I can assure you, at this stage even the players themselves do not know. The Academy rules are being adjusted along the way, particularly for the "Developmental" members. So we shall see.
Developmental Player Roster of up to 10 players per team - Developmental Roster spots are reserved to provide opportunities for up-and-coming players to experience the Academy environment without participating in the Academy full-time - Not subject to the minimum start requirement - May only come from players registered with non-Academy teams within the Academy Club - Each Developmental Player can only appear in 6 Academy Games per season - No more than 6 Developmental Players can be on any single Game Day Roster - Can be added until June 1 - Cannot participate in the Academy Finals - U-16 Academy Roster Players cannot be placed on the U-18 Developmental Roster but they can be selected for the U-18 Game Day Roster and are not required to fulfill minimum start requirement for the U-18 Academy Team - Requests to add a Developmental Player must be received 10 days prior to their first game
Heck, that would be progress, as this particular Sockers team has never made State Cup finals, while Fire/Naperville has won the State Cup 3x running.
I may be wrong but werent the MLS clubs given a geographical zone (something like 50-70 miles?) as theirs? I thought each club had a right to any or all players in that zone. Does anyone know the details? Maybe not compensation ( if Barcelona come over and sweep up a Magic or Sockers kid) but that no MLS club can draft the player if the home club wants them? Anyone know? Also, why care if the Sockers have a good non academy U17 team if the good players are in the academy? Won't state cup,regionals,nationals and all that really be watered down with top players now in academies?
Yep, the national team thing is interesting. ********Teams with existing youth programs that meet the established criteria may begin registering players to their Home Grown Player List this season. Therefore, the first "graduates" of these programs could move directly onto MLS rosters as early as 2008. Through 2010, teams will be permitted to sign up to two players from its Home Grown Player List per year. The MLS youth programs will meet a number of standards, including: The program will be based in the team's "Home Territory" approved by the MLS Board of Governors. Each team will be allowed one team of up to 18 players in each of the following age groups on its Home Grown Player List: Under-25 U20 U18 U16 U15 U14 Clubs will hire at least one coach for each age group. Players on these teams will be registered on the team's Home-Grown Player List. A minimum number of training and game days per year has been set for each age group. All players must reside in a team's "Home Territory" for at least one year prior to being added to the team's Home Grown Player List. Players must be added to an MLS team's Home Grown Player List prior to entering a four-year college, but can maintain their Home Grown Player status during college if registered before entering that institution. Similarly, members of the U17, U20, and U23 U.S. National Teams cannot be added to an MLS team's Home Grown Player List, but a player already on a Home Grown Player List can maintain that status if selected for a U.S. National team at a later date. Major League Soccer has already established player development programs unique among U.S. professional team sports with its Reserve Division, which recently completed its second season, and Generation adidas, which provides scholarships for select players. This new initiative complements those existing programs and reemphasizes Major League Soccer's ongoing commitment to player development and lasting connections to its teams' communities. Printer-Friendly Format
This line in the same article by MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis makes me laugh....."will better connect our clubs to their communities." You see how strongly connected they are in Chicago. The Sockers and Magic can't wait to play the (spark or candlelight) academy. Then every year compare who each has developed.
Dont get me wrong but I don't think the main focus of the acadamies is winning and losing games. I know that all of the academies would like to win but but it won't diminish from their accomplishments if they dont beat each other. If an academy produces terrific players (not necessarily teams) then that will be the most important thing. Also at ODP we rean acrosss a player that used to play with my son who is going to play with the "Indiana Magic" this spring. I looked at the Magic site but didnt see any mentiion of the Indiana Magic, what exactly is being offfered? I know the Magic took in the Wildcats FC from NW Indiana, are these just Wildcat teams with the Magic name? This should help the Magic bring in talented Indiana players they find and offer an option other than Carmel.
Conceding already? BTW, look at my last line, here it is again: "Then every year compare who each has developed." www.indianamagic.net I heard that the website would be up and running sometime after the first of the year. I have met Nathan Pitcock the new director and he is jazzed about growing the Indiana program.
See a few posts above. Once the kids hit puberty, the adults lose their brains. So I had to step away. Here's a funny one. A couple of years back, Region II placed a kid on the Regional Pool one year up. The only player of his year to be pushed up, except for Charles Renken. Makes him the #2 player in the entire Region, right? This year, they cut the kid. He hadn't started puberty yet, you see, and they had a bunch of puberty boys they liked better. In 2 years, from the #1 player in the Region among all those not at Bradenton, to not in the top 60. All because of the timing of puberty. Funny thing is, he has never played better than he is playing right now.
Seeing players play week in and week out with their clubs and getting feedback from the club coaches who watch the boys train is going to be a much better evaluation system than a couple of week long camps like ODP uses. No doubt about it. I also like the idea of the development players. magic, and more so this year sockers, will really be able to use this to their advantage i would think (judging by the quality of the u15 teams).
Would the "developmental" tag then theoretically allow a player to continue playing for say, Eclipse, while also being an academy member?
No it says that the player has to play for a younger team in the club that has the Academy. for instance the players on the 15 sockers could be development players for the sockers, but a player for fc united could not be...at least that is my understanding.
I started a thread on Region II ODP....your story fits to what I was thinking....that the coaches are not up to the task.....
Correct. Although TNL is onto something ... in the best of all possible worlds, good players at nonAcademy clubs could become Development players at Academy clubs, getting some training/games at the Academy while still at the local club. An extended tryout. That would be a useful bridge for players who might qualify for full Academy slots, but who are on the bubble, either in terms of the Academy taking them, or their parents' commitment.
A lot better. The U.S. youth version of Cesc Fabergas is highly unlikely to be discovered in a camp, but I could definitely see one being nurtured and promoted through the Academy system.
Ya I could see that. Maybe something in the future. I think that the Academy system as a whole will have several small problems in the first couple of years of the program. In the end however, it SHOULD be a major step up from what the "old" system was. A negative about development spots being given to players outside the club is the attitude of the coaches/officials at the other clubs. Some night not want their top players on development rosters of another youth club...and also it might involve USSF and USYSA working together, which I wouldn't bet on.
I didn't say it would happen, I just said "ideal." Hard to blame the other clubs, either, for being protective, as the Academy clubs in Illinois as well as elsewhere, have historically been, em, acquisitive. Buddying up to teams like coughMagiccough has been a bit like partnering with Microsoft.
Haha I hear what your saying. I agree with ya, it would be a nice development down the road. How is your sons team doing by the way? Goin anywhere over the winter period to get some outdoor games?
Honestly, until Magic or Sockers come up with something substantially different than they have in the past, I doubt they are going to get too many kids banging down the door to get in to their "academy". As far as I can tell the only group attempting to actually develop a real academy is Fire. I don't think any club would be upset with it's best players playing for them. In fact most of the major coaches I have talked to suggested this very thing. It's not like they need the fee money from 2 or 3 players. They just still want to touch the players. If the academy was like Bradenton, where the players are mostly unavailable, but show up from time to time for special events like Dallas Cup or State Cup/Regionals/Nationals then youth clubs would be REALLY excited about sending their players to academies. It seems a colossal oversight to have organized this thing any other way.
Couple of things. I do think that you will see changes made to the structure of both the Sockers and Magic with their academies. It might take a year or so to get used to the different developments and structures, but these clubs have been successful and will continue to be...and they will adapt to what is around them and what the new structure is. I also like your idea about the development players, and the idea of letting their clubs have the kids for events like Dallas Cup, State Cup, ect. Now, are you saying this is something that should be used for the 10 development spots only, or something that all players should be allowed to utilize?? If you wanted the U17 National Team model (releasing players for major club events in the offseason) to translate to all of the academy players I dont know how successful it would be, but I could see it working with the players in the development spots. Maybe it is something they would look to do in the future...because as you said, it is something that the "feeder" clubs would like as well I think. I know some clubs are being rubbed the wrong way by how some of the academies have taken their players, and feel a bit betrayed or like they were under cut, but over time I think that MOST will understand that this is the development structure that needs to be used.
Fine thanks, everybody back from last year's A team, plus some new kids, plus some of the guys on the B team are knocking on the door. That keeps everybody motivated. Plus, those boys who played high school ball came back to the squad with renewed appreciation for their good fortune at playing on a strong club team. As you know, the quality is a lot higher than with HS. Nothing planned until Dallas, but I'm imagine the boys will get an 11v11 tuneup before the Dallas trip.