Quote:

Shame on Bridge FA for asking their boys to participate in this Academy.

Shame on the other top level clubs like Chicago Magic, PDA Socrates, CASL, DC United, Atlanta Fire, Virginia Rush, Ohio Elite SA and others, as well.




I haven't seen anyone criticize BFA for participating. There are some important questions being asked though. The cost is one of them. I have a friend who's son plays in Charlotte and was told that it would cost $6,500 per year at SCSC for Academy players. BFA says it will be $975, plus travel. Other clubs are quoting numbers in-between those two. Who knows what it will turn out to be.

My opinion is that the Academy program is a mistake by the USSF. There are too many excellent players spread across too many programs to expect to be able to create a single vehicle through which the "best of the best" will be identified and developed for National Team spots. Rather than create a new program, I would have preferred to see a focus on improving the ODP program. That said, I am not going to prejudge the Academy. It may turn out to be a huge success and CESA and CUFC may be falling over themselves to get in in a couple of years. We'll see.