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][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Is D.C. United's Academy Still Free?

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/is-d-c-uniteds-academy-still-free/id397784823?i=1000707014835[/quote]

If you're not one of the parents of the very kids few they want, doesn't concern you

If they want your kid and you don't want to go, don't worry about it, not your issue

If they want you and you're okay with the program, go with it

The rest is soap opera drama

[/quote]

How dumb is this.  If you're joining an academy, it's pretty sad you can't consider the club in your own area due to how bad it is.  That means having to live away from home and family to train in a better environment.  We want change.[/quote]

Who is we?
It's only an extremely small percentage of soccer players in the dmv that can be one of the few at dcua or any other mls academy [/quote]

We is all of the parents in the DMV that want the best for their kids.  We is all of the kids that want a legitimate chance at becoming a top level player.  We is the DMV soccer population that sees what a crap academy DCU is and wants better for the kids in this area. We is the player from a low income family that has ability and wants an opportunity but can't get one because DCU doesn't scout well because it is a horrible academy.  We is the family that can't pay 10k a year to go to DCU.  On and on...the reality is that DCU is a complete failure as an academy and as a club.  If you're there, you're just in a dead zone for your development as a player.  Is it an accomplishment to make the DCU squad?  Yes.  Only because DCU does try to select the best kids.  They don't always succeed at that but they try.  The kids should be proud of that.  Unfortunately, being selected for DCU is where being proud stops.  Once you're there, you quickly realize it is a complete and utter disgrace and a failing system needing a complete overhaul and that players are much better off in other MLS academies.  This is obvious to anyone.  Even people that don't know anything about soccer.  [/quote]

Sounds like an obsessed lunatic on a crazed deranged personal crusade trying to recruit members to their cult

Take your kid to the club of your choice. 
If other people want their kid to go to DC that's their business

Your fake concern for the well-being of soccer development for the region is Shakespearean [/quote]

Another totally useless post with nothing substantive to add to the discussion.  Just like everything about DCU.  Useless.  [/quote]

About as useless as telling people the DC United Club Professional Academy is the worst place for their kid to go because it will kill all hopes and soccer ambitions

So they should go to Paragon or another grassroots club instead if they want a chance of making it to high level soccer in the future

Even more useless is telling people to just go to another MLS Club Academy when there are only a few in the entire country and they only take the best of who they want

Additionally useless is a post ranting about an environment for the special few to people who care more about the Potomac tournament this weekend and the ECNL BY to SY change

More useless is you focusing on other people at a place that has nothing to do with you[/quote]

Didn’t a couple of kids from paragon go to a euro academy? Quite a few kids have gone through Achilles and Arlington as well to get to non DCU academies. So yes, DCU is definitely not the only option for local kids and smaller, non-MLS academies can help get u there.

When a club states at U15 and I think only has 2 teams, for sure, no expectation that they have any guidance/plan to get to that level.

I think DCU academy and maybe Minnesota are great arguments for getting rid of the protected list or allowing clubs first dibs on kids in ther region. 
[/quote]

Where was it written that DCU is the only optional route to high level soccer?

What's the level higher than MLS clubs in the US?

A parent with personal private connections leaving from a grassroots club to another country doesn't mean the grassroots club is the best route for top professional aspirations.

Less than 1% of MLS club academy players from will ever see professional soccer. 
Saying grassroots clubs also provides an equal chance is madness

[/quote]

Shows how unsophisticated you are in the sport.  There is no one way to do it.  Every player has a different path.   A grassroots player has no burdens on their movement as a player to a better situation.  Meaning theyare free and cost nothing to a target club.  This is powerful in professional soccer.  [/quote]

How many players are on USYNTs and USMNT today who were recruited directly out of a Grassroots club?[/quote]

I am no fan of Achilles but this year  Achilles has had more players in actual youth national team camps than DCU.  That is a fact.  Regional ID camps don't count.  The grassroots players are in those too actually.[/quote]

I believe PP asked specifically about players going from grassroots clubs directly to current USYNTs and to USMNT

Not about ID camps, which actually Achilles had one player at ID camp (2009)

DCU had several from U14 and U15 for reference btw

There are outliers in every equation [/quote]

The player from Achilles was at a national team camp.  Not a regional ID camp.  This is where the DCU kids were just like the grassroots kids.

Depends on how far back you want to go.  Before MLS next and before MLS academies became more dominate that is where they were mostly coming from.. [/quote]

The question is how many direct from Grassroots players are on USYNTS and USMNT teams?

Not ID camps

As for DCU kids being just like grassroots, all the MLS Next clubs in the dmv at all ages have players playing on age or older players biobanded.

DCU has several players playing up.

Explain how they're the same on same footing based on that fact?[/quote]

First and foremost, grassroots clubs in our area have better coaches than DCU.  This is how most of the kids got to DCU in the first place.  Some of the smallest clubs in the DMV  have coaches that can actually teach players how to become better players.  They are educators in the sport.  DCUs coaching slate is not the best and that has almost always been the case. 
Couple that with a robotic and rudimentary style of play being drilled at DCU and no focus on teaching how to actually play the game, from a learning the game perspective, you're better off outside of DCU.  It's not equal footing.  DCU players are in a much weaker position in this aspect.

Second, playing up means very little if you're not learning anything.  At DCU, playing up is a parent appeasement tool, not a real marker of development.  If you're playing up and dominating, then you're in the right environment.  If not, you're just a tool for optics and the facade of development.  DCUs rationale for who plays up and why is so unsophisticated and basic that playing up at DCU is more detrimental to the players. Largely because whether they play up or not, they aren't learning.  Playing up can be helpful if done correctly.  But DCU doesn't use this tool correctly because they don't care about development.  Again, edge to grassroots clubs because playing up is how ALOT of the grassroots clubs actually help develop the kids at younger ages.  At DCU playing up doesn't change anything for the player.  The learning environment is the same whether you're playing up or on age - weak.

Third, whining about bio banding at grassroots clubs shows a laser focus on winning the games.  From a development perspective, playing against bio.banded kids may be better for kids that were playing up anyway before they got to DCU. .it all depends on the player and the situation.  A good combination of dominating and challenge is a balance alot of professional academies try to strike.  It all comes down to learning environment.  I would take being bio banded if I was learning at a higher rate.  And you're singling out some of the worst bio banding offenders and painting all clubs with that same brush.  End of day, grassroots clubs have the flexibility to do almost whatever they want with their rosters, playing time etc.  DCU doesn't have this luxury because the league mandates certain things as does the MLS.  DCU just has better players.. Without those players, DCU is no better than local grassroots clubs and, for the reasons posted above, and in many instances, worse.  At least at other MLS academies, the academy itself is something to be proud of.  Facilities, investment, product.  DCU is a joke on all of these fronts.

Fourth, DCU doesn't have a legitimate pro pathway for the players without a second team.  Neither do grassroots clubs.  Equal.

Fifth, facilities at grassroots clubs are the same as DCUs.  Equal footing.

Sixth, grassroots clubs have the same amount of players on youth national teams as DCU.  None.   But this year a grassroots club put a player in the u16 national team camp over ALL the DCU 2009s.  Edge grassroots.

Seventh, DCU has a weaker college track record than grassroots/local clubs.  Just not enough history in the game.  Edge grassroots.

Could go on and on...bottom line, DCU is not what most think it is.  And if you chose to go, you're choosing a medicore at best academy for your son. [/quote]

This is accurate.  The only real benefit of DCU is the platform and that it used to be free. Now that it is pay to play, the only benefit is the platform.  Is the platform worth it at DCU?  That is the central question for any player and family.  If your ambition is pro soccer, I would argue no, you need to go some place else.  If you're focused on college, soccer, I would say it's a toss up between DCU and a local club.  At least at a local club you can still focus on being at a top high school and have extra curriculars to boost your resume.  DCU you're stuck at their crappy online school that you're paying for!  The level is higher at DCU, but that is probably only at the younger ages.  The older ages it evens out pretty substantively because again, DCU doesn't teach the kids and players in better systems catch and surpass them quickly.

Overall, MLS academies have a stronger reputation nationally.  But, DCU's reputation is one of the weakest nationally because it is known that the entire club is a disaster.  DCU owns your rights once you sign up and that is a burden on your movement as a player and you're not learning while you're there.  There are no restrictions on your movement coming from a grassroots club and you can transfer anywhere for free.  If a club overseas is looking at two 18 year old players with similar ability, the one who is free will be taken almost every time.  Even if they are slightly less in ability, getting a player for free is very hard overseas.

DCU is what people focus on in our area because most people don't know any better.  It's what everyone else thinks is the best. And the DMV is mostly about keeping up with the Joneses.  Now that DCU is pay to play, the distinctions between DCU and local clubs is very small.   [/quote]

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