Who controls US Soccer ?

whatithink said:
There's no reason the MLS academies can't continue to have a national league and forgo HS soccer. The rest of the MLS Next teams can comfortably do HS soccer and play the academies in their fodder capacity around that. MLS Next is regionally organized, but their heads are so stuck up their butts, they think they are something (i.e. those not at academies and their respective clubs/coaches) that they are not. So they ban HS - its pathetic really.

FWIW, I see many MLS N kids playing HS every year, they just drop MLS and either take a short ban or rejoin at tryouts. They know they are good enough for the MLSN team and they know the coaches will pick them.
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I've also seen a few opt to just play their senior year for fun and a chance to win a CIF championship.
 
whatithink said:
There's no reason the MLS academies can't continue to have a national league and forgo HS soccer. The rest of the MLS Next teams can comfortably do HS soccer and play the academies in their fodder capacity around that. MLS Next is regionally organized, but their heads are so stuck up their butts, they think they are something (i.e. those not at academies and their respective clubs/coaches) that they are not. So they ban HS - its pathetic really.

FWIW, I see many MLS N kids playing HS every year, they just drop MLS and either take a short ban or rejoin at tryouts. They know they are good enough for the MLSN team and they know the coaches will pick them.
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As I have often stated, the reason the regular Next Teams are needed as the fodder. If there were a uniform HS season around the country, you might pursuade the academies, hey for the next 2 months you'll be on your own and continue your national schedule. But 1. MLS Next is not structured for the regular teams....it's their for the academies....that's the deal (otherwise you are welcome to play ECNL)...that's why it exists, 2. the academies (and not just the regular MLS Next teams) are the ones that would scream the loudest at losing said cannon fodder and 3. Even if that weren't the case, there isn't a national schedule for soccer so you'll have some academy teams beholden to 1 and some academy teams beholden to another. The only real days that work nationally for a HS soccer break are September-November, which is why football has them. You could cobble together late April-May but than runs into the invitationals for the European academies so that would never be picked. ECNL on the boys side can manage it because their schedules are regional at least at the beginning.

It seems to me the real issue is that people want to have their cake (playing at the highest levels with the academies) and eat it too (those players should still get to play high school irrespective of the needs of the academy). Unlike the girl's side, it's a choice. Don't like it, that's why ECNL is there. If enough people democratically made that choice, ECNL would expand (it's dominant in some places like the Northwest and has picked up some spots like in Texas) and MLS Next regular would shrivel (Socal and Florida to the contrary). Or if you are good enough take the penalty, hope that you are good enough to be immune from punishment and that someone better doesn't come along.

Soccer can't be organized for everyone. It can build professionals, it can build college players or it can accommodate people who want little league and are looking for the trophies. Because of the freakout surrounding the USMNT, we've chosen building professionals is what trumps everything else. Everyone else (whether the issue is playing high school, the age line, or inclusivity) comes second to that.
 
Grace T. said:
As I have often stated, the reason the regular Next Teams are needed as the fodder. If there were a uniform HS season around the country, you might pursuade the academies, hey for the next 2 months you'll be on your own and continue your national schedule. But 1. MLS Next is not structured for the regular teams....it's their for the academies....that's the deal (otherwise you are welcome to play ECNL)...that's why it exists, 2. the academies (and not just the regular MLS Next teams) are the ones that would scream the loudest at losing said cannon fodder and 3. Even if that weren't the case, there isn't a national schedule for soccer so you'll have some academy teams beholden to 1 and some academy teams beholden to another. The only real days that work nationally for a HS soccer break are September-November, which is why football has them. You could cobble together late April-May but than runs into the invitationals for the European academies so that would never be picked. ECNL on the boys side can manage it because their schedules are regional at least at the beginning.

It seems to me the real issue is that people want to have their cake (playing at the highest levels with the academies) and eat it too (those players should still get to play high school irrespective of the needs of the academy). Unlike the girl's side, it's a choice. Don't like it, that's why ECNL is there. If enough people democratically made that choice, ECNL would expand (it's dominant in some places like the Northwest and has picked up some spots like in Texas) and MLS Next regular would shrivel (Socal and Florida to the contrary). Or if you are good enough take the penalty, hope that you are good enough to be immune from punishment and that someone better doesn't come along.

Soccer can't be organized for everyone. It can build professionals, it can build college players or it can accommodate people who want little league and are looking for the trophies. Because of the freakout surrounding the USMNT, we've chosen building professionals is what trumps everything else. Everyone else (whether the issue is playing high school, the age line, or inclusivity) comes second to that.
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I know all that. The thing is though that there is not a uniform national MLS Next schedule either. Its regional with different regions having played many more games than other regions. Its very similar to ECNL, in that regard. They aren't going to change due to the reasons you have laid out, and you are correct - people know the rules going in and make a choice.
 
watfly said:
I've also seen a few opt to just play their senior year for fun and a chance to win a CIF championship.
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I've seen it a lot with seniors for sure. For the 9-11 crew, I've seen a mix of kids who want to play HS and consider it more important, and others where their MLS N team has been beaten up a lot, so they don't care and just want to have fun for a change.
 
Whomever controls it should have stopped that match last night. Reminded me of an AYSO U6 game. Hopefully nobody got hurt getting their shins kicked by 6 other kids.
 
I consider the 2007 age group in San Diego as a fairly strong class, and it certainly comes from a large population base. However, out of that group I only know one kid that is on the professional track. Others might play college and then have pro opportunities, but in terms of a straight path to the pros I'm only aware of one kid (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Let club soccer players play high school. Pro potential kids have plenty of leagues and teams to play on (or train with) at HS age. USL, USL 1, USL 2, MLS Next Pro, UPSL, NISA.
 
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