SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP BridgeFA/ US Soccer Academy Information

I agree with Bear...

IMO, U18 league is a waist of time and money. if you want college exposure should have done it at U16 /17. it is too late at this time.

The U16 on the other hand would be better suited for scouting.

If you think that USSF will select from this league the players for the national team....you are dreaming. Sure most of the players are in the clubs listed but the truth is that they already know for the u18 level who and from where. They are looking for diamonds in the rough.

So the focus again shifts to U16... Imagine Johnny having to drive from Rock Hill to Charleston 3 times a week to practice and maintain the all important grades needed for college?.

Now we need to look at some facts.

1- The league is geared to the metro areas. Access to airports and people. There are 4 million people within 1 hr driving time in Atlanta. There are 4 million people in the whole state of SC.
2- if a college is willing to give Johnny a full ATHLETIC ride then Johnny should be looking at MLS or Europe (notice ATHLETIC).
3- If you put all the club coaches in a room I am sure you can get consensus on 80% of the best players in the state. So it is not a mystery as to who and from where. The ODP program does not work because it is not funded correctly... it should be "free".
4- The cost... sure you have sponsors today... but sponsors are fickle. And what about the $1000 and the travel from one side of the state to the other?
5- Some in the USSF need to take geography lessons again. You are trying to introduce a program with a small number of clubs, in a country the size of all of Europe.

Here is an idea:

You want to have farm level teams? Then Mr USSF lobby to have full scholarships at the universities instead of the mediocre 9.9 crap handed out today. This is how the NFL does it...of course it is considered a non-revenue sport so you must come up with the money to help fund it...

Per USYSA there are 3.2 million registered players. charge $10 fee =32 million. Per NCAA there are approximately 20000 soccer players in the college ranks if you assume that the top schools equates to approx 3000 players you can provide a $10000/year scholarship (a USSF grant if you will) to each player (good for most public schools). Now there is an incentive for Johnny to bust his butt.

Of course many will say it would be too late for the player as 18 and 19 year olds are playing pro in europe....true but we have nothing today and a beginning with this.

The USSF is too disjointed at this time... in my opinion they need to streamline a lot of things

Loved the last 2 posts.......great ideas and thoughts!!!!

for all this money a parent is going to have to pay,are the coaches going to remain the same.for ex.. if a kid plays for a club getting the academy and pays 800 bucks a year.now he pays 3600 a year for the same coach?someone explain what i am missing.i have not been keeping up with this academy stuff.

also I forgot

High school.... as per their rules a player can play HS soccer...

So let see, from what little I know... season starts in october., the majority of the US plays soccer in the fall. So this season starts smack in the middle of the HS season and ends smack in the middle of the spring HS season....PLUS you have to train 3 times a week .... Plus you have to travel to games in Va , Tx, Ca (wherever) ... 1 per day...and all this after training with the school for 5 days? When do you study? do homework? etc.

Never mind that it is required to have rest but it is not required from the HS... Does anyone see a problem?

Obviously you are not to play HS ball.... Period...(By the way I have no problem with this decision)

guess what coach, your star player is doing something else this weekend so your playoff game against Smith Hs? ... he will not be there.

I like to hear from HS coaches and the dual participation crap that I deal with every year...

So many points.........yet more questions. Do we think US Soccer is just plain ignorant? Or just misguided by the influx of corporate support? Are we -as part time analysts- really that far ahead of the Federation and their logic tree?

Are they trying to do something worthwhile? Or are they trying to completely bring down their children(affiliates)?

Maybe we need to rise above sea level on this and our thinking. Otherwise we stay the same. See World Cup 2006 & MLS weekly.

Sid.... you will be surprised to know, that I believe that change is needed. However you will note that the current fragmented approach will still not give the results desired. In truth they had to start somewhere... it is this "somewhere" that I am arguing... USYSA is a MEMBER of USSF and has this in their website

"US Youth Soccer is non-profit and educational organization whose mission is to foster the physical, mental and emotional growth and development of America's youth through the sport of soccer at all levels of age and competition. Our job is also to make it fun, and instill in young players a lifelong passion for the sport."

Nowhere does it say develop the players for the national team to compete in world cup play or for MLS... This is the point I am arguing. Remove the stranglehold that USYSA has on regional/national championships and develop the academy league that will do this.

Therefore:
1-Let USYSA continue with it stated goals
2-Create a league and rules for USSF level play (SUPER Y anyone??).
3-Start it a U13
4-Make it birth year to go with the rest of the world... of course metric system may be in there somewhere as well

There is nothing written that prevents making the state team, the USSF club team.

By the way does anyone know where the fees we pay USYSA and therefore USSF go? can anyone point me in the right direction?

Where doess USSF get the money to operate?