Club Soccer Views

Forwarded to a friend of mine by Scott Garlick. This was his old club.

Sounds like dreams that quickly turned into a nightmare for quite a few:
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2008-12- ... hat-cost/1

 

This is not the atmosphere I would want my kids playing in.

 

And I bet if you polled the parents before they lost sight and everything got twisted, they would agree with you. It is amazing how quickly the perspectives change, especially in this sport. It is a "hyper-keeping-up-with-the-joneses".

 

In AYSO and other recreational leagues you would certainly still be welcome Don. I don't think things have changed that much at the recreational level of soccer. It is club soccer that is probably vastly different than the 70's and early 80's.

 

I've never really understood the push for achieving in sports so that you can get a college scholarship. So what, your kid can go to college and have to squeeze their studies in between practices, games, and traveling. Aim high for sports so that you can aim low for academics once you get to college. Only a small pecentage of students get athletic scholarships; I believe 95% of all scholarships are academic. I would think that if parents really care about college they would emphasize academic achieving for getting there.

 

Just another example of what is wrong with the system. None of this surprises me anymore.

 

mo, you may think this is just guy-talk hyperbole, but every guy's guy wants to be an athletic superstar before anything else. So there is tons of appeal to that basic desire. After realizing our limitations, we settle for the 9-5 or some related interest.

 

In the English game it is rare to find a player with any higher education, and those that do are abused for it. For example, Graeme Le Saux suffered abuse because of his education and choice of news paper.

Is the college system the only recognised way for talented footballers to break into the big time? What happens to really stupid people who are good at sports?

 

In some sports, like baseball, it is not uncommon for players to go from high school directly to a minor league team for development. In other sports they just get "tutors" in college.

 

What happens to really stupid people who are good at sports?


hehehehehehe...


Honestly - if you are talking football (soccer) specifically - they dont get seen, and have very little chance of doing anything. They stay local and play in their local league and just settle into life.

This is THE problem with the game in this country! Talent is not the #1 factor to decide who gets training, development, and opportunity.

You first must have Money.
Then you must have Parents that are happy to fork over that money.
Then you must be willing to drive and/or fly all over your region to play or practice.
Then you must have size and speed (Which as you know - help, but are not always required to be the best player on the field... Many of these morons will not even look at someone unless they fit some physical dimensions along with some given 40 meter speed).
Then you must have grades to get admitted to College, or qualify for Special Education (or whatever) so you can fall inside of a government required quota.
Then you must have talent.

It is really stupid and makes no sense. Talent should be #1 and ability to pay should be #2, but that is not the way it works.

By the way - I do understand a college coach that will only look at players that fit inside a given size and speed requirement. This is - up to a point - a simple way to win when you have limited coaching opportunities. Put the biggest, strongest, fastest kids on the field and play a direct - highly physical - style of play.

Also - Teens that are quality never have the opportunity to play with, or against men. The only place that happens is Mexican League. Mexican League is the only league that I have found that doesnt care about your age. If you are good enough - you are old enough.

There are whispers that we are moving toward something better tho... The hope is that MLS teams will start to get Academies going where talent will be the deciding factor. Also - Brad Friedel has started an academy that looks to remove the Pay to Play requirement for players.

 

Thanks Barry & Jenners.

Seems to me that the current system allows for a lot of players to be missed. Talent like Jan Moleby (fat) and David Beckham (not the most academic) would not have stood a chance.

I think there is a need for balance. We have a lot of kids who have been in the football system since they were 7 and stand no chance of making it - when they fall out at 18-21 they have no qualifications and nothing to fall back on.