The ultimate question -- Does the cream rise to the top?
Mar 12, 2020 9:40:23 GMT -5
Keeper, atv, and 2 more like this
Post by Soccerhouse on Mar 12, 2020 9:40:23 GMT -5
The ultimate question -- Does the cream rise to the top in youth soccer?
I'd argue in other major US sports, by the time a kid is supposed to graduated college, the cream does rise to the top. The NBA and NFL finds gems in late picks. Yes their are still the playground legends in hoops, but most of those guys couldn't ever conform to the organized team game. You always hear stories in the nfl of guys who were "bagging" groceries last week, and now they are starting in the league.
But in US Soccer, does the cream rise to the top? I've said it before, by the time kids graduate college, the soccer world almost has written the players off, compared to other sports who are just about to begin their maturation process.
I joked the other day, I saw a tweet bragging about an 04 playing up with u19s etc. This has been happening for 50+ years in America -- and it's called high school soccer, where the top fresham/sophmores play with juniors and seniors.
It could honestly be an 2005 freshman playing with an 2001 senior this year! You can't beat that kind of opportunity for top talent. Even our top 05s now down't play that far up.
The best this country ever was at mens soccer was when we had a single league system, state cup, regional, nationals, ODP, state teams, regional teams, national teams. A single youth pyrmaid.
I just don't think our "system" allows the cream to rise to the top.
I'd argue in other major US sports, by the time a kid is supposed to graduated college, the cream does rise to the top. The NBA and NFL finds gems in late picks. Yes their are still the playground legends in hoops, but most of those guys couldn't ever conform to the organized team game. You always hear stories in the nfl of guys who were "bagging" groceries last week, and now they are starting in the league.
But in US Soccer, does the cream rise to the top? I've said it before, by the time kids graduate college, the soccer world almost has written the players off, compared to other sports who are just about to begin their maturation process.
I joked the other day, I saw a tweet bragging about an 04 playing up with u19s etc. This has been happening for 50+ years in America -- and it's called high school soccer, where the top fresham/sophmores play with juniors and seniors.
It could honestly be an 2005 freshman playing with an 2001 senior this year! You can't beat that kind of opportunity for top talent. Even our top 05s now down't play that far up.
The best this country ever was at mens soccer was when we had a single league system, state cup, regional, nationals, ODP, state teams, regional teams, national teams. A single youth pyrmaid.
I just don't think our "system" allows the cream to rise to the top.
