Mass. Soccer Landscape - May 2023

[Guest]

Pathway and Landscape... two words that make me puke when it comes to youth soccer, kids playing soccer... that's all. Pathway... Landscape... give me a break. Pathetic.

Why? And if you really feel that way, why are you even on this site? You see that combination is rather deranged, yeah?

[Guest]

Why? And if you really feel that way, why are you even on this site? You see that combination is rather deranged, yeah?

Because there are still some good things worth reading here on the site. But pathway? Pyramid? Landscape? Adults living vicariously through their child, yeah?

[Guest]

Because there are still some good things worth reading here on the site. But pathway? Pyramid? Landscape? Adults living vicariously through their child, yeah?

What would you rather read - the team my 9-year old is on is better than yours all day long?

[Guest]

Because there are still some good things worth reading here on the site. But pathway? Pyramid? Landscape? Adults living vicariously through their child, yeah?

Bro, the pyramid is built on a pathway to a beautiful landscape. Now, hand over your check book.

[Guest]

Everyone’s getting marketed to, and no one’s getting a perfect product. The ECNL does the most to secure its place (it doesn’t hurt to have Anson Dorrance waking around your event like he was yesterday) but really— what percentage of the kids really need all the social media hype and NWSL visions? You’re paying not to have FOMO— it’s way beyond what’s necessary.

[Guest]

Bro, the pyramid is built on a pathway to a beautiful landscape. Now, hand over your check book.

LOL!!! So true.

[Guest]

Everyone’s getting marketed to, and no one’s getting a perfect product. The ECNL does the most to secure its place (it doesn’t hurt to have Anson Dorrance waking around your event like he was yesterday) but really— what percentage of the kids really need all the social media hype and NWSL visions? You’re paying not to have FOMO— it’s way beyond what’s necessary.

True.

As far as I can tell, the vast majority of the kids who are on the top teams at U16 were outstanding players at U11. Yes, there are a few late bloomers - but that's mostly another FOMO marketing technique, for the most part.

[Guest]

True.

As far as I can tell, the vast majority of the kids who are on the top teams at U16 were outstanding players at U11. Yes, there are a few late bloomers - but that's mostly another FOMO marketing technique, for the most part.

A little research about those who are identified elite at young ages:

”that those who are identified as elite at a young age are not guaranteed to make it at senior level. One of the reasons is that this prevents them from developing the range of skills often needed to make it to the top. Professor Dr Arne Güllich, Head of Department of Sport Science and Director of the Institute of Applied Sport Science, Kaiserslautern University of Technology, argues that being an elite youth does not guarantee success and points out that there is no correlation between success at a young age and success at senior level. ”

“Junior success is a poor indicator of long-term senior success. Their success at the age of 10 had a zero correlation with their success as a senior. Same was true with their success at 11-14, 15-18. We have a zero correlation

Professor Güllich highlights the difficulty in predicting a youth developing into a top senior athlete by calculating that

the probability of a positively identified talent to actually become an international senior athlete is 0.2 percent

[Guest]

A little research about those who are identified elite at young ages:

”that those who are identified as elite at a young age are not guaranteed to make it at senior level. One of the reasons is that this prevents them from developing the range of skills often needed to make it to the top. Professor Dr Arne Güllich, Head of Department of Sport Science and Director of the Institute of Applied Sport Science, Kaiserslautern University of Technology, argues that being an elite youth does not guarantee success and points out that there is no correlation between success at a young age and success at senior level. ”

“Junior success is a poor indicator of long-term senior success. Their success at the age of 10 had a zero correlation with their success as a senior. Same was true with their success at 11-14, 15-18. We have a zero correlation

Professor Güllich highlights the difficulty in predicting a youth developing into a top senior athlete by calculating that

the probability of a positively identified talent to actually become an international senior athlete is 0.2 percent

That's a clown comment, bro.

You miss the point, but then you meant to.

It isn't that everyone who is outstanding at U11 is still one of the top players at U16. We all know that is true.

The point is just the one above - that a very high percentage of the kids who are very good soccer players at U16, so that they are on one of the top teams in MA, were very good soccer players/athletes at U11. They stood out on their team or in their town.

As for the research - give us a break. No one said the test was to become "an international senior athlete." We're talking about being on one of several top soccer teams in one state. So, a local junior athlete.

If you look up the actual research, it is completely inapplicable to this discussion. "We considered three competition levels—competing at a national championship level, competing at an international championship level, and winning international medals."
https://link.springer.com/article/10...79-023-01840-1

It surprises no one that being an internationally elite athlete at a young age might not lead to being an internationally elite athlete at an older age.

But every athlete in their study was still competing at a very high level, or they wouldn't have been able to include them in the study. You can bet they are all still one of the top athletes in their sport, in their state.

What this forum is discussing is closer to players who stand out in their town. Not kids who are getting international championship medals.

[Guest]

Every USWNT player was a star player all through their youth. How can they say there is Zero!?!

[Guest]

*Zero correlation

[Guest]

There are a lot of teams that play better soccer than the ECNL 2d tier. It's a good thing for Scorpions that they are getting the Juventus girls, or none of the ECNL 3d tier teams would make the list of the top 20 teams.