Anonymous wrote:In basketball, our best of the best are the best in the world.

In soccer, our best of the best are not the best in the world.

Same thing in Europe but in reverse.

Our best soccer players are not the best in Europe

Get it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And to add…we are the size of Europe. We have enough kids playing. Our infrastructure sucks. It’s a broken system. Period

The infrastructure isn’t there because the interest isn’t there. Soccer is not in the US culture. Sunday NFL games is a generations old tradition involving entire families. Friday night high school football games are an event for the community. The band plays at halftime. Ever been to a high school soccer game? The only ones there are the parents of the players. HS Basketball games are packed. You can’t just force interest to happen for the masses. Infrastructure won’t happen until the interest is there.

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:I hadn't really thought about this until it came up in the PAC thread of all places, but is the DMV failing to produce good players?

The only player I could find who has been near the men's national team recently is Bill Hamid. The WNT is a bit better -- Andi Sullivan, Midge Purce, Emily Fox and Ali Krieger.

SoCal is always going to be the biggest source of players. But the DMV is trailing Colorado and Atlanta, among other places.

Are we doing something wrong? Or is this what we would expect?

You need to do a bit more research.

Agreed. There are many more but that would not support his "expert" analysis.

Name them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you look at the percentage of the current MNT that got there by escaping to Europe before DA could run their career it's not so surprising that there aren't many DMV players making it. When you add in that DCU ran the least successful of the MLS DA programs it's even less surprising. For years the region's top talent went to DCU in their early teens to stall their development. Add to that the entire DA system was set up to prevent competition from smaller clubs it's not surprising that mediocrity was the outcome. MLS next promises to be more of the same. Until we get a new federation with a mission to develop soccer instead of fatten wallets we will be stuck with the same and the main path for future national team players will be to hold a European passport.

It's all crap. Growing up an American male in the United States is the biggest impediment to being a soccer superstar.

We are a family that has lived in both Europe and the US and what has always astounded me is how much European coaches LOVED my older son. They would talk about his great knowledge, knew exactly when to pass vs when to dribble, where to move, creative, etc. When we came back to the States, he's never been able to crack a top team---but when there is a European camp or ID session--he is asked to play up age groups and when they select a single kid for a US all-star team he is selected over many top kids in the area.

My 2nd born, who is good--but not older one's level is loved by US coaches.

The same type of player as my older one I will see and watch them also get looked over. His coach this season just wanted hard long balls and players that plowed into people and this was a Club that touts possession style. It was incredibly frustrating for him as a player and with a Coach who had zero concept of field movement.

Anonymous wrote:When you look at the percentage of the current MNT that got there by escaping to Europe before DA could run their career it's not so surprising that there aren't many DMV players making it. When you add in that DCU ran the least successful of the MLS DA programs it's even less surprising. For years the region's top talent went to DCU in their early teens to stall their development. Add to that the entire DA system was set up to prevent competition from smaller clubs it's not surprising that mediocrity was the outcome. MLS next promises to be more of the same. Until we get a new federation with a mission to develop soccer instead of fatten wallets we will be stuck with the same and the main path for future national team players will be to hold a European passport.

Anonymous wrote:And to add…we are the size of Europe. We have enough kids playing. Our infrastructure sucks. It’s a broken system. Period

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Except for the fact the kids in Paris like soccer and kids in SE, DC do not. They like basketball and football.

I volunteered for DC scores before the pandemic in SE DC and I can assure you this is categorically untrue. Kids and families in SE DC love soccer. Elementary school games had full sidelines of entire families cheering and enjoying soccer. PP has probably never been to SE DC--has it on his "don't ever go there" list. What kids in SE DC lack is affordable opportunities in soccer not love for the game. I invite you to come on down to JC Nalle, Randle, Kimball, Tyler, Beers, etc. some of the schools I've been to with DC scores, and see for yourself how much those kids love soccer.

That post really sums up this forum in general, doesn't it--bunch of folks spouting of as if they're experts on something they know absolutely nothing about.

RantingSoccerDad wrote:I hadn't really thought about this until it came up in the PAC thread of all places, but is the DMV failing to produce good players?

The only player I could find who has been near the men's national team recently is Bill Hamid. The WNT is a bit better -- Andi Sullivan, Midge Purce, Emily Fox and Ali Krieger.

SoCal is always going to be the biggest source of players. But the DMV is trailing Colorado and Atlanta, among other places.

Are we doing something wrong? Or is this what we would expect?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this were a city like paris, the hotbed of talent would be the eastern half of DC. High population density and kids aspiring towards the dream of becoming a superstar and escaping their circumstances. The best players would come from there hands down. But our system is screwed up and it doesn't work like that.

Except for the fact the kids in Paris like soccer and kids in SE, DC do not. They like basketball and football.

Also, the likelihood of the kids making it out through sports is slim to none in Paris. Here l, we have a college network that assist in this manner.

And let’s be real, a college educated adult makes more that these MLS players.

Take a hard look at the other side of the coin. For every kid that makes it to the pros. 5 million didn’t.

Frankly, if a parent had a son with incredible athletic abilities and he is able to make it to a D1 school for basketball, football or soccer, most people won't choose soccer.

The player's salary for the NWST is even worse. A college graduate will get paid a lot more than the typical NWSL player.

Also, only a small percentage of parents think that their DD will make D1 soccer or even get a scholarship. The majority of parents are using soccer to pad their DD's college application.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Except for the fact the kids in Paris like soccer and kids in SE, DC do not. They like basketball and football.

I volunteered for DC scores before the pandemic in SE DC and I can assure you this is categorically untrue. Kids and families in SE DC love soccer. Elementary school games had full sidelines of entire families cheering and enjoying soccer. PP has probably never been to SE DC--has it on his "don't ever go there" list. What kids in SE DC lack is affordable opportunities in soccer not love for the game. I invite you to come on down to JC Nalle, Randle, Kimball, Tyler, Beers, etc. some of the schools I've been to with DC scores, and see for yourself how much those kids love soccer.

That post really sums up this forum in general, doesn't it--bunch of folks spouting of as if they're experts on something they know absolutely nothing about.

Anonymous wrote:

Except for the fact the kids in Paris like soccer and kids in SE, DC do not. They like basketball and football.