U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati made a couple of comments regarding girls youth soccer at yesterday's press conference. Fellow BS'ers, what are your thoughts, predictions, etc., about future plans and programs for youth soccer on the girls side? Here are the comments: "Along with the technical review we’re doing on the men’s side and the boys’ side of things, as soon as we name a coach we will start a similar study on the girls’ side...I think some of the things we do on the boys’ side, we will do at the youth level for the girls’ side, and there will be other programs that will be tailor-made for the issues that we face developmentally with young girls and teenagers.” Also: "No, I’m not making a commitment that we would start a Development Academy-type program on the girls’ side. What we would do is start the analysis of what we should be doing at a youth level a little bit more rapidly. I’m convinced that not everything that will work on the boys’ and girls’ sides has to be identical and we’re going to tailor-make those programs. It may be that we have a development academy program or it may be that we do something very different.” http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_3375105.html
As long as parents remain in charge at the local levels of the US youth soccer infrastructure nothing will change.
To me, this is translated as: We realize that we are only looking at the boys' side now, but I don't want to alienate the parents/players on the female side. I shall now tell you that we are studying how to do something equally cool for the gals. And: Well, maybe we'll make an Academy System for the girls....but then again maybe we won't. Bottom line = we are doing nothing, however we will talk about it after we finish with the boys. Keep in mind that we will study this for as long as the pressure doesn't get great enough that we have to act. Just my opinion....seriously though, I don't read anything in those statements that leads me to believe there is any plan in place. All he is saying is that they are looking into ways to work with the girls.
I don't see why anything has to be different and doing anything other than offering the same program shows that there really is no concern for girls soccer. I don't understand, with the growth there has been in girls soccer in the past 15 years, why they would even consider not offering the same options for girls as boys.
It all comes down to money and there is more money to be made from men's sports than women's sports, so at the youth level, there will be more support for boys programs then there will be for girls programs. The thinking is why make the investment in the girls when there is no professional outlet for them and even if there was (and will be in 2009, we hope) there is still no money to be made there. That's the hard reality of the situation. Having said that though, I don't see why an academy program would not be considered a priority for girls, particularly in light of the fact that the current financial support of the program is basically parents.
A very wise, and well connected person and I spoke about this just this summer. Basic answer I got had to do with the fact that a vast majority of girls in the Youth National Pool on the girls' side stated that they had no interest in a residential program, if offered. If the players themselves aren't committed enough to help themselves and the women's side at the International Level is still on par with the rest of the World....why not work on shoring up the boys first. I am sure that my expression of the situation leaves something to be desired...it was presented much more eloquently to me than the above. Maybe someone actually "in the know" could chime in and shed light. I would bet that Perfdbdan could shed some light on this....wonder where he's been lately? I think he has his priorities all screwed up....probably spending all his BS time on some unproductive endeavor like watching his kids play soccer or something.
I drop by now and then. There is no plan to do anything on a National Level for girls - at the moment. Then again last February we were assured in a meeting with Sunil that there were no plans for a Developmental League for the boys only to find, surprise, there were. There is no money for the girls at this time. There is a lack of interest in residency for girls among those who would qualify to go. There is some discussion of Regional Academy/Residency programs, but it is more in the let's consider this mode at the moment. More may follow in the February meetings and in phone calls before then. Then again, everything could change with whoever is selected to be the new WNT coach.
Good to hear from you, Perf. See the awesome power of the Fanatic? All I have to do is invoke the name....and the great ones come forth! It really is a good thing I am a humble man!