Is DA really the best option for our kids?

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There are many talented young players in the US, but by U14, they have to decide college or pro. In other countries by U14, they will tell you to get a job, go to school or you are good enough to be a first division player. Pulisic left at 15! The DA's here are not bad but there are no options after that. Hopefully the MLS will keep getting better and maybe become a real option. It's a tough choice but only you know your kid!!

Ok, where to begin. This is the US soccer experience, our experience, not some latin/euro snob come over to the US or 2nd generation experience. There are 22 MLS clubs soon to be 28 within the next 10 years. That's about 730 division 1 professional players. We currently have 40 division 2 teams with plans to add another 20 within the next 5 years. That's about 1450 more professional roster spots. Now, I don't want to have to give you a count on how many clubs there are division 3 and lower, but I am sure that it is significant. Having said that, 50% of our country has yet to be soccer developed. The soccer upside of this country is enormous. Here's the thing, are we a top 10 soccer nation yet? no. Are we moving rapidly in that direction (sheer number alone)? Yes. Are there things we can still learn about youth developing? Yes. Also, by your statement above, you would be leaving out many great players. Clint Dempsey, for example was not considered a top player until he got to college and then the light bulb went on and there are many more examples. By your standards, by 14 or 15 they would have told him to get a job at the factory in Nagadoches. If you are a youth soccer player in the US, this is so much of a better time than even 10 years ago in terms of development and playing opportunities if that person decides they want to pursue the sport. Besides, the great thing about America is that in our country, our players have options, whereas your home country, it is the only way out of poverty and guess what?, in time we will still be better than you.

[Unregistered]

Very accurate representation. What really needs to happen is a clamp down by FYSA and NOT allow so many damn clubs in a certain area or make them have to be a minimum distance from one another so there can be a better concentration of talent. Too many teams/clubs have diluted the quality of the soccer.

I agree, travel soccer should be more exclusive, travel teams should start at u11 or u12 and up... everything before that should be rec and coed... I live near doral, we have 5 teams within a 10 mile radius, its all about the money and don't forget that for one second. and.. don't get me started on delusional parents and older boys and girls playing together....My u12 boy had a girl on his team , not because she was amazing, but because her mom convinced/conned the coach that it was her daughters best option to improve, screw the other boys on the team, screw that fact that there are 6 girls teams within the same radius, me me me, welcome to the south florida/latin America way of thinking...

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I agree, travel soccer should be more exclusive, travel teams should start at u11 or u12 and up... everything before that should be rec and coed... I live near doral, we have 5 teams within a 10 mile radius, its all about the money and don't forget that for one second. and.. don't get me started on delusional parents and older boys and girls playing together....My u12 boy had a girl on his team , not because she was amazing, but because her mom convinced/conned the coach that it was her daughters best option to improve, screw the other boys on the team, screw that fact that there are 6 girls teams within the same radius, me me me, welcome to the south florida/latin America way of thinking...

The problem is not FYSA. FYSA is designed to coordinate and oversee tens of thousands of kids playing soccer for fun. FYSA club play is not designed to produce top players for national teams or colleges. Parents are uneducated when it comes to where their kids are playing. Can FYSA clubs improve? Yes, of course they can. But then you will have to pay more. You need to be a smart consumer.

[Unregistered]

let's be honest. even the absolute best players are not pulisic. they are maybe 2nd division players. would you uproot a kid - school, studies - affect your personal finances, for a chance that maybe your kid plays second division in Europe?

you have to have a kid that for sure is first division player to justify this. and to make matters even worse no one knows how good a kid will be until 14-16 years old!

Yet when JK was in charge he said to go international for your best chance to develop a professional career. MLs is well, MLS. College isn't where to go to develop - it's amp'd up high school. Yes moving a younger child is risky and I'd never advise it without a lot of input from people who know what they're doing. But, there's an opportunity to learn at a more accelerated rate than here, experience a different culture, learn another language etc. At a minimum you'd be very attractive to college coaches for the soccer and admissions offices for life experience.

Realistically not that many families can do it because of jobs, finances, visa restrictions etc.

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Yet when JK was in charge he said to go international for your best chance to develop a professional career. MLs is well, MLS. College isn't where to go to develop - it's amp'd up high school. Yes moving a younger child is risky and I'd never advise it without a lot of input from people who know what they're doing. But, there's an opportunity to learn at a more accelerated rate than here, experience a different culture, learn another language etc. At a minimum you'd be very attractive to college coaches for the soccer and admissions offices for life experience.

Realistically not that many families can do it because of jobs, finances, visa restrictions etc.

Best part of it. You don't pay a s*** amount of money to play.

[Unregistered]

Very accurate representation. What really needs to happen is a clamp down by FYSA and NOT allow so many damn clubs in a certain area or make them have to be a minimum distance from one another so there can be a better concentration of talent. Too many teams/clubs have diluted the quality of the soccer.

It's not just about FYSA - too many leagues means fighting over turf at event the highest levels (think USSF vs ECNL or USYS vs USCS). That leads to too many levels at the state level, too many clubs, diluted talent and confused parents. Parental uncertainty then makes it easy for clubs to pop up overnight and take advantage of all the money in the system

[Unregistered]

Yet when JK was in charge he said to go international for your best chance to develop a professional career. MLs is well, MLS. College isn't where to go to develop - it's amp'd up high school. Yes moving a younger child is risky and I'd never advise it without a lot of input from people who know what they're doing. But, there's an opportunity to learn at a more accelerated rate than here, experience a different culture, learn another language etc. At a minimum you'd be very attractive to college coaches for the soccer and admissions offices for life experience.

Realistically not that many families can do it because of jobs, finances, visa restrictions etc.

Your job as a parent is to think like an adult. Your kids need to have a solid education to confront most of what life has in store for them. What does he do at 30? at 35? You are the adult. You need to provide adult guidance until your kid is mature enough to guide himself.

Last, is your kid really that good? Have you taken him to high level international tournaments? Tournaments where he competes against kids his age in professional programs? Does he stand out not in his team but against this level of competition? Be honest it's your kid's future.

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Your job as a parent is to think like an adult. Your kids need to have a solid education to confront most of what life has in store for them. What does he do at 30? at 35? You are the adult. You need to provide adult guidance until your kid is mature enough to guide himself.

Last, is your kid really that good? Have you taken him to high level international tournaments? Tournaments where he competes against kids his age in professional programs? Does he stand out not in his team but against this level of competition? Be honest it's your kid's future.

not the poster - of course that is a parent's role and we definitely not every parent is truly objective about their kids skills. If fact few are expert enough to even assess it - another area where Pulisic's parents knew what they were doing. The poster did say to gather lots of opinions. But living in Europe for a year or two to give it a shot, even if it fails, isn't going to kill a kid's academic or career options for a lifetime. Really it's so few kids who should be consider it and even fewer families that would be able to do it. Life's different paths don't come with a 100% certainty guarantee.

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not the poster - of course that is a parent's role and we definitely not every parent is truly objective about their kids skills. If fact few are expert enough to even assess it - another area where Pulisic's parents knew what they were doing. The poster did say to gather lots of opinions. But living in Europe for a year or two to give it a shot, even if it fails, isn't going to kill a kid's academic or career options for a lifetime. Really it's so few kids who should be consider it and even fewer families that would be able to do it. Life's different paths don't come with a 100% certainty guarantee.

Sorry if too critical, but I have had this discussion with a couple of parents over the years and in every single case their kid is nowhere near in my humble opinion ready to play overseas. Total blindness on parents part. I am no one either to assess, but when you are not close to being the best in your area, or even your team, you should not be thinking about moving the entire family. Maybe I overreacted, but my response comes from dealing with other parents whose kids are just "meh" thinking they are future stars in Europe. It is always more the dad's desire than the kid.

[Unregistered]

Sorry if too critical, but I have had this discussion with a couple of parents over the years and in every single case their kid is nowhere near in my humble opinion ready to play overseas. Total blindness on parents part. I am no one either to assess, but when you are not close to being the best in your area, or even your team, you should not be thinking about moving the entire family. Maybe I overreacted, but my response comes from dealing with other parents whose kids are just "meh" thinking they are future stars in Europe. It is always more the dad's desire than the kid.

There's certainly plenty of that. I certainly know my kid isn't THAT good. Even if he were I would never even consider anything like that without talking with countless experts. I know a few families that went overseas during school breaks and tried to land spots. They always came back with their tail between their legs. But that's low risk vs moving everyone permanently. I also know a few families with dual passports who go home and their kids play all summer their, formally and informally. Kids are great players and fluent in more than one language

Face it the CPs of this world are one in a million., plus he had two pro parents and an EU passport

[Unregistered]

there is indeed some kids that do go overseas and do well. Everyone's family situation is different and more importantly every kid is different. To make a judgement on what is right or wrong is not easy. Every case is totaly different.

[Unregistered]

Sorry if too critical, but I have had this discussion with a couple of parents over the years and in every single case their kid is nowhere near in my humble opinion ready to play overseas. Total blindness on parents part. I am no one either to assess, but when you are not close to being the best in your area, or even your team, you should not be thinking about moving the entire family. Maybe I overreacted, but my response comes from dealing with other parents whose kids are just "meh" thinking they are future stars in Europe. It is always more the dad's desire than the kid.

so you are speaking out of frustration, maybe this does not apply to your kid. Yeah I think you overreacted:)!

[Unregistered]

I don't begrudge anyone trying it - as long as they're smart about making the decision (is it what he really wants, not the parents, and is it realistic?) and don't seriously jeopardize their child's education in the process. If no one takes a risk and tries it we'll never get anywhere. If it bombs, he at least you know you did everything to try.

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Best part of it. You don't pay a s*** amount of money to play.

But if the player doesnt make it there, realize the sacrifice is that NCAA will probably not count their schoolwork overseas towards core course requirements - meaning you may be giving up D1, D2 or D3 soccer in making the jump - though can still play NAIA. Just be aware.

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But if the player doesnt make it there, realize the sacrifice is that NCAA will probably not count their schoolwork overseas towards core course requirements - meaning you may be giving up D1, D2 or D3 soccer in making the jump - though can still play NAIA. Just be aware.

Where overseas are we talking about. Let me tell you that the level of schooling is much higher in most places of Europe than it is in the United States. The United States is below the level of many schools in Europe. I know plenty of European educated kids who landed and are landing scholarships in the US. Or are getting into graduate degrees without breaking a sweat.