The Revolution Academy needs to make some changes.

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You are spot on. I would add that colleges will always win in the end. DA needs to work with the college bound players not against them. Wrong move by DA!

I disagree because the DA really has strayed so far from its original mission, which was to build a strong national team pool and pro path. USSF’s biggest mistake has been 1) making the DA too big; 2) not having national team coaches directly overseeing DA programs, and 3) giving HS waivers. If DA would have just limited itself to pro team academies rather than working with dozens of club teams, you would have a much smaller pool of players who would be focused on a pro career. This smaller format would also give a more realistic size for the draft/HG that MLS needs. The DA has improved the men’s NT imo.

MLS has come along way in the last 20 years. When potential owners are lining up for $200 million expansion teams and $200 million soccer stadiums, it is hard to argue the money isn’t there. What’s still lacking is the talent, which consistently is coming from outside the US. “Working with colleges” will not fill that need for true international-level talent. The DA needs to focus, not water itself down by expanding to every boy’s club, handing out waivers, and promoting college signings. It’s time to kick off the training wheels on the men’s game here.

[Unregistered]

I disagree because the DA really has strayed so far from its original mission, which was to build a strong national team pool and pro path. USSF’s biggest mistake has been 1) making the DA too big; 2) not having national team coaches directly overseeing DA programs, and 3) giving HS waivers. If DA would have just limited itself to pro team academies rather than working with dozens of club teams, you would have a much smaller pool of players who would be focused on a pro career. This smaller format would also give a more realistic size for the draft/HG that MLS needs. The DA has improved the men’s NT imo.

MLS has come along way in the last 20 years. When potential owners are lining up for $200 million expansion teams and $200 million soccer stadiums, it is hard to argue the money isn’t there. What’s still lacking is the talent, which consistently is coming from outside the US. “Working with colleges” will not fill that need for true international-level talent. The DA needs to focus, not water itself down by expanding to every boy’s club, handing out waivers, and promoting college signings. It’s time to kick off the training wheels on the men’s game here.

You’re ignoring reality. The pool of talent is much smaller without the college bound players for the reasons explained in previous posts. Also the sheer geography of this country will hurt the ability of the mls teams to truly compete. The vast travel needed will make many players simply quit. These players are not kids from favelas with soccer as their only dream- our kids have good options. Working with colleges is a major and crucially important way to get pro players. US soccer is just foolish. Being fat(rich), dumb (foolishly naive -arguably) and happy ( keep voting for the status quo aka Carlos Cordero and his ilk) can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[Unregistered]

You’re ignoring reality. The pool of talent is much smaller without the college bound players for the reasons explained in previous posts. Also the sheer geography of this country will hurt the ability of the mls teams to truly compete. The vast travel needed will make many players simply quit. These players are not kids from favelas with soccer as their only dream- our kids have good options. Working with colleges is a major and crucially important way to get pro players. US soccer is just foolish. Being fat(rich), dumb (foolishly naive -arguably) and happy ( keep voting for the status quo aka Carlos Cordero and his ilk) can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

i've long said that if college soccer were more like college football or basketball, then the need to make a choice would be greatly reduced. Football and bball have coaches that can easily or have coached at the professional level, coached olympic teams etc. Not so much with soccer coaches (a few but not many). Ideally you help make college more like the training ground it is for the other sports. Problem is soccer is not a revenue sport for most schools, so there's no room for huge coach salaries to attract better coaches. That might change over time but college soccer is a long way off. So for now, players with pro talent have to make tough choices - go pro right away after HS (here or abroad), try college for a year or two (at the most) and hope to get picked up on an MLS team, or play all 4 and try later, reducing your odds of playing professionally.

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i've long said that if college soccer were more like college football or basketball, then the need to make a choice would be greatly reduced. Football and bball have coaches that can easily or have coached at the professional level, coached olympic teams etc. Not so much with soccer coaches (a few but not many). Ideally you help make college more like the training ground it is for the other sports. Problem is soccer is not a revenue sport for most schools, so there's no room for huge coach salaries to attract better coaches. That might change over time but college soccer is a long way off. So for now, players with pro talent have to make tough choices - go pro right away after HS (here or abroad), try college for a year or two (at the most) and hope to get picked up on an MLS team, or play all 4 and try later, reducing your odds of playing professionally.

What you describe as "tough choices" here in the US is a lot better than what kids in other nations face: either go pro or go nowhere.

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What you describe as "tough choices" here in the US is a lot better than what kids in other nations face: either go pro or go nowhere.

Elsewhere in the world soccer is seen as a respected career choice. Making it, of course, is challenging. Other systems spit out kids faster than a minor league baseball coach with a cheek full of chaw. Education is often sacrificed in the pursuit of trying to make it. However, in many nations a good enough student will be able to attend university for very little money. Even if you go pro for just a few years you can probably afford to go back to school. Not so here. Yes you "can" go back if you had the academics. But if you were good enough to go pro you probably could have landed a sweet scholarship. Sign that club contract and kiss all scholarships bye bye. That's the choice.

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i've long said that if college soccer were more like college football or basketball, then the need to make a choice would be greatly reduced. Football and bball have coaches that can easily or have coached at the professional level, coached olympic teams etc. Not so much with soccer coaches (a few but not many).

Think of the coaches at the Revs. Do they meet your criteria? There are 100 college assistant coaches I’d take over Revs coaches.

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Philly Union already dumped all their Superdraft college picks for a bag of rocks. They know that the USL, USL2, their own academy even, are more likely to yield professional players than colleges. Of course, our Revs bucked the trend with two draft picks (Jones, Buchanana) who even seem pretty productive so far. Not sure if they both graduated from respective colleges. Best players still coming from overseas, and nice that the Krafts found the checkbook to sign them.

I think it's funny so many want college soccer to be like football and basketball, when the trend in those sports is to skip the NCAA (or declare early) so that the labor I mean athletes can get paid. Look at all the under-20 players in the Premier League...why would we want to create a NCAA mess? I'd rather see the billionaire MLS owners fund academies and minor leagues (even without pro/rel) than more corruption and hypocrisy in college athletics.

[Unregistered]

Philly Union already dumped all their Superdraft college picks for a bag of rocks. They know that the USL, USL2, their own academy even, are more likely to yield professional players than colleges. Of course, our Revs bucked the trend with two draft picks (Jones, Buchanana) who even seem pretty productive so far. Not sure if they both graduated from respective colleges. Best players still coming from overseas, and nice that the Krafts found the checkbook to sign them.

I think it's funny so many want college soccer to be like football and basketball, when the trend in those sports is to skip the NCAA (or declare early) so that the labor I mean athletes can get paid. Look at all the under-20 players in the Premier League...why would we want to create a NCAA mess? I'd rather see the billionaire MLS owners fund academies and minor leagues (even without pro/rel) than more corruption and hypocrisy in college athletics.

Yep, with the HG program picking up steam (even moreso at other MLS organizations than at the Revs), along with USL, where HGs can play if not quite ready for the first team, it seems to me that the trend is steering away from college soccer. I foresee a downward spiral (the weaker the college programs become, the less money colleges will put into them). Unless significant money is spent on hiring quality coaching staff and the schedule is revamped for year round development, I don't see the most motivated kids opting to go that route much longer.

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Think of the coaches at the Revs. Do they meet your criteria? There are 100 college assistant coaches I’d take over Revs coaches.

Well yeah, of course. But the Revs aren't normal, in many ways. If they weren't in MLS they easily could have been in tier II

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Yep, with the HG program picking up steam (even moreso at other MLS organizations than at the Revs), along with USL, where HGs can play if not quite ready for the first team, it seems to me that the trend is steering away from college soccer. I foresee a downward spiral (the weaker the college programs become, the less money colleges will put into them). Unless significant money is spent on hiring quality coaching staff and the schedule is revamped for year round development, I don't see the most motivated kids opting to go that route much longer.

If you really want to go pro and have that potential, think about this - the US is the only place where players have to consider college. Everywhere else, by and large, you're signed to a club by age 16 or so. So while you're playing for a quasi qualified college coach, hoping to make it to the pros after college, other players are training with pro clubs all year. There's a reason we do ok in the younger years internationally, then the gap widens quickly from 19+.

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If you really want to go pro and have that potential, think about this - the US is the only place where players have to consider college. Everywhere else, by and large, you're signed to a club by age 16 or so. So while you're playing for a quasi qualified college coach, hoping to make it to the pros after college, other players are training with pro clubs all year. There's a reason we do ok in the younger years internationally, then the gap widens quickly from 19+.

Agree. Can’t stress enough that only the very best players anywhere are going pro. Your average D1 thru D3 college player wouldn’t have a shot. And let’s not get poetic about the education many athletes actually get in college. Pre-med and STEM majors are a rarity on most college rosters. Often, they get a useless degree if they even manage to graduate at all. Not free either since scholarships are rare and spread thin, especially for men.

[Unregistered]

Yep, with the HG program picking up steam (even moreso at other MLS organizations than at the Revs), along with USL, where HGs can play if not quite ready for the first team, it seems to me that the trend is steering away from college soccer. I foresee a downward spiral (the weaker the college programs become, the less money colleges will put into them). Unless significant money is spent on hiring quality coaching staff and the schedule is revamped for year round development, I don't see the most motivated kids opting to go that route much longer.

This can’t be a serious post from an actual adult. You think a HG program and USL will stop soccer players from targeting college? You think DA will weaken the college game and reduce overall dollars spent against men’s soccer?

Who are these “most motivated kids” you speak of?

DA parents are type A personalities. They want the best of everything for their kids and most are willing to pay through the nose for it. I would assume 95%+ are in it for the college hook. The last thing they want for their child is an insulting HG contract. They want a top academic institution, plus soccer, so their little Chad can become a Wall Street trader or a brain surgeon.

DA players come from upper-middle class families. If the Revs choose to eschew that demographic and sign players with no desire to attend college I wish them the best of luck. They can’t snare the best players as it is currently.

[Unregistered]

If you really want to go pro and have that potential, think about this - the US is the only place where players have to consider college. Everywhere else, by and large, you're signed to a club by age 16 or so. So while you're playing for a quasi qualified college coach, hoping to make it to the pros after college, other players are training with pro clubs all year. There's a reason we do ok in the younger years internationally, then the gap widens quickly from 19+.

“Have to consider college”?? Nobody has to consider college if they don’t want to. How is it a negative to have that option available?

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“Have to consider college”?? Nobody has to consider college if they don’t want to. How is it a negative to have that option available?

Revs players that graduate from college without seeing the field in a NCAA match will have higher lifetime earnings than homegrown players who don’t go to college.

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“Have to consider college”?? Nobody has to consider college if they don’t want to. How is it a negative to have that option available?

College isn't for everyone, sure. If that's the case then learn a trade for a steady career. I think I've put my plumber's kids through college myself. But in most cases getting a college degree means a lifetime of higher earnings than not getting one. Getting a degree is the goal for the majority of players in the DA system who come from middle to upper income parents who are college educated themselves. If you're just delaying college to pursue a pro career, have a plan to get that degree. Do classes part time (so easy now with on line options). Save every penny you can to possibly return to college later. The odds of making it professionally are very low. MLS careers are short, the pay very low for those few years. Be realistic, have a plan.

BTW - the above advice will apply to one MA player every 3-5 years. That is all.