Academy Rosters

[Unregistered]

Wow, U16 have not lost.

As for the non MLS teams they have played, they have all been from SoCal. The best Oregon teams usually get beat in group play, qtrs or semis by these same teams. We celebrate one team in Oregon who beats them at regionals. Come watch a game. The soccer is fast and quite physical.

Not all players will make pro or D1. Soccer is for a lifetime. Go back to your Timber Army and beer. If you cared about those players, your comments could then be considered.

You are exactly right. The one thing that I (and Im sure most that have been around this forum long enough) realize is that the people that complain and point their crooked lil fingers the loudest at everything are in most cases (99.9%) the same ones whos kid didnt make a team, got cut, rides the bench the most or just realistically cant afford the costs related to the program.

I dont know of one program here in Oregon that isnt riddled with politics, filled with worn out tired coaches and/or some alliance to something that is supposed to bring success to our kids. It's the same way in Seattle, SF, LA, San Diego, etc. It's youth sports for profit and were all willing to pay for it.

Take out the "pay to play" (almost like the Timbers DA), demand from the organization that the coaches stay fit, meet or exceed a specific amount of continuing education each year and hold them to the highest accountability possible and see what would happen. I wonder how many of our state's DOC's could once again pass an "A" license ?? My guess is more then a few wouldnt.

[Unregistered]

great post

youth sports for profit, very sad

[Unregistered]

Arguably the top coach in the MLS

is Ziggy Schmid. He can't pass up the buffet line.

Some people can coach well, some people can play well.

Very few can do both well just ask Bill Russell and Michael Jordan or even John Spencer.

or in the case of GW he can't do either well.

Isn't Jim Rillatt on the Timbers youth/development (u23) coaching staff ? To your point?

[Unregistered]

youth sports for profit, very sad

The root of what ails sport. Agree, very sad and not likely to change soon.

[Unregistered]

The root of what ails sport. Agree, very sad and not likely to change soon.

Im OK with pay to play, but if the money was actually used to pay for the "best coaches" possible. Instead we pay for DOC's (that do lil to nothing), politicians (mayor of beaverton) and over paid club managers.

Id challenge any club to offer the best. Put your resumes on the line. What coach has the most current training ? Degrees in sports medicine and physiology ? Requires their coaches to annually be trained and re-evaluated for the level of license they have.

Youth sports should not be a life long career. If we had fresh blood coming in, as old dogs were laid to rest it would shake things up and keep the jobs of coaches as competitive as the positions they manage

[Unregistered]

The DA coaches don't actually believe there should be a DA. They have told me to my face it is "stupid" because so few pro players have ever come out of Oregon. Why should they believe the Oregon can produce pro players? That would mean they have been doing a bad job for the last 10-15 years.

[Unregistered]

Id challenge any club to offer the best. Put your resumes on the line. What coach has the most current training ? Degrees in sports medicine and physiology ? Requires their coaches to annually be trained and re-evaluated for the level of license they have.

The problem with your thesis is that coaches aren't resumes and credentials.

[Unregistered]

The DA coaches don't actually believe there should be a DA. They have told me to my face it is "stupid" because so few pro players have ever come out of Oregon. Why should they believe the Oregon can produce pro players? That would mean they have been doing a bad job for the last 10-15 years.

That's disappointing. Hopefully that will change. You have to start somewhere and sometime.

[Unregistered]

The problem with your thesis is that coaches aren't resumes and credentials.

No the real problem is that the coaches we have here are slugs. Theyve reached a certain stature in their life and now their just chugging along collecting their paychecks. There is NO system that they stay on top as far as education and training techniques.

Your doctor, your lawyer, your real estate agent, your accountant and your insurance agent all have to complete continuing education requirements each year or risk loosing their license. Why shouldnt a soccer coach ? They took the week to get that "A" license, why should they get to keep it forever ? It's not a drivers license.

[Unregistered]

No the real problem is that the coaches we have here are slugs. Theyve reached a certain stature in their life and now their just chugging along collecting their paychecks. There is NO system that they stay on top as far as education and training techniques.

Your doctor, your lawyer, your real estate agent, your accountant and your insurance agent all have to complete continuing education requirements each year or risk loosing their license. Why shouldnt a soccer coach ? They took the week to get that "A" license, why should they get to keep it forever ? It's not a drivers license.

Probably because the stakes are higher for doctors, lawyers etc. than for youth soccer coaches.

For what it's worth, I'd put little weight in licensing/credentialing when shopping for a youth coach. Find out what they've done measured by results and reputation among those who have played/coached for and against the coach. Using your real estate agent example, if I were selling a house I'd look for the agent who sold the most at the best prices. Not the one who attended the most continuing education classes or had the most certificates.

[Unregistered]

It takes time to build a resume for coaching

Especially an Oregon Youth Soccer coach.

Today Oregon is blessed to have many enthusiastic young coaches who played the game at HS, College and some minor level professional levels. On both the Boys and Girls side of things. The biggest thing they have is the available time to commit to coaching youth club teams year round.


I'm not going to get into a laundry list of coaches who fit this description, once a name is placed here the posters go to extreme's he/she is the best or he/she sucks...it gets old.
As the people posting are parents of 'x' player or 'x' player in the flesh, they have an opinion based on there singular perspective which represents one person's view...great, good or bad. But doesn't really have the comprehensive and neutral point of view of 'x' coach. I digress.

If you and your child are lucky enough to find a coach who is willing to invest hours and hours away from their homelife for your child, count your blessings.

Coaches just like players are evaluated on the all mighty win...state championships, league championships, regional championships and national championships. Noteworthy for the coaches who have these achievements are the players that (and I use this word a little tounge in cheek) "develop" under these coaches and go on to play at collegiate and professional levels.

Oregon has a handful of coaches with these 'elite' credentials and hundreds striving to be the next one.

[Unregistered]

My kid didn't make it, and I was a little relieved as was my wife. The guys who haven't got their 25% starts will, eventually. They have to, but I don't feel sorry for them. All knew what they were getting into. Where I think that the DA has fallen short is in academics. Progress reports are out for most high schools, and I know of at least three players whose grades have dropped dramatically - from near 4.0 to near 2.0 give or take a few tenths - and a couple more who have not improved the poor grades they entered DA with. I hope they make professional soccer and realize that dream because the other options will be limited if they continue to flounder in school. I know a lot of people will disagree with this, but I think it should be a requirement for students to maintain a certain gpa to be considered for a DA roster spot for any given game. Players should only be required to start 25% of the games in which they are academically eligible. I don't know enough about the DA rules nationally, but maybe this is a change they should consider. If they don't, then the club should. Don't sacrafice a kid's future for a W at 15 or 16.

I wish the kids and teams well and remain thankful that my son is not a part of it. I do wonder what I'd be saying if he made it though...

[Unregistered]

My kid didn't make it, and I was a little relieved as was my wife. The guys who haven't got their 25% starts will, eventually. They have to, but I don't feel sorry for them. All knew what they were getting into. Where I think that the DA has fallen short is in academics. Progress reports are out for most high schools, and I know of at least three players whose grades have dropped dramatically - from near 4.0 to near 2.0 give or take a few tenths - and a couple more who have not improved the poor grades they entered DA with. I hope they make professional soccer and realize that dream because the other options will be limited if they continue to flounder in school. I know a lot of people will disagree with this, but I think it should be a requirement for students to maintain a certain gpa to be considered for a DA roster spot for any given game. Players should only be required to start 25% of the games in which they are academically eligible. I don't know enough about the DA rules nationally, but maybe this is a change they should consider. If they don't, then the club should. Don't sacrafice a kid's future for a W at 15 or 16.

I wish the kids and teams well and remain thankful that my son is not a part of it. I do wonder what I'd be saying if he made it though...

That's a good honest post.

Except for perhaps a couple players, grades are going to matter because college will be the best/most likely avenue to continue playing.

[Unregistered]

Honest

You want an honest post. Here it is. The Timbers DA doesn't really give a crap about your kids GPA, that is your issue as a parent. The Timbers need two things.

1. A player or even better yet two to sign pro with the team and contribute to make the DA worth having. If they don't it is just a BS MLS requirment that cost money or at least cost the Allience money.

2. The coaches next job. Every coach involved except one would jump this ship for a slightly better job or maybe even equal job.

[Unregistered]

You want an honest post. Here it is. The Timbers DA doesn't really give a crap about your kids GPA, that is your issue as a parent. The Timbers need two things.

1. A player or even better yet two to sign pro with the team and contribute to make the DA worth having. If they don't it is just a BS MLS requirment that cost money or at least cost the Allience money.

2. The coaches next job. Every coach involved except one would jump this ship for a slightly better job or maybe even equal job.

For the DA to be worth having from a financial standpoint it will need to sell players, not sign players.

It's too bad if the academy management doesn't care about how the kids are doing academically.

At this point it might be a little early to conclude that they're irreplaceable. From reading this thread they clearly have some supporters who appreciate the hard work that they put in. Bottom line: don't really care about or blame the coaches. They're adults who can make their own choices.