Timbers Discovery Program

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I'm not certain that many will say no to this opportunity. Why would kids try out in two to three phases then say no/ Parents would not be taking their time to drive them there just to let little Jonny say no.... Think about it. I do see a chance where a kid may make it and later regret leaving his original team.

Likewise, most of these kids will be in 6-7th grade when this starts up in the fall so it is hitting the perfect age for development. Yet, I do agree that if they started a program for 4th graders, like you said, that would be overkill.

The strength in a program like this is that it gives upper end players the chance to play and practice against upper end players. At the end of the day the most important thing is that the child enjoys doing what they are doing.

[Unregistered]

I'm not certain that many will say no to this opportunity. Why would kids try out in two to three phases then say no/ Parents would not be taking their time to drive them there just to let little Jonny say no.... Think about it. I do see a chance where a kid may make it and later regret leaving his original team.

Likewise, most of these kids will be in 6-7th grade when this starts up in the fall so it is hitting the perfect age for development. Yet, I do agree that if they started a program for 4th graders, like you said, that would be overkill.

The strength in a program like this is that it gives upper end players the chance to play and practice against upper end players. At the end of the day the most important thing is that the child enjoys doing what they are doing.

Thank you so much for your post- you just explained what it should be (JUST) a training program, 1 or 2 times a week as you described, over the course of a year.


With the understanding that once they become U15 age ehen the bona fide actual timbers MLS Youth Academy kicks in. Then the discovery program players who percolate to the top after up to 4 years in the making (5th to 8th graders) can decide if skipping HS is worth it and their Timbers staffers can make educated reasonable guesses as to which players should be brought in to play and compete in the MLS Academy youth platform.

Also at that time (u15) they need to be wise enough and mature enough and soccer savvy enough to let the others who aren't what they see as pro products go and enjoy a traditional youth club,hs,odp & college experience. Guess what some of those kids will become pros also.

Over nearly the last 10 years of pulling these kids out of the local clubs and even the high school platforms has created labels that should never be used to describe kids who just enjoy the game as prolific early bloomer labeled as: castoffs, left overs and rejects of the timbers kiddo Academy.

This is the world you have created here in Portland. Why not get your 'you know what together' and create a vehicle/platform (discovery training For a few years as one example) that doesn't have you throwing everyone back to the place they came from and feeling worthless after the experience. Not to mention the regret of giving up playing high school and playing in a club setting where you're actually competing for something and developing in appropriate club team.

This stuff aint rocket science and obviously the opinions and projections the timbers Academy youth staffers have made for the Portland metro area 4th 5th 6th and 7th grade boys, taken on the wholeare not of any value or merit over time. With zero products they are the 1st to admit they don't have clue number one on player identification or development at these young ages. They have no experience in identifying players that become pros so they're just throwing darts blindfolded.

Unless, they're willing to reconstruct this horrible model and craft a different model they will continue to produce crap.

Thus ensuring that your local fan base will never see any of their kids ever play for the Portland Timbers 1st team as a regular.
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Doing the same things over and over and expecting different results, look it up.

Or carry on, with just the way you're doing things.

[Unregistered]

Why

Why is this a thing ?

What is the point of the program?

[Unregistered]

Why is this a thing ?

What is the point of the program?

Rhetorical are you. done well.
Baby Yoda.

[Unregistered]

Why is this a thing ?

What is the point of the program?

What is the point in sports? The answer to your question is very simple. The point of the program is to give kids an escalating experience that aligns with their skill forming a competitive environment throughout their teen years. The MLS hope is to develop players that will end up in the pro soccer- where most parents will be ecstatic with their child getting a scholarship for college.

MLS has invested millions over the last 5 or more years into youth academies across the country for multiple reasons- First, these youth academies encourage local buy in for the MLS teams and assist in making soccer a bigger sport nationwide. Likewise the MLS has recently changed their thought process in regards to players that are developed by them and sign elsewhere- solidarity payments and training compensation. Programs like the Timber academy have many benefits for our soccer community-

[Unregistered]

Timbers

And has the results been for Portland Timbers Football Club compared to rest of MLS. Your kid only gets to be a kid once. Is this program worth the risk ?

[Unregistered]

What is the point in sports? The answer to your question is very simple. The point of the program is to give kids an escalating experience that aligns with their skill forming a competitive environment throughout their teen years. The MLS hope is to develop players that will end up in the pro soccer- where most parents will be ecstatic with their child getting a scholarship for college.

MLS has invested millions over the last 5 or more years into youth academies across the country for multiple reasons- First, these youth academies encourage local buy in for the MLS teams and assist in making soccer a bigger sport nationwide. Likewise the MLS has recently changed their thought process in regards to players that are developed by them and sign elsewhere- solidarity payments and training compensation. Programs like the Timber academy have many benefits for our soccer community-

Since 2012 none of the propaganda you just spewed out your arse has happened yet in portland or ever will.

Examples and evidence are far more reliable than hollow campaign speeches.

The MLS is single entity franchise model that Bernie Sanders endorses as a socialist reformer.

Pro clubs in NFL, MLB & NBA don't pretend they are developers of pre teens or HS kids in their local markets.

Managing a small market 1st team and reserves is a big ask for this lot, why stretch themselves to areas they have no experience or proven process at the expense of young enthusiastic locals.

[Unregistered]

There are a number of MLS academies that do a good job developing players, and those often have a positive effect on the geography they draw from.

TA is not one of those programs.

What's funny is that Timbers know full well that the academy is an afterthought, but OR soccer at large doesn't seem to want to come to grips with it.

[Unregistered]

There are a number of MLS academies that do a good job developing players, and those often have a positive effect on the geography they draw from.

TA is not one of those programs.

What's funny is that Timbers know full well that the academy is an afterthought, but OR soccer at large doesn't seem to want to come to grips with it.

agreed. PTFC isn't in the business to develop local players. You can see this in their everyday business model. They buy players to try and win championships. They don't develop local talent to win championships. If US Soccer didn't require them to have DA teams they wouldn't. They only do it because they have to. They have one of the biggest budgets to do it right too, they just choose to piss it into the wind.

[Unregistered]

The point

agreed. PTFC isn't in the business to develop local players. You can see this in their everyday business model. They buy players to try and win championships. They don't develop local talent to win championships. If US Soccer didn't require them to have DA teams they wouldn't. They only do it because they have to. They have one of the biggest budgets to do it right too, they just choose to piss it into the wind.

Thank you, parents of young kids this is what you are opting into.

[Unregistered]

agreed. PTFC isn't in the business to develop local players. You can see this in their everyday business model. They buy players to try and win championships. They don't develop local talent to win championships. If US Soccer didn't require them to have DA teams they wouldn't. They only do it because they have to. They have one of the biggest budgets to do it right too, they just choose to piss it into the wind.

Here's the reality. The TA has almost all of the best players in the area. The best player support in the area. They regularly play against the best players and teams in the country. It's completely free.

Your alternative is to pay $2000-5000 for a local club who will travel half as much at best. Lower quality in player pool = lower quality of training. No medical training staff. Very few if any games against the best players and teams in the country.

Could they do better? Probably every MLS academy find ways to be better. Are they a better option than any local club team? Absolutely yes, provided your player is good enough to be earning minutes.

[Unregistered]

Reality

Here's the reality. The TA has almost all of the best players in the area. The best player support in the area. They regularly play against the best players and teams in the country. It's completely free.

Your alternative is to pay $2000-5000 for a local club who will travel half as much at best. Lower quality in player pool = lower quality of training. No medical training staff. Very few if any games against the best players and teams in the country.

Could they do better? Probably every MLS academy find ways to be better. Are they a better option than any local club team? Absolutely yes, provided your player is good enough to be earning minutes.

Here is the reality,you should pay the 2.5K. You kid will get to play in a ton of games and they are only a kid once. With the Timbers they will play maybe a few games and get cut. Most kids coming from this program end up hating soccer, just a fact. At the end of their club soccer they will play college soccer just like the academy players.

[Unregistered]

Here's the reality. The TA has almost all of the best players in the area. The best player support in the area. They regularly play against the best players and teams in the country. It's completely free.

Your alternative is to pay $2000-5000 for a local club who will travel half as much at best. Lower quality in player pool = lower quality of training. No medical training staff. Very few if any games against the best players and teams in the country.

Could they do better? Probably every MLS academy find ways to be better. Are they a better option than any local club team? Absolutely yes, provided your player is good enough to be earning minutes.

Totally agree on TA. They should have the best players they are the pro team with the infrastructure which far exceeds what local club can provide. However the track record on producing timbers first team players is poor and needs to be dramatically improved.

[Unregistered]

Here's the reality. The TA has almost all of the best players in the area. The best player support in the area. They regularly play against the best players and teams in the country. It's completely free.

Your alternative is to pay $2000-5000 for a local club who will travel half as much at best. Lower quality in player pool = lower quality of training. No medical training staff. Very few if any games against the best players and teams in the country.

Could they do better? Probably every MLS academy find ways to be better. Are they a better option than any local club team? Absolutely yes, provided your player is good enough to be earning minutes.

Less games, fewer minutes, no high school soccer, no room for other sports, roster uncertainty, and a proven track record of not producing 1st team talents...

Honestly, club vs TA is apples and oranges mate.

Lower quality of training often comes down to the coach imo, not necessarily the players.

Not really sure if medical training staff is a determining factor for when I sign my kids up to play, but maybe that's just me.

[Unregistered]

Less games, fewer minutes, no high school soccer, no room for other sports, roster uncertainty, and a proven track record of not producing 1st team talents...

Honestly, club vs TA is apples and oranges mate.

Lower quality of training often comes down to the coach imo, not necessarily the players.

Not really sure if medical training staff is a determining factor for when I sign my kids up to play, but maybe that's just me.

The problem is coaching.