MLS next ruining high school soccer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there different levels of MLS next? With the reclass, my son made the MLS next team for the younger age group (Summer birthday right after the cut off). I was honestly shocked he made it. So he’s not allowed to play on his high school team (if he makes it?)

Yes
MLS Next AD level is for 2nd teams

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The '25-'26 waiver allowed simultaneous participation in MLS Next HG and HS soccer. The '26-'27 waiver changed and does not. The clubs and high schools already know this but some have been slow to communicate the new rules. Our club (in mid-Atlantic not DC metro) already communicated that if a MLS Next HG player plans to get the waiver to play private HS soccer in the fall bc his school/scholarship requires it, he cannot be rostered for any league games until the HS season ends. The HG team will hold his spot until he can return in Nov but he can no longer play both at once. They do allow simultaneous training just not games.

this is the current process if they don't get a waiver. the waiver for next year has not been released yet and won't be released until July at the earliest to accommodate the fall seasons.

MLS Next isn't going to be tightening this rule. they already loosened it this past year and they're going to have to keep loosening it because of how many players are simplyy ignoring the rule and their clubs.

So are you saying that MLSNext won’t actually go through with tightening the rule (ie, will still allow simultaneous playing in HS and MLSNext for those who have waivers)? Our club coach also told us that the possibility had been communicated to them but until it’s in writing in the waivers, there is a possibility it’s not going to be implemented.

For us without kids at that age

Are you saying there are kids going through the excessive running fitness and physical training of HS soccer while also doing 4 days a week MLS Next team training and playing 2-4 games per week?

I suppose so but more likely that the player has communicated to their club coach that they have a waiver to play in HS and will miss some practices and games.

Some clubs like Armour and SYC won’t sign off on those waivers and won’t allow their players to play HS.

I’m sure the better you are, the more accommodating both HS coach and club coach will be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there different levels of MLS next? With the reclass, my son made the MLS next team for the younger age group (Summer birthday right after the cut off). I was honestly shocked he made it. So he’s not allowed to play on his high school team (if he makes it?)

Yes
MLS Next AD level is for 2nd teams

I assume he’s on this? How would I know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The '25-'26 waiver allowed simultaneous participation in MLS Next HG and HS soccer. The '26-'27 waiver changed and does not. The clubs and high schools already know this but some have been slow to communicate the new rules. Our club (in mid-Atlantic not DC metro) already communicated that if a MLS Next HG player plans to get the waiver to play private HS soccer in the fall bc his school/scholarship requires it, he cannot be rostered for any league games until the HS season ends. The HG team will hold his spot until he can return in Nov but he can no longer play both at once. They do allow simultaneous training just not games.

this is the current process if they don't get a waiver. the waiver for next year has not been released yet and won't be released until July at the earliest to accommodate the fall seasons.

MLS Next isn't going to be tightening this rule. they already loosened it this past year and they're going to have to keep loosening it because of how many players are simplyy ignoring the rule and their clubs.

So are you saying that MLSNext won’t actually go through with tightening the rule (ie, will still allow simultaneous playing in HS and MLSNext for those who have waivers)? Our club coach also told us that the possibility had been communicated to them but until it’s in writing in the waivers, there is a possibility it’s not going to be implemented.

For us without kids at that age

Are you saying there are kids going through the excessive running fitness and physical training of HS soccer while also doing 4 days a week MLS Next team training and playing 2-4 games per week?

I suppose so but more likely that the player has communicated to their club coach that they have a waiver to play in HS and will miss some practices and games.

Some clubs like Armour and SYC won’t sign off on those waivers and won’t allow their players to play HS.

I’m sure the better you are, the more accommodating both HS coach and club coach will be.

A top performing MLS Next player prioritizing low-level HS soccer in our area would be surprising

Having your son doing injury prone HS soccer with the extreme weight placed on physicality and MLS Next simultaneously for social status reasons is irresponsible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there different levels of MLS next? With the reclass, my son made the MLS next team for the younger age group (Summer birthday right after the cut off). I was honestly shocked he made it. So he’s not allowed to play on his high school team (if he makes it?)

Yes
MLS Next AD level is for 2nd teams

I assume he’s on this? How would I know?

Unless he's paying the bills and signing the documents, you're bound to know

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The '25-'26 waiver allowed simultaneous participation in MLS Next HG and HS soccer. The '26-'27 waiver changed and does not. The clubs and high schools already know this but some have been slow to communicate the new rules. Our club (in mid-Atlantic not DC metro) already communicated that if a MLS Next HG player plans to get the waiver to play private HS soccer in the fall bc his school/scholarship requires it, he cannot be rostered for any league games until the HS season ends. The HG team will hold his spot until he can return in Nov but he can no longer play both at once. They do allow simultaneous training just not games.

this is the current process if they don't get a waiver. the waiver for next year has not been released yet and won't be released until July at the earliest to accommodate the fall seasons.

MLS Next isn't going to be tightening this rule. they already loosened it this past year and they're going to have to keep loosening it because of how many players are simplyy ignoring the rule and their clubs.

So are you saying that MLSNext won’t actually go through with tightening the rule (ie, will still allow simultaneous playing in HS and MLSNext for those who have waivers)? Our club coach also told us that the possibility had been communicated to them but until it’s in writing in the waivers, there is a possibility it’s not going to be implemented.

For us without kids at that age

Are you saying there are kids going through the excessive running fitness and physical training of HS soccer while also doing 4 days a week MLS Next team training and playing 2-4 games per week?

I made the post about the current process. You can find that in the rules manual on the MLS Next website (since there's a couple of posts continuously saying inaccurate things).

I have absolutely zero inside knowledge on what they're going to do next year. So maybe I should have said, "I don't see MLS Next tightening the rule since they have already loosened it from the previous year." My personal opinion is that the rule will ultimately go away because so many people are violating it, and there's another set of players who tend to be really good and from high quality programs who have waivers, mostly for private school leagues.

Regarding the excessive running, fitness. Yes, there are players doing this. In my opinion, the whole notion of rest is overblown for kids under say 17-18 years old. In my opinion, the thing holding back American players' development is number of touches on the ball. When players are able to essentially double their touches over a season, that works generally to that player's benefit. In my opinion, just to be clear.

[Anonymous]

Does the prohibition on school soccer for MLS Next HG extend to middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the prohibition on school soccer for MLS Next HG extend to middle school?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The '25-'26 waiver allowed simultaneous participation in MLS Next HG and HS soccer. The '26-'27 waiver changed and does not. The clubs and high schools already know this but some have been slow to communicate the new rules. Our club (in mid-Atlantic not DC metro) already communicated that if a MLS Next HG player plans to get the waiver to play private HS soccer in the fall bc his school/scholarship requires it, he cannot be rostered for any league games until the HS season ends. The HG team will hold his spot until he can return in Nov but he can no longer play both at once. They do allow simultaneous training just not games.

this is the current process if they don't get a waiver. the waiver for next year has not been released yet and won't be released until July at the earliest to accommodate the fall seasons.

MLS Next isn't going to be tightening this rule. they already loosened it this past year and they're going to have to keep loosening it because of how many players are simplyy ignoring the rule and their clubs.

So are you saying that MLSNext won’t actually go through with tightening the rule (ie, will still allow simultaneous playing in HS and MLSNext for those who have waivers)? Our club coach also told us that the possibility had been communicated to them but until it’s in writing in the waivers, there is a possibility it’s not going to be implemented.

For us without kids at that age

Are you saying there are kids going through the excessive running fitness and physical training of HS soccer while also doing 4 days a week MLS Next team training and playing 2-4 games per week?

I made the post about the current process. You can find that in the rules manual on the MLS Next website (since there's a couple of posts continuously saying inaccurate things).

I have absolutely zero inside knowledge on what they're going to do next year. So maybe I should have said, "I don't see MLS Next tightening the rule since they have already loosened it from the previous year." My personal opinion is that the rule will ultimately go away because so many people are violating it, and there's another set of players who tend to be really good and from high quality programs who have waivers, mostly for private school leagues.

Regarding the excessive running, fitness. Yes, there are players doing this. In my opinion, the whole notion of rest is overblown for kids under say 17-18 years old. In my opinion, the thing holding back American players' development is number of touches on the ball. When players are able to essentially double their touches over a season, that works generally to that player's benefit. In my opinion, just to be clear.

Did you say you don't think kids under 18 years old should have rest and or active recovery days?

Or am I interpreting incorrectly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the prohibition on school soccer for MLS Next HG extend to middle school?

Yes.

My kid has required sports at his school. Unless he suits up for the American football team I'm going to need that waiver. Do I just tell the coach? Or do I need an act of congress out here???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the prohibition on school soccer for MLS Next HG extend to middle school?

Yes.

My kid has required sports at his school. Unless he suits up for the American football team I'm going to need that waiver. Do I just tell the coach? Or do I need an act of congress out here???

Usually the club makes an announcement about who needs a waiver before the start of the season but I’m sure you can ask beforehand.

[Anonymous]

My 9th grade son, who is phenomenal for his club team, has really struggled with adapting to the pace of a high school game. Honestly, he has been invited to a few academies tryouts (DC, Redbulls, Salt Lake) and even though he didn't make those teams he was more successful there. He made multiple MLS NEXT teams so he probably will not play high school next year. But for someone who thought pretty low of high school soccer to begin with, I have changed my perspective quite a bit. Sure it's a little sloppy and chaotic at times, but to be a great player you must be able to stand out and dominate a high school game. I agree with some previous statements about how even the top 9th and 10th graders can get a lot of value from high school soccer. I am certainly glad my son is experiencing it and will become a better players once he is able to adjust to the pace and constant defensive pressure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 9th grade son, who is phenomenal for his club team, has really struggled with adapting to the pace of a high school game. Honestly, he has been invited to a few academies tryouts (DC, Redbulls, Salt Lake) and even though he didn't make those teams he was more successful there. He made multiple MLS NEXT teams so he probably will not play high school next year. But for someone who thought pretty low of high school soccer to begin with, I have changed my perspective quite a bit. Sure it's a little sloppy and chaotic at times, but to be a great player you must be able to stand out and dominate a high school game. I agree with some previous statements about how even the top 9th and 10th graders can get a lot of value from high school soccer. I am certainly glad my son is experiencing it and will become a better players once he is able to adjust to the pace and constant defensive pressure.

Truly propaganda at it's best

Just say you like HS soccer without the farfetched made up story
sheesh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 9th grade son, who is phenomenal for his club team, has really struggled with adapting to the pace of a high school game. Honestly, he has been invited to a few academies tryouts (DC, Redbulls, Salt Lake) and even though he didn't make those teams he was more successful there. He made multiple MLS NEXT teams so he probably will not play high school next year. But for someone who thought pretty low of high school soccer to begin with, I have changed my perspective quite a bit. Sure it's a little sloppy and chaotic at times, but to be a great player you must be able to stand out and dominate a high school game. I agree with some previous statements about how even the top 9th and 10th graders can get a lot of value from high school soccer. I am certainly glad my son is experiencing it and will become a better players once he is able to adjust to the pace and constant defensive pressure.

Is he on JV or Varsity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 9th grade son, who is phenomenal for his club team, has really struggled with adapting to the pace of a high school game. Honestly, he has been invited to a few academies tryouts (DC, Redbulls, Salt Lake) and even though he didn't make those teams he was more successful there. He made multiple MLS NEXT teams so he probably will not play high school next year. But for someone who thought pretty low of high school soccer to begin with, I have changed my perspective quite a bit. Sure it's a little sloppy and chaotic at times, but to be a great player you must be able to stand out and dominate a high school game. I agree with some previous statements about how even the top 9th and 10th graders can get a lot of value from high school soccer. I am certainly glad my son is experiencing it and will become a better players once he is able to adjust to the pace and constant defensive pressure.

This post seems a bit off but I’ll bite. It seems as if he is not yet on an MLSNext team. But that might be the answer to why he did not get offers from the academies. Because MLSNext is very physical and there is a huge learning curve to maintain your technical skills while playing under faster and more physical conditions against similarly skilled players.

HS, regardless of freshman, JV, and varsity is very physical and athletic. My 9th grader despite having more technical skills and soccer IQ than most of the team was pretty ineffective because he’s small and not very quick. It gets really scary when someone who has definitely hit an early spurt comes barreling at you with barely any attempt to aim for the ball.

If you are MLS academy caliber player, you either don’t play HS or only play on varsity where most club standouts play.