Best MLS Youth Academy

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any thoughts on which MLS academies are the best for youth development training? Including not only individual development but support like education (eg relationships with schools that accommodate the training and game schedule) and boarding options?

[Anonymous]

I’m not aware of any program better than Philly Union if you are trying to combine great training with decent academics. The academics will not be comparable to good publics or privates around here though.

[Anonymous]

Found a helpful article.

https://www.ussoccercollective.com/mls/mls-academy-rankings

Not looking good for DC United.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Found a helpful article.

https://www.ussoccercollective.com/mls/mls-academy-rankings

Not looking good for DC United.

Their scouting seems to stop at 2008 kids....they have a fantastic 2009 team.

[Anonymous]

NY Red Bulls

[Anonymous]

Philly, LAFC, NYRB, Toronto, Kansas City, RSL. Austin seem to be headed in the right direction too, although new kid on the block.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Found a helpful article.

https://www.ussoccercollective.com/mls/mls-academy-rankings

Not looking good for DC United.

Their old director is at Gunston. That's a pretty big fall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Found a helpful article.

https://www.ussoccercollective.com/mls/mls-academy-rankings

Not looking good for DC United.

Their scouting seems to stop at 2008 kids....they have a fantastic 2009 team.

The problem is not the kids, it's the coaching.

See what happens to the 09's next year when they have to play a real schedule.

The 06s won the championship last year when they only played non MLS teams - because even the worthless coaching can't prevent the talent difference from making itself felt when the gap is that wide.

Then look what happened when they had to compete with the MLS academies this year - scarcely won a game.

Both 06s and 08s - i.e. the teams that have to play proper opponents scored less goals per game than any other team in their league and conceded more. In both cases the difference was about a factor of 3 between them and the top team - and there was still a huge gap between them and the next worst team.

Things deteriorate as the kids get older because at U14 individual talent is relatively more important than team tactics and soccer understanding. The other teams develop each year and DC just keeps expecting the kids to figure it out themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Found a helpful article.

https://www.ussoccercollective.com/mls/mls-academy-rankings

Not looking good for DC United.

Their old director is at Gunston. That's a pretty big fall

If you talk to the director he didn't think it was a fall at all. He quit because he was fed up trying to make progress with no resources and no cash to pay coaches. He got a huge pay raise when he moved, and has the facilities he needs to run a program he's happy with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Found a helpful article.

https://www.ussoccercollective.com/mls/mls-academy-rankings

Not looking good for DC United.

Their scouting seems to stop at 2008 kids....they have a fantastic 2009 team.

The problem is not the kids, it's the coaching.

See what happens to the 09's next year when they have to play a real schedule.

The 06s won the championship last year when they only played non MLS teams - because even the worthless coaching can't prevent the talent difference from making itself felt when the gap is that wide.

Then look what happened when they had to compete with the MLS academies this year - scarcely won a game.

Both 06s and 08s - i.e. the teams that have to play proper opponents scored less goals per game than any other team in their league and conceded more. In both cases the difference was about a factor of 3 between them and the top team - and there was still a huge gap between them and the next worst team.

Things deteriorate as the kids get older because at U14 individual talent is relatively more important than team tactics and soccer understanding. The other teams develop each year and DC just keeps expecting the kids to figure it out themselves.

So would you say that after U14, one should leave for another academy to get better training? That is, the training at U14 is still decent or it’s just a good team bc this is the entry point for the academy and the incoming players are just great players?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Found a helpful article.

https://www.ussoccercollective.com/mls/mls-academy-rankings

Not looking good for DC United.

Their old director is at Gunston. That's a pretty big fall

If you talk to the director he didn't think it was a fall at all. He quit because he was fed up trying to make progress with no resources and no cash to pay coaches. He got a huge pay raise when he moved, and has the facilities he needs to run a program he's happy with.

What facilities? He as an unlighted home field and has to fight for space at high schools for practice

[Anonymous]

Nashville

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Found a helpful article.

https://www.ussoccercollective.com/mls/mls-academy-rankings

Not looking good for DC United.

Their scouting seems to stop at 2008 kids....they have a fantastic 2009 team.

The problem is not the kids, it's the coaching.

See what happens to the 09's next year when they have to play a real schedule.

The 06s won the championship last year when they only played non MLS teams - because even the worthless coaching can't prevent the talent difference from making itself felt when the gap is that wide.

Then look what happened when they had to compete with the MLS academies this year - scarcely won a game.

Both 06s and 08s - i.e. the teams that have to play proper opponents scored less goals per game than any other team in their league and conceded more. In both cases the difference was about a factor of 3 between them and the top team - and there was still a huge gap between them and the next worst team.

Things deteriorate as the kids get older because at U14 individual talent is relatively more important than team tactics and soccer understanding. The other teams develop each year and DC just keeps expecting the kids to figure it out themselves.

So would you say that after U14, one should leave for another academy to get better training? That is, the training at U14 is still decent or it’s just a good team bc this is the entry point for the academy and the incoming players are just great players?

The latter. The coaching is very poor. They pick the best kids, and fail to develop them. This becomes increasdingly obvious as the kids get older and the gap between the non-developing DCU kids and the developing kids from other MLS academies grows each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nashville

Quite a few kids from this area have gone to Nashville. Not all the parents were super happy. Happier than they were or would have been here though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nashville

Quite a few kids from this area have gone to Nashville. Not all the parents were super happy. Happier than they were or would have been here though.

I’m assuming they send their kid there? I mean families uproot everyone to go to Nashville? They must have been really dissatisfied with DCU!