Galaxy have yet to develop a single Homegrown Player of real quality...

MLS owns everything; Non-MLS teams cannot be promoted into the top tier league (aka MLS)...: MLS is closed to outsiders.

In contrast the UPSL http://www.upslsoccer.com/ has Promotion & Relegation

The UPSL tiers represent five different levels — Tier one is Pro Premier. Tier two is the Championship division. Tier three is UPSL’s third division, we call it League One. Tier four is the UPSL Youth Academy and tier five is the UPSL Masters Division for players over 30, over 40, over 50, and over 60.

The majority of our UPSL teams are in the Pro Premier and Champion divisions.

" UPSL BELIEVES IT SHOULDN’T COST A LOT TO PLAY SOCCER IN AMERICA"

Diane Scavuzzo: How does promotion and relegation work in the UPSL?

Yan Skwara: It’s just like the English soccer league — When teams do well in UPSL’s League One, they are promoted to the Championship division. When they do well in the Championship division, they get promoted to Pro Premier. In England, you’ve got the Premiership and then you have the Championship division. In England you have professional soccer teams dropping, and you have teams rising. It simple works.

Diane Scavuzzo: How do you define doing well?

Yan Skwara: Promotion and relegation impact the top two teams and the bottom two teams. It’s the same as the English Premier League (EPL). In the EPL, the bottom two teams drop and the top two teams go up.

Diane Scavuzzo: Have you met with any resistance from league owners when they’re forced to drop?

Yan Skwara: No, not at all. I think it’s really a wake-up call for league owners that they need to step it up.

It is a very healthy process in both directions. If competitively you’re not doing well enough to remain in the top tier maybe if you change things around— invest a little bit more capital or invest a little bit more time, build a better staff on and off the field, identify and recruit better players — then you could have a chance to climb back up.

PROMOTION AND RELEGATION IS NOT ABOUT LIMITATIONS, IT IS PROGRESSIVE.

All clubs have the ability to rise. Unlike in the MLS where everybody’s at one table and whether you have a great season or a poor season.

https://www.soccertoday.com/upsls-yan-skwara-on-bringing-pro-rel-to-the-american-game/

Word is that UPSL will be growing locally this spring and some clubs will be joining up in spring and may start playing year round after that if it takes off. Most of the other leagues including DA & all the Cal South ones start to dead-end around U17. US club might be on to something for the U16+ age groups.
 
Speaking of the LA Galaxy, does anybody know where their 05 da goalie from last season went? Thought he was really solid. Just curious
 
A lot of the things mentioned are a product of a closed soccer system in the US. The response of “Send the kids to Europe” shouldn’t be the answer. We can and should do better

I’m not going to get into a Pro/Rel argument here because, I don’t want to read the ensuing paragraphs of text from MWN.
A lot of the things mentioned are a product of a closed soccer system in the US. The response of “Send the kids to Europe” shouldn’t be the answer. We can and should do better

I’m not going to get into a Pro/Rel argument here because, I don’t want to read the ensuing paragraphs of text from MWN.
The overriding issue regarding soccer here is that we aren't really a soccer country. No magic system can change this. Instead of blaming a system or a club or any coach let's see the elephant in the room here. Soccer in this country, at this point in time, is a mostly parent-driven pastime. In much of the world it's like a disease.
I'm certain the Galaxy coaches know full-well at this point that their academy is an exercise in fan-building. Why would anyone expect otherwise?
 
Why would you say that we aren’t a soccer playing country? Soccer is the #1 most participated sport at the youth level. Is it because our “best” athletes opt to play sports that give them an opportunity to make millions? Every sport is essentially parent-driven until the child is old enough to make the decision on their own which sport they would like to focus on. College is generally parent driven as well, so I’m missing your point.

You do realize that you are on a forum that’s sole purpose is to discuss the goings on in youth soccer and even more specifically, Southern California youth soccer, right?

No one is asking for a “magic system”. If they are, they aren’t being realistic. You’re right there isn’t one, but most are just asking for a system that gives our children the best opportunity to develop their talents, here, domestically. We have the means, structure and investment opportunities to do so, if the system is rebuilt to allow that to happen. Most other countries have a globally proven means to provide that, there is no reason why we have to be so far off those means.
 
Galaxy wouldn't know what talent was if if it got slapped by it and stood right in front of them.

These ppl measure talent based on wins, goals, and speed.

Technical skills is what makes a player. We currently don't have them at Galaxy or these other pseudo academies.
 
Every sport is essentially parent-driven until the child is old enough to make the decision on their own which sport they would like to focus on.

This is not true of basketball in the inner cities. Basketball is the default. Everyone plays and the parents have nothing to do with it. You just go to your local playground and shoot until it's too dark to see.

This is also not true of hockey in much of Canada. You just wait for the lakes to freeze and go skate.

And this is really not true of soccer in the rest of the world. Everyone plays, regardless of parent interaction. You just go to your local dirt patch and kick a ball. Parents don't have to do anything...

And I think this is the thrust behind @ray8's point. Not only does soccer need to become the default game in at least some areas of the country, kids need to be able to find places to play _without_ having to have parent interaction. Soccer is the default sport in LA, but if parents don't engage, if they don't have the time or the means to drive kids all over town for practices and games, what can the kids do? If they happen to live close to a local park that has pick-up games, that's great, but LA is so spread out, this is rare.
 
Why would you say that we aren’t a soccer playing country? Soccer is the #1 most participated sport at the youth level. Is it because our “best” athletes opt to play sports that give them an opportunity to make millions? Every sport is essentially parent-driven until the child is old enough to make the decision on their own which sport they would like to focus on. College is generally parent driven as well, so I’m missing your point.

You do realize that you are on a forum that’s sole purpose is to discuss the goings on in youth soccer and even more specifically, Southern California youth soccer, right?

No one is asking for a “magic system”. If they are, they aren’t being realistic. You’re right there isn’t one, but most are just asking for a system that gives our children the best opportunity to develop their talents, here, domestically. We have the means, structure and investment opportunities to do so, if the system is rebuilt to allow that to happen. Most other countries have a globally proven means to provide that, there is no reason why we have to be so far off those means.
In the few soccer countries I'm familiar with, a kid can walk 15 minutes to play at a really high level, with kids equally talented and enthusiastic.
Grandpa played soccer. His team picture is on the mantle, like a kind of shrine. Pictures of his favorite club and players cover his bedroom walls.
No globally proven system is necessary in such an environment, in spite of what profit-seeking coaches or trainers may tell you.
For sure there is talent here, but talent is too few and far between. There are also no heroes yet to emulate. And no understanding of what it takes to really improve (hint: not poor coaching three days a week).
So to So Cal's barely existent soccer culture, maybe 30 or so years ago(?), comes along a "coach" or two from Europe. We didn't know what a real soccer coach does or looks like, so easy for anyone savvy enough to convince parents that their kids should be playing "club" soccer under superior tutelage. Soccer came from Britain, just like this geezer who played semi pro (Sunday league).
An "academy" or two are formed, with some of the trappings of a real academies in Europe, just not really academies at all. We're still stuck with this "system" because we still don't know better. And besides, it's still a lot of fun for parents.
"Does your kid have what takes to be a soccer player"? Or rather, "does your kid have what it takes to not embarrass his coach on Saturdays, and boot the ball to the talented kid"?
And of course, do you have what it takes to pay my club to do what the rest of the world does for free?
 
In the few soccer countries I'm familiar with, a kid can walk 15 minutes to play at a really high level, with kids equally talented and enthusiastic.
To me, that's really the issue. When you can send kids out into the neighborhood and they end up playing soccer, we'll be a competitive soccer nation. Then the formal coaching in the teen years will have some effect. But until then - when the only way to get good competition is to have parents with the means and time to drive you all around town - we're just forcing the issue. It may be that we have to force the issue now to see organic results later, but it won't be until the results are organic that we consistently produce great players.
 
To me, that's really the issue. When you can send kids out into the neighborhood and they end up playing soccer, we'll be a competitive soccer nation. Then the formal coaching in the teen years will have some effect. But until then - when the only way to get good competition is to have parents with the means and time to drive you all around town - we're just forcing the issue. It may be that we have to force the issue now to see organic results later, but it won't be until the results are organic that we consistently produce great players.
Thank you. That's the word I couldn't think of. Organic.
No toxic clubs. No fake ingredients.
I'm guessing (educated guess) that's the way things are headed.
 
Players with talent just cant go to overseas... most players are stuck. No dual citizeship... no soccer for you over there... except for short stints. Just go overseas... wish it were that easy but its not.. 99.99% kids are stuck... yes i did the stats on that lol
 
Players with talent just cant go to overseas... most players are stuck. No dual citizeship... no soccer for you over there... except for short stints. Just go overseas... wish it were that easy but its not.. 99.99% kids are stuck... yes i did the stats on that lol
I was just thinking about this earlier today... How the hell does this work? A 12 year old leaves his family and magically works out an education, raising himself, and learning to be better at Soccer all without parental guidance? Do they stay with scouts or families that help the club?
 
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