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Did NOT say Academy isn't inherently better (or worse).

I AM saying that you'd be surprised how many Academy sides are pretty mediocre, and don't NECESSARILY represent a great option. Over the last several years, I've seen about 30 different Academy sides play -- including a bunch of MLS-affiliated Academy sides -- and 6-8 train. I've seen how the kids are coached/transported/housed/fed/cared for (by various programs) "on the road." So I'm not "assuming" here. I have seen/watched/evaluated.

"LoveIt" has a great point. The pressure from coaches is above and beyond reasonable. Kids are recruited from a very young age to play for this or that club, Academy, H.S. side, etc. Parents buy in to the "college scholarship" myth, then spend what amnounts to a fair-sized college fund on training. That's one CHOICE! And choice is they key.

The "best interests" of some kids are met by Academy.
The "best interests" of others are met by high school.
And, at the core of this discussion, the "best interests" of yet others are met by a reasonable combination of BOTH.

The proposed new format is in the best interests of a USMNT hierarchy that, through many regimes, has fallen short of its stated goal to be truly competitive at the highest international level. Instead of admitting personal shortcomings, the hierarchy targets and tweaks a "system." Perhaps, someday, we'll stumble onto the right developmental "system." More likely, we'll stumble across a golden generation of players, then mistakenly presume that whatever training produced "them" is the single, right, way.

In reality, there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat.





I agree with your last couple of paragraphs. Unfortunately life doesn't always allow a smorgasboard of choices or options. I too share a distrust of bureaucracy, including soccer bureaucracy. But I really liked the Academy program and think that they are "on to" something.

My son benefited soccer wise by playing R3 in the Fall and Academy in the winter/spring. He was absoltuely sharper and absoltuely benefitted by playing R3 in the fall instead of HS. I saw him grow as a player from this approach.

Kids that are diehard soccer players will benefit from 10 month Academy. I guarantee it.

Now...these guys (Claudia Reyna, et al) aren't developing a roadmap for life. They aren't directly interested in kids being well rounded or how kids can positively impact other kids by playing in HS. They aren't focussed on that at all. They are only interested....in figuring out how to improve the depth and breadth of the elite player pool. Thats it.