In this interview with Jurgen, he makes several points on US soccer. I think the most important and interesting starting with this: " Well, my hope is that they will be able to continue eliminating the gaps between the youth level, the school systems, the amateur level and the professional level. I mean everything is split apart here. The youth section does its own work, the amateur section is by itself and so forth. There's just no affiliation to the pro level. There's no affiliation between youth and pro level, so its very difficult because everything is seperated...." http://www.sams-army.com/index.php?Mlist=content_full&Article_id=164
It'd be nice to see it revamped to where you don't have to be wealthy to get in it. It is often a case of have vs. have-nots, and not skill related like it should be.
That and the fact that the club coaches are poaching the other rich kids. The have-nots are missed way too often. Very sad.
So you guys are telling me that those who administer American soccer have figured out a way to shoot the sport in the foot? Well, not exactly the first time. Actually, growing up with the American way of doing things in soccer, it didn't strike me as that odd. But when Klinnsman said, "... hopefully, they will be able to create some kind of path from youth all the way up to the pro within the next 5 years or so. Something where young players can stay in the same environment instead of just switching all the time between teams and between school system and club system. All that makes it so difficult for American soccer because nothing is constant. Every player has to undergo some kind of change every couple of months." ... it sort of drove home the problem. I'm not sure I see a solution, myself. I mean, that's not going to be fixed in five years even if those who administrate the sport resolve to never shoot themselves and us in the foot ever again. Though you guys already hit on step #1: Don't make it revolve around the individual kid's choice of parents so much as around the kid's skill.
One of the problems with High School soccer is so many of these guys don't know what the hell they are doing. My kid was told that he would run 2-5 miles at each practice. I'd like to start my own youth club in Hartford and see if I can do it properly. Might have to make my own school to give them HS competition.
Kids are so spoiled these days. I never had a choice of parents... (After thinking about it I see what you mean and agree 100%.)
I wonder how much the Metrostars system is a step in the right direction. Their "school", etc. I know little about it. Does anyone here?
Thanks. Well it claims to be the type of program that brings continuity. Of course a reserve team is a missing piece. MLS hopes to have that in place in a few years. It will be interesting to see if anyone goes all the way through their system to the Metrostars.
A bit hard to do when they are starting 16 year olds! Sometimes we are too young of a team. Yeah, I think in about 5 years you might see this start to pay off, but it is still very new. No one will come through the system a la baseball and the minors for a while. Plus, Bradley's been playing kids like him & Magee (18) in MLS though in most years with less injuries they might get more time on the reserve squad. I hope it all works out. I'd like to see MLS have A league affiliate teams that were part reserve squad and part developmental teams for the younger guys so that they could get professional experience at a younger age and move back and forth between the teams as situations allow.
Its a tricky deal. I'm betting those kids are paying to be with the Metrostars "academy". therefore the Mstars won't hold the rights to the kids. also Mom and Dad are going to want young Johnny to go to Princeton or LIU or wherever and not sign a $24,000 contract. Then the Metro will have to decide if they want to pay some kid money at 16 plus to satisfy mom and dad load up some money in the college fund as well. If the kid is really good, USSF will hook him up with something in Florida and Metro will lose him. Then the whole discovery player crap is in the way. Nothing really happens until player contracts fall under the domain of the individual teams anyway.
In Europe, it seems that kids are sent down different paths at a much earlier age. In Germany, one kid may go to a Hochschule (trade school), the other to Gymnasium (college prep), the next to an Akademie (to play footie, lucky sod). Here, we tend to keep the kids in the same general track, institutionally, unless their parents have the money to pay for them to go somewhere else. So for our soccer players to be put into a soccer development track we will have to be comfortable in bucking the widely-held American belief that public education is a right and an obligation for all to participate in.