So any MLSnxt players sitting out the MS and HS season this Fall?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yes, let's remove all the kids who can play soccer from their high school peers. Sounds like a great way to grow the game in the US.[/quote]
HS soccer is a terrible game at any level that, at best, will represent a regression in all the important areas you're trying to teach kids at that age. At worst, it can and often does result in injuries (because it's sh!tball) that knock kids off the development track. If a kid wants to become a pro, he's gonna have to sacrifice things like HS letters, bus rides, and wearing his jersey at school (not sure if it's the same for girls, btw). There will be plenty on that road to build social experience and IQ. If he doesn't want to be a pro (or play at least at a "high-level" college), then why do MLSNext?[/quote] The whole notion of kids being ‘knocked off the development track’ is total BS. For the handful of kids that are on a pro track, by the middle of HS they are training - and likely playing - with MLS reserve teams and have no time for a HS team. For the other 95% of MLSNext players, they may as well play HS.[/quote] Terrible analysis. Go and look at the top recruits around the country for D-! and Top D-3 schools. Excluding international players the majority of players are coming out of the DA/MLS Next teams. Yes some ECNL kids are also getting in. Highschool is an awesome place to play with friends if that's what you want. But be honest Highschool does not help with development. |
Anonymous
|
[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yes, let's remove all the kids who can play soccer from their high school peers. Sounds like a great way to grow the game in the US.[/quote]
HS soccer is a terrible game at any level that, at best, will represent a regression in all the important areas you're trying to teach kids at that age. At worst, it can and often does result in injuries (because it's sh!tball) that knock kids off the development track. If a kid wants to become a pro, he's gonna have to sacrifice things like HS letters, bus rides, and wearing his jersey at school (not sure if it's the same for girls, btw). There will be plenty on that road to build social experience and IQ. If he doesn't want to be a pro (or play at least at a "high-level" college), then why do MLSNext?[/quote] The whole notion of kids being ‘knocked off the development track’ is total BS. For the handful of kids that are on a pro track, by the middle of HS they are training - and likely playing - with MLS reserve teams and have no time for a HS team. For the other 95% of MLSNext players, they may as well play HS.[/quote] Terrible analysis. Go and look at the top recruits around the country for D-! and Top D-3 schools. Excluding international players the majority of players are coming out of the DA/MLS Next teams. Yes some ECNL kids are also getting in. Highschool is an awesome place to play with friends if that's what you want. But be honest Highschool does not help with development. [/quote] I agree that high school does not help development. I am not convinced it hurts it all that much either. |
Anonymous
|
[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yes, let's remove all the kids who can play soccer from their high school peers. Sounds like a great way to grow the game in the US.[/quote]
HS soccer is a terrible game at any level that, at best, will represent a regression in all the important areas you're trying to teach kids at that age. At worst, it can and often does result in injuries (because it's sh!tball) that knock kids off the development track. If a kid wants to become a pro, he's gonna have to sacrifice things like HS letters, bus rides, and wearing his jersey at school (not sure if it's the same for girls, btw). There will be plenty on that road to build social experience and IQ. If he doesn't want to be a pro (or play at least at a "high-level" college), then why do MLSNext?[/quote] The whole notion of kids being ‘knocked off the development track’ is total BS. For the handful of kids that are on a pro track, by the middle of HS they are training - and likely playing - with MLS reserve teams and have no time for a HS team. For the other 95% of MLSNext players, they may as well play HS.[/quote] Terrible analysis. Go and look at the top recruits around the country for D-! and Top D-3 schools. Excluding international players the majority of players are coming out of the DA/MLS Next teams. Yes some ECNL kids are also getting in. Highschool is an awesome place to play with friends if that's what you want. But be honest Highschool does not help with development. [/quote] I agree that high school does not help development. I am not convinced it hurts it all that much either.[/quote] If compared to academy style year round vs half season of high school and half travel you would have a measurable difference. |
Anonymous
|
[quote][quote]I agree that high school does not help development. I am not convinced it hurts it all that much either.[/quote]
If compared to academy style year round vs half season of high school and half travel you would have a measurable difference. [/quote] Sure - but that's not really what happens. The kids play travel year round, and they just play HS as well for three months. I'm not aware of any kid on an ECNL (or MLSNext) team who stops playing on that team to play High School. Sure they miss a practice (rarely two practices) each week - on HS gamedays - but that's about it. |
Anonymous
|
[quote=Anonymous][quote][quote]I agree that high school does not help development. I am not convinced it hurts it all that much either.[/quote]
If compared to academy style year round vs half season of high school and half travel you would have a measurable difference. [/quote] Sure - but that's not really what happens. The kids play travel year round, and they just play HS as well for three months. I'm not aware of any kid on an ECNL (or MLSNext) team who stops playing on that team to play High School. Sure they miss a practice (rarely two practices) each week - on HS gamedays - but that's about it.[/quote] They may rarely make 2 club practices a week and it is never the full team. usually multiple age groups need to be combined to have meaningful numbers to run a session. HS soccer is a pox on the nations potential to have good soccer ever. |
Anonymous
|
[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yes, let's remove all the kids who can play soccer from their high school peers. Sounds like a great way to grow the game in the US.[/quote]
HS soccer is a terrible game at any level that, at best, will represent a regression in all the important areas you're trying to teach kids at that age. At worst, it can and often does result in injuries (because it's sh!tball) that knock kids off the development track. If a kid wants to become a pro, he's gonna have to sacrifice things like HS letters, bus rides, and wearing his jersey at school (not sure if it's the same for girls, btw). There will be plenty on that road to build social experience and IQ. If he doesn't want to be a pro (or play at least at a "high-level" college), then why do MLSNext?[/quote] The whole notion of kids being ‘knocked off the development track’ is total BS. For the handful of kids that are on a pro track, by the middle of HS they are training - and likely playing - with MLS reserve teams and have no time for a HS team. For the other 95% of MLSNext players, they may as well play HS.[/quote] Terrible analysis. Go and look at the top recruits around the country for D-! and Top D-3 schools. Excluding international players the majority of players are coming out of the DA/MLS Next teams. Yes some ECNL kids are also getting in. Highschool is an awesome place to play with friends if that's what you want. But be honest Highschool does not help with development. [/quote] There wasn’t even an MLSNext option for many of the top recruits from this area, at least in VA. Most played ECNL and HS, e.g. the Stanford commit played for Langley, 3 of the 4 VT commits played, etc. If you think MLS Academies are doing much of anything in terms of development, you need to travel more. |
Anonymous
| MLS Academies are doing significantly more for development than HS soccer is. |
Anonymous
| Have you seen how many recent kids just from the DC area are over seas now because of the training the academies gave them. Maybe you should travel as well. |
Anonymous
Many MLS academies (Philadelphia, New York, LA Galaxy etc.) are developing kids. Just not DC United. |
Anonymous
| Just skimming and I saw someone suggest 5% of MLS next kids were potential academy signs. That’s seems way off, 0.07% of HS soccer playing seniors will go pro. I also a see a lot about how academies are developing kids better, but to what end? You have a lot of former DA (I guess now mls next)products falling out of the sport after HS. Not sure if being a better soccer player than the next guy means an whole lot at that point. Maybe there is something to the HS environment developing other traits (community, diversity, shared experiences, memories, peer spectator support) that is valuable. I think between the two kids graduating, one will be happier with Hs experience than the other, whether or not he’s as well developed a soccer player. |
Anonymous
| That's an assumption with no data. Maybe the academy kid will go to a better college and get a better education and meet a better spouse. Sounds just as ridiculous as your assumption. |
Anonymous
All other sports including other soccer are banned. H.S. or club, etc. all banned. |
Anonymous
|
[quote=Anonymous]Have you seen how many recent kids just from the DC area are over seas now because of the training the academies gave them. Maybe you should travel as well. [/quote]
A lot going to ridiculous places, like clubs in Denmark, and back a couple of months later. Most young players on MLS homegrown contracts aren’t getting much in terms of looks from European clubs. |
Anonymous
DP, but while DC United has never been a model academy, they have developed plenty of pros. DCU has 5 or 6 homegrowns on their current roster alone, and some of them will almost certainly have overseas opportunities in the coming years. |
Anonymous
DC United has access to an incredible local talent pool - at least the equal of anywhere else in the country - which they freeload off. |