Reply to DC United Academy - aa strong academy or not

Forum Index » Soccer

Reply to " DC United Academy - aa strong academy or not"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b][/b][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Thank you for the standard deflection tweedle dee and tweedle dumb (DCU PR intern), now can the question at hand be addressed?

https://youtu.be/MauTNb-y...oApVDGnpWt

I found him truly engaging. What's the story of what worked well and what did not when he was with DCU?

What is the focus of the new director?
[/quote]

He's no longer at DCU and he answered your questions on the podcast.

[b]You have no connection to DCU, you have no kid at DCU, you won't have a son at DCU [/b]

Take your unhealthy obsession elsewhere[/quote]

Dude, those are questions. Why are you so emotional over questions?[/quote]

Previous Post isn't emotional

You're disingenuous and have proven through your multiple posts that you have an agenda to denigrate and disparage the academy, the players and their parents

Your 'just a question' is your repeated modus operandi for an opening for you to reel off another slew of toxicity

If you care that much about information about the academy, contact the academy or go to games and speak to academy parents. That's what people with legitimate interests do.

Make sure you gather the fathers in a group and talk the crap you've been saying here directly to their faces for additional bonus points [/quote]

So…I posted the link. Not sure you are aware that you are talking to many different people. I do check this forum two times a day but not sure how you can post 4 minutes after my question if you are not refreshing constantly. That seems like an obsession.

Although I have made no statement about the kids, parents or academy in asking a genuine question, you told me “ you have no kid at DCU, you won't have a son at DCU” without knowing anything about me. Is that not the definition of toxic when you have no idea who I am or how may times my kid has been invited to DCU, Nashville, CLT, Philly or Red Bulls?

He did clearly lay out the key to the DMV producing more professional footballers and I am genuinely curious on whether he just talks well on a podcast or whether it is an unfixable problem due to the culture under this ownership. Silence is golden so I think I have my answer.[/quote]

your kid has such quality that he is being sought after and actively being recruited by multiple professional mls academies but you're on an anonymous blog seeking advice from  people you don't know?

[/quote]

Bro...they reached out to me when my kid was 10. F----ing 10. I thought it was psychotic. I did not ask for any of this. You said the same thing 100 pages ago with hater energy because your kid did not have the same requests. For the record, it does not mean s---- to have these requests early. I am actually humble in this process and understand it means nothing. Puberty is undefeated.

If I blindly just went with the clubs like many of you, my kid would fully be in the MLS system and be relegated to the MLS rules and it suppressive pay structure which keeps the MLS profitable. I respect their business acumen while deploring it as a parent of a kid in the system  For a family who cannot afford $10k-$20k annually to properly train, MLS Academy is a viable pathway and they should choose it. I am fortunate to make a little bit of coin so I can afford to pay $10k - $20k in training annually for my kid to develop and then afford a visa into Europe when he hits 15-16. I only became aware of this pathway courtesy of this l[i]ittle anonymous message board[/I]. I have been able to verify the information on this board in real life and find the real people who execute it in real life.

My kid has not even had their first crush yet and I am supposed to leave town for a team before puberty. :lol: 
Maybe I am a little too rationale. I don't find missing out on a high school life or family life for virtual school out of town to end up at Old Dominion for D1 soccer an appealing pathway for my child. No knock to ODU in this example but all of my kids are on a high academic track and if my kid is not going pro, I would rather them go D3 at NYU or Ivy than D1 at any old school. Unless something changes at DCU, we will bide our time here locally until U15/U16, go against the grain and local culture and play P2P, and then I will start a business in Europe and we will see how my kid fares there. Whether he succeeds or not, I did my parental job of maximizing his chances on something with 1 in 100,000 odds.

Despite what ya'll think, if you actually read between the lines and toxicity, this forum is 100% gold for real information. We are not alone in not getting information from the MLS academies. Many of the parents in other markets have the same gripes outside of the DMV. We are fortunate to have this forum which allows people to share and express without retribution. I know I share genuine information for other parents. My kid only benefits when others in his age group get better. A rising tide lifts all boats.[/quote]

Thanks for posting this, because it's an interesting take and I'm curious about this pathway.  Where to start.  So, you say that your son caught the scout's eye when they were 10.  But you resisted and are part of the P2P system here.  MLS Next or ECNL?  Just curious.   What caught my eye was the visa part and going to Europe to play.  That's great that you are able to secure a Euro visa for your family and your son.  You say visa and not passport right?  Because I think that's two different things.  Passports can be difficult and are easier said than done having investigated this myself for myself and children.  My child  plays at a high level and one of their aspirational goals was to play for their grandparents' home country national team.  It looks less and less likely as time goes on as we have investigated pathways to secure entry into Europe.

Back to your child's path.  What drives your thinking that you will be able to relocate to Europe, start a business and have your son catch on at a Euro academy when they are 15/16 years old?  Have they had interest from European scouts at a younger age and you have demonstrated to them that you can secure a Euro visa so it simplifies the situation for them?  I find it difficult to fathom that your son would be able to show up at a European club at 15/16 as an unknown commodity and walk into their program.  My godson is in the middle of doing this as an older kid, but in order to play hockey in some of the euro leagues.  He was able to begin the process of securing a Slovak passport due to his familial ties to the country.  He's also had conversation with some of their Tier 2 hockey clubs after having played junior hockey here in the US.

I'm just curious because this pathway seems like an even bigger risk and less likely of succeeding than playing here in the US and going to a highly regarded D3 or Ivy and playing.  I realize that some of my questions are pretty pointed and personal, so please understand I'm just trying to figure some of this out myself.  And look, while your child's goal is not playing D1 soccer at ODU, my son has a HS friend playing there and having a blast doing it.  Sure, the Sun Belt might not be your kid's dream, but it is someone else's.  To each his own, right?  Thanks for entertaining my questions.  [/quote]

1) MLS Next academy for a U12 team. Scouted at a tournament in PA.

2) Honestly, I am using visa and passport interchangeably but I know he can get registered under each route There are three potential routes: 1) Residual income visa in country A; 2) Residency passport via grandparent in country B; 3) My firm has an office that I can use to launch a business via in country C (learned from another American). I actually read the FIFA rules posted in this thread and began networking.  THERE ARE ALOT OF AMERICANS OVER THERE and they have the attorneys that can explain the pitfalls of people who don’t prepare. Many don’t prepare properly and can’t register their players. Some jumped too early before the kid is mentally ready. You will be hearing about many of them over the next 2 World Cup cycles.

3) My kid is not an unknown commodity. My kid has played overseas in two of the countries already and we are going to the 3rd and 4th later this year and next spring. We are visiting next year with American dual-citizens whose kid has already received an offer from a Bundesliga academy. Our kids are similarly skilled and he is taking us simply to trial and see how competitive and aggressive their style of play is. The guy brokering it has a kid in a Bundesliga academy on a USYNT. Nevertheless, my kid trials with clubs annually and we are not afraid of landing where he lands and working his way through where ever that is.

4) Whether my kid goes or not, he focuses on his studies intensely because I told him in order for me to allow him to go to an academy I have to trust he can be self-sufficient. It is still a few years away and I know Stanford currently has an amazing online high school and I imagine more offerings will come available in time. I remind him that Lewandowski earned his Masters degree while playing professionally so that is the expectation.

5) I think most of us have seen most of the kids in our age group. I know where my kid is relative to his peers. It changes annually but as long as my kid focused on his journey and IDP, he will be okay. Most of our top kids are professional academy-level overseas. DCU serves DC, NOVA, B-More, Richmond, Delaware and a portion of WV which could be 6 different markets overseas. We are much further spread out and they are working from a much more condensed talent pool. The key is staying in striking distance through U15/U16. We don’t typically keep pace from the U12 years through U15/U16 so we will keep going overseas annually and getting feedback on our game. We get quarterly feedback from my kids game tape and adjust his IDP based on what he needs to improve.
All of those players who take are D1 spots become coaches here and they all have connections. I imagine someone will get paid if my kid lands in an academy but that is not my business.

6) No worries on the questions and I don’t take it personal. These are not easy decisions or an easy process but it is my son’s goal so I am simply doing my best to help him achieve it. I ask a lot of questions and listen well. I really am grateful for this thread and willing to share as others have done for me.

7) Yes, to each his own. I don’t mean to disparage anyone’s dream but I don’t think people are paying attention to the end product when going through this path. I went to a nothing college and made something out of myself so I think anyone can make it no matter where they go.

Max Dowman and Lamine Yamal are the outliers out of 7-8 billion people. If a kid really wants to follow their dream, they may have to work hard for 4-10 years after hitting puberty just to break into a first team.  That’s closer to reality and if my son wants that path, I am going to support it. It is a lot more interesting than my path. Even if he never makes it, he is already bilingual and working to be trilingual in pursuit of his goal. The habits for simply preparing to make a move are stronger than most kids his age.

I think I answered all of the questions.
[/quote]

As the one who asked the questions, thank you for your detailed response.  Your son is very fortunate that he has a family that is in a position where they can travel to Europe annually for training and development.  That's not a reality for many players.  And at U12 as well.  Good luck with your journey.  It will be a wild ride, I'm sure.  [/quote]

Thanks.  Here is the fun part of all of this. This is my first time on this board today. Somebody posted as me and tweedle dee is doing his usual hater thing without tweedle dumb. Funny how he knows the precise transfer rules as a novice who does not believe any of our little Messi's are exceptional and capable of making it pro. Odd. Nevertheless, you don't have be in my position. Here are a few suggestions to maximize your kids development:

1) I know alot of kids in academies around the country identified through Id2, ODP and major tournaments not affiliated with MLS Next. People are always watching. Academies like Nashville and NE have residential options because they don't have a dense talent pool like us. Nashville has picked up several DMV kids recently and the fact they are sitting on top of the eastern conference right now after just 5 years of existence means people should pay attention to them and their academy. I was shocked at how open Philly was about how they are circumventing the DCU territory rules. You will notice that the other MLS clubs are actively poaching this area but they know how much talent is here. That is a route I would take if not going to Europe. Would you really want to be with other parents who don't believe their kids have a shot? That is rule #1 of how not to do anything. If I cited every person who failed at running a firm like mine, I never would have started.
2) Patrick literally said on the podcast that our DMV talent pool is so rich, it did not need the special programs that NE Revolution needs. [b]I personally believe we should produce 3-5 professionals per age group[/b]. That is how deep the talent pool is here in comparison to European academies. Ignorance goes away when you actually see it. Our kids are good. However, we don't have the confidence. We don't have the coaching. We don't have anyone to lead us. SYC current talent pools are stacked and if they don't produce 3 pro's out of their 2011-2014 groups then we will really know it is a coaching and development problem. What is disappointing about the discourse in this thread is that criticism about DCU is NEVER ABOUT THE KIDS. The kids in the academy and about 25-50 outside of the academy are awesome. The emperor has no clothes and does not know how to nurture the deep talent pool he inherits annually. False8 is the only entity speaking belief in these kids while having them spend 1.5 hours a day on 8-step combinations that they will never use in a game (smh and another topic). We simply need leadership on the fundamentals that translate to the professional game.
3) Christian Pulisic used Ekkonno for his soccer IQ and film review to update his tactics. I don't use them but there are several other companies that do film review from an international perspective and Ekkonno still does. You don't need to fly across the pond to get independent advice on what your kid needs to work on.
4) Develop an IDP. No club has a personal blueprint to develop your child that I have found in the DMV. It is up to you, the parent. If you take a long-term approach, I am confident more kids would make it. Making it in soccer is bigger than a paycheck. The mindset of a professional soccer player is so strong that it can translate to any field in business or civics after your kids playing days are over. I only have one kid with this goal in soccer and my other kids goals are infinitely easier to game plan for and achieve.

I stated this before in this thread but Athletic Bilbao fields an entire La Liga 1st team that has never been relegated in the history of La Liga from a population base of 2m people. DC, MD and VA, excluding Delaware and West Virginia, is about 15m people. With all of the investment people make in this area, we really can't produce more with almost 8x the population?! I don't buy that.[/quote]

On number 2 in the PP above...I personally think that most Americans don't really understand what talent in football truly is because we don't have the knowledge or education in the sport in this country.  It is our biggest downfall as a nation in football.  We can't consistently identify the right talent.  Americans look at a game and see someone do some fancy moves 1v1, run really really hard, sprint really fast, work really really hard and think those kids are ballers.  I'm not saying this is you, but I'm saying it is a lot of what I see from American parents and alot of what DCU recruits.  They don't even understand what good looks like.  If you don't know what good looks like, how can you possibly understand the standard by which your son needs to be developed INTO A PRO?  This is the fundamental problem with the DMV football system and most importantly DCU.    A lot of ignorant parents who just don't understand what it takes to become a professional because if they did, they would know right away, without hesitation that DCU will not achieve that goal in any way.  Not in its current form. And most parents judge soccer talent in the younger ages which is really unfortunate because the younger ages are basically irrelevant.  2011-2014 age groups are u15 and UNDER.  Bro, these kids are barely playing real football.  They can't produce enough power and speed yet to even come close to what a real football game will look like at 18 and not to mention, most, if not all of them will fall off the map once puberty is done.  They will be in two camps, early bloomers who peaked too early or not athletic enough to cut it once real speed and athleticism takes over a massive part of the game in the US.  The third element would be just technical mastery.  But the reality is that most kids in the DMV who are flooding the system come from some sort of wealth.  What that usually translates to is that they don't have the same grind mentality to really perfect their craft.  Why most players in the DMV peak at about 15-16.  In the younger years they have the most time to work on their game.  As they get older, the free time lessens, and they actually practice THEIR (not the team's) game very little.

3-5 pro players per age group could be achievable if we had better coaching at the younger ages.  We just don't have that. But the reality is that the DMV talent pool isn't what it used to be.  I'm sorry to break that to you.  Look at the youth national teams.  Very little representation from the DMV and 10-15 years ago there were many DMV players ON the actual national teams not in regional camps.  American players are much more brave with the ball than European players at young ages and they play with less fear.  But what is obvious when you put those same American players in a sophisticated system, they have absolutely no idea what they are doing.  [b]They don't understand formations and what they mean defensively and offensively, they don't understand how to move off the ball (just what to do when they have it), the decision making is usually very questionable because they aren't taught the decision making fundamental, the passing accuracy of American players is way off (you can see this even in our own national team) and when the game speeds up and you're playing max two touches...its over. And maybe most importantly, and the PP said this too, they don't have game speed translatable skills.  The pace of play in the US is just FAR slower than Europe especially defensively.[/b]

The DMV football ecosystem that was once great sold itself to the all mighty dollar and our talent pool took a massive hit.  Now everything is about making money. Literally everything. You think going to group sessions at NextStar will make a kid a pro??? NO chance.  You're doing what everyone else is doing at that point. Running hills and around the track at 9??  Dumb.  [b]Your 9 year old has no real muscles to develop and you're putting stress on a developing body for no real reason[/b].  at 16-17 different story.  Cone drills that don't translate to the game...Death to a player as he gets older.  Head down syndrome and less dynamic moves for the big field because the cone drills program the player to keep the ball super tight.  [b]But in most positions you need to be able to keep it tight AND create BIG moves into open space with dynamic movements.[/b]  Here is the truth, most coaches who actually do know what it takes to be a pro won't actually tell the parents because they know that most, if not all of them, won't sacrifice that much of their kids lives for the sport.  So they keep them thinking this is what it takes to get their money knowing that your little Jimmy has probably no chance not because they don't have some talent, but because they will never be able to keep up with players that are grinding much harder around the world.  [b]Most parents in the DMV and America are always hedging, and trying to do it all.  You can't do that if you want to be a pro in football.  You have to be all in or all out. [/b] There is no half way.  Parents in the DMV are educated enough and know the statistics well enough not to put all of their eggs into a football basket so what you have is a lot players masquerading as wanting to be pros but the reality is that they are on a college trajectory because that is what DMV soccer is about. This is the player DCU caters to and why they have no legit pros out of the academy in the last 3-4 YEARS. [b]Look up the schedule of a top academy player in Europe and compare that to a player in DCU's system[/b].  It is just not a fair fight.  The DCU kids have no chance.

The DMV could be much better because we have a large football population that spends money.  But the reality is that most of that money is spent keeping up with the Joneses, not trying to legitimately produce a professional player.  Because a legitimate pro prospect would leave the DMV as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

I do agree that we need more leadership and guidance.  But that means stripping these pay to play clubs of their strangle hold on the youth system at the younger ages and actually teaching the kids to really play.  Not just win games which is what the system is programmed to do.  Pay to play clubs won't give up their control easily.  This coupled with the fact that DCU is a broke and inept club when it comes to the academy is why they don't have younger ages in their system.  Pay to play can't compete with free.  [/quote]

Ok old man. A lot of meat on this bone to get through. Thank you again. I think you're correct in your overall assessment. However, while I am a novice parent, I have seen Kevin Parades cook in the Bundesliga (when not hurt) so I know it is possible to play in a top 5 league from the DMV. A few questions:

a) Pace of play and soccer IQ is the number one factor I hear that we lag behind our international counterparts. [u]How do we train speed of play and soccer IQ outside of the clubs?[/u]  I know it is not the same being here versus Europe but the best I can do until we leave.

b) Questions regarding Next Star and physical fitness. I am a runner so I know that many East African runners have a strong aerobic base from running to school and many other aspects of their childhood that many westerners can't replicate. [u]You don't think age appropriate physical fitness can create a foundation starting in the elementary ages?[/u]

c) [u]Regarding an academy player schedule in Europe, break that down between the 2011-2014 age ranges please[/u]. In a few years, we will be in Europe but we do understand that this is the drop-off period. [u]How much time does my child need to dedicate weekly and where should the time be allocated?[/u]

d) I think that the sacrifice piece is the main issue in the DMV because none of us really know how good you have to be and we are mostly a large set of successful professionals with advanced degrees. I do understand I am trying to thread the needle but I am not prepared to give up education. I have forgone private school for this kid and I am willing to forgo AP classes when the time comes which are big sacrifices for me. At the same time, I can be who you are talking to as well in this post. Anything else needed to sacrifice? I imagine he may need to go virtual in the next few years to maintain his training load and sleep/recovery schedule and I am willing to do that if he continues down the same path.

As always, I appreciate these candid discussions.[/quote]

Thanks for this post.  Totally reasonable questions presented in a constructive way.  Thanks for that.  We need more of this on the thread.  Let's discuss...

Really thoughtful questions and again, I appreciate this dialogue as it is productive.  And to wrap it all together and make it relevant for DCU...You have no chance of being a professional in DCUs system as it is today. .why they haven't signed a kid to the first team from the academy in over THREE YEARS.[/quote]

Wow.  Not the person who posted the questions, but that's a lot to digest. Seems like there is a lot of experience and knowledge on the men's side.  How does this translate to the women's side?  Does the same hold true in terms of development in the US versus Europe for a women's player?  Training requirements, experience, etc?  [/quote]

The women's side is a completely different ball game.  The US DOMINATED Women's football for so long and most other nations are just now starting to catch up to us (and many have caught and surpassed us).  And there is almost no money in women's professional football.  That has changed a lot in the last few years and of course with Trinity Rodman's new deal with the Spirit.  The reality on the women's side is this...The world is catching us because the rest of the world wasn't paying attention to women's soccer when we were.  We had the early lead and first mover advantage, but again we have no real history with the sport.  What this means is that when the countries with real football heritage begin to take football on the women's side seriously they will leap frog our national team VERY VERY easily.  This is already happening.  You're seeing technically gifted players from so many nations now.  The US will be outside the top 5 in the world in the next 5-10 years.  And what it will boil down to is exactly the same problems that were listed in the long post before this one. DECADES of milking parents for money and low quality training produces inferior players on a global stage.  The women's game has truly always been about college in the US (and the national team).  Pro pathways are just starting to happen.  Think about it, there are no pro academies on the women's side in the US.  But in Germany, the DFB has MANDATED that ALL Bundesliga academies build a pro women's squad and this is replicated in other nations as well.  Once these countries catch on that we've been resting on our laurels for so long, which again, many have already seen that, they will surpass US women's soccer so easily it will be almost comical.  Just a matter of time.  The system in the US isn't built to produce quality players.  It is built to make money.  The women's side is even more ridiculous than the mens.  We have had what we consider quality players in the past because no one else was even giving a crap about women's football so if you put in some time, you were AUTOMATICALLY better than most.  And because we were one of the very few nations caring about women's football for a long time, we set the standards.  Now that other football rich nations are pumping money into women's football, our federation will have almost no chance. The writing is on the wall.  Its just a matter of time...[/quote]

Thanks for posting this and I am mostly in agreement with you.  This probably should be it's own topic and not just buried in the DCU academy post.  The history of Title 9 in the US absolutely drove the development of the college women's game in the US and that was the only game in town.  UNC and Anson Dorrance embracing the women's game is a prime example.  As you stated, it allowed the US to be first on the bus to start.  The pro leagues in the US were very limited and not very successful and it wasn't a viable career to play pro women's soccer in the US until recently.  And, I agree that there is so much more global talent being developed now and the fact there are no true women's academy programs in the US will be a problem as the clubs in England, France, Spain, Germany, etc start to embrace the women's game. You are starting to see that with some of the crowd's that are attending women's matches...people are caring about it much more than ever before.

While I think that there will be much more parity in the women's game in coming years, I don't see the US completing falling out and it happening as quickly as you feel.  Will Spain for example truly embrace women's soccer?  While they have an incredibly talented team, there's been a lot of dysfunction within the program and the women's programs at Barca for example are dealing with funding issues since they are tied to the men's program.

But, and this is my opinion based on my direct experience, there is a huge pool of players available in the women's game in the US because still for women, sports choices are fairly limited.  Basketball and soccer are at the top and are drawing athletes.  Now, as you said, developing those athletes into technical players is another thing  How does that happen?  The limited training time available for national team players at younger ages to meet is an issue.  They are coming from many different environments as well with club, college and pro players being in the game group. Are their youth clubs up to the task?  Probably not.

Emma Hayes coming to the US women's side, IMO, has been the best thing that could have happened though.  The approach that she is taking to increase the talent pool overall is critical.  Not only on the senior team, but through the younger ages as well.  With financial backing of the likes of Michele Kang, that has really expanded the number of players getting exposed to the national team environment.  My local club has had more women's players going to actual youth NT camps than ever before.  That's a huge thing to be able to bring back that experience to the local clubs. Seeing what that is like and then exposing your teammates to that level of play only can improve everyone overall.   But, I don't think that's enough as you have said - no real academies are a problem long term.  While there may be the player population, is there an interest level high enough to justify the costs of establishing academies that are tied to pro teams?  Maybe, just as women's programs are developing outside this US, this could happen here as well.

On the women's side, is the system perfect?  No, far from it.  College is still an end goal for most players.  Professional options are still fairly limited, but becoming greater in both the US and abroad.  Other countries are investing in their programs and I believe that the competition can only improve the US - that is if they are willing to embrace it and adapt.  Thanks for your post.  It's an interesting topic for me at least outside of the never ending DCU debate.  [/quote]

Well reasoned and thoughtful post.  Agree with you.  [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics