According to this article an astounding 400,000 boys play high school soccer for 11,000 high schools each year in the U.S. and 4,000 or .01% of those players participate at the Academy level and I would estimate at least another 300,000 play club soccer.
There is no question in my mind that the loss of this .01% of players from high school rosters will adversely affect the quality and excitement associated with having such players involved in the high school game. Club successes for such players have always translated to their high school teams and the fans who follow their programs due to the fact that high schools support club players with excused absences for tournaments, international competition, etc.
The unquestionable facts in this equation are that non school based high level soccer currently is and must be a pay to play formula for the reasons discussed extensively in this forum over the years. Few would ever say that such a model, while highly valued by participants, will become the ultimate pathway for ALL of the most athletically gifted young men or women in the country to become soccer players at the highest level. Why? Because such a system just doesn't provide access to the millions of potential athletes found in the country. Like it or not, high school is the accepted pathway for the aspiring athlete to realize his or her collegiate and possibly professional dreams in our society across all major sports . . . other than soccer.
The delima is high school soccer is where you get the community fan base involved and it's where you have the optimum market advantage to grow the game year over year. HS soccer is what fills a stadium with thousands of fans who follow gifted players, coaches and teams for a possible State Championship title. It's no secret that club soccer is where a player gets the highest level of training for many reasons. We also know high school soccer is where the student athlete embraces the pride of representation and enjoys the personal satisfaction of experiences gained and rewards earned from playing for his/her school.
University soccer programs routinely recognize high school affiliations before club affiliations in player bios, yet they do their recruiting at the club level because of the higher level of competition. While U.S. players are in high school, European professional clubs work to bring players into their ranks by their mid teens. If a contract is not forthcoming, such a player will likely find his way into our collegiate system.
One could argue U.S. Soccer may be missing a tremendous opportunity to tap into access to the millions of athletes high school athletics offers, but how on earth would such a thing occur given the competition with football, basketball and baseball? Should this be ignored? Should U.S Soccer develop a high school coaching curriculum as a grander development scheme? Should USYSA develop a high school coaching/training curriculum? Does the decision by U.S. Soccer open an opportunity for others to standardize training across U.S. High School soccer programs in an effort to attract the millions of players who migrate into competing sports?
Objectives to grow the game should be as follows:
1) Create awareness of the game by means of putting it in front of as many people as possible
2) Put the best talent on the field to build excitement about the game in front of as many people as possible
2) Attract the most gifted athletes into the game at ages 8-12 at the lowest possible cost as often as possible
11,000 high schools provide an incredible vehicle to accomplish these goals. Can any entity create a standardized model that'll elevate the level of training within the average high school program and work to reach down to the millions of youngsters in middle school to inspire them to get into the game before they hit high school?
Nurturing such a vast market may just be the answer to exploding the game in this country.
Purely from a games-played perspective, I know numerous kids who, from July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012, will play 60 or more high school and/or Academy/club matches -- including many on back-to-back days, or (in one case) four in five days.
This type of schedule does not make kids better players. To the contrary, it REDUCES training time and arguably INCREASES injury risk.
During the high school season, when kids pack as many as 34 matches and full scrimmages into a (roughly) 90-day period, the chances of enhancing technical skill, fitness, etc., are substantially diminished.
This is NOT to say I favor club/Academy over high school, or vice versa. I see benefits in both, dependent on an individual's specific needs/goals, and the specific high school resources available to him. I favor kids being allowed to play BOTH, if the various adults involved can agree to act in a kid's best interests.
Toward THAT end, I'd suggest capping the number of games scheduled in a calendar year. Let's say, no more than 18-20, plus showcase/playoffs -- a TOTAL of 24 -- for club/Academy, and perhaps 20, plus state playoffs -- no more than 25 -- for high school.
Mandate that no kid dress for more than 48-50 games in a calendar year.
Focus on TRAINING at all levels.
Great ideas, but as long as Clubs are involved, then money is involved and-
The Clubs are going to try to get as much of that as possible and if that means lengthening the season, so be it.
The Club is not making as much money if High School is playing.
I am not saying get rid of Clubs, but a parent I know added up all the matches his daughter (Club/ECNL/High School) played this past year. It was about 80.
The body needs some "rest time".
80 games??? Thats an NBA season, and their professionals who are getting paid. WOW!!!
Eighty games in a calendar year is WAY too many. I'd love to hear a sports medicine perspective on this.
Not sure that this should read 'clubs' only... one could very easily pose the following question:
Are High School Programs playing too much soccer? Can you say 3 games a week, sometimes more? Why do high school coaches feel the need to train in-between games (listed above)? Sunday practices? Professionals don't play this much soccer on a weekly basis.
The funny thing is you then have kids saying they don't want to play college soccer because 'it is like a full time job'. Ummm, in most cases you spend more time at getting 'educated' and playing soccer in HS than you do in College!!
Read my earlier post. I'd favor fewer games across the board. Clip a few from H.S. Clip a few from club/Academy. Consider (at least) a common sense recommendation to max out at 50 total in any given calendar year.
This was my discussion recently on high school. The side I'm most familiar with played approximately 34 matches and competitive scrimmages in a roughly 90-day period. Assuming you don't train too hard or long the day before a match, and assuming you give at least one day off a week over the 12 weeks or so, and assuming there may actually be some holiday downtime ...
When do you go legitimately hard in training? How do you keep kids really fit?
The answer, in some instances is, you don't.
Bomber, no need to get defensive … especially since your last sentence proves my point!!
HS teams don't play tournaments? HS kids don't travel hours by bus? Think about the JV kids ....
That's a fair question. I'd say roughly half. Which doesn't change the fact that a congested schedule reduces training/fitness opportunities, or that kids get just as hurt in non-competitive matches as competitive ones.
Also, while "my kid's" H.S. matches were only occasionally competitive, what about those kids whose H.S. matches are virtually ALWAYS a dogfight? Or whose teams included 18-20 players?
I'm not for a drastic overhaul. How about 2 full scrimmages (essentially non-counting matches), 24 regular-season and max-five state tournament matches? That would imply 26-31 matches, which is more than enough.
In Club/Academy, I'd favor a similar nominal trim.
If by doing this, you reduce the likelihood of a 16-year-old playing 70-80 matches, I'd say you've done something good.