Are Clubs a Cartel?

[Unregistered]

I tend to agree that clubs oversell the work hard aspect. Usually it work hard equates to paying them to "train" your kid.

Few, if any club in New England practice or train enough. Or encourage their kids to get enough touches outside of structured practices to improve. Some, like Revs, even discourage it.

In real soccer nations every player is the little engine that could. Instead of relaxing once they hit high school age, or are identified and in the YNT or college pipeline, these countries increase the expectations and workloads. Here in the US we have it backwards.

And because our kids don't continue working hard, even the annointed, there is the opportunity for a late developing kid, who does more than just attend structured practices, to rise up the ranks. More so than in other countries. But it is in spite of the clubs and system, not because of it.

[Unregistered]

You didn't read carefully. I said it was my older son, who is a senior. No violation there.

My older son plays in the ISL on a varsity team and he's a 2nd year. I read your post perfectly, you we're simply vague. If your son is graduating in 2018 it's too late to matter much. That's why I took for granted he was younger.

[Unregistered]

And because our kids don't continue working hard, even the annointed, there is the opportunity for a late developing kid, who does more than just attend structured practices, to rise up the ranks. More so than in other countries. But it is in spite of the clubs and system, not because of it.

Agree with everything in this paragraph.

[Unregistered]

My older son plays in the ISL on a varsity team and he's a 2nd year. I read your post perfectly, you we're simply vague. If your son is graduating in 2018 it's too late to matter much. That's why I took for granted he was younger.

Agree, it doesn't matter much, but for a kid that didn't play a day of club soccer in his life, and who might have a slight admissions edge at a school on his short list it is pretty great, actually. I wrote about it only to illustrate that there are outliers to the whole club soccer scene.

[Unregistered]

Agree, it doesn't matter much, but for a kid that didn't play a day of club soccer in his life, and who might have a slight admissions edge at a school on his short list it is pretty great, actually. I wrote about it only to illustrate that there are outliers to the whole club soccer scene.

I don't disagree that it's great for the kid but it's hardly some exception to the rule.

[Unregistered]

I don't disagree that it's great for the kid but it's hardly some exception to the rule.

Really? It's every day that someone who didn't play club soccer and never went to a showcase or ID camp gets recruited?

What world do you live in, because that's definitely not my experience!

There's the club soccer or DA route or prep school/ISL route for those who are serious about playing college soccer. If you aren't serious about college soccer you can take your chances.

[Unregistered]

Really? It's every day that someone who didn't play club soccer and never went to a showcase or ID camp gets recruited?

What world do you live in, because that's definitely not my experience!

There's the club soccer or DA route or prep school/ISL route for those who are serious about playing college soccer. If you aren't serious about college soccer you can take your chances.

I'm sorry. I must have missed the part about this player being recruited. Last I checked he was approached. That's a really long way from recruited.

[Unregistered]

You mean a meritocracy for the mediocre players who will never play in college, right? These "cartels" (a little over the top don't ya think?) actually will let their studs play for free on their top level teams. Getting dumped to a lower level should be a signal to you of more than cartel greed. Also be prepared that at your top prep school with the great soccer program your kid will never go further than a pine grabber on the JV squad.

Always amusing when people on the club payrolls (coaches and management) weigh in on these boards.

[Unregistered]

Always amusing when people on the club payrolls (coaches and management) weigh in on these boards.

Nope. Just a retired parent hack, who, unlike you, doesn't feel a need to start these ridiculous threads for the sole purpose of exposing your malignant demons.

[Unregistered]

I'm sorry. I must have missed the part about this player being recruited. Last I checked he was approached. That's a really long way from recruited.

Always amusing when people on the club payrolls (coaches and management) weigh in on these boards.

Bingo. It's amazing how some of the coaches on this site try to line their pockets by feeding such a false narrative. Funny how before the ECNL came along most teams didn't travel out of state and showcases were only for the very best players. Somehow the average players managed to "get recruited" back then but now its impossible without spending a fortune on designer leagues and far flung tournaments. Parents should maybe think about who owns those tournaments for a moment before they buy into the hype.

[Unregistered]

Bingo. It's amazing how some of the coaches on this site try to line their pockets by feeding such a false narrative. Funny how before the ECNL came along most teams didn't travel out of state and showcases were only for the very best players. Somehow the average players managed to "get recruited" back then but now its impossible without spending a fortune on designer leagues and far flung tournaments. Parents should maybe think about who owns those tournaments for a moment before they buy into the hype.

And on and on and on you go. Got another 10 years in you?

[Unregistered]

I tend to agree that clubs oversell the work hard aspect. Usually it work hard equates to paying them to "train" your kid.

Few, if any club in New England practice or train enough. Or encourage their kids to get enough touches outside of structured practices to improve. Some, like Revs, even discourage it.

In real soccer nations every player is the little engine that could. Instead of relaxing once they hit high school age, or are identified and in the YNT or college pipeline, these countries increase the expectations and workloads. Here in the US we have it backwards.

And because our kids don't continue working hard, even the annointed, there is the opportunity for a late developing kid, who does more than just attend structured practices, to rise up the ranks. More so than in other countries. But it is in spite of the clubs and system, not because of it.

Excellent points. A cartel though would imply the clubs collude to keep prices high (relative) and create barriers to entry - that may have been the case more in the past but the proliferation of clubs/leagues and new entrants like the DAs suggest it is the opposite. You have hints of profits and thus entry into the market.

The downside as pointed out is the highest profit margins are on the youngest players so there is incentive to push more structure at younger ages and make the marketing and attraction on titles and games, not individual development (although that is sold as a by-product).

The best soccer-playing nations build individual players, ones with superior technical skills who later come together on teams; the US system is built on teams with individuals who rise due to usually speed and physical skills (and some technical skills). Those nations have cultures where kids play a lot of un/loosely organized games where our culture (like other sports as well) is to put them into organized games as soon as possible where the attributes of speed and physical development dominate.

[Unregistered]

Bingo. It's amazing how some of the coaches on this site try to line their pockets by feeding such a false narrative. Funny how before the ECNL came along most teams didn't travel out of state and showcases were only for the very best players. Somehow the average players managed to "get recruited" back then but now its impossible without spending a fortune on designer leagues and far flung tournaments. Parents should maybe think about who owns those tournaments for a moment before they buy into the hype.

So the mythical diamond in the rough from this thread will sign his NLI when?

[Unregistered]

Excellent points. A cartel though would imply the clubs collude to keep prices high (relative) and create barriers to entry - that may have been the case more in the past but the proliferation of clubs/leagues and new entrants like the DAs suggest it is the opposite. You have hints of profits and thus entry into the market.

Someone on this thread actually knows what a cartel is!

[Unregistered]

It depends what level of college soccer he aspires towards.

D1 is moreso than ever recruiting from DA. The exceptions to this rule are your high school all Americans, all New England, and the top players on NPL teams that compete at National Tournaments (Class of 2017 was Stars, Class of 2018 is GPS).

D2 and elite D3 teams (Tufts Brandeis Amherst Messiah etc). Likewise recruit from DA more than past. They are also populated by High school all New England/all state, the remnants of the aforementioned Nationally competitive club teams, and the top players of other high quality regional club teams. If your son is one of the best players on a competitive Prep team he may be in position to bypass the club route if he reaches out to coaches to receive adequate and early enough visibility to these competitive programs.

Mid-Low level D3 Still includes high school conference all stars, former quality club players off of low NPL/NEP level, and a blend of other athletes such as multi sport competitors. The lack of widespread competitive recruitment leads to walk on opportunities being prevalent and club background to be thereby irrelevant. For Mid Level D3 a quality high school program should be adequate so long as he again Pursues the team in question and they personally come to a match, they typically extend preseason tryout invitations as opposed to true “commitments”.