|
Post by Soccerhouse on Dec 21, 2018 9:04:40 GMT -5
What is you opinion. College vs USL.
Your kid is a stud academy player at a top MLS club. Lets assume your kid is a good student and wants to become a professional soccer player, but also understands the importance of a college degree, but again wants to be a professional soccer player.
Your kid gets offered a USL deal. They don't get offered a first team deal, its a USL deal:
Do you take the deal or do you have your kid attend college.
Granted -- if your kid has zero interest in college than the USL makes sense....but if not......
My take and its just my opinion -- If one's aspirations are to be a pro-- I think you have 3 options (in no order) 1) attend college 2) sign MLS first team deal with guaranteed minutes attached to the contract assuming player is healthy (this is not a reality) 3) head to Europe
I much prefer a kid head to college and play a few years then if still successful chase the dream. I'm also no longer taking into consideration what is the best for US soccer, because if US soccer doesn't care what is the best for US soccer, why should I........
|
|
|
Post by soccernotfootball on Dec 21, 2018 9:17:46 GMT -5
Work the angles...
Take a gap year. Don't sign the contract. As the stud academy player at a top MLS club, see if there's "guaranteed" time w/ the USL team. Play that year and see if you can make your mark to earn first team looks. If nothing works out, go to college to earn the degree and play in the college program the next year.
|
|
|
Post by Soccerhouse on Dec 21, 2018 9:43:02 GMT -5
Work the angles... Take a gap year. Don't sign the contract. As the stud academy player at a top MLS club, see if there's "guaranteed" time w/ the USL team. Play that year and see if you can make your mark to earn first team looks. If nothing works out, go to college to earn the degree and play in the college program the next year. Good idea -- and don't take any $$$ correct during that gap year? I like your thinking!
|
|
|
Post by Goalkeeper Dad on Dec 21, 2018 9:46:10 GMT -5
My take is go to college while still chasing the dream. With the chances of making a pro team being so thin you want to have something to fall back on. If the kid is that good he can go to a great school for an education while playing at a top notch University. With this sport starting to become popular in the US there will be a scout that will see his ability and take him.
Be prepared if God forbid he gets hurt or falls out of love for the game.
|
|
|
Post by rifle on Dec 21, 2018 17:24:07 GMT -5
Interesting question. Given only two choices I’d say USL because the dream is soccer. Don’t hedge your dream.
Note to self: go watch the Jay DeMerit Story again - dream bigger
College will be there for an education whenever you wake up from the dream (or fall out of bed).
|
|
|
Post by Keeper on Dec 21, 2018 19:08:54 GMT -5
College. All day everyday.
Now if this was a top notch league like something in Europe then it would have to be one of those top ten NCAA D1 schools to stay in school.
|
|
|
Post by footy on Dec 21, 2018 23:30:59 GMT -5
Are you talking about a specific player or hypothetically? If a player has the ability to play in Europe, I think that would be the first choice. Then USL, then college. I agree with rifle in that college will always be there later. That said, some kids want to attend college with their peers rather than wait and be the oldest undergrad around. It's a personal decision and I'm happy for anyone who has these options!
|
|
|
Post by mistergrinch on Dec 22, 2018 11:09:26 GMT -5
I'd love to see some stats on how many players start in USL and actually make a jump up to mls or other leagues.
USL money is crap. The average is something like 30k. MLS money isn't even that great.. it's not like dreaming of other pro sports where you can make the league and be making a minimum of a few hundred grand per year for a while. Look up NFL or NBA league minimums.
When MLS money get big.. comparable to other US pro sports.. then the minor league route makes sense. Until then, get an education kids.
|
|
|
Post by atv on Dec 22, 2018 12:26:18 GMT -5
I'd love to see some stats on how many players start in USL and actually make a jump up to mls or other leagues. USL money is crap. The average is something like 30k. MLS money isn't even that great.. it's not like dreaming of other pro sports where you can make the league and be making a minimum of a few hundred grand per year for a while. Look up NFL or NBA league minimums. When MLS money get big.. comparable to other US pro sports.. then the minor league route makes sense. Until then, get an education kids. Yes, for every player making it there are 100 - 1000’s just barely getting by. Go to college. Future earning potential is much higher.
|
|
|
Post by gaprospects on Dec 22, 2018 13:46:39 GMT -5
If you're a D1 student athlete, you are in school for that sport. That is your #1 priority regardless of what anyone else tells you or your family. You commit yourself to your team as if it's your job, except you aren't getting paid, your season is squeezing 3 games a week into a 2-3 month schedule, and you're trying to balance a challenging academic calendar alongside your soccer. Furthermore, most D1 soccer scholarships are only partial, so you're still paying the school something for the opportunity to play. If you get hurt, either due to the fixture congestion or just bad luck, well, too bad.
If you have the chance to go pro at any level, go for it. Yes, it will be hard, yes, there's no guarantee of success, and yes, the money won't be great initially. But it's an opportunity that you may never have again, and if it doesn't work out, you can always go get a degree and do something else with your life at any time.
|
|
|
Post by rifle on Dec 22, 2018 14:20:18 GMT -5
I'd love to see some stats on how many players start in USL and actually make a jump up to mls or other leagues. USL money is crap. The average is something like 30k. MLS money isn't even that great.. it's not like dreaming of other pro sports where you can make the league and be making a minimum of a few hundred grand per year for a while. Look up NFL or NBA league minimums. When MLS money get big.. comparable to other US pro sports.. then the minor league route makes sense. Until then, get an education kids. In my observation, the number of players who matriculate from USL... OR NCAA for that matter to [actually playing] in MLS is dismally few. I saw a tweet this week about the 2016 MLS “Superdraft” class and it was sad. If I can find it again I will edit and add it. Hopefully in a decade it will be normal for MLS academy players to migrate to the starting 11 on the first team. Edit: this tweet and several replies outlines players from several recent MLS Superdrafts.
|
|
|
Post by oldboy on Dec 22, 2018 14:32:58 GMT -5
I'd love to see some stats on how many players start in USL and actually make a jump up to mls or other leagues. USL money is crap. The average is something like 30k. MLS money isn't even that great.. it's not like dreaming of other pro sports where you can make the league and be making a minimum of a few hundred grand per year for a while. Look up NFL or NBA league minimums. When MLS money get big.. comparable to other US pro sports.. then the minor league route makes sense. Until then, get an education kids. In my observation, the number of players who matriculate from USL... OR NCAA for that matter to [actually playing] in MLS is dismally few. I saw a tweet this week about the 2016 MLS “Superdraft” class and it was sad. If I can find it again I will edit and add it. Hopefully in a decade it will be normal for MLS academy players to migrate to the starting 11 on the first team. It’s not exactly “normal” anywhere in the world for academy players to regularly get into the starting 11. Most professional academies consider themselves successful if they produce a player for first-team games or for high-dollar sell every two years. Anything more than that and you’re in rarified air as an academy program.
|
|
|
Post by soccerworld on Dec 22, 2018 15:41:56 GMT -5
I'd rather chase the dream with a few years of college and leave early if necessary -- but wouldn't want to pass on an opportunity to attend lets say a few schools that without soccer, would not be a possible: Stanford Duke UVA UNC Wake Georgetown Berkeley to name a few...
Parkhurst - college Gressel - college Nagbe - college Guzan - college Larentowicz - college
|
|
|
Post by rifle on Dec 22, 2018 23:07:15 GMT -5
An interesting perspective: www.reddit.com/r/AtlantaUnited/comments/a8esfz/this_is_a_good_piece_on_de_boer_many_of_his/?st=JQ0DBIGA&sh=ad13d8dbFor example, his thoughts on English football’s youth development conundrum are well worth hearing. “They don’t get the time to play at the highest level,” he argues. “I always think that from 17 until 22, you have to play every week, 30, 40 games in a year. That's the philosophy of Ajax. If you don't play, you play in the second team, in the second division. Here in the Premier League, it’s so difficult.
“That’s why I would say to young players from Ajax: just get 100 games under your belt in the first division. From there, you can make the next step, like Eriksen did. A lot of players leave at 15, 16 years old. They come back, they didn’t play one game in the first team. They promised everything, but at the end their career goes down, because they lost so much in that period from 17 until 21. The agents are to blame, I think, because they only see their money. A few care about players. The rest only think about the dollar signs.”
|
|
|
Post by oraclesfriend on Dec 23, 2018 13:51:58 GMT -5
My perspective...through my job I have a lot of contact with former athletes of all sports including foreign soccer players who now live here. One recently said to me that he left England (where he was at an EPL academy AND had played in the U19 English national team while in high school) to play soccer here in the US in college. He went to Furman along with a couple of his YNT teammates. The reason??? He said that despite being a top level YNT player he was not getting contracts that he felt would be financially viable and felt that the scholarship (full ride) was worth more money than he could expect to earn in 4 years there. He chose the free education. Now he did get a full ride so that is not everyone but one would think the kids being offered USL contracts are good enough to get at least half rides. Also while you can go back to school to get an education at any time, the cost is still there and is rising. So if you get paid $50,000 per year you are not going to save much for college that way. I suppose there are those that keep their eligibility some way, but my guess is that they have very few kids that chose that.
His brother chose to try to play pro for a few years but never made it and is not a FA licensed coach doing academy coaching. I can't remember the age difference...they may have been twins or one year apart.
|
|
|
Post by Futsal Gawdess on Jan 3, 2019 20:31:43 GMT -5
What is you opinion. College vs USL. Your kid is a stud academy player at a top MLS club. Lets assume your kid is a good student and wants to become a professional soccer player, but also understands the importance of a college degree, but again wants to be a professional soccer player. Your kid gets offered a USL deal. They don't get offered a first team deal, its a USL deal: Do you take the deal or do you have your kid attend college. Granted -- if your kid has zero interest in college than the USL makes sense....but if not...... My take and its just my opinion -- If one's aspirations are to be a pro-- I think you have 3 options (in no order) 1) attend college 2) sign MLS first team deal with guaranteed minutes attached to the contract assuming player is healthy (this is not a reality) 3) head to Europe I much prefer a kid head to college and play a few years then if still successful chase the dream. I'm also no longer taking into consideration what is the best for US soccer, because if US soccer doesn't care what is the best for US soccer, why should I........ I think the USL is akin to a black hole. If you are with a USL team that is truly affiliated with a first team MLS club, maybe. But, if that were my kid, I would not take a USL deal. I would rather try to get a full ride to a college with the caveat that I am able to take at least 2 semesters off (spring) to go pursue my dream in Europe. I know in the EPL and in some other European countries, you can sign a non-paying pro contract. Meaning, while you're on the u23s, you will not get paid $$$ but you will reap all the benefits of being on the team. That includes the opportunity to sign a legitimate contract for real $$$. It also allows you to be seen and gives the added opportunity to be transferred to another team lacking the skillset you could provide. It preserves your college eligibility and scholarship, gives you a higher profile back home for MLS teams and/or Nat'l Team coaches if you're not already on the Nat'l Team and allows you to give the whole "chasing the dream" the good old college try. I believe that is what they are trying to do with the USL League 2. In lieu of this question, I do have one of my own. Being that FDB(Frank de Boer) actually came through, graduated from and ultimately ran the world famous de toekomst Ajax Youth Academy, what do you all envision his impact will be on the youth academy at Atlanta United and for youth soccer in Atlanta, Georgia and the region? I know Tata did not care about the Academy, but do you think that FDB being a full on product of the Ajax Total Football model, will have a significant impact on the AU Youth Academy? Will he improve it, help boost the profile with TA at the helm, put more emphasis on it or leave it to TA to run as he sees fit?
|
|
|
Post by Futsal Gawdess on Jan 5, 2019 12:42:05 GMT -5
2019 MLS Combine Scrimmage - Team Copa vs Team Nemeziz
Streaming Link -
|
|