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Post by zizou on May 9, 2018 16:46:52 GMT -5
Did anyone see this? Was it already posted? Interview with former USSF Presidential Candidate Steve Gans. There are some pointed questions (e.g on USSF coaching license numbers for Latinos) and amazing responses (e.g. lots of material on DA; both of Gans' boys played). This dude would have done a great job. SoccerAmerican Interview with Steve Gans
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Post by Soccerhouse on May 9, 2018 17:00:50 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing. Heard interviews in the past, but he never provided this much detail
SA: What would you say the Boys DA's main flaws are?
STEVE GANS: I sat on the Board of a DA club for 5 ½ years, and I was a DA parent for 7 years. My pretty consistent experience was that U.S. Soccer would introduce another more restrictive rule every half year or year, no doubt aimed at making the boys more professional, but which instead had a deleterious effect. My impression was that U.S. Soccer was making those decisions from 30,000 feet in a conference room in Chicago, and was out of touch with those in the trenches who could provide essential feedback to aid in informed decision-making.
One example in this regard which I discussed during the campaign was the implementation of the restrictive FIFA substitution rule in the DA. U.S. Soccer thought they were creating more professional “game ready” players by employing this rule. Instead, it was just another more restrictive and joy-sucking rule, which contributed to the “death by 1,000 cuts” experience of a good many boys in the DA.
Think about it for a minute: in regular club soccer, if a coach substitutes a player either for tactical reasons or to give him/her a pointer, that player can return to the game. DA players know the real FIFA rule in this area, they don’t need to play under it at U-14. As it is, many boys would come to me on game days and say “The Cornell coach is here to see me, the Tufts coach is here, and if I have two bad touches in the first 12 minutes, I will be pulled.”
As a consequence, many boys play “safe” and inhibited, with no risk-taking and no expression. And by the way, if U.S. Soccer’s intention behind the rule is to get boys to get off to a fast start and have their heads in the game from the get-go, that message can be delivered on a case-by-case basis other than by this suffocating rule (i.e., via a coach’s decision). The FIFA substitution rule is just one of a series of ever more restrictive rules issued by U.S. Soccer during my seven years as a DA parent, which served to suck the joy out of the game for young players, and which in my opinion evidenced how out of touch U.S. Soccer has been.
Other flaws include:
• Too much travel, which contributes to burnout. • Ban on high school play, which is a huge alienating factor, contributing to players losing passion for and ultimately even resenting the sport. • Not enough monitored standards for coaches and DOC’s, many of whom emphasize winning over development, in an effort to build their own coaching resumes rather than truly focusing on what’s best for the young players.
In my experience, by the end of the system at U18-U19 if there are more than six players on a DA team who are still happy players, then that is a lot. Why should that be?
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Post by atv on May 10, 2018 7:09:13 GMT -5
I listened to a debate before the election hosted by US Club Soccer and was really impressed with this guy but also with most of the other candidates (EW, KM, MW, PC). They were all saying the same thing and were actually agreeing more than debating. LOL
I keep waiting for someone to write an article grading Carlos Cordeiro’s presidency so far. Steve Gans and the other candidates appeared to clearly understand what most believe are the issues related to youth soccer. Now clubs are taking it into their own hands to inact change via GDA defections and more club centric leagues (like the Championship League). What’s next?
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Post by rantingsoccerdad on May 10, 2018 14:06:11 GMT -5
I listened to a debate before the election hosted by US Club Soccer and was really impressed with this guy but also with most of the other candidates (EW, KM, MW, PC). They were all saying the same thing and were actually agreeing more than debating. LOL I keep waiting for someone to write an article grading Carlos Cordeiro’s presidency so far. Steve Gans and the other candidates appeared to clearly understand what most believe are the issues related to youth soccer. Now clubs are taking it into their own hands to inact change via GDA defections and more club centric leagues (like the Championship League). What’s next? I'll write the article for you right now ... CORDEIRO'S TERM SO FAR He's traveling and trying to make sure the USA/Mexico/Canada World Cup succeeds, which will be difficult because the world is mad at us right now. The end.
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