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Jürgen Klinsmann's son, Jonathan, commits to Cal
Posted on 2/10/14 at 10:55 pm
Posted on 2/10/14 at 10:55 pm
LINK
quote:
Jonathan Klinsmann, the son of U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, tweeted on Monday that he verbally committed to California. Klinsmann, the younger, is the starting goalkeeper with the Strikers FC (Irvine, Calif.) U16 Development Academy side. He has given up 19 goals in 14 games this season, which is one of the best goals against averages in the division. Strikers (7-4-4) currently sit in fourth in the Southwest Division.
Klinsmann has experience at the youth national team level with appearances at U15 Boys National Team camps in the past. He is an athletic keeper with good instincts as a shot stopper.
2
Posted on 2/10/14 at 11:51 pm to hendersonshands
Any other word on him? Does he have future potential to an international player? Obviously he'll have many advantages other kids don't have
Posted on 2/11/14 at 6:26 am to LSUButt
Wait, I thought the system was backwards here - why is he going to college? 
Posted on 2/11/14 at 6:37 am to hendersonshands
I have no idea about his future prospects, but wouldn't you think he would want to play for Germany if he was an elite player?
Posted on 2/11/14 at 7:27 am to ohiovol
If I'm not mistaken, he was born and raised in California, has an American mother and not to mention his dad is coach of USA's national team. He's probably pretty American.
Posted on 2/11/14 at 7:36 am to Tigerstark
quote:
Wait, I thought the system was backwards here - why is he going to college?
Because college is more than just soccer?
Posted on 2/11/14 at 7:40 am to Broski
It may be, but it apparently doesn't teach you sarcasm, even with a roll eyes smiley face to point the way. 
Seriously, I have no idea if he's got any real potential or not, but college is still one of the methods used to get to the MLS and more - especially if you want any kind of back-up plan in life. Not that there's anything wrong with making $30k a year as an MLS scrub.
ETA - and there is a certain amount of irony about Klinsman calling out how we do things here and then his son potentially playing college soccer and essentially following that same model. Though if he doesn't have definite professional potential, then it would make a lot of sense.
Seriously, I have no idea if he's got any real potential or not, but college is still one of the methods used to get to the MLS and more - especially if you want any kind of back-up plan in life. Not that there's anything wrong with making $30k a year as an MLS scrub.
ETA - and there is a certain amount of irony about Klinsman calling out how we do things here and then his son potentially playing college soccer and essentially following that same model. Though if he doesn't have definite professional potential, then it would make a lot of sense.
This post was edited on 2/11/14 at 7:46 am
Posted on 2/11/14 at 7:47 am to Tigerstark
It's not necessarily college soccer that's hurting US development, it's the fact that kids need to pay to get the best youth development here whereas everywhere else it's the opposite.
JK said that back in 2010.
JK said that back in 2010.
Posted on 2/11/14 at 9:22 am to Broski
Its kind of a chicken and the egg thing as, without college soccer, many parent's would not have paid for that development in hopes of a scholarship for their kid - really, its the entire strategy of the process that is broken, but gradually being fixed. There just isn't enough money in soccer yet in the US to blow it up in one swoop. While college soccer will always have its place, it should not be the destination for anyone who wants to play professionally except for the rare outlier. As it is, perhaps our best (or third best) player, played college soccer at a small school in South Carolina (Dempsey).
But before it can fully be transformed in a major way, we'll need squad players in at least the MLS making more money. And guys in the lower leagues making more as well. Thats just to provide a valuable alternative for your livelihood and allow for the risk of a person going "all-in" on soccer.
But before it can fully be transformed in a major way, we'll need squad players in at least the MLS making more money. And guys in the lower leagues making more as well. Thats just to provide a valuable alternative for your livelihood and allow for the risk of a person going "all-in" on soccer.
Posted on 2/11/14 at 12:35 pm to Tigerstark
Very true. You can't just create these academies and hope these players will forgo college for them. That would be dumbassery on the part of the player. First, there has to be a demand for professional players on a large scale. Right now, we just don't have that. Second, there will have to be a demand for players who are more skilled than college soccer can produce, and again, we just don't have that right now.
Posted on 2/11/14 at 1:14 pm to thesoccerfanjax
quote:
Second, there will have to be a demand for players who are more skilled than college soccer can produce, and again, we just don't have that right now.
What? There is always a demand there. We just don't have the infrastructure in place to produce better players. Ideally, the best players from the youth academy would forgo college and become professionals. Those who aren't good enough to go pro are probably going to be good enough for college.
You are creating a false dichotomy. A player in an ideal youth academy has no choice in terms of whether he goes pro. That's up to the team. Entering the youth academy, having his education paid for, and getting elite athletic training should be enough incentive to draw the best young players (12 and above, again based on European academies). If he isn't good enough to go pro at the end of the academy, he is more than free enough to go to college.
Posted on 2/11/14 at 1:18 pm to Tigerstark
quote:
Its kind of a chicken and the egg thing as, without college soccer, many parent's would not have paid for that development in hopes of a scholarship for their kid - really, its the entire strategy of the process that is broken, but gradually being fixed. There just isn't enough money in soccer yet in the US to blow it up in one swoop. While college soccer will always have its place, it should not be the destination for anyone who wants to play professionally except for the rare outlier. As it is, perhaps our best (or third best) player, played college soccer at a small school in South Carolina (Dempsey).
Of course, in an ideal world, the youth academy would offer educational and athletic incentives which would both help in getting into colleges as well as trying to turn professional. Of course that requires a lot of money from the organizational structure, but we all knew that. If we have that top down structure we won't need to wait for MLS squad players to make wages on par with other athletes, but like you said, there isn't enough money in the sport at the moment.
Posted on 2/11/14 at 1:36 pm to Broski
quote:
Wait, I thought the system was backwards here - why is he going to college?
Because college is more than just soccer?
And he's likely not an elite player.
Posted on 2/11/14 at 1:38 pm to crazy4lsu
It's not a matter of "being good enough". A lot of players are good enough for USL PRO or NASL that would rather be making decent money at a 9-5 job and playing amateur soccer on the side.
What has to happen to make soccer a viable career for the top three levels here in in the US is debatable, but I do agree academies play a big part in that.
What has to happen to make soccer a viable career for the top three levels here in in the US is debatable, but I do agree academies play a big part in that.
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