No Hunger in Paradise

The dark side of the European Academy system....things I found most interesting:

-The competition at the Premiere League level is causing reluctance to play younger talent which hurts English development
-The smaller clubs are struggling to keep open their Academy programs due to financial resources
-The English don't have our safety net for players who wash out of the Academy system...their safety net is they apparently come to US colleges to play
-The English apparently lament that the Continental European Academy system is more intense/farm-like and it may be one of the reasons England lags behind the Continentals.
 
Great book and now fantastic documentary. The book should be given to all the parents of youth soccer kids across the globe...brutally honest about the state of youth soccer in England, lots of similarities with not just the state of European youth soccer but also the US youth soccer scene...
 
Interesting take on training payments. The one boy being potentially locked out of upper division deals because of Darby County's training payment demands. People keep saying training/solidarity payments will solve what ails USSF.
 
Interesting take on training payments. The one boy being potentially locked out of upper division deals because of Darby County's training payment demands. People keep saying training/solidarity payments will solve what ails USSF.
Thought the same thing when I saw that segment. This kid is being held hostage by Derby since no club is willing to take the risk on him and pay the 80,000 pounds. Two sides to every coin.
 
Makes our college system seem a bit better for soccer players. Sure, harder to make it as a pro coming out of college in the US, but at least you'll have a degree.
Also found it interesting that US college soccer is a pathway for kids who wash out of the EPL Academy System. (Will make it harder for US born players to get scholarships).
 
Back
Top