U17 wnt

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I wouldn't necessarily blame them more than others. Top to bottom of pay-to-play we see today can be blamed on US Soccer for its complacency more than a decade ago. All the attention was paid to the Boys DA and the USMNT lack of success relative to the USWNT dominance. US Soccer completely missed the boat on leading what was a pay-to-play boom. Others filled the void. The mess of alphabet soup that we have today is the result.

I would argue that the pay-to-play is the problem with youth soccer. Parents move players based on W/L record. Coach are pressure to win. Less times are focus on the fundamentals. Players see team practice as development. True development only focus on the players ability to acquire skills, adapt to the environment, demonstrates the skills learned and being able to think on their feet. I see very little of that in today’s players. Pulisic, Diego and other top players eat and sleep with the ball. Obviously it helps to have parents who grew up with the game and able to nurture their development. The button line is culture which we don’t have now.

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I would argue that the pay-to-play is the problem with youth soccer. Parents move players based on W/L record. Coach are pressure to win. Less times are focus on the fundamentals. Players see team practice as development. True development only focus on the players ability to acquire skills, adapt to the environment, demonstrates the skills learned and being able to think on their feet. I see very little of that in today’s players. Pulisic, Diego and other top players eat and sleep with the ball. Obviously it helps to have parents who grew up with the game and able to nurture their development. The button line is culture which we don’t have now.

Dont want to harp on about it, but that culture definitely exists. it is just less prevalent in the white middle class demographic that club soccer targets so aggressively. US Soccer act like a marketing company. They seem to want to present a team that is culturally attractive to their target market even if that team is overlooking talent that does not "fit" the stereotype.

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Thats a given ;), but worth restating for sure

A quote comes to mind... 'First you get along, then you go along' same old same old in this sport. The powers do what they want and are quick to stomp out any flames of dissent or deviation from the established order. 'You can't fight city hall', is another.

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Thousands of girls in a system that's supposed to help 100 of the most talented players in the US. Anyone see something wrong with that?

No, not at all. When you put those thousands of girls side by side on teams with the 100 most talented players in the US as we functionally do right now, what you actually do is retard the development of those 100 players. Those 100 players shouldn't even be in the complex, never mind on the same fields as the rank and file. If you think that is unfair that the many are paying for the few, you are delusional, in other soccer cultures they sell those players to fund the development of their few. In those systems most players are just meat to be ground up by the machine. There's nothing for nothing in the world.

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No, not at all. When you put those thousands of girls side by side on teams with the 100 most talented players in the US as we functionally do right now, what you actually do is retard the development of those 100 players. Those 100 players shouldn't even be in the complex, never mind on the same fields as the rank and file. If you think that is unfair that the many are paying for the few, you are delusional, in other soccer cultures they sell those players to fund the development of their few. In those systems most players are just meat to be ground up by the machine. There's nothing for nothing in the world.

What many are paying for the few? Am I somehow paying for those top 100? I thought sponsers paid for those top 100.

[Unregistered]

Some of you are way too bitter and just downright silly. There is no conspiracy, what you are seeing is evidence of what an epic failure the ECNL was in these parts. More of it has to do with the way club soccer is organized in the old R1 geographic area than anything else. We have always had way too many clubs competing against each other so the talent pool gets thinned too much and the best and brightest end up playing with and against completely average players. You need pressure to make diamonds and you don’t get that around here.

not silly at all. too bad you can't connect dots. kids from internationals in camps; and their teams didn't make champs level post season last year. that tech director from that club.
VA/MD kids. That tech dir was on McLean staff last year. there is a lot of talent out there and many kids are very similar to others. so what pushes that invite over the top? who you know. plain and simple. no different than before.

You people from Mass are nuts. I have a daughter in the system. Been there for years. Being with the NT is a cut throat, what have you done for me lately type of thing. Unlike what some are saying here, they don't actually care about anything or anyone and have absolutely no loyalties. School, injuries, illness, personal issues, they could care less about anything other than what you are doing at the precise moment they call you up. If you can't produce to their satisfaction in that moment, they move on. The competition and associated pressure is insane. But there is a continuum to it though. It's definitely a marathon type process, not a sprint. That's the mistake a lot of players make, you can never rest on your laurels even once you make the full national team because they are always looking for your replacement and there hundreds in the pipeline hungry for a shot to do that. What I find amusing is so many of you seem to think that all the players are just interchangeable and that making into a camp or two means something special. It doesn't actually as far as the NT is concerned. They constantly rotate new players in to take a look at and they are always putting the existing players to test against them. One thing no one seems to ever think about is the character and the mental toughness of the player they are looking for. We've watched a lot of really great players fall by the wayside because they weren't mentally tough enough to put the work into staying with the program. It's much harder than some of you seem to grasp.

[Unregistered]

You people from Mass are nuts. I have a daughter in the system. Been there for years. Being with the NT is a cut throat, what have you done for me lately type of thing. Unlike what some are saying here, they don't actually care about anything or anyone and have absolutely no loyalties. School, injuries, illness, personal issues, they could care less about anything other than what you are doing at the precise moment they call you up. If you can't produce to their satisfaction in that moment, they move on. The competition and associated pressure is insane. But there is a continuum to it though. It's definitely a marathon type process, not a sprint. That's the mistake a lot of players make, you can never rest on your laurels even once you make the full national team because they are always looking for your replacement and there hundreds in the pipeline hungry for a shot to do that. What I find amusing is so many of you seem to think that all the players are just interchangeable and that making into a camp or two means something special. It doesn't actually as far as the NT is concerned. They constantly rotate new players in to take a look at and they are always putting the existing players to test against them. One thing no one seems to ever think about is the character and the mental toughness of the player they are looking for. We've watched a lot of really great players fall by the wayside because they weren't mentally tough enough to put the work into staying with the program. It's much harder than some of you seem to grasp.

Whatever they are doing, the test comes out of the field as this is competitive sports. Their current system seem to be causing the US women to lose their edge.

[Unregistered]

You people from Mass are nuts. I have a daughter in the system. Been there for years. Being with the NT is a cut throat, what have you done for me lately type of thing. Unlike what some are saying here, they don't actually care about anything or anyone and have absolutely no loyalties. School, injuries, illness, personal issues, they could care less about anything other than what you are doing at the precise moment they call you up. If you can't produce to their satisfaction in that moment, they move on. The competition and associated pressure is insane. But there is a continuum to it though. It's definitely a marathon type process, not a sprint. That's the mistake a lot of players make, you can never rest on your laurels even once you make the full national team because they are always looking for your replacement and there hundreds in the pipeline hungry for a shot to do that. What I find amusing is so many of you seem to think that all the players are just interchangeable and that making into a camp or two means something special. It doesn't actually as far as the NT is concerned. They constantly rotate new players in to take a look at and they are always putting the existing players to test against them. One thing no one seems to ever think about is the character and the mental toughness of the player they are looking for. We've watched a lot of really great players fall by the wayside because they weren't mentally tough enough to put the work into staying with the program. It's much harder than some of you seem to grasp.

there is truth to much of what you say. I dont agree on the turnover or the always putting existing players to the test part. they dont. if you want to test a regular in camp. Put her on the "B" team. A camp test usually involves the A team (who has played together many times) vs the B team that may well contain newbies.


the is a comfort and security that comes from repeated selection even when out of form. There is a security in being accepted by the group. There is comfort in looking up to see your Club coach or 3 of your Club teammates.

Its not cut throat because there is no accountability at the top. failure is not dealt with. The same coaches, with the same biases are still selecting the same players because they dont work hard enough to challenge the status quo. Our U 17 team had a terrible World Cup. How many of those players who played meaningful minutes have been replaced or removed from the NT rosters for the time being ? I can think of one - FT. very few others come to mind.

[Unregistered]

What many are paying for the few? Am I somehow paying for those top 100? I thought sponsers paid for those top 100.

What you are paying for is to belong to a soccer club so your kids can have whatever soccer dream you all have. That's the end of it for you. Your only concern should be whether or not your kid is getting a soccer experience that you are all happy with. The soccer clubs involved at the level we are talking about are all businesses' that hopefully generate enough profit from running the recreational soccer program that you undoubtedly are involved with to enable them to fund the development of their upper echelon players. The mistake parents like you make is thinking that because you are paying some obscene amount of money for your kid's soccer experience and end up being on some of the same rosters as those top echelon players that it somehow puts you on the same plane as them when it actually doesn't. In the grand scheme of things the soccer clubs don't really care whether you are there or not. Your kid doesn't actually matter as it relates to those top echelon players. They only care that the roster spot is filled with a paying customer. Your kid could be a trained monkey. The bottom line is the club's brand is going to be directly related to those top level players, not your kid, so that is their actual product.

[Unregistered]

What you are paying for is to belong to a soccer club so your kids can have whatever soccer dream you all have. That's the end of it for you. Your only concern should be whether or not your kid is getting a soccer experience that you are all happy with. The soccer clubs involved at the level we are talking about are all businesses' that hopefully generate enough profit from running the recreational soccer program that you undoubtedly are involved with to enable them to fund the development of their upper echelon players. The mistake parents like you make is thinking that because you are paying some obscene amount of money for your kid's soccer experience and end up being on some of the same rosters as those top echelon players that it somehow puts you on the same plane as them when it actually doesn't. In the grand scheme of things the soccer clubs don't really care whether you are there or not. Your kid doesn't actually matter as it relates to those top echelon players. They only care that the roster spot is filled with a paying customer. Your kid could be a trained monkey. The bottom line is the club's brand is going to be directly related to those top level players, not your kid, so that is their actual product.

Pay for your own player sponge. Being good at soccer and a few bucks are worth a piece of pizza.

[Unregistered]

Whatever they are doing, the test comes out of the field as this is competitive sports. Their current system seem to be causing the US women to lose their edge.

The problem isn't really at the national team level it is really at the club level. The problem is that the concentration and commitment levels down at the club level are not anywhere near sufficient enough to produce "ready made" players so the national team functionally has to do to much more individual development than is practical for a country as large and as complex as ours. That's why they created the DA and took control of the situation at that level.

[Unregistered]

You people from Mass are nuts. I have a daughter in the system. Been there for years. Being with the NT is a cut throat, what have you done for me lately type of thing. Unlike what some are saying here, they don't actually care about anything or anyone and have absolutely no loyalties. School, injuries, illness, personal issues, they could care less about anything other than what you are doing at the precise moment they call you up. If you can't produce to their satisfaction in that moment, they move on. The competition and associated pressure is insane. But there is a continuum to it though. It's definitely a marathon type process, not a sprint. That's the mistake a lot of players make, you can never rest on your laurels even once you make the full national team because they are always looking for your replacement and there hundreds in the pipeline hungry for a shot to do that. What I find amusing is so many of you seem to think that all the players are just interchangeable and that making into a camp or two means something special. It doesn't actually as far as the NT is concerned. They constantly rotate new players in to take a look at and they are always putting the existing players to test against them. One thing no one seems to ever think about is the character and the mental toughness of the player they are looking for. We've watched a lot of really great players fall by the wayside because they weren't mentally tough enough to put the work into staying with the program. It's much harder than some of you seem to grasp.

Thanks, BTNT.

[Unregistered]

What you are paying for is to belong to a soccer club so your kids can have whatever soccer dream you all have. That's the end of it for you. Your only concern should be whether or not your kid is getting a soccer experience that you are all happy with. The soccer clubs involved at the level we are talking about are all businesses' that hopefully generate enough profit from running the recreational soccer program that you undoubtedly are involved with to enable them to fund the development of their upper echelon players. The mistake parents like you make is thinking that because you are paying some obscene amount of money for your kid's soccer experience and end up being on some of the same rosters as those top echelon players that it somehow puts you on the same plane as them when it actually doesn't. In the grand scheme of things the soccer clubs don't really care whether you are there or not. Your kid doesn't actually matter as it relates to those top echelon players. They only care that the roster spot is filled with a paying customer. Your kid could be a trained monkey. The bottom line is the club's brand is going to be directly related to those top level players, not your kid, so that is their actual product.

Thanks, BTNT. You're still trolling around after all these years? Good to see you back.

[Unregistered]

The problem isn't really at the national team level it is really at the club level. The problem is that the concentration and commitment levels down at the club level are not anywhere near sufficient enough to produce "ready made" players so the national team functionally has to do to much more individual development than is practical for a country as large and as complex as ours. That's why they created the DA and took control of the situation at that level.

Thanks yet again, BTNT. Being top level is tough, really, really, really tough. Tougher than tough. Tell us more.

[Unregistered]

Pay for your own player sponge. Being good at soccer and a few bucks are worth a piece of pizza.

I stopped paying for soccer years ago and the equation has been inverted. The thing you need to ask yourself is whether or not your kid would even be with the soccer club you are with if not for the results of your club's top players. Don't blame me for club soccer parents having a herd mentality.