DA & US Soccer, scared to have there teams play local competition

[Unregistered]

This statement is clearly from someone who knows nothing about the DA or does not want to admit that it is a better environment for top players in the area. As soon as my son could walk I had a soccer ball at his feet. I worked with him everyday with the soccer ball, on all aspects as the age saw fit. I did not force him, he loved it and showed a real aptitude for the game. By the time he was 5 years old he was dominating his U6 rec soccer league, put him in U9 competitive at 6 years old and he held his own at that age, at 7 years old he was one of the best players in U9 competitive, at 8 years old U9 was not a challenge at all. Each age group going up from there in regular club has not been a challenge. He has never had to compete for a position and was always the bests on his team and the club, at his age. Now we just made the move to DA and he is not the best, has had to actually compete for a position and playing time each and every week. He now has to even compete for position on next years team, already. I can honestly say that this year though, he has made the biggest strides in his development and I am so glad that we, against all the naysayers at our last club, made the switch to DA. To say there is no competition at a DA practice is just plain ignorant. If you slack off at all and do not perform in training or games, you will find yourself being replaced pretty fast, at the DA level and you may not make it back to the starting lineup again or off the team, the following year. It is just how it goes. Probably the closest thing in youth soccer to professional soccer, which is what they are trying to prepare them for. Now I understand how you or your kid may not want to be placed in that amount of pressure, but some kids love to play at the highest level, week in and week out, with the exception of 1 or 2 games. Please try to not be too hard on your kid about it, but just because you are saying that regular club soccer is compares to the DA, does not make it so. The chances of your kid that plays regular club, nowadays, are just so slim to make it anywhere in the game and the chance go up 100 fold if he is at a DA. That is just the way it is.

I don't think you're in a position to judge DA, the coaching and the competition unless you have done some serious traveling to Europe or S. America. And I don't think you ever had or you wouldn't say some of the things you have said.

Unless you're referring to an MLS Academy which is marginally better. most DA's in the state are weak. The coaching is light years away from top European Academies and the kids are not that great either. I know this because I've done all this with my son for the past 24 months so I speak from experience.

You lost me when you said they are preparing them to play professional soccer. I have seen DA coaches work up close and they are very limited in their tactical knowledge or how to prepare the drills to face tough competition. As in playing out of the back against a top European team that has 11 players pressuring you. I can assure you most DA's couldn't get past the middle of the field without losing the ball.

And that statement that "a kid who plays DA has a 100 tenfold chance to play professionally" is pure nonsense from somebody who has limited knowledge of this sport outside the borders.

I'm glad you and your kid have found a club you're happy with, but don't try and sell me on the other nonsense cause I've been around too much. DA academies or any other club in the US would get crushed vs that same age group vs a top European Academy. I've seen this up close.

[Unregistered]

True. Now drop a level below and you find travel club soccer.