Happy Saturday! The day of the week that every soccer player, fan, and maybe even some crazed parents look towards as their day of salvation from the week. For most, the weekend is the time to switch their focus to the development of the beautiful game whether it be with the professional leagues, college games, or their son's/daughter's 4v4 "sheep ball."
It's fascinating to watch the game being played at the youth level as you can see how the game changes as the psychology of the players change as they get older. From as young as two years old to almost eighteen years old, we all have a certain idea what the progression typically looks like. We know what club options are out there, how we can be involved, the coach of the team, where they train, and the cost of the season. In every corner of the state, it's the same scenario. The result of this process evidently results in what shows up on the field with Major League Soccer (MLS), United Soccer Leagues (USL), North American Soccer League (NASL), Professional Development League (PDL), National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), or College Soccer (NCAA).
This what youth soccer development as we know it: First, find a club to join and pay to play for club for the majority of your young life. Unless you are fortunate enough be one of many talented young stars to play for an Academy, then you will have to pay a fraction of that cost. From there, you can be scouted by top college soccer programs from the entire country. Take your pick, because there are about 800 NCAA Men's soccer programs and 959 NCAA Women's soccer programs in this country. Not including NAIA soccer programs, men have 199 programs and women have 198 programs. A fraction of the group that does not have to go through the college process can sign a professional contract, however the chances of that is very little in this country.
After playing for three to four years, a player can then decide to either pursue their professional career in the aforementioned leagues or they can fall back on their degree they received while playing soccer at their given university. The few that make the progression from college soccer to professional is a minimal amount.
Is this what it looks like in every other country in the world? The benefit of being such an under developed soccer nation is that every other country in the world has developed soccer players in a different way from two years to eighteen years old, and the result is what you see today. Many countries have adjusted, and some may not have changed their philosophy at all. If your country is fortunate enough to have made the World Cup this summer, then you will be able to understand the result of such soccer development in your country (*clears throat* America...).
I want to pursue how the world views youth soccer, and how each country develops their young players. I want to ask questions, like "What is the profession from youth to professional?", "How much money is put into their youth system?", "How much money do families pay?" "How much travel is involved?" "What are the expectations of the players? To win, develop, or both? And at what age does that change in other countries?" "How is soccer viewed in that country from non-soccer people?" "How is soccer viewed by the government?", and a few other questions that might be specific to the country. Once we understand youth soccer as a whole, not just our country but the world, we can better understand our youth system, and why we develop players the way we do.
Once a month, I will post stories about a different country answering these questions in hopes that we receive a better understanding on youth soccer. Whether you are a parent, coach, player, or a fan, I hope that these stories will bring new conversations to the sidelines.
I would love to hear your feedback!
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