12 year old from Florida joins RCD Espanyol

http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/pro-prospects:-florida-youth-joins-espanyol_aid33306

So many great players in NTX. I never hear a 10-13 year old from NTX receive the same opportunities. Are the kids not good enough or is the coaching not good enough? What is it?

Umm, I do know of a 9 year old at Barca from North Texas... FYI

yes shasta you are right....we have one right here in our backyard that is abroad playing soccer at barca...very talented boy...

we have plenty of youth boys who could play/train in europe...that are good enough...problem is for most...are getting visas...moving over for a year....getting a job or having the ability to make money....the deals are for a year....no guarantee they will resign you in a year....lots of risks

I have talked personally to a premier team in England that has seen my boy and they say he could play in their youth academy...and we have an open invitation but uprooting him at this age and the family is too difficult...atleast for me....we will take our chances here for the time being...and visas aren't a problem for me as I am English....but there are plenty of quality players here that can make the jump abroad...if you really want to you can make it happen...

The big clubs and some of the indies send boys to European soccer academies in La Liga, Bundesliga, and the Premier League every year.

The Texans have NTX players that went to Feyenoord's Academy and Odyssey has an NTX player that went to Ajax Academy.

The Texans usually play in European tournaments like Gothia and Dania cup every year and they sent some of their NTX coaching staff and players to La Masia this year.

FC Dallas sent a large group of NTX players to La Liga and coaches to La Masia this year also.

Solar has a Chelsea affiliation, Andromeda has a Tottenham affiliation and Liverpool FC America has a Liverpool FC affiliation, The Texans have a Man United affiliation and all of these clubs send NTX players to Europe.  

City Futsal academy sent NTX players to Mexico and Brazil last year and that club fielded a hybrid 02B team that played "extremely well" in SuperCopa this year as Team X.

I am certain that there are other NTX clubs or teams that I failed to identify or mention who sent their players for academy training outside of the USA also.

The Texans have/had a 9 year old NTX player who went to Man City and Barca and Mexico.  The Texans have/had  NTX players who are also ID2 selections that made the rounds at various clubs in La Liga, Bundesliga, and the Premier League.

Last year Odyssey's 03B team was short a few players in their opening Classic League game because they were late returning after playing in England (They were competitive when they played there last year and I heard it was a great experience for their team)

Traveling to other countries and experiencing different training  systems and competition is an exciting thing for North Texas players to do and a lot can be gained from it if the players continue to apply their training back home and pass along the information learned at the academies or in tournaments to their friends and teammates.

NTX develops many talented players who travel internationally and as a soccer community we are well represented.

If you are willing to spend the money, your bb can travel and play anywhere he wants.

finish1 wrote:If you are willing to spend the money, your bb can travel and play anywhere he wants.

truth   

sukiakiman wrote:yes shasta you are right....we have one right here in our backyard that is abroad playing soccer at barca...very talented boy...

we have plenty of youth boys who could play/train in europe...that are good enough...problem is for most...are getting visas...moving over for a year....getting a job or having the ability to make money....the deals are for a year....no guarantee they will resign you in a year....lots of risks

I have talked personally to a premier team in England that has seen my boy and they say he could play in their youth academy...and we have an open invitation but uprooting him at this age and the family is too difficult...at least for me....we will take our chances here for the time being...and visas aren't a problem for me as I am English....but there are plenty of quality players here that can make the jump abroad...if you really want to you can make it happen...

Very good point Sukiakiman. We have lots of talent right here but looking at the risk is tough. I heard of another family at Barca and they are very wealthy so they can manage it. We just have to use the means we are given to the best of our ability.

Going to train overseas somewhere and joining a pro level academy overseas are two completely different things. You can throw a rock on any Saturday at Richland College and hit a kid that has gone overseas to train with a pro academy.

Moving your entire family to chase your kids soccer dream in Europe is a much different thing. I imagine scores of kids from NTX have the talent to join an academy in Europe, Brazil. Coaches I have talked to say there is very little difference in a ten year old training at La Masia and the better ten year olds in NTX.

The problem does not stem from the talent or coaching here, but the cost and logistics. Add to the fact, unless you have an EU passport, there are a host or problems for your kid to ever play pro in Europe. (Unless your are Suki) Expect to see his kid at Man U in ten years.

PremierLeagueFan wrote:

I am certain that there are other NTX clubs or teams that I failed to identify or mention who sent their players for academy training outside of the USA also.

In addition you have stars'n'stripes going to Europe every year to play Gothia Cup, Ayses is going regurlarly to Europe to play in tournaments, heck even FC Bayern McKinney (PPL) went to Italy this year to play in the San Marino Cup. Plenty of possibilities if you want your boy to experience soccer outside of the US, even if it is only for a few weeks.

We have full time academies in the USA that create quality players and are directly affiliated with MLS clubs. Andromeda has a Residency Program with a Manchester United Youth Academy coach and they train full time in Allen.

FC Dallas has an Academy, the Texans have an after school program and City Futsal has a full time Academy in Lewisville so we are definitely able to get world class training in our own backyard if we choose to.

MLS needs to step up and offer full time academies or partnerships like Real Salt Lake has.

We would also be better served in developing and recruiting NTX players if we had more inter league play that included High School teams, Classic League, ODP, NPL, and USSDA.

keywords serendipitous. another key fact is the bb joined his dad on at business trip to spain lol

After Bayer Leverkusen, Colby Kraynak and his father moved to Chicago Fire and played for the club’s 2002 squad. Along the way, a serendipitous connection helped Kraynak earn an invite to train with Barcelona.

“The Barcelona trial consisted of four training sessions in October,” Scott Kraynak said. “He joined me while on a business trip search for new office space in Spain. It was arranged by Mauri Columbo (a friend of the club and a friend of a friend). Colby’s videos were forwarded and viewed by the Director of La Masia, Guillermo Amor. After reviewing and discussing, an invitation for a trial was extended. The week went well and he was offered to join the team after the season in June.”

yes there are hundreds of ntx bb and dd that could join in for a training session or two in europe. SHOW ME THE BB AND PARENTS THAT GET A FULL RIDE TO BARCA OR GERMANY WITH MOVE AND HOUSING INCLUDED AND I'LL SHOW YOU THE NEXT MESSI

NOTHING IS FOR FREE. YOU PAY EITHER WAY.

Even Messi would not have been the next Messi.

http://www.espnfc.com/story/1380496

Fifa is making it harder for kids from foreign countries to move to pro clubs when they are younger, not easier.  
They can't pay your way over there and set you up on their team no matter how good your kid is.  Thanks a lot Sepp Blater.

Good thing the kid in the article in this thread had a dad who had an already existing business in Spain or he would not be at La Masia.

Sprint wrote:Even Messi would not have been the next Messi.

http://www.espnfc.com/story/1380496

Fifa is making it harder for kids from foreign countries to move to pro clubs when they are younger, not easier.  
They can't pay your way over there and set you up on their team no matter how good your kid is.  Thanks a lot Sepp Blater.

Good thing the kid in the article in this thread had a dad who had an already existing business in Spain or he would not be at La Masia.  

true!

correct, make that Espaniol or whatever Spanish academy he winds up at. The Fifa rules say "no go" unless dad has a business there.

Sprint wrote:correct, make that Espaniol or whatever Spanish academy he winds up at.  The Fifa rules say "no go" unless dad has a business there.  

again! easy enough for the wealthy

and we complain about pay to play in NTX.  Try having to buy a foreign business just so your kid can go play.  

There may be exceptions to these Fifa rules, but the reason more kids from the USA ( or NTX) are not at big European academies has very little to do with the kids ability.