It’s not complicated. There is no development pathway anywhere in the world that is a guarantee. Go see the clubs for yourself. Do your homework and above all note how comfortable your kid is in each environment. That will, and should, probably drive 90% of it. outside of that if you’re passionate about the game and want to be in a true soccer culture that is deeply rooted in European/S American benchmarks then look no further than Sockers (that is if your child feels good when they attend a training session there) nothing else is close imo. And some will quibble about the girls side and I won’t get into that as it’s not my lane-all I can say is if a club has two WYNT players (currently) and plenty that go to big time D1 programs it’s probably good enough for most kids who want to go to a competitive club. We’re lucky to live in an area with a lot of great clubs. You’ll know which one is right for you when you visit it. And things change...what might be great for one year requires a change in another. changing landscapes was a brilliant choice for this board. It’s always changing....
Rudy, Care to comment on the closed system that only benefits clubs that have an in or are in the good graces?
Before going any further let me first say that this would be my own personal opinion and not that of my employer. Can I ask what specifically you mean by "closed system", "benefits", and "good graces"?
Closed system : leagues that prevent others from joining, the complete opposite of an open pyramid where teams advance on merit ie the DA system, ECNL and their new lower leagues. Benefit: selling point for exclusivity or the right to exclude clubs from joining their league. Good Graces: current reconfiguration of the DA league where MLS DAs got the privilege of the higher league while non MLS teams mostly got pushed down into the second division. and how does this closed system actually let the creme rise to the top when most families can’t afford $3000-$5000 plus travel costs.
interested in Rudy’s take but this is easy...it boils down to economics. Let’s keep girls side out for a minute because that complicates matters. As discussed prior in Europe if Sockers develops a kid that goes on to sign a massive contract/transfer fee Sockers will get a nice chunk of it. So the biz model for top academies is to scour the landscape and provide free training/development in hopes that 1-2% will break through for the mega buck transfer fee. AJAX last year must have cleared 10-20 million on Frenkie and De Ligt alone. Those solidarity payments pay the tab. With the F-ing MLS that doesn’t exist here. So coaches like Rudy need to get paid and the only economics that will allow for that to happen is parents. There’s no financial incentive to scour the landscape for talent and offer them free training/education/room and board. instead parents pay and unfortunately (many) complicate matters with a “we’re paying customers” mentality when in fact 97%(higher) really haven’t the first clue about the game or the proper lens on how to develop kids (their own most importantly). Not trashing on parents. I’m one of them...it’s just they don’t even know what they don’t know in most instances and it’s only natural. They didn’t play the sport, they don’t follow it and the teal kicker is most have no experience of the Int’l level and culture. It’s totally different. And until we figure that out we’re going to continue to lag and our dominant women are going to finally get caught up to very soon here.
So I gotta pass this on... We were in Memphis (what a hole) this past weekend. A family who jumped ship with us from CSA that we travel with suggested I grab a Costco membership and then join the Travel Club there. Membership is $65 annually and the Travel Club is included. In any case I was able to rent from Enterprise (you can rent from other companies as well) through Cosctos Travel Program. I got a 2020 BMW 330i from Thursday (noon) to Monday (noon) for $209 total. I figured in the gas savings - by not driving my SUV at about $70 bucks and the total for the long weekend was $139. That's unlimited milage. This made our 9 hour (18 total) trip a ton of fun - even the ride back was something to look forward to. Additionally I did not have to worry about putting those miles on my own car. In two weeks I have a loaded Chrysler 300 for Cincinnati for $150.00. Just a suggestion to make those drive aways more fun for you moms and dads.
I realize after reading it again that my question about clarification might have came off a bit standoff-ish and condescending. Sorry about that, my friend. Wasn't my intent, just wanted to clearly understand the question so I could try to give you the best answer. Honestly the best answer to these questions could be written in a novel. I'll try to sum it up short and simple with just my opinions: Pro/rel or an open pyramid could be great at the professional level where team selections, game models, tactical decisions are all based on achieving the match result. This is a performance model. What's been shown is that this performance model can actually stifle development. I don't see it having the opposite effect in the youth game. Now when it comes to club selection for leagues like ECNL or DA I think this is a different conversation. Each platform has a selection bias, I think one more than the other. What's also important to remember that in order to play in these platforms a club really needs to have a full pathway U13-19, one has minimum coaching education standards, both incur significant costs on the club. This eliminates most clubs from participating immediately just because of their organizational structure. To me this is not an indictment on the standards but more on the clubs that still operate as though it's 1995. I personally know of one that started but did not finish an application for DA when they found out how much strain it would put on their club's operational model. They're doing just fine in USYS and having success placing kids in college and I respect them. It's actually a great thing that there's multiple pathways. The DA/ECNL/USYS/USC individually might not be right for all clubs, teams, players but between them all I feel like most players are being served. The tiering of boys DA clubs at U19 I'm currently unsold on. Some got screwed, no doubt, but it's been good for others. Obviously there's an MLS bias. Those that are in favor do have a valid point: the quality of some clubs doesn't warrant the costs in traveling to play them. While there's some year-to-year changes in quality, theres also some historical bottom and top feeders that really have no business playing each other when it incurs significant costs. Doesn't make sense for either party. I'll judge the whole process at the end of the season when we can determine the outcome of it all. One challenge that we'll always face in the US is that we're a large country geographically. Even when platforms are divided regionally there's still great distances between clubs. This is a barrier for players outside major metros, no doubt. More MLS clubs are creating residency programs to try and mitigate this problem. I'd love to see more clubs open residencies, however they're incredibly cost-prohibitive. Here's what I'd say about player expenses: if a player really is "the cream" a club will sponsor that player. They'll try to find a way to make it work. They might not be able to fix the commute but they can at least ease the cost barrier. Tough questions, man! Hope this at least gives some perspective although I do admit I don't know it all or have all the answers.
Kid is on ODP state team heading to Memphis for Inter Regional event this week. Will say the emphasis on play out of the back has been a cornerstone for practices. Talent level is quite good at her age. In fact its better overall than Prem 1/2 clubs that i'm familiar with. Most of the top clubs are represented. Other states are also inferior from what I have seen. Practices have been diverse and friendlies offered a chance to really look at the talent. For the most part, decisions to select talent appear fine. There are always kids who don't get noticed or get passed on. However, they went from small sided to half field to full field work quite a bit which would allow for ample scouting. Lots of note taking is what I saw. Feedback to be offered soon for all players. It's a time commitment and costs money, but I believe help put kids in a challenging competitive environment. And overall their has been development in allowing to try new positions and feeling free to try new things outside of the club setting.
https://www.nesoccerjournal.com/inv...global-premier-soccer-amid-leadership-change/ As Joseph Bradley, former president and CEO of Global Premier Soccer, faces a federal investigation concerning improper work visas used by the youth club’s coaches, a civil lawsuit has been filed in a Massachusetts court accusing Legacy Global Sports of not paying over $3.7 million as part of an adjusted purchase agreement stemming from their October 2016 acquisition of GPS.
Home-Field Disadvantage: How the Organization of Soccer in the United States Affects Athletic and Economic Competitiveness http://michiganlawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/117MichLRev963_Velarde.pdf Food for thought...
Can I be the first to admit that I'm a little intimidated now that I know there's actually a coach is on this discussion? Lol! Just gotta say I've heard and seen some impressive things @CoachRudy. Keep it going.
Maybe on Soccers but not Sockers I know coach Rudy well. I doubt we'd disagree on much when it comes to the girls end of Sockers actually. He knows the Pre-Academy ranks are struggling and that recruitment plays a big role on the Academy side. While there is nothing wrong with recruiting - in fact at that level it should be prevalent, we may be at a distance for the Pre-Academy model that Sockers employees. No doubt they are way down on numbers from years ago - down on talent as well. Sockers IMO need to make the sport fun and affordable at the Pre-Academy level - especially at the younger ages. They also need to be training with boys IMO - and I have said that a million times over and over. It is what it is - no club or coach is perfect and each player is different. Sockers may not be the right place based on a number of issues for all players - same can be said for FCU or Eclipse or any one of the smaller clubs around. I have my experiences, my daughter has hers - from many years. I stand by that. Hopefully we can talk about the bigger issues with youth soccer in Region II and beyond where Rudy has some really good expertise.
Hi VolklP - No disrespect, but I think we do disagree in more areas than you think. Nothing personal, mostly comes down to identifying fact vs. opinion. Would rather not publicly address these things but you have my number and we can discuss them anytime. Glad that you've found a place for your daughter that you value and I hope she's doing well! Best of luck to you both!
No offense at all. What do you disagree with - why can't we talk that out here? I'd really be interested in see where you disagree with me so widley and what you consider fact vs opinion. We've had this discussion since this thread started - I don't see why it has to be take off-line.
Why are you introducing yourself on this forum as a coach from the club if you're not willing to discuss things publicly?
he needs to respond to everything publicly? Like that’s a requirement? He doesn’t have the freedom to pick and choose as the rest of us do?
I think everyone on this forum is willing to share information to different extents and there comes a point where everyone here draws the line. The fact that most people withhold their identity just goes show. (Which is totally cool btw) I’m not sure why you feel I should be held to a different standard?
Yeah hes on the pitch. From my limited contacts with him he is trying to pull Schaumburg resources down there. Should be an interesting next season, those squads may surprise if they can build on the end of the NISL season. IIRC they were up 3-1 on the first place team and lost 3-4 in the end. The universally dreaded scoreline going into half