Ways to take our game in the US to the world class level.

Here is a partial list - somewhat subjective - based on personal experience as a player and a parent, and someone who's lived overseas some.

I’ve included my own bias grading based on how I think we’re doing in each area. I've also included possible solution for each area that I think need works. Not an expert - Just a student of the game who wants to be around when we eventually win a world cup.

1. Culture Difference – It goes without saying that soccer is not our primary sport. In most of the other soccer powerhouses that we normally reference, kids are "born with a ball at their feet". They go outside daily and play the game with friends and family, etc...They play at school during recess or they get to the school yard early to play before school, stay late to play after school. Game is built into their DNA at an early age - passion is acquired based on their environment – even if they’re not born with it - they eventually get it.

Solution (a) Grass-root movement & parent involvement - learn the game, encourage and promote (not push) the game. Instead of social media, netflix, facebook, twitter, smartphones - go outside and juggle (only for 30-min a day). (b) I'd like to see "meet up pickup games for youths" (if we can address safety issues). (c) Become student of the game - watch it on TV...If you want to be like the next Kobe, Lebraun, Brady, Manning, you watch what they do, and become aspired to get out there and try it ... I would grade us an “F” in this area.


2. System too reliant on "pay to play" - Club fees, travel fees, uniform fees (you name it). This may be shutting some great propsects out of the process since the premise is the more you pay, the higher the league you can play in, the higher the chances for being identified for the national team (a good number of potential top talent cannot afford this).

Solution - Perhaps DA (free or sponsored DA) is part of the answer on the boys side - MLS sponsored DA until such time MLS teams can have established academies (instead of playing for club X, you join DC United academy as an investment to their pro team). Perhaps, we can further augment the ID process through the high-schools (like some other sports do). Perhaps the answer is more partnership and collaboration between clubs (less tug of war and club bashing and find a way to include HS soccer under the tent). Since there are no girls DA yet, not sure if there is an answer here until quality of our US Women's National team start to spiral downward to force us to think DA for girls. Until then, the girls have ECNL which does not address the pay to play issue (yet). Grade "C" for boys, "F" for girls.


3. Lack of Aspiration beyond College Soccer - Most highly competitive and talented players play to get a scholarship, but not to go pro. Our system is not financially sound yet for a youth soccer to support investing in a 12-year old to make a profit later by selling them to say DC United or LA Galaxy ....While the average 18-year old top Euro or S. American player is playing for top clubs in the world thru this model, most of our players move on to D1/D2/D3 college soccer (with the top ones deferring pro for 3-4 years). For the most part, we go pro at 22-23; the rest of the world go pro a lot earlier.

Solution - (a) more partnership & sponsorship like "generation Adidas" players (encourage direct routes from Club or DA to MLS for top players with some type of guaranteed college education in case soccer does not work out) (b) Identify top US youth soccer players (with willing parents) to get accepted abroad for better training at top academies in in Spain, Germany, etc...investment into the national team...already happening (need patience)...My grade "C"


4. Low Parent Soccer IQ - Our culture is one of quick-fix and take it in our own hands and solve it...We change clubs for many reasons that may not necessarily be helpful to producing top players at the caliber we're wanting to see – Our system is saturated with youth soccer brands (alphabet soup leagues), what some considers marketing ploys, to target parents’ pocket books – "build it and they will come". We forego development for the next best thing thing that comes along.

Solution - Not sure I have one (parents' soccer education over time)...USSF and USYSA having tighter governance and oversight over the number of leagues (not sure?). My Grade "D" simply due to too many leagues, causing confusion, and further gap in number of misinformed parents.


5. Coach Accountability - I am sure this exists in some fashion, but I do not see/hear about too much emphasis on it by clubs and/or our soccer governing bodies. Not sure we have a uniform across the board standard to measure a kid's progress or success as a country from USSF down the individual club level (maybe Jurgen is changing this). We put a lot of emphasis on success being directly related to (a) number of licenses, (b) classic-1 / athena-a wins, (c) U9/U10 trophies and medals, (d) no of coaches with English accents, you name it…

Solution - Part of a Coach's success should be measured by how well that Coach prepares a player for the next Coach in terms of goals or guidelines that may be set by USSF/GA/Club for particular age groups (technical aptitude, problem solving under pressure, decision making, etc...). Have a way to take a yearly "soccer CRCT" maybe? Coaching that are doing the real development at early ages thru U13 should also be recognized a lot more (credit, recognition, compensation, etc). My Grade “C-“

These are my personal top-6 in arbitrary order. I am sure there are more and there are differences of opinions on some.
Again, just a passionate US soccer fan and not an expert. As stated, some of the above grading may be very subjective based on personal exp.

Feel free to add your own items to this list or comment on some of mine, prioritize them, give them your own grading...
Sorry for the long post - Interesting topic for a US Soccer fan.

Your thoughts?

Hard to argue with @soccerpapii

Not only is lack of aspiration past college a problem, but our top kids going to play in college is a problem also.
The college game with it's allowed substitution policies is at a hectic pace, which often isn't realistic for 90 minute play with limited subs.
Top international players play professionally - no college. They are playing against the best.
Then not to throw all college coaches under the bus, but some just aren't up to snuff because let's be honest, these guys need results or their gone. It's not about developing players for mls, it's about wins for the school.

It's also not a revenue generating sport, effects $$$ earning power of many quality coaches.

I was talking with my wife about this just last week. Not really about youth soccer but professional soccer in the US. The problem is there are way too many leagues around. Too many cooks stirring the pot. The reason that baseball, football and basketball are what they are is because of two things. The sport has been ingrained into our culture both in youth and professionally. This didn't happen overnight. It took several generations to do this. What has helped is there is a clear cut method for youths to transition from youth clubs to professional clubs. The other sports are just more organized in terms of their structure. I see soccer as very scattered...in youth clubs as well as semi-pro, minor leagues and professionally. Too many choices aren't always a good thing. It waters down the competition and all of them are fighting for the same fan base and dollars. I think that there is definitely a future for soccer in the US. In fact, probably in the next 50 years it will see a huge increase in it's popularity as immigrants from other countries (mostly from Mexico and other Hispanic countries) increase in numbers and become more prosperous. As that happens the sport will become more organized from the top to the bottom including college and youth.

Also want to chime in. Having soccer specific stadiums helps. What the MLS has done with this is a step in the right direction. 80,000 seat stadiums that are always half empty create hollowness so the intensity and passion from fans and players is lost. A 25,000 stadium that is packed contributes to the culture because of the energy. When the fans go home they want to come back. Seattle is going to start producing good players. All those kids that leave after the singing dancing intensity cheering for their team translates into positives without a doubt.