I agree with Bear...
IMO, U18 league is a waist of time and money. if you want college exposure should have done it at U16 /17. it is too late at this time.
The U16 on the other hand would be better suited for scouting.
If you think that USSF will select from this league the players for the national team....you are dreaming. Sure most of the players are in the clubs listed but the truth is that they already know for the u18 level who and from where. They are looking for diamonds in the rough.
So the focus again shifts to U16... Imagine Johnny having to drive from Rock Hill to Charleston 3 times a week to practice and maintain the all important grades needed for college?.
Now we need to look at some facts.
1- The league is geared to the metro areas. Access to airports and people. There are 4 million people within 1 hr driving time in Atlanta. There are 4 million people in the whole state of SC.
2- if a college is willing to give Johnny a full ATHLETIC ride then Johnny should be looking at MLS or Europe (notice ATHLETIC).
3- If you put all the club coaches in a room I am sure you can get consensus on 80% of the best players in the state. So it is not a mystery as to who and from where. The ODP program does not work because it is not funded correctly... it should be "free".
4- The cost... sure you have sponsors today... but sponsors are fickle. And what about the $1000 and the travel from one side of the state to the other?
5- Some in the USSF need to take geography lessons again. You are trying to introduce a program with a small number of clubs, in a country the size of all of Europe.
Here is an idea:
You want to have farm level teams? Then Mr USSF lobby to have full scholarships at the universities instead of the mediocre 9.9 crap handed out today. This is how the NFL does it...of course it is considered a non-revenue sport so you must come up with the money to help fund it...
Per USYSA there are 3.2 million registered players. charge $10 fee =32 million. Per NCAA there are approximately 20000 soccer players in the college ranks if you assume that the top schools equates to approx 3000 players you can provide a $10000/year scholarship (a USSF grant if you will) to each player (good for most public schools). Now there is an incentive for Johnny to bust his butt.
Of course many will say it would be too late for the player as 18 and 19 year olds are playing pro in europe....true but we have nothing today and a beginning with this.
The USSF is too disjointed at this time... in my opinion they need to streamline a lot of things
