What Must Change With USA Youth Soccer Culture

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your player develops outside the game. Watch the video in the first post. The games are part of what hurts development, according to the podcast.

Every top academy in Europe uses match play as a significant portion of the daily and weekly development. Both in practice and in competition. Soccer is learning in completion, not against cones.

What the podcast / YouTube was critiquing is that in the US we make the games mean more for the individual player than they should. We fail to make matches and games a development environment opposed to a permanent “tryout” environment. In short, we suck the joy out of a sport and replace it with added pressure.

You are smoking crack if you actually think the European academies aren't a permanent tryout environment. These places are cutthroat. They are trying to be the best and like 1% will ever make it to the first team. These kids are in competition with each other. The difference is the coaching staff knows what to look for--understands child/player development. But, make no mistake, it's cutthroat. There are 1,000s upon 1,000s of kids that want your spot in that academy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your player develops outside the game. Watch the video in the first post. The games are part of what hurts development, according to the podcast.

Every top academy in Europe uses match play as a significant portion of the daily and weekly development. Both in practice and in competition. Soccer is learning in completion, not against cones.

What the podcast / YouTube was critiquing is that in the US we make the games mean more for the individual player than they should. We fail to make matches and games a development environment opposed to a permanent “tryout” environment. In short, we suck the joy out of a sport and replace it with added pressure.

You are smoking crack if you actually think the European academies aren't a permanent tryout environment. These places are cutthroat. They are trying to be the best and like 1% will ever make it to the first team. These kids are in competition with each other. The difference is the coaching staff knows what to look for--understands child/player development. But, make no mistake, it's cutthroat. There are 1,000s upon 1,000s of kids that want your spot in that academy.

Is that a bad thing? I'm unsure of how things work among the youth academies in Europe but at least at the professional level there is pro/rel which incentivizes clubs.

In the current model of youth soccer and pay to play and multiple leagues the only thing clubs need is to make sure their income stream stays consistent, and leagues gatekeeping basically allows clubs/coaches to hold the keys to the next level. They don't have to answer to any outside noise in a system like that. There will always be people drinking the kool-aid and not push back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your player develops outside the game. Watch the video in the first post. The games are part of what hurts development, according to the podcast.

Every top academy in Europe uses match play as a significant portion of the daily and weekly development. Both in practice and in competition. Soccer is learning in completion, not against cones.

What the podcast / YouTube was critiquing is that in the US we make the games mean more for the individual player than they should. We fail to make matches and games a development environment opposed to a permanent “tryout” environment. In short, we suck the joy out of a sport and replace it with added pressure.

You are smoking crack if you actually think the European academies aren't a permanent tryout environment. These places are cutthroat. They are trying to be the best and like 1% will ever make it to the first team. These kids are in competition with each other. The difference is the coaching staff knows what to look for--understands child/player development. But, make no mistake, it's cutthroat. There are 1,000s upon 1,000s of kids that want your spot in that academy.

If that’s true, (I’m not saying it is) the the entire argument made against the US systems vs European systems collapses. Everything is predicated on “looking at the long term development” in Europe vs “short term focus” in the US…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your player develops outside the game. Watch the video in the first post. The games are part of what hurts development, according to the podcast.

Every top academy in Europe uses match play as a significant portion of the daily and weekly development. Both in practice and in competition. Soccer is learning in completion, not against cones.

What the podcast / YouTube was critiquing is that in the US we make the games mean more for the individual player than they should. We fail to make matches and games a development environment opposed to a permanent “tryout” environment. In short, we suck the joy out of a sport and replace it with added pressure.

You are smoking crack if you actually think the European academies aren't a permanent tryout environment. These places are cutthroat. They are trying to be the best and like 1% will ever make it to the first team. These kids are in competition with each other. The difference is the coaching staff knows what to look for--understands child/player development. But, make no mistake, it's cutthroat. There are 1,000s upon 1,000s of kids that want your spot in that academy.

Not all European academies know what they are doing believe it or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The biggest US soccer culture problem is that youth soccer exists to create economic success for private clubs. We are traveling all over because winning bigger and bigger things helps build the club profile. They don't care about the kids at all. Why do you think you have to respond within 48 hours to your offer letter to join the team? For the kids benefit? Or to lock down customers?

We are all paying to be used...they have us by the junk and they know it. How else can your kid make it to the top? Staying within the cheap, local leagues? Good luck bub.

Soccer isn't in the streets...its on "elite" teams who are exploiting adults who make it about them. All I can do is use those clubs as much as they are using me...and keep my eyes wide open.

I’m a newbie and I realized after the fact that you don’t need to respond 48 hours later. I made that mistake and never again. If you have a kid that’s a good player you can try out for anyone at any time. Or if you don’t….there are plenty of teams looking to fill out their rosters as the season wears on.

I agree with the other stuff you are saying though