Submitted by Rob, Jan 30, 2008 11:46

Thanks Paul for a well-written piece that should get all of us thinking. US Soccer has been struggling for years to identify and train the best players. Kudos to them for the willingness to take a different approach when needed, e.g. the Development Academies, National League. They recently acknowledged that top players play way too many games and are undertrained, an artifact of the current club system for whom winning trophies is a cornerstone of the business model. Illinois ODP recently signed an agreement with Everton to use their training methods and online program in our state ODP training. I was blown away as I watched video clips of 10-12 yr olds: their technical abilities were far beyond what I've seen here, even in good clubs. Also eyebrow raising was their system of over 100 scouts in their region to find talent and get them signed to the Everton Academy (they are competing with several EPL youth academies). They highlighted the fact that their top scouts, most of whom have played at the highest levels of the game, have been watching and training young players for decades. They are highly skilled in identifying young players that can succeed at a high level. I don't think we have enough coaching talent to go around at the younger ages. College, no matter how many games they play, cannot make up for that deficit of early coaching, technical training and disciplined approach to the game. Professional club academies, I think, will ultimately do a better job than our current club/college system.

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