The Revolution Academy needs to make some changes.

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That whole set up was a joke too. Relying on other families to house, feed, transport your kid around, make sure they get their work done?

If they wanted to do something that would entice good players they'd set up an arrangement with a prep school. Good education, reliable supervision and housing. They could only do it with 1-3 players max, but prep schools already give great deals to top players.

It sounds like you’re complaining just to complain. There are different models for housing and supervising young players. If it were my kid, I would say that a family setting would be the ideal option. Right? Reliable supervision with good housing. Sounds better than some dorm set up. Jesus. As far as education goes, once the kid turns 15 or 16, there’s the potential for academy players to train with the USL team. They train in the morning, 5 days a week. Prep school won’t work in those cases. Revs academy and YNT goalkeeper Eliot Jones did online school for a few years, and got into Stanford. He was an academic beast. Prep schools don’t have a monopoly on good education. In fact, having worked in a prep school, I can say that most of the teachers are fairly average. It’s the small classes and mostly motivated students you’re seeing. Parents pay for small classes and their kids’ peer group, for the most part. My point is, there are different options out there regarding education, and you do what works best in the overall scheme of things. My son got offered a spot at a prep school in the area because of his soccer, and we turned it down. We didn’t want our kid in that type of environment. It’s totally not for us. I’ll leave it at that.

[Unregistered]

It sounds like you’re complaining just to complain. There are different models for housing and supervising young players. If it were my kid, I would say that a family setting would be the ideal option. Right? Reliable supervision with good housing. Sounds better than some dorm set up. Jesus. As far as education goes, once the kid turns 15 or 16, there’s the potential for academy players to train with the USL team. They train in the morning, 5 days a week. Prep school won’t work in those cases. Revs academy and YNT goalkeeper Eliot Jones did online school for a few years, and got into Stanford. He was an academic beast. Prep schools don’t have a monopoly on good education. In fact, having worked in a prep school, I can say that most of the teachers are fairly average. It’s the small classes and mostly motivated students you’re seeing. Parents pay for small classes and their kids’ peer group, for the most part. My point is, there are different options out there regarding education, and you do what works best in the overall scheme of things. My son got offered a spot at a prep school in the area because of his soccer, and we turned it down. We didn’t want our kid in that type of environment. It’s totally not for us. I’ll leave it at that.

Agreed. There are posters with personal axes to grind on this thread. Any comparison between a pro academy and prep/ISL/college path is an apples to oranges comparison. The average prep/college player could never be a pro and that’s just parental delusion saying otherwise. Pro clubs are primarily concerned with identifying pros and not giving them an Ivy League education or experience.

And if you work at a prep school, you are being kind to say that parents are sending their kid there for small classes and to be in their peer group. The majority are aiming for a leg up into a great college. They look to see how many grads got placed into the Ivy League or low acceptance near-Ivies and that’s what makes them open up their wallet, not the class sizes or peer environment. Of course they’ll say otherwise, but they are lying through their teeth. And for the kids at those prep schools on athletic scholarship, they are there solely because it benefits the schools.

[Unregistered]

It’s refreshing to hear that the Revs don’t care about a player’s education and are completely comfortable with them skipping college and then washing out of the program. Some of their recent signings are in a drastic downward spiral. Good times.

[Unregistered]

Agreed. There are posters with personal axes to grind on this thread. Any comparison between a pro academy and prep/ISL/college path is an apples to oranges comparison. The average prep/college player could never be a pro and that’s just parental delusion saying otherwise. Pro clubs are primarily concerned with identifying pros and not giving them an Ivy League education or experience.

And if you work at a prep school, you are being kind to say that parents are sending their kid there for small classes and to be in their peer group. The majority are aiming for a leg up into a great college. They look to see how many grads got placed into the Ivy League or low acceptance near-Ivies and that’s what makes them open up their wallet, not the class sizes or peer environment. Of course they’ll say otherwise, but they are lying through their teeth. And for the kids at those prep schools on athletic scholarship, they are there solely because it benefits the schools.

Actually, more players are going pro out of NEPSAC programs than out of the Revs.

[Unregistered]

The reality is that the Revs are looking for potential first team players, not half decent kids who look good in the ISL.

Hence the conflict in the system. All pro clubs want pro players, but the entire system needs a majority of non pro players for it to work. The only solution is to vastly shrink the system - have an uber elite level where a pro club only has one team's worth of players. At least then it's the best of their prospects instead of 80 kids they don't care about and 3 that "might" turn into something.

[Unregistered]

Agreed. There are posters with personal axes to grind on this thread. Any comparison between a pro academy and prep/ISL/college path is an apples to oranges comparison. The average prep/college player could never be a pro and that’s just parental delusion saying otherwise. Pro clubs are primarily concerned with identifying pros and not giving them an Ivy League education or experience.

And if you work at a prep school, you are being kind to say that parents are sending their kid there for small classes and to be in their peer group. The majority are aiming for a leg up into a great college. They look to see how many grads got placed into the Ivy League or low acceptance near-Ivies and that’s what makes them open up their wallet, not the class sizes or peer environment. Of course they’ll say otherwise, but they are lying through their teeth. And for the kids at those prep schools on athletic scholarship, they are there solely because it benefits the schools.

The ISL piece is a way to solve the residency issue. Relying on families to house players won't work

[Unregistered]

It sounds like you’re complaining just to complain. There are different models for housing and supervising young players. If it were my kid, I would say that a family setting would be the ideal option. Right? Reliable supervision with good housing. Sounds better than some dorm set up. Jesus. As far as education goes, once the kid turns 15 or 16, there’s the potential for academy players to train with the USL team. They train in the morning, 5 days a week. Prep school won’t work in those cases. Revs academy and YNT goalkeeper Eliot Jones did online school for a few years, and got into Stanford. He was an academic beast. Prep schools don’t have a monopoly on good education. In fact, having worked in a prep school, I can say that most of the teachers are fairly average. It’s the small classes and mostly motivated students you’re seeing. Parents pay for small classes and their kids’ peer group, for the most part. My point is, there are different options out there regarding education, and you do what works best in the overall scheme of things. My son got offered a spot at a prep school in the area because of his soccer, and we turned it down. We didn’t want our kid in that type of environment. It’s totally not for us. I’ll leave it at that.

And yet it's an environment that works for many. It also would allow them to bring more kids because you're just not going to find many families willing to be responsible for another kid for 9 months. There's also the school district issue - not all public schools are very good so some families won't want to step down for that.

We've hosted exchange students twice. The first time was great, great kid, fit right into our family. We've visited him and his family in their country. It also was only 2 months and really there was no "school" risk for them like an entire year/a full grade's worth of education. Second time was a disaster - sweet kid but so immature and just not ready to be away from home. Created a lot of stress in our house. Personally if I were to ship my kid off somewhere I'd prefer a professionally run/supervised situation to a family I don't even know. No way I'd compromise on the education piece, ever. We're in a great district.

Not the poster

[Unregistered]

It’s refreshing to hear that the Revs don’t care about a player’s education and are completely comfortable with them skipping college and then washing out of the program. Some of their recent signings are in a drastic downward spiral. Good times.

Oh they absolutely do not care about education. They don't care about college recruitment much it seems either. I kind of get that in terms of their focus is purely on churning out pro players. But, they fail to understand that in America parents do care very much about their kids' education. If you can't reassure them on that piece you'll never get any type of residency program off the ground.

Maybe they don't even need a residency program anyway. They should first focus on improving their recruiting locally. There's talent, they just aren't al going to the Revs. As the only pro team in town they should be beating quality players away with a stick.

[Unregistered]

The ISL piece is a way to solve the residency issue. Relying on families to house players won't work

Not seeing how that will work. ISL schools are not going to let in a bunch of soccer players, especially some that aren't up to snuff academically, who aren't even going to be part of their soccer program. If the Revs sink money and resources into the creation of a real residency program, they'll want those players training with the Revs full time, not spending Aug-Nov training and competing in the ISL under waivers.

[Unregistered]

The ISL piece is a way to solve the residency issue. Relying on families to house players won't work

How is it a solution? In this scenario, do these revs players study at the ISL school but not play for the ISL school? Who pays for the education? Are they all going to be elite students so they can handle the work? Explain the solution please.

[Unregistered]

Actually, more players are going pro out of NEPSAC programs than out of the Revs.

I call bs on this. Even if you are comparing well over 100 schools with over 500 soccer grads a year to the Revs academy that has less than 100 enrolled for the whole program (U-14 thru U-19), the Revs are still signing more players to pro contacts.

[Unregistered]

Not seeing how that will work. ISL schools are not going to let in a bunch of soccer players, especially some that aren't up to snuff academically, who aren't even going to be part of their soccer program. If the Revs sink money and resources into the creation of a real residency program, they'll want those players training with the Revs full time, not spending Aug-Nov training and competing in the ISL under waivers.

Yep. Some of these Revs parents need a reality check or twenty. Only a handful from all MA going to top D1 academic/athletic.

[Unregistered]

Agreed. There are posters with personal axes to grind on this thread. Any comparison between a pro academy and prep/ISL/college path is an apples to oranges comparison. The average prep/college player could never be a pro and that’s just parental delusion saying otherwise. Pro clubs are primarily concerned with identifying pros and not giving them an Ivy League education or experience.

And if you work at a prep school, you are being kind to say that parents are sending their kid there for small classes and to be in their peer group. The majority are aiming for a leg up into a great college. They look to see how many grads got placed into the Ivy League or low acceptance near-Ivies and that’s what makes them open up their wallet, not the class sizes or peer environment. Of course they’ll say otherwise, but they are lying through their teeth. And for the kids at those prep schools on athletic scholarship, they are there solely because it benefits the schools.

Agreed. Of course parents are paying for improving their kids’ prospects of getting into a top college. Shouldn’t have left that out.

[Unregistered]

If the Revs sink money and resources into the creation of a real residency program, they'll want those players training with the Revs full time, not spending Aug-Nov training and competing in the ISL under waivers.[/QUOTE]

Totally agree. I imagine the Revs are thinking about a similar dorm type set up to those used by European clubs. It’s costly, but worth it if you can attract the very best players from outside the State.

[Unregistered]

Oh they absolutely do not care about education. They don't care about college recruitment much it seems either. I kind of get that in terms of their focus is purely on churning out pro players. But, they fail to understand that in America parents do care very much about their kids' education. If you can't reassure them on that piece you'll never get any type of residency program off the ground.

Maybe they don't even need a residency program anyway. They should first focus on improving their recruiting locally. There's talent, they just aren't al going to the Revs. As the only pro team in town they should be beating quality players away with a stick.

The Revs are focused on their bottom line. Creating pro players. Education is secondary concern. If a players gets a chance for a HG contract, it would make sense for him to throw all his eggs into that basket for a few years to see if he can take that next step. If not, assuming they save their money, they can go to college after. The Revs pay for 4 years of online college with a partner university.. Home grown players can use this benefit any time, including when they get cut. It’s not Ivy, but it’s something.

I will say this. If you think NEFC, Bolts, Surf, Aztecs, etc really care about their players education, I urge caution. They use college commits to sell their clubs. It’s part of their marketing strategy. They don’t really care in the way you’d like them to care. Their bottom line is money. So, it doesn’t make sense to single out the Revs in this regard. Btw, when I say “they”, I mean the clubs in general, not individual coaches who might have really great relationships with your kids, and care about their futures.

Btw, from what I can see, the talent pool in the North East hasn’t been very strong, relative to what it takes to become a pro. Could be coaching. Could be demographics. Could be population size. Obviously a combination of causes.