Good read on TopDrawer

http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/talking-youth-with-fcds-luchi-gonzalez_aid39480


“There’s a lot of fantastic clubs with boards and parents that are pay-to-play. But when you’re talking about developing a world class player to play for their national team, to play in their stadium in their local club, or to play overseas or down in Latin America at the highest level, it’s just not ideal to involve a pathway where there’s pay-to-play or parent influence on soccer decisions. Every now and then you have a Pulisic, but for every Pulisic there’s a thousand kids who don’t have the right pathway to get to the top.”

From where you sit, what is the state of the Development Academy right now? Where is it growing and where does it still need to improve?

“I think that’s only going to continue to improve with good communication. I see that. I see (U.S. Soccer DA director of scouting) Tony Lepore and other national team coaches more now than ever going out of their way to be in touch with the coaches and directors and players or non-MLS academies. Those are vital, and they are the majority of the league and the main constituents, and they’re super important in the continuing success of youth development. But I also think there has to be a weighted consideration on MLS clubs."

FCD has shown the path of success for MLS academies and MLSs should have no excuse but to be the heavyweight in their area.  Dallas Texans and Solar don't need to knock each other out of DA status, but should be striving to be the best trained and best developed teams in the division regardless of MLS status.  

Non-MLS academies need to be more than the Washington Generals.

earbucket wrote:From where you sit, what is the state of the Development Academy right now? Where is it growing and where does it still need to improve?

“I think that’s only going to continue to improve with good communication. I see that. I see (U.S. Soccer DA director of scouting) Tony Lepore and other national team coaches more now than ever going out of their way to be in touch with the coaches and directors and players or non-MLS academies. Those are vital, and they are the majority of the league and the main constituents, and they’re super important in the continuing success of youth development. But I also think there has to be a weighted consideration on MLS clubs."

FCD has shown the path of success for MLS academies and MLSs should have no excuse but to be the heavyweight in their area.  Dallas Texans and Solar don't need to knock each other out of DA status, but should be striving to be the best trained and best developed teams in the division regardless of MLS status.  

Non-MLS academies need to be more than the Washington Generals.

the difference between the Dallas Texans, Solar, and other non MLS academies and the washington generals IS the MLS academies are providing a destination for the talent from these non MLS academies to join. FCD didn't develope all of their talent. MLS academies are where the best players end up. We are years away from the best talent being truly "homegrown" lol

tpitty wrote:http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/talking-youth-with-fcds-luchi-gonzalez_aid39480


“There’s a lot of fantastic clubs with boards and parents that are pay-to-play. But when you’re talking about developing a world class player to play for their national team, to play in their stadium in their local club, or to play overseas or down in Latin America at the highest level, it’s just not ideal to involve a pathway where there’s pay-to-play or parent influence on soccer decisions. Every now and then you have a Pulisic, but for every Pulisic there’s a thousand kids who don’t have the right pathway to get to the top.”

so the answer is to eliminate soccer where the "pathway where there’s pay-to-play or parent influence"? whats left lol. how is it that the best basketball players in the world come from inner cities of america without professional academies and primarily "daddy coaches" or no coaches at all?

duplicate

I believe they aren't against daddy coaches Randy, I believe he is saying they don't want daddy or mommy paving Jimmy's way to play. They want Jimmy earning that right on his own.

tpitty wrote:I believe they aren't against daddy coaches Randy, I believe he is saying they don't want daddy or mommy paving Jimmy's way to play. They want Jimmy earning that right on his own.

But to my point. Who is leading the "forum" charge for the disenfranchised basketball youth in America. Bottom line is this rest much more on families and the young soccer players themselves. When America has a youth soccer culture where babies grow up with a soccer ball at their feet instead of a baseball, basketball, or football in their hand.

The other sports you mention remain essential to the local communities and colleges recruit out of the high school sports programs. Until recently, the girl's HS soccer programs were still great recruiting grounds for colleges, but that will now disappear with the new rules coming down the pike.

Kids don't play in the parks because there are no nets to shoot on. Plus, they are already training 3 days per week on highly organized teams at a very early age.

Soccer can't reach its full potential because the barrier to entry is too high for many of our athletes. That's a big problem that can't be solved until the sport is returned to the communities.

Could not agree more. We need more involvement from the community and those with soccer knowledge. I remember in my days we had older kids teaching the younger ones in the park.

I have a huge park near my house and I barely see a soul there, sad.

soccerdadrandy wrote:

earbucket wrote:From where you sit, what is the state of the Development Academy right now? Where is it growing and where does it still need to improve?

“I think that’s only going to continue to improve with good communication. I see that. I see (U.S. Soccer DA director of scouting) Tony Lepore and other national team coaches more now than ever going out of their way to be in touch with the coaches and directors and players or non-MLS academies. Those are vital, and they are the majority of the league and the main constituents, and they’re super important in the continuing success of youth development. But I also think there has to be a weighted consideration on MLS clubs."

FCD has shown the path of success for MLS academies and MLSs should have no excuse but to be the heavyweight in their area.  Dallas Texans and Solar don't need to knock each other out of DA status, but should be striving to be the best trained and best developed teams in the division regardless of MLS status.  

Non-MLS academies need to be more than the Washington Generals.

the difference between the Dallas Texans, Solar, and other non MLS academies and the washington generals IS the MLS academies are providing a destination for the talent from these non MLS academies to join. FCD didn't develope all of their talent. MLS academies are where the best players end up. We are years away from the best talent being truly "homegrown" lol

My WG remark may have been a failed attempt at satire. But my point is that as good as FCD was this year and will be for 2016-17, then that means DT and Solar should be working there butt off to not only compete with FCD, but to beat them.

tpitty wrote:I believe they aren't against daddy coaches Randy, I believe he is saying they don't want daddy or mommy paving Jimmy's way to play. They want Jimmy earning that right on his own.

In the pay to play world, there is a toll to pay where some players may play undeserving minutes. But of course, I've seen that happen in the non p2p world of HS where a parent has donated time and money to the booster club.

earbucket wrote:

soccerdadrandy wrote:

earbucket wrote:From where you sit, what is the state of the Development Academy right now? Where is it growing and where does it still need to improve?

“I think that’s only going to continue to improve with good communication. I see that. I see (U.S. Soccer DA director of scouting) Tony Lepore and other national team coaches more now than ever going out of their way to be in touch with the coaches and directors and players or non-MLS academies. Those are vital, and they are the majority of the league and the main constituents, and they’re super important in the continuing success of youth development. But I also think there has to be a weighted consideration on MLS clubs."

FCD has shown the path of success for MLS academies and MLSs should have no excuse but to be the heavyweight in their area.  Dallas Texans and Solar don't need to knock each other out of DA status, but should be striving to be the best trained and best developed teams in the division regardless of MLS status.  

Non-MLS academies need to be more than the Washington Generals.

the difference between the Dallas Texans, Solar, and other non MLS academies and the washington generals IS the MLS academies are providing a destination for the talent from these non MLS academies to join. FCD didn't develope all of their talent. MLS academies are where the best players end up. We are years away from the best talent being truly "homegrown" lol

My WG remark may have been a failed attempt at satire.  But my point is that as good as FCD was this year and will be for 2016-17, then that means DT and Solar should be working there butt off to not only compete with FCD, but to beat them.

I'm sure the boys from said clubs will go out and attempt to compete with FCD but when these same teams swap a player or two from each age group with FCD getting the better end of the deal each year, the divide will widen further. Now at the U11, U12 age groups you will continue to see great parity. Then again those teams will continually lose the best players to FCD which is a good thing for the better players. MLS academy system is a start in the right direction

ok quick question where do you most of you posters live?