Agreed, Hurst...to say "you can't find one" is an overstatement. There are those athletes who can occasionally come out of nowhere and, with the right training and encouragement, make even a long-time club player look a little silly in a 1v1 situation.
Trouble is, soccer isn't a 1v1 sport, and a couple of great athletes have trouble making a difference when things don't come together to get them the ball in the right place at the right times--which, I think, causes these players to be underrated and often go unnoticed.
I think club training is at its greatest advantage when you have a significant number of players from the same HS team also playing together at club in the off-season...not only do they get the extra training and touches on the ball, but they also get the extra time learning to work with each other, knowing what to expect from teammates, and perfecting combination play with each other as well as individual skill.
If you look at some of the most successful teams in my area (Wando, James Island, West Ashley, Summerville) you'll see that many of these young people have not only played year-round for years and gotten the benefit of the extra time and coaching, but many of them have also managed to play TOGETHER for that extra time...which, IMHO, makes an even bigger difference in team play than the individual coaching.
