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re: Dan Wetzel blames "Travel Ball" for the lack of development of US Soccer
Posted on 7/8/26 at 9:59 am to Bestbank Tiger
Posted on 7/8/26 at 9:59 am to Bestbank Tiger
quote:
Create women's flag football?
That’s on the way. My kid’s team was made of up of girls that will play sports in college. They got absolutely smoked by the teams that are focusing on flag football. One QB could complete full field TDs, that’s 50yds or so. It was mentioned that she got a full ride to Nebraska for flag football. Evidently Nebraska is leading the effort and plan to fully fund scholarships for the entire roster.
Re: soccer… most of these countries have one sport taking all the athletes, yet those athletes aren’t as talented as LSUs WR and DB recruits over the last 20 years.
0
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:00 am to real turf fan
Soccer ain’t us. Don’t care
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:01 am to SlowFlowPro
quote:
College soccer is terrible for development
But if they existed more boys would stay in the game in order to earn one. That would create competition for a college soccer scholarship, and competition leads to players doing every they can to get better in order to earn a scholarship.
It keeps boys involved which helps in the numbers game.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:02 am to SlowFlowPro
quote:
College soccer is terrible for development.
It’s not about college soccer developing players. It’s about keeping kids playing soccer in middle school and high school instead of playing other sports where there are scholarship opportunities. This leads to a more competitive environment in high school for developing players at the key age for developing them.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:02 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
Do the best international soccer players make starting NFL money or these days even NIL college money.
The higher end English Premier League players make $20MM-$40MM per year. So while our top paid players make more in salary, yes, good players in top flight soccer leagues make much more than “starting NFL money” or “NIL college money”
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:03 am to SlowFlowPro
quote:
What?
College soccer is a TERRIBLE system to develop players.
You misunderstood.
He was talking about interest in the game and the fundamental challenges that exist. College soccer as a viable path for kids would probably result in more interest in the sport.
I don’t think college would be a path to USMNT or pro leagues overseas. But people watch college anything. It would gain some traction. It would broaden the base of soccer fans (to some degree). And it would incentivize the necessary vestment to be good in the game by providing value for those who end up being not good enough to be professional players.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:03 am to moneyg
quote:
At this point, I don't think that's the case. There's plenty of interest in Soccer now.
Go to a high school football game in the fall then a soccer game the following spring at the same school.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:04 am to teke184
quote:
I don’t see a lot of schools cutting track, cross country, swimming, tennis, golf, etc, in favor of soccer.
Once upon a time LSU had perennially nationally ranked men’s wrestling and gymnastics programs…….. then enter Title IX. These programs were 86’ed to “make a place” for mainly, women’s soccer and softball, one of which (softball) can’t get past a certain point competitively and the other (soccer)……well, let’s just say that, with the exception of a single athlete here and there, nobody (except for players’ parents) has ever heard squat about LSU women’s soccer.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:09 am to real turf fan
Hear me out..
Maybe we just don't fricking like soccer as much in this country. Why is that so hard to understand?
Maybe we just don't fricking like soccer as much in this country. Why is that so hard to understand?
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:09 am to NorthTxLSU
quote:
If you're legit you're already at a pro club at that age overseas
Correct.
But, the argument is that the pool of players is too small relative to the world...and that we aren't able to take advantage of our real power which is our population.
The guy I was responding too was saying that there's no real interest in pro soccer here and because of that, it's negatively impacting the quality of player available.
I don't see too many things that would move that needle more than viable collegiate soccer.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:11 am to SlowFlowPro
quote:
but we have a huge population of people with no future in football or basketball who could become pro soccer players and we should focus on getting a % of them to think about soccer early.
The problem with looking at our "huge population" on a national level, is it doesn't really tell you anything, when you understand and realize all introduction and initial development of sports is always going to be at the community level. It makes it sort of impossible to pluck out the great athletes here and there who would ultimately have no future in football or basketball, but might be great in soccer, and tell them THIS is what you need to focus on instead, when culturally and within the community everyone is generally gravitating to the other established sports.
Sure, you can have marginal success, but it's not going to be widespread like some may wish.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:11 am to Boudreauboudreaugoly
quote:They were both club sports until 1968. Yes, they were dropped because of Title IX in the 80s, but they just went back to the status they always had been. They were only varsity sports for like 15 years total.
Once upon a time LSU had perennially nationally ranked men’s wrestling and gymnastics programs…….. then enter Title IX. These programs were 86’ed to “make a place” for mainly, women’s soccer and softball, one of which (softball) can’t get past a certain point competitively and the other (soccer)……well, let’s just say that, with the exception of a single athlete here and there, nobody (except for players’ parents) has ever heard squat about LSU women’s soccer.
This post was edited on 7/8/26 at 10:19 am
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:12 am to yellowfin
quote:
Go to a high school football game in the fall then a soccer game the following spring at the same school.
Tons of people misunderstanding the discussion.
From a fan's perspective, obviously there's no comparison. Football is king.
From a participation perspective, there's tons of kids in early years playing soccer.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:14 am to real turf fan
My son played soccer when he was little. Was very good at it. He was built for it, coordinated, fast, good with both feet. Just could not give less of a shite about it. Quit, focused on baseball and has never shown an ounce of interest in going back. Few of the more athletic kids he’s grown up with stuck with the sport. That’s my purely anecdotal evidence that there’s just not enough support or interest in this country and has little sign of changing. Not enough kids or parents talking about it or interested in it. But I may be wrong.
I didn’t push him towards it and as he’s gotten older I wish I would have, but baseball has always been king
I didn’t push him towards it and as he’s gotten older I wish I would have, but baseball has always been king
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:14 am to moneyg
There is a fledgling women's volleyball league, but no real chance to make a bunch of money playing professional women's volleyball.
Ever been to a youth volleyball tournament or had a child playing club volleyball? Millions of girls playing the sport and the competition is cutthroat. All for a chance to someday play college volleyball.
I could say the same thing for softball or girls basketball too.
Ever been to a youth volleyball tournament or had a child playing club volleyball? Millions of girls playing the sport and the competition is cutthroat. All for a chance to someday play college volleyball.
I could say the same thing for softball or girls basketball too.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:15 am to SoDakHawk
quote:
Bottom line is that if you are going to spend a whole bunch of time (and money) on a sport you want there to be some future down the road, if they turn out to be good enough.
I do it because my kids enjoy it. It has nothing to do with them having a future in any sport outside of being competent enough to play on high school teams if they desire.
I also put my kids in every sport I can get them to do, no specializing, so my time and money is spread around. I don't have any goal of them becoming pro or college athletes, I just want them to be well-rounded athletically and physically healthy (sort of redundant).
I also think the different sports with different groups of friends (and strangers) helps them develop socially and learn about team work better.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:16 am to kingbob
quote:
It’s not about college soccer developing players. It’s about keeping kids playing soccer in middle school and high school instead of playing other sports where there are scholarship opportunities. This leads to a more competitive environment in high school for developing players at the key age for developing them.
Correct.
And you legitimately have a potential (to some degree) to develop a cultural following of the sport within the college framework. I don't think we will ever see that happen in the United States at the professional level.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:20 am to real turf fan
The problem is the MLS
It is run like all other pro sports in the USA.
Europeans have a national tiered promotion-relegation system.
Soccer clubs train players.
Players move up, and get glory, fame, and money.
USA
1 Pro league
No functional lower tier leagues
No viable collegiate soccer programs due to title 9 schollys going to the other men's sports.
High School doesn't really do player development, that's supposed to happen at travel ball, or private coaches.
Middle School and Youth sports have parent coaches.
It's highly probable that 99% of players in the US have never had a coach that was paid to be a soccer coach, and only a soccer coach. - and this spans across every generation. Our players are being coached by people who were never coached, and many of those were coached by parents who never played.
The whole lack of paid coaches is a problem because of an entire lack of a tiered club system, and that's because the MLS has to protect its teams from the idea of being relegated, because if a team is relegated, it's finished.
It is run like all other pro sports in the USA.
Europeans have a national tiered promotion-relegation system.
Soccer clubs train players.
Players move up, and get glory, fame, and money.
USA
1 Pro league
No functional lower tier leagues
No viable collegiate soccer programs due to title 9 schollys going to the other men's sports.
High School doesn't really do player development, that's supposed to happen at travel ball, or private coaches.
Middle School and Youth sports have parent coaches.
It's highly probable that 99% of players in the US have never had a coach that was paid to be a soccer coach, and only a soccer coach. - and this spans across every generation. Our players are being coached by people who were never coached, and many of those were coached by parents who never played.
The whole lack of paid coaches is a problem because of an entire lack of a tiered club system, and that's because the MLS has to protect its teams from the idea of being relegated, because if a team is relegated, it's finished.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:20 am to kingbob
quote:There are still plenty of men's college soccer scholarships. Many of them now go to slightly older international players, though, who weren't good enough and aged out of the academies. Men's college soccer rosters often look like college tennis rosters.
It’s not about college soccer developing players. It’s about keeping kids playing soccer in middle school and high school instead of playing other sports where there are scholarship opportunities. This leads to a more competitive environment in high school for developing players at the key age for developing them.
This post was edited on 7/8/26 at 10:24 am
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:20 am to S
I would 100% support a spending bill that brought after school sports to elementary schools
Force sports more local and help parents out
Force sports more local and help parents out
This post was edited on 7/8/26 at 10:21 am
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