Sdp

Agree that it’s silly to say the academy hasn’t been successful for Sounders when it has definitely produced first team minutes and transfer fees.

But it’s equally silly to equate what’s good for the Sounders to what’s good for local youth development or for the individual players. Look at poor Obed Vargas - the club put way too much wear on his still-developing teenage body due to CCL and injuries, resulting in a vertebrae fracture that was entirely avoidable and cumulative (and that they were aware of per SaH reporting). They will always prioritize the needs of the club over what’s best for the player, and those things don’t always intersect - particularly for anyone who isn’t projected to be a national team-level talent.

Simply put, more options is always better and MLS being the only viable path to pro in this area is a very bad thing for parents and players in the PNW.

It's not the only option to go pro.

More simply put, don't have your kid participate if you don't want to. Nobody is requiring it. For some, it's great, for others it's not the right fit.

Im not aware of one club that doesn't prioritize its needs over an individual.

Agree that it’s silly to say the academy hasn’t been successful for Sounders when it has definitely produced first team minutes and transfer fees.

But it’s equally silly to equate what’s good for the Sounders to what’s good for local youth development or for the individual players. Look at poor Obed Vargas - the club put way too much wear on his still-developing teenage body due to CCL and injuries, resulting in a vertebrae fracture that was entirely avoidable and cumulative (and that they were aware of per SaH reporting). They will always prioritize the needs of the club over what’s best for the player, and those things don’t always intersect - particularly for anyone who isn’t projected to be a national team-level talent.

Simply put, more options is always better and MLS being the only viable path to pro in this area is a very bad thing for parents and players in the PNW.

I don't think it's quite that simple. I have a different view of Homegrown success, I am looking at it from the kids point of view. All of the kids listed as a success are kids with previous college exposure. We will see about how the current 15-16 year old do, I am rooting for them.

The system isn't set up to benefit the kids. If you are looking for a program that is designed with the kids best interest in mind, you will be hard pressed. But good luck.

One person keeps bringing logical answers and supports their argument with 3rd party information, while the other brings hyperbole, and easily refuted anecdotal information.

I don't think it's quite that simple. I have a different view of Homegrown success, I am looking at it from the kids point of view. All of the kids listed as a success are kids with previous college exposure. We will see about how the current 15-16 year old do, I am rooting for them.

One person keeps bringing logical answers and supports their argument with 3rd party information, while the other brings hyperbole, and easily refuted anecdotal information.

I get it, it FEELS like they should be doing better with all the recent big transfers. But this year in particular the Sounders had a number of homegrown contracts play in first team games. Sounders aren't a selling club like Dallas FC.

And some clubs are legitimately developing players better.

But their is no legitimate argument that they haven't had success.

i think the person arguing against homegrown believes kids should go to college. I agree. Kids should go to college. But the two aren't mutually exclusive.

One person keeps bringing logical answers and supports their argument with 3rd party information, while the other brings hyperbole, and easily refuted anecdotal information.

They have been horrible with homegrown contracts. Morris and Yedlin played ONE year in the Academy and at least two years of college each like Wingo.

Kovar, Okoli, Jones, Mansaray, Schweitzer, Adekoya, Bwana, Muse, Hopeau are all of the Sounder "homegrown" players cut within three years of signing. Let's hope the current group isn't cut as quickly.

Not every signing is going to make it. Doesn't happen in soccer across the world, and similar in every sport.

But a couple corrections:

Bwana was traded October 21, 2020, in exchange for Jimmy Medranda and $225,000 of General Allocation Money. That's a win.

Okoli was traded January 2015, to New England Revolution in order to trade up in the MLS SuperDraft and select Northwestern goal keeper Tyler Miller. Another win.

Regrdless if Morris, Yedlin or Wingo played college, they were Homegrown players and signed homegrown contracts. It demonstrates that there are different ways to make it work within the Sounders Academy.

It is idiotic to think that the Sounders Academy and Homegrown contracts haven't been successful for the Sounders.

Whether it's best for your kid, is debatable. But the Sounders have performed well.

They have not reached the likes of FC Dallas or Real Salt Lake. But they are significantly better than many mls clubs.

And the point? You've realized that you are wrong and going down a rabbit hole. I wasn't referring to Yedlin and why XF didn't get training comp. I've read the FIFA briefing and know exactly why XF didn't get training compensation.

Regardless, and back to the point, Yedlin was a homegrown player and the Sounders benefited from him playing as a sounder, from selling him to Tottenham, and Tottenham selling him.

and is a mother example of my point- Sounders have done well with their homegrown program.

Yedlin
Morris
and other smaller names (like wingo) prove this point.

MLS rated Obed Varga 15th in their top 22 under 22:
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2022-...d-by-bodyarmor

if an mls writer saying sounders isn't independent enough for you:

Fansided recognized Obed Vargas as a top 10 US teen:
https://fansided.com/2022/09/23/mls-...teenagers/amp/

Further, the Gaurdian listed Reed Baker Whiting as a top 60 prospect in the world:
https://www.theguardian.com/football...world-football

They have been horrible with homegrown contracts. Morris and Yedlin played ONE year in the Academy and at least two years of college each like Wingo.

Kovar, Okoli, Jones, Mansaray, Schweitzer, Adekoya, Bwana, Muse, Hopeau are all of the Sounder "homegrown" players cut within three years of signing. Let's hope the current group isn't cut as quickly.

That might be a good point. Being in an academy but having no playing time would make you hard to be recruit-able. Which is unfortunate, could be a good player but doesn't get the playing time for whatever reason. While a similarly skilled or even less skilled ECNL kid gets tons of playing time and exposure.

Forget about the exposure; you don’t develop without playing time in matches, period. There are going to be 6 or 7 boys on that U15 roster that SA coaches already know they have very little interest in long-term that are going to experience a year of seriously stunted growth followed by a return to their clubs in worse form than when they left.

Everybody wants to think their kid has a chance to make it but it’s just not true.

As I mentioned earlier, Sounders Academy isn't for everyone. Nor is it necessarily the "best path". Other paths exist, and may be a better fit for an individual.

But to argue that the homegrown program hasn't been a success for the sounders is completely stupid.

Again, you have no iidea what you are talking about. XF DA was free, Yedlin paid zero.

And the point? You've realized that you are wrong and going down a rabbit hole. I wasn't referring to Yedlin and why XF didn't get training comp. I've read the FIFA briefing and know exactly why XF didn't get training compensation.

Regardless, and back to the point, Yedlin was a homegrown player and the Sounders benefited from him playing as a sounder, from selling him to Tottenham, and Tottenham selling him.

and is a mother example of my point- Sounders have done well with their homegrown program.

Yedlin
Morris
and other smaller names (like wingo) prove this point.

MLS rated Obed Varga 15th in their top 22 under 22:
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2022-...d-by-bodyarmor

if an mls writer saying sounders isn't independent enough for you:

Fansided recognized Obed Vargas as a top 10 US teen:
https://fansided.com/2022/09/23/mls-...teenagers/amp/

Further, the Gaurdian listed Reed Baker Whiting as a top 60 prospect in the world:
https://www.theguardian.com/football...world-football

Yes oh wise one, that's why the Sounders lost that case.

Dummy, you are mixing up Sounders and XF. Sounders didn't sue anyone. They were paid, XF was not.

Getting regular playing time at a good ecnl club tops SA for sure. At the end of the day it’s the kids who play the most minutes who have the greater chance at pro or college.

That might be a good point. Being in an academy but having no playing time would make you hard to be recruit-able. Which is unfortunate, could be a good player but doesn't get the playing time for whatever reason. While a similarly skilled or even less skilled ECNL kid gets tons of playing time and exposure.

Interesting that there are 23 players on u15 roster and 17 on u17. Do some U15s play up? 23 is a big roster.

Getting regular playing time at a good ecnl club tops SA for sure. At the end of the day it’s the kids who play the most minutes who have the greater chance at pro or college.