MLS youth league

Traore said:
Very few 17 year old DA kids can effectively compete against adults in the USL.
Click to expand...
I think the rationale is that if the kid has not stood out by 17 it’s highly unlikely that it will ever happen. The “very few 17 year old’s” are the only kids the teams care about because they are the only ones with professional potential.
 
Traore said:
I don’t understand the rationale for focusing on U15 and U17 only. How can clubs be so certain which kids are deserving of homegrown contracts by age 16?

Most kids playing U19 will be 17 year olds. Move 17 year olds up to play USL? USL championship, USL 1 and USL 2 are not the strongest leagues but they are filled with international players, former MLS players and former college players. Very few 17 year old DA kids can effectively compete against adults in the USL.
Click to expand...

USL A league starts in Spring 2021.

If you haven't stood out already MLS not going to continue investing or is interested in a u19 that's hasn't.
 
Seems harsh. So kids have until 16 to show they have pro quality. If they have it by 16, there may be a viable future for professional soccer. If they do not show this by 16, then they better have a Plan B.
 
Traore said:
Seems harsh. So kids have until 16 to show they have pro quality. If they have it by 16, there may be a viable future for professional soccer. If they do not show this by 16, then they better have a Plan B.
Click to expand...

Always pretty much been that way, nothing really new.

There are two tracks, play club soccer move to college ball as the goal and priority.

Play in the best league you can find, hopefully get noticed by some of the professional organizations; get on a team, perform, get promoted or not. At 16-17 plan b for those is to get accepted to a good college and continue to play, move on to college ball as the next step.

If college play is yours players goal Non-MLS or one leagues that cater to college showcases are likely a better fit.

Even with the inhouse academy HS substitute programs most of the players leave to college and maybe 2-3 per class go the USL or pro route instead of college. The odds are long to be one of very few that continue on even after your a u19.
 
lafalafa said:
Always pretty much been that way, nothing really new.

There are two tracks, play club soccer move to college ball as the goal and priority.

Play in the best league you can find, hopefully get noticed by some of the professional organizations; get on a team, perform, get promoted or not. At 16-17 plan b for those is to get accepted to a good college and continue to play, move

There are two tracks, play club soccer move to college ball as the goal and priority.

If college play is yours players goal Non-MLS or one leagues that cater to college showcases are likely a better fit.
If college play is yours players goal Non-MLS or one leagues that cater to college showcases are likely a better fit.

Even with the inhouse academy HS substitute programs most of the players leave to college and maybe 2-3 per class go the USL or pro route instead of college. The odds are long to be one of very few that continue on even after your a u19.
Click to expand...
 
lafalafa said:
Always pretty much been that way, nothing really new.

There are two tracks, play club soccer move to college ball as the goal and priority.

Play in the best league you can find, hopefully get noticed by some of the professional organizations; get on a team, perform, get promoted or not. At 16-17 plan b for those is to get accepted to a good college and continue to play, move on to college ball as the next step.

If college play is yours players goal Non-MLS or one leagues that cater to college showcases are likely a better fit.

Even with the inhouse academy HS substitute programs most of the players leave to college and maybe 2-3 per class go the USL or pro route instead of college. The odds are long to be one of very few that continue on even after your a u19.
Click to expand...

I mostly agree, except the path to the top college programs has also been the MLS academies over the past several years. Now with the U19 teams being dropped, how does that pathway change? Some kids will have college scholarship commitments by the end of U17, but many won’t (particularly since boys recruiting is later than girls).

I don’t think the elimination of MLS U19 teams means that going to a local non-MLS ECNL club is now a better path to college. There will still be a perception that the better players are with MLS academies (through U17).

it may be hard for U17 MLS academy “graduates” to find a home at ECNL clubs for their last 1-2 years. Won’t those ECNL clubs favor kids who have been paying customers over the years?
 
Husky13 said:
I mostly agree, except the path to the top college programs has also been the MLS academies over the past several years. Now with the U19 teams being dropped, how does that pathway change? Some kids will have college scholarship commitments by the end of U17, but many won’t (particularly since boys recruiting is later than girls).

I don’t think the elimination of MLS U19 teams means that going to a local non-MLS ECNL club is now a better path to college. There will still be a perception that the better players are with MLS academies (through U17).

it may be hard for U17 MLS academy “graduates” to find a home at ECNL clubs for their last 1-2 years. Won’t those ECNL clubs favor kids who have been paying customers over the years?
Click to expand...
I doubt it. Clubs will favor the kids that will bring them the most publicity. If I were a college coach, I’d be most interested in the demographic that almost made it in the MLS academy because they “should” be the highest rated recruits.
No loyalty in this game patna. You’ve got to “get in where you fit in.”
 
Husky13 said:
I mostly agree, except the path to the top college programs has also been the MLS academies over the past several years. Now with the U19 teams being dropped, how does that pathway change? Some kids will have college scholarship commitments by the end of U17, but many won’t (particularly since boys recruiting is later than girls).

I don’t think the elimination of MLS U19 teams means that going to a local non-MLS ECNL club is now a better path to college. There will still be a perception that the better players are with MLS academies (through U17).

it may be hard for U17 MLS academy “graduates” to find a home at ECNL clubs for their last 1-2 years. Won’t those ECNL clubs favor kids who have been paying customers over the years?
Click to expand...

There is only a very limited number of MLS academies, only two in all of SoCal for the hundreds of players that end up going on to play college from the area. MLS is not in the youth academy business to develop college players, so it's not a focus for them.

Out the 40 odd players that eventually graduation out of u19 from those academies college opportunities are there if they have the grades. For the hundreds of other players u18/19 they need something else.

During u17 year players should get good indicators if they have potential to keep going on the MLS pathway, are they playing up? Training center invites, training with the 1st or 2nd teams etc. If not they can decide which way might fit them the best?

No one size fits all or the best path it's all relative but like you said if you can stick one with club instead of bouncing around that could be beneficial in some cases.
 
lafalafa said:
There is only a very limited number of MLS academies, only two in all of SoCal for the hundreds of players that end up going on to play college from the area. MLS is not in the youth academy business to develop college players, so it's not a focus for them.

Out the 40 odd players that eventually graduation out of u19 from those academies college opportunities are there if they have the grades. For the hundreds of other players u18/19 they need something else.

During u17 year players should get good indicators if they have potential to keep going on the MLS pathway, are they playing up? Training center invites, training with the 1st or 2nd teams etc. If not they can decide which way might fit them the best?

No one size fits all or the best path it's all relative but like you said if you can stick one with club instead of bouncing around that could be beneficial in some cases.
Click to expand...
I actually think the process is a little more cutthroat than your comment suggest. At my kids club they are evaluating which 2008 boys will make the academy. If you don’t make the U15 squad your chances are also slim of breaking into the academy at U17. So I think the funnel will narrow substantially at ages 13-14.
 
MacDre said:
I actually think the process is a little more cutthroat than your comment suggest. At my kids club they are evaluating which 2008 boys will make the academy. If you don’t make the U15 squad your chances are also slim of breaking into the academy at U17. So I think the funnel will narrow substantially at ages 13-14.
Click to expand...

Yeah agree I wasn't referring to breaking in at u17 only being evaluated at u17 once your already on one of the squad's
 
If you're on the MLS track or thinking beyond college in today's Liverpool Premiere match:

Jones is a 2001 19 year old that scored
Elliot is a 2003 17 yr old
Williams is another 2001 19 year old that was on the roster.

If the MLS doesn't starting giving more opportunities to younger players why spend the millions on their academies?
 
younothat said:
If you're on the MLS track or thinking beyond college in today's Liverpool Premiere match:

Jones is a 2001 19 year old that scored
Elliot is a 2003 17 yr old
Williams is another 2001 19 year old that was on the roster.

If the MLS doesn't starting giving more opportunities to younger players why spend the millions on their academies?
Click to expand...
I know a 15-yr-old that I expect will take the field at some point during the July tournament in Orlando.
At least one club is doing it.
 
They sign these kids to contracts, with kits of fanfare, and then the kids barely play. How is that good for them and for the long-term growth of the league? Developing homegrown stars would generate far more interest in MLS among fans.

Part of the problem is our MLS academies choose the wrong kids, and when they reach this age they are exposed and can’t win playing time. Our genius academy coaches latch onto kids at age 12 who reach puberty first, but they predictably flatten out. One of the rising star prospects in our YNT circuit, who plays midfield, can’t even head check and has no idea what he is going to do with the ball when he receives it. But, coaches liked his performance when he was young (based largely on size and reasonable - but not great - technical skills), and they are now invested to prove their decision was right.
 
Husky13 said:
They sign these kids to contracts, with kits of fanfare, and then the kids barely play. How is that good for them and for the long-term growth of the league? Developing homegrown stars would generate far more interest in MLS among fans.

Part of the problem is our MLS academies choose the wrong kids, and when they reach this age they are exposed and can’t win playing time. Our genius academy coaches latch onto kids at age 12 who reach puberty first, but they predictably flatten out. One of the rising star prospects in our YNT circuit, who plays midfield, can’t even head check and has no idea what he is going to do with the ball when he receives it. But, coaches liked his performance when he was young (based largely on size and reasonable - but not great - technical skills), and they are now invested to prove their decision was right.
Click to expand...
That’s a big mistake I notice too often. Someone will say “he’s only an 06 and he plays up and blah blah blah” and you see a kid with hair on his legs and full muscle tone and pretty much have to say “Next. By 16-17 he won’t keep up.” But they lock in and ignore the little underdeveloped really good players (eg Messi or Griesemann, etc).
 
Kante said:
Per the Athletic, Ivy League set to announce all Fall sports moving to Spring 2021.

theathletic.com

Ivy League’s impending decision could be a ‘big domino’ for college football

As concern grows about the viability of the season starting on schedule, this week could help set a precedent.
theathletic.com theathletic.com
Click to expand...

At our LA county high school same times of thing has been in discussion. Football practicing not starting yet so there going to make a determination to push back or reschedule next couple weeks.

Instead of being a winter sport HS soccer moved to Spring was talked about but I dunno how that would work if football is in the spring also now, winter pushback for football was the earier discussion.

Whatever happens to HS soccer will be determined somewhat by what goes for football so guess we will have to wait to see?
 
gkmom said:
Do you know if there is a published schedule?
Click to expand...

No there is not

I won't be surprised if the first level MLS teams start up league play next spring which has been discussed as a option. There really trying to align with the first teams as best as possible.

For Non-MLS fall, the latest tentative start form two weeks ago was Sept 12 that one of the spokespersons talked about it was quoted in a article.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top