Interesting article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/magazine/06Soccer-t.html?pagewanted=1&hpw Much of this has been covered in various discussions. Turn a profit on the players you develop. Don't have the kids practice endlessly. Develop a style that adds sophistication to how players move, anticipate and pass.
Good article, but I must confess that--given this was the New York Times--I was secretly hoping to see a reference to the book "Infinite Jest." Then again, that was about a tennis academy.
Shit, if the DCUntied braintrust actually thought about it, it would open an academy for people over the age of 35-years old. Think about it, charge about $1,000 per 3 credits . . . . 12 credits each "semester" . . . . 4 semesters for a "certificate," which happens to be sanctioned by MLS, USSF, and FIFA (make it the US equivalent of Univ of Liverpool's "Degree of Footie" . . . . Heaven forbid that the school would ever be sanctioned by the NCAA! That's about $35K each frustrated Internet Nuts (or Soccer Dads living vicariously through their kids) . . . . Shit, that pays for your youth academy if you have 7 people sign up each year. . . . . Throw Etcheverry at them for a couple of 15 week classes on "tactics" . . . Maybe get a couple of Jurgen K's "guest appearances" on "leadership" . . . .
This is in the Sunday NYTimes magazine Next article is about the faces of the next generation of youth soccer in america - All about kids either born overseas or here of first-generation immigrants - Including one Samir Badr now at FC Porto (Portugal) - Samir was Hamid's backup at the DC United Academy - But none of that is mentioned in the photo spread - And neither are Andy Najar or Graye