Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So what do you all think should be the role of the college game in the country?
Many have said it cannot really be a feeder for professional players for many reasons. If we fixed youth soccer development, I don't think it would be totally obsolete as a development source (for late bloomers of course).
But I wonder if we couldn't tap into the larger cultural love for college sports and parlay it into soccer in order to grow the audience a bit.
Have a US Cup with College and USL teams fighting it out before MLS clubs are brought in =) A proper drawing, no buying games or anything.
If it could work it could benefit for sure. I am sure there could be some talent there. Just because theyre in college doesnt mean they are obsolete, maybe they didnt see a future in MLS that they may have ..
Like one of the columnists say, this is NOT Germany or Latin America. You cannot deny the importance of scholastic athletics in the country. Instead of killing it, I say make it better. This will do two things;
One; Open up the talent pool. The academy route is good and should have a role but frankly, that and other pay to play schemes are far too large of barriers for people who don't or won't spend the money.
Two; you build a larger audience. The Soccernomics author (who was in another good podcast, listen to it here pointed out that the culture of College sports as not dissimlar to that of European soccer with emphasis on local community and loyalty to said community organization. Mind you there has to be other developments at the same time (The sport has to continue to gain fans through top level foriegn leagues on TV and the exploits of the USMNT), but it could be a ground swell of support if properly handled.
This ESPN article is a little dated, but I think it sums up the direction. I believe I've read that Klinsmann is dedicated to moving the development system in U.S. in this direction. There was even an article not too long ago in my local paper noting that kids are beginning to escew playing for their schools in favor of youth academy/club soccer.
Interesting article. However, I do have mixed feeling about this whole "specialization" culture in youth sports. I do agree that there comes a time (usually middle school or high school) where a highly skilled athlete has to narrow down his choices of sports or sport, and concentrate on 1 sport, 2 at the most. What we are seeing now are children as young as 7 and 8 specializing and participating in 1 sport year round. I think it is ridiculous.
While I do agree that in order to be competitive and strive to make it at a higher level, an athlete will more than likely have to concentrate on 1 sport most of the year to have a real shot to succeed. However, depending on the sport, I believe that time is in high school. I have seen way to many kids specialize in one sport at 6, only to be burned out and/or passed by his peers in high school, while his peers participated in multiple sports has a youth.
Why bring college and academics into everything? Sports is sports, school is school. If a soccer player wants to take classes great, but why does he have to develop his talents in soccer through the education system?
Dont those people have way too much control over our lives as it is?
Heck I dont know why there isnt major juniors for football, and basketball.
Why bring college and academics into everything? Sports is sports, school is school. If a soccer player wants to take classes great, but why does he have to develop his talents in soccer through the education system?
Dont those people have way too much control over our lives as it is?
Heck I dont know why there isnt major juniors for football, and basketball.
Money is the major issue, of course. As it stands, college football and basketball provide a free farm system for the NFL and NBA.
Money is the major issue, of course. As it stands, college football and basketball provide a free farm system for the NFL and NBA.
Well, we already have college soccer anyways. But it only exists because alumni fork over the money, unless it is club. In that case, the student athletes parents are forking over the money. Either way, we are paying for it, and I doubt it makes positive ROI.
I dont see why we cant have a major junior for soccer here (major junior as in Canada's Hockey development). We already have our own junior hockey teams. USHL, the parents dont pay, unless they watch the games, but Tier III, the parents do pay. But they will because they want their kids to succeed.
So why not a major junior soccer for all the kiddies, instead of sending them to college. If they expand college soccer, the tuition will probably have to go up to help pay for it.
I guess it depends on what the MLS owners, USA Soccer, and the soccer community wants to do. But if they going to develop college soccer into a legit feeder system, let them do it, and pay for it.
So what do you all think should be the role of the college game in the country?
Many have said it cannot really be a feeder for professional players for many reasons. If we fixed youth soccer development, I don't think it would be totally obsolete as a development source (for late bloomers of course).
But I wonder if we couldn't tap into the larger cultural love for college sports and parlay it into soccer in order to grow the audience a bit.
As it stands right now, there appears to be little love for college soccer. I watched the Maryland-Georgetown semifinal this year on ESPNU. There must've been 200 people in attendance (although the location, Alabama, surely did them no favors). The game itself was pretty classic: 4-4 in regulation, with Georgetown securing the upset in PKs.
Anyone have any idea what schools have the best following for NCAA soccer? I attended a couple games at University of Buffalo back in the day...there were probably 50 people scattered along the sidelines for those decently played D-I contests. I'm assuming Cali schools get the best following, as soccer seems least marginalized on the West Coast (Sounders-Timbers rivalry in the MLS looks to be easily the most passionate rivalry in the league...if Chivas USA ever get any good, perhaps Galaxy-Chivas could approach that level of fervor). I could be wrong with that guess, though. Indiana strikes me as a random college powerhouse; I wonder about the story of that school's soccer tradition.
Last edited by Matt Marcinkiewicz; 01-18-2013 at 02:45 AM..
This ESPN article is a little dated, but I think it sums up the direction. I believe I've read that Klinsmann is dedicated to moving the development system in U.S. in this direction. There was even an article not too long ago in my local paper noting that kids are beginning to escew playing for their schools in favor of youth academy/club soccer.
How much sway does Klinsmann really have in that area, though? And his results so far are making me think that Bob Bradley should be lured back from Egypt, heh.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
pointed out that the culture of College sports as not dissimlar to that of European soccer with emphasis on local community and loyalty to said community organization. Mind you there has to be other developments at the same time (The sport has to continue to gain fans through top level foriegn leagues on TV and the exploits of the USMNT), but it could be a ground swell of support if properly handled.
