Reply to DC United Academy - aa strong academy or not

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Also my first day posting here. And I can tell you that one of the players on Arlington U19 that kicked the crap out of DCU this weekend was actually on DCU until this year. He could not longer pretend that DCU was making him a better player. Looks like he made a wise move. [/quote]

U18 onwards is time to perform

Looking for youth development at U19 you missed the boat

In November Alexandria U19s beat Philly Union. So let's also say Philly Union is crap based on the lack of football knowledge and logic in this gossip forum [/quote]

Right, because the development pathway for a youth footballer ceases to exist when they are 17 years old?????  What a complete joke.  Shows how little you know about development of footballers and how much parents believe these false narratives about the player pathway.   Why most European clubs have a U19 AND a second team (u21 or u23) to continue to nurture the talent because they all develop at different rates.  DCU has neither of these opportunities for the players because they don't actually care about developing pros in the academy.  The academy is the cost of doing business in the MLS and if a player does happen to surface from the academy they certainly leverage that.  They don't put everything they have into building players and selling them.  Just isn't the focus.  [/quote]

Wrong again lol. DC has a U19 and a U23. [/quote]

Great.  And DCU still can't develop them.  [/quote]

lol how about you tell me what your definition of “develop” is? Especially for a U23?  If by U23 you need development and aren’t standing out, then you are probably one of the people who didn’t know there was a U23 team because you weren’t offered the spot to move on in the club. Will they all get contracts? No.  That’s not how professional soccer works. Some will do MLS Next Pro when it’s available. Some will play USL Championship or USL 1.  Some will finish great college careers and move on.  That’s the reality of any professional sport. [/quote]

My view is that development of a footballer never ends until they are done playing.  Even the best of pros are still developing and getting better.  And many change clubs to further themselves and their careers. Why someone like Jamie Vardy for example could get to the Premier League from the 4th and 5th division at 25.  It comes down to the learning environment you're in and how that environment impacts your progression as a player.  DCU's learning environment and methodology  is not strong in any of the ages really and there is no focus or accountability for the kids improving.  When you have accountability and a systematic way of measuring how the kids are progressing individually as players then you're in an environment that is more focused on your development.  Without that, you're just out there practicing and playing with no real north star for how, why and by what means you should be getting better.  This is DCU in a nutshell. At u14 or at the oldest age. Playing and practicing but no real focus on how to make each kid better and closer to a professional. They all need different things but are treated pretty much the same.  At U23 you're right, some decisions need to be made about the best path if you're not first team material.  But after U19 we are talking more about pro soccer than academy soccer.  Different calculations.  [/quote]

I will agree with your first sentence and that’s about it.  Every player continues to learn throughout their career.  But at some point, the responsibility transfers from the club to the player.  The club can provide resources and opportunities but the player has to put the work in to improve.  Talking more about the older players.  DCU has the focus you speak of for the younger players and they are developing them tactically, technically, and the soccer iq.  The coaching staff is being held accountable. Not that anyone will consider that is why ppl are or have left. They aren’t going to lower the level of expectations because not all scouted players can continue to the next level.  That’s the reality of playing for a MLS academy.  It’s meant to develop the talent for the first team. It’s still a business.  It’s a significant investment. So it’s a delicate balance of business and development but they are developing. [/quote]

I definitely agree with the notion of responsibility transferring to the player at some point.  That is a well stated point.  Especially at the older ages.  The older teams aren't focusing on skill development more on how to actually assemble the teams and deploy them to win the games.  So we are in agreement there for sure.

Where I disagree is when you say DCU has the focus.  I just don't see that and haven't experienced that.  Maybe you have.  If you have, definitely tell us how and in what ways they have this focus. Hiring a new doc is a step in the right direction but there isn't much else going on.

I greatly respect the tone and politeness in your message actually and it also seems like you are reasonable unlike some others on this thread.  But, how are you drawing the conclusion that DCU is in fact developing players?

We know it's a business.  But if selling players is their business, they are really bad at it.[/quote]

I understand that not everyone has had the same experience and there is a number of reasons why that may occur, but I do want to share that not everyone is having a negative experience with the club.  Good players are now transitioning into a great player because of the time, coaching and resources DC has provided. The quality of play they experience when playing MLS vs MLS is much more competitive and quicker than the ECNL that many were playing in even if some see the record as an issue. The teams have consistently been competitive in play and for staff looking at pro potential, that is sometimes more important than the outcome although none of them want to lose or tie obviously. I have seen a variety of experiences with coaching staff- mostly positive.  But even the negative was still a positive learning experience for the players and the rest have been exceptional. The current staff are great coaches that are pushing these kids to the next level and challenging them. The quality of training and play is what I expect for this level. The expectation is that you have the foundational skills already developed and they continue to practice them.  The focus is more on the mental aspect of the game at this point and developing that more. The opportunities that have come include national team exposure (attending trainings and games regularly) and D1 colleges showing interest (attending trainings and games regularly) and something many weren't getting at that frequency or level while in the ECNL. The current first team staff involvement with the academy has been increased significantly since Rooney has left. The GM has been very involved, accessible, and visible which was not the case previously. They are using the first team training and format in their trainings at the academy level for consistency and ease of transition. They invite players to the first team trainings often. The addition of the schooling, and then movement to it for no additional cost to families for multiple age groups is a huge improvement and allows player extra time on the field and in the gym which was previously limited due to facility constraints and school commitments. This is a major step that was keeping them behind other MLS Academies who had their kids together training together all day and bonding off the field constantly. That access matters when you were only getting the boys together for a 2-hour training 3-4 times a week. So, while some count VA Revolution facilities against them, I see it as a smart use of resources that provided access to school facilities/gym/fields at a fraction of what Loudoun United charges for Segra and it resolved the accessibility issue at IPC for the gym and fields since the first team, Spirit, and DC Power are all housed in that facility and share resources. They still train and play at Segra in the evenings for the majority of the age groups.  Is there more work to be done? Absolutely but they are a good club with movement to becoming a great club. I think people forget that up until relatively recently (compared to other MLS academies) DC United was previously a pay to play set up.  Once they moved to the new structure, they have continued to increase investment and build each year but that requires money and time. There are financial constraints that prevent it from being done all at once because that would be a crazy expense and unrealistic for any team. When you look at the progression, they continue to improve and invest. I just think many don't consider all of these steps as a big picture of what they are building. [/quote]

I appreciate this view and you taking the time to send it.  And  I don't disagree with you that DCU is moving forward.  But they have a long way to go.  I am very well versed in DCUs history as a club and an academy.  And saw the pay to play days.  Are they better than that?  Yes.  Are they at Philly Union?  No.  There is no question about that.  What you've outlined is the basics of running a credible academy.  I don't give them much credit for that.  If they didn't do these things then what are they doing?  I think DCU does the bare minimum to stay credible in the competitive landscape.  Are some experiences positive?  Of course and I don't doubt that.  I just doubt whether the system they have in place can consistently produce pro players.  Maybe they are years from that.  If so, that also means right now, they are years from that.[/quote]

Thanks for a reasonable discussion. I understand your stance. Sounds like we see the same thing but disagree on how we view it as far as positive/negative which is ok. I just took issue with a lot of the half truths or factually incorrect information I saw being shared here that I didn't think was fair to DCU or the players. Having a conversation about club structure and investment is very different than jumping on a forum and saying "They suck so bad because I said so." and then digging in your heals when someone points out the inaccuracy or lack of proof in what is being said. [/quote]

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