Development Academy Article

[Unregistered]

The fun is in being good, as in better than your competition. Rec is rec and the DA is not rec.

The decision to go to 10 month season is the DAs and is based on a few years of trying the HS soccer + Academy season, which, they must have felt, was not optimizing the development of the players.

Everyone here must remember this is an elite program created to attempt to better prepare, train, and educate the best youth players for college, pro and National teams.

This is in no way for everyone; only the most gifted, committed and motivated need apply.

I agree.

If the decision is too hard to make then maybe it isn't for you. Nothing wrong with that.

I know my son would chose DA in a second, if given the opportunity, without a thought about missing some of his high school experience. To him the fun is training with and playing against the best, pushing himself everyday.

Is he as well rounded as his more laid back siblings, NO, but that is who he is and there is no changing that (we've tried). For him, the commitment some complain about and lament is what he dreams of.

[Unregistered]

Why is the DA failing?

The DA has been going for a few years now, and the level of play of American professional soccer is only slightly better than when it started in large part to the expats in the league. The national side is stagnant. The DA system does not work in this country. By making players exclusively pick soccer at the hs age you are, in a very real sense, weeding out the best athletes. For American soccer to improve the best athletes need to participate in the sport. The best athletes want to play in front of a crowd. In this country that means HS sports / college sports. Sure, there are great "soccer only" athletes that might prefer the DA system, but there are far more all-around athletes choosing other sports. My fear is that by eliminating the HS experience and the excitement of having peers watch you you will lose even more athletes to football, basketball, lacrosse, or ? My child would make a DA team if it were available to her. But would she be willing to give up HS basketball and track with her classmates and friends? I doubt it. Soccer would lose another athlete.

Some would argue that she isn't committed. On the contrary, she trains harder and longer than most and manages to balance club, other sports for fun and excitement, and schoolwork. I'm sure there are guys like her. I have nothing against specialization if the kid wants it, but isn't 9 months of training with the academy enough. If the coaches can't get it done in 9 mos. with the other 3 spent playing HS then the coach is the issue - not the system. Wake up.

Gavin and the Timbers need to open their collective eyes rather than follow the leaders who have accomplished nothing. Bring athletes to the sport! Don't turn them away. What works in Europe doesn't work in our country.

[Unregistered]

CXL my tiks

It seems like they are digging their own hole. We will see where it goes. As the Parent of a child who might be eligible I would really have to think twice. Memories and friendships of participating in High school, vs a still low chance of ever being pro, but essentially an indentured servitude.

It is hard to know.

I'm sure there is a willing buyer standing in line, but I will cancel my season tickets the day that PTFC decides to cancel HS soccer

[Unregistered]

on the player

In some cases (definately ours) high school soccer is so bad that it may take awhile to get the bad habits worked out when you go back to club and ODP. What I see is more opportunity than ever to get injured since the level of play is so much lower. It appears to be more of a slug fest at times than anything remotely akin to skill. So, we would gladly give up high school play in order to participate in the academy. Unfortuneately, it isn't an option for girls.

Rediculous trying to blame bad habits on other players. Train right and avoid the problem. Shame on the player that is lazy enough to let this happen. Shame on the parent who blames the other kids.

[Unregistered]

You can train to improve speed and quickness, but you simply are not going to turn an average sprinter into a great sprinter. Spend 1000 hours working on speed drills and you will improve your speed moderately at best. Spend 1000 hours on touches and you will improve that component of your game dramatically. There is a "naturals" component to the game, but I don't believe that means I am being defeatist. Just a realist.

I would still have to disagree. If you spend 1000 hours going through the motions of speed drills it may only have moderate impact, but if you spend those 1000 hours in deliberate, focused intentional training, the impact would be huge.

A larger problem I see however is this idea that "great" is an external standard that cam be measured. Before Usain Bolt came on the scene, what was the definition of a great sprinter? How about before Messi? Who will the next game changers be? It seems your measure of great is to compare yourself to the Messis and the Bolts, but when they are surpassed what happens to your notion of great? What would have happened if Messi had been told as a child "You will never become a Pele, he is great"

The problem with this external focus is I suspect we lose a lot of players who throw up their hands and quit, because they never will be...

Instead focus on the individual. If they train hard, put in the 10,000 hours focusing on intentional practice in the areas where they are excited, they will become great at being them. They may not be Messi, Bolt, Jordan or whomever. They may be a combination of these, or something altogether different.

It amazes me how many people use "realistic" as a code word for "defeatist". What I mean by defeatist is when you presuppose you will not succeed. Why try if you won't succeed? So you never get out of the starting gate. The "realists" will argue they can't put in the time, or they don't have the ability, etc... I believe those are excuses, and they will never know how great they could become.

As far as the DA, if one of these realists participates expecting to be "made" great. I suggest they will be disappointed. They will spend all sorts of time, etc thinking these magic coaches will anoint them as great, but the only place great comes from is inside the individual. The ones who become truly great are not the 70-80% effort crowd, rather they are the ones who say "I may not be certain I will succeed, but I am going to give this everything I have, and then give it more". It is that effort, focus and intensity that defines great. The goal should be to become Messi or Bolt, it should be to change the game in a different way by being great as an individual.

[Unregistered]

Maybe Catholics are just better at soccer than others. :-0

Funny LOL. We are catholic .... just don't have deep enough pockets :-)

[Unregistered]

There are college coaches out there who think that playing HS is important for development (not to the exclusion of DA, but as an addition) because the kids actually play in games that (a) people watch; and (b) are important to win.

By analogy, it's why some basketball players are much better served to stay in college for 3 or 4 years rather than going pro. Sure they're not playing against the best, nor do they have the best coaching, but they learn a lot of other things that aren't being taught in the pros.

There's a lot to be said in favor of living the life of a normal teenager. I'm not sure what you mean by maximizing the learning curve--but presumably the players we're talking about will either play for a living, or in college. I'd expect them to keep learning either way.

Good try.,, I call bologna

[Unregistered]

Rediculous trying to blame bad habits on other players. Train right and avoid the problem. Shame on the player that is lazy enough to let this happen. Shame on the parent who blames the other kids.

You must mean shame on the coach that demands the game be played at a winning level in spite of the lack of talent. You sound like an idiot. Or, more likely a Jesuit parent that thinks all hs soccer is like yours.

[Unregistered]

Good try.,, I call bologna

How many pro athletes played HS? A lot. We tend to here only about the ones that were very intense. We then concentrate on this fact instead of the true fact that more professional athletes had a "normal" upbringing. I personally think HS soccer is not conducted properly in terms of the training and well being of the athletes ie Daily doubles, practicing every night, but we must still allow these young athletes to play HS ball. Let them play HS, but let's monitor the practice / game schedule. The top players become icons in their school. They become leaders on the field. Other athletes look up to them. Mr Wilkinson's comments in the Oregonian just sums up what he is all about. There is always an answer to problems. Let's find the right solution on this matter and move forward.

[Unregistered]

I will blame them.

Rediculous trying to blame bad habits on other players. Train right and avoid the problem. Shame on the player that is lazy enough to let this happen. Shame on the parent who blames the other kids.

Having a Player there right now, you be I will blame them. Coming from a Premier team and walking in to mess is very hard.

Soccer is a team sport. You have no choices in a Public HS for players. What goes to school there is what shows up. Coaches are lucky to have a few good players show up and have to pray the rest know how to kick the ball.

This is where players get hurt by 'Rec' or former Classic (not able to make a team anymore) teammates and other teams made up of like players. These players get upset when they get out skilled or beaten, then they start using their body's as a weapon to hurt/take out that player(s). It is not fun to watch.

Lets faces it, the pool at most school is very thin. Lets get pass this BS about HS anything more than fun for the player.

We need to let the Premier player move on to a higher level if it is available and skip this HS Varsity program if they want.

Finally, this is not the Timbers choice. You want to bitch about this, call USSF. They are the one making the rules. Good Luck.

[Unregistered]

Having a Player there right now, you be I will blame them. Coming from a Premier team and walking in to mess is very hard.

Soccer is a team sport. You have no choices in a Public HS for players. What goes to school there is what shows up. Coaches are lucky to have a few good players show up and have to pray the rest know how to kick the ball.

This is where players get hurt by 'Rec' or former Classic (not able to make a team anymore) teammates and other teams made up of like players. These players get upset when they get out skilled or beaten, then they start using their body's as a weapon to hurt/take out that player(s). It is not fun to watch.

Lets faces it, the pool at most school is very thin. Lets get pass this BS about HS anything more than fun for the player.

We need to let the Premier player move on to a higher level if it is available and skip this HS Varsity program if they want.

Finally, this is not the Timbers choice. You want to bitch about this, call USSF. They are the one making the rules. Good Luck.

I couldn't agree more. I have a HS player right now who has been at the regional ODP level for 4 years. The HS team is not even a close resemblance to what soccer should be. I am so happy that this will end and that there is an easy out.

And to the person who posted the "shame on the kid and parent of the kid" comment - you have no idea what you are talking about. In general, HS soccer is very dangerous play that could result in a long term injury that could easily derail a very promising run at soccer throughout college and wherever it may lead. It could cause loss of scholarship opportunities. Could playing high level soccer do the same? Of course, but to see it all wiped out by something that barely resembles soccer would be a waste. Jesuit parents get over it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Unregistered]

I would still have to disagree. If you spend 1000 hours going through the motions of speed drills it may only have moderate impact, but if you spend those 1000 hours in deliberate, focused intentional training, the impact would be huge.

A larger problem I see however is this idea that "great" is an external standard that cam be measured. Before Usain Bolt came on the scene, what was the definition of a great sprinter? How about before Messi? Who will the next game changers be? It seems your measure of great is to compare yourself to the Messis and the Bolts, but when they are surpassed what happens to your notion of great? What would have happened if Messi had been told as a child "You will never become a Pele, he is great"

The problem with this external focus is I suspect we lose a lot of players who throw up their hands and quit, because they never will be...

Instead focus on the individual. If they train hard, put in the 10,000 hours focusing on intentional practice in the areas where they are excited, they will become great at being them. They may not be Messi, Bolt, Jordan or whomever. They may be a combination of these, or something altogether different.

It amazes me how many people use "realistic" as a code word for "defeatist". What I mean by defeatist is when you presuppose you will not succeed. Why try if you won't succeed? So you never get out of the starting gate. The "realists" will argue they can't put in the time, or they don't have the ability, etc... I believe those are excuses, and they will never know how great they could become.

As far as the DA, if one of these realists participates expecting to be "made" great. I suggest they will be disappointed. They will spend all sorts of time, etc thinking these magic coaches will anoint them as great, but the only place great comes from is inside the individual. The ones who become truly great are not the 70-80% effort crowd, rather they are the ones who say "I may not be certain I will succeed, but I am going to give this everything I have, and then give it more". It is that effort, focus and intensity that defines great. The goal should be to become Messi or Bolt, it should be to change the game in a different way by being great as an individual.

I don't really disagree with you. My comments were addressed to the argument that speed can be trained. I would simply suggest that it can be improved to a small extent, but it is not going to turn a slow person into a fast person. On the other hand, I think the hours spent on technical work can lead to dramatic improvement. Even so, call me a realist or defeatist or whatever you want, there is a natural amount of athleticism that is necessary and all the training in the world isn't going to make a person a great athlete. Messi had a certain natural base that he could work off of. That does not mean that I'm against "being all you can be." However, even a person with great internal drive is not going to necessarily be great (except to maybe his/her parents) unless he/she has a certain athletic base and I don't think it is wrong for coaches to look to those factors fairly early in life.

[Unregistered]

Nonsense

I couldn't agree more. I have a HS player right now who has been at the regional ODP level for 4 years. The HS team is not even a close resemblance to what soccer should be. I am so happy that this will end and that there is an easy out.

And to the person who posted the "shame on the kid and parent of the kid" comment - you have no idea what you are talking about. In general, HS soccer is very dangerous play that could result in a long term injury that could easily derail a very promising run at soccer throughout college and wherever it may lead. It could cause loss of scholarship opportunities. Could playing high level soccer do the same? Of course, but to see it all wiped out by something that barely resembles soccer would be a waste. Jesuit parents get over it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn't post that comment, but it was right. If HS soccer is so bad and dangerous, don't play. Certainly don't blame the coaches, parents, and other players for alleged bad habits picked up in a HS environment. The years of HS games I've watched (three kids) seem no more dangerous than club games and I'm quite certain that I've watched club teams play at the same "high level" as anyone else who posts here. HS soccer is different and far more competitively intense than most club games. It also gives kids an opportunity to play with older and younger kids that are as good or better than anyone around that they wouldn't otherwise play with or against. While this topic is about the DA, the biggest thing holding back US players is the lack of touch and creativity that comes from playing in different situations whether that situation is HS or better yet, it the park or street with other players. That's where moves are learned and confidence is gained. The system of structured and private coaching and systems is stifling. There's a place for it, but it's become the focus and that's a mistake. The best training your kid might ever get is in a Saturday afternoon pick up game with a bunch of players s/he has never met.

[Unregistered]

I didn't post that comment, but it was right. If HS soccer is so bad and dangerous, don't play. Certainly don't blame the coaches, parents, and other players for alleged bad habits picked up in a HS environment. The years of HS games I've watched (three kids) seem no more dangerous than club games and I'm quite certain that I've watched club teams play at the same "high level" as anyone else who posts here. HS soccer is different and far more competitively intense than most club games. It also gives kids an opportunity to play with older and younger kids that are as good or better than anyone around that they wouldn't otherwise play with or against. While this topic is about the DA, the biggest thing holding back US players is the lack of touch and creativity that comes from playing in different situations whether that situation is HS or better yet, it the park or street with other players. That's where moves are learned and confidence is gained. The system of structured and private coaching and systems is stifling. There's a place for it, but it's become the focus and that's a mistake. The best training your kid might ever get is in a Saturday afternoon pick up game with a bunch of players s/he has never met.

That is definatley one of the advantages to going to Jesuit (wink)

[Unregistered]

Not a club coach I've ever met--

I would still have to disagree. If you spend 1000 hours going through the motions of speed drills it may only have moderate impact, but if you spend those 1000 hours in deliberate, focused intentional training, the impact would be huge.

A larger problem I see however is this idea that "great" is an external standard that cam be measured. Before Usain Bolt came on the scene, what was the definition of a great sprinter? How about before Messi? Who will the next game changers be? It seems your measure of great is to compare yourself to the Messis and the Bolts, but when they are surpassed what happens to your notion of great? What would have happened if Messi had been told as a child "You will never become a Pele, he is great"

The problem with this external focus is I suspect we lose a lot of players who throw up their hands and quit, because they never will be...

Instead focus on the individual. If they train hard, put in the 10,000 hours focusing on intentional practice in the areas where they are excited, they will become great at being them. They may not be Messi, Bolt, Jordan or whomever. They may be a combination of these, or something altogether different.

It amazes me how many people use "realistic" as a code word for "defeatist". What I mean by defeatist is when you presuppose you will not succeed. Why try if you won't succeed? So you never get out of the starting gate. The "realists" will argue they can't put in the time, or they don't have the ability, etc... I believe those are excuses, and they will never know how great they could become.

As far as the DA, if one of these realists participates expecting to be "made" great. I suggest they will be disappointed. They will spend all sorts of time, etc thinking these magic coaches will anoint them as great, but the only place great comes from is inside the individual. The ones who become truly great are not the 70-80% effort crowd, rather they are the ones who say "I may not be certain I will succeed, but I am going to give this everything I have, and then give it more". It is that effort, focus and intensity that defines great. The goal should be to become Messi or Bolt, it should be to change the game in a different way by being great as an individual.

I want this person coaching my daughter and her teammates.