a better opportunity for future academy play, would be willing to pay whatever costs to give their child a head start. I would never question families who decide to send their children to private schools, over the public schools in the district they reside. Having a higher income provides opportunities for parents to deliver to their children every chance to get a head start and assure success. A part of me even understands a parent’s decision to hold back their child from kindergarten for an extra year, in order to allow them to mature and get a head start on the other children whose parents can’t afford day care or pre-kindergarten education.
to be exposed to quality coaching, a chance to play for National teams, playing in organized leagues, and just playing in soccer games because of financial restrictions or the location of your home. It appears that no one in US Soccer is willing to come forward and to say that their developmental plan for youth soccer has flaws because it caters to only the wealthy. Unless a youth from an urban or poor rural area is identified by a large club willing to find
I do have a serious issue when a family’s finances impact another child’s opportunity to play a team sport. In every country but in the United States, soccer is the sport of the masses. The same opportunities exist for young players no matter what their financial status. Youth Soccer in the United States has become cost prohibitive to a majority of American families, and US Soccer turns their back to the financial segregation it carries. In a country that prides itself in pulling for the underdog, US Soccer has made sure that the “Best in Show,” with groomers and trainers, will prevail and the mutts, who may have the skills and athleticism, are left on their own. This dangerous precedent in youth soccer is even leading other sports to follow the same misguided direction. Imagine segregating up to 60 percent of the children in the United States from an opportunity
transportation and defray the high costs to play, there is no chance of that young player flourishing within the current system of developmental academies within this country. US Soccer made a bold move when it decided to follow the Academy format. In an attempt to replicate academies in Europe, they forgot about the culture of the United States. Even Klinsman offers this statement regarding changing the US style of play. “I have certain experiences in different countries. I can understand many
connections there, but I have to do what is best for the players here, not how I would like to have it if I were somewhere else.”
Spring 2013 | Volume XL
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Touchline
Pennsylvania’s Leading Youth Soccer Publication
We pride ourselves in the United States as innovators who boldly take steps to make things better and provide opportunities for all. The United States Soccer curriculum was developed by a Spanish coach, the US Developmental Academy system is based on academies in Western Europe, and American culture was ignored. The rest of the world marvels at our college, high school and middle school sports programs, the amazing facilities we possess and the opportunities we provide our children. What if school districts were challenged to hire the best coaches in all sports including soccer, the same way they search for top level teachers? What if the high school soccer coach was actively involved with the local club on a yearly basis and worked to develop all players from U6 to the elite players? What if each club and each high school had the same goal to get their players to the MLS Academies and took pride in their players being selected? It seems peculiar to me that Developmental Academies take credit for their players being selected in the MLS draft or receiving scholarships to NCAA Division I colleges, when up to one or two years earlier they were being coached by another coach at a local club. To me, the US Soccer Developmental Academy System makes sense if delivered only by MLS clubs at no cost to participants, but again there are no guarantees attached to the outcome of a player’s participation. Every family’s goal should be a quality education for their child.
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