Realistically, what’s the latest a kid can make the move to an MLS Next/ECNL team?

[Anonymous]

is there an unwritten rule on older players being “too old” to begin playing for an elite team MlS Next/ECNL/USL or MLS Academy type team? If so, what is that age? I’ve heard very few players making that jump after u16, but have you seen or known anyone who has? Why would high level teams hold open if sessions if they didn’t plan on inviting players to join? What’s your take an experience on this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:is there an unwritten rule on older players being “too old” to begin playing for an elite team MlS Next/ECNL/USL or MLS Academy type team? If so, what is that age? I’ve heard very few players making that jump after u16, but have you seen or known anyone who has? Why would high level teams hold open if sessions if they didn’t plan on inviting players to join? What’s your take an experience on this?

U18

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:is there an unwritten rule on older players being “too old” to begin playing for an elite team MlS Next/ECNL/USL or MLS Academy type team? If so, what is that age? I’ve heard very few players making that jump after u16, but have you seen or known anyone who has? Why would high level teams hold open if sessions if they didn’t plan on inviting players to join? What’s your take an experience on this?

My kid is 15/U16 and just flares a foot over the past 8 months.

He’s a Freshmen and just coming into his own.

If it’s to be talent based, there should be no limit : up to U18/19.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:is there an unwritten rule on older players being “too old” to begin playing for an elite team MlS Next/ECNL/USL or MLS Academy type team? If so, what is that age? I’ve heard very few players making that jump after u16, but have you seen or known anyone who has? Why would high level teams hold open if sessions if they didn’t plan on inviting players to join? What’s your take an experience on this?

My kid is 15/U16 and just flares a foot over the past 8 months.

He’s a Freshmen and just coming into his own.

If it’s to be talent based, there should be no limit : up to U18/19.

* grew, not flares.

So many boys don’t start showing their true potential until U16/17/18.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:is there an unwritten rule on older players being “too old” to begin playing for an elite team MlS Next/ECNL/USL or MLS Academy type team? If so, what is that age? I’ve heard very few players making that jump after u16, but have you seen or known anyone who has? Why would high level teams hold open if sessions if they didn’t plan on inviting players to join? What’s your take an experience on this?

My kid is 15/U16 and just flares a foot over the past 8 months.

He’s a Freshmen and just coming into his own.

If it’s to be talent based, there should be no limit : up to U18/19.

Was this an answer to the question?

[Anonymous]

There should be a real assessment/open tryouts yearly. The best only.

It doesn’t even matter until after puberty/growth.

So for boys before age 15 nothing matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:is there an unwritten rule on older players being “too old” to begin playing for an elite team MlS Next/ECNL/USL or MLS Academy type team? If so, what is that age? I’ve heard very few players making that jump after u16, but have you seen or known anyone who has? Why would high level teams hold open if sessions if they didn’t plan on inviting players to join? What’s your take an experience on this?

My kid is 15/U16 and just flares a foot over the past 8 months.

He’s a Freshmen and just coming into his own.

If it’s to be talent based, there should be no limit : up to U18/19.

* grew, not flares.

So many boys don’t start showing their true potential until U16/17/18.

Potential for what? By that age, you've long already identified whether they're a decent player. By god, in Europe the kids at 16-18 are already on their way to contracts and potential has to have popped up by 12 to have even entered any academies.

[Anonymous]

if you are good enough to play and contribute to the team, they will take you regardless of your age.

Even better if you are clearly above the last few players on the bench.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if you are good enough to play and contribute to the team, they will take you regardless of your age.

Even better if you are clearly above the last few players on the bench.

DCU just gave a place to a U17 from a non-DA, non-MLSNext, non ECNL team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:is there an unwritten rule on older players being “too old” to begin playing for an elite team MlS Next/ECNL/USL or MLS Academy type team? If so, what is that age? I’ve heard very few players making that jump after u16, but have you seen or known anyone who has? Why would high level teams hold open if sessions if they didn’t plan on inviting players to join? What’s your take an experience on this?

My kid is 15/U16 and just flares a foot over the past 8 months.

He’s a Freshmen and just coming into his own.

If it’s to be talent based, there should be no limit : up to U18/19.

* grew, not flares.

So many boys don’t start showing their true potential until U16/17/18.

Potential for what? By that age, you've long already identified whether they're a decent player. By god, in Europe the kids at 16-18 are already on their way to contracts and potential has to have popped up by 12 to have even entered any academies.

Last part not true. European academies continue to take new kids from outside the system at any age. And as many pros come from outside academies as inside - although obviously your chance of becoming a pro is much higher inside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:is there an unwritten rule on older players being “too old” to begin playing for an elite team MlS Next/ECNL/USL or MLS Academy type team? If so, what is that age? I’ve heard very few players making that jump after u16, but have you seen or known anyone who has? Why would high level teams hold open if sessions if they didn’t plan on inviting players to join? What’s your take an experience on this?

My kid is 15/U16 and just flares a foot over the past 8 months.

He’s a Freshmen and just coming into his own.

If it’s to be talent based, there should be no limit : up to U18/19.

* grew, not flares.

So many boys don’t start showing their true potential until U16/17/18.

Potential for what? By that age, you've long already identified whether they're a decent player. By god, in Europe the kids at 16-18 are already on their way to contracts and potential has to have popped up by 12 to have even entered any academies.

Last part not true. European academies continue to take new kids from outside the system at any age. And as many pros come from outside academies as inside - although obviously your chance of becoming a pro is much higher inside.

Slots in later years are significantly less. Plus "at any age" still means under the age of 16-17, which is well before the alleged blossoming period stated here by PP for US boys. So the point above was to the comment above saying that "So many boys don't start showing their true potential until U16/17/18". That's just not true. That's pretty late in an athletic career and you're not just getting your engines running at 18. You've been passed up at that point if you didn't have talent prior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if you are good enough to play and contribute to the team, they will take you regardless of your age.

Even better if you are clearly above the last few players on the bench.

DCU just gave a place to a U17 from a non-DA, non-MLSNext, non ECNL team.

Not every family or kid wants to travel constantly in their developmental years. And, you don’t need to. Imagine all that time playing and training that isn’t spent sitting in a car 4+ hours each way.

[Anonymous]

My neighbor did it the right way. Focused on good trainers and good development and avoided Clubs that had a ton of travel young. Then right before each kid entered HS, made the switch over. Both kids were light years above the kids that had stayed in our top bestest club on the top elite teams all of those years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if you are good enough to play and contribute to the team, they will take you regardless of your age.

Even better if you are clearly above the last few players on the bench.

If you are good enough to make the starting 11, they'll take you at any age. There really is no limit.

If you are player 12-18, that's when other factors can come into play such as incumbency, etc, but a player who is good enough to start for DCU will be accepted at any age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:is there an unwritten rule on older players being “too old” to begin playing for an elite team MlS Next/ECNL/USL or MLS Academy type team? If so, what is that age? I’ve heard very few players making that jump after u16, but have you seen or known anyone who has? Why would high level teams hold open if sessions if they didn’t plan on inviting players to join? What’s your take an experience on this?

My kid is 15/U16 and just flares a foot over the past 8 months.

He’s a Freshmen and just coming into his own.

If it’s to be talent based, there should be no limit : up to U18/19.

* grew, not flares.

So many boys don’t start showing their true potential until U16/17/18.

Potential for what? By that age, you've long already identified whether they're a decent player. By god, in Europe the kids at 16-18 are already on their way to contracts and potential has to have popped up by 12 to have even entered any academies.

Last part not true. European academies continue to take new kids from outside the system at any age. And as many pros come from outside academies as inside - although obviously your chance of becoming a pro is much higher inside.

Slots in later years are significantly less. Plus "at any age" still means under the age of 16-17, which is well before the alleged blossoming period stated here by PP for US boys. So the point above was to the comment above saying that "So many boys don't start showing their true potential until U16/17/18". That's just not true. That's pretty late in an athletic career and you're not just getting your engines running at 18. You've been passed up at that point if you didn't have talent prior.

I agree with that. I have never seen a kid suddenly show real ability at U16/17/18 where potential was not previously apparent.