My son, a future doctor, is really good at sports

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:European clubs are not scouting Americans. Ha!

Americans go over there to try and break in.

Not true. A kid from WJ left after 10th grade to play for arsenal. It is rare though, and you have to be willing to move over there. His father moved with him.

OP, European players really don't go the university route. It's direct to sports. That's happening more here too-and some good players who go to college don't stay.

I assume he's on a pre academy team? You need to decide if the academy route is the right thing for him long term. The kids we know who have done it found it was sometimes hard to balance with academics.

Hopefully the academy coaches can give him some guidance on realistic prospects.

NP here, just googled this because I was curiuos. Amazing! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gedion_Zelalem
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/post/arsenal-takes-look-at-gedion-zelalem-a-14-year-old-ethiopian-german-living-in-washington/2011/08/21/gIQAAbl5UJ_blog.html

My DS is the same age and played against him both in club and high school so we've seen him play multiple times - he really is good.

Rumors are that they are trying to get him to play for the USMNT.

That would be awesome, is he a US citizen now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my nephew played football from younger than 12 and really wanted to get into the NFL (like most boys). my sister supported him in football but kept on top of his homework, etc. He ended up getting into great colleges, attended an ivy, and still got drafted to the NFL.

what's his name?

[Anonymous]

If your son is into it, the club offer(s) legit, one parent can go live there and you can afford 2 households for a few years until your DS is older - say 14-15 and well-supervised in his living situation, he should go. You can always sign up for online schooling. Science and math are pretty easy topics to cover online these days. It's a great hook if he decides to come back to the US for college.

If I were you I would seriously find out if DS could get some sort of citizenship or access later to higher ed in whatever country he ends up. The world and other countries are also full of wonderful opportunities.

We have a ballet dancer and there are kids at age 15-16 invited overseas to train. They are already mature from their training discipline and with the right support, can do fine. By 16-17 many dancers are living with other youngsters in apartments, preparing their own meals and getting themselves where they need to be. I imagine high level soccer players in Europe are expected to be this way as well.

Good luck with your decision and please re-post later after you figure it out.

[Anonymous]

do you have some youtube clips to share OP?

[Anonymous]

To everyone saying you can do both: you can not - not at the same time. Not if you get into European soccer you can't.

Let your son decide. It's his life. He needs to be happy. He can do soccer now and doctor later if it doesn't work out...it won't work out the other way around. If he does doctor now he will be too old for a professional sport's career later

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:European clubs are not scouting Americans. Ha!

Americans go over there to try and break in.

Not true. A kid from WJ left after 10th grade to play for arsenal. It is rare though, and you have to be willing to move over there. His father moved with him.

OP, European players really don't go the university route. It's direct to sports. That's happening more here too-and some good players who go to college don't stay.

I assume he's on a pre academy team? You need to decide if the academy route is the right thing for him long term. The kids we know who have done it found it was sometimes hard to balance with academics.

Hopefully the academy coaches can give him some guidance on realistic prospects.

Tons of kids pay to go to Europe to train... On their own dime... It is a scam and ODP is a part of the scam.

I still wonder how a kid who lived in the eastern part of moco played for WJ.

Before spouting off ignorant statements, realize that google is your friend.

Anywho is YOUR friend... His family dod NOT live in the WJ district... Sooooooooo montgomery county. Play in richville, lord forbid a good player come from eastern moco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:European clubs are not scouting Americans. Ha!

Americans go over there to try and break in.

Not true. A kid from WJ left after 10th grade to play for arsenal. It is rare though, and you have to be willing to move over there. His father moved with him.

OP, European players really don't go the university route. It's direct to sports. That's happening more here too-and some good players who go to college don't stay.

I assume he's on a pre academy team? You need to decide if the academy route is the right thing for him long term. The kids we know who have done it found it was sometimes hard to balance with academics.

Hopefully the academy coaches can give him some guidance on realistic prospects.

NP here, just googled this because I was curiuos. Amazing! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gedion_Zelalem
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/post/arsenal-takes-look-at-gedion-zelalem-a-14-year-old-ethiopian-german-living-in-washington/2011/08/21/gIQAAbl5UJ_blog.html

My DS is the same age and played against him both in club and high school so we've seen him play multiple times - he really is good.

Rumors are that they are trying to get him to play for the USMNT.

That would be awesome, is he a US citizen now?

No. He was born in Germany... Trained in Germany ... He was only in the US for a few years.

[Anonymous]

Haven't read all the posts. Warning I'm gonna be a Debby Downer. Read up on head injuries and soccer. It's not just football players dealing with cognitive issues from too many head injuries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven't read all the posts. Warning I'm gonna be a Debby Downer. Read up on head injuries and soccer. It's not just football players dealing with cognitive issues from too many head injuries.

What sport foes not have that issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven't read all the posts. Warning I'm gonna be a Debby Downer. Read up on head injuries and soccer. It's not just football players dealing with cognitive issues from too many head injuries.

Oh please...please don't compare the injury rate in American Football with European Football. Just don't. It makes you look like you don't know what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven't read all the posts. Warning I'm gonna be a Debby Downer. Read up on head injuries and soccer. It's not just football players dealing with cognitive issues from too many head injuries.

Oh please...please don't compare the injury rate in American Football with European Football. Just don't. It makes you look like you don't know what you are talking about.

Actually, the incidence of concussion per athletic exposure for soccer is 26 which is quite close to football (29). Soccer has the fastest growing incidence of concussion per athletic exposure for any sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven't read all the posts. Warning I'm gonna be a Debby Downer. Read up on head injuries and soccer. It's not just football players dealing with cognitive issues from too many head injuries.

This. OP your decision is not a hard one or a big deal. There are plenty of people in your exact place, including me. My son is your son's age and is very good at sports(tennis, football, baseball, basketball) in general. He also test in the 99% NNAt and does very well in academics. We've been approach about sending him to a tennis academy in Florida but for many reasons, it would be a good idea for him, plus, we cannot afford the cost. We would have to mortgage our home. Anyway, he is vey good for his age in basketball. We are being pursued as well. There's no downside to this bar an injury. My son has made the decision to pursue an NBA(yep) career. And if he doesn't get drafted by 21, he will go to Stanford or Princeton and get an MBA and go into business for himself. There's nothing to lose in our opinion. He is a very driven and intensely focussed kid. He will do what he wants and succeed at it or die trying. I guess, I am trying to tell you, it is not that special for a kid to be both talented in sport and academic. People just don't encourage their kids in sport sometimes if they're strong in academics because they worry about the dumb jock image and because sport is a risky route.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven't read all the posts. Warning I'm gonna be a Debby Downer. Read up on head injuries and soccer. It's not just football players dealing with cognitive issues from too many head injuries.

This. OP your decision is not a hard one or a big deal. There are plenty of people in your exact place, including me. My son is your son's age and is very good at sports(tennis, football, baseball, basketball) in general. He also test in the 99% NNAt and does very well in academics. We've been approach about sending him to a tennis academy in Florida but for many reasons, it would be a good idea for him, plus, we cannot afford the cost. We would have to mortgage our home. Anyway, he is vey good for his age in basketball. We are being pursued as well. There's no downside to this bar an injury. My son has made the decision to pursue an NBA(yep) career. And if he doesn't get drafted by 21, he will go to Stanford or Princeton and get an MBA and go into business for himself. There's nothing to lose in our opinion. He is a very driven and intensely focussed kid. He will do what he wants and succeed at it or die trying. I guess, I am trying to tell you, it is not that special for a kid to be both talented in sport and academic. People just don't encourage their kids in sport sometimes if they're strong in academics because they worry about the dumb jock image and because sport is a risky route.

What great news. I didn't realize that if you got passed over by the draft, you automatically had your choice of elite colleges.

[Anonymous]

Two words

Freddie Adu

Don't put all yoru eggs in one or two baskets. Chances are your kid will be a waiter in LA trying to be an actor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:my nephew played football from younger than 12 and really wanted to get into the NFL (like most boys). my sister supported him in football but kept on top of his homework, etc. He ended up getting into great colleges, attended an ivy, and still got drafted to the NFL.

what's his name?

Not the PP, but I immediately thought of Ryan Fitzpatrick when I saw her post.

He went to college at Harvard, started playing in the NFL in 2005 and is still going strong there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Fitzpatrick