Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

So I don’t actually disagree with this but if you don’t have a dual passport (eu or South America for example), DCUA is still really your best bet or is still a really good option. Do keep that in perspective. Note too that to the extent that DCUA has had successes, it also helps to have a dual passport although DCUA isn’t totally great with maximizing that stuff but I think they are working on it?

Depends on what your end game is. Absent a vehicle to enter Europe or South America for a FIFA approved transfer, so you could join a European or South American academy, and if pro soccer is your ambition, DCU is certainly NOT your best option. First option is to explore other MLS academies and what they could offer your son. Philly Union and Red Bulls just have better and more recent track records of producing pros from their academy system. Yes, that requires a move but if you're serious, sometimes drastic measures need to be taken. Second is to look at other proven pathways and avenues...USL Academies, Residential Academies like Barca, Shattuck St Marys,, Benfica has a new residential academy.in the US. Yes, these are generally pay to play but scholarships are offered for top players and you need to focus on what gives your son the best chance of IMPROVING as a player at the fastest rate and what gives him a platform for exposure. DCU does none of that. Outside of GA cup, which ALL MLS academies go to because it is a MLS run event, DCU does nothing for the kids in terms of additional exposure. Philly Unioms u16 and u18 just came back from a two week trip to Germany playing some solid German academies this summer. What was going on at DCU??? Absolutely nothing. It's just not at the level.

If college is your end game, DCU is also not the best option because it doesn't have the relationships that other clubs have in the area AND your son is getting an inferior education and will be on a downward trajectory in terms of learning the game the second he enters their system which in turn lessens his chance of continuing to be a top player in a few years when it Actually mattera. Education is not the goal at DCU. It just isn't. If you're one of the top players in your age group at DCU, MAYBE it could be ok for college. But to me it is still a maybe because the program is just that bad. It's only 4 years with DCU. There are just WAY better ways to invest in your sons development and opportunities than spending those 4 precious years dealing with DCUs bullsh#t.

Except the fact there are no records of Philly or NYRB sending a significant amount of academy products to top clubs in Europe

This is a thread about RDS for younger players btw

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

So I don’t actually disagree with this but if you don’t have a dual passport (eu or South America for example), DCUA is still really your best bet or is still a really good option. Do keep that in perspective. Note too that to the extent that DCUA has had successes, it also helps to have a dual passport although DCUA isn’t totally great with maximizing that stuff but I think they are working on it?

Depends on what your end game is. Absent a vehicle to enter Europe or South America for a FIFA approved transfer, so you could join a European or South American academy, and if pro soccer is your ambition, DCU is certainly NOT your best option. First option is to explore other MLS academies and what they could offer your son. Philly Union and Red Bulls just have better and more recent track records of producing pros from their academy system. Yes, that requires a move but if you're serious, sometimes drastic measures need to be taken. Second is to look at other proven pathways and avenues...USL Academies, Residential Academies like Barca, Shattuck St Marys,, Benfica has a new residential academy.in the US. Yes, these are generally pay to play but scholarships are offered for top players and you need to focus on what gives your son the best chance of IMPROVING as a player at the fastest rate and what gives him a platform for exposure. DCU does none of that. Outside of GA cup, which ALL MLS academies go to because it is a MLS run event, DCU does nothing for the kids in terms of additional exposure. Philly Unioms u16 and u18 just came back from a two week trip to Germany playing some solid German academies this summer. What was going on at DCU??? Absolutely nothing. It's just not at the level.

If college is your end game, DCU is also not the best option because it doesn't have the relationships that other clubs have in the area AND your son is getting an inferior education and will be on a downward trajectory in terms of learning the game the second he enters their system which in turn lessens his chance of continuing to be a top player in a few years when it Actually mattera. Education is not the goal at DCU. It just isn't. If you're one of the top players in your age group at DCU, MAYBE it could be ok for college. But to me it is still a maybe because the program is just that bad. It's only 4 years with DCU. There are just WAY better ways to invest in your sons development and opportunities than spending those 4 precious years dealing with DCUs bullsh#t.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

The parents who's kids left DCU and are now in top colleges or playing professionally in Europe may tend to disagree with your assessment that it's a badge only

If your kid failed to make it at DCU or after DCU, it's your fault and the kids fault.

Blaming the school where others got passing grades when you failed isn't solely the school's fault

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

The parents who's kids left DCU and are now in top colleges or playing professionally in Europe may tend to disagree with your assessment that it's a badge only

If your kid failed to make it at DCU or after DCU, it's your fault and the kids fault.

Blaming the school where others got passing grades when you failed isn't solely the school's fault

It is badge only - the badge gave them opportunities but I bet most will say they were truly developed elsewhere.

But it’s a useful badge, that’s the point. Don’t knock it if you will benefit from having it regardless

A empty badge gives opportunities?
How is that?

Yeah, my kid was at DCU for 4 years after leaving a small club in Manassas.
He's now in the Premier League

All the development credits go to the Manassas club from 8 to 13
13 to 18 at DC was just passing time

Anyway, waste of time conversation.

This is about RDS pre-academy

So basically you're saying DCU deserves no credit for his development. Which I would find very accurate and consistent with the thread.

Not the PP, but its pretty obvious they are saying the player was developed from age 13 to 18 at DC

Unless you think development stops at 12 then player just starts performing at high level in college and pros

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[code]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

The parents who's kids left DCU and are now in top colleges or playing professionally in Europe may tend to disagree with your assessment that it's a badge only

If your kid failed to make it at DCU or after DCU, it's your fault and the kids fault.

Blaming the school where others got passing grades when you failed isn't solely the school's fault

It is badge only - the badge gave them opportunities but I bet most will say they were truly developed elsewhere.

But it’s a useful badge, that’s the point. Don’t knock it if you will benefit from having it regardless

A empty badge gives opportunities?
How is that?

Yeah, my kid was at DCU for 4 years after leaving a small club in Manassas.
He's now in the Premier League

All the development credits go to the Manassas club from 8 to 13
13 to 18 at DC was just passing time

Anyway, waste of time conversation.

This is about RDS pre-academy

Whoa! That’s great! Who were the coaches that developed them at DCU? Are they still there?

Will they be coaches at the RDS
pre-academy?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

The parents who's kids left DCU and are now in top colleges or playing professionally in Europe may tend to disagree with your assessment that it's a badge only

If your kid failed to make it at DCU or after DCU, it's your fault and the kids fault.

Blaming the school where others got passing grades when you failed isn't solely the school's fault

It is badge only - the badge gave them opportunities but I bet most will say they were truly developed elsewhere.

But it’s a useful badge, that’s the point. Don’t knock it if you will benefit from having it regardless

A empty badge gives opportunities?
How is that?

Yeah, my kid was at DCU for 4 years after leaving a small club in Manassas.
He's now in the Premier League

All the development credits go to the Manassas club from 8 to 13
13 to 18 at DC was just passing time

Anyway, waste of time conversation.

This is about RDS pre-academy

So basically you're saying DCU deserves no credit for his development. Which I would find very accurate and consistent with the thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

The parents who's kids left DCU and are now in top colleges or playing professionally in Europe may tend to disagree with your assessment that it's a badge only

If your kid failed to make it at DCU or after DCU, it's your fault and the kids fault.

Blaming the school where others got passing grades when you failed isn't solely the school's fault

It is badge only - the badge gave them opportunities but I bet most will say they were truly developed elsewhere.

But it’s a useful badge, that’s the point. Don’t knock it if you will benefit from having it regardless

A empty badge gives opportunities?
How is that?

Yeah, my kid was at DCU for 4 years after leaving a small club in Manassas.
He's now in the Premier League

All the development credits go to the Manassas club from 8 to 13
13 to 18 at DC was just passing time

Anyway, waste of time conversation.

This is about RDS pre-academy

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

So I don’t actually disagree with this but if you don’t have a dual passport (eu or South America for example), DCUA is still really your best bet or is still a really good option. Do keep that in perspective. Note too that to the extent that DCUA has had successes, it also helps to have a dual passport although DCUA isn’t totally great with maximizing that stuff but I think they are working on it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hard to tell without knowing who the coaches are.

But I think if you are not on an MLSNext or ECNL team, it might be worth it based on the assumption that you’re training with a strong group of kids since it is tryout based.

I have no idea how much it is though so that will factor in. There are already a lot of small group training and great coaches around that are known good trainers.

I will add that redbull and Philadelphia have the same program and there are some threads in other groups (eg, FB) that gripe about the cost and that it’s not worth it and that very rarely are any players recruited from the RDS.

I've seen kids get picked up through their RDS system. If a player doesn't make it, maybe they're not on that level.

Most of the kids whose parents are interested are label-thirsty. They are open for business from any high-level label that wants them: DCUA, MLS Next, ECNL, ODP, etc.

I hope this helps well-meaning but naive parents. Do any of these parents know the development model for DCUA? Who is coaching? What is the benefit of the training? Do they correct bad technique?

DCUA is guilty on focusing on pace when internationally, the focus up to age 14 is technical development and ball mastery. As someone else mentioned, my child has open invites to all of the invite-only training that I am aware of which focuses on technical ball mastery with the top kids in the area so why would I need DCUA to develop? Is DCUA going to sprinkle magic black and red pixie dust on your kids feet to teach them how to use their weak foot or how to take a ball out of the air? That is accomplished by boring wall passing and receiving and unopposed ball mastery drills which can be done for $FREE.99. Become a standout by doing double the number of reps on your weak foot as your strong foot until they don’t know whether you are left footed or right footed at the next tryout.

99% of kids are not proficient with both feet and can’t take a sloth 1v1 but want to be scouted by DCU 😂.

Learn the 🇺🇸 soccer game and play it. Don’t let these fancy acronym organizations play you.

If you have never:

-Had an opposing team ask you to guest play for them
-Been offered a free club sponsorship to play for a club
-Been invited to invite only training where your technique is called out and you are pushed
-Been invited to guest on a top tournament team
-Had local clubs trying to poach you from your current club

You are just not good enough YET. Have your kid get to work to become that player that experiences those things.

100% honest truth and feel free to spend your money as you feel fit with this info.

IF they someone grab some of the top technique coaches in the area, I will easily change my tune.

"DCUA is guilty on focusing on pace when internationally, the focus up to age 14 is technical development and ball mastery"

So Barcelona Academy, Real Madrid Academy, Arsenal Academy at 14 years of age doesn't focus on speed of play aka: pace?

DCUA starts at U14, so where did you get their pre-U14 individual development plan for U-littles?

You compared pace at DCUA with pace at La Masia which clearly indicates you don’t know anything. This was a classic official DCUA PR response so they can’t even get anonymous trolling right? 😂🤣😂🤣

Hey, the owners are brilliant. They are raking in millions and these details for parents are buried in an anonymous blog so most won’t find it. Those that do will still believe in the DCUA foot ferry who will make their average EDP III player an academy baller in just 8 sessions for $395. 🤣😂🤣😂

No wonder private equity is entering youth sports. I need to start a club.

Actually, pace at DCUA wasn't compared to pace at European academies.

What was directly addressed was you saying DCUA focuses on pace at 14 but European academies do not.

So you either don't know what pace is in soccer or you don't know what's happening at European academies at 14 years old

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[code]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

The parents who's kids left DCU and are now in top colleges or playing professionally in Europe may tend to disagree with your assessment that it's a badge only

If your kid failed to make it at DCU or after DCU, it's your fault and the kids fault.

Blaming the school where others got passing grades when you failed isn't solely the school's fault

It is badge only - the badge gave them opportunities but I bet most will say they were truly developed elsewhere.

But it’s a useful badge, that’s the point. Don’t knock it if you will benefit from having it regardless

A empty badge gives opportunities?
How is that?

Yeah, my kid was at DCU for 4 years after leaving a small club in Manassas.
He's now in the Premier League

All the development credits go to the Manassas club from 8 to 13
13 to 18 at DC was just passing time

Anyway, waste of time conversation.

This is about RDS pre-academy

Whoa! That’s great! Who were the coaches that developed them at DCU? Are they still there?

Will they be coaches at the RDS
pre-academy?

Anonymous wrote:[code]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

The parents who's kids left DCU and are now in top colleges or playing professionally in Europe may tend to disagree with your assessment that it's a badge only

If your kid failed to make it at DCU or after DCU, it's your fault and the kids fault.

Blaming the school where others got passing grades when you failed isn't solely the school's fault

It is badge only - the badge gave them opportunities but I bet most will say they were truly developed elsewhere.

But it’s a useful badge, that’s the point. Don’t knock it if you will benefit from having it regardless

A empty badge gives opportunities?
How is that?

Yeah, my kid was at DCU for 4 years after leaving a small club in Manassas.
He's now in the Premier League

All the development credits go to the Manassas club from 8 to 13
13 to 18 at DC was just passing time

Anyway, waste of time conversation.

This is about RDS pre-academy

Whoa! That’s great! Who were the coaches that developed them at DCU? Are they still there?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

The parents who's kids left DCU and are now in top colleges or playing professionally in Europe may tend to disagree with your assessment that it's a badge only

If your kid failed to make it at DCU or after DCU, it's your fault and the kids fault.

Blaming the school where others got passing grades when you failed isn't solely the school's fault

It is badge only - the badge gave them opportunities but I bet most will say they were truly developed elsewhere.

But it’s a useful badge, that’s the point. Don’t knock it if you will benefit from having it regardless

A empty badge gives opportunities?
How is that?

Yeah, my kid was at DCU for 4 years after leaving a small club in Manassas.
He's now in the Premier League

All the development credits go to the Manassas club from 8 to 13
13 to 18 at DC was just passing time

Anyway, waste of time conversation.

This is about RDS pre-academy

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

The parents who's kids left DCU and are now in top colleges or playing professionally in Europe may tend to disagree with your assessment that it's a badge only

If your kid failed to make it at DCU or after DCU, it's your fault and the kids fault.

Blaming the school where others got passing grades when you failed isn't solely the school's fault

It is badge only - the badge gave them opportunities but I bet most will say they were truly developed elsewhere.

But it’s a useful badge, that’s the point. Don’t knock it if you will benefit from having it regardless

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...

The parents who's kids left DCU and are now in top colleges or playing professionally in Europe may tend to disagree with your assessment that it's a badge only

If your kid failed to make it at DCU or after DCU, it's your fault and the kids fault.

Blaming the school where others got passing grades when you failed isn't solely the school's fault

Anonymous wrote:The RDS at DCU, like all other things DCU does us totally garbage. It is a pure money grab plain and simple. Very few, if any, kids from the RDS are going to make it to the DCU squad. And to be honest, making the DCU squad is not what it may seem. It is a half a## academy system with no ambition, no money and even less of an idea in how to develop players for the modern game. Dont waste your time or money on DCU. They will disappoint you time and time again and the only one who will be missing out on real development opportunities is your son. DCU is a badge only academy. If you want the badge because that makes you feel good inside, do that. If you want to really progress at the sport to become a pro, DCU is not the place for that. It is that simple.

To the PP talking about pace...of course European academies look at pace of youth players when bringing them into their systems. The modern game is built on pace. But they don't take pace above all else. The best players have speed of thought/decisions/action and can couple that with pace and strong technique. But to say European academies don't focus on pace is wrong. In some positions it is all they focus on at youth ages because they believe they can teach the technical side but you can't teach someone with poor fast twitch muscles and poor genetics for speed how to be fast. You can't turn a Honda into a Ferrari...