MLS Supplemental Draft?

I would love for them to bring in top DA youth and college players 17-198 yr olds to play Reserve games instead of 6 more 22 yr old 4 yr college players. I just think we need our top youth playing in challengin games vs other top players. I know it won't happen but I can dream.

 

Actually - I think Youth Academy players will be eligible to play in the Reserve league next year without losing their amateur status. So . . . you may see plenty of young talent filling out the roster for Reserve teams.

You figure 18 guys on the bench for a senior game. That leave 12 players on the roster for the reserve team. Given there will be some overlap (players doing both) you will still have about 4-6 spots on the Reserve roster any given week that will come from the academies.

 

I want non-MLS Academy Da players to have access to the Reserve League. One of our huge weaknesses is we have elite Non-MLS Academy DA players with no access to professional youth competetive matches. They are handicapped because they are told they can't sign with an MLS team so hence they 'can't' play for MLS Academy/Reserve Teams. I really hope they change these restrictions. They're good enough to have tryouts but are told you have to sign Internationally or go to college then be drafted because you presently live outside the 'protected area'.

 

Don't see those kids ever being allowed to play in a professional reserve league. If they don't sign, why should they? It is still the team's professional reserve.

On to your other point, I think what you will see is the protected areas will continue to expand. Your bold comment above: I am not sure who you mean by "our weakness." It may be a USSF weakness but for MLS it is more of an opportunity to expand the youth reach in the future, not really a current weakness. Teams cannot support 15 youth teams right now so while there is certainly talent going undiscovered, most youth academies are putting out professionals or division 1 athletes. How do they include more without the overhead of supporting additional teams, which will come slowly. Might be a better criticism of USSF and their new developmental academies.

 

Amateur MLS DA academy prospects will be able to play in the reserve league but those really good players not affiliated with an MLS team are frozen out because they weren't blessed by god to being born or living within 75 miles of an MLS city.
Our overall weakness as a nation. We need all our best youth playing vs our best youth.
We are still way too fractured. We have MLS DA Academies, Non-MLS DA Academies, Non DA Clubs, Colleges, Professional youth, Reserve youth. Some Professional some are amateur. The best players within those organization can't or really won't play vs each other with the ultimate goal of integrating our nations elite youth development and have our nations best play each other with the best being sent up the professional food chain.
I may not be explaining it well.

 

No you are explaining it perfectly. Everything you have said is true! However, it is a US Soccer problem not an MLS issue. MLS can only expand so fast and expand their reach so far. Every youth team, since kids do not have to pay to play, cost money to operate, travel, and host games. The real issue is the lack of cohesion at the youth ranks that USSF oversees. Our national federation should do a better job of supporting youth amateur growth for those that are not tied to a professional league. Eventually, MLS teams will expand their reach to include most of the country but maintain their protected areas so other teams do not poach. But that is some time coming. As for the Reserve league, it is an MLS professional league and it does not bother me that only a teams prospects and players can participate. That is how it should be. That is not to say something else shouldn't be done through USSF to foster better competition nationwide.