U14 NTX National Team

Laimport wrote:

go99 wrote:

Laimport wrote:

Pancho Villa wrote:

bigtex75081 wrote:Along with finish1's sentiment... How many of these 35 will still be involved in this program at u18? Or at u21? Does this program do a good job of retaining players and helping them to continute to move forward? Or will these 35 guys be on the way out if somebody new comes along next week?

If you look at every USA U14/U15 roster for this and past years, you will notice that there is always close to the same % of players picked from California ( around 35% ) and East Coast ( 25-30% ). Most of the East Coast players are picked from a few states like, New Jersey, New York, Pensylvania, and 1-2 more. That % for these 2 regions start to diminish at U17 and up. Regions 2 (Midwest) and 3 ( South ) start off with low % but pick it up to eventually even it out or dominate at U23. I do not understand how every year the entire country produces the close to the same % of each region or state if your California. If we pick so many from California at U14/U15 why dont we have more Californians on the Men's side??

great question.

Also, why is it that the younger ynt pools are overwhelmingly hispanic. Yet the U23 and full national teams much less so? Is it because many hispanic kids hit puberty sooner and otherwise mature physically sooner than others?

That's why I think it is a mistake to identify Bradenton u17 residency players at U15. Most are. Don't know the actual numbers, but it is a safe bet that many of those identified at u13/14 are out of the national pools by u18 and u20 level. And when you look at the money invested in Bradenton, to me that's a poor return on investment.

I think I read somewhere that around 30% of kids coming out of the u17 Bradenton program end up playing professionally. Guessing an even lower percentage ever play for the full national team.

This country is just too big and the players too spread out to try to identify future superstars at 15.

Too many falling through the cracks.

With the sheer number of players we have the US national teams should have much better players.

Even at the top academies in the world, under the age of 15/16 they are only bringing in basically 'local' players. Vast majority of barca academy players are from Catalonia.

I am gonna agree and disagree with you. Our problem is not identifying kids too young. It's what we look for when we identify them. It was a scout at barcelona who put it best. He said at 11, 12, 13 we can't tell who will be great but we can tell who will not. and yes for a country of this size we should be trying to include more players. But first we have to take the coaches and people with no experience of identification out of it.

from 2011
FC Barcelona scouts are constantly on the lookout for new talent in all age ranges. Last year, Barca’s army of 21 scouts logged 351,237 kilometers to watch 4,763 footballers between the ages of 7 and 23. The scouts watched a total of 5,254 different matches! Out of this pool of nearly five thousand, only 221 players were earmarked for further attention from the club’s youth coaches.

how many miles did us scouts log? How many scouts do we have? How many players have been earmarked? A national team from a country as large as the US should have way more in every category.

Actually I was thinking the same exact thing. Regional pools first. Some will say this is what ODP is doing...but it should be run by USSF...not the state associations. There will still be politics though. The big clubs are more well connected.

I'm not toally against identifying players that young. Just that we use the wrong criteria to select players...ie physical maturation over technique and brains.

100% correct everything should be from USSF. Scouts and even coaching. We are also using the wrong criteria. We are using the criteria that drives wins now

go99 wrote:

Laimport wrote:

go99 wrote:

Laimport wrote:

Pancho Villa wrote:

bigtex75081 wrote:Along with finish1's sentiment... How many of these 35 will still be involved in this program at u18? Or at u21? Does this program do a good job of retaining players and helping them to continute to move forward? Or will these 35 guys be on the way out if somebody new comes along next week?

If you look at every USA U14/U15 roster for this and past years, you will notice that there is always close to the same % of players picked from California ( around 35% ) and East Coast ( 25-30% ). Most of the East Coast players are picked from a few states like, New Jersey, New York, Pensylvania, and 1-2 more. That % for these 2 regions start to diminish at U17 and up. Regions 2 (Midwest) and 3 ( South ) start off with low % but pick it up to eventually even it out or dominate at U23. I do not understand how every year the entire country produces the close to the same % of each region or state if your California. If we pick so many from California at U14/U15 why dont we have more Californians on the Men's side??

great question.

Also, why is it that the younger ynt pools are overwhelmingly hispanic. Yet the U23 and full national teams much less so? Is it because many hispanic kids hit puberty sooner and otherwise mature physically sooner than others?

That's why I think it is a mistake to identify Bradenton u17 residency players at U15. Most are. Don't know the actual numbers, but it is a safe bet that many of those identified at u13/14 are out of the national pools by u18 and u20 level. And when you look at the money invested in Bradenton, to me that's a poor return on investment.

I think I read somewhere that around 30% of kids coming out of the u17 Bradenton program end up playing professionally. Guessing an even lower percentage ever play for the full national team.

This country is just too big and the players too spread out to try to identify future superstars at 15.

Too many falling through the cracks.

With the sheer number of players we have the US national teams should have much better players.

Even at the top academies in the world, under the age of 15/16 they are only bringing in basically 'local' players. Vast majority of barca academy players are from Catalonia.

I am gonna agree and disagree with you. Our problem is not identifying kids too young. It's what we look for when we identify them. It was a scout at barcelona who put it best. He said at 11, 12, 13 we can't tell who will be great but we can tell who will not. and yes for a country of this size we should be trying to include more players. But first we have to take the coaches and people with no experience of identification out of it.

from 2011
FC Barcelona scouts are constantly on the lookout for new talent in all age ranges. Last year, Barca’s army of 21 scouts logged 351,237 kilometers to watch 4,763 footballers between the ages of 7 and 23. The scouts watched a total of 5,254 different matches! Out of this pool of nearly five thousand, only 221 players were earmarked for further attention from the club’s youth coaches.

how many miles did us scouts log? How many scouts do we have? How many players have been earmarked? A national team from a country as large as the US should have way more in every category.

Actually I was thinking the same exact thing. Regional pools first. Some will say this is what ODP is doing...but it should be run by USSF...not the state associations. There will still be politics though. The big clubs are more well connected.

I'm not toally against identifying players that young. Just that we use the wrong criteria to select players...ie physical maturation over technique and brains.

100% correct everything should be from USSF. Scouts and even coaching. We are also using the wrong criteria. We are using the criteria that drives wins now

Barcelona gambled on paying for Messi's $1000 a week treatment knowing he would be a good player. They never imagined he would the best in the world!! What do you think he would have achieved in the greatest country in the world,USA? He's Hispanic and even had a problem maturing. You think he would have evn gotten a look? You think being of a poor family he would have afforded that treatment here?? OR someone investing in him for that matter?? Hell no!! Maturing late or early has nothing to do with it and shouldn't. barcelona is looking for skill and soccer smarts among other things. If your white but unskilled then you can mature into the incredible hulk but you will remain unskilled. You can control how your skills mature and only hope to physically. hispaniocs shouldnt get picked because they are more mature. they should get picked because they have the most skill and thats anyone, black white, asian, etc. Most of the time when I hear "Oh, he hasnt matured yet" it really menas that that the kids prectices twice a week and plays 1/2 to 3/4 of 1 game a week and therefore doesnt develop any strength or stamina, endurance. those people wait a long time for them to mature.
The selection is what sucks in USA. Way too many politics. Meanwhile Mexico, a country that picks soccer first, is scouting USA for players and seems to have at least 1-2 Americans on every National Team U17 and up. El Salvador had 6 Texans I believe. USA U20's looked pretty good. It's obvious National/Scouts look for their own best interests first when selecting players. Academies have the financial stability desired by any coach or director and therefore always get priority. Academies know this and hint a future job is waiting. Then they boast how many national pool players they have to get more people to pay. It is a vicious circle that is all based on money without holding anyone accountable. We have 24 million soccer players ( the most in the world) and nothing to show for it ourselves. Mexico, El salvador, Panama will move up the ranks with our own players and we will continue down the same blind path. Too much money involved.