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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This was a great discussion in some sections.  As a DC resident and parent of a 10-year old boy who skills are making me have to research about next steps, DCU has zero involvement in his development whereas it appears Union and Red Bulls have much more involvement in their communities.  The DC soccer scene is bigger than the few major clubs that DCU affiliates with.  IF my son continues to develop towards a professional trajectory and gets on DCU’s radar, their outreach and impact locally is so poor, I do not know whether being in their academy is a good thing.  My son will attend a Red Bull residential camp this summer because DCU has nothing similar.  I am a neutral parent of a U11 parent with no skin in the game trying to learn the landscape and help my son develop. [/quote]

what outreach are you expecting from DCUA for you 10 year old? are you fr?[/quote]

I can't with this.  Just stop.  There is so much to address here.  But, I'll start with the fact that you admit you need to learn the landscape but even with your limited knowledge you still somehow know that DCUA's "outreach and impact locally is so poor...."  It seems your son isn't playing for one of the "few major clubs that DCU[A] affiliates with" so maybe your 10 year old whose skills are making you have to research is playing against lower competition.   Regardless, do you really think DCUA cares about your U11 or any U11?  You wouldn't get on their radar until U12 anyway.  Good luck with your amazing 10 year old navigating the landscape.[/quote]

You just confirmed one of DCUA's major shortcomings.  No involvement at all at the younger ages.  Union and Red Bulls both run development camps for kids as early as 5yo.  They also run pre-academy teams starting at u9 I believe.  You're right that DCUA doesn't care and that's one of the reasons why they are ranked so poorly for an area like the DMV.[/quote]

So I guess all of our sons in DMV are cooked because we don't live in a metro where the MLS team runs a youth program starting at Uittybitties?  By this logic it's even too late for the PP's 10 year old prodigy.[/quote]

Correct.  In terms of pro soccer, this is not a far fetched conclusion.  D1 College soccer or lower is still well within reach.  But pro soccer, even in the US, chances are way less likely and European pro soccer, almost no chance. This is why most European academies start at U9.  From u9-u14 is five years.  That time in a pro environment with decent coaches, versus at a pay to play club, with inferior coaching, and you will see a massive difference in quality of player. Even in the US.  In Europe the quality is even higher in those five years.  There are levels to this game that most parents in the US just don't understand because they don't have the exposure.  The percentages of making pro football for European players is also super low.  For Americans, given the overall environment in the US, it is even lower. Why many top talents who have real pro ambition leave the US at a younger age.  Pulisic, reyna etc  and if you are going to make it from the US and be one of the few, you need to be in a quality environment from younger ages too.  See Aaronson brothers at Union or Pepi from Dallas.  You're playing a game with low chances of success no matter what.  It's just a matter of what increases your chances at each stage of development.   Better training at younger ages increases your chances.  And in the US that is usually, at this current stage of youth soccer in the country,  in a MLS academy. But in our area, DCU doesn't cultivate the kids at younger ages.  They have no vision or ambition. Just the bare minimum.  So you're then relying on pay to pay clubs to develop pros at young ages which is absurd.  They only care about money and winning.  End of day, yes, it is unfortunate that we are in an area that has a weak MLS academy because the only ones losing are the kids [/quote]

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