Re: 94 Class In College Soccer Updates

by Laimport 4/30/2012, 10:23 am

You're right. Very few DA players have ended up signing pro contracts directly.

Which means college and PDL are still the primary developmental venues for players.

What needs to happen is the pro clubs should field under 20 teams and drastically expand their 'reserve' teams.

Chicago Fire is the only club I am aware of that is somewhat vertically integrated. They have youth, DA, PDL (which they call "reserves") and of course their first team.

by Soccernovice 5/8/2012, 11:45 pm

I am pleased to announce a 7th AYSES 94 Gold soccer team member has committed to play college soccer. Eric Shephard has committed to play for the Northeastern State University (NSU) men's soccer program for the 2012 season which plays in the NCAA Division II. The NSU men's Riverhawks soccer program Head Coach is Rob Czlonka. Coach Czlonka attended many of the AYSES games including the FC Dallas Showcase and Dallas Cup. Coach Czlonka has been very interested in AYSES players and the pedigree of players coming out from our AYSES Soccer Club program.

Eric will join fellow North Texas signee Joel Mendoza, from the Solar Chelsea U18 USSF Academy on the 2012 men's soccer team.

Eric was a four year lettermen for Lovejoy High School Leopard’s, was a team captain his senior year, and has been selected as All-State Second Team, Region 2 First Team, District 21-4A First Team, and 2012 Goalkeeper of the Year District 21-4A. Eric is an excellent student who plans to major in education.

Eric’s official commitment will be updated soon on ESPN RISE men’s college commitments list. Here is a link to these college commitments where Eric’s name should show up in the next 24 hours proudly representing the AYSES Soccer Club and the Lovejoy High School Leopard’s.

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/boys-soccer/post/_/id/908/boys-soccer-recent-commitments

We have several players in the final stages of making their decisions on where they will commit to play men's soccer in college.

AYSES 94 Gold College Men's Soccer Program Commitments Summary:

PLAYER COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
1. Josh Dillon-----St. John's University, DI --------Jesuit College Preparatory School
2. Tony Santibanez-------Furman University, DI ------Plano High School
3. Phillip Lassiter---Florida Southern College, DII ---McKinney Boyd High School
4. Jordan Koeppe---- Dallas Baptist University, DII ---Prince of Peace Christian School
5. Kenneth Santibanez --- Southern Methodist University, DI ------ Allen High School
6. Jordan Rubel --- University of Texas at Dallas, DIII ----- McKinney Boyd High School
7. Eric Shephard --- Northeastern State University, DII --- Lovejoy High School
8. Coming soon
9. Coming soon
10.Coming soon
11.Coming soon

by Soccernovice 5/10/2012, 7:29 pm

I am pleased to announce a 8th AYSES 94 Gold soccer team member has committed to play college soccer. Harroon Ismail has committed to play for the Austin College men's soccer program for the 2012 season which plays in the NCAA Division III in the very competitive Southern Collegiate Conference. The Austin College men's Roos soccer program Head Coach is Mark Hudson. Coach Hudson and his staff attended many of the AYSES games including the Disney Showcase, FC Dallas Showcase, and Dallas Cup. Coach Hudson has been very interested in AYSES players and the pedigree of players coming out from our AYSES Soccer Club program.

Harroon is an excellent student with a 3.8 GPA and will be the first student in 23 years at the Brighter Horizons Academy in Garland, Texas to play men’s college soccer.

Harroon’s official commitment will be updated soon on ESPN RISE men’s college commitments list. Here is a link to these college commitments where Harroon’s name should show up in the next 24 hours proudly representing the AYSES Soccer Club and the Brighter Horizons Academy.

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/boys-soccer/post/_/id/908/boys-soccer-recent-commitments

We have several players in the final stages of making their decisions on where they will commit to play men's soccer in college. We also have three 2013 graduates on this team who have already attracted alot of college coach interest including NCAA Division I men's soccer programs. Two 2012 graduates on this team who had NCAA Division I program interest from college showcases decided to attend the University of Texas at Austin and play club soccer.

AYSES 94 Gold College Men's Soccer Program Commitments Summary:

PLAYER COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
1. Josh Dillon-----St. John's University, DI --------Jesuit College Preparatory School
2. Tony Santibanez-------Furman University, DI ------Plano High School
3. Phillip Lassiter---Florida Southern College, DII ---McKinney Boyd High School
4. Jordan Koeppe---- Dallas Baptist University, DII ---Prince of Peace Christian School
5. Kenneth Santibanez --- Southern Methodist University, DI ------ Allen High School
6. Jordan Rubel --- University of Texas at Dallas, DIII ----- McKinney Boyd High School
7. Eric Shephard --- Northeastern State University, DII --- Lovejoy High School
8. Haaroon Ismail ---- Austin College, DIII ---- Brighter Horizons Academy
9. Coming soon
10.Coming soon

by soccergrinder 5/11/2012, 12:36 am

Update for Solar. They are now done.

1.Adam Bonville - St. Edwards University
2.Alfred Koroma - University of Akron
3.Blake Elder - Air Force Academy
4.Brenden Lee - Southern Methodist University
5.Chachi Mathers - Duke University
6.Chandler Crosswait - University of Denver
7.Cole Missimo - Northwestern University
8.Connor Webb - Carnegie Mellon University
9.Dalton Eudy - Providence College
10.Eric Dinka - Georgia Southern University
11.Mason Miller - University of Central Florida
12.Murphy Short - Southern Methodist University
13.Reagan Dunk - University of Denver
14.Ryan Condotta - Old Dominion University
15.ZB Bennett - Michigan State University
16.Joel Mendoza - Northeastern State University
17.Erien Campbell - High Point University
18.Oshick Shams - Creighton University

I am going to count CC. He played for Andromeda this year, but every year prior to this one he played for Solar Chelsea.
19.Connor Copeland - Wofford College

by PG-Boy 5/11/2012, 1:17 am

Soccergrinder… question: what is the percentage of Latino players in Classic League?

How many of the Solar boys you post, are Latino? Compare and contrast.

Solar seems to be a "college factory" for non-Latino kids. Kudos to Solar on the academic and scholarship side. But we need more engineeers to compete with the Chinese. Too bad so many American kids choose to be lawyers, consultants, financial consultants, real estate sales people, Cowboy Cheerleaders, etc. The Chinese will eat our lunch unless we produce less lawyers.

Not a bad thing… academically. But there are better ways to earn an academic scholarship than soccer.

So back to the subject, soccer.

by soccergrinder 5/11/2012, 6:47 am

Wow. You win for the most convoluted post I have ever seen. So let me get this straight. We want to encourage more hispanic players in Classic League so the US will have a better chance at competing with China in the world market.

I think FC Dallas has the market on Latino players because they are all going to be proffesional soccer players. I guess that's a better path in life than getting a college education.

So I guess my answer to you would be that FC Dallas is the local club that is best suited to help the US workforce compete with China in the global market.

Oh, and by the way just so you are educated, soccer will not earn anyone an academic scholarship. Grades garner academic scholarships.

by Laimport 5/11/2012, 7:31 am

Is there a sign at FC Dallas that says "gringos need not apply"?

Seriously, why is it FC Dallas is overwhelmingly hispanic?

Is that by design?

Most FC dallas DA grads are NOT going directly into the pro ranks. I would assume most are going to play in college somewhere.

Is it that Solar, Texans and Andromeda have better college connections?

by go99 5/11/2012, 7:39 am

might be the fact that it's free and your ability to pay the large expense of DA has no bering on your making the team. It's a new concept in NTX. So Gringos can play for FCD but mom and dad can buy their way in. They just need to be better than the hispanic kid that wants that spot. I would think solar and the other have better connections but same rules apply to college. Play better than your peers and you will find your way into college too.

by Laimport 5/11/2012, 8:01 am

That being the case, does FC Dallas dominate league play? In every age group?

I understand that it's free, but does that automatically mean FC Dallas gets ALL the top players?

It should be gree for all DA teams. Except maybe for travel expenses. Which I'm sure is very expensive.

With the money the clubs bring in, plus some corporate sponsors, the program should be nearly 100% subsidized.

Otherwise, I find it hard to buy into that PA/DA is that strong.

by soccergrinder 5/11/2012, 8:07 am

Most "Gringos" realize that the pipe dream of playing pro soccer is just that. So they play for clubs where the focus is playing in college and working towards a college education. FC Dallas focuses on going pro. If you play for a club like Solar on the DA team you have a 90% or better chance at playing in college. If you play for FC Dallas on the DA team you have a .005% chance of playing pro. I think FC Dallas has maybe 4 of their DA players going to play in college this upcoming year. The rest go directly into the work force. It has nothing to do with the quality of player. It has to do with focus in life. By the way the top "pro" prospect this year played for Solar, not FC Dallas.

by soccergrinder 5/11/2012, 8:11 am

Laimport wrote:That being the case, does FC Dallas dominate league play?NO In every age group?NO

I understand that it's free, but does that automatically mean FC Dallas gets ALL the top players?NO

It should be gree for all DA teams. Except maybe for travel expenses. Which I'm sure is very expensive.

With the money the clubs bring in, plus some corporate sponsors, the program should be nearly 100% subsidized. Solar and Texans are free. Players pay for travel expenses.

Otherwise, I find it hard to buy into that PA/DA is that strong.

by Laimport 5/11/2012, 8:32 am

The thing I dislike about playing for an MLS team is that, by some chance, a player gets interest from a foreign club, they have to pay that team a transfer fee.

Plus, if you are lucky enough to sign an MLS contract, the initial money is peanuts.

If you are good enough you can get scholarship money that far surpasses in value what an 'apprentice' pro contract pays.

That said, if a player is good enough to go pro directly, they can always pursue a degree in their spare time. (Online, etc.)

There is a narrow window with making it as a pro. You can always go back to school.

For the record, a top collegiate program is generally equivalent in level to a 'reserve' or U19/20 developmental team attached to a pro club. Plus, there are opportunities for a solid college player to play in the summer. PDL, NPSL, etc.

College soccer needs to be improved certainly. But it isn't the kiss of death developmentally.

by go99 5/11/2012, 8:36 am

travel is free at FC Dallas and spin it any way you want but there are those who cannot afford the expense of DA. If you are better than your peers and you want to play college soccer you will. But also not everyone in the US (in fact most) do not want to go to college. Here is your pipe dream. Most kids will not go to college. Half will not finish. A good portion of those will not find this promised hi paying job after they graduate.

Solar has a nice DA program but obviously feeling some heat. Otherwise why spend the effort to advertise against FCD. So maybe instead of hatin on the hispanics and FCD solar and texans should step up and pay the travel expense too. I can accept that in your world everybody goes to college and can spend thousands to send their kid everywhere to play soccer. In the real world not everybody can afford it and not eveybody wants to go to college.

by go99 5/11/2012, 8:48 am

Laimport wrote:The thing I dislike about playing for an MLS team is that, by some chance, a player gets interest from a foreign club, they have to pay that team a transfer fee.

Plus, if you are lucky enough to sign an MLS contract, the initial money is peanuts.

If you are good enough you can get scholarship money that far surpasses in value what an 'apprentice' pro contract pays.

That said, if a player is good enough to go pro directly, they can always pursue a degree in their spare time. (Online, etc.)

There is a narrow window with making it as a pro. You can always go back to school.

For the record, a top collegiate program is generally equivalent in level to a 'reserve' or U19/20 developmental team attached to a pro club. Plus, there are opportunities for a solid college player to play in the summer. PDL, NPSL, etc.

College soccer needs to be improved certainly. But it isn't the kiss of death developmentally.

LMAO I have 2 of those college degrees and Ruben Luna signed his first contract for 6 figures. He makes more than I do. Glad you see 6 figures as peanuts though, life must be good at your house. And why would you care about a transfer fee? It was the UCLA coach that said in an interview that a kid can't spend more than a year, two at the most and still expect to have a decent pro career. College soccer could be a place to further development but in it's current state it is a death nail.

With all of that I think not all kids want to play soccer and have a clear understanding of the limits of their ability. Just because you can play college does not mean you have what it takes to play pro.. I do think a kid should shoot for what he wants. If you shoot for pro and don't make it, college will still be there. If you let your parents fill you with their version of reality and kill your dreams then you didn't have the drive and desire it takes anyway.

by my2cents 5/11/2012, 8:59 am

soccergrinder wrote:Most "Gringos" realize that the pipe dream of playing pro soccer is just that. So they play for clubs where the focus is playing in college and working towards a college education. FC Dallas focuses on going pro. If you play for a club like Solar on the DA team you have a 90% or better chance at playing in college. If you play for FC Dallas on the DA team you have a .005% chance of playing pro. I think FC Dallas has maybe 4 of their DA players going to play in college this upcoming year. The rest go directly into the work force. It has nothing to do with the quality of player. It has to do with focus in life. By the way the top "pro" prospect this year played for Solar, not FC Dallas.

I did nt realize that the DA program had been around long enough to ascertain that only 5 out of every 1000 FCD DA players get pro offers. I thought there were a couple in the last season alone.

by starbuck 5/11/2012, 9:01 am

This thread is just fantastic on so many levels.

by Guest 5/11/2012, 9:16 am

go99 wrote:
Laimport wrote:The thing I dislike about playing for an MLS team is that, by some chance, a player gets interest from a foreign club, they have to pay that team a transfer fee.

Plus, if you are lucky enough to sign an MLS contract, the initial money is peanuts.

If you are good enough you can get scholarship money that far surpasses in value what an 'apprentice' pro contract pays.

That said, if a player is good enough to go pro directly, they can always pursue a degree in their spare time. (Online, etc.)

There is a narrow window with making it as a pro. You can always go back to school.

For the record, a top collegiate program is generally equivalent in level to a 'reserve' or U19/20 developmental team attached to a pro club. Plus, there are opportunities for a solid college player to play in the summer. PDL, NPSL, etc.

College soccer needs to be improved certainly. But it isn't the kiss of death developmentally.

LMAO I have 2 of those college degrees and Ruben Luna signed his first contract for 6 figures. He makes more than I do. Glad you see 6 figures as peanuts though, life must be good at your house. And why would you care about a transfer fee? It was the UCLA coach that said in an interview that a kid can't spend more than a year, two at the most and still expect to have a decent pro career. College soccer could be a place to further development but in it's current state it is a death nail.

With all of that I think not all kids want to play soccer and have a clear understanding of the limits of their ability. Just because you can play college does not mean you have what it takes to play pro.. I do think a kid should shoot for what he wants. If you shoot for pro and don't make it, college will still be there. If you let your parents fill you with their version of reality and kill your dreams then you didn't have the drive and desire it takes anyway.

This is an interesting conversation but where did you get your infromation on MLS salaries from? The link here:

http://www.mlsplayers.org/files/September%201,%202011%20Salary%20Information%20-%20By%20Club.pdf

Has the FCD Salaries for 2011 and is shows Ruben Luna made 55K. Geroge John, a starting defender is at 42K. There are few over 100K. It is a much better bet to go to college if you are interested in money than to play for an MLS sqaud. At least the first few years. Even Kevin Hartman, one of the best keepers in the league, only makes 160K. I would bet most of the parents on this board do better than 3/4 of the players on FC Dallas and it is because they went to college.

Also, Clint Dempsey went the college route and then the pro route and he is doing just fine. Think he makes about 3million a year at Fulham.

by Ed 5/11/2012, 9:33 am

Gatorz wrote:
go99 wrote:
Laimport wrote:The thing I dislike about playing for an MLS team is that, by some chance, a player gets interest from a foreign club, they have to pay that team a transfer fee.

Plus, if you are lucky enough to sign an MLS contract, the initial money is peanuts.

If you are good enough you can get scholarship money that far surpasses in value what an 'apprentice' pro contract pays.

That said, if a player is good enough to go pro directly, they can always pursue a degree in their spare time. (Online, etc.)

There is a narrow window with making it as a pro. You can always go back to school.

For the record, a top collegiate program is generally equivalent in level to a 'reserve' or U19/20 developmental team attached to a pro club. Plus, there are opportunities for a solid college player to play in the summer. PDL, NPSL, etc.

College soccer needs to be improved certainly. But it isn't the kiss of death developmentally.

LMAO I have 2 of those college degrees and Ruben Luna signed his first contract for 6 figures. He makes more than I do. Glad you see 6 figures as peanuts though, life must be good at your house. And why would you care about a transfer fee? It was the UCLA coach that said in an interview that a kid can't spend more than a year, two at the most and still expect to have a decent pro career. College soccer could be a place to further development but in it's current state it is a death nail.

With all of that I think not all kids want to play soccer and have a clear understanding of the limits of their ability. Just because you can play college does not mean you have what it takes to play pro.. I do think a kid should shoot for what he wants. If you shoot for pro and don't make it, college will still be there. If you let your parents fill you with their version of reality and kill your dreams then you didn't have the drive and desire it takes anyway.

This is an interesting conversation but where did you get your infromation on MLS salaries from? The link here:

http://www.mlsplayers.org/files/September%201,%202011%20Salary%20Information%20-%20By%20Club.pdf

Has the FCD Salaries for 2011 and is shows Ruben Luna made 55K. Geroge John, a starting defender is at 42K. There are few over 100K. It is a much better bet to go to college if you are interested in money than to play for an MLS sqaud. At least the first few years. Even Kevin Hartman, one of the best keepers in the league, only makes 160K. I would bet most of the parents on this board do better than 3/4 of the players on FC Dallas and it is because they went to college.

Also, Clint Dempsey went the college route and then the pro route and he is doing just fine. Think he makes about 3million a year at Fulham.

Just for clarity Luna made $79,791.67 last year. $55k was only his base. George John only make 42K because he has refused to sign contract extensions with FC Dallas that would pay him substantially more (I've heard close to $200k) because he wants to play in Europe.

I would bet most of the parents on this board are quite a bit older than 75% of the players on FC Dallas. And consider the fact that about half of the players on the FD roster did attend college including Kevin Hartman who graduated from UCLA

by rqps 5/11/2012, 9:36 am

If your kid is really good enough to go pro, they should be following the Guiseppe Rossi plan and leave the USA by 14 and get training overseas. They will have a higher probability of making it overseas than they will in the US model.

by debit 5/11/2012, 9:42 am

my2cents wrote:
soccergrinder wrote:Most "Gringos" realize that the pipe dream of playing pro soccer is just that. So they play for clubs where the focus is playing in college and working towards a college education. FC Dallas focuses on going pro. If you play for a club like Solar on the DA team you have a 90% or better chance at playing in college. If you play for FC Dallas on the DA team you have a .005% chance of playing pro. I think FC Dallas has maybe 4 of their DA players going to play in college this upcoming year. The rest go directly into the work force. It has nothing to do with the quality of player. It has to do with focus in life. By the way the top "pro" prospect this year played for Solar, not FC Dallas.

I did nt realize that the DA program had been around long enough to ascertain that only 5 out of every 1000 FCD DA players get pro offers. I thought there were a couple in the last season alone.

Exactly! The DA has existed for 3 years. If you had approx 20 players per year on the U17/18 roster that would be 60 potential players and they've signed 6 of them so that's 10% over the past 3 years.

Of course, I'm estimating the player pool. There could have been more player movement to increase that number, but also several players probably played on that squad for 2 years (U17 & U18) and are double counted in my player pool estimate.

by Laimport 5/11/2012, 9:45 am

I think doing something you love, while making some kind of living, beats the crap out of working construction.

Second, how many 25-30 yr olds make six figures in the private sector? Very, very few. And those that do have the six figure student loan debt. A small mortgage in most cases.

I guess if you have stellar college board scores and an Ivy League caliber MBA, then that is your path. And God Bless you if that is the case.

Don't forget that most footballers making their living do so in lower leagues...making anywhere from low to high five figures. Nothing wrong with that. Some have day jobs and still wouldn't dream of giving up their meager footballing wages. Those players are the ones I admire the most. They do it out of passion.

I agree that 4 years of college soccer is a sign that a player will not play at the highest levels. A year or two tops is the general consensus.

go, trust me, I'm not a 1%er. Started a business in the last two years and I draw a modest salary.

I think a kid should pursue their dream. Whatever that may be.

Like I said, with a choice of going pro (with a decent offer)vs college. I would encourage a player to pursue the pro track. If they are dead set on going to college for that experience, so be it.

A Generation Adidas contract, after a year or so of college soccer, is probably the best way to go financially. The players generally get six figure salary deals.

MLS salaries are highly inequitable. Tim Ream has gone from 62K to 1.6 million.

by go99 5/11/2012, 9:52 am

okay average salary for a college graduate is $50K. Higher for engineers and lower for business degrees so it is not better and this is after the 4yrs (5yrs) of making nothing. Oh and you can almost ignor the dempsey model, that was a long time ago. So again I don't clear 79k and I actually have to work not play a game. I would actually take a pay cut to play a game we all pay thousands for or kids to play. But again your kid cannot play pro ball because he doesn't have what it takes. It's not because it's fools gold or because he wanted to go to college. Professional athletes are not like the rest of us both physically and mentally. Your kid deserves the right to chase a dream. He will realize when it's time to change that dream. My kid knows that I don't care if you go pro or not, I expect a college degree and I don't care what it's in.

by Guest 5/11/2012, 9:59 am

go99 wrote:okay average salary for a college graduate is $50K. Higher for engineers and lower for business degrees so it is not better and this is after the 4yrs (5yrs) of making nothing. Oh and you can almost ignor the dempsey model, that was a long time ago. So again I don't clear 79k and I actually have to work not play a game. I would actually take a pay cut to play a game we all pay thousands for or kids to play. But again your kid cannot play pro ball because he doesn't have what it takes. It's not because it's fools gold or because he wanted to go to college. Professional athletes are not like the rest of us both physically and mentally. Your kid deserves the right to chase a dream. He will realize when it's time to change that dream. My kid knows that I don't care if you go pro or not, I expect a college degree and I don't care what it's in.

I am not disagreeing with you, I just think there is much less money in MLS soccer than some would think. It is not a pot of gold and will not provide financial security for a lifetime. At some point, after a few years, you will more than likely wake up at 28-30 years old and need to get a real job. If you did not go to college or get some marketable skills, you may have a hard time.

Having said that, if I had a kid that was offered a pro contract at 18, I would suggest he go for it. He can always go back to school later and get a degree. It just stinks for these incredible athletes that they can only make 42k a year the first year as opposed to NFL players and MLB players making millions with millions in signing bonuses. One contract and they can retire for life. Not the case with MLS soccer.

by Guest 5/11/2012, 10:48 am

Gatorz wrote:
go99 wrote:okay average salary for a college graduate is $50K. Higher for engineers and lower for business degrees so it is not better and this is after the 4yrs (5yrs) of making nothing. Oh and you can almost ignor the dempsey model, that was a long time ago. So again I don't clear 79k and I actually have to work not play a game. I would actually take a pay cut to play a game we all pay thousands for or kids to play. But again your kid cannot play pro ball because he doesn't have what it takes. It's not because it's fools gold or because he wanted to go to college. Professional athletes are not like the rest of us both physically and mentally. Your kid deserves the right to chase a dream. He will realize when it's time to change that dream. My kid knows that I don't care if you go pro or not, I expect a college degree and I don't care what it's in.

I am not disagreeing with you, I just think there is much less money in MLS soccer than some would think. It is not a pot of gold and will not provide financial security for a lifetime. At some point, after a few years, you will more than likely wake up at 28-30 years old and need to get a real job. If you did not go to college or get some marketable skills, you may have a hard time.

Having said that, if I had a kid that was offered a pro contract at 18, I would suggest he go for it. He can always go back to school later and get a degree. It just stinks for these incredible athletes that they can only make 42k a year the first year as opposed to NFL players and MLB players making millions with millions in signing bonuses. One contract and they can retire for life. Not the case with MLS soccer.

but once that kid turns pro hes already accomplished a dream and as far as the money is concerned even if he has a crappy career he can always come back to north texas and make 10X what he did as a player! lol!

by indyfc 5/11/2012, 11:21 am

soccergrinder wrote:Most "Gringos" realize that the pipe dream of playing pro soccer is just that. So they play for clubs where the focus is playing in college and working towards a college education. FC Dallas focuses on going pro. If you play for a club like Solar on the DA team you have a 90% or better chance at playing in college. If you play for FC Dallas on the DA team you have a .005% chance of playing pro. I think FC Dallas has maybe 4 of their DA players going to play in college this upcoming year. The rest go directly into the work force. It has nothing to do with the quality of player. It has to do with focus in life. By the way the top "pro" prospect this year played for Solar, not FC Dallas.

Grinder, where did you get this stat??? I am blown away if this is true...

by Laimport 5/11/2012, 12:05 pm

There's one thing that hasn't been adressed with regards to a pro career.

A player is still developing at 18. Some kids are physically at their peak at 18. Some aren't.

I remember reading in soccernomics (with "Moneyball" references) that there were plenty of cases of Golden Ball winners at u17 world cup didn't equate to having a successful pro career.

If you look at the kids who have gone through bradenton (u17 national program) around 30% eventually went on to pro careers. (MLS or overseas)

It's not 'over' at 18.

That's why, in addition to improving college soccer, that there should be an alternate path for players who opt out.

Other than ethnic/adult leagues.

Maybe more players should opt for USLPro and NASL opportunities out of youth/high school. Those leagues need to be expanded to 9 and 10 months instead of 6.

I'd rather see an up and coming 19-21 year old playing there than a 28-30 yr old that is as good as they will ever be. or past their prime.

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