The Revolution Academy needs to make some changes.

[Unregistered]

Smart to try when young. A friends son was a very good player, offered tryouts with various professional clubs which he turned down until he was 20 or so. Most offers had been retracted. At the couple that remained, he quickly learned that he was considered "old" to be entering a professional club. Ideally they want younger players they can develop and move up thru the various youth teams. With only 1 offer from a low paying lower division team, the young man returned to finish his last couple years in college. Kudos for trying at the right time because it gave him his best chance of success. Professional soccer is a very difficult, competitive career.

assume you mean it was smart of revolution player to try overseas now while young. i agree. not sure your post reads that way, but i get your intent.

[Unregistered]

assume you mean it was smart of revolution player to try overseas now while young. i agree. not sure your post reads that way, but i get your intent.

Agreed it's a good idea and not only in terms of when a foreign academy will be interested in a potential player, but also the risk is really lower at that age. Better to know early on if a player has the potential to do this vs when very difficult college or even MLS choices have to be made. It isn't that hard to make up HS work if motivated. I believe Pullisic started with his German club when he was 16.

[Unregistered]

If true then this is getting interesting. Kid leaves the Revs to go make it elsewhere overseas and it doesn't work out. He returns home for a half season suspension. Rennicks goes to Germany over the winter break to train prior to a national team camp and is suspended by the Revs for a half and final session in DAP.. Seems there's a big difference in intent between the two. I'd be surprised If this bridge isn't burnt. If so then how Revolutionary of the Revs.

Bigger picture folks. The issue is the actual rule and why revs decided on creating it. Advice to the team. Scratch the dumbass rule and deal with your situations on a case by case otherwise half team should be suspended this semester.

[Unregistered]

I always chuckle when I read about so many local kids having tryouts with professional teams. You'd think New England was a soccer hotbed, with international and MLS talent on every street corner, when in fact, very few even get close. I was gonna say you can't make this entertainment up.....only to realize mid thought that is exactly what's happening.

[Unregistered]

Bigger picture folks. The issue is the actual rule and why revs decided on creating it. Advice to the team. Scratch the dumbass rule and deal with your situations on a case by case otherwise half team should be suspended this semester.

Let's be clear on this. I think EVERY SINGLE player that plays Academy soccer (the pinnacle of youth soccer in the United States), aspires to be a professional soccer player. Otherwise they wouldn't sacrifice playing other sports, extra curriculars, clubs, social groups and the like, to train and play to what amounts to at least 5 to 6 days a week, in many times enduring rush hour traffic or travelling great distances in public transit etc, 11 months out of the calendar year.The level of commitment these kids have to the sport isn't like joining a soccer club where the seasonal involvement is defined by parameters. So to say this player or that player "really has no aspirations in playing pro soccer", or is " just using the Revolution to get into college" is ridiculous. To also argue about MLS' rookie salaries vs. Bundesliga minimum signing compensation is also ridiculous. A pro is a pro, in other words, when your a professional soccer player, the game and the rules change dramatically. You have representation, you sign contracts, you are loaned out, bought out and constantly on the international radar for opportunities. The problem here are the parents, the guardians of these kids and the ones guiding them. Yes you can burn bridges, (Felix DeBona comes to mind) but at the end of the day, talent is talent, and talent supersedes any bridge that has been torched along the pathway. Ultimately the parents of these present and former Revs Academy players make the decisions on their behalf and need to carefully weigh the risk/reward of abandoning your high school and trekking your son to trial with a foreign club that gives you no guarantees of absolutely anything.

[Unregistered]

I always chuckle when I read about so many local kids having tryouts with professional teams. You'd think New England was a soccer hotbed, with international and MLS talent on every street corner, when in fact, very few even get close. I was gonna say you can't make this entertainment up.....only to realize mid thought that is exactly what's happening.

Of course that's true, the odds are very low. But it also goes to show that folks don't have much confidence in the Revs to develop their kids to their highest potential, or even properly assess talent. they see trying elsewhere as a better shot (realistic or imagined). True of DA in general - even JK said young men should go abroad whenever possible.

[Unregistered]

Of course that's true, the odds are very low. But it also goes to show that folks don't have much confidence in the Revs to develop their kids to their highest potential, or even properly assess talent. they see trying elsewhere as a better shot (realistic or imagined). True of DA in general - even JK said young men should go abroad whenever possible.

No it does not show that at all. Parents want immediate gratification. They lack the patience and experience in the development process. Professional soccer players need years to develop and each player is different.Diego Fagundez signed at 16, Scott Caldwell played at Akron for 4 years. Case by case. Just because your kid tore it up in the MAPLE league when he was 11 means absolutely nothing.

[Unregistered]

No it does not show that at all. Parents want immediate gratification. They lack the patience and experience in the development process. Professional soccer players need years to develop and each player is different.Diego Fagundez signed at 16, Scott Caldwell played at Akron for 4 years. Case by case. Just because your kid tore it up in the MAPLE league when he was 11 means absolutely nothing.

Parents are often misguided, that I will agree. But some are quite savvy, know the risks and are willing to take a few. The Revs track record is pretty poor so I can see why they're willing to try. Keep in mind this still happens pretty rarely, although I wonder if/how often it happens at better DA programs

different poster

[Unregistered]

Parents are often misguided, that I will agree. But some are quite savvy, know the risks and are willing to take a few. The Revs track record is pretty poor so I can see why they're willing to try. Keep in mind this still happens pretty rarely, although I wonder if/how often it happens at better DA programs

different poster

"Savvy" how? Were they former pro soccer players? Savvy about navigating the global opportunity landscape? Familiar with NCAA/ FIFA restrictions and regulations? Are aware of unscrupulous player agents that prey on young Americans? You need to define "savvy". Belonging to an ethnically strong soccer nation and culture by virtue of your birthplace or being a fan of the Boca Juniors or Corinthians doesn't qualify you as "savvy". Start by putting down the rose colored you know what and press reset.

[Unregistered]

No it does not show that at all. Parents want immediate gratification. They lack the patience and experience in the development process. Professional soccer players need years to develop and each player is different.Diego Fagundez signed at 16, Scott Caldwell played at Akron for 4 years. Case by case. Just because your kid tore it up in the MAPLE league when he was 11 means absolutely nothing.

I think we a have a Revs staff member in our midst.

[Unregistered]

Bigger picture folks. The issue is the actual rule and why revs decided on creating it. Advice to the team. Scratch the dumbass rule and deal with your situations on a case by case otherwise half team should be suspended this semester.

Four things can happen:
1 player and parents are happy and stay at Revs
2 player gets cut
3 family moves and player quits
4 player seeks better opportunities. If this is at another MLS club then Revs should suspend him, if overseas then it is none of their business. Assuming only the best kids seek overseas opportunity the Revs should be happy if they fail and return.

[Unregistered]

I think we a have a Revs staff member in our midst.

My thoughts as well. Usually when there's lots of Revs bashing there's a counter-poster that is a bit too enamored and has some inside info or obscure facts

[Unregistered]

Four things can happen:
1 player and parents are happy and stay at Revs
2 player gets cut
3 family moves and player quits
4 player seeks better opportunities. If this is at another MLS club then Revs should suspend him, if overseas then it is none of their business. Assuming only the best kids seek overseas opportunity the Revs should be happy if they fail and return.

While the MLS would like to think it's as good as many international leagues, it just isn't. So if Overseas is the pinnacle of soccer then it would reflect well on a program if it was sending players that way

[Unregistered]

I think we a have a Revs staff member in our midst.

There's always a Revs staff member in the midst. They're all multi Tasker's.

[Unregistered]

There's always a Revs staff member in the midst. They're all multi Tasker's.

I wasn't sure they could walk and chew gum at the same time