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Philly has a Jr academy starting at U8. Link
The point you keep missing is that we don’t need better athletes to play great soccer in this country. It might help a little, but we wouldn’t dominate other countries and start winning world cups if only we had better athletes. That’s never been our weakness. As stated over and over, our soccer players aren’t good enough. We don’t have the right youth development culture or infrastructure to find and develop great soccer players here.
I think the point us "anti soccer" guys are making ....is that If the sport was less boring and more popular here it would attract the better athletes and their families at a younger age (and more importantly keep them).....and the "right youth development culture and infrastructure" would follow....we don't have the youth development culture and infrastructure because America doesn't care about soccer like the other countries and we have better/more popular options for young athletes to pursue....not trying to be a d-bag, but it really is kind of the sport kids gravitate too when they realize they really aren't good at any of the other major sports....that sounds mean, but its more about the mentality.....so your quality and dedication and excitement about the sport that you need for that development, culture, and infrastructure that you mention....just isn't there....and probably never will be....
Perhaps an real-life example might help. OBJ. Dude is a freak athlete and seeming great at anything he attempts if the youtube videos are any form of proof. Its been widely reported that he was great youth soccer player and was generating all sorts of interest both here and oversees. He ended up choosing football. Everything I've seen/read is that he liked soccer more, but realized that to get better he was going to have to go over sees to get the training that would unlock his potential. Asking a young teen to leave his family and go oversees is a huge burden. He chose not to go oversees and I can't blame him. This is what people are talking about here. For the US to get better they need to develop the infrastructure to be able to coach and unlock talent for the next generation of OBJs. Having been involved both in coaching and trying to find good coaches for my kids, I can attest how difficult this truly is. Way too many backyard Lombardi-wannabes that are doing more harm than good right now.
here in Merica....we have THE major baseball, basketball, hockey, football leagues.....the top shelf of those sports....and thats not even bringing up the popularity of the feeder sports for some of those (NCAA football and basketball)....
we have for a long time heard opposing coaches refer to the US as a team full of athletes, which in soccer speak means a team that is still lacking the technical side of the game.
bolded is what soccer guy doesn't understand....you are never going to get that culture that you are so desperately wanting because our country just doesn't care about soccer as much as soccer guy wants them too....we don't care about it like other countries do because we like other stuff better....you won't get that infrastructure at a young age and you will keep losing the OBJ type athletes....
for many athletes in other sports....they learn some of their most important skills in pick up game after pick up game....in the backyard....playing against their friends....at recess, in PE class...even though some have mentioned above that they think they see "pick up soccer games" being played....I am still willing to bet it falls way behind wiffle ball games, 2 on 2 hoops games and NERF ball in the backyard....
sounds like you are still denying the roll that the lack of popularity the sport has in general plays any part....you'd have better coaching if more people cared about it and it was more popular and it had some of the better athletes choosing it over the other more popular sports....
Is anyone going to blame our relation/advancement system that is in place at the youth level? If you win you play in regional premier league against Atlanta United red team, if you lose you play against the Plumtree Purple team on their goat path pitch which isn't even regulation size. I keep hearing that America's infatuation with winning is an issue, but how do you get top talent together in a country this size without using W/L to figure out who belongs where?
if you think the billions of dollars being spent on the sport in this country is being done by businessmen who think the sport lacks popularity, you are either a troll or just plain nuts.
I think it is important at a certain age (maybe 14 and above) but I would prefer it if the younger kids focused on technique first, which ignores the size and strength advantages kids have when they grow faster.
catering to the population that chooses not to go the route of baseball, football, basketball or hockey is fine (let alone golf, tennis, track, and lacrosse that is becoming more popular)....there are tons of those people that still want to have "something for their kids to participate in"....so sure go make money off them....
I know you are trolling but it is kind of fun to see how crazy you can get.
"participation" is kind of the key word here.....pretty easy to slap a jersey and a set of soccer shoes on almost any kid and find a team for them where they will get "playing time" no matter their actual skill level....then little Johnny learns to be part of a team, even if he barely/never touches the ball throughout the match...and the parents can go home feeling all warm and fuzzy that they are good parents and "have their kid involved" in an activity.....
sure if you can explain why 95% of the population could care less about us getting beat in soccer on a global level...I know you are trolling but it is kind of fun to see how crazy you can get.
As such can you explain how the billions of dollars being spent on stadiums and training sites, tv contracts, sponsorship's has anything to do "something for their kids to participate in"?
This is a good illustration of one major hurdle. As I noted in response to Joe's question on the front page, one other problem that is uniquely American is our close association between education and sports, and the very high cost of education in the US which puts a premium the value of a scholarship for many kids. The example I've given several times is a guy I know who played for the US National team throughout his youth, playing out of one of the top academies in the country. He played in tournaments all over the world, including playing against some of the European players who played in the last world cup for England and Spain. When he was faced with a decision whether to accept an offer to move to Europe, or accept a scholarship to play soccer for a top US University, he made the obvious choice, thus ending his soccer career. Sure, he had a great college career. When I knew him, he was a law student who could walk on at the best club in our city and instantly be the best player on the field in any game they played. Nonetheless, going to college and playing the watered-down NCAA soccer schedule was him effectively signalling that his aspirations as a pro soccer player were over, despite that being by far the smartest move for him as an American teenager.
Plus if a Euro washes out, they'll have US college coaches tripping over there ##### to offer them a scholarship to play in the US.
and some of those even end up in MLS.
Good players aren't playing at high school. US Soccer won't allow it for academy players.
not being a d-bag...but I have never heard of this person and I'm not sure how many Americans would know who he is....
good post!
Which I get for the elite 0.5% trying to make the USMNT which I guess is the point here. However want better youth coaches 15 years from now, those are the kids playing HS soccer now and if they aren't being taught correctly they won't be teaching the next generation correctly when they are 6 and 7 years old.
that's great. 99.999999% of American's don't know who Aretemi Panarin is, or who Jordan Poyer is or who Victor Arano is either.
the growth is important. The size of the sport in the US has grown immensely in just the last decade alone, ignoring being almost unrecognizable from 20 years ago.
again there is a difference between participation and popularity....IMO you actually need the country at its core to embrace the sport to try and establish the culture you are looking for and to get to the answer to the question of this thread...you can bring up all the "participation" stats you want....just think its an uphill battle and soccer will never truly move the needle here like the big 4....we have the big 4...other countries really don't...I didn't click on the link, no time...was breaking down Mahomes video on youtube...
Honestly, all we really need are to have people who know what they are doing to have kids. That's it--the results will follow over time.
not sure...it seemed like I was supposed to maybe know who that guy is or something because he is now playing in front of 50,000 people....
Right now Sporting KC gets the same attendance as a Royals game. And the crowd is way more fun at the soccer game.
18 kids paying $1500 a year to play = $27,000. Most coaches can handle 3 teams so that's $81,000. I don't know the number, but half of that has to go to fields, paying refs, paying coaches expenses, tourney fees, club scholarships, and club admin. So basically for $40k a year you can everyday for 10 months training kids from 3pm to 10pm Monday-Friday and then spend the most of the weekend coaching those three different teams in different cities. You'll never see your kids and your wife (if you ever have one) will hate your guts. Parents will hate you because their Johnny isn't getting enough playing time.
We were talking about different paths players take. He took a very unique one that has worked out for him.
