How other MLS teams structure their Academies

[Unregistered]

And if USSoccer makes it mandatory for DA players to have their soccer fee waived, then you'll see how quickly rosters will shrink to the best players and clubs will have other teams for development players, like NPL teams.

Not sure what this means. Most of Revs players are upper middle class ($250K+) and the Revs pay full fare. How would this possibly change anything? Part of the problem is only the wealthy kids with rides and ability to make training to elite clubs get picked

[Unregistered]

Strongly agree with the poster in #64. The thesis that has been allowed to become a virus on this site thanks to one very special poster -- the idea that the "greats" are ruined by the dreadfully inferior rec players they have to step on a pitch with -- is just ludicrous on its face, but unfortunately has a grain of traction simply because it is repeated all day, every day.

You cannot build a youth system solely with the idea of what that will do for the 3 players every 5 years who have a small to decent chance to make a real national team. No other sport works that way either. Not one. If you're an elite anything, you don't get anywhere by complaining that the next best players in your surrounding towns or quadrant of the state aren't good enough to challenge you (or that those kids simply shouldn't play at all if they can't be fully in the service of maybe helping someone, some day make a national team). An elite tennis player from Georgia doesn't get anywhere by criticizing all the other tennis players in Georgia. They simply stop playing tournaments in GA or even just in the Southeast if they need national-level competition. Blaming everyone else is just bizarre. If the point is just to let us know that our kids aren't so good, we get it. No further reminders needed.

It's the same crazy Revs mom over and over again. She posted the initials and photos of Revs players last month. Her kid will be going "pro" soon. No known cure.

[Unregistered]

Is this happening? It would be great.

I recall it was the long term goal of the DA originally, and yes other MLS teams (I believe Orlando City) waive the fee for the DA players.

But for the post who indicated that all Revs pay now, see what would happen to the upper team if they waived the fee like the DA goals layed out. It would likely bring in some good talent, at the expense of loosing a couple that might be weaker. The U18 roster is already small, but would stay that way for U16/17 and U18/19 if those players were free. Now doesn't say wealthy families shouldn't be donating their fair share to the club scholarship program for non-DA players. Maybe REV players are unique, but at other clubs, many more paying players are added to DA roster to pad the budget.

[Unregistered]

Is this happening? It would be great.

It won't. Not enough clubs could continue with DA without having at least some or their costs covered, or they'd have to raise the prices for all their other teams to cover their costs. To have it be an only MLS club system the geography becomes unworkable, and some clubs like the Revs don't want to be doing DA anyway.

[Unregistered]

Go read "The Sports Gene" and then come back here and tell us 99% of athletes are identified and segmented by 12/13. Here's one for you: 99% of statistics are made up BS. Many boys haven't gone through their AGS at 12/13 and you think anyone can tell anything about them before that? There are plenty of outliers that go through growth spurts at 16-19 as well. If they are still developing physically and mentally then you don't have 99% certainty in anything.

One book doesn't prove anything. Believe what you want to believe. Spend a fortune trying to chase a dream that will never happen. The clubs love parents like you. Books like the one you cite are just fuel that lulls naïve parents into parting with their cash. The reality is that the pool of future greats is identifiable from almost the moment the kids start walking. 99% of them will not make it but the 1% that will will be in that group of early identees. If you have any doubts go ask your nearest professional athlete. All of them will tell you that they were always the best in their group going all the way back to when they first started playing sports.

[Unregistered]

One book doesn't prove anything. Believe what you want to believe. Spend a fortune trying to chase a dream that will never happen. The clubs love parents like you. Books like the one you cite are just fuel that lulls naïve parents into parting with their cash. The reality is that the pool of future greats is identifiable from almost the moment the kids start walking. 99% of them will not make it but the 1% that will will be in that group of early identees. If you have any doubts go ask your nearest professional athlete. All of them will tell you that they were always the best in their group going all the way back to when they first started playing sports.

Please, just leave us alone. You have berated and bullied everyone for a decade. Really, it's enough.

[Unregistered]

I recall it was the long term goal of the DA originally, and yes other MLS teams (I believe Orlando City) waive the fee for the DA players.

But for the post who indicated that all Revs pay now, see what would happen to the upper team if they waived the fee like the DA goals layed out. It would likely bring in some good talent, at the expense of loosing a couple that might be weaker. The U18 roster is already small, but would stay that way for U16/17 and U18/19 if those players were free. Now doesn't say wealthy families shouldn't be donating their fair share to the club scholarship program for non-DA players. Maybe REV players are unique, but at other clubs, many more paying players are added to DA roster to pad the budget.

Rev players pay zero and receive free cleats, sneakers, gear, airline tickets, bus fares, and meals.

[Unregistered]

Strongly agree with the poster in #64. The thesis that has been allowed to become a virus on this site thanks to one very special poster -- the idea that the "greats" are ruined by the dreadfully inferior rec players they have to step on a pitch with -- is just ludicrous on its face, but unfortunately has a grain of traction simply because it is repeated all day, every day.

You cannot build a youth system solely with the idea of what that will do for the 3 players every 5 years who have a small to decent chance to make a real national team. No other sport works that way either. Not one. If you're an elite anything, you don't get anywhere by complaining that the next best players in your surrounding towns or quadrant of the state aren't good enough to challenge you (or that those kids simply shouldn't play at all if they can't be fully in the service of maybe helping someone, some day make a national team). An elite tennis player from Georgia doesn't get anywhere by criticizing all the other tennis players in Georgia. They simply stop playing tournaments in GA or even just in the Southeast if they need national-level competition. Blaming everyone else is just bizarre. If the point is just to let us know that our kids aren't so good, we get it. No further reminders needed.

If you are only looking for 3 players every 5 years then you are completely wasting your time. That's no where near an acceptable rate of development if you want to keep pace with countries that are spitting out soccer players for profit. Also you don't advance the level of play by slowing it down for the lowest level of ability. That works when you are trying to teach a new skill or concept but ultimately the group that everyone is looking for are the ones that pick that skill or concept up first. Having worked with gifted and talented kids before I think you underestimate how quickly they tune out when not challenged so you have to be very careful how slow you go less you lose the very players you ultimately are trying to find and mold.

[Unregistered]

Please, just leave us alone. You have berated and bullied everyone for a decade. Really, it's enough.

Oh please put a sock in it. Your rhetoric is equally as stale. The one difference is you apparently think all of this can be solved by kids playing multiple sports until high school and then picking the best of who pick soccer to specialize in but that is just not in tune with what is happening with kids these days.

[Unregistered]

Rev players pay zero and receive free cleats, sneakers, gear, airline tickets, bus fares, and meals.

There's only 22 MLS clubs and at least one or two charge something. All the rest are pay to play and pay to travel. BDA will never be free across the board, neither will GDA. Very few clubs have the scale necessary to cover the expenses of running free teams. They can make it cheaper, but free rarely. Travel will always be on the player but at teast teams travel together, room together etc to keep it lower. There's the odd scholarship here or there for financial need.

[Unregistered]

If you are only looking for 3 players every 5 years then you are completely wasting your time. That's no where near an acceptable rate of development if you want to keep pace with countries that are spitting out soccer players for profit. Also you don't advance the level of play by slowing it down for the lowest level of ability. That works when you are trying to teach a new skill or concept but ultimately the group that everyone is looking for are the ones that pick that skill or concept up first. Having worked with gifted and talented kids before I think you underestimate how quickly they tune out when not challenged so you have to be very careful how slow you go less you lose the very players you ultimately are trying to find and mold.

You're misinterpreting. The estimate of 3 players every 5 or so years is the expected yield. Some cycles there will 0 kids from New England on a full NT. And as far as I can tell the rules haven't changed to have more than 11 on the field at one time or to have more than 20-22 on the roster drawing from the entire country. Of course kids should be in environments where they are challenged and have an opportunity to maximize their abilities, but for those special few every 3 years they aren't going to challenged by the next tier quitting or giving up spots on local teams that they made. They are not to blame for those special few needing greater challenges. And we can agree that the true future icons of sport need something more without resorting to denigrating everyone else.

[Unregistered]

Oh please put a sock in it. Your rhetoric is equally as stale. The one difference is you apparently think all of this can be solved by kids playing multiple sports until high school and then picking the best of who pick soccer to specialize in but that is just not in tune with what is happening with kids these days.

And yet again you spout something not even close to my views. You are a cancer.

[Unregistered]

And yet again you spout something not even close to my views. You are a cancer.

Actually, BTDT has long been publicly revealed as little more than an embarrassing fool in this forum. His incessant, incoherent rants and insults have only, if anything, cast his known foes in a more reasonable light while unfairly diminishing the reputation of his favored club. Truly sad, especially since he'll never have a clue. Some compassion is warranted.

[Unregistered]

There's only 22 MLS clubs and at least one or two charge something. All the rest are pay to play and pay to travel. BDA will never be free across the board, neither will GDA. Very few clubs have the scale necessary to cover the expenses of running free teams. They can make it cheaper, but free rarely. Travel will always be on the player but at teast teams travel together, room together etc to keep it lower. There's the odd scholarship here or there for financial need.

You just don't get it. The kids making it into the "free" MLS DA have college aspirations and are able to pay to play at the highest level clubs with a stay at home or nanny coddling - I mean - driving them. Not the way international soccer players made.

Once US adopts residential academies within distance to inner city/ soccer culture they will begin to succeed.

Wealthy suburbans are the base for DA and hence it's continued failure

[Unregistered]

You just don't get it. The kids making it into the "free" MLS DA have college aspirations and are able to pay to play at the highest level clubs with a stay at home or nanny coddling - I mean - driving them. Not the way international soccer players made.

Once US adopts residential academies within distance to inner city/ soccer culture they will begin to succeed.

Wealthy suburbans are the base for DA and hence it's continued failure

Well so few could ever play at the international level or even aspire to it that it doesn't matter. Kids are there for college, may a few to play pro, even fewer NT. That's why the entire structure should be scrapped - something smaller for the uber elite, and something bigger as the feeder system into that (perfect for the suburbanites who care more about college placement). MLS clubs currently have little incentive to develop players so why would they pay to educate them. Now if it were smaller and USSF could help subsidized that then you'd be talking about substantive change.

not the poster