Bigger Fish to fry than switching to "calendar year"
Aug 19, 2015 8:30:29 GMT -5
Soccerhouse, soccerdad44, and 2 more like this
Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2015 8:30:29 GMT -5
Granted, I think the USMNT looked better in the 90s when the players were raised during a win at all costs mentality. Soccer has become a sport about development vs "winning at all costs" like basketball, baseball, and football. Back in the ole days, we had 1 team, you didn't make that team, you played rec. The competition was insane, yes good kids got turned away, but kids battled to stay and remain on those squads. However, parents ran the teams vs coaches/clubs, so a change was inevitable!
I still think there are bigger issues with soccer in the U.S. and there are bigger problems that needed to be addressed before making a calendar year switch. I'm sure I will get slammed for some of these, but felt it was worth the effort.
-Cost is barrier
-Directors at large clubs are making lots of $$$$, that $$$$ could be/ should be invested back into the "kids" -- offsetting expenses. Fees could be reduced, travel costs for coaches could be assisted, more $ for scholarship players.
-Uniforms - having to purchase full kits is to much $$, the goal should be to reduce costs. Problem is clubs get kick backs from Nike/Adidas. For example, one color shorts, and socks, with 2 different color tops is adequate for the youth levels.
-Clubs need to have to a published/public technical manual and curriculum that all coaches follow and are evaluated on!
-Clubs leadership should be involved with tryout process and player placements on teams. To often, a single coach can come in, create a team whats in the best interest of "him/her" vs the club!! The response from the club is its, the coaches team, they can do what they want. I disagree, that coach could me gone in a year and not make decisions based upon whats in the best interest of the club, but for selfish reasons. I often see coaches making foolish decisions that end up making entire teams fall apart and the parents are blamed vs the coach. (Obviously the opposite happens as well, where crazy parents ruin teams)
-Big clubs carry way to many teams. This comes back to a $$$ thing, for various reasons. Do we really need 10 U11 teams?
-Too many teams in each age group means less field time for all and not enough training time/space for top teams/players
-Too many teams stretches coaches to much and cause troubles for commitments to certain teams
-Player identification has to improve (an entire topic itself)
-DA clubs being retracted vs expanded
-ODP has become an antiquated program, and has to adapt and evolve to the modern landscape - i.e. push to attend showcase DA/ECNL tournaments on boys and girls
sides especially for areas where there is no DA or ECNL
-The disparity between mls and non-mls DAs. GA United/Concorde have been successful, but the resources MLS teams will and are putting into their youth system makes it extremely difficult for non-mls teams to play on a equal level and compete on and off the field. MLS academies even have their own tournaments. Every DA team should be affiliated or tied to a MLS club.
-DA should have every year from u13-u18
-RPL needs to require roster continuity and award teams vs clubs (state based decisions)
-ECNL will need to be embraced by all for what its worth, if your daughter wants to play big time college ball, its become almost a most. Yes, you can get there, but will take much more work. It needs to become an official part of US Soccer.
-The cost to play ecnl needs to be addressed, i.e. many DA clubs are fully funded and that's clubs with no MLS affiliations!
-Options for kids that want to play soccer 10 months a year and not play high school. Like DA, problem is DA focuses on older kids in each agegroup, so one year your the best/oldest, the next year your the younger half and forced to go back to your club. Big issue, the DA kids play 10 months, and the cut kid goes back to a fall season and spring high school. Some see this as a positive, ie get to play high school. But we should be enlarging our player pool not shrinking it.
-College Soccer - regardless of birth cut offs, play ups, ecnl or DA, our best go to college to play soccer. You can't compare their training and number of competitive games that they play to the rest of the world. NCAA rules would need to allow a 10 month season or more coaching time etc. Doubt this happens given limitations with all sports, and these kids are students not professional athletes. The model seems to be working for now for women, but not men.
I still think there are bigger issues with soccer in the U.S. and there are bigger problems that needed to be addressed before making a calendar year switch. I'm sure I will get slammed for some of these, but felt it was worth the effort.
-Cost is barrier
-Directors at large clubs are making lots of $$$$, that $$$$ could be/ should be invested back into the "kids" -- offsetting expenses. Fees could be reduced, travel costs for coaches could be assisted, more $ for scholarship players.
-Uniforms - having to purchase full kits is to much $$, the goal should be to reduce costs. Problem is clubs get kick backs from Nike/Adidas. For example, one color shorts, and socks, with 2 different color tops is adequate for the youth levels.
-Clubs need to have to a published/public technical manual and curriculum that all coaches follow and are evaluated on!
-Clubs leadership should be involved with tryout process and player placements on teams. To often, a single coach can come in, create a team whats in the best interest of "him/her" vs the club!! The response from the club is its, the coaches team, they can do what they want. I disagree, that coach could me gone in a year and not make decisions based upon whats in the best interest of the club, but for selfish reasons. I often see coaches making foolish decisions that end up making entire teams fall apart and the parents are blamed vs the coach. (Obviously the opposite happens as well, where crazy parents ruin teams)
-Big clubs carry way to many teams. This comes back to a $$$ thing, for various reasons. Do we really need 10 U11 teams?
-Too many teams in each age group means less field time for all and not enough training time/space for top teams/players
-Too many teams stretches coaches to much and cause troubles for commitments to certain teams
-Player identification has to improve (an entire topic itself)
-DA clubs being retracted vs expanded
-ODP has become an antiquated program, and has to adapt and evolve to the modern landscape - i.e. push to attend showcase DA/ECNL tournaments on boys and girls
sides especially for areas where there is no DA or ECNL
-The disparity between mls and non-mls DAs. GA United/Concorde have been successful, but the resources MLS teams will and are putting into their youth system makes it extremely difficult for non-mls teams to play on a equal level and compete on and off the field. MLS academies even have their own tournaments. Every DA team should be affiliated or tied to a MLS club.
-DA should have every year from u13-u18
-RPL needs to require roster continuity and award teams vs clubs (state based decisions)
-ECNL will need to be embraced by all for what its worth, if your daughter wants to play big time college ball, its become almost a most. Yes, you can get there, but will take much more work. It needs to become an official part of US Soccer.
-The cost to play ecnl needs to be addressed, i.e. many DA clubs are fully funded and that's clubs with no MLS affiliations!
-Options for kids that want to play soccer 10 months a year and not play high school. Like DA, problem is DA focuses on older kids in each agegroup, so one year your the best/oldest, the next year your the younger half and forced to go back to your club. Big issue, the DA kids play 10 months, and the cut kid goes back to a fall season and spring high school. Some see this as a positive, ie get to play high school. But we should be enlarging our player pool not shrinking it.
-College Soccer - regardless of birth cut offs, play ups, ecnl or DA, our best go to college to play soccer. You can't compare their training and number of competitive games that they play to the rest of the world. NCAA rules would need to allow a 10 month season or more coaching time etc. Doubt this happens given limitations with all sports, and these kids are students not professional athletes. The model seems to be working for now for women, but not men.