Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:posting here as well: The pathway for an MLSN2 player to move up to MLSN1 has now become significantly harder, almost impossible for some. Because MLSN2 functions as a school year (SY) feeder team, so players would have to skip an age group to join a birth-year-based MLSN1 roster. Realistically, very few Aug–Dec players will be able to make that jump.

In other words, the MLSN system now has virtually NO upward pipeline. If you’re an Aug–Dec player, breaking into the MLSN1 team (where the older Jan–July players compete, some nearly a full year older) will be extremely difficult. And when there’s no real pathway from MLSN2 to MLSN1, players WILL leave.

Families invest in these MLSN pay-to-play academies (not DC United Academy) because they hope their child might eventually reach the first team. That possibility has essentially been removed. MLSN academies will be forced to convince their MLSN2 Aug–Dec players to stay instead of moving to ECNL, where they would actually have a chance to reach a national-level first team.

By “first team,” I mean better coaching, field priority (which becomes a major issue in bad weather; MLSN1 will be training indoors while MLSN2 won’t, as has happened before), access to VEO analytics, and more visibility with recruiters. First team is FIRST TEAM. Second team is always at the back of the line, that’s the reality.

This is a legitimate concern. I have a q4 on a top team at an mlsnext club at the pre-mls ages. He’s doing well and we are happy. We are waiting for guidance from our club as to how they will handle the youth ages. My hope is they keep BY all the way through. The alternative is he repeats his current age group then at u12 will have to try out for a u13 HG with kids who have been playing an age group up. Not a great situation.

Anonymous wrote:posting here as well: The pathway for an MLSN2 player to move up to MLSN1 has now become significantly harder, almost impossible for some. Because MLSN2 functions as a school year (SY) feeder team, so players would have to skip an age group to join a birth-year-based MLSN1 roster. Realistically, very few Aug–Dec players will be able to make that jump.

In other words, the MLSN system now has virtually NO upward pipeline. If you’re an Aug–Dec player, breaking into the MLSN1 team (where the older Jan–July players compete, some nearly a full year older) will be extremely difficult. And when there’s no real pathway from MLSN2 to MLSN1, players WILL leave.

Families invest in these MLSN pay-to-play academies (not DC United Academy) because they hope their child might eventually reach the first team. That possibility has essentially been removed. MLSN academies will be forced to convince their MLSN2 Aug–Dec players to stay instead of moving to ECNL, where they would actually have a chance to reach a national-level first team.

By “first team,” I mean better coaching, field priority (which becomes a major issue in bad weather; MLSN1 will be training indoors while MLSN2 won’t, as has happened before), access to VEO analytics, and more visibility with recruiters. First team is FIRST TEAM. Second team is always at the back of the line, that’s the reality.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having had some time to dwell on this - I think for us, it's not that my kid was really going to move up from AD to HG - it's that the illusion of the possibility has been removed.

He's a starter on his u16 AD team now, playing 75% of the game, there's no universe in which dropping a year is good for his development or would prepare him to make the Homegrown team.

What the impact of that will be we'll see. I let him know last night and we'll wait for comms from the club and do MLS Fest. There is an ECNL club in town.

Wouldn't he have to make that same shift of "dropping a year down" if he went ECNL?? Or are you saying because ECNL is a lesser league, he can go there and play up at the age you want him to play at?

PP here - The difference would be there's a route to the best team with the best coaches, kids, visibility, whether or not he'd make it.

It's a good point though, that in either scenario his development may take a step back. As a late Q4 he's had the advantage/disadvantage of being almost always the youngest.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having had some time to dwell on this - I think for us, it's not that my kid was really going to move up from AD to HG - it's that the illusion of the possibility has been removed.

He's a starter on his u16 AD team now, playing 75% of the game, there's no universe in which dropping a year is good for his development or would prepare him to make the Homegrown team.

What the impact of that will be we'll see. I let him know last night and we'll wait for comms from the club and do MLS Fest. There is an ECNL club in town.

Wouldn't he have to make that same shift of "dropping a year down" if he went ECNL?? Or are you saying because ECNL is a lesser league, he can go there and play up at the age you want him to play at?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having had some time to dwell on this - I think for us, it's not that my kid was really going to move up from AD to HG - it's that the illusion of the possibility has been removed.

He's a starter on his u16 AD team now, playing 75% of the game, there's no universe in which dropping a year is good for his development or would prepare him to make the Homegrown team.

What the impact of that will be we'll see. I let him know last night and we'll wait for comms from the club and do MLS Fest. There is an ECNL club in town.

Wouldn't he have to make that same shift of "dropping a year down" if he went ECNL?? Or are you saying because ECNL is a lesser league, he can go there and play up at the age you want him to play at?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having had some time to dwell on this - I think for us, it's not that my kid was really going to move up from AD to HG - it's that the illusion of the possibility has been removed.

He's a starter on his u16 AD team now, playing 75% of the game, there's no universe in which dropping a year is good for his development or would prepare him to make the Homegrown team.

What the impact of that will be we'll see. I let him know last night and we'll wait for comms from the club and do MLS Fest. There is an ECNL club in town.

Wouldn't he have to make that same shift of "dropping a year down" if he went ECNL?? Or are you saying because ECNL is a lesser league, he can go there and play up at the age you want him to play at?

Anonymous wrote:Having had some time to dwell on this - I think for us, it's not that my kid was really going to move up from AD to HG - it's that the illusion of the possibility has been removed.

He's a starter on his u16 AD team now, playing 75% of the game, there's no universe in which dropping a year is good for his development or would prepare him to make the Homegrown team.

What the impact of that will be we'll see. I let him know last night and we'll wait for comms from the club and do MLS Fest. There is an ECNL club in town.

Anonymous wrote:Having had some time to dwell on this - I think for us, it's not that my kid was really going to move up from AD to HG - it's that the illusion of the possibility has been removed.

He's a starter on his u16 AD team now, playing 75% of the game, there's no universe in which dropping a year is good for his development or would prepare him to make the Homegrown team.

What the impact of that will be we'll see. I let him know last night and we'll wait for comms from the club and do MLS Fest. There is an ECNL club in town.

Anonymous wrote:Mls1 simply picks big good looking dudes. It’s pre-money ball era in American soccer.

That’s why D1 coaches go to Europe for top teams….

Anonymous wrote:Mls1 simply picks big good looking dudes. It’s pre-money ball era in American soccer.

That’s why D1 coaches go to Europe for top teams….