Reply to Advantages and disadvantages of playing up 1 year at DC United

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Advantages should be obvious.

He may struggle a little with playing time, but DC usually has the kid rostered on his own age group too and give them playing time at both age groups especially if they aren't getting a lot of playing time at the older age group.
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Thank you. I am OP and this is the the first real answer and very helpful. [/quote]

No problem.

There are other disadvatages to DC though - but they are generally applicable rather than specific to a kid playing up.  The coaching is appalling because DC won't pay the coaches anything or invest in the academy at all, so they end up with part time coaches with very little experience, or who are proven failures, and who wouldn't be able to get a job coaching the first team at any of the local ECNL or MLS Next clubs in the area.

The consequence is that the kids don't develop at all, and the kids that get homegrown contracts always fail (with one exception in recent years) and drop out of soccer after their first contract expires.

If your kid is really good enough to be playing up and he has any aspirations toward a professional career - you should get him on the roster of a team with a track record of successfully developing players.  This is difficult to arrange because of the rules - and you might even have to move, especially if you have already accepted an offer to play for DCU.  BUT it is not impossible - there are ten+ kids from this area at other MLS academies right now.[/quote]

Can you explain this more? I’m assuming it’s harder to move to another domestic MLS academy if a player has played at DC United academy? Would it have to any effect on a player who moves to a youth academy abroad?

So if one were to make a move - domestic or abroad - they should do it before they sign on to DCU academy?

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If you live within 75 miles of DCU then they can block another MLS club from signing you.  Theoretically I don't believe it matters whether the kid plays , or has played, for DCU or not.  But I think they have to offer you a spot if they block you from moving.  In practice it seems to be easier to move if you never go there in the first place.  The only way I know that kids have managed to leave once they joined DCU is for at least one parent to move too. Kids that never join seem to get away more easily.

You can move abroad - but that's difficult without a foreign passport before the kid turns 18.  If you play for DCU in the U16 and older years a foreign club will owe DCU money if they sign your kid to a professional contract.  I believe there is no problem up to and including the U15 year but you should look into that if it's important to you.[/quote]

If you play for DCU (or any other academy), or on their protected "list", they own your rights.  Even if you have never played for them!  I believe they can only have 9 on their list besides their current roster.  And they do NOT have to offer one of those 9 a spot.  I know a kid that got screwed over this year being on that list.  They told him they are not going to pick him up for this season.[/quote]

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