Portmore United & Portland Timbers......

[USAF]

Ok Mr. NCAA!!!

[USAF]

You can submit a million what ifs, BUT the reality is that the TOP sports franchises and TOP companies recruit and court the TOP talent.......That's who they focus on getting. There's always the long shot, BUT how many teams have been built on long shots or how many have long shots???
The national academy system was put in place in 2007 & revamped/upgraded in 2010.....If you check any U.S. men's youth team from U15 - U20 you'll see that the players are products of soccer academies......The technical director of U.S. Soccer & his assistant, who's also head of the U20 & U23 teams, have both said that they do not want college to be part of the soccer development system and they have the backing of USSF & the pro leagues (MLS, USL Pro & NASL)......That's similar to what was done with the academy program players, who are prohibited from playing high school soccer.....
The MLS teams have spent million$ on their first team & academies and now they are spending more to form their own USL Pro teams to bridge the gap between U18 and the first team, which was being filled by college.......Do you think they will be spending million$ on an USL Pro team (players, coaches/technical staff/management & maintenance, as well as facilities) if they weren't going to keep the TOP youth talent???

[Gamma]

there is none so blind as he who has eyes but refuses to see....

[Assasin]

Again you almost right. Show me where they say College will not be?
a part. For one they know that more the 70% of kids in US Academy will end up in colleges by 19 years old. If you notice there is not any rule that affect colleges for most. As he US academies improve, so too will colleges. Watch the ride.

[Karl]

The question is: What is in place to ensure that at the earliest stages "the

best" are being recruited.

Sure there may even be satisfaction on the quality at the end of the process...yet the administrators of those academies may be taking the easiest route forward? Would doing the hard work of seeking "the very best" at the earlier ages...injecting a system/creating a system that identifies and ensures "the best" enter not produce even better results?

...just a hypothetical question.
Hey there was a system developed before FB can anyone even remember its name?

The USA system as you introduced it starts at...? ...what happens before that starting point? How can there be surety that tons of the real "the very best" are not being overlooked?

...and you speak of -

Do you think they will be spending million$ on an USL Pro team (players, coaches/technical staff/management & maintenance, as well as facilities) if they weren't going to keep the TOP youth talent???

Follow me now - Billions have been poured into the MLS... So far there is 'a hope' that there shall be good ROI...

...and I am not knocking those who have invested in MLS. Entrepreneurs are not risk adverse.

Aside: I think the MLS shall pay off handsomely! ...yet it surely can be improved? Right? ...and we can speculate that it shall! Right!
Sure the aim is finding the top talent...

Just musings!!!!

[USAF]

Here it is -

“He (Klinsmann) believes the N.C.A.A. is killing the talent pool in the United States because teenage stars go to college and miss out on formative years of training with professional teams.” (from a NY Times Magazine article)

"In the future, Tab Ramos said that college soccer will not be part of the development equation." (from a Boston Globe article)

[USAF]

The U.S. Soccer Development Academy (the USSF national elite youth league) has 3 age group competitions U13/U14, U15/U16 & U17/U18, aimed at providing players for national youth teams........The majority of the academies in the program have younger players. For example De Anza Force academy had a very talented & promising player, Joshua Pynadath, who joined them at 7. Last year, at 11, he joined the Real Madrid academy.

Besides DEATH, what else in life is sure???

[Assasin]

wake me up then. At best it will be like how Basketball draft was where the very best go straight into the game but there are two many borderline talent that will be out of the game by age 18 if there is no future in college soccer.

[Assasin]

Let us see how him progress.

[Karl]

The U.S. Soccer Development Academy (the USSF national elite youth league) has 3 age group competitions U13/U14, U15/U16 & U17/U18, aimed at providing players for national youth teams........The majority of the academies in the program have younger players. For example De Anza Force academy had a very talented & promising player, Joshua Pynadath, who joined them at 7. Last year, at 11, he joined the Real Madrid academy.

Besides DEATH, what else in life is sure???

I like your last question/sentence ...but it is 'our' job to strive for 100% caught best prospects. We shall never attain same...but we must try.

Here is the context: I am always focused on Jamaica. ...and considering we have not 'the numbers' the USA or the other football developed countries,we in Jamaica must strive find all of our 'the best of the best' talents.

Again I stress - Thinking from economics or simply top quality national and club teams to enable best results and benefits we must...we cannot afford to have any of the talent to be not given out greatest attention.