"Development" - A Scam

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is happening at practice 3-4 days a week and at games if not "development" ?

I agree, practicing with a team for 6 hours a week - if your child is not developing then something is wrong. There should be development happening, speed of play, 1v1, tactical, etc.

If your child wants to be a standout on a top team, consider adding another 2-4 hours of individual technical skill, strength and fitness.

Of course there are exceptions, early bloomers whose athletic traits compensate for a lack of technical skill or dedication. But the majority of these players are reeled back in to the pack.

This is why people don't have honest conversations about serious development because the amount of work a high-level baller puts in does not appear reasonable and appears obsessive. A highly motivated kid will replace all of your standard Roblox, video game and doom scrolling time with touches and still maintaining pristine grades. The result is an extra 1-3 hours EVERY day on top of team training. That not factoring in informal small sided games after school or organized on the weekends and organically. Team training should be focused on high-level development, not "scrimmaging" against the best of the best. Fitness, ball mastery and small-sided free play should all take place outside of team training.

[Anonymous]

Nobody develops anything. You do all the work, club steals your kid and claim they developed them. It is all about the club’s image.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many of you are getting scammed by claimed or perceived "development" at clubs. How much development do you think is happening during 3 training sessions a week and a workout? With 20+ kids to care about? Maybe a little bit of film study? How many clubs have more than one coach per team? How many coaches have more than one team! Think about it and wake up...development happens outside of clubs.

For those who are serious believers in their club's "development" (you are the perfect customer!), what are some examples of your player developing strictly because of your club?

Kids get more development playing pickup soccer than most of these clubs.

Sure. Philly Union Academy is the same at DCU. Barcelona Academy is the same as Villareal. Got it. No difference. All of the Philly Union and Barcelona results are because the kids were playing alot more pickup. Let me go signup for the closest club to me. Thanks for the advice.

This takes the cake as the dumbest response. Couple quick ones...the kids at those academies in Spain have played TONS of pickup in the streets and at school. Still that isn't the point. The point is these clubs are not academies so stop thinking they are and developing kids. Go take a nap. The kids that get to those academies have been developed outside of the club environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many of you are getting scammed by claimed or perceived "development" at clubs. How much development do you think is happening during 3 training sessions a week and a workout? With 20+ kids to care about? Maybe a little bit of film study? How many clubs have more than one coach per team? How many coaches have more than one team! Think about it and wake up...development happens outside of clubs.

For those who are serious believers in their club's "development" (you are the perfect customer!), what are some examples of your player developing strictly because of your club?

Kids get more development playing pickup soccer than most of these clubs.

Darn, your kid that bad. Speaking for yourself I see

No clown. My son has developed very nicely outside of the club environment. I don't expect anything in development out of clubs because I have a brain.

Nice, drop right into name calling and insults. Impressed. You kids must be real jewels if they act like you. Am sure your kid is great like you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is happening at practice 3-4 days a week and at games if not "development" ?

I agree, practicing with a team for 6 hours a week - if your child is not developing then something is wrong. There should be development happening, speed of play, 1v1, tactical, etc.

If your child wants to be a standout on a top team, consider adding another 2-4 hours of individual technical skill, strength and fitness.

Of course there are exceptions, early bloomers whose athletic traits compensate for a lack of technical skill or dedication. But the majority of these players are reeled back in to the pack.

This is why people don't have honest conversations about serious development because the amount of work a high-level baller puts in does not appear reasonable and appears obsessive. A highly motivated kid will replace all of your standard Roblox, video game and doom scrolling time with touches and still maintaining pristine grades. The result is an extra 1-3 hours EVERY day on top of team training. That not factoring in informal small sided games after school or organized on the weekends and organically. Team training should be focused on high-level development, not "scrimmaging" against the best of the best. Fitness, ball mastery and small-sided free play should all take place outside of team training.

We have a player like that on our team. The amount of extra work done to be a "high level baller" is at the top end of your spectrum... Still probably the slowest, least athletic player on the team but can juggle in the thousands!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many of you are getting scammed by claimed or perceived "development" at clubs. How much development do you think is happening during 3 training sessions a week and a workout? With 20+ kids to care about? Maybe a little bit of film study? How many clubs have more than one coach per team? How many coaches have more than one team! Think about it and wake up...development happens outside of clubs.

For those who are serious believers in their club's "development" (you are the perfect customer!), what are some examples of your player developing strictly because of your club?

Kids get more development playing pickup soccer than most of these clubs.

Sure. Philly Union Academy is the same at DCU. Barcelona Academy is the same as Villareal. Got it. No difference. All of the Philly Union and Barcelona results are because the kids were playing alot more pickup. Let me go signup for the closest club to me. Thanks for the advice.

This takes the cake as the dumbest response. Couple quick ones...the kids at those academies in Spain have played TONS of pickup in the streets and at school. Still that isn't the point. The point is these clubs are not academies so stop thinking they are and developing kids. Go take a nap. The kids that get to those academies have been developed outside of the club environment.

Let me smarten it up so I can reach your level.

If my kid plays 10 hours a week outside of training with Club A that focuses on technical mastery and soccer IQ during training you think it is the same as my kid playing 10 hours a week outside of training with Club B that focuses on physical development, speed scrimmages with the top players in the area. That is equivalent to saying that Kid A with 8k accumulated hours growing up playing in the streets of Barcelona going to La Masia will yield the same result as Kid B with 8k accumulated hours growing up in the streets of Barcelona going to Espanyol. It is so asinine, you should just go to American football and leave behind this sport.

Just in the DC area along, 15 minutes on Transfermarket would dispel your take. One soccer IQ club has over $10m in player value and one top player club has maybe $2m in player value. I think I am too dumb to understand 5x value but I think I'll take my chances with the club methodologies that produce value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many of you are getting scammed by claimed or perceived "development" at clubs. How much development do you think is happening during 3 training sessions a week and a workout? With 20+ kids to care about? Maybe a little bit of film study? How many clubs have more than one coach per team? How many coaches have more than one team! Think about it and wake up...development happens outside of clubs.

For those who are serious believers in their club's "development" (you are the perfect customer!), what are some examples of your player developing strictly because of your club?

Kids get more development playing pickup soccer than most of these clubs.

It is more nuanced than that.

Players development occur with what’s being done and said in addition to club training.
Not in place of club training.

Pickup soccer has it's values in certain elements, not all elements of soccer development.

There are teams that have knowledgeable experienced coaches who played and were coached at a high levels that are now teaching more than coaching. That's good development club environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many of you are getting scammed by claimed or perceived "development" at clubs. How much development do you think is happening during 3 training sessions a week and a workout? With 20+ kids to care about? Maybe a little bit of film study? How many clubs have more than one coach per team? How many coaches have more than one team! Think about it and wake up...development happens outside of clubs.

For those who are serious believers in their club's "development" (you are the perfect customer!), what are some examples of your player developing strictly because of your club?

Kids get more development playing pickup soccer than most of these clubs.

Darn, your kid that bad. Speaking for yourself I see

No clown. My son has developed very nicely outside of the club environment. I don't expect anything in development out of clubs because I have a brain.

If no club is a part of development, then Ajax, Arsenal, Barcelona, Benfica etc should close their academies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid has improved dramatically just playing at recess every day. It's awesome and free and there are no coaches or adults telling him what to do.

So your kid will develop into a schoolyard player. Those skills have limited application after U16 playing 11 v 11 in tactical systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many of you are getting scammed by claimed or perceived "development" at clubs. How much development do you think is happening during 3 training sessions a week and a workout? With 20+ kids to care about? Maybe a little bit of film study? How many clubs have more than one coach per team? How many coaches have more than one team! Think about it and wake up...development happens outside of clubs.

For those who are serious believers in their club's "development" (you are the perfect customer!), what are some examples of your player developing strictly because of your club?

Kids get more development playing pickup soccer than most of these clubs.

Darn, your kid that bad. Speaking for yourself I see

No clown. My son has developed very nicely outside of the club environment. I don't expect anything in development out of clubs because I have a brain.

If no club is a part of development, then Ajax, Arsenal, Barcelona, Benfica etc should close their academies

OPhere…do you think I mean Barcelona when I say “club”? Professional academies are not part of this conversation. I’m talking about pay to play clubs. Did you think I’m asking a general question to DCUM on the state of development at La Masia? This has to be a joke comment right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The scam is that too many parents think their kid is special, and the only thing holding them back from greatness is the magic “development” pixie dust that clubs are happy to provide.

This! Too many parents think their DD or DS is special when they aren’t. So much of athletic success depends on genetics.

Sounds like you're jealous of some kid on your kid's team

Hard work and the right work will always beat genetics and talent alone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many of you are getting scammed by claimed or perceived "development" at clubs. How much development do you think is happening during 3 training sessions a week and a workout? With 20+ kids to care about? Maybe a little bit of film study? How many clubs have more than one coach per team? How many coaches have more than one team! Think about it and wake up...development happens outside of clubs.

For those who are serious believers in their club's "development" (you are the perfect customer!), what are some examples of your player developing strictly because of your club?

Kids get more development playing pickup soccer than most of these clubs.

Sure. Philly Union Academy is the same at DCU. Barcelona Academy is the same as Villareal. Got it. No difference. All of the Philly Union and Barcelona results are because the kids were playing alot more pickup. Let me go signup for the closest club to me. Thanks for the advice.

This takes the cake as the dumbest response. Couple quick ones...the kids at those academies in Spain have played TONS of pickup in the streets and at school. Still that isn't the point. The point is these clubs are not academies so stop thinking they are and developing kids. Go take a nap. The kids that get to those academies have been developed outside of the club environment.

Let me smarten it up so I can reach your level.

If my kid plays 10 hours a week outside of training with Club A that focuses on technical mastery and soccer IQ during training you think it is the same as my kid playing 10 hours a week outside of training with Club B that focuses on physical development, speed scrimmages with the top players in the area. That is equivalent to saying that Kid A with 8k accumulated hours growing up playing in the streets of Barcelona going to La Masia will yield the same result as Kid B with 8k accumulated hours growing up in the streets of Barcelona going to Espanyol. It is so asinine, you should just go to American football and leave behind this sport.

Just in the DC area along, 15 minutes on Transfermarket would dispel your take. One soccer IQ club has over $10m in player value and one top player club has maybe $2m in player value. I think I am too dumb to understand 5x value but I think I'll take my chances with the club methodologies that produce value.

OP here…why are you guys talking about professional clubs and academies? This is DCUM. I’m talking about pay to play clubs in the DMV. Stay with me here. Also, you are rambling here so maybe take a breather.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you count MLS, MLS Next Pro, USL Championship and USL 1 there are 103 professional clubs in the USA for a population of 342M, a ratio of roughly 3.3M people per club.

That ratio is 650k per club in England, 1.5M per club in Germany, 1.8M per club in France and 1.1 M per club in Spain.

The USA would need to triple the number of professional clubs to reach the same ratio as those countries, which shows why our players are often so far behind. Development is left up to the drive of individual players/families rather than through dedicated professional settings. For every player here in the USA that puts in hours of extra work each week, there are thousands who don't and we wonder why our players are so far behind the rest of the world.

On a another note, I often find it amusing to listen to parents from high level club teams complain about how terrible other players and teams are playing. Believe me, there is a world of difference between even the worst MLS Next or ENCL player and the average youth player in this country.

It's about quality, not quantity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many of you are getting scammed by claimed or perceived "development" at clubs. How much development do you think is happening during 3 training sessions a week and a workout? With 20+ kids to care about? Maybe a little bit of film study? How many clubs have more than one coach per team? How many coaches have more than one team! Think about it and wake up...development happens outside of clubs.

For those who are serious believers in their club's "development" (you are the perfect customer!), what are some examples of your player developing strictly because of your club?

Kids get more development playing pickup soccer than most of these clubs.

Sure. Philly Union Academy is the same at DCU. Barcelona Academy is the same as Villareal. Got it. No difference. All of the Philly Union and Barcelona results are because the kids were playing alot more pickup. Let me go signup for the closest club to me. Thanks for the advice.

Barcelona is sending a constant consistent steady stream of players to the top division clubs in top leagues and to top national teams.
Why are you comparing any MLS academy to them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The scam is that too many parents think their kid is special, and the only thing holding them back from greatness is the magic “development” pixie dust that clubs are happy to provide.

This! Too many parents think their DD or DS is special when they aren’t. So much of athletic success depends on genetics.

Sounds like you're jealous of some kid on your kid's team

Hard work and the right work will always beat genetics and talent alone

So wrong!