US Soccer Needs to Add U16 DA - How do we do it?

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In my honest opinion: if TA does not have U16, the players that are not making travel rosters for U16/17, should be allow to play high school and/or clubs. They should not be practicing all year long without playing any real games.

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In my honest opinion: if TA does not have U16, the players that are not making travel rosters for U16/17, should be allow to play high school and/or clubs. They should not be practicing all year long without playing any real games.

No games....no losses...less misery....short season...high hopes....smashed...some hopes...season over Rinse, repeat

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In my honest opinion: if TA does not have U16, the players that are not making travel rosters for U16/17, should be allow to play high school and/or clubs. They should not be practicing all year long without playing any real games.

If you don't make the roster the outlook isn't rosy. At a minimum you should re-evaluate what youre doing and where you want to go, what your other options are etcetera. Some DA clubs have B teams they call pre-academy that play in other leagues. But really it's just a way to hold on to players longer. Some will make the roster the next year but some will not. If suppose if the B team is your best option for training it might be worth it, but in youth soccer there's generally other options out there.

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In my honest opinion: if TA does not have U16, the players that are not making travel rosters for U16/17, should be allow to play high school and/or clubs. They should not be practicing all year long without playing any real games.

Easy solution: don’t do DA if you’re worried about playing time. Plenty of other options. DA’s mission is to develop the next national team members, not make sure every kid gets playing time. They have been very up front and clear about it. Wish people would quit whining about voluntary programs like DA & ECNL. No one is forcing anyway. Don’t do it if you don’t like it.

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It's Not How Good They Are Its How Big they are

Because the net gets smaller and smaller the older players get. US Soccer is looking for future national team players. Those 3 were the only younger ones at this time. Next year, if some of the ones cut improve a lot and pass others by, they will make the roster next year. The very best possible national team talent will make it year by year and the list will change year by year. It isn’t about making money. It’s about only taking the very best players.

It's not how good they are it is how big they are. Our coach even said the U15 kids are too small! U17 are men and fully developed - the U15 going to U16 are kids. Kids can't play with men.

There is a lot of negative people out there on this Forum. I've heard the very same thing that MLS Professionals were good but would not be noticed at age 13 but become professionals at 21 and 22 after college. If a leading country in Soccer like Brazil feels it is too early to get rid of players because of their body development is not done, why would not US Soccer who could not even get in the World Cup go all out to keep the players going? I too feel US Soccer is failing and this is one area of many they are failing. If I am failing I look at all possibilities to improve and US Soccer is not. The DA Academies practice 4 days a week, they have video and they measure each player - it is very structured vs. pre-Academies only practice 3 days a week as a rule, no video and not as structured.

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It's not how good they are it is how big they are. Our coach even said the U15 kids are too small! U17 are men and fully developed - the U15 going to U16 are kids. Kids can't play with men.

There is a lot of negative people out there on this Forum. I've heard the very same thing that MLS Professionals were good but would not be noticed at age 13 but become professionals at 21 and 22 after college. If a leading country in Soccer like Brazil feels it is too early to get rid of players because of their body development is not done, why would not US Soccer who could not even get in the World Cup go all out to keep the players going? I too feel US Soccer is failing and this is one area of many they are failing. If I am failing I look at all possibilities to improve and US Soccer is not. The DA Academies practice 4 days a week, they have video and they measure each player - it is very structured vs. pre-Academies only practice 3 days a week as a rule, no video and not as structured.

The late younger ones can try out next year when they’ll have the advantage of being older. The true cream rises to the top in 2 year age bands.

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The late younger ones can try out next year when they’ll have the advantage of being older. The true cream rises to the top in 2 year age bands.

Every player will G̲e̲t̲ to have an advantage every other year. Smart way to do it. Gives opportunity but weeds out the players that won’t make it anyway.

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Every player will G̲e̲t̲ to have an advantage every other year. Smart way to do it. Gives opportunity but weeds out the players that won’t make it anyway.

Exactly. Skilled smaller/younger players will (or should anyway) move up. The league only cares about those players regardless. If you're not skilled you won't move up no matter how big or old you are. You might get in just based on numbers the next year, but do you want to stick around and find out? It's a gamble that might not be worth taking.

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Exactly. Skilled smaller/younger players will (or should anyway) move up. The league only cares about those players regardless. If you're not skilled you won't move up no matter how big or old you are. You might get in just based on numbers the next year, but do you want to stick around and find out? It's a gamble that might not be worth taking.

A gamble to get skunked twenty five times a year. Parents on the sidelines eager for the first 10 minutes then back on their iphones or getting scooby snacks from their cars. Sullen HS kids with polyester DA tshirts that Tommy thinks means they are on the mock trial team.

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A gamble to get skunked twenty five times a year. Parents on the sidelines eager for the first 10 minutes then back on their iphones or getting scooby snacks from their cars. Sullen HS kids with polyester DA tshirts that Tommy thinks means they are on the mock trial team.

DA is the best platform for worldwide honor and developmental achievement. Hands down!!!

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The late younger ones can try out next year when they’ll have the advantage of being older. The true cream rises to the top in 2 year age bands.

The DA is the only ones who made the tough call with 2 year age bands. This is called survival of the fittest folks. No high school crybabies no 'everyone gets a participation trophy'. Our leaders have our backs because they stand to make us force a championship mentality. The cut folks can go back to club or join ECNL (pay to play!). Our teams are the real elite and everything else is rec. ECNL and OYSA cuts bait for GDA while we hook their best players and retrain them as championship and future World Cup superstars who don't cry for their high school yearbook signatures. And don't even get me started on the GPS imposters and posers. They will never take a European system and impose it on our National team mentality.

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I see failure in the US Soccer Development Academy forcing over half the players out of the program when they are 14 and 15 years old by combining U16 and U17. On our team only 3 players out of 18 are remaining in the Development Academy from U15 to the U16/U17 Team - that's 83% of the best players being forced out of US Soccer if other teams pick like our team does. A top Corinthians Development Coach stated that the worst player at 13 and 14 years old can be the best player at 15 and 16 years old due to growth and life changes given the have adequate technical skills. The point being Brazil cultivates the age group and the US Soccer pushes them out of the program at age 14 and 15 years old. With the change of leadership, I would expect a change but I have not seen one yet. It looks to be a lot of talk and no action from US Soccer. BTW, 95% of the US Teams come from the Development Academy Program.

How do we get US Soccer's Attention?

The U18/U19 combination is not that bad due to many of the boys go to College at U19 but they should be separated too; however, I think the priority should be U16.

Additionally, the Academies should like to have additional revenue of another 18 players.

The serious DA programs will have a U16 program that shadows the U17 DA team as a reserve team. They play other reserve teams, that way keeping those players in the program and continuing to develop them.

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Your kid got cut because they weren't good enough so the system should be changed just for you?

That response is disgusting and completely the problem- you obviously feel threatened (if your kid is even involved.) those of us who actually get it and have kids that have a chance- not you d1ckhead poster- have taken our children overseas or out of country so they can really train without the current us education constructs....we will never reach international relevance at our youth and men’s national team level until places like img academy or the like exist across the country and the parents of the talented kids see the light and put their children in that kind of environment full time and challenge the coaches to “burn the kids out”, here’s a hint the ones that really love the sport and want to be great won’t burn out and the great thing is there is a place for those who “do”- our highschool and club structure...

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That response is disgusting and completely the problem- you obviously feel threatened (if your kid is even involved.) those of us who actually get it and have kids that have a chance- not you d1ckhead poster- have taken our children overseas or out of country so they can really train without the current us education constructs....we will never reach international relevance at our youth and men’s national team level until places like img academy or the like exist across the country and the parents of the talented kids see the light and put their children in that kind of environment full time and challenge the coaches to “burn the kids out”, here’s a hint the ones that really love the sport and want to be great won’t burn out and the great thing is there is a place for those who “do”- our highschool and club structure...

Jolly for you. Many families, most in fact, don't have those resources and opportunities to do t he same. More importantly they know their kids aren't good enough. Even if their kids were, isnt the issue that they can't get that training here? Why isn't DA delivering all this great training and development they promised? College is the goal here, even for 99% of DA players, not a pro path. It's not that they give up on soccer but they're just being realistic.