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US Soccer making significant changes to its youth system and structure
Posted on 12/9/14 at 7:45 pm
Posted on 12/9/14 at 7:45 pm
Just going to post the article from Ives here. These are great changes, IMO, and address some of the largest issues our system faces. I put some of these in bold.
Also, while we're talking youth development, I thought this piece on Emerson Hyndman and the other US players at Fulham was a fantastic read.
quote:
In a move to align its structure in the style of some European powers, U.S. Soccer has introduced a number of changes to its youth system and structure.
U.S. Soccer is adding a number of initiatives, including the creation of a pro-license for coaches, adding an Under-12 age group for youth academies and increasing scholarship funding to remove cost barriers, and adding Under-16 and Under-19 National Team programs for both men and women with full-time head coaches, all likely at a heavy cost to the U.S. Soccer Federation.
“This is a huge step forward in our efforts to improve the development process for player and coaches across the country,” U.S. Soccer technical director and head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said in a statement. “As we have done with the senior National Team, our goal is to make sure we are able to provide the best possible environment and opportunity for players to reach their highest level.”
The new changes coming to U.S. Soccer focus on three areas, per their press release: assessment and identification, training and development, competition.
“It’s fundamental to the growth of the sport in our country that we examine and improve the different areas of development for our players and coaches,” U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said in a statement. “We are better situated than ever with the resources to do that. With ambitious programming for our National Teams, new investments in education and technology, and a continued effort to align our technical practices with the best in the world, we are positioning ourselves to take another important step forward.”
In the assessment and identification aspect, U.S. Soccer claims that they “will undertake an independent assessment” of their youth national team programs, development academy, and its clubs. U.S. Soccer state they have yet to choose which company will be hired to do the audit.
Last month, the New York Times reported that U.S. Soccer was planning to authorize a “full audit” of their organization by Double PASS, a Belgium-based company that has consulted with the likes of the DFB, Premier League, Hungarian FA, Belgian FA, and Bundesliga to overhaul their youth system and organization.
In the training and development aspect, U.S. Soccer state they are upgrading their coaching licenses and are introducing a new F-license for youth technical directors and a pro-license. In addition, there will be an online “Digital Coaching Center” for coaches around the country to access coaching resources, and a “national coaching education center” is being formed and will be hosted by Sporting Kansas City.
For players, the federation is expanding the development academy programs to a U-12 age group, increasing scholarship funding, and standardizing small-sided games and field sizes for youth players.
Another interesting note in the release is that U.S. Soccer are working with the NCAA to increase the length of the college soccer season, perhaps spreading it over both the fall and spring instead of just the fall.
New hire Nelson Rodriguez will be in charge of counseling and educating young national team players as they determine their professional or collegiate options.
Finally, on the competition aspect, U.S. Soccer is adding the U-16 and U-19 squads to both the men’s and women’s program to have teams all the way from U-14 through U-20 and U-23 on both sides.
No date has been set for the launch of these new initiatives and changes but U.S. Soccer stated in the release that when they are launched they will provide additional information.
Also, while we're talking youth development, I thought this piece on Emerson Hyndman and the other US players at Fulham was a fantastic read.
Posted on 12/9/14 at 8:12 pm to cwil177
Making it very difficult these days to obtain coaching licenses. Even harder than it is now to get a C, B or A license.
Posted on 12/9/14 at 8:24 pm to GeorgeTheGreek
Good, our coaching standards have been below par to Europe and South America for too long.
Posted on 12/9/14 at 9:42 pm to glassman
quote:
U.S. Soccer are working with the NCAA
Good. Too often they've tried working against the college game or just plain annoying. Start using it.
Posted on 12/9/14 at 10:05 pm to Lordofwrath88
quote:
U.S. Soccer are working with the NCAA
I´ve always believed this could be a gold mine and a serious way to develop.
How to do it, is damned hard, but think La Masía, on a grand scale. Following them, aiding them in the classroom, and having them in premiere development programs, and then progressing on to a handful of top notch NCAA programs (six, maybe eight).
I know it´s complicated, but it could work.
The outlying NCAA programs would produce some under the radar kids as well, of course. Competition, pride, and all. Six or eight would mushroom as the sport takes hold.
Posted on 12/10/14 at 2:18 am to Lordofwrath88
quote:
Good. Too often they've tried working against the college game or just plain annoying. Start using it.
NCAA has way too many stupid rules that get in the way of developing players.
Posted on 12/10/14 at 4:19 am to StraightCashHomey21
quote:
NCAA has way too many stupid rules that get in the way of developing players.
Absolutely. But the USSF might as well use the NCAA as a free way of developing talent like the NBA and the NFL do. We need to rethink the whole 'amateurism' concept as a whole though because it's current iteration is stupid.
Posted on 12/10/14 at 5:54 pm to crazy4lsu
I hope we find an intelligent way to use the NCAA. It obviously has its place. Guys like Camerson, Besler, Gonzalez, Dempsey, etc don't get to where they are without it. It's impossible to scout all the talent in this country, and the NCAA really provides incentives (as weak as they may be) for other organizations (ie schools and their coaches) to help with the burden of scouting on such a massive scale.
Posted on 12/10/14 at 9:44 pm to cwil177
quote:
It obviously has its place.
A last chance option for late bloomers.
Posted on 12/11/14 at 4:03 am to cwil177
quote:
Gonzalez
we don't need any of these
Posted on 12/11/14 at 7:51 am to crazy4lsu
quote:
We need to rethink the whole 'amateurism' concept as a whole though because it's current iteration is stupid.
I think this is the biggest issue moving forward. We have a massive, built-in scouting network to use. By the time a kid is playing in college, kids in other countries are cashing checks for their play. We need to have our guys playing together as much as possible against the toughest competition possible. As long as MILFs and orange slices aren't taken away, a restructuring and focusing on our athletes having the same advantages and journey as any European prospect.
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