Benfica Soccer School DC

[Anonymous]

Also, one thing I did not mention. The club does organize a yearly trip to Lisbon, Portugal to visit and train at the home club. It usually happens in early summers but obviously because of the pandemic hasn't happened in two years.

Also again, making this trip does not give our kids any advantage or access to the home clubs academy pipeline. It can be a fun trip to experience and can inspire kids to aspire to something in their future.

As someone who grew up playing at a time when there was no domestic professional league and was no access at all to clubs in other countries (on tv much less to visit and train), I can only imagine how it would have changed my aspirations and approach to the game just to be exposed to so many professional models and outlets.

It is a wonderful age to be a youth soccer player, again if your parents are able to pay. And that problem exist for these European affiliates or local clubs alike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, one thing I did not mention. The club does organize a yearly trip to Lisbon, Portugal to visit and train at the home club. It usually happens in early summers but obviously because of the pandemic hasn't happened in two years.

Also again, making this trip does not give our kids any advantage or access to the home clubs academy pipeline. It can be a fun trip to experience and can inspire kids to aspire to something in their future.

As someone who grew up playing at a time when there was no domestic professional league and was no access at all to clubs in other countries (on tv much less to visit and train), I can only imagine how it would have changed my aspirations and approach to the game just to be exposed to so many professional models and outlets.

It is a wonderful age to be a youth soccer player, again if your parents are able to pay. And that problem exist for these European affiliates or local clubs alike.

This article makes it sound like they want to compete with MLS for players

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-usa/story/4494687/how-barcelonavillarreal-and-other-european-clubs-are-competing-with-mls-for-americas-top-talent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, one thing I did not mention. The club does organize a yearly trip to Lisbon, Portugal to visit and train at the home club. It usually happens in early summers but obviously because of the pandemic hasn't happened in two years.

Also again, making this trip does not give our kids any advantage or access to the home clubs academy pipeline. It can be a fun trip to experience and can inspire kids to aspire to something in their future.

As someone who grew up playing at a time when there was no domestic professional league and was no access at all to clubs in other countries (on tv much less to visit and train), I can only imagine how it would have changed my aspirations and approach to the game just to be exposed to so many professional models and outlets.

It is a wonderful age to be a youth soccer player, again if your parents are able to pay. And that problem exist for these European affiliates or local clubs alike.

This article makes it sound like they want to compete with MLS for players

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-usa/story/4494687/how-barcelonavillarreal-and-other-european-clubs-are-competing-with-mls-for-americas-top-talent

They had one of the best younger players in the area in one of their age groups last year. I hope they and others continue trying to tap into youth talent here.

[Anonymous]

I read that article. And while these teams are definitely franchising or opening satellite operations in the U.S. out of self interest, I don't see in my experience a reliable pipeline to Europe for most kids who play with these teams.

What kids gain from participation is a different quality of technical training. I'm sure that if a wonderkid showed up and moved through they would make every effort to bring him over. But the odds and numbers that would make it are just so small to be insignificant.