- October 16th, 2015, 10:11 pm
#495666
tl;dr: rich kids play soccer, mls screws development, unaware parents are often sold a bag of goods, small sided games are new because of Jurgen, GotSoccer is the worst thing ever, I still don't care about MNT success.
Soccer is a white collar sport here, which is generally not the case in many other places. In Europe, they've created a model that rewards clubs for taking the best(ability, not financial) players and putting them in the best environment. We take kids with deep pocketed parents and put them in our best environments, which understandably are not as developed as some in Europe.
The environment is catching up, but we haven't figured out that our best coaches need to be with the players at 8-12, considered the primetime for player skill development. Instead, our best coaches within the youth system are muddling around at 15-18(where the money is), when the players are long identified as having solidified skill traits.
Soccer's pay to play system for the best talent is the result of a labor agreement between the MLS and the USSF. FIFA regulates and mandates solidarity pay for a club's work in a player's development anytime a player is sold. If a player is sold for $2 million, clubs that trained the player as a child are due x number of dollars depending on the amount of time spent with the club. Many youth academies are primarily funded using this money, which allows and incentivises them to put their best players in their best environment. The MLS/USSF agreement blocks youth clubs in America from collecting these payments, creating fundamental changes in a youth club's business model. How do we fund our better coaching, capital projects and facility rentals? Player registration fees and fundraising tournaments, which in turn also increase player registration fees. Hello white collar parent social clubs who enjoy spending money, cheering their kids on and taking family trips to Las Vegas and Disney soccer tournaments. I could get more into the parent side of things, but they are much more involved as a result of needing to see an ROI and often end up stunting their child's growth as a player. Check out the DeAndre Yedlin lawsuit for more info here.
In comparison to the developmental curves of basketball/football players, recognize the vast difference in the amount of compared time spent researching/perfecting player development. Coaches teach players who become better coaches who teach better players. The cycle is ingrained in the sport's culture. Baseball is the perfect example of this when compared to Soccer in America. In football and basketball, the US looks good internationally because of the head start from a popularity and coach education standpoint and a reputation of being the way out of poverty in the US. Don't pretend the AAU system is somehow creating superstars. They, like the NCAA, are simply making bank off their inefficient methods that aren't challenged by a younger Europe, who happens to also have soccer.
Soccer here has been built by moms and pops and the occasional businessman. People who were motivated to bring soccer here didn't exactly have credentials to run a successful academy program. A lot of those individuals are still involved at the highest levels, whether it be for income of self validation purposes. Anyway, they built a system that's fair and representative of all involved. More businessmen (some pretending to be coaches with British accents) are in the mix now and, while the system has succeeded in growing the game, it's become large enough to where the wallets are able to jam up any progress that may affect their incomes.
So with the unheard of freedom that Jurgen has been given, he's used that influence to work toward restructuring the youth developmental system. 2017 will be the first year that small sided games at younger ages will be mandated by the Federation to all affiliates. Its common practice in Europe because a player will get more touches on the ball and become more creative and proficient in small situations/tight spaces, but clubs and coaches here get away with the claim that playing 11 v 11 at age 10, 11, and 12 better prepares them for the full sided game so they can increase player registrations, team counts and consequently their pockets. Our parents who are new to soccer hardly know the difference, and that's the biggest struggle the system currently faces. The average person isn't knowledgeable to know what their kid should know how to do at age 8 or 10 or 12 and is easily swayed by charismatic coaches flaunting college connections or accents or a focus on "development" or worst of all, the almighty GotSoccer point.
The lack of parent understanding is incredibly apparent here compared to Europe, as half the crap (like GotSoccer points) would be laughed off the pitch by any parent whose child played for a club.
All that to say, I don't care if he sucks as a MNTHC if he can be a part of a change to better the youth system. Time will tell whether it's better now.
- By ballah09
- By aredd33