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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Because we don’t have a lucrative pro league at the top to fund it. [/quote]

Yes we do.

They just want to keep their money and let parents fund it instead.[/quote]

I'll put the greed of NFL, MLB and NBA owners up against anyone. But they reluctantly recognize that paying for talent maximizes their profitability, so those are big-money sports. A youth coach in one of those sports who can identify and develop talent, and steer it to the next stage, can live a very comfortable life indeed.  A kid who shows talent will have no problem finding someone to cover their bills.

In soccer, the money flows the other way, up from the bottom. In youth soccer, not only are families expected to pay all the costs but their also expected to kick some up to the higher levels. DC United used to come to our club all the time talking about "partnership" opportunities, which to them meant one and only one thing: us giving them money.

Incidentally, it's the same for soccer referees. That nice guy who refs your kid's game has to pay an annual registration fee to US Soccer. About a quarter of that fee goes to subsidize the pay of MLS referees. [/quote]

Wait, are you claiming that NFL, MLB, and NBA actually fund youth coaches?   I've never heard that before.  Do you have a source?

[/quote]

They don't directly pay coaches, no. They do provide support to leagues. For example, every player in Little League in DC has his uniform provided by the Nationals, they've also built some fields. The money that flows to coaches is more indirect -- consulting fees, apparel contracts, things like that. I know a guy who runs a basketball program in DC who went to the NCAA final four as the guest of the NCAA. There's just a lot of money sloshing around and if people think you can influence where talented players end up you can soak up some of that money.[/quote]

Most of that money sloshing around is provided by parents though, right?

Uniforms and tickets are great and all, but that's not what pays the mortgage.

By comparison,  almost every MLS team has a youth academy that is fully funded by the first team.  Players not only get uniforms, including training gear,  and tickets,  but also 4 x/ week training by A-licensed coaches, plus games,  fields, travel, hotel, meals,  ... everything's paid for.   Even DCU which is one of the only ones to not be fully funded,  is heavily subsidized. Players pay $2K but when you add it all up - especially the travel - the club is easily putting in $2-3K per player on top of that.

I don't think there's anything comparable in any other sport in the US.
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