the one complaint I have heard about the academy system is "cherry picking". I have not witnessed it personally, but I have heard complaints that some clubs use their academys to field "all star" teams from game to game. I guess it's just the academy permutation of the "A" team "B" team system which some clubs use. I don't think this kind of segregation is useful at the u9-u11 level, as the kids can really learn from one another. Academy may work best for clubs that are big enough to play their weekend games internally. That way coaches can get together and decide on with match ups they want to try.
