Soccer Food for Thought, No Need To Agree or Disagree With Me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single justification for the expensive pay-to-play system in America is an excuse.

If we truly can't afford it, then no country can.

I'm not sure I understand this argument? Coaches need to get paid. Fields need to be paid for. Referees get paid... etc. etc. where do you expect this money to come from?

Where there's a will, there's a way.
Everybody else has coaches, fields and refs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If we're paying more than any other place in the world, what are we getting for our money?

If you're at a club paying $4,000 for just club fee, then gotta buy your uniforms/training gear and bring your own ball to practice plus shell out for costs of attending multiple tournaments, the least you deserve is a competent coach.

None of you would spend that money equivalent for private school if the teachers weren't qualified.

Not to derail the thread, but I wonder how many parents actually look into their child teacher qualifications/track record vs the school. Sound similar to club/coach situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single justification for the expensive pay-to-play system in America is an excuse.

If we truly can't afford it, then no country can.

We can afford it. Look at football. Look at very high level basketball. We just don't care enough about soccer to bother

Then why are thousands of kids on fields every Saturday and Sunday playing in fancy uniforms?
Why so many Soccerplexes?
Why so many tournaments?
Why so many teams in every metro area?
Why so many thousands of kids training every weekday evenings?
....if we don't care enough about soccer?

Because they make money. Just because parents will pay for their own kids doesn't mean there is any interest in subsidizing other kids

For the vast majority of kids playing in fancy uniforms soccer is just another fun activity to them and their parents. There are parents paying the same money for their kids to do fancy dance teams, play fancy instruments, take fancy SAT and college prep classes, fancy Disney vacations, and on and on. Parents have a lot of money to spend and want the best for their kids.

In the US, the majority of kids are idolizing NFL and basketball players. Those are the passion sports here. It's not a knock on soccer. The culture is just different, and parents have more money to spend, than in other parts of the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we're paying more than any other place in the world, what are we getting for our money?

If you're at a club paying $4,000 for just club fee, then gotta buy your uniforms/training gear and bring your own ball to practice plus shell out for costs of attending multiple tournaments, the least you deserve is a competent coach.

None of you would spend that money equivalent for private school if the teachers weren't qualified.

Not to derail the thread, but I wonder how many parents actually look into their child teacher qualifications/track record vs the school. Sound similar to club/coach situation.

Sadly, academia isn't moving in a positive trajectory in this country either IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly off topic too but it does matter and something to think about. Capitalism in Europe isn't the same as capitalism here in the states.

Youth soccer is a machine that is allowed to grow without many checks and balances. How good or bad that is depends on your perspective I guess.

If the US wasn't the only country on planet earth with a pay-to-play system/problem, many 'can't fix' arguments would hold water.

How many un-athletic American kids with no chance of every playing in high school let alone college and pro play travel? In the rest of those world those kids would never sniff an academy let alone get the opportunity to wash out

sssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single justification for the expensive pay-to-play system in America is an excuse.

If we truly can't afford it, then no country can.

We can afford it. Look at football. Look at very high level basketball. We just don't care enough about soccer to bother

Then why are thousands of kids on fields every Saturday and Sunday playing in fancy uniforms?
Why so many Soccerplexes?
Why so many tournaments?
Why so many teams in every metro area?
Why so many thousands of kids training every weekday evenings?
....if we don't care enough about soccer?

Because they make money. Just because parents will pay for their own kids doesn't mean there is any interest in subsidizing other kids

Tell that to the IRS

[Anonymous]

Okay, one small step at a time to change the tide and begin the revolution against pay-to-play

Lets start a movement that we as parents will no longer send our kids to practice with (soccer) balls.

Clubs must provide.
Effective August 2024!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single justification for the expensive pay-to-play system in America is an excuse.

If we truly can't afford it, then no country can.

We can afford it. Look at football. Look at very high level basketball. We just don't care enough about soccer to bother

Then why are thousands of kids on fields every Saturday and Sunday playing in fancy uniforms?
Why so many Soccerplexes?
Why so many tournaments?
Why so many teams in every metro area?
Why so many thousands of kids training every weekday evenings?
....if we don't care enough about soccer?

Because they make money. Just because parents will pay for their own kids doesn't mean there is any interest in subsidizing other kids

Tell that to the IRS

Strange financial's have come out from 'non-profit' organizations like USCS and ECNL but that just shows they will find ways to subcontract out the money to other companies they own to profiteer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay, one small step at a time to change the tide and begin the revolution against pay-to-play

Lets start a movement that we as parents will no longer send our kids to practice with (soccer) balls.

Clubs must provide.
Effective August 2024!

The last time my kid had to bring a ball to practice was when she was in rec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Slightly off topic too but it does matter and something to think about. Capitalism in Europe isn't the same as capitalism here in the states.

Youth soccer is a machine that is allowed to grow without many checks and balances. How good or bad that is depends on your perspective I guess.

I think people just don't realize the financial gap that there is.

Here are a few simple figures from the best data I could find.

EPL: €2,208,128 average salary, €2,111,838,000 total league salary
La Liga: €2,517,929 average salary, €1,203,570,000 total league salary
Bundesliga: €2,208,128 average salary, €967,160,000 total league salary
Serie A: €1,898,505 average salary, €992,918,000 total league salary
Ligue 1: €1,797,765 average salary, €764,050,000 total league salary
English Championship €768,002 average salary, €456,961,352 total league salary
MLS: €543,745 average salary, €241,966,716 total league salary

These are just the top leagues in those countries and the second division in England still out grosses the MLS almost 2 to 1.

I'm not even sure we're catching up, but at least our totals are going up. Still a long way to go. For more perspective the salary cap of a single NFL team is $224,800,000, almost as much as the MLS combined. In baseball the NY Mets have a payroll of about $343,605,067....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly off topic too but it does matter and something to think about. Capitalism in Europe isn't the same as capitalism here in the states.

Youth soccer is a machine that is allowed to grow without many checks and balances. How good or bad that is depends on your perspective I guess.

I think people just don't realize the financial gap that there is.

Here are a few simple figures from the best data I could find.

EPL: €2,208,128 average salary, €2,111,838,000 total league salary
La Liga: €2,517,929 average salary, €1,203,570,000 total league salary
Bundesliga: €2,208,128 average salary, €967,160,000 total league salary
Serie A: €1,898,505 average salary, €992,918,000 total league salary
Ligue 1: €1,797,765 average salary, €764,050,000 total league salary
English Championship €768,002 average salary, €456,961,352 total league salary
MLS: €543,745 average salary, €241,966,716 total league salary

These are just the top leagues in those countries and the second division in England still out grosses the MLS almost 2 to 1.

I'm not even sure we're catching up, but at least our totals are going up. Still a long way to go. For more perspective the salary cap of a single NFL team is $224,800,000, almost as much as the MLS combined. In baseball the NY Mets have a payroll of about $343,605,067....

That MLS 'average' salary is very misleading. You throw out Messi and a couple others, things look very different.

[Anonymous]

Rookies in MLS and NWSL get paid barely anything. This fact makes a very strong argument to make sure you have a college degree... so many "pro" athletes go on to work low paying jobs when their pro careers don't work out and they are let go just after a short 1-4 years. It's a tough career path to pursue...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single justification for the expensive pay-to-play system in America is an excuse.

If we truly can't afford it, then no country can.

I'm not sure I understand this argument? Coaches need to get paid. Fields need to be paid for. Referees get paid... etc. etc. where do you expect this money to come from?

Where there's a will, there's a way.
Everybody else has coaches, fields and refs.

The main difference is that youth coaches in other countries only make a couple of hundred bucks a year. Coaches here are making money in the thousands per team. Unfortunately here coaches are not giving up their free time for nothing. Club directors in other countries aren't making over a hundred k unless you are at a top D1 club. If you cut off coaches and multiple director salaries your child would only have to pay a few hundred per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single justification for the expensive pay-to-play system in America is an excuse.

If we truly can't afford it, then no country can.

I'm not sure I understand this argument? Coaches need to get paid. Fields need to be paid for. Referees get paid... etc. etc. where do you expect this money to come from?

Where there's a will, there's a way.
Everybody else has coaches, fields and refs.

The main difference is that youth coaches in other countries only make a couple of hundred bucks a year. Coaches here are making money in the thousands per team. Unfortunately here coaches are not giving up their free time for nothing. Club directors in other countries aren't making over a hundred k unless you are at a top D1 club. If you cut off coaches and multiple director salaries your child would only have to pay a few hundred per year.

Ironic.
You're saying the guy with the high level playing experience and UEFA Youth or UEFA 'B' license is getting paid pennies for coaching
While here the Insurance Agent working part time as a coach with a 5 minute on-line certification is raking in the big bucks.

topsy turvy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single justification for the expensive pay-to-play system in America is an excuse.

If we truly can't afford it, then no country can.

I'm not sure I understand this argument? Coaches need to get paid. Fields need to be paid for. Referees get paid... etc. etc. where do you expect this money to come from?

Where there's a will, there's a way.
Everybody else has coaches, fields and refs.

The main difference is that youth coaches in other countries only make a couple of hundred bucks a year. Coaches here are making money in the thousands per team. Unfortunately here coaches are not giving up their free time for nothing. Club directors in other countries aren't making over a hundred k unless you are at a top D1 club. If you cut off coaches and multiple director salaries your child would only have to pay a few hundred per year.

It's not that I don't believe you, but do you have a source for what 'select' level coaches make in other countries? There are a lot of rec coaches here that don't many any money at all.