Northern Virginia United Academy
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Nova2Euro
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Maybe English isn't your native language? I'm not sure what you're saying I fell for. I live in Europe. My 17-year-old son gets paid to play senior football. Most clubs invite their advanced U17s (sometimes younger) to train with their senior teams to acclimate them to the speed and physicality of the senior game. Pro players do train with kids (although not a "bunch," most 16-year-olds are pretty physically developed, and usually no more than 2 at a time). And the pros kick their asses and make them improve. This is from the first division down to the 8th. Your dream team, DC United, also does this. Arlington does not. Alexandria does not. Loudoun does not. Because they don't have senior teams. NVU has implemented what appears to be a European model (which would make sense with their Scottish coaching staff). If Americans can get past their youth league branding sadness (which is more for the parents' egos, of course), they might see the value in this. Every MLS Next kid in the country would benefit from training with semi-pros. You're right, though, about one thing--if the clubs junior teams aren't providing quality game minutes, then occasional training with the senior team isn't worth it. It will be a slow process to build up to it, too. |
Rountree
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You can have the best model in the world, but if you don't have kids who are in shape or have skills beyond U10, it's garbage in and garbage out. And that's what NVU has. Doubtful to change, as the leadership has no networking or social skills. You're basically advocating that kids play up against older, more elite competition. For the most part, that model exists in the US for kids who are truly advanced beyond their age group. Unfortunately, it often turns into the huge, early growth kids with mediocre skills being promoted to play up. In DC area, I'm confident that the cream of the crop are identified by DC United, Arlington, and Bethesda and thrown in with older competition when necessary. Also, your trashing college soccer in America while sitting in Europe is awfully rich considering that many of the scholarships in this country are going to European players. For 99.9% of kids, soccer is about the journey and not the possibility of making millions in a professional league. Not everyone wants the same thing that you "think" you do. Maybe trust the people who have actually seen NVU rather than just hearing that they have a Scottish director and assuming it's superior. |
westsidesoccer
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I agree with you on branding obsession. NOVA is perfect for this - adults who are overwhelmingly wealthy, risk-averse, follow-the-leader people who know little or nothing about sports will continue to go with much safer and established alternatives for their little ones. But a few clubs have broken through and continue to defy expectations on the boys side. It takes years of work and a critical mass of talented kids and families who know what they are doing, along with location next to areas where talent is most likely to reside (Woodbridge, Alexandria, Springfield). And you're wrong about Alexandria and SYC. They have older teams. I am not sure they can or should all practice with more talented younger players. But it has always amazed me that in every other sport, you begin playing against adults when you hit puberty. Not so much in soccer here in the US. |
Nova2Euro
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Everyone. I don't know anything about NVU as a specific club. Maybe the coaches suck. Maybe the kids aren't that talented. Maybe it's not a good club.
I'm just talking about the model. I think it would be awesome if every club in the area had a senior team or two, and I'm glad to hear that I was wrong and that SYC and Alexandria do have these teams. I don't recall recommending that anyone sign their kid up for NVU--but I would be very happy to see this model widely adapted. I don't assume that NVU is superior, but I do really dislike the model where the main purpose of these "elite" leagues appears to be to allow coaches to make it to multiple games in a day. I'm not saying the club NVU is the answer, but I'm all for the model, and not sure why anyone would be against it. I mean, do you LIKE shelling out $7-9K a year for ECNL and your kid not having a clear path to senior football? @Rountree, completely agree that for it's about the journey. Come on, there is an EXTREMELY low percentage of senior players that make millions. The vast majority make somewhere between 0 and perhaps dozens of thousands of dollars annually. But that's exactly my point--the model of having senior teams, especially multiple levels of senior teams--at the top of a club structure allows the opportunity for the journey to continue. These lower-tier senior teams not only allow acceleration of development for teens, but also allow later bloomers like N'golo Kante and Jamie Vardy more time to develop. I think maybe our perspectives are different regarding the "cream of the crop." Truly unusually "special" players that can be picked out at 15 years old or younger do exist. They are rare. There are structures in place to assist and advance them. Some make it; some don't. But widespread adoption of the European model would benefit exactly those kids who are not "the cream of the crop" at U15/U16 but are still very good and could develop into very good players later. @Rountree again, kind of off-topic, but who are the kids coming to play US college soccer from Europe? Anecdotally, I've read about several who have come from top-level academies, but haven't ever seen a rigorous breakdown. Probably better a discussion for a different thread, but this is a really interesting topic. |