Birth year crazy!!!...

[Unregistered]

Yes, we lead...this change will do nothing to the men's program sucess. The rest of the world have success because their players play in a lot of informal settings where players can develop. They play a lot...our kids play in very formal settings 2-3 days a week. More small sided informal play is what we are missing. This is what makes America's basketball teams great...the kids play in playgrounds, back yards whenever they can, with no coach, no restrictions on how many passes they have to make before they shoot. The play everyday...That's the secret not birth year.

Yep, the kids need to get out to the fields together after school and on weekends and play soccer for the love of the game.

[Unregistered]

Sounds like your kid couldn't even be a ball boy on one of those European teams.

Nice straw man that has no relevance. College soccer is not a model that the soccer world will ever try and emulate. The clubs and academies are soccer focused and train players like it is their job, not like an extension of high school sports. Soccer ability alone is the only requirement for a European academy that has little time to bogged down with qualifying school grades or pesky NCAA rules. If a player isn't cutting it, you cut them, simple. If a Premier league club shows interest in a kid, you sell them and make a profit.

It is a machine and college soccer is a joke in comparison.

Why don't you take your obviously D1 bound kid and head to Europe and see if you even get a sniff from an academy.

[Unregistered]

Nice straw man that has no relevance. College soccer is not a model that the soccer world will ever try and emulate. The clubs and academies are soccer focused and train players like it is their job, not like an extension of high school sports. Soccer ability alone is the only requirement for a European academy that has little time to bogged down with qualifying school grades or pesky NCAA rules. If a player isn't cutting it, you cut them, simple. If a Premier league club shows interest in a kid, you sell them and make a profit.

It is a machine and college soccer is a joke in comparison.

Why don't you take your obviously D1 bound kid and head to Europe and see if you even get a sniff from an academy.

That's a really long explanation Mr European. All you had to say yes you are right my kid is not very good.

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If parents pressure the executive directors at their clubs they can effect change. They can ban together and help get it reversd or at minimum keep their teams as school years for the interest of the kids.

No it can't. Clubs hold little power, and the clubs who are impacted more are the little guys who hold even less power. Only leagues pressuring Us Soccer could effect change. But they all seem to be in favor of the change and are (mostly) instituting it this year, not even waiting. Clubs have to abide by the rules set for them by their leagues. The only solution is to splinter off and from their own leagues and start new ones. That helps nobody and won't happen.

[Unregistered]

That's a really long explanation Mr European. All you had to say yes you are right my kid is not very good.

Or you could just say, yes you are right I know nothing about high level soccer and how it is run in successful soccer nations and that you have never even left your state.

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That's a really long explanation Mr European. All you had to say yes you are right my kid is not very good.

You probably think HS soccer is high level too. Lol

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Lol, USA Gymnastics? That's your example? You probably don't have a kid in that sport if you think USA gymnastics is only concerned with developing talent for the national team. They have a completely separate track for people who compete just for fun and exercise called "Gymnatistics for All" that has a travel equivalent called "TeamGym". They go out of their way to accommodate kids that don't have the national team as a goal.

https://usagym.org/pages/aboutus/pages/about_usag.html

And so does soccer. Its called rec.
Gymnastics was brought up just to illustrate a point. Not to dive into the inner workings and architecture of the USA Gymnastics association.
My daughter did 5 years of "rec" gymnastics. I know exactly what its about. And they never once cared if she was training with schoolmates. As a matter of fact, many of the girls were 4 yours older or younger than her. They never once separated them based on school-year cut-off. They separated them based on skill level. Which further emphasizes my point that the USSF has every right to enforce a system that THEY think will benefit their sport; Not benefit a college system.

Thanks for helping clarify my point further.

[Unregistered]

And so does soccer. Its called rec.
Gymnastics was brought up just to illustrate a point. Not to dive into the inner workings and architecture of the USA Gymnastics association.
My daughter did 5 years of "rec" gymnastics. I know exactly what its about. And they never once cared if she was training with schoolmates. As a matter of fact, many of the girls were 4 yours older or younger than her. They never once separated them based on school-year cut-off. They separated them based on skill level. Which further emphasizes my point that the USSF has every right to enforce a system that THEY think will benefit their sport; Not benefit a college system.

Thanks for helping clarify my point further.

Your point makes more sense now.

[Unregistered]

Nice straw man that has no relevance. College soccer is not a model that the soccer world will ever try and emulate. The clubs and academies are soccer focused and train players like it is their job, not like an extension of high school sports. Soccer ability alone is the only requirement for a European academy that has little time to bogged down with qualifying school grades or pesky NCAA rules. If a player isn't cutting it, you cut them, simple. If a Premier league club shows interest in a kid, you sell them and make a profit.

It is a machine and college soccer is a joke in comparison.

Why don't you take your obviously D1 bound kid and head to Europe and see if you even get a sniff from an academy.

Says a dad who's kid doesn't have the grades or talent to play college soccer.

[Unregistered]

Yes, we have a college system. And most youth players go the college route.

But that is exactly the point that so many people are missing when they argue AGAINST the calendar year mandate. They bring up things like H.S. and college; the same way you just did.

USSF is an organization that was made to successfully get kids into college soccer.
They were created for youth soccer all through the national team level; with player development as its main goal. AGAIN, they have nothing to do with preparing kids for college. So none of their goals have to conform with and school system. Just like top-level gymnastics schools don't care about school. Their main goal is to prepare for the Olympics. Not to send their gymnasts to college.

So why would USSF (and USA Gymnastics) care about issues like school year, HS, College planning, etc.?

The problem is you can accommodate both...College aspirations and national and/or pro. I don't see why allies nested a large group does anything for the sport in this country. It is finally getting momentum so that pro teams can survive and you and alienate 40+% of the population playing by leavinving them hanging senior year. Again, no problems with doing things to strengthen the national pro line...just don't see why we can't do both.

[Unregistered]

And so does soccer. Its called rec.
Gymnastics was brought up just to illustrate a point. Not to dive into the inner workings and architecture of the USA Gymnastics association.
My daughter did 5 years of "rec" gymnastics. I know exactly what its about. And they never once cared if she was training with schoolmates. As a matter of fact, many of the girls were 4 yours older or younger than her. They never once separated them based on school-year cut-off. They separated them based on skill level. Which further emphasizes my point that the USSF has every right to enforce a system that THEY think will benefit their sport; Not benefit a college system.

Thanks for helping clarify my point further.

The best players are playing up anyway at least on the girls side. The are not following the age guidelines. The switch will not impact the top kids. It will impact the kid who like playing with their friends.

[Unregistered]

Please explain to me how this change benefits the kids. I understand what benefit US Soccer might get from it but the kids themselves gain nothing from it.

1 Well it makes the August - December kids at the younger side on the next team that will make them try harder now. Before those kids played because they were older and bigger. Now they will have to work to earn a spot in games.

2.They will learn that life is not fair. So they have to adjust to the change. Remember they will be playing with kids their age now.

3. Parents will have to drive home and hear their kid complaining about playing time because they are on the small now , but parents can explain to them that their are the same age now and it is time to not be playing with kids that are younger and learn not to bully anymore.

4. Parents will learn in this lesson that that have no control in the decision that US Soccer makes. Also parents can go fly a kite if they don't like it. Or maybe go start their own soccer league and put U19 players on the U12 teams to win games.

5. Great idea New Soccer League {The I am offended League} where offended soccer parents can have their kids play down.

Now being said you get all pissed off about comments on this side of the fence side. Just let the calendar year come into play, the adjustment will be just fine. Nobody gets hurt and your child will still play soccer. Why can't you just let this go and except the change.

[Unregistered]

The problem is you can accommodate both...College aspirations and national and/or pro. I don't see why allies nested a large group does anything for the sport in this country. It is finally getting momentum so that pro teams can survive and you and alienate 40+% of the population playing by leavinving them hanging senior year. Again, no problems with doing things to strengthen the national pro line...just don't see why we can't do both.

40+%......

Holy Exaggeration Batman!!

[Unregistered]

Says a dad who's kid doesn't have the grades or talent to play college soccer.

I can assure you based on your response that he is much much better than your kid. I just don't come on here talking about European soccer as if he had a chance to play there.
Sorry Mr European your kid should pick up a different sport.

[Unregistered]

I can assure you based on your response that he is much much better than your kid. I just don't come on here talking about European soccer as if he had a chance to play there.
Sorry Mr European your kid should pick up a different sport.

This is what you said: "America has a college soccer system which many more strive for...England does not, nor does most other countries...so why follow for the pro or national team which accommodates so few over the majority. Why are people so blind to that. We are America people...what makes us Americans is we lead not follow."

Just show any empirical evidence that demonstrates that any European or soccer leading nation is striving to adopt our College system? name one. And why would they? Because our men have dominated the world scene? Or do you really think the world cares about women's soccer?

Our college system is fine for the NFL and the NBA but it cannot develop soccer talent, period. The Europeans that are coming here to play college, are simply using their soccer talent to get an education because they have no professional aspirations.

So why are you bringing anyone's kids into this? And point out where I said that my kid has European aspirations. I am only arguing your point, quoted above, that our college model is something that European soccer is trying to emulate.