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    If I were king

    I would dissolve every soccer organization in the US and replace it with the following structure.

    1) National teams residence program (U15, U16, U17, U18/19, U20/21/22/23) ran completely by USSF that had somewhere around 30 players per age group. This would be funded directly by USSF. Teams would play in friendly's and in international competitions.

    2) Roughly 30 regional "Premier" leagues administered directly by USSF. Open to all clubs that can field at least one team in every age group (U13, U14, U15, U16, U17) though not limited to one team per age group. Have as many brackets as the region can support with promotion/relegation within it. The purpose of demanding clubs field teams in every age group is to consolidate talent. In addition have a U18/19 and a U20/21/22/23 bracket but do not require every club to field teams in these. Each Region would dedicate one weekend a month for a region wide training camp (could stagger age groups to be on different weekends) for those players with national team talent and aspirations. The camps would be coordinated with USSF but paid for out of the team registration fees for the premier league to spread out the costs.

    3) Whatever number of locally run but USSF affiliated "travel" leagues that are appropriate per region (U9, U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, U17/18/19) that try to avoid having overlapping geography. Clubs can only belong to one travel league. Minimum club size of 3 travel teams but no maximum. Also require an associated U4 through U8 program but the rules can be flexible on how those are organized. For example, there can be traditional intramural play or more of a pure training program that concentrates on friendly's and tournament play. Each league would have to be associated with their specific regions "premier" league for purposes of organization but would otherwise have little to do with the regional league.

    The idea is that USSF can concentrate on the national residency program and the regional training camps that feed the national residency program. And by organizing the country to have only one league per region you avoid the majority of the current insanity where teams and clubs are constantly league hopping it will consolidate talent which will improve quality of play and should actually drive down costs when you have such stability.

    #2
    Some good ideas, but that would take money, and it sounds like a monopoly. That might actually be too much of a good thing....

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
      Some good ideas, but that would take money, and it sounds like a monopoly. That might actually be too much of a good thing....
      All the other leagues and clubs would work to make sure it doesn't happen. Everyone is battling over the same talent pool.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
        Some good ideas, but that would take money, and it sounds like a monopoly. That might actually be too much of a good thing....
        Yes, it is a monopoly. Which is pretty much how most other countries run (successfully).

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
          Yes, it is a monopoly. Which is pretty much how most other countries run (successfully).
          But we are a capitalist country. Consumers like choices and they definitely don't like being told what to do. I agree there's too many spoons in the pot at this point. No one will give up power or certainly $. The only way a quasi monopoly can happen is if one organization can offer a consistently better product at a good price value. Do you think USSF can do that? I'll wait for you to stop laughing ;)

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
            But we are a capitalist country. Consumers like choices and they definitely don't like being told what to do. I agree there's too many spoons in the pot at this point. No one will give up power or certainly $. The only way a quasi monopoly can happen is if one organization can offer a consistently better product at a good price value. Do you think USSF can do that? I'll wait for you to stop laughing ;)
            Teams where I live can play in lijsl, nycsl, nypl, metro, npl, edp, edp-npl, enypl, erp, national league, super-y, AYSO, USSSF, DA and probably a half dozen other leagues if I wanted to do a bit of research. It encourages club jumping and league jumping and waters down the competition. And it makes it so much harder to communicate information from the top down in terms of encouraging top players to attempt to move up the ladder towards the national teams.

            Yes my plan is more of a monopolistic approach with all of the negatives that comes with that, but I think it would be far better than what we have now.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
              I would dissolve every soccer organization in the US and replace it with the following structure.

              1) National teams residence program (U15, U16, U17, U18/19, U20/21/22/23) ran completely by USSF that had somewhere around 30 players per age group. This would be funded directly by USSF. Teams would play in friendly's and in international competitions.

              2) Roughly 30 regional "Premier" leagues administered directly by USSF. Open to all clubs that can field at least one team in every age group (U13, U14, U15, U16, U17) though not limited to one team per age group. Have as many brackets as the region can support with promotion/relegation within it. The purpose of demanding clubs field teams in every age group is to consolidate talent. In addition have a U18/19 and a U20/21/22/23 bracket but do not require every club to field teams in these. Each Region would dedicate one weekend a month for a region wide training camp (could stagger age groups to be on different weekends) for those players with national team talent and aspirations. The camps would be coordinated with USSF but paid for out of the team registration fees for the premier league to spread out the costs.

              3) Whatever number of locally run but USSF affiliated "travel" leagues that are appropriate per region (U9, U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, U17/18/19) that try to avoid having overlapping geography. Clubs can only belong to one travel league. Minimum club size of 3 travel teams but no maximum. Also require an associated U4 through U8 program but the rules can be flexible on how those are organized. For example, there can be traditional intramural play or more of a pure training program that concentrates on friendly's and tournament play. Each league would have to be associated with their specific regions "premier" league for purposes of organization but would otherwise have little to do with the regional league.

              The idea is that USSF can concentrate on the national residency program and the regional training camps that feed the national residency program. And by organizing the country to have only one league per region you avoid the majority of the current insanity where teams and clubs are constantly league hopping it will consolidate talent which will improve quality of play and should actually drive down costs when you have such stability.
              You can't stop me starting a business that is coaching soccer to kids, and you can't stop parents writing me checks to do just that.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

                Yes my plan is more of a monopolistic approach with all of the negatives that comes with that, but I think it would be far better than what we have now.
                It will never happen. Too many people are making good money and won't step off the gravy train. Plus are you talking about the idiots at USSF running this pyramid? No thank you.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                  You can't stop me starting a business that is coaching soccer to kids, and you can't stop parents writing me checks to do just that.
                  Clubs are still completely independent in this plan. The only teams the USSF would directly control would be the residency program/national teams.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Our problem, compared to most European setups is we allow clubs to participate in many leagues.

                    Clubs need to be designated at a level as either local, regional or national. If your club plays in a regional league it cannot play in a local league as well. This way the pyramid is set, the clubs find their niche and players are filtered.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                      Our problem, compared to most European setups is we allow clubs to participate in many leagues.

                      Clubs need to be designated at a level as either local, regional or national. If your club plays in a regional league it cannot play in a local league as well. This way the pyramid is set, the clubs find their niche and players are filtered.
                      I disagree, there is nothing wrong with allowing a club to field teams in both local and regional competitions. That being said, I can see limiting players/teams within the club to one or the other as opposed to what we have now with many teams being entered in 2, if not even 3 leagues at the same time.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                        I disagree, there is nothing wrong with allowing a club to field teams in both local and regional competitions. That being said, I can see limiting players/teams within the club to one or the other as opposed to what we have now with many teams being entered in 2, if not even 3 leagues at the same time.
                        No, clubs being able to create elite identities based on league affiliations simply causes problems like US Club Soccer creating a ole boys network and a league. Here, clubs get together and decide to form a league, call it elite and then competing clubs do the same thing.

                        It fractures the environment. Find your niche and stick with it.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          The problem is that all our clubs feel that they need to be a "destination" club.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                            The problem is that all our clubs feel that they need to be a "destination" club.
                            It's a business. They konw parents will write big checks so they can brag Brandon plays in "the best" league.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                              It's a business. They konw parents will write big checks so they can brag Brandon plays in "the best" league.
                              With a Top Shelf name like Brandon, what more needs to be bragged about though?

                              Comment

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