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Diane Scavuzzo
Guest
Seismic Changes To Rock the Youth Soccer Landscape
This is an ongoing, developing story that SoccerToday held off running until it could receive confirmation from multiple sources however, we have yet to get confirmation from U.S. Soccer. We will update this article as soon as new information is available.
The U.S. Soccer Federation has decided to shut down the U.S. Soccer Development Academy program for both boys and girls effective immediately, according to multiple sources. There have been endless rumors over the past few days which should finally stop once U.S. Soccer formally announces the closure, which is reported to happen as soon as tomorrow.
The current DA season was suspended by U.S. Soccer on March 12 in response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Players, coaches, clubs and even colleges expected the current DA season to resume after the pandemic. There have been no distinct reasons offered yet for the closing of the DA.
The DA currently provides competition for U13 and through U19 teams with an estimated 160+ clubs. Hundreds of boys and girls teams participate in DA competition and the top college coaches have relied on the DA games and showcases for recruiting.
The top tier of youth soccer will clearly remain with the MLS Academies, which will strengthen their commitment to developing players for their first teams.
This should benefit the MLS and its youth players. Going forward, there should provide more opportunities for today’s aspiring hopefuls to advance from the 26 MLS Academies to their First Teams — after all, not only do these young players know the style of play of their MLS team but as homegrown players, they earn much lower salaries than transfer talent in the after-pandemic economic pinch.
Contrary to the MLS Academies, it is the levels of youth soccer below the top tier of professional academies that will be impacted the most— this is where the uncertainty blooms into opportunities in the murky waters of youth soccer.
What will take the place left by the DA? What will happen with the remainder of the 2020-2021 season for these players? In the days post the Coronavirus COVID-19 when we can return to the fields and begin to play soccer again, it will be important to keep costs down and travel to a minimum. In an effort to do away with massive travel, multiple regional competitions would be smart.
A new, high-level, elite youth soccer league is expected to launch after the demise of the DA, and we are told that it will be called the United League and is expected to offer regional competitions.
Working with both US Youth Soccer (USYS) and MLS, the new league could provide new opportunities for DA teams and even ODP — a tier of youth soccer that has been trying to resurrect itself as a pathway to professional soccer and the collegiate game.
And, of course, the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) will most likely absorb some of the very top teams abandoned by the DA. Welcoming these elite youth soccer clubs will benefit US Club’s ECNL and provide great competition for these teams.
There is also the Development Player League (DPL), which was designed to expand the Girls DA player pool for participating clubs and has been successful. This regionally based league currently has 27 clubs competing in three conferences.
What Went Wrong With The DA?
Could the Girls’ DA be the rot that brought decay to the entire program? Was the Girls’ DA even necessary when Christian Lavers already had the highly successful ECNL program developing girls across America?
These questions may never be answered but it is clear since so many of the founding Girls’ DA members defected to ECNL, there were clearly unresolved issues. In fact, the Dallas Texans, Real Colorado, NC Courage and Georgia’s United Futbol Academy had all left the DA for ENCL in the last few weeks. And, of course, there was the eternal conflict over DA players not being allowed to play high school soccer.
A Moment to Reflect on The DA:
Looking back, it is important to credit the DA for its significant contributions to the youth game.
The Boys’ Development Academy launched in 2007 raised the level of play. Its purpose was to ensure elite youth soccer players — all across America — were able to compete against one another in an optimal development environment with a balance between games and training.
According to the DA website, its purpose was to “develop world-class players by providing elite, driven youth talents with development environments, which meet the highest standards, that empower them to reach their full potential.”
The goal was investing in the future, yet many critics claimed the DA never produced the world-class players promised.
Regardless of the complaints, the DA succeeded at providing great competition for many teams where the final score was usually close — at least on the Boys’ side. And, to offset the high costs of participation, U.S. Soccer contributed nearly $4.2 million to award scholarships for 3,000 players, mitigating the pay-for-play business model. These scholarship dollars helped set the norm for youth soccer clubs to offer their own scholarships.
And, that is exciting — even if it is happening at a time of such unprecedented uncertainty due to the Coronavirus COVID-19.
Additional sources of information: NBC’s U.S. Soccer to terminate Developmental Academies for boys, girls earlier today and SoccerWire: COVID-19 provides opportunity for U.S. Soccer to shut down Development Academy
Images of Girls DA courtesy of the Development Academy. Images of the Boys DA Showcase: Diane Scavuzzo
The post U.S. SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY TO CLOSE appeared first on SoccerToday.
Continue reading...
SoccerToday News from Diane Scavuzzo
This is an ongoing, developing story that SoccerToday held off running until it could receive confirmation from multiple sources however, we have yet to get confirmation from U.S. Soccer. We will update this article as soon as new information is available.
The U.S. Soccer Federation has decided to shut down the U.S. Soccer Development Academy program for both boys and girls effective immediately, according to multiple sources. There have been endless rumors over the past few days which should finally stop once U.S. Soccer formally announces the closure, which is reported to happen as soon as tomorrow.
The current DA season was suspended by U.S. Soccer on March 12 in response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Players, coaches, clubs and even colleges expected the current DA season to resume after the pandemic. There have been no distinct reasons offered yet for the closing of the DA.
The DA currently provides competition for U13 and through U19 teams with an estimated 160+ clubs. Hundreds of boys and girls teams participate in DA competition and the top college coaches have relied on the DA games and showcases for recruiting.
The top tier of youth soccer will clearly remain with the MLS Academies, which will strengthen their commitment to developing players for their first teams.
This should benefit the MLS and its youth players. Going forward, there should provide more opportunities for today’s aspiring hopefuls to advance from the 26 MLS Academies to their First Teams — after all, not only do these young players know the style of play of their MLS team but as homegrown players, they earn much lower salaries than transfer talent in the after-pandemic economic pinch.
Contrary to the MLS Academies, it is the levels of youth soccer below the top tier of professional academies that will be impacted the most— this is where the uncertainty blooms into opportunities in the murky waters of youth soccer.
What will take the place left by the DA? What will happen with the remainder of the 2020-2021 season for these players? In the days post the Coronavirus COVID-19 when we can return to the fields and begin to play soccer again, it will be important to keep costs down and travel to a minimum. In an effort to do away with massive travel, multiple regional competitions would be smart.
A new, high-level, elite youth soccer league is expected to launch after the demise of the DA, and we are told that it will be called the United League and is expected to offer regional competitions.
Working with both US Youth Soccer (USYS) and MLS, the new league could provide new opportunities for DA teams and even ODP — a tier of youth soccer that has been trying to resurrect itself as a pathway to professional soccer and the collegiate game.
And, of course, the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) will most likely absorb some of the very top teams abandoned by the DA. Welcoming these elite youth soccer clubs will benefit US Club’s ECNL and provide great competition for these teams.
There is also the Development Player League (DPL), which was designed to expand the Girls DA player pool for participating clubs and has been successful. This regionally based league currently has 27 clubs competing in three conferences.
What Went Wrong With The DA?
Could the Girls’ DA be the rot that brought decay to the entire program? Was the Girls’ DA even necessary when Christian Lavers already had the highly successful ECNL program developing girls across America?
These questions may never be answered but it is clear since so many of the founding Girls’ DA members defected to ECNL, there were clearly unresolved issues. In fact, the Dallas Texans, Real Colorado, NC Courage and Georgia’s United Futbol Academy had all left the DA for ENCL in the last few weeks. And, of course, there was the eternal conflict over DA players not being allowed to play high school soccer.
A Moment to Reflect on The DA:
Looking back, it is important to credit the DA for its significant contributions to the youth game.
The Boys’ Development Academy launched in 2007 raised the level of play. Its purpose was to ensure elite youth soccer players — all across America — were able to compete against one another in an optimal development environment with a balance between games and training.
According to the DA website, its purpose was to “develop world-class players by providing elite, driven youth talents with development environments, which meet the highest standards, that empower them to reach their full potential.”
The goal was investing in the future, yet many critics claimed the DA never produced the world-class players promised.
Regardless of the complaints, the DA succeeded at providing great competition for many teams where the final score was usually close — at least on the Boys’ side. And, to offset the high costs of participation, U.S. Soccer contributed nearly $4.2 million to award scholarships for 3,000 players, mitigating the pay-for-play business model. These scholarship dollars helped set the norm for youth soccer clubs to offer their own scholarships.
And, that is exciting — even if it is happening at a time of such unprecedented uncertainty due to the Coronavirus COVID-19.
Additional sources of information: NBC’s U.S. Soccer to terminate Developmental Academies for boys, girls earlier today and SoccerWire: COVID-19 provides opportunity for U.S. Soccer to shut down Development Academy
Images of Girls DA courtesy of the Development Academy. Images of the Boys DA Showcase: Diane Scavuzzo
The post U.S. SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY TO CLOSE appeared first on SoccerToday.
Continue reading...
SoccerToday News from Diane Scavuzzo