New Southern California league U12-U15

Sounds good, like putting a natural geographic advantage to good use. You can't do this everywhere (because there aren't enough high level clubs in close proximity), but in SoCal you can.

 

I also think a big advantage to having the Galaxy and Chivas academy teams starting at the u12 level will be that they no longer will have to recruit players who are already involved in other premier programs in socal, players can decide to go to the Galaxy or Chivas about the time they start getting serious about the sport.

Good move all around here. I remember reading a quote from Alexi Lalas when the Galaxy was starting their developmental structure that they were getting tons of flack from the other established youth clubs in the area. Something about shutting them out of a similar elite So-Cal league this of course was back when the team was called the Galaxy Rios and Tristan Bowen was the only member of the team. This should really make a big difference in about 5-10 years from now.

 

More on the new league: http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/2617...discontent-with-coast-soccer-league-shakes-up

http://www.soccernation.com/southern-california-developmental-soccer-league-launches-cms-1006

 

This looks like what the future of youth soccer will be in the U.S. in the next 20 years. Getting professional training at the youngest ages 8-12. Having games at that age where you don't keep score and it's all about developing a player technically and tactically. That will be hard to swallow for alot of U.S. soccer parents where its all about winning but that's how they do it in europe. It gives the Cosmos a huge advantage though as they are fully funded at the youth levels, they will get all the best youth players in the league.

 

Interestingly enough, from what I've seen most young kids rate whether they're getting better as a higher motivation in terms of sticking with it than whether they're winning.

Also, I don't think a focus away from winning and onto skills development is really the same thing as the self-esteem-movement everyone gets a participation ribbon stuff that you remember from the 70s. I think it's a different attitude for a different reason. For instance, when Rick Davis took over AYSO (a fundamental mindshift in itself--AYSO was being run by someone who had actually been a professional player!) he saw to it that player development into the best player you can be was finally integrated into that organization's mission statement, after 40-odd years of not being there.

Basically, the new attitude that the pros are trying to implement is still very 'competitive', only the competition is fundamentally against yourself, to stretch your own limits.

 

I would agree with what your saying in most other sports, competition and winning and losing is important but it in soccer it is not that important at the youth ages. I think because in soccer you have to start so young if you want to be good that developing technical skills is so important at the youngest age possible compared to other sports. If there not developed by a certain age it's too late, I know that seems crazy but that is the way it is in soccer.

This league which is the 1st of its kind in the U.S.A. well concentrate solely on developing those technical skills needed to be a professional player.

 

Your rite, if you want to keep with up the top soccer powers in the world and you want to be able to compete with them at a world cup level you have to start training kids at 6 years old because thats what they all do. The advantage we have though is that U.S. has more kids playing youth soccer from ages 6-12 than anywhere in the world. It's just after 12 most of the kids leave soccer for other sports.

The problem is getting all of them (millions of kids) the proper technical training at those ages so the top kids stick with the game after 12 years old and don't go to other sports. There is not enough good coaches to go around to teach everybody. Also getting them the proper training where there families don't go broke having to pay for that training too is another problem.

Hopefully this new youth league in Southern California will be new thing in youth soccer in the U.S. Again outside of the Cosmos all of these youth clubs are pay to play.

 

What I think you should be aware of is that the main driver for this league is about money and control rather than change or development. This isn't to say that some of the ideas aren't beneficial, but instead to let you know they were really lessor factors. Club passes are already on their way to becoming nationally accepted. Locally, most of the discussion about this league is on the girls teams and who this will benefit financially. The biggest impact has been the Chivas, Galaxy, and LAFC/Cosmos eliminating costs and the focus on youth titles and tournaments.

Given all your posts about youth development you really seem to be interested which is great. However, if you really want to understand things you would benefit by trying to find some more in depth material or people with in depth knowledge willing to talk with you.

 

Of course it is going to be about money and control , those three organizations are about developing players that will eventually make them money by being stars on there team or selling them to europe for a profit. They don't want people telling them how they should or shouldn't do that. They want control so they started there own thing. Like I said I am a mba student working on a project about soccer development and this whole process has intrigued me. I don't know the inner workings you would probably know more than me. What do you think about the situation? From everything I have researched the people who run the Cosmos is the leader behind and they are fully funded all the way down to the youth ages. The only youth soccer group in the country I know that and they want control of there own league if there spending all that money on there players.