U.S. Soccer nears takeover of U.S. Youth Soccer. (NY Times article)
- Thread starter RandomSoccerFan
- Start date
At those “competitive” and “pre-professional” levels — as U.S. Soccer defines them — there is a dizzying web of clubs and leagues that, in exchange for (supposedly) better coaching and exposure, charge families thousands of dollars. They also force kids to drive or fly past similarly skilled kids for tournaments or exclusive “showcase” events, or even for standard league games, simply because those other kids belong to a rival league or acronym. That travel adds thousands of dollars — and dozens or hundreds of hours — to the overall cost.
Not a bad paragraph.
Not a bad paragraph.
The Soccer Dr
BRONZE
No, this is happening because the USSF finally sees the opportunity to "take control" of the youth game. They have wanted that since the late 90's but failed. They sanctioned US Club in 2001 in response to USYS behaviors. US Club has been the wild wild west of soccer ever since, and the youth soccer market is not better because of it, and the USSF has to hold their hand up for their part in the mess we have today. The USSF claims their latest "Pathway" strategy is designed to offer greater access, lower costs, and reduce travel. That's the PR speak, in reality the N1L has done nothing to lower costs, teams are not playing local, and access, no, N1L is a rebrand of NPL and US Club are loving it. The USSF uses youth soccer for Player I.D and their decision making is driven by National Team performance, sponsorship dollars, and Player I.D.The Pathways Strategy is designed to serve all three but more on that another day.