Can someone explain youth soccer leagues?

Discussion in 'Youth & HS Soccer' started by italiancbr, Sep 29, 2014.

  1. italiancbr

    italiancbr Member

    Apr 15, 2007
    Can someone please clarify how the youth soccer pyramid in the U.S. works. I tried finding some information and this is how I understand it:
    1) kids normally start out playing soccer at local clubs from U5-U10 and typically play semi-competitive matches against other clubs from the same state.
    2) From around U10 to U13 or U14 the clubs separate kids into different teams with the best players on the top clubs playing in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). There are scouts at these games to identify top players from each region and create a pool of players for a statewide and regional ODP (Olympic Development Program).
    3) From U14 until U18 (high school) boys can either try out for a U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) which is the top competitive youth soccer league or continue with their clubs and play in the NPSL (which becomes a second tier youth competition). USSDA players normally don't play high school soccer but NPSL players can still play high school soccer also. Girls can either play in ECNL (top competition) or NPSL.

    Can someone correct me on where I went wrong or does that pretty much sums up how it works?

    Also, are players who make the roster on a U.S. Soccer Development Academy responsible for any costs like the club fees that have to be paid for players that participate in NPSL and ECNL?
     
  2. Beau Dure

    Beau Dure Member+

    May 31, 2000
    Vienna, VA
    Pretty close -- in fact, in some areas, that may be dead-on.

    Generally speaking:

    U5-U8: Recreational or "House" leagues, in which clubs form teams that play each other. Scores aren't kept. Games are small-sided -- 3v3 at youngest ages up to 5v5 or maybe 7v7. Clubs may also have "pre-Academy" programs or something similar for kids to get extra training with professional coaches.

    U9-U10: The first year or two for "travel" in many states. Clubs hold tryouts and put their top players on teams that play neighboring teams. In some cases, they form "Champions Leagues" or "Elite Leagues" so they can claim to be better than everyone else. (Clubs also still have "House" leagues and sometimes have training programs for the people who aren't already the 8-year-old version of a 14-year-old Freddy Adu.) Some overzealous state organizations also have State Cup this young, in defiance of every U.S. Youth Soccer precept.

    U11-U14: Full-blown turf wars start here -- U.S. Club Soccer, U.S. Youth Soccer and various leagues therein. Your area may have five "elite" leagues, and yet the top division of the main league is actually on or above their level. You may also have regional competition, and you'll definitely have national championships -- at least two of them, maybe more. It's a bit like boxing -- many belts per weight class (WBA, WBC, WBO, WTA, WTF)

    U15-U18: Development Academy and ECNL siphon off many but not all of the most talented players. That's less than 0.1 percent of the youth soccer population, but at least 10% of parents think their kids belong. Or they're just better but choose not play. Meanwhile, a lot of talented kids still play high school soccer so they can play in front of crowds that aren't just screaming parents and scowling scouts.

    That's about it.
     
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  3. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    I think DA starts at 14 and ECNL starts at 13 now?

    I could be wrong...

    Of course there is also MDL/MRL prior to that as well as NPL.
     
  4. NJ for the girls:
    it used to be a simple progression. adding distance from home as you moved up. teams were accepted into a higher league based on their performance not a sister team's performance. so many new leagues have popped up, not all the best teams in one place. some inclusive (ENCL/NPL). the best teams often don't play each other locally, state or regionally any more.

    ie: PDA O'Reilly and YMS Explosion have been pretty equal most times they have met. the win goes back and forth. with ECNL it is rare that YMS get the chance to play PDA. a shame since they have proven to be one of the few teams in the NE that can beat them.
     
  5. lolo23

    lolo23 New Member

    Oct 21, 2014
    This is an interesting topic.

    My daughter plays on a club travel B team (U12) in US and I am feeling like she's already missed her chance to play in a premier league or better A team. I've been told that those better teams are looking for players to help them improve and not for players that they have to train, etc.

    Kind of discouraging because she has dreams of playing soccer at a higher level and she's not even 12 yet...I didn't realize many other USA players start their kids in travel at such a young age (7 or 8 years old). Mine started rec soccer in 2nd grade, but at the time I thought it was ridiculous to get involved in travel until she really could prove that she loved it by sticking to it for a few years...
     
  6. P.W.

    P.W. Member

    Sep 29, 2014
    #6 P.W., Oct 21, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2014
    I feel somewhat similarly. I'm holding out hope that if this remains my son's goal, as the rosters get larger (this year at U10, they play 7v7 with a 10 player roster, next year at U11 they play 9v9 so the roster will likely be 12 or 13, at U13 theyaplay 11v11.), that my son will eventually make his way up to the A team. Also, at this point there are also still plenty of kids who play more than one sport, including more than one travel sport. I figure some kids will choose football, some lacrosse, some basketball, some soccer, etc. Of course, I'm just looking at our community team that has a pretty limited pool that it draws froml kids are not coming out of the woodwork to try out for this team. Unless something really changes I don't see my child ever wanting to play for a large powerhouse club. He likes to play with his schoolmates/buddies.

    I also jumped on the bandwagon early with my younger son. He's five and I signed him up for the team's "academy" - 36 kids (kindy and 1st gr) who practiced one day a week and divvied themselves into 4 teams on Saturday and played each other 5 v 5. Same trainers as the big kids. He loves soccer so signing him up was an easy decision and if the extra practice/skills he learns helps position him on the A team from the beginning, all the better
     
  7. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't think rushing into travel is all it's cracked up to be from a player development standpoint. So much of that stuff is just making sure your kid is "in the pipeline" so to speak. There's a lot of money to be made selling "opportunities" to anxious parents. Lord knows some people made a nice chunk of change off my wife and I!

    If your daughter really wants to play "at a higher level" then keep in mind that being on the A squad or the All-star team @ 12 or 13 years of age isn't a "higher level." If she would like to play college soccer, keep in mind that no college coach cares how many U-13 trophies you won. They want to know what sort of player you are at the age of 18-22 or so.
     
  8. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A lot of kids quit around middle school and then into high school. They pick other sports, or they were just the bigger/faster kids and they get discouraged when their peers catch up to them in speed and size.

    I can't stress this enough--youth development is a marathon, not a sprint.
     
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  9. lolo23

    lolo23 New Member

    Oct 21, 2014
    Thank you for the perspective! A friend of mine told me that their neighbor's son in NJ is paying about 5 to 7K annually for soccer training, etc. All I can say is OMG. Wow.

    I'm going to stay focused and not get sucked up into the middle school sprint to the best team. As long as she wants to play, I'll encourage her to try out and play for the team where she will be encouraged, learn and have fun.
     
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