Is USSDA working after 10 yrs?

Actually, I think the nuance of my sentiment got lost in several responses. I was actually agreeing with you. I had said European professional standards from my limited exposure seemed much higher in general than US clubs, DA and non-DA. I don't know if I can sum it up in a neat sentence like someone had asked me to do but when I see DA teams picking up kids that would have a hard time starting for us, I know the politics is a big difference. European professional academies are training kids to one day possibly play for their professional team. The amount of investment dollars at stake is insane. Yes, there are politics everywhere, but from what I hear Mexico and the U.S. are the worst and look at the professional teams from those two countries. I think there are almost 70 European clubs rated ahead of the top Mexican team.

I was simply making the point that in our overly fragmented U.S. system, labels begin to mean nothing. Yes, Europe seems to have a good formula but I have also seen DA and non DA clubs try to mimic that model and fail because they were unable to shun politics to truly get the best players. What DA has done has tried to say hey, we're DA so if you are a great player, your only option is us. however, they make this claim with no objective standard to say why that is true. Europe has a proven track record of success. At the end of the day the overall success of a club will be determined on the quality of the players it recruits. I just think the DA system has put the cart before the horse.

In my final paragraph I was just pointing out that although the US system is inferior to Europe's, I believe our individual team has produced something that more closely resembles that of Europe's because we are able to get the top kids to turn down DA and choose our system based on real results, abandoning politics, focusing on development and ultimately winning. I was also not referring to a European academy in that final sentence but stating that DA's seem to think employing a DOC with an accent makes them legit.
 
Have you watched both college and European soccer live? An 18 year old Messi playing in SoCal would have a hard time getting a scholarship to UCLA. OK, maybe that is exaggeration bu


Absolutely true because by the new rules they can't just bring them over for extended periods of time. The director at the European academy we were associated with said that if a kid looked good enough for their standards they were happy to leave them in that US Club environment. They would stay in communication with the coach and direct as needed. More like our ODP system than our DA system. He went on to say that the US club system had improved dramatically in the past 10 years as far as volume of quality players but stated that the pay for play system was our biggest problem that was holding us back.

What I asked about was the difference in training techniques between European and American youth academies. It's an objective question, not theoretical.
 
You didn't really answer the question.
Actually, you didn't answer my question. I answered you how it was different and I also said the training techniques weren't much different from what I was seeing from solid US clubs or teams that were decentralized. I also provided an example where the European club academy director agreed with that generalization.
 
Actually, you didn't answer my question. I answered you how it was different and I also said the training techniques weren't much different from what I was seeing from solid US clubs or teams that were decentralized. I also provided an example where the European club academy director agreed with that generalization.

"having my son train in Europe a few times and seeing those systems up close, it is night and day compared to here. they are training kids to be professional. We are training kids for college."

What is different?
 
"having my son train in Europe a few times and seeing those systems up close, it is night and day compared to here. they are training kids to be professional. We are training kids for college."

What is different?[/QUOTE

It starts with selection. The end game in the states is college scholarship money for most parents. We throw away the dream of a kid wanting to be a professional because the parents read the stats and make a ROI calculation that a 78 K MLS salary is not better than getting a job as a software engineer after playing 4 years of college. Selection is corrupted by politics. Selection for college drives the type of player that is developed. Many people have commented on those differences. There aren't a bunch of great soccer players running around Europe that aren't associated with a European professional academy. They could care less about college if they are really good because college is free or nearly free so they simply pursue their dreams.

Go watch some of the top teams in SoCal and tell me that a significant amount of non DA kids aren't better than their DA counterparts. Seeing first hand which kids DA picked up vs. who turned them down, got overlooked or got cut and it is easy to see what the problem is. You can keep that inferior kid in DA for years and even with more European style training he will never surpass the other kid. Fortunately many of these non DA players have teams that can replicate what DA's do for a fraction of the cost. Also there is little to no interaction between parents and coaches in Europe. It's like those kids are at boarding school. The day we played the academy team I didn't count more than 3 parents there from the academy side. So I know you want me to break down the drills and the formations and tactics and say how it is better. I have already stated that I know what our team does and it isn't much different from a training basis except we train less frequently. It is the mentality that the players have over there. they drive them harder and tell them that if they don't keep up they are gone. Over here, with a lot of clubs, DA and non DA you get to stay as long as daddy keeps writing the checks.
 
is LAFC thinking on having 2003,2002,2001 academies next year?

LAFC wants to have a full academy worth of teams for the next season 18-19. However, we prefer single age calendar year groups.

Ussda had initially indicated that only one combined age would remain for 18-19' either U18/U19 like it is for 17-18 or U17/18 from 16-17'.

Since then ussda has backed off somewhat and stated that the oldest single calendar year U15 age group is experimental and a decision would be made around nov on what age groups would play in 18-19. Depending on that outcome we will reevaluate and sumbit app for the age groups that make sense for our program.
 
Dude Abides, not sure if you are a parent or a coach in your club (if you previously stated, I missed it) but I think that you are missing a very important piece of the puzzle. The USSF has done a great job of marketing itself to further its intentions and needs. Without the DA, the growth in the pay to play system effectively collapses. Not the system itself. As mentioned by many on this and other boards, there is no shortage of parents in this country willing to shell out 50k per child for little or no FINANCIAL return in the form of any type of scholarship. In fact, when loss of academic scholarships due to lower GPAs because of the heavy practice schedule, other than the dot com collapse, not sure that I have seen a worse investment. Having said that, the system works. The overwhelming majority of kids pay to play, which in turn provides a circuit for the deserving kids to play and earn their scholarships. Everybody wins. The kids that should get scholarships, get them, the parents who live out their fantasies through their kids, funds the program and allows youth soccer to continue to grow until it becomes self sustaining in about 40-50 years. We need a couple of generations to grow up playing and in turn, start coaching and teaching the community kids (similar to what you see in our own Mexican leagues) which, along with the growth from top down, will push out the middle men hustlers who make their living screaming at our children to kick the ball up the field. The good coaches will get absorbed into the system and the hustlers go back to flipping burgers.

To circle back around to your point, the differences between the two academies is quite irrelevant since they both serve completely different purposes. European Academies look to develop talent to play professionally while the American DA looks to prepare kids for college and turn a tidy profit. I understand that their "Stated" objective is otherwise but you already know different. In other words, selling the sizzle and not the steak.

Again, the reason you see more and more agencies and scouts popping up around the country facilitating the transfer of our prospects to academies outside of the US is simply because the demand is there. Frankly speaking, the parent assessment part is simple. If your kid is 14 years old or above and you have not been approached by a foreign scout, your prospects are limited. Not because kids won't further develop but because academies prefer to get them young enough to develop them within their own system of play. Those who can not or will not make the move look for clubs/teams where they will continue to develop to the liking of international clubs. Possibly teams such as yours but tough to say as I don't know which club/team you are with.

There use to be a coach down south (Fullerton) that created something similar to what you describe. His teams played a beautiful style of play, they were ranked #1 in the US for years and could beat any academy team. Heard his ego got so big that he self-destructed but your point remains. There are places where players go to develop rather than DA.

In closing, the fact that you have so many people that buy into what the DA is selling them (looks to be even worse on the girls side) is actually a good thing for US soccer. Those parents are doing their part to help invest in the infrastructure needed for the sport of soccer.
 
Dude Abides, not sure if you are a parent or a coach in your club (if you previously stated, I missed it) but I think that you are missing a very important piece of the puzzle. The USSF has done a great job of marketing itself to further its intentions and needs. Without the DA, the growth in the pay to play system effectively collapses. Not the system itself. As mentioned by many on this and other boards, there is no shortage of parents in this country willing to shell out 50k per child for little or no FINANCIAL return in the form of any type of scholarship. In fact, when loss of academic scholarships due to lower GPAs because of the heavy practice schedule, other than the dot com collapse, not sure that I have seen a worse investment. Having said that, the system works. The overwhelming majority of kids pay to play, which in turn provides a circuit for the deserving kids to play and earn their scholarships. Everybody wins. The kids that should get scholarships, get them, the parents who live out their fantasies through their kids, funds the program and allows youth soccer to continue to grow until it becomes self sustaining in about 40-50 years. We need a couple of generations to grow up playing and in turn, start coaching and teaching the community kids (similar to what you see in our own Mexican leagues) which, along with the growth from top down, will push out the middle men hustlers who make their living screaming at our children to kick the ball up the field. The good coaches will get absorbed into the system and the hustlers go back to flipping burgers.

To circle back around to your point, the differences between the two academies is quite irrelevant since they both serve completely different purposes. European Academies look to develop talent to play professionally while the American DA looks to prepare kids for college and turn a tidy profit. I understand that their "Stated" objective is otherwise but you already know different. In other words, selling the sizzle and not the steak.

Again, the reason you see more and more agencies and scouts popping up around the country facilitating the transfer of our prospects to academies outside of the US is simply because the demand is there. Frankly speaking, the parent assessment part is simple. If your kid is 14 years old or above and you have not been approached by a foreign scout, your prospects are limited. Not because kids won't further develop but because academies prefer to get them young enough to develop them within their own system of play. Those who can not or will not make the move look for clubs/teams where they will continue to develop to the liking of international clubs. Possibly teams such as yours but tough to say as I don't know which club/team you are with.

There use to be a coach down south (Fullerton) that created something similar to what you describe. His teams played a beautiful style of play, they were ranked #1 in the US for years and could beat any academy team. Heard his ego got so big that he self-destructed but your point remains. There are places where players go to develop rather than DA.

In closing, the fact that you have so many people that buy into what the DA is selling them (looks to be even worse on the girls side) is actually a good thing for US soccer. Those parents are doing their part to help invest in the infrastructure needed for the sport of soccer.

You make many valid points that I do not argue with. All I really was saying at the beginning is the DA's aren't all top notch and many of the best players aren't going DA for various reasons. In our case we are very fortunate because we offer a higher level of soccer compared to many DA programs for a fraction of the time and money. Find what works for your kid and go with it. Anyone exhausting a lot of time, money or both on DA will have a hard time seeing it objectively. Only time will tell how those kids really benefitted in the long run. I'm guessing the ROI will be insignificant between the two groups.
 
"having my son train in Europe a few times and seeing those systems up close, it is night and day compared to here. they are training kids to be professional. We are training kids for college."

What is different?

I gather from your repeated non-answer that the difference is that a senior American coach says "I guarantee that there will be college coaches watching your child play", and a European coach says "I guarantee that there will be professional team scouts watching your child play". Otherwise, no difference in training?
 
I gather from your repeated non-answer that the difference is that a senior American coach says "I guarantee that there will be college coaches watching your child play", and a European coach says "I guarantee that there will be professional team scouts watching your child play". Otherwise, no difference in training
I gather from your repeated non-answer that the difference is that a senior American coach says "I guarantee that there will be college coaches watching your child play", and a European coach says "I guarantee that there will be professional team scouts watching your child play". Otherwise, no difference in training?

I did, I don't think you are fully comprehending. Have you been over to Europe to watch them train? They are much more focused on tactical play and less flashy play that isn't practical in a speedier game. Soccer IQ is revered and nurtured over there.

I have only been to a few DA sessions for 3 different clubs. One was excellent and happened to be associated with a professional team. The other two were definitely a step down in training and quality of players from what we have. Which makes sense because now that there are so many DA options, parents are separating them on quality. It isn't enough to just say my kid plays DA. Well which one? How many smart kids that were really good at soccer, choose a strong academic college with no potential of playing over playing for a D2 that has weak academics. It happens all the time.

I believe our team's training sessions are pretty close to the European sessions but we train about half the amount of hours. We spend a lot of time on tactics We also offer a lot of benefits that most US Clubs and probably not even DA's have like a speed coach, team doctor, and nutritionist in addition to our head coach, assistant coach and trainer. Only three of those are paid staff so we do know how to maximize resources while keeping costs down for the parents.
 
I did, I don't think you are fully comprehending. Have you been over to Europe to watch them train? They are much more focused on tactical play and less flashy play that isn't practical in a speedier game. Soccer IQ is revered and nurtured over there.

I have only been to a few DA sessions for 3 different clubs. One was excellent and happened to be associated with a professional team. The other two were definitely a step down in training and quality of players from what we have. Which makes sense because now that there are so many DA options, parents are separating them on quality. It isn't enough to just say my kid plays DA. Well which one? How many smart kids that were really good at soccer, choose a strong academic college with no potential of playing over playing for a D2 that has weak academics. It happens all the time.

I believe our team's training sessions are pretty close to the European sessions but we train about half the amount of hours. We spend a lot of time on tactics We also offer a lot of benefits that most US Clubs and probably not even DA's have like a speed coach, team doctor, and nutritionist in addition to our head coach, assistant coach and trainer. Only three of those are paid staff so we do know how to maximize resources while keeping costs down for the parents.
Which DA club did not take your boy?
Sounds like you have some sort of resentment.
 
Which DA club did not take your boy?
Sounds like you have some sort of resentment.

I know it's hard to comprehend but if you had read all my replies you would know that a total of 6 were approached from our team. the top four players all turned it down. the bottom two that were borderline starters left. Draw your own conclusions.
 
I did, I don't think you are fully comprehending. Have you been over to Europe to watch them train? They are much more focused on tactical play and less flashy play that isn't practical in a speedier game. Soccer IQ is revered and nurtured over there.
European clubs don't train the same way, or share a single approach to development. That's nuts.
Where did you go? Ireland? Never heard any DOC, anywhere in Europe, talk about WINS like you are.
 
European clubs don't train the same way, or share a single approach to development. That's nuts.
Where did you go? Ireland? Never heard any DOC, anywhere in Europe, talk about WINS like you are.

I'll take your answer to be a no you haven't been there. No, not Ireland, EPL club. Pretty sure they care about winning. Do u12 DA's keep score? Of course they do and if you don't think they measure their progress by wins, you're nuts. Someone posed the question and I answered it based on my personal experiences and observations. Why don't we just compare notes in a few years when our kids age out.
 
I'll take your answer to be a no you haven't been there. No, not Ireland, EPL club. Pretty sure they care about winning. Do u12 DA's keep score? Of course they do and if you don't think they measure their progress by wins, you're nuts. Someone posed the question and I answered it based on my personal experiences and observations. Why don't we just compare notes in a few years when our kids age out.
Can't imagine what led you to believe a PL academy would care about winning a U12 game. And yes the so-called academies here do care about winning because the paying customers like wins. Only one of the myriad reasons we suck.
So what team does your son play on?
 
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