Since the United States has bowed out of the 2006 World Cup, I wanted to hit on a topic that was raised in earlier threads about talent evaluation in the USA.
We all recognize that the Olympic Development Program is an expensive and sometimes exclusive avenue towards being recognized on a state and national scale. While ODP is a viable option for some, it obviously excludes potential players based on cost and availability.
The club scenario is certainly another way to expose talent on a state/national basis, but is it truly being utilized to do so. Are all players being included in this arena and if not, what could be done to include them. Are coaches involved in the club simply to garner a paycheck or truly develop individual and team talents.
High school soccer offers all kids an opportunity to compete, but repeatedly the prep game comes under attack for being too watered-down or a lesser-than pool of talent based on a "coaching what you get" philosophy. While HS is an admirable option for kids to play and my personal favorite, is it truly America's best option to develop international players?
How many kids in the 2006 graduating class are going to college based on exploits in ODP? In club? In high school?
I for one, know that at Brookland-Cayce HS we have several young men poised to play college soccer in the fall, and none of them were recruited via club soccer involvement. The same is true for the previous players that we have had in college. I realize this may be an exception to the rule, but the fact is, the lip-service provided for collegiate recruiting by clubs/ODP is widely exaggerated. Essentially the top 10% will be looked after as far as college soccer goes, but it's the next 10-20% that leaves me perplexed. These are the kids that have the ability to play at a "next level" but what are we doing to push the envelope as coaches/administrators as far as development and giving these kids an environment to improve.
Are our in-state colleges (and their coaches -- many of which are involved in ODP) looking after in-state talent or are they simply trying to keep their jobs and recruit the best players across the region/nation/internationally? Are they actively pursuing avenues to develop the in-state talent, or are they utilizing their summer camps to simply line their bank accounts?
Is soccer in this country being hindered by skill or athleticism? Is it our culture? Is it our multi-sport fanaticism?
I think it's a combination of the above. We in the U.S. value the Big 3 -- football/basketball/baseball. We pay cursory "isn't that nice" attention to hockey, soccer, tennis, and golf. Until soccer is more prevalent amongst the Big 3, we'll continue to fight/struggle for quality top-tier athletes. This is totally unlike the Argentinas, Brazils, Englands, Germanys, Netherlands, and Mexicos of the world in which those that "can play", play soccer! In America, those that cannot effectively play football (kickers don't count), basketball, and baseball (particularly in the South) move on to soccer. While they are often good athletes, we simply are not playing with our best in most cases.
What direction do we go? Should we pigeon-hole kids to soccer-only by the time kids are in the sixth grade in order to hone their skills? If so, who is to lead this effort -- MLS? USL First/Second Division Teams? Do they have the resources? As a society would we support taking kids out of a normal academic orientation to foster soccer development?
Let's face it, I'm having a hard time understanding why U11 players would travel 1-1/2 hours to play soccer for a team that could similarly be played 10-15 minutes from home. At $2.80 a gallon for gas, I just don't know where you draw the line. More power to them, but is the "product" truly superior and if so, how?
These are questions and ramblings raised amidst our debacle in Germany '06!
