleges should still look outside of DA teams.
The disparity of talent in HS soccer is a major factor in college soccer coaches looking at the DA's (the Academies have already done much of the work for the college coach by sifting away the creamier-those-that-can-pay-to-play portion of the crop; at least in theory).
the american public needs to get wowed, the mls academies for all their good...do not produce magic...hence the mls has some attendence problems with many teams..everyone knows this. When Maradona deduted at 15 years of age..the coach's instructions were...nutmeg the first opponent that comes at you and enjoy yourself..the rest is history.. tactics can be learned so on and so forth later at around 16,17. But children should be encouraged to be ball hogs,the ones that have any talent will developed the rest can play recreational soccer. We all know bigger is not better in soccer... Who's tearing it up in the mls currently...the short,skinny kids from Argentina,Paraguay,etc..with an Argentine coach no less...that should be the model in developing magic,,,then and only then should it be paired with German engineered soccer. oh try getting grass fields in the middle of cities...