High Schools Hurting US Soccer

Discussion in 'Youth National Teams' started by Wolves_67, Jan 11, 2003.

  1. Wolves_67

    Wolves_67 Member

    Oct 27, 2002
    Pasadena, CA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Couldn't think of a better title.. Anyway, I was reading an interview with Marcus Hannemann and he made an interesting point.
    He basically said that soccer was being slowed down in the US because high schools here, when they find a talented athelete who is into soccer, tend to pressure the student to give it up and concentrate on either basketball or American football. His point being that the adminstrators and coaches at high schools are just as likely as colleges to want the stars in the "money" sports and not just for money reasons but the "glamour" for the schools.
    This is likely obvious to most of you but I was wondering if anyone had some first or second hand stories or have seen any change in direction for our best young atheletes who started out with soccer?
     
  2. nancyb

    nancyb Member

    Jun 30, 2000
    Falls Church, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes - it's been noted before. But, there are also the guys who don't even bother to play for the hs teams because they know they're best to stick with the club teams to get the best recognition and experience.
     
  3. kevbrunton

    kevbrunton New Member

    Feb 27, 2001
    Edwardsburg, MI
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This VERY definitely happens. It happens on two levels -- with two different types of athletes. On the one hand, you have the kids who are committed to basketball, but also enjoy other sports. For these kids, they pressure them to play club basketball in the offseason.

    On the other hand, you have the kids who are committed to soccer, but also enjoy other sports such as basketball. In this case, they pressure them to support their high school -- rah, rah, etc. and NOT play club sports in the offseason (e.g., soccer) so that they can play HS basketball.

    Up thru U14 and middle school, my son played club soccer AND the school sport that was in season -- cross country, basketball and track.

    The coaches knew that he was a soccer star, so throughout his eighth grade year and into the fall of his freshman year, the basketball coaches were giving him little suggestions all along about staying in basketball. The track coach made several pitches to keep him in track too.
     
  4. kevbrunton

    kevbrunton New Member

    Feb 27, 2001
    Edwardsburg, MI
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Here's another way in which high schools are hurting our soccer players -- at least the soccer players from some states. In this case, it's not the coaches, administrators or individual high schools, but rather it's the state high school associations.

    http://www.geocities.com/leszek_1999/Opinion.html

    This article talks about the rules prohibiting soccer players from training with club coaches during the high school season.
     
  5. The Wanderer

    The Wanderer New Member

    Sep 3, 1999
    This is to be expected until soccer gains wider acceptance from the non-soccer population. The fact remains that basketball and football are over populated with players and there's not much chance of coming through those two sports and becoming a star.
     
  6. FAN0011

    FAN0011 New Member

    Jan 9, 2003
    Region1
    HS soccer

    I know of 2 national team players who pretty much ignored hs soccer this fall. One played football and the other only played the second half of the hs soccer season. Both will play at quality D1 universities with scholarships.
     
  7. Carolina

    Carolina Member

    Dec 6, 2000
    CONCACAF
    I've talked to my son (a high school senior /U18 Club player who is a D1 recruit) and a number of his team-mates about how they feel about Prep & Club. Without exception, they think the level of coaching & competition in high school is very weak compared to Club. But also without exception, they do not support some of the rumored plans to steer top club players away from playing high school soccer. Playing High School soccer with and in front of long time friends is something they really enjoy.
     
  8. The Wanderer

    The Wanderer New Member

    Sep 3, 1999
    Re: HS soccer

    And who would these guys be? Not playing soccer year round? They're getting bad advice from someone.
     
  9. dolphinscoach

    dolphinscoach Member

    Apr 17, 2002
    Bellevue, NE
    When I was in grad school in Indiana, Todd Yeagley (the IU coach's son) was in high school in Bloomington, but he did not play for his high school. (I think he was playing club, though.) I asked one of the local h.s. coaches (can't remember if it was TY's high school or the other in town) about it, and he gave a couple of reasons. First, Yeagley did not have to worry about attracting a college scholarship, and the level of high school competition in Indiana was not consistently adequate to help him develop as a player.

    More importantly, the risk of injury was too great. A lot of the less talented teams rely on physical play, and Yeagley would always be a target to be roughed up. Many of the fields were in horrible shape (a rolled ankle waiting to happen). Also, Indiana high school teams often played two games in one day on weekends. For instance, Bloomington would invite two high schools in on a Saturday, play one in the morning, another in the afternoon--and the two visitors would play each other, also. (I assume this was for budget reasons.) Kids would be exhausted, especially in early September when the temperature could climb well into the 90s. Hopefully, this is no longer how things are done.
     
  10. Benedict XVI

    Benedict XVI Member

    Nov 22, 1999
    Ciudad del Encanto
    Club:
    Lisburn Distillery FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    i have a player who was all-area in soccer as a sophomore, isn't much of a basketball player, but will spend his spring and summer in basketball camps.

    i don't think it's the schools that are pressuring athletes into popular sports - i think it's the kids who are more concentrated on the sports they like most. if a kid likes soccer, s/he will play soccer.
     
  11. FAN0011

    FAN0011 New Member

    Jan 9, 2003
    Region1
    Re: Re: HS soccer

    Ryan Best and David Roman, 85 national team pool players. Both got local press in NJ for their decisions to skip soccer. Best played football since freshman year soccer. Roman played in South America last year. He skipped part of the HS season to take an SAT course. He played Men's league and pick up games with ex-professionals during that time. Both played well at the inter-regionals in Cocoa and got invites to Chula Vista.
     
  12. The Wanderer

    The Wanderer New Member

    Sep 3, 1999
    Best would get better if he would play year round and skip out on football. Roman seems to have the right idea though.
     
  13. drew_VT_6

    drew_VT_6 Member

    Feb 22, 2000
    Orange County, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As a soccer fan/player and a basketball coach I deal with this a lot, especially since I coach at the J.V. level. My guys want to know at the beginning of each season if they can play for their club soccer team too. The school that I coach at has a rule that you can't be part of any other sports team if you want to be on a school team. Unfair? Maybe. But as much as I would have loved to have been able to play club soccer all year round in h.s. I'm glad I actually played other sports too. I made other friends, learned new philosophies on life and sports and didn't get sick of soccer! They're kids, let em have fun! Soccer isn't everything. You can't say that on Bigsoccer.com!!!

    AD's and coaches are biased against soccer because it doesn't follow the traditional American sports "season".
     
  14. FigoB1

    FigoB1 New Member

    Dec 12, 2001
    Virginia
    You've also got to remember that these kids are still "kids." Where I live, HS soccer is pretty big. Maybe the skill level isn't as good, but some of the most popular kids in the high schools are the guys who are the stars of their HS teams.

    Let's face it, when you're 15 or 16, and a lot of the hot little girls in school go to watch the soccer games, damn straight little Johnny wants to play and get cheered on.

    At least, that's what I did. I didn't think HS soccer could compare w/ my club team, but I liked the Letterman jacket, the medals, the write-ups in the local paper, and, oh yeah, the girls. :)
     
  15. JohnR

    JohnR Member+

    Jun 23, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    Cheerleaders

    Cheerleaders ... if Beckham's high school had 'em, he would have played school ball and told Man U to stuff it.

    Perhaps not good for U.S. soccer development, but I agree with FigoB1, the possibility of nailing a cheerleader is a very big incentive for playing high school soccer.
     
  16. schmuckatelli

    schmuckatelli New Member

    Nov 10, 2000
    For the love of God, man, what's wrong with you?! Have you no fear of Hell, spouting such heresy?

    (Ahem.)

    Seriously, I'd just like the kids to make that choice rather than the state, or the school system, or as it is in my county, by the fiat of the local HS coaches. If a guy wants to play club and school ball, that should be his call, and it's not in many places in this country.
     
  17. ToddP25

    ToddP25 Member

    Apr 19, 1999
    Richmond, VA
    I made the decision to stop playing club ball when I was in High School.....granted this seems like eons ago, but the time commitment was just too much for me at 16...I wanted to go out with my friends and just hang out....The elite program (FC Westchester) was a 45 minute drive each way (which didn't make my parents happy) and if I remember correctly 3-4 days a week all year round...plus, tourney commitments on all of the holidays....No thanks.

    Basically, my opinion is, kids will be kids...and you are going to gain and lose players for a bunch of reasons....
     
  18. Shaune

    Shaune New Member

    Jan 12, 2002
    New Jersey
    Here's another part of the problem which may open up another discussion - unqualified coaches.

    I don't think every coach is in it for the kids or for the game. Some see it as an easy money maker. One of the high school's near me had a basketball coach take over the team. This woman never played soccer nor went to any USSF or NSCAA coaching school to learn about soccer.

    Instead she took the team over and gave all the kids grief that they would never learn anything playing club ball. Kids that missed her practices or left early for club practices/games sat the next game. Her practices were during the week and on Saturday's/Sunday's at time range (1-4) when most kids are playing club ball.

    Parents complained including those who had daughter's starting that their kids were being turned off to soccer. Nothing was ever done about it. To top it off they give her a big write up in the paper about how she turned the program around because they qualified for the state tournament. It was funny how they failed to mention this was the first Varsity team ever to have nearly 85% club players.

    Apparently she decided not to return next year, but 6-7 kids that loved soccer with a passion are on their way to college next year with no inkling to play. A lot of kids that would be returning next year are not playing next year at all. It's disappointing that one person can ruin the game and the lives of good athletes.
     
  19. dolphinscoach

    dolphinscoach Member

    Apr 17, 2002
    Bellevue, NE
    I don't want this to sound as a defense of the coach in question--don't know her, and I am not advocating unqualified coaches. That being said, if I were the coach, I would sit (maybe not an entire game) the kids who missed or left early. Likewise, I would guess that the club coach would similarly sit kids who miss or arrive late to club team practices. When I was in college, I had friends who played both club and high school. The clubs were considered more elite--and the level of play was better--so club ball took priority. These guys knew they were good enough to play for the high school team, so they left early and missed high school ball for club, but they never showed late or missed club practice because the coach would sit them. One guy bragged that he told his high school coach not to play him for the full game on days when he had to play or practice for club ball after. It is not unreasonable to ask a high school coach to adjust a schedule to accommodate club play, but the coach has every right to refuse if s/he feels that such accommodation will hurt the team (e.g., by foregoing weekend practices) or it will be inconvenient for others (i.e., the coach and other teammates have lives, too).

    By the way, the kids who leave/miss practice are cheating their teammates (club or high school). Teams need to have all of the players, and esp. the better ones, to help the team improve as a whole and as individuals.
     
  20. CUS

    CUS New Member

    Apr 20, 2000
    Here in Illinois, the state high school athletics association does not allow any high school player regardless of sport compete for their club team in the HS's sports season. So there would be no problem here because there would be no club ball.
     
  21. uniteo

    uniteo Member+

    Sep 2, 2000
    Rockville, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And you might be a better poster if you quit your job and stayed on bigsoccer 24/7. I think the demand that youth players devote their entire year to soccer is short-sighted, counter productive, and I would take issue with the effectiveness of it as well.
     
  22. The Wanderer

    The Wanderer New Member

    Sep 3, 1999
    It depends on the players' long term goals of course. Playing year round would increase the players chances of getting a scholarship for soccer, etc. If these guys don't want to do anything with it then play other sports in the off-season. If you want to maximize your potential play it year round. No ifs ands or buts about it, that makes you a better player.
     
  23. Wolves_67

    Wolves_67 Member

    Oct 27, 2002
    Pasadena, CA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm most concerned with "reports" that high schools try to turn their best atheletes away from soccer to the school's "glamour sports".
    "Don't waste your talent on soccer."
     
  24. GersMan

    GersMan Member

    May 11, 2000
    Indianapolis
    This has more to do with the state schools and their member athletic associations, not want to lose ground to some other association.

    but i'm amazed at parents of long-time, top-level club players, who if you mention to them that high school could be a detriment, look at you like you have two heads and say something like: "well, jack and I met in high school, we used to love going out into the cornfield after the high school football game, why would i deprive young Skyler of this wonderful opportunity."
     
  25. The Wanderer

    The Wanderer New Member

    Sep 3, 1999
    Ahh, the clueless soccer parents. "Dennis Bergkamp and Highbury? That sounds like something out of Shakespeare..."
     

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