"The Toughest Of Decisions: Play For High School, Or An Academy?"

Realistically, I have to believe the current Development Academy system will constrain scholarship / recruiting prospects for players outside the Academy. My quick math has it at around 1000 players on DA teams per birth year. How many college soccer scholarships are awarded each year? My quick take there is perhaps around 1000 college soccer scholarships (100 teams x 10 scholarships per team) with say 250 scholarships being awarded each year probably in increments of 1/2 and 1/4. Point being that I think there are more DA players out there than there are college scholarships.

College soccer is not a money maker and coaches have very limited recruiting budget / time compared to say football or basketball. In that environment, seems like playing on a DA team becomes a convenient screening tool / indicator of a potential major college recruit. So how much effort is really going to be put in to recruiting players from outside of it?

I guess if there are a number of top players who spurn the Academy teams or if it becomes clear that there are many top college players that are coming from outside the Academy then college coaches will see that it is worth the effort to cast a wider net. We will see how it plays out. My uneducated guess is that at least in the next few years almost all domestic major college recruits will be from Academy teams. So the Development Academy would have initial success at establishing itself as the gateway to college soccer. And then hopefully it demonstrably fails in that role.

 

No college soccer team is full of top players, and even if they have top recruits, few stay "top" in the college soccer environment.

And no academy team has 100% targeting college soccer. Maybe you'd be surprised how many kids are on an academy team because the academy took a club team core and built it up, and the player is there for ego massaging.

The assumption that colleges look mainly at academy players may be true, but the converse is true, that non-academy players therefore need to look for the colleges. The latter has worked so far for my son, and academically, there are several D3 programs where he would get merit aid and play soccer, so that is an option if the D1 relationships don't work out.

 

My new value added plan.... Put in an extra year of HS education and play club . Worth considering. Pretty hard for a kid not to get out of highschool as soon as possible....But a whole year older then the competition is huge.

 

I'd suggest you take a look a look at the college forum. I think you are correct in thinking that many top college coaches will put a lot of focus on DA teams. However they clearly realize that there are a large number of good players outside the DA system and recruit accordingly. The Pac-12 freshman of the year was a non-DA player at University of Washington from the LA area. Another top freshman from Washington that got post season Pac-12 honors was an non-DA player from Arizona. The Big 10 freshman of the year was a non-DA player at Indiana from Northern California. The top two Freshman in the West Coast Conference were Non-DA players. Last years NCAA finalist, Georgetown had a top non-DA freshman from California (I'm from SoCal and know SoCal players - hence the California bias here).

Local colleges still scout local area players. National colleges will still scout ODP and top teams at major tournaments. Coaches will also look at players at camps if you contact them ahead of time and explain to them why you are capable of playing for their team and you are actually capable of playing at that level.

 

From what I have seen on the referee side, the DA provides kids with a good structured system that prepares them for what they should expect to find at the next level - whether college or pro. The professional approach to the game is a part of the program from the beginning. Are there youth clubs that provide this? Yes, but it is expected at the DA level.

In terms of exposure to college coaches, most DA games are scouted by USSoccer, usually using A licensed college coaches to do match and training assessments. Additionally, there are two DA wide events each year that draw all of the teams and most every college program. The reason is simple, you have 20+ fields of games going where a scout can go to watch specific players or go and look for specific positions / types of players.

If you don't go the DA route, you are going to want to be on a club team that gets invites to the tournaments where the colleges you want to attend send scouts. Again, it is far easier for a scout to see multiple players at a tournament than to go out and watch a HS game or a reagular league game.

I see far more college scouts at regular season DA games (and scrimmages) than I ever see at regular league or Region 1 games. If you are playing for a PA based team, you are going to be making trips to DC, VA, and MD and can easily reach out to schools and let them know you will be playing there and they know they can come scout your team and check on th local talent. It also works the opposite way, a coach may come to your home game to scout a visiting player which gives them a chance to see you.

Finally, if you are counting on a HS team to showcase you, be cognizant of when your season is in relation to the fall college season. Most D1 schools play Friday nights, so if you are hoping a coach can come see your Friday night game against your rival during the Fall, this is going to be tough.

 

Looking at the OP, it is interesting that the college coaches say "academy vs. high school" when really they mean "academy vs. top-ranked very visible club team and high school". And in some cases, that non-DA team's coach says "don't play in HS, you'll get hurt" and holds mandatory practices during HS season and goes to tournaments.

 

I still think you can do both. HS Soccer is a great experience and you do train 5-6 days a week which can help as long as you're doing it right. One idea I've seen is kids playing 1-2 years of HS and at the U16 age they go fulltime to the DA. It also depends on your situation in the DA. I've seen kids that were very good HS players at 14,15 and instead leave to a DA and are the 17th-18th guy on the roster. Yes they're getting great practice sessions but they're not getting that game time needed and in all reality are probably a Low D1-High D3 type player. One thing I've learned with this new system with more knowledgeable people around the game is that no matter if its HS, Club, or DA, if you are good enough to play at the next level, someone will find you and get you the connections to get to the next level and in many cases DA players in my area are found through HS coach connections.

 

I believe there needs to be a major reform of American athletics. It won't happen, at least anytime soon. I doubt I'll ever see it in my lifetime. But, it's time that our athletics continually need to be tied to academics...to an extent. Why do we need to keep it "fair" or get all upset when people have to "choose?" What's wrong with that? You'll have to make choices all your life, why not make it a decision on what sport you'd like to focus on?

Here's what I concluded in October 2012, my "solution" and "ideal" situation for developing American athletes: http://ponchat.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/american-aca-letic-academies/.

 

The two issues I have with your article is first, saying that most European academies stress academics as much as athletics. This article on La Masia says what their schedule is:
http://www.totalfootballmag.com/features/world-football/la-masia-barcelonas-secret-weapon/

"The schedule of the day typically starts with school and is followed by lunch, siesta, training and a couple of hours down time before bed that could be spent in the games room where the kids and teenagers can relax and have fun."

That would be about 4 hours of school, maybe 5 (less than the US), and no mention of homework time. Not very academic, is it?

The other issue I have is that you seem to group older and younger kids together. The training needs to be different not only in content and focus, but hours per day, week, and year.

My recommendation for the US to start to approach other countries in youth training is to encourage then mandate all MLS team developmental academies to have free residential academies for HS ages, associated with a local public or private school as appropriate. It would be like vo-tech, where the players are in school in the morning, and instead of training in car repair or culinary arts, they are training soccer. There could also be pilot programs for other academies to do the same on a longer roll-out schedule. It would be two-year commitments, and barring medical reason, the player would remain even if he falls behind. At least 30 players per two-year team makes sense, so 90 players for U13/U14, U15/U16, and U17/U18. USSF DA U16 is current junior year mostly, U14 is current freshman year mostly, so the teams would have to adjust a bit for U18, perhaps allow a fifth year of HS including training.

The MLS teams could be assigned areas with some overlap, so if there are two NYC area teams, they must have a certain percentage within their zones (NJ for RBNY and CT for NYC FC but both share NY state) to make sure they are serving their communities.

ODP could be modified and standardized to give kids in every state the same exact chance of benefitting from it, but I'll see MLS residential academies before any movement on that happens.

As for "fair", no it isn't fair, but what's happening now is not fair and greatly favors those with the $$$$ and does nothing for kids that have none or even some. I do think the American current mindset, new in the last ten years IMHO, that every single HS student should go to college, is hurting our country.

 

Thanks for reading and your response.

Certain studies are showing that young students only should have 4-5 hours or so of time in the classroom. I'm not one to get into a huge educational debate about that, but I understand it. Now, other places (Finland and South Korea) are extremely strict and military-like with their educational emphasis (educate longer days and more days than US).

But, if the academy educates 4-5 hours a day for 5 days a week for 52 weeks, which would be between 1040-1300 hours of instruction a year. The US educates 7ish hours a day for 180 days, which is 1260 hours of instruction a year. Not THAT much difference -- but, of course, there are a lot of ins and outs with it.

I don't know if I sought out to go that detailed in how all the training needs to be conducted. Although all academies have their kids together throughout their academy career. Yes, training is different depending upon age and such. I do believe it should be the same, no need to hold everyone at the same standard (a 10 year old is definitely not a 17 year old).

Even Ajax stresses family time and life outside the game. I agree with this.

Totally agree. Unfortunately, there is no ability to play at a high level without the higher education experience -- that is, for those who don't go professional. There aren't local rec/competitive teams that can help prospective players attain their professional, or even just higher competitive playing experiences.

Funny that that statement directly correlates to another post I had from January 2012 (http://ponchat.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/fixing-youth-athletics/). Basically, it's making "community clubs" instead of athletics being affiliated with primary and secondary schools. Utilize the club for all ages so there is continuous opportunities to play regardless of age -- 5, 10, 15, 25, or 55...

 

Near NYC there are opportunities to play soccer past college age. I and my spouse still both play soccer (well, when my knee isn't acting up). U20 and U23 teams are pretty common. Past that, you have to go semi-pro to have any kind of competition, or it's a bunch of duffers.

My son's team has a player taking a year off from college to work, it is a 1995 birth year team. His previous club had U20 and U23 teams, and another team he was looking to join was a 1995 birth year team that was going to get some community and local college players on it. (one reason is if they don't have a C average in college, they can't play on the college team)

I'm not even worried about kids who want to play sports in college going to college, at least they have a reason to go. I am more worried about the kids who can't do simple things like figure out that halfway between 40 and 60 is 50 and not 45, which is what I see when I teach at a state college. They don't want to be there, they don't have the tools, they don't want to pay for more than four years, the HS didn't teach them what they needed, and the college takes their money and graduates maybe half of them in six years, only a quarter of them out in four years which is "normal".

 

That's good for NYC, bad for most of the country because it is not present.[/quote]

 

Near metro areas, there might be one club or two. But that's kind of the same on the youth level; some players are traveling 4+ hours to practices each way to play on a DA team.

 

Assuming the player was not in the national team pool and was in a High School with a good and respected program, your suggested path is exactly what I'd recommend. I've seen plenty of D1 capable players sitting simply because there is another player in the same position the coaches prefer. Sometimes those players may be better, sometimes it may be difference in maturation and sometimes it is simply a coaches preference for a certain type of player.

In order to develop you need to practice and you need playing time in real games. The advantage the academy offers is better training sessions. Much of what happens at a training session you can practice on your own. The coordinated work with other players is something you can't. But if you are not in the top group, you often get limited reps of this work anyway. The advantage with the combination of HS and club is that you get a lot of playing time. By playing HS as a freshman and Sophomore in a High School program in a good league, you will be playing up against older more experience players. Plus you will get a diversity in style of play that the Academy doesn't offer. Note - my post pertains to areas where there is a decent soccer culture. If you local academy is comparatively weak because standard of play is generally weaker than other areas of the country then my comments don't apply.

 

So that's the goal to play college soccer for free?

No wonder we will never win a WC if that is the goal. That is the goal for the parent of the player not the goal for a real player. Except of course if he was brain washed by the parent.

The goal of the real player is to pay professionally for a top club. Secondary goals that comes with that is money and women.

The goal of real baseball players here is not to play in college. It's to play in the major leagues. Their secondary goal with that is money and women. Sometimes you can get to the major leagues after the second year of playing college baseball at a good D1 baseball school if you are a dominate player.

It is just like success in the private sector and in politics. Except just add power to the money and women.

In some areas of New York you can hook up with a foreign scout/agent through the USSF in Chicago. To play in an eastern European country as a 13 year old. Like in a club in Romania and mother Russia. Then from their get looked at by the big money soccer countries in Europe.

 

<<<----- This Car For Dale

Might be a breath of truth in there

Spoken in a facts of life tone from young Mr. Know it All....."That's what happens...You play high school soccer, you get hurt" regarding friends concussions et al.

Also......Kid's worst injury....... fouled during H.S. practice.

 

How will parents ever be able to Pass up Little Johnny's college education if there's scholarships lassoing our very best into playing college ball for four years? .... and the "You have to go to college" or you'll be ignorant. "Don't you know? " And now there's Euro agents seating foreign stars into our college system so they can get an education. Crazy times.

Allure and attractiveness of "College Campus" currently is very enticing for our 15 year old. As of now, this is seems that single thing which would have him looking to attend a University.

Even large Euro clubs academic programs seem of a distant secondary importance. If one was fortunate enough to attend such a futbol program, American standards for education might not be realized. And even Little Johnny knows he's one hard tackle away from flipping burgers.

Each of these issues need addressing before we can expect to seat more than a bakers dozen at Elite Euro Clubs. There are battle lines drawn.

Wishful Novenas go out to our internet's distance learning programs for salvation here, along with selling those ambiances of anywhere in Europe over some college dorm.

 

HS/DA split still a work in progress
by Will Parchman
http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/high...hs-da-split-still-a-work-in-progress_aid32380
Very relevant to the above

 

(not to mention that too many US kids, especially "SPORTS PROSPECTS", think their crap don't smell and all the top teams should be knocking down their door.

See Clint Dempsey's current assignment...)

 

On the subject of "the Chosen", saw a kid playing futsal in a tournament, great shot both feet, everyone passing to him, he was on the court for the entire time (with four subs available and 5 v. 5 including goalies futsal).

Friend told me he was on the Philadelphia Union U16 academy team. I asked if that was allowed, to have an academy player play futsal, especially "full contact futsal" = refs call it like regular soccer and let most contact go. Of course we didn't know.

Other coincidence is that the team was associated with his high school. He was playing "futsal" not "SOCCER" which is so totally different, USSF doesn't care apparently.

I know HS teams that go to soccer tournaments, wonder if it isn't officially varsity soccer, it's okay by USSF?

 

I think a lot of the rules are out the window. Kids will do what kids do.. they play all over the place and still do DA, especially seniors. Some even pick up some pocket money for playing in tournaments and some league games as guest players. Who's going to enforce things?

 

Academy players were allowed to play in the US Youth Futsal Regionals - no one was breaking any rules. USSF supports futsal. Why are you so concerned with what DAP players can and cannot do if your kids don't play Academy?

 

This was far from the regionals. There was barely a ref. Doubt it was USFF sanctioned. Sorry if you misunderstood the situation.

I also get concerned when a HS-age goalie was being paid to play in an adult league, and hid this from the NCAA (around $300 per game his dad said). The integrity of NCAA (what there is of it, the "can't be paid to play" part is pretty major) is everyone's concern, not just the college players or their parents.

If your son is in the DA program, and you don't have an issue with high school soccer being banned, and other high school sports being banned, and other soccer activities outside of the DA program being banned unless expressly allowed by USSF, yet some kids play soccer whenever and wherever they want, that's up to you.

From the USSF DA regulations: "Academy Clubs may not permit any Academy Player to participate on a non-Academy Team during the Academy Season. Academy Clubs will be held accountable for the actions of their players."

If my son was out of soccer tomorrow, and me and the rest of my family too, we would still care, because the USSF DA program is supposed to be the top program for youth soccer in the US, the one that feeds the US MNT. And if they set up rules, they should be followed, such as RBNY losing a playoff spot when they brought in new players for a playoff game. They can't let some break the rules and not be at least warned or sanctioned.

We are told that the future of the US MNT rests with the USSF DA program. If we are to buy that, we the soccer fans of the US need to care, whether or not our sons (if we have any) are in the program.

 

Do the rules say other high school sports are banned? I am just curious - haven't read the rules. I do know DAP players playing HS basketball, running indoor track, etc. during the winter. It is very difficult to do because of conflicts, but it does happen. I view the intent of the non-high school rules to be to make the players available for the 10 month training that DAP requires. I don't see how playing futsal (even n a non-DAP team) between Academy season is viewed by you as such a horrible violation of the rules. As long as it does not prevent the player from making it to his DAP trainings and games what is the problem? Playing high school 3 months of the year does interfere with the 10 month training. Very different things.