DAP Results

[Unregistered]

The coaches are sending these guys a message about next year perhaps - don't know why they think its necessary to do it this way - why not just tell them where they stand? The thing is, how many guys are going to line up to sit on a DAP bench for a whole year while giving up high school soccer and the chance to get some respect on a non-DAP team? Any kid who looks at the way they're operating these teams is gonna think twice about jumping into this situation. Don't think these coaches have too much smarts about how to make DAP attractive, given the situation coming up.

You are making the assumptions that: the coaches and players never speak to each other about expectations, playing time, where that player is in his development, how much time he can expect, how many starts, age and ability of the player in relation to the other players who play the same position, injury management, attendance at practice, how training is progressing for that player, level of competition of opponent and many other factors. You are just simply assuming a player is quietly sitting on the bench and the coach is an a-hole. You clearly are on the outside looking in.
The players who want to COMPETE at the next level know that being able to ask questions of the coach and carry on a dialogue and set expectations are critical to their development as young athletes. Having that feedback from a DAP level coach about exactly where you stand may be hard to hear but is essential.

[Unregistered]

Nice to hear from la-la land. Fact is that sitting on the bench - consistently getting 10 minutes every couple games - at this point in the season - means you are toast.

I know there's a kid with a chronic injury and another with an injury going into the season, on the bolts U16. Most of the players are making the 30% start required by USSF - a few aren't. But if you look at the game records, they come out in 20 minutes when they start. Or go in for 10-20 minutes in the other games, when rostered. About 1/2 dozen on the roster are playing more than 40 minutes per game.

Thought the point of DAP was development, especially in younger ages - U16.. The bigger issue is this - when they spread the schedule out next year, one game per week, that means a sub gets 20 minutes play time every week (or two). A small group is doing most of the playing. If you're good enough to get onto a DAP roster, you could be starting every game for your high school and non-DAP club. This means a lot of the kids in DAP now, not getting play time, have a strong incentive to quit, and the ones who might join to replace them, have a good reason not to risk it.

[Unregistered]

You are making the assumptions that: the coaches and players never speak to each other about expectations, playing time, where that player is in his development, how much time he can expect, how many starts, age and ability of the player in relation to the other players who play the same position, injury management, attendance at practice, how training is progressing for that player, level of competition of opponent and many other factors. You are just simply assuming a player is quietly sitting on the bench and the coach is an a-hole. You clearly are on the outside looking in.
The players who want to COMPETE at the next level know that being able to ask questions of the coach and carry on a dialogue and set expectations are critical to their development as young athletes. Having that feedback from a DAP level coach about exactly where you stand may be hard to hear but is essential.

I'm not buying this one. In particular, I know BA well enough to know that the way a player gets the idea that they're not doing well is how often a foul-mouthed tirade is directed at you in practice. Now that's ok - its the real world, the silly one you made up about coaches and players having a heart-to-heart isn't.

What I don't get is how you make players better by sitting them on the bench. That usually makes them worse, relative to the guys who are playing, the more they sit on the bench, the closer they are to getting cut. So, if DAP is a 'developmental' program, you develop players by playing them. If on the other hand, its like high school and college, where the goal is to win, you sit them on the bench.

What the DAP clubs should be doing is letting their DAP bench players get play time on their non-DAP teams, and their best non-DAP players get play time on the DAP teams. But look at the Bolts operation - not one DP on the U18 DAP. They got two teams in NEP - a U17 and a U18. Is there any movement between these levels to help the players develop?

[Unregistered]

I'm not buying this one. In particular, I know BA well enough to know that the way a player gets the idea that they're not doing well is how often a foul-mouthed tirade is directed at you in practice. Now that's ok - its the real world, the silly one you made up about coaches and players having a heart-to-heart isn't.

What I don't get is how you make players better by sitting them on the bench. That usually makes them worse, relative to the guys who are playing, the more they sit on the bench, the closer they are to getting cut. So, if DAP is a 'developmental' program, you develop players by playing them. If on the other hand, its like high school and college, where the goal is to win, you sit them on the bench.

What the DAP clubs should be doing is letting their DAP bench players get play time on their non-DAP teams, and their best non-DAP players get play time on the DAP teams. But look at the Bolts operation - not one DP on the U18 DAP. They got two teams in NEP - a U17 and a U18. Is there any movement between these levels to help the players develop?

For the most part I do agree with what you say. The development part of the DAP is not so clearly defined other than to try to produce players for national team play and the professional ranks. I have always stated that I would rather be a kid (or even have my kid) get very good play time than sit on the bench watching the game. Perhaps this requires a recognition and acceptance that such a player is not a star at the higher level (or that particular coach does not feel so). Regardless, development occurs during practices AND during games. The latter is when you get the chance to take what you know and put it to work in a pressure situation. You cannot learn that from the bench.

It is even possible to play on another team, develop significantly, and then reconsider the DAP......or not.

There is another aspect of the DAP that is not so developmental. The subbing is similar to that of the professional and national team levels. When you go out, you go out. Another option (one more consistent with development) would allow one to be subbed out in one half but then reenter in the next half. This would make it easier for the coaches to get the players in and for more time. This is how the PreAcademy was last year, but now this has changed as well.

On the coaches side, I don't mind a scenario in which it becomes clear that you are or are not 'top-dog'. This should help the player determine if the 10 month program is really worth it. I agree that the coaches should be up front and honest about it, but I don't see any thing that obligates them to do this during the season. The player and family can always ask.......

[Unregistered]

The situation coming up is that the kids seeing mostly bench are not likely to sign on for 10 solid months of such discouragement. The guys who might be weighing joining DAP and giving up strong high school and non-DAP club positions might get wind of the fact that they might be committing themselves to 10 months of bench time. I mean, unless a kid is ultra-confident, that's a big turnoff.

[Unregistered]

The situation coming up is that the kids seeing mostly bench are not likely to sign on for 10 solid months of such discouragement. The guys who might be weighing joining DAP and giving up strong high school and non-DAP club positions might get wind of the fact that they might be committing themselves to 10 months of bench time. I mean, unless a kid is ultra-confident, that's a big turnoff.

Well, I sure hope your kid realizes that he might go to college and have the exact same scenario. He will always have to work hard to keep his spot. There is always someone out there who is willing to work hard enough to take it.

[Unregistered]

Well, I sure hope your kid realizes that he might go to college and have the exact same scenario. He will always have to work hard to keep his spot. There is always someone out there who is willing to work hard enough to take it.

And that goes for Divisions I, II, and III.

[Unregistered]

Well, I sure hope your kid realizes that he might go to college and have the exact same scenario. He will always have to work hard to keep his spot. There is always someone out there who is willing to work hard enough to take it.

No doubt about it - that's the point. "Development Academy" isn't about development if its coached like college and high school - if the coach won't put you on the field because he needs to win, then its not about development anymore.. But furthermore, its worse than that - a freshman or sophomore has the realistic expectation of getting more playtime as junior and senior. If you're on the bench in DAP, there's not much time and no seniority coming your way.

[Unregistered]

No doubt about it - that's the point. "Development Academy" isn't about development if its coached like college and high school - if the coach won't put you on the field because he needs to win, then its not about development anymore.. But furthermore, its worse than that - a freshman or sophomore has the realistic expectation of getting more playtime as junior and senior. If you're on the bench in DAP, there's not much time and no seniority coming your way.

No doubt about the fact that you will not get more playing time if a Freshman comes in that is better than you. Fact of life. Same in workplace.

[Unregistered]

No doubt about the fact that you will not get more playing time if a Freshman comes in that is better than you. Fact of life. Same in workplace.

Same in Pros, same on National Team.

[Unregistered]

True for MNT. Not true for U17 MNT..

[Unregistered]

No doubt about the fact that you will not get more playing time if a Freshman comes in that is better than you. Fact of life. Same in workplace.

Do you have any evidence for this, or do you just think it is the case?

[Unregistered]

Same in Pros, same on National Team.

Evidence?

[Unregistered]

No doubt about it - that's the point. "Development Academy" isn't about development if its coached like college and high school - if the coach won't put you on the field because he needs to win, then its not about development anymore.. But furthermore, its worse than that - a freshman or sophomore has the realistic expectation of getting more playtime as junior and senior. If you're on the bench in DAP, there's not much time and no seniority coming your way.

Are there any facts to support this? Have you worked out minutes of play for players of different years? I think that 2year DA players do, in fact, generally get more time their second year...

[Unregistered]

Generally they may be getting more time in their 2nd year, but maybe only half are on a team for two years. More younger players on the Revs U16 roster. Some of the 96s on the bolts play more than 95s in their 2nd year on the team.

It is surprising that the DAP coaching method looks pretty similar to everything else, in terms of play time, even though USSF made a point of trying to change that habit, which is part of the 'play to win' mentality. I've heard many times from Bolts management that the aim of having non-DAP teams was to permit fluidity - at least options to move up. If you look at the U18 DAP roster, nothing of that sort is happening. On the U16 DAP, there's a few DPs now and only one has seen the field in a DAP game. If you look at the rosters of teams that are playing (and often beating) the Bolts, they are loaded with DPs who have multiple games in already. If the bolts were planning to bolster the clubs bottom line by using DAP as a lure for their non-DAP teams, they're creating nothing here to back it up.