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re: The "US can't compete because athletes choose other sports" Argument
Posted on 12/16/14 at 3:34 pm to Ex-Popcorn
Posted on 12/16/14 at 3:34 pm to Ex-Popcorn
quote:
It's how Belgium started pumping out world-class prospects.
Belgium has no NBA. Belgium has no NFL. Belgian kids want to play soccer....it's what's glamorized to them.
2
Posted on 12/16/14 at 3:35 pm to BleedPurpleGold
And it's not like the United States has to become a soccer-dominated country for us to eventually have a great player pool because of our population size.
Posted on 12/16/14 at 3:38 pm to Ex-Popcorn
quote:
Belgium has no NBA. Belgium has no NFL. Belgian kids want to play soccer....it's what's glamorized to them.
Then why hasn't Belgium been good forever?
My point is that they radically changed their system from the national team all the way down to the youth clubs. That's how they became great.
The United States has enough kids out there that, with the way the sport continues to grow, we could have a similar change.
We have 300M+ people here. Belgium only has 11M. Not everyone has to be sold out to soccer for us to be great. Just some of them, and they're out there.
This post was edited on 12/16/14 at 3:40 pm
Posted on 12/16/14 at 3:56 pm to Ex-Popcorn
quote:
Belgium has no NBA. Belgium has no NFL. Belgian kids want to play soccer....it's what's glamorized to them
Soccer has always been "glamorized" in Belgium. Yet, Belgium has never been a power on the world stage. Belgium only reached its heights in the last few years, after it revolutionized its youth system.
Posted on 12/16/14 at 4:00 pm to PeepleHeppinBidness
quote:
Soccer has always been "glamorized" in Belgium. Yet, Belgium has never been a power on the world stage. Belgium only reached its heights in the last few years, after it revolutionized its youth system.
Blah blah blah athleticism and common sense eyeball test blah blah blah.
Posted on 12/16/14 at 4:04 pm to BleedPurpleGold
Yea even the places with the best athletes it doesn't matter. Perfect case is Brazil all those people who play yet the ones who get put in the youth set ups make it. So much talent there and better athletes who dont make it.
Or for anyone who played HS in an area with lots of Hispanic kids. Most these kids didn't play travel or even a house league but they were naturally talented and would make you say wow in practice. But them in the game and they shite their pants bc they cant think and process like a popper footballer. They try to do it all or show off and frick it up.
Or for anyone who played HS in an area with lots of Hispanic kids. Most these kids didn't play travel or even a house league but they were naturally talented and would make you say wow in practice. But them in the game and they shite their pants bc they cant think and process like a popper footballer. They try to do it all or show off and frick it up.
Posted on 12/16/14 at 4:12 pm to PeepleHeppinBidness
quote:
Soccer has always been "glamorized" in Belgium. Yet, Belgium has never been a power on the world stage. Belgium only reached its heights in the last few years, after it revolutionized its youth system.
Exactly. This is why people who mainly follow European league soccer react the way they do to these "superman American athlete" threads.
If you follow non-US clubs/countries closely for a long time you see a thousand examples that say early and continued top notch youth development trumps everything.
You see that a country like France is overflowing with Tony Parkers (who seems to do fine against superior NBA athletes) in their soccer programs but not many make it.
Even when they do make it, they still don't offer any remarkable advantage over the Pirlos and Xavis.
And, France is among the elite in youth development.
You could add Germany and Spain to Belgium as examples since their recent success is intimately tied to changes in youth development when they have always been two of biggest footballing nations in the world.
I wouldn't bet against Spain taking 11 five year old Woody Allens and beating a US 11 made out of Calvin Johnsons.
This post was edited on 12/16/14 at 4:17 pm
Posted on 12/16/14 at 4:33 pm to Ex-Popcorn
quote:
Your argument is that we need to fix something that cannot be fixed. In other words, you are saying that these other teams are better than us because of youth development and training. What you are missing from my argument is that we will never be on the same footing as those countries.
So, having the same level of athlete will always lead to the results. We have access to better athletes (larger pool, better percentage chance of hitting on them) who can help cover for the training and youth development gap that will never be bridged.
This is a reality. Yet, most of you are just saying: Screw athleticism, we need to fix youth development and training. Yeah...ok. Let's go for world peace while we're at it...
So you are arguing that we should continue to find a better Marvel Wynne and Eddie Johnson, but not fix our youth system? How is it that Germany was able to revamp their youth system in 14 years (it was absolutely broken in 1998) yet we cannot develop a youth system that allows us to make the most of our athletes? That is again a myopic and dishonest argument made from a lack of knowledge about how youth training works.
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:00 pm to crazy4lsu
Has anyone suggested that Lebron should play soccer yet?
What about OBJ? He was pretty good at 13. He is tearing up the NFL right now. I bet he could replace Bradley. He sucks anyway.
Or better yet, Chris Paul has great vision and passing, so let's take his brother, Cliff Paul, and play him at center mid. I bet we could pay him more than State Farm anyway.
Bring in Mike Trout, Calvin Johnson, and Drew Brees and you may as inscribe USA on the next trophy.
What about OBJ? He was pretty good at 13. He is tearing up the NFL right now. I bet he could replace Bradley. He sucks anyway.
Or better yet, Chris Paul has great vision and passing, so let's take his brother, Cliff Paul, and play him at center mid. I bet we could pay him more than State Farm anyway.
Bring in Mike Trout, Calvin Johnson, and Drew Brees and you may as inscribe USA on the next trophy.
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:02 pm to Lou Pai
quote:
The argument isn't that LeBron or Odell or whoever would be a sick EPL player specifically. Rather, something like this is indicative of a structural disasvantage we as a country impose on ourselves.
The "structural disadvantage" that the US has is college soccer.
ETA: And where are all of these incredibly informed about the soccer world posters during matches?
This post was edited on 12/16/14 at 6:03 pm
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:04 pm to TN Bhoy
quote:
The "structural disadvantage" that the US has is college soccer.
It is a huge hurdle. As said earlier in the thread. For the most of the world soccer is the way out of poverty sport. Here it is a way to college sport.
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:06 pm to Ex-Popcorn
quote:
Ex-Popcorn
You have no idea what you are talking about in this thread, and you know nothing about soccer in this country or any other. Frankly it's embarrassing that you insist on arguing this stupid, beaten-like-a-dead-horse point, against people who know more about this sport and its development than you ever, ever will.
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:08 pm to TN Bhoy
quote:
American Samoa has produced more NFL players per capita than any U.S. state, with 30 NFL players among its population of 55,519.
LINK
We need to really become a power house and get the Samoans into this. I'm thinking a pitch full of Tim Cahills.
ETA: I really do believe Somoans are the best athletes. Rugby probably being the best all around athletic sport there is and they tend to dominate.
This post was edited on 12/16/14 at 6:12 pm
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:15 pm to FunkasaurusReb
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:23 pm to FunkasaurusReb
The argument that a kid who is somewhat unathletic growing up and who had to always rely on skill would develop into a better overall adult player makes a lot of sense.
The college argument makes a lot of sense too. NCAA restricts your practice time massively compared to anywhere else on the globe.
Seems like if the MLS would have a farm system like baseball does and pay kids straight out of hs to train, huge gains could be made in a short time.
Seems like a potential solution.
The college argument makes a lot of sense too. NCAA restricts your practice time massively compared to anywhere else on the globe.
Seems like if the MLS would have a farm system like baseball does and pay kids straight out of hs to train, huge gains could be made in a short time.
Seems like a potential solution.
This post was edited on 12/16/14 at 6:25 pm
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:29 pm to BigEdLSU
quote:
Seems like if the MLS would have a farm system like baseball does and pay kids straight out of hs to train, huge gains could be made in a short time.
Seems like a potential solution.
It's called youth academies, and they're working on it.
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:31 pm to TN Bhoy
I got the impression that youth academies referred to in this thread were for elementary aged kids.
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:32 pm to BigEdLSU
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:36 pm to FunkasaurusReb
Oh wow it's a school and campus apparently someone is getting serious about this.
Who funded it?
ETA: I see it's for more than just soccer too. John Curtis on steroids
Who funded it?
ETA: I see it's for more than just soccer too. John Curtis on steroids
This post was edited on 12/16/14 at 6:39 pm
Posted on 12/16/14 at 6:38 pm to BigEdLSU
quote:
I got the impression that youth academies referred to in this thread were for elementary aged kids.
That is where it needs to happen.
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