Sounders for Boys? What am I missing?

[SoccerDadSeattle]

This is dumb. Seattle Sounders run an excellent academy. If you have a chance to play do so. If you are in the academy and for some reason get cut, you are still an excellent player and any club is going to take you.

Um, ok. Not saying it isn't good... There are real concerns... and to just close our eyes and do what everyone says we should is "dumb". If you don't like a thoughtful discussion, you don't have to join in.

Also, if you do quit a team to go to sounders, and want to come back because you got cut... There must be a risk that the team is full, etc. And most coaches with a brain arent just looking for talent alone. They are looking for loyalty, which kids to invest in, which kids are going to be good teammates... and talent is just one of many attributes of a player.

Maybe people have different experiences, and that's cool and Id love to know what they are. that's the point of the post. I'm mostly just guessing on the coach acceptance if someone gets cut... but if I was a coach I wouldn't be too stoked about a kid that is always looking for something better. Coaches want to "build a team" not just put together talent that is always one call away from leaving again. Maybe I'm wrong. Again, the point of asking here.

But to reject that there are valid issues, and to just say if you get the opportunity to do it no questions asked... is to put your head in the sand and hope it works out. :) Categorically: Dumb.

[Unregistered]

This is dumb. Seattle Sounders run an excellent academy. If you have a chance to play do so. If you are in the academy and for some reason get cut, you are still an excellent player and any club is going to take you.

"Thanks Henry, appreciate the insight"

[Unregistered]

Yeah, I don't know for sure. Thats the point of the post. I am trying to sort this out.

Sounders don't have to draft academy players.

The question I am wondering... if the sounders release a player to be drafted... that would seem to mean they are washed up.

Because the sounders would theoretically keep the player for 1st team or 2nd team, or sell the contract. Only if it isn't sellable, and they don't want the player.. .would they release to draft.

So it seems that's a signal that they are washed up. No one wants to buy (maybe terms are bad), and sounders arent interested.

I could have this wall wrong, that is why I am asking.

And ultimately, the odds of any kid going pro are so minimal that we would have to be insane to be betting on that.

But, if your kid can go pro... wouldn't it be better to have their options open to a free market, vs being tied up by academy contract? All things being equal.

If same player is at Pac vs Sounders...

When it is time to go pro, wouldn't the Pac kid have the advantage? He can go anywhere. No contract tying him up. He can go to Europe or another lesser MLS team. He can be drafted with an open contract price. Manager can try to get a higher salarary vs league minimum.

right? So why would the soon to be pro kid go get locked into a contract for free shoes and travel?

And for the other 99.9%, I wonder if its true that college coaches don't bother. Has anyone else heard this?

I think you have to keep in mind that players develop at different rates. Just because someone is a phenom at 16 and gets a pro contract doesn't mean another player might not continue to develop. The early bloomer can flame out.

As you say, the odds of going pro are small. The advantage of being part of something like Sounders Academy is that you build that relationship with a pro organization that may serve you well in the future.

No club coach is going to say no to an Academy player who wants to come back due to a lack of loyalty. They know that kids are wise to grab the opportunity, and a player who might not be a consistent starter for Sounders will come into any other club and be an impact player. In fact, the other clubs often try to lure the non starters away with promises of more playing time. I would also say, Do what is right for your kid vs what is loyal to the club. The club will not put your child's interests first, that's for sure.

[Unregistered]

You sum up the choices fairly well. IMHO Crossfire makes more sense unless you think your son is a Pro, and I don't mean a USL Pro. That is a hard choice for kids that are that young. What Henry :) is saying about just showing back up to your old club is a joke. There is a ton of shame in getting cut and some of the players the Sounders pick frankly are a shock to many. The transition back can be anything but smooth. I have seen many kids quit soccer after getting cut and other players be average at best. The current ECNL U-19's are a prime example of that. Not having U-19 for the Sounders is tough and a clear cost saving move. Most of the MLS clubs still have it although they would say the USL is a much better option. The reality is the Defiance are a college level team. They scrimmage local college teams and do ok against them.

The MLS next league will blow up shortly, it was thrown together with the demise of the DA (which the Sounders played a large role in). It is the opposite of what they wanted, more meaningful games and better competition. It's more crappy teams and for the Sounders a ton of travel and expense. The ECNL is also a watered down league in comparison to the DA. Sadly the DA was the right mix, but US soccer and the MLS killed it.

I wish you well, but I have seen both sides and would play for Crossfire all day long.

[Unregistered]

You sum up the choices fairly well. IMHO Crossfire makes more sense unless you think your son is a Pro, and I don't mean a USL Pro. That is a hard choice for kids that are that young. What Henry :) is saying about just showing back up to your old club is a joke. There is a ton of shame in getting cut and some of the players the Sounders pick frankly are a shock to many. The transition back can be anything but smooth. I have seen many kids quit soccer after getting cut and other players be average at best. The current ECNL U-19's are a prime example of that. Not having U-19 for the Sounders is tough and a clear cost saving move. Most of the MLS clubs still have it although they would say the USL is a much better option. The reality is the Defiance are a college level team. They scrimmage local college teams and do ok against them.

The MLS next league will blow up shortly, it was thrown together with the demise of the DA (which the Sounders played a large role in). It is the opposite of what they wanted, more meaningful games and better competition. It's more crappy teams and for the Sounders a ton of travel and expense. The ECNL is also a watered down league in comparison to the DA. Sadly the DA was the right mix, but US soccer and the MLS killed it.

I wish you well, but I have seen both sides and would play for Crossfire all day long.

Yes, getting cut is rough, and Sounders is very competitive, but cuts happen at every club...I think that's where the parenting happens, so that "shame" doesn't defeat your kid. There's no reason to be ashamed when you're working to be the best you can be. Disappointments will happen. My kids have all had setbacks at times with injuries, cuts, bad coaches etc but they rose above the negativity, went around those obstacles and kept playing...I guess my point is, there's no risk free, fool proof choice but you do the best you can to guide your kid in what seems like the best direction for him. XF is a great option

[Unregistered]

xf have their graduating class and the colleges they are attending on their webpage. it doesn't look particularly impressive.

[Unregistered]

xf have their graduating class and the colleges they are attending on their webpage. it doesn't look particularly impressive.

What college scholarship did you get for soccer when you were younger? Sorry for the blunt question but your post is kind of dumb. Maybe you were on a full ride from Stanford, I have no idea. the point is each year, if a club gets 1 maybe two full ride kids (boy or girl) to a top college they have done well. Honestly you can argue that the club didn't do much and it was 99% on the kid alone, but that is a different topic. I would love to see Pac, EFC, SU, WPFC, etc. post their group. I bet it's exactly as impressive as XF across the board each year. 1 or 2 kids to top schools. The rest with no scholarships to state schools, community colleges and private schools. Also not to further your misunderstanding of how college works, but soccer is not the only part of the equation, academics comes into play XF doesn't have much to do with that.

[Unregistered]

I am referring to the second post of this thread:


"I'm incredibly thankful that my son had an opportunity to be part of the program. He plays D1 now and all his teammates who did not sign with Sounders or the second team are playing D1 at excellent schools."

Not sure if you are the poster, but xf's graduates doesn't seem to reflect what was talked about here. Maybe it's different from year to year. Maybe he was talking about a different club?

[Unregistered]

I’m not sure people realize how few soccer scholarships are available at D 1 and 2 and how hard they are to get.

Only 10 per male team and 14 per female allowed by the NCAA. And many schools can’t find that many.

[Unregistered]

Fund that many

[Unregistered]

xf have their graduating class and the colleges they are attending on their webpage. it doesn't look particularly impressive.

You clearly have no idea what's going on with the 2021 class. There are 5 D1 players off of the current U-19 class. I'd love to hear you tell me the Sounders U-19 class (they don't have a team). I am aware of two players with D1 offers.

[Unregistered]

xf have their graduating class and the colleges they are attending on their webpage. it doesn't look particularly impressive.

This is fun. I want to jump in on this person's complete ignorance and stupidity as well. I will do it with sarcasm. Here I go......Never mind I didn't go to Princeton and can't come up with a good sarcastic joke. I wonder if Kate Toomey could do better than me. :) Also those two kids that are going to Brown probably wouldn't get my sarcasm either. And we all know UW is crazy easy to get into now a days so those kids are probably to dumb to get it as well. Oh well I will save my jokes for someone else.

[Unregistered]

I am referring to the second post of this thread:


"I'm incredibly thankful that my son had an opportunity to be part of the program. He plays D1 now and all his teammates who did not sign with Sounders or the second team are playing D1 at excellent schools."

Not sure if you are the poster, but xf's graduates doesn't seem to reflect what was talked about here. Maybe it's different from year to year. Maybe he was talking about a different club?

I was referring to Sounders Academy, where kids have gone on to Cornell, Notre Dame, U of Maryland, UC Davis, Duke, Georgetown and more, but XF is by far the most successful at college placement of the other clubs. Being selected for ANY college roster is a huge accomplishment

[Unregistered]

You clearly have no idea what's going on with the 2021 class. There are 5 D1 players off of the current U-19 class. I'd love to hear you tell me the Sounders U-19 class (they don't have a team). I am aware of two players with D1 offers.

I was the person praising the Sounders program, but I have nothing negative to say about XF at all. Great players, great college placement. Whoever made that dumb comment about XF commitments being unimpressive is unimformed

[Unregistered]

xf have their graduating class and the colleges they are attending on their webpage. it doesn't look particularly impressive.

Princeton, Notre Dame, Brown, Tufts, UW, Pomona, Seattle U, Santa Clara, U of Portland, U of Edinburgh and more