Why Does The USA Suck At Developing Good Players?!…
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Saying all youth players in the U.S. have to pay is simply not true. MLS academies are fully funded—families don’t pay a cent.
It sounds like you’re speaking from the perspective of grassroots soccer, which is pay-to-play, just like it is in most countries, including Europe. But leaving out the existence of free, elite-level academies gives a one-sided view.
Totally agreed and this country never ever changed for 20 years over. Send your kids in Europe or play them other sports.
All is true. So what's the solution?
All of the video is accurate.
All in, we're about $35,000 a year. Coach is incredibly inexpensive at $2,000 a year. Plus the kit, plus private training, plus travel around the country throughout the year which is the most expensive part ⚽️🥅 🇺🇸👍
So who should fund youth level football? We only have inter Miami In South Florida. I agree with the money issue but No one has come up with a legitimate economic model to replace the play to pay system.
So true!
US football seems far too regulated, overrun by grifters who think they're above the sport. All you need is a ball
We get it the system sucks now what do we do about it
All of this is 1000% true!! Next year it will be time for my son to try out for ecnl. The coach has already told me he's going to make it and says he's an amazing player. But, I get a sick stomach every time I estimate the cost that I'm going to have to pay year over year for him to play and travel in this league. The whole pay to play is just disgusting. Also, I have a friend from England who says their academy is big enough that they never even play anybody outside of their own Club. And, they do 7v7 up until the age 12 for more touches on the ball. I absolutely love this game and have my whole life, but we have no idea what we're doing here!!
You wonder why during fifa World Cup, countries FA fields only those playing professional football in Europe, those in America bought their skills and only good in MLS.
I know why. stupid liability insurance, stupid gear, cones, nets, and other accessories that are superfluous for a 5 year old. Also, crazy expensive field fees which also come with their own insurance. Overall, the system is terrible in the US. driven by greed. The US should take some examples of Brazilian and Argentinean academies. They do so much with so little…
Great video with excellent points. I’ve been coaching soccer for the past 10 years and have seen everything you have stated. This is why the USMNT is not as good as it should be. The other issue is after years of playing (and paying) there is a massive drop in participation at around the age of 12-14. This is a critical age because if a kid don’t play through middle school it means they don’t play through high school and if they don’t play through high school then we never see that talent in college.
Could not help but notice you were showing rankings from ohio clubs. I play for Manta and I used to play for TCFC south. Manta is a better club with less expenses. I am a 2011 my team is ranked top 20 in the state. Also we play 80 minute games. So it is really hard. Especially in tournaments.
Hi Nitro…good stuff.
One thing you didn't mention. On transitions to 9v9 to 11v11 early, we did it with ECNL level girls, when they were young. They were too young, we know now, but let me explain why we did it. In USA, the officiating was so lax that high level teams were just slaughtering each other – physically just almost rugby tackling each other. Literally, we moved up to give our skilled players more time because they DO NOT card girls under 13 regardless of how rough the fouls are. It's a big deal because with girls some of them are at 85% max height and weight by 13.
I've watched the top European academies in 9v9. Inter, Barca, etc. A girls ECNL 13's game is rougher than many those games. Part of that is because if you run straight at those euro academy kids and try to foul them, or play them physically, they will simply blow by you or pass around you…but you get the point. We allow physicality to be the main determiner or success to early here, and we lose a lot of the smaller, skillful playmaker types. It's even worse in the girls game.
Good podcast, which brings up some systemic and perplexing questions. I am the parent of 2 kids that made it to the highest levels of youth soccer. My son played MLS Next and my daughter Girls Academy. I credit Changing the Game by John O’Sullivan for helping me formulate what I like to call the successful tripod of youth sports. The 3 critical legs are the kids on the team / the coaching / the parents. When you find an organization that can support all 3 in relative harmony you hang on for all it’s worth! Even if it may come at the cost of playing for a more elite club (on paper) sooner. As a parent you are putting the decision making in your child’s hands which indirectly is helping to foster love of the game / intrinsic motivation. These are 2 pillars that will help carry your child towards highest achievement in their chosen sport imho. My son is attending a D1 school and made the starting lineup as a sophomore, so I am certainly proud of the results.
One question not addressed in this video is: what is different about baseball, American football, and basketball, where clearly the USA produces outstanding results? Without more evidence I'm just going to assume the core issue is a relative lack of interest in the sport, both due to culture/history, and perceived less money available if you go pro.
In American football, for example, as far as I can see (I'm an American, but never played or was involved in these sports; I played soccer instead), the path for poor kid is to play in middle school and high school, and if you're good enough you rise to the top and go to a top college, play there, then if you're good enough you join the NFL. For basketball, it's similar, except that there is also a strong tradition of street/community pickup basketball in lots of places — similar to what I hear about Brazil for soccer, actually.
Soccer has a similar funnel – there are middle school, high school, and college teams that are all basically free to play on if you're poor and good enough (otherwise you're expected to donate to support the team/pay college tuition). If you're good enough you can make it to the MLS or "Europe". What presumably holds it back is lack of overall interest. And yes there is a problem that the high school team is often not considered "good enough" by many people and so they put their kids in the private club as well. IMO they don't need to do that, and if the kid is good enough they will advance anyway by playing informally with their friends and maybe some private coaching for skills, then getting into a college with a strong team. Instead, they play in two leagues (high school and club), and anecdotally I hear about a lot of injuries as a result–a topic you correctly touched on in this video.
Baseball is similar to soccer (American youth soccer's organization seems to be modeled on baseball), except that there is already a lot more interest from adults who know what they are doing, because they've already played it in the past. As compared to soccer, where it's very common for the coach to be a parent who knows nothing about soccer going in. That is what happened with me, where my father coached because he thought it was a good game for children to play (and it is – he was especially negative about baseball for children because it's too hard and does not promote physical activity) and so wanted to help bootstrap the sport despite knowing nothing about soccer (he played American football recreationally in high school).
I agree, we're going to miss on the next Messi or Pele. It's as if only rich kids get a college education, we could miss on the next Einstein. Wait…never mind.
So true. I loved this video. I have spent so much $$$ investing in my 11 year old son with private coaching and club fees and travel. I moved him to a lesser known team with Brazilian coaches who have a ton of expertise, charge much less, and actually develop players. And they abhor tournaments. Only participate in them twice a year.
It’s so true. I sponsor the #1 2014 kid from El Salvador. He has a full scholarship, has played multiple times in tournaments across the U.S., and is currently playing in Portugal. Doesn’t even have running water at home and travels in horrible conditions 2 hours each way. But the club, College Cup, invests in their players. I have yet to see that in the USA
you mean besides usa and israel getting away with being war mongers ?
Soccer in America does not receive global talent, attention, or most importantly, adequate investment. American sports consume a large portion of the readily available talent pool from a young age. Viewership remains low because people would rather watch better the better overseas soccer. Either American sports need to fizzle out in viewership or people with pockets like the Mariana trench need to pull a Saudi Arabia and inject the MLS with good players.
Football shouldn't be about money especially at the youth stages,this would mostly filter most of the top players
You guys should be fighting to make US leagues have league relegation. Rest of the world does it but not here? Need to change the system but sadly too much about business here.
US youth sports are expensive and political.
Hey you put our rivals in when you put a bunch of logos but why not tcsc BTW it is sva
Just the paid for play stuff.. I bet it goes back years…. Maybe in the late 1980s… Or the 1990s… Because this is a major issue for a long time for soccer here.
If they lose in front of the world, I can 100% in full confidence know exactly why….
That's straight hot trash… Yikes.
listen and learn. why do you think Mexican select team sucks? money involvent n they prefer bring in to Mexico argentinian players n leave out the good talentend mexican soccer player for the pro clubs. In Mexico, you dont have the money, you just dont play .period. mexican governament lacks cuture, meaning to say, they clip your wings off if youndont have the money.
Playing in the streets where it should start then play for your local team for free.
Basically this dude is just a bitter moaning has been coach. He's mad at everyone but himself coaches, just excuses. Glad you're no longer in youth coaching cos sounds like being a moaning Youtube charlatan suit you much better than a coach.
Great Video. no different in Canada…..
Good video with some good points. I have to say I'm miserable coaching lately. It's very stressful dealing with parents and the youth soccer system. Trying to get parents and key decision makers in my association to change focus. To prioritize shaping better environments, fun and learning. You spoke on it a little bit but it's something that could have a whole episode dedicated to it. It's really driving this system i think, is how big clubs (clubs with access to exclusive leagues) give the illusion that they're the professionals and if you're not with them then you're missing out. As if they're the only pathway and going to make you. You have parents club hopping at 7 years old to play with and for the self proclaimed "best". Then suddenly a game meant to be played with friends, isn't important anymore. Parents think ecnl clubs or clubs with all the best players must have the best development program, and so they think they're missing out on something and that becomes a problem for them and their kids, if they're not in that program. Of course these clubs will make you think the model works, cherry picking stories of players that played for them and went pro or college. But for all we know those kids could have done that anyways. Teams fold because of this exploitation. They don't talk about how 70% of kids drop out by 13yrs old. Or research on selections and id programs and negatives associated with this model. Like you said, they just collect your check, put out winning teams, and that sees the next cohort of dues paying members join for next season.
You gotta get the black kids playing and thinking soccer is cool. Once you do that, US boys to men becomes world class. NFL and NBA will have to go bankrupt or something.
Without Clubs that have real academies you’re never going to be a country that properly develops talent bottom line. As you said it’s the business model, nobody else is to blame but the greedy suits in control of American Soccer. Anything that can be monetized shall be.
Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, and then Soccer is already the popularity in Amerrica, making a sport which is supposed to be dirt cheap into a business model is beyond me. Kids would have more chance of going pro just by buying a soccer ball and playing with their buddies everyday.
If you can make money off it that’s what will happen in America.
I played competitively in Oklahoma in my youth. The rivalry between the two sides of the parents seemed more substantial than the rivalry between us boys at times. They had nasty things to say to kids who were 12 and 13 years old. Talk about psychopaths!
This was back in the late 90s-early 2000s.. so even before the social media took over, parents were still acting quite immature. I can’t imagine acting this way now that I’m their age.
Well said…..
Will comment my detailed thoughts via experience later….
Respect kid…
Thank you kindly
I agree with how bad the parents changing the kids how they play. Iv reffed multiple youth games where parents have been rejected because of how bad they control themslves. This had also caused kids on the field play way too rough for no reason. And that ended up with many yellow cards and some reds.
Also, it’s almost impossible to compare United States soccer culture to that of the rest of the world.
Soccer achievement bears far greater significance to nations outside of the United States .
That in itself drives nations to nurture soccer culture and invest in youth development systems in terms of priority and investment .
Most of the things you mention are on point, but I have been well covered.
Especially by the lights of Eric Wynalda on his podcast.
Btw, he’s a very smart soccer guy, but hard to listen to, Justin in terms of styling delivery.
No doubt, youth (soccer) development is systemically flawed .
The soccer culture that has come from it is more or less the reason why the USMNT looks and plays the way it does right now .
Unlike the teams of the past, the current team seems to lack heart and desire .
They seem complacent in the way that they play, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better.
There is another side to this story. In Rio de Janeiro some years ago an entire group of young (poor) boys died in a fire, due to the sponsoring team placing them in substandard housing. Not likely to happen in the USA? Not too sure.
You WAY over-generalized the experience of youth soccer in the US. I think you coached for a really bad club. My daughter played on the state team and for 2 clubs and guest played on 3 other clubs. Any time the parents of a quality player could not afford the costs, there were scholarships awarded. These were funded by donations from other parents who could afford it. Parents had to sign contracts stipulating that they would, at all times, behave in a way that uplifted the club. I never saw it happen, but the final result of bad behavior was expulsion of the kid from the team. As a parent, I was not even allowed to yell at my kid, let alone other kids, any coach, nor any official during a match. I could submit a formal complaint to the club leadership if I felt I had some burning issue.