SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Where are all the minorities in youth club soccer?

My kid and I watched the U17MNT friendlies in Phoenix and that roster is full of minorities. What does that say about developing the minority player? If given the opportunity they will excel?

I suspect it is not just the club cost but long term earning potential of soccer in the US that keeps minorities, minorities in youth club soccer. You don't hear of many or any soccer players being offered a several million dollar contract to go pro out of high school or high dollar advertising contracts. You do hear that in football, baseball, basketball. Even if a club offered free training and transportation, they can't cover the loss of earning potential a teenager can make in getting a job. So unfortunately, in the teen years it becomes a sport predominantly for the kids who love the game and have the luxury of parents who can afford to totally financially support the child. There is little hope of the child making it big with a multi million contract or a long term wealthy career. At least in the US, it appears the soccer profession is one of passion and for those that can afford to follow that passion - not too different from a teacher.

In a word, yes.

Please reference the most recent NCAA Men's Division I basketball and football numbers. African Americans receive over 50% of athletic grants-in-aid in these sports; over 60% in basketball, if I'm not mistaken.

It may be a coincidence, but two prominent pay-to-play sports -- soccer and baseball -- are still significantly majority Caucasian. In fact, in major league baseball, there are significantly more Latin American players than African Americans.

But back to soccer: The reality is, REGARDLESS OF RACE OR ETHNICITY, soccer historically attracts fewer high caliber athletes than basketball and football. Not that soccer players are unathletic. There just isn't the demand for dominant size, strength and quickness that other sports require. Our best athletees tend to gravitate to other sports.

Can you imagine, for example, if the likes of A.J. Green, Sidney Rice, Alshon Jeffery, Marcus Lattimore, Devan Downey, etc., had chosen soccer at a young age, and had been properly trained and developed in the sport?

You really think Benny Feilhaber could compete?

Can you imagine, for example, if the likes of A.J. Green, Sidney Rice, Alshon Jeffery, Marcus Lattimore, Devan Downey, etc., had chosen soccer at a young age, and had been properly trained and developed in the sport?

You really think Benny Feilhaber could compete?

Now that's funny!!!

I also agree it is funny...but the reality has everything to do with the future.

You pick your athletic heroes because you have seen them (on tv or in real life). And you see the money, would Mr Lattimore like a 50 million dollar a year contract to play american football or would he rather take a 60,000 dollar a year contract to play soccer?

No brainer, kids are not stupid.

Thanks, helps to make my point in part. Were either of those kids minorities? Were they under privilidged players (what I think we should be using instead of the term minorities) who were on club scholarships? Or were they good players who were willing to pay to play on a potential Championship team?
I would be willing to guess that there was likely a underprivilidged player living within 25-50 miles of DSC's home field who could have played (developed) nearly as well as these two, (please do not take this as any knock on those players as I am in hypotehtical land here) but why would the club take an non-paying equal player that was local when they could get a paying player thus allowing them to fund a better program and win a championship.

I think in the big picture of things coaches/clubs will put the best team possible on the pitch, but when given a choice between a paying player who is a 8 or 9 and a non paying player who is a 9 or 10 they will take the money because there is not enough difference between them to warrant giving up the money. Besides at that level of athlete most coaches are going to feel they can make the difference up with coaching.

How does my point help make your point? Your point was that the DSC boys team was made will all local talent. I don't know if the boys were minorities or not. Just remember reading about how they traveled to Rock Hill.

No my point was not that the team was made of local talent but that the minorities on the team were local talent. I know the one boy who traveled from Charleston was not and I do not believe the one from TN was either.
Maybe to be clearer with the point, why would a club give up the money a paying player would bring in when they can get a player who will pay to come from that far away to play on a winning team, and pay to do it!

Discoveries (just like CESA) will take the paying player over the non-paying player (IMHO even if the non payer is slightly better) everytime. CESA, like the other top clubs everywhere, have players from all over on thier teams becasue of recruiting, reputation, and the fact the highly competitive players want to play for winners. I am not knocking these things just pointing them out, and if I thought it was what my player needed I would be in the car driving to MESA too.

Was there not more than one that came from Charleston?

I am not sure, but could have been, I know of the high profile one that most people know of but not sure if anyone else did.