What does "elite soccer" mean to you?

The new Development Academy is a great idea for a number of reasons:

--It takes control away from the USYSA. This is an organization that protects the adult interests in running state associations. This means that the adult administrators, many of them paid and self-interested, have no interest in developing players who might play on the highest level. They are more concerned about getting more members--rather than promoting excellence. The DA came into being because the coaches, interested in development, need better games and their rules in order to make their players into the best. Just ask any parent who is concerned about their elite athlete which organization is better.
The sad result is that the regional championships--which have been great competitions--will be watered down this year and in future years.

--The teams never play a meaningless game. By this the talent level of the DA is so much advanced over state local teams that the only way for one of these minor teams to win is to make the game less like soccer and more like a jail-break.

--It's actually less expensive for the elite player in the new system--the DA. The league has been concerned about costs. My kid is a U-19 this year. At U-14, he went to Hawaii with a hell of a team, they were disqualified--on a technicality. Since then, they've been in the regional championships every year (they lost to the great Arsenal team from SoCal). The CSYSA and USYSA did not care about the elite players on my son's team. Unfortunately, they're back in Hawaii this year--a nice vacation for the administrators--Again! The difference in actuals is anywhere from $3,000-5,000. It came a year too late for our family.

--The coaching is superior--and I hope this would make the administrators and the refs superior, too. Speed of play increases every level you go up, and I admire the amazing progress of our young kids who have learned to play at a high level.

--If I were a college coach I would be impressed by the level of competition and more confident that the players I choose will be able to play at the next level. Basically, you've got the Disney Showcase occurring on a weekly basis all over the country. That can't but help.

--Finally, there can be some positive collegiality developing among the best coaches of the best teams in America. The market will only allow the best to flourish. If there is a substandard coach coaching an elite team, the parents will demand the hide of that coach. What I would be worried about at this time is the quality of coaching from the MLS sponsored teams. I am not impressed with their skill or quality.

Some very good points here and it's important that for all the cost issues, if you step back and look at how far we've come with this in less than a year, it's a very positive step. More and more club DOCs are realizing they must get involved with this. I'm starting now to hear about smaller clubs trying to arrange satellite/feeder relationships with the Academy members. I think some of the Academy clubs are now starting to think through how they should do thing differently at ages younger than the Academy.

It's not perfect and it won't be for a while, but the motivation is there and as jbrovsky says, it wasn't always before.

I think its also very positive to see that more clubs are joining the academy, and more specifically more youth clubs related to professional teams in the MLS. When the pro teams become involved at any level, they come one step closer to the European and Latin American system - which should be the model, and eventually will be.

Diego has a good point!!! i mean, if that is what we are trying to mirror with the Academy, there needs to be input and youth teams from EVERY MLS CLUB. This way, as more teams join the MLS such as seattle next year, the number of academy teams increases at the same time. By then i think US Youth Soccer (club) will be a lower level and the Academy will be where the best players play. Does anyone agree?

yah i think every MLS team should be obligated to have a youth team, u20 etc, all leading up to the reserves and full team. Wouldnt that be a real representation of what they have over in Europe?