This simply is not 100% true and times have possibly changed since suzysoccer1 played pro. It sounds like she was just an above average player or her experience would have been better. A lot of players overseas are playing and getting a degree. There are also a lot of girls who played in college got their degree who are making the same amount of money as a pro because they can't find a decent paying job because they couldn't do internships while at university.
To play for ones country is such an honour. I guess the difference is that it is near impossible in the USA - where in other countries its quite achievable.
Agreed. My players experience doesn’t resemble Suzy’s. I also want to emphasize that all of my players coaches in Mexico stress the importance of a good education. Club Tijuana has coddled my players group with mandatory after practice meetings with sports psychologist and no pressure with an emphasis on fun.
I think Mexico will have the best women’s league in the world because the cost of living is so low. For example, I have a friend that’s a medical doctor in TJ and he makes about $1,000 per month and enjoys an upper middle class lifestyle. A job that pays 100 bucks per week is a good job in Mexico. So, if a college graduate can get a $20,000 contact playing in Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, TJ, it’s the equivalent of getting 100-150k to play in the NWSL in places like LA, Washington DC, or New York. I think Liga MX will be much more attractive overall than going to Europe when you consider weather, food, and quality of living.
My players coach from Baja California told her that if she went with the Rayados she would also have a scholarship to attend Tec de Monterrey. So, for players in Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Washington, & Oregon that are YNT quality and considering P5 Universities I think it’s irresponsible to not consider Liga MX teams at this point. I’m kinda a school snob and portability of a degree is important to me so Tec de Monterrey is the only University in Mexico that my family has seriously considered. There are other good universities in Mexico but the degrees are not very portable. Club Tijuana players CAN go to college in San Diego. Rayados and Tigres players CAN go to college in Texas.
I also understand not many families are gonna move to the interior of Mexico to pursue soccer dreams; however, some players will benefit greatly even if it’s just for cultural immersion. I think players that are considering the NWSL draft will find Liga MX Femenil superior in most aspects and benefit the most from Liga MX Femenil opening up to foreign talent.
I attended the world cup in France last year and I expected the International level of play to be higher that what I see in Mexico. It’s not. I specifically went to see Tobin Heath and was disappointed. Maybe she had a bad tournament. Also keep in mind that my players team regularly scrimmages against boys teams in preparation for competition so the level of play is very high.