re: Can someone explain to me why our youth system is bad?

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The kids might get touches on the ball when they meet for practices locally, but they need exposure to the highest level of competition to develop. Again, geography is a huge issue, and will continue to be an issue, outside of the metropolitan areas.

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Bill Parker. You get it. I just went through the same process with my son. Mid sized market, top level team, ranked top 5 in their region. Club decides to go to new ECNL league with would require year round travel and be VERY expensive. That doesn’t take into account the toll it takes on your family and being away from home. You are also basically asking your 12-13 year old son to make a decision to go all-in. No other sports, limited time with school friends, and let’s face it, the social fabric of this country and their schools are wrapped around other sports like football/b-ball. So when your son’s buddies start getting more social and chasing girls at weekend school football games, they are hopping in a bus to travel 10 hours to play 2 games. All for what? A potential 1/4 scholarship to college, most likely one with inferior academic standards.

As such, the pool of players that can make it to a high level (mls or other) are limited to kids in major markets with DA’s that CHOOSE to participate. I know many that have chosen as a family not to participate for same reasons above.

The thing is in America you have more options. In other countries, not so much. They see soccer as their only ticket to a better life.

As you can imagine we decided as a family not to participate and if he loves the game enough he can play on his school team or another club team that doesn’t require that commitment.

I know for certain this decision is happening all across the country, obviously to the detriment of the development of US soccer.