Anonymous wrote:The problem with soccer in our country is that coaches at "top" clubs think that they need big and tall kids to win. They remove all creativity from the players. Possession, possession is all they say. The minute the players dribble or get creative they are taken out only to be told not to do that again. I have seen this at Bethesda, Potomac, SYC, etc. We have the worse teachers of soccer coaching and suppressing all creativity and talent. They promote win win at all cost. Cost of development. Most directors of these clubs have been trained in the same ineffective soccer philosophy. It will take a long time to change this culture. Then, add the $$ component to travel $occer and there you have it.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every sport in USA is structured as hell, almost year-round play. There's no incentive to go out and play in the street when you have gaming inside and air conditioning. American youth is sucked up by four way more popular sports before a boy thinks of soccer after the age of 8. Girls gravitate to it because only basketball takes athletes away. Don't blame just the kids either... i see the sidelines heaving with heavy-set parents who very likey never usher their kids outside because they too sit on their phones all day.

i think everyone is trying to find fault when there is no fault. Soccer is just a fringe sport in America, it's just the way it is.

The facts are most boys would rather play basketball, baseball or football and it's likely because that's what one of their parents grew up playing or watched or whatever reason.

I agree with this. Our best athletes in the US are not choosing soccer. If we took our best athletes in the NBA and NFL and they played soccer throughout their lives, we would dominate.

It's not just that our best athletes are in the NBA and NFL. It's that all our best athletes are TRYING to be in the NBA and NFL. That 5'6'' kid whose body type would work great for soccer, but maybe not for basketball because they aren't very tall, is still playing basketball but their playing career ends in high school. Imagine if that 5'6'' kid didn't spend the first 15 years of their life trying to become a basketball player, and had started with soccer instead. Those are the players that we're missing out on because soccer isn't popular.

I call BS on this. More kids are playing organized soccer at some point than any other sport. The stats are over 3 million according to multiple sources - just above basketball. And twice as many as American football. The 5'6" kid gets pushed out of both sports and quits sports all together. His odds of going pro are slim in soccer, but they are microscopic in basketball. The problem is that at some point a short-sighted youth coach wanted to brag to his buddies about winning the U9 league and decided that the diminutive player didn't give him the best chance. This was Landon Donovan's whole point that started this thread.

We're also forgetting that most children can play high school baseball, basketball or football and still have a chance to play in college. The same can't be said for soccer, there is no free path to playing at the next level in soccer like there is in other sports.

So kids don't go from HS to college who play club soccer?

I think Pps point is that no one goes pro in soccer from college. A few do but that’s not the traditional path like it is for football and basketball

Not sure why people keep comparing the pathway to pro of soccer with other sports.
People have quit track & field as adults and transitioned to successful careers in the NFL.
People have doubled at being top performers in both baseball and football simultaneously.

That doesn't and can never exist in the soccer world.

Anyone doing that is displaying gross ignorance.

Neither have existed for years in football or baseball either. Deion Sanders was the last to make it work. I can't even think of the last track star to try and play wide reciever

Devon Allen
2 time Olympic Hurdler and Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver

Opinions aren't facts my friend

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AlleDe02.htm

Real great career there, really making it work. His entire NFL career was a kick return

So he didn't run hurdles and also play in the NFL?

Okay, how about
Marquise Brown
Lamar Jackson
Devin Duvernay
Stefon Diggs
Ja'Marr Chase
Marquise Goodwin
Denzel Ward
Tyreek Hill
Jalen Ramsey
Etc etc etc

This pretty much proves the opposite point from the one you're trying to make. The fact that these top athletes chose to play football and track simultaneously doesn't mean that they couldn't have played soccer at a high level, it shows that they chose not to. Because it's not a primary sport in America.

No idiot.
It proves those sports are not specialized enough nor requires enough unique skills that they can't be both accomplished at the highest levels.

How da heck does it prove they could play soccer for Real Madrid?

Name calling? Nice. It doesn't prove that those individuals could play for Real Madrid. It proves that the most athletic Americans choose sports other than soccer. You're right your sport is very special.

It’s not just the most athletic kids choosing other sports. Those are also the kids who have the drive and mental qualities necessary to be a pro in any sport. Most of them won’t make it in those sports but it diverts a large number of possible players who could have maybe made it in soccer. Bottom line: we need a lot more of these kids playing soccer at young ages

Its obvious as the nose on your face, or should be, that quantity of kids playing isn't our issue.
Iceland, Georgia (the country) etc makes that quite clear.

Its the quality of development and culture plus collective knowledge of coaches and parents. To start.

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Anonymous wrote:I recently when down an internet rabbit hole to understand why the US doesn't have better soccer players. The most interesting theory, that I think is likely on point, is that soccer in the US is too structured. Kids only play in leagues but don't play in organic street games like they do in many parts of the world. It's in those informal settings that kids develop the best skills. Think of basketball in the US - many of the top players grew up playing in their streets or neighborhood courts, they weren't shuttled around every weekend to be coached.

Messi has recently spoken out on his disappointment (now that his kids are in the US system). He said they want them to pass as soon as the ball hits their foot. He said he did not develop this way and never would have reached the heights he did.

US is obsessed with doing one touch tiki taka at the youngest of ages. And on winning for the sake of development at the youngest ages.

^ which is pretty funny coming from a guy that developed in an academy famous for tiki taka...but even there the individual was more important in the early years.

Barca Academy kids can move the ball quickly with high technical control and touch.
But they also can beat you 1v1 all day.

So don't show ignorance with what you think tiki taka means

I guess you don't understand SARCASM! Christ--that was my entire point. Sigh.

^ yep. Messi is saying US academies are forcing this one touch at the youngest of ages---not the way it's implemented or kids develop at Barca. They had much more freedom of expression without a coach screaming at an 8-year old to PASS before his ball hits his foot. Or go ape sh*t if they over dribble occassionally while LEARNING the game.

Coaches and most parents going crazy for a kid dribbling (except theirs) 😂

Yet they all love to watch the exciting professional dribblers hahahaha

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently when down an internet rabbit hole to understand why the US doesn't have better soccer players. The most interesting theory, that I think is likely on point, is that soccer in the US is too structured. Kids only play in leagues but don't play in organic street games like they do in many parts of the world. It's in those informal settings that kids develop the best skills. Think of basketball in the US - many of the top players grew up playing in their streets or neighborhood courts, they weren't shuttled around every weekend to be coached.

Messi has recently spoken out on his disappointment (now that his kids are in the US system). He said they want them to pass as soon as the ball hits their foot. He said he did not develop this way and never would have reached the heights he did.

US is obsessed with doing one touch tiki taka at the youngest of ages. And on winning for the sake of development at the youngest ages.

^ which is pretty funny coming from a guy that developed in an academy famous for tiki taka...but even there the individual was more important in the early years.

Barca Academy kids can move the ball quickly with high technical control and touch.
But they also can beat you 1v1 all day.

So don't show ignorance with what you think tiki taka means

I guess you don't understand SARCASM! Christ--that was my entire point. Sigh.

^ yep. Messi is saying US academies are forcing this one touch at the youngest of ages---not the way it's implemented or kids develop at Barca. They had much more freedom of expression without a coach screaming at an 8-year old to PASS before his ball hits his foot. Or go ape sh*t if they over dribble occassionally while LEARNING the game.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently when down an internet rabbit hole to understand why the US doesn't have better soccer players. The most interesting theory, that I think is likely on point, is that soccer in the US is too structured. Kids only play in leagues but don't play in organic street games like they do in many parts of the world. It's in those informal settings that kids develop the best skills. Think of basketball in the US - many of the top players grew up playing in their streets or neighborhood courts, they weren't shuttled around every weekend to be coached.

Messi has recently spoken out on his disappointment (now that his kids are in the US system). He said they want them to pass as soon as the ball hits their foot. He said he did not develop this way and never would have reached the heights he did.

US is obsessed with doing one touch tiki taka at the youngest of ages. And on winning for the sake of development at the youngest ages.

^ which is pretty funny coming from a guy that developed in an academy famous for tiki taka...but even there the individual was more important in the early years.

Barca Academy kids can move the ball quickly with high technical control and touch.
But they also can beat you 1v1 all day.

So don't show ignorance with what you think tiki taka means

I guess you don't understand SARCASM! Christ--that was my entire point. Sigh.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently when down an internet rabbit hole to understand why the US doesn't have better soccer players. The most interesting theory, that I think is likely on point, is that soccer in the US is too structured. Kids only play in leagues but don't play in organic street games like they do in many parts of the world. It's in those informal settings that kids develop the best skills. Think of basketball in the US - many of the top players grew up playing in their streets or neighborhood courts, they weren't shuttled around every weekend to be coached.

Messi has recently spoken out on his disappointment (now that his kids are in the US system). He said they want them to pass as soon as the ball hits their foot. He said he did not develop this way and never would have reached the heights he did.

US is obsessed with doing one touch tiki taka at the youngest of ages. And on winning for the sake of development at the youngest ages.

^ which is pretty funny coming from a guy that developed in an academy famous for tiki taka...but even there the individual was more important in the early years.

Barca Academy kids can move the ball quickly with high technical control and touch.
But they also can beat you 1v1 all day.

So don't show ignorance with what you think tiki taka means

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently when down an internet rabbit hole to understand why the US doesn't have better soccer players. The most interesting theory, that I think is likely on point, is that soccer in the US is too structured. Kids only play in leagues but don't play in organic street games like they do in many parts of the world. It's in those informal settings that kids develop the best skills. Think of basketball in the US - many of the top players grew up playing in their streets or neighborhood courts, they weren't shuttled around every weekend to be coached.

Messi has recently spoken out on his disappointment (now that his kids are in the US system). He said they want them to pass as soon as the ball hits their foot. He said he did not develop this way and never would have reached the heights he did.

US is obsessed with doing one touch tiki taka at the youngest of ages. And on winning for the sake of development at the youngest ages.

^ which is pretty funny coming from a guy that developed in an academy famous for tiki taka...but even there the individual was more important in the early years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every sport in USA is structured as hell, almost year-round play. There's no incentive to go out and play in the street when you have gaming inside and air conditioning. American youth is sucked up by four way more popular sports before a boy thinks of soccer after the age of 8. Girls gravitate to it because only basketball takes athletes away. Don't blame just the kids either... i see the sidelines heaving with heavy-set parents who very likey never usher their kids outside because they too sit on their phones all day.

i think everyone is trying to find fault when there is no fault. Soccer is just a fringe sport in America, it's just the way it is.

The facts are most boys would rather play basketball, baseball or football and it's likely because that's what one of their parents grew up playing or watched or whatever reason.

I agree with this. Our best athletes in the US are not choosing soccer. If we took our best athletes in the NBA and NFL and they played soccer throughout their lives, we would dominate.

It's not just that our best athletes are in the NBA and NFL. It's that all our best athletes are TRYING to be in the NBA and NFL. That 5'6'' kid whose body type would work great for soccer, but maybe not for basketball because they aren't very tall, is still playing basketball but their playing career ends in high school. Imagine if that 5'6'' kid didn't spend the first 15 years of their life trying to become a basketball player, and had started with soccer instead. Those are the players that we're missing out on because soccer isn't popular.

I call BS on this. More kids are playing organized soccer at some point than any other sport. The stats are over 3 million according to multiple sources - just above basketball. And twice as many as American football. The 5'6" kid gets pushed out of both sports and quits sports all together. His odds of going pro are slim in soccer, but they are microscopic in basketball. The problem is that at some point a short-sighted youth coach wanted to brag to his buddies about winning the U9 league and decided that the diminutive player didn't give him the best chance. This was Landon Donovan's whole point that started this thread.

We're also forgetting that most children can play high school baseball, basketball or football and still have a chance to play in college. The same can't be said for soccer, there is no free path to playing at the next level in soccer like there is in other sports.

So kids don't go from HS to college who play club soccer?

I think Pps point is that no one goes pro in soccer from college. A few do but that’s not the traditional path like it is for football and basketball

Not sure why people keep comparing the pathway to pro of soccer with other sports.
People have quit track & field as adults and transitioned to successful careers in the NFL.
People have doubled at being top performers in both baseball and football simultaneously.

That doesn't and can never exist in the soccer world.

Anyone doing that is displaying gross ignorance.

Neither have existed for years in football or baseball either. Deion Sanders was the last to make it work. I can't even think of the last track star to try and play wide reciever

Devon Allen
2 time Olympic Hurdler and Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver

Opinions aren't facts my friend

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AlleDe02.htm

Real great career there, really making it work. His entire NFL career was a kick return

So he didn't run hurdles and also play in the NFL?

Okay, how about
Marquise Brown
Lamar Jackson
Devin Duvernay
Stefon Diggs
Ja'Marr Chase
Marquise Goodwin
Denzel Ward
Tyreek Hill
Jalen Ramsey
Etc etc etc

This pretty much proves the opposite point from the one you're trying to make. The fact that these top athletes chose to play football and track simultaneously doesn't mean that they couldn't have played soccer at a high level, it shows that they chose not to. Because it's not a primary sport in America.

No idiot.
It proves those sports are not specialized enough nor requires enough unique skills that they can't be both accomplished at the highest levels.

How da heck does it prove they could play soccer for Real Madrid?

Name calling? Nice. It doesn't prove that those individuals could play for Real Madrid. It proves that the most athletic Americans choose sports other than soccer. You're right your sport is very special.

It’s not just the most athletic kids choosing other sports. Those are also the kids who have the drive and mental qualities necessary to be a pro in any sport. Most of them won’t make it in those sports but it diverts a large number of possible players who could have maybe made it in soccer. Bottom line: we need a lot more of these kids playing soccer at young ages

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every sport in USA is structured as hell, almost year-round play. There's no incentive to go out and play in the street when you have gaming inside and air conditioning. American youth is sucked up by four way more popular sports before a boy thinks of soccer after the age of 8. Girls gravitate to it because only basketball takes athletes away. Don't blame just the kids either... i see the sidelines heaving with heavy-set parents who very likey never usher their kids outside because they too sit on their phones all day.

i think everyone is trying to find fault when there is no fault. Soccer is just a fringe sport in America, it's just the way it is.

The facts are most boys would rather play basketball, baseball or football and it's likely because that's what one of their parents grew up playing or watched or whatever reason.

I agree with this. Our best athletes in the US are not choosing soccer. If we took our best athletes in the NBA and NFL and they played soccer throughout their lives, we would dominate.

It's not just that our best athletes are in the NBA and NFL. It's that all our best athletes are TRYING to be in the NBA and NFL. That 5'6'' kid whose body type would work great for soccer, but maybe not for basketball because they aren't very tall, is still playing basketball but their playing career ends in high school. Imagine if that 5'6'' kid didn't spend the first 15 years of their life trying to become a basketball player, and had started with soccer instead. Those are the players that we're missing out on because soccer isn't popular.

I call BS on this. More kids are playing organized soccer at some point than any other sport. The stats are over 3 million according to multiple sources - just above basketball. And twice as many as American football. The 5'6" kid gets pushed out of both sports and quits sports all together. His odds of going pro are slim in soccer, but they are microscopic in basketball. The problem is that at some point a short-sighted youth coach wanted to brag to his buddies about winning the U9 league and decided that the diminutive player didn't give him the best chance. This was Landon Donovan's whole point that started this thread.

We're also forgetting that most children can play high school baseball, basketball or football and still have a chance to play in college. The same can't be said for soccer, there is no free path to playing at the next level in soccer like there is in other sports.

So kids don't go from HS to college who play club soccer?

I think Pps point is that no one goes pro in soccer from college. A few do but that’s not the traditional path like it is for football and basketball

Not sure why people keep comparing the pathway to pro of soccer with other sports.
People have quit track & field as adults and transitioned to successful careers in the NFL.
People have doubled at being top performers in both baseball and football simultaneously.

That doesn't and can never exist in the soccer world.

Anyone doing that is displaying gross ignorance.

Neither have existed for years in football or baseball either. Deion Sanders was the last to make it work. I can't even think of the last track star to try and play wide reciever

Devon Allen
2 time Olympic Hurdler and Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver

Opinions aren't facts my friend

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AlleDe02.htm

Real great career there, really making it work. His entire NFL career was a kick return

So he didn't run hurdles and also play in the NFL?

Okay, how about
Marquise Brown
Lamar Jackson
Devin Duvernay
Stefon Diggs
Ja'Marr Chase
Marquise Goodwin
Denzel Ward
Tyreek Hill
Jalen Ramsey
Etc etc etc

This pretty much proves the opposite point from the one you're trying to make. The fact that these top athletes chose to play football and track simultaneously doesn't mean that they couldn't have played soccer at a high level, it shows that they chose not to. Because it's not a primary sport in America.

No idiot.
It proves those sports are not specialized enough nor requires enough unique skills that they can't be both accomplished at the highest levels.

How da heck does it prove they could play soccer for Real Madrid?

Name calling? Nice. It doesn't prove that those individuals could play for Real Madrid. It proves that the most athletic Americans choose sports other than soccer. You're right your sport is very special.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently when down an internet rabbit hole to understand why the US doesn't have better soccer players. The most interesting theory, that I think is likely on point, is that soccer in the US is too structured. Kids only play in leagues but don't play in organic street games like they do in many parts of the world. It's in those informal settings that kids develop the best skills. Think of basketball in the US - many of the top players grew up playing in their streets or neighborhood courts, they weren't shuttled around every weekend to be coached.

Messi has recently spoken out on his disappointment (now that his kids are in the US system). He said they want them to pass as soon as the ball hits their foot. He said he did not develop this way and never would have reached the heights he did.

US is obsessed with doing one touch tiki taka at the youngest of ages. And on winning for the sake of development at the youngest ages.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every sport in USA is structured as hell, almost year-round play. There's no incentive to go out and play in the street when you have gaming inside and air conditioning. American youth is sucked up by four way more popular sports before a boy thinks of soccer after the age of 8. Girls gravitate to it because only basketball takes athletes away. Don't blame just the kids either... i see the sidelines heaving with heavy-set parents who very likey never usher their kids outside because they too sit on their phones all day.

i think everyone is trying to find fault when there is no fault. Soccer is just a fringe sport in America, it's just the way it is.

The facts are most boys would rather play basketball, baseball or football and it's likely because that's what one of their parents grew up playing or watched or whatever reason.

I agree with this. Our best athletes in the US are not choosing soccer. If we took our best athletes in the NBA and NFL and they played soccer throughout their lives, we would dominate.

It's not just that our best athletes are in the NBA and NFL. It's that all our best athletes are TRYING to be in the NBA and NFL. That 5'6'' kid whose body type would work great for soccer, but maybe not for basketball because they aren't very tall, is still playing basketball but their playing career ends in high school. Imagine if that 5'6'' kid didn't spend the first 15 years of their life trying to become a basketball player, and had started with soccer instead. Those are the players that we're missing out on because soccer isn't popular.

I call BS on this. More kids are playing organized soccer at some point than any other sport. The stats are over 3 million according to multiple sources - just above basketball. And twice as many as American football. The 5'6" kid gets pushed out of both sports and quits sports all together. His odds of going pro are slim in soccer, but they are microscopic in basketball. The problem is that at some point a short-sighted youth coach wanted to brag to his buddies about winning the U9 league and decided that the diminutive player didn't give him the best chance. This was Landon Donovan's whole point that started this thread.

We're also forgetting that most children can play high school baseball, basketball or football and still have a chance to play in college. The same can't be said for soccer, there is no free path to playing at the next level in soccer like there is in other sports.

So kids don't go from HS to college who play club soccer?

I think Pps point is that no one goes pro in soccer from college. A few do but that’s not the traditional path like it is for football and basketball

Not sure why people keep comparing the pathway to pro of soccer with other sports.
People have quit track & field as adults and transitioned to successful careers in the NFL.
People have doubled at being top performers in both baseball and football simultaneously.

That doesn't and can never exist in the soccer world.

Anyone doing that is displaying gross ignorance.

Neither have existed for years in football or baseball either. Deion Sanders was the last to make it work. I can't even think of the last track star to try and play wide reciever

Devon Allen
2 time Olympic Hurdler and Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver

Opinions aren't facts my friend

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AlleDe02.htm

Real great career there, really making it work. His entire NFL career was a kick return

So he didn't run hurdles and also play in the NFL?

Okay, how about
Marquise Brown
Lamar Jackson
Devin Duvernay
Stefon Diggs
Ja'Marr Chase
Marquise Goodwin
Denzel Ward
Tyreek Hill
Jalen Ramsey
Etc etc etc

This pretty much proves the opposite point from the one you're trying to make. The fact that these top athletes chose to play football and track simultaneously doesn't mean that they couldn't have played soccer at a high level, it shows that they chose not to. Because it's not a primary sport in America.

No idiot.
It proves those sports are not specialized enough nor requires enough unique skills that they can't be both accomplished at the highest levels.

How da heck does it prove they could play soccer for Real Madrid?

Name calling? Nice. It doesn't prove that those individuals could play for Real Madrid. It proves that the most athletic Americans choose sports other than soccer. You're right your sport is very special.

Anonymous wrote:I recently when down an internet rabbit hole to understand why the US doesn't have better soccer players. The most interesting theory, that I think is likely on point, is that soccer in the US is too structured. Kids only play in leagues but don't play in organic street games like they do in many parts of the world. It's in those informal settings that kids develop the best skills. Think of basketball in the US - many of the top players grew up playing in their streets or neighborhood courts, they weren't shuttled around every weekend to be coached.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every sport in USA is structured as hell, almost year-round play. There's no incentive to go out and play in the street when you have gaming inside and air conditioning. American youth is sucked up by four way more popular sports before a boy thinks of soccer after the age of 8. Girls gravitate to it because only basketball takes athletes away. Don't blame just the kids either... i see the sidelines heaving with heavy-set parents who very likey never usher their kids outside because they too sit on their phones all day.

i think everyone is trying to find fault when there is no fault. Soccer is just a fringe sport in America, it's just the way it is.

The facts are most boys would rather play basketball, baseball or football and it's likely because that's what one of their parents grew up playing or watched or whatever reason.

I agree with this. Our best athletes in the US are not choosing soccer. If we took our best athletes in the NBA and NFL and they played soccer throughout their lives, we would dominate.

It's not just that our best athletes are in the NBA and NFL. It's that all our best athletes are TRYING to be in the NBA and NFL. That 5'6'' kid whose body type would work great for soccer, but maybe not for basketball because they aren't very tall, is still playing basketball but their playing career ends in high school. Imagine if that 5'6'' kid didn't spend the first 15 years of their life trying to become a basketball player, and had started with soccer instead. Those are the players that we're missing out on because soccer isn't popular.

I call BS on this. More kids are playing organized soccer at some point than any other sport. The stats are over 3 million according to multiple sources - just above basketball. And twice as many as American football. The 5'6" kid gets pushed out of both sports and quits sports all together. His odds of going pro are slim in soccer, but they are microscopic in basketball. The problem is that at some point a short-sighted youth coach wanted to brag to his buddies about winning the U9 league and decided that the diminutive player didn't give him the best chance. This was Landon Donovan's whole point that started this thread.

We're also forgetting that most children can play high school baseball, basketball or football and still have a chance to play in college. The same can't be said for soccer, there is no free path to playing at the next level in soccer like there is in other sports.

So kids don't go from HS to college who play club soccer?

I think Pps point is that no one goes pro in soccer from college. A few do but that’s not the traditional path like it is for football and basketball

Not sure why people keep comparing the pathway to pro of soccer with other sports.
People have quit track & field as adults and transitioned to successful careers in the NFL.
People have doubled at being top performers in both baseball and football simultaneously.

That doesn't and can never exist in the soccer world.

Anyone doing that is displaying gross ignorance.

Neither have existed for years in football or baseball either. Deion Sanders was the last to make it work. I can't even think of the last track star to try and play wide reciever