Response to the article on a suggested response to the U.S. exit from the World Cup has been heavy. The article (http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/index.aspx?article=1816), which ran in late June, wasn’t so much about the full national team but rather the way we develop players in this country. It went on with a detailed, specific proposal about how to revamp our player development and identification system, at the club, ODP and national level.

This follow-up article is mean to answer some questions posed on the original article, and to incorporate some helpful suggestions made by coaches, parents and players.

Additions and Clarifications

A. On the establishment of an Elite club structure that is part of a national development system:

1. While I proposed a national league competition to incorporate these teams (primarily to separate them from the mass of clubs and teams that employ a tournament-heavy competition structure which currently has players competing in 70-100 matches per year), the main point of this is to establish a nationwide model of club-based player development. The clubs would not be chosen on their competitive record, but on a willingness and ability to meet agreed-upon standards for player development, including coaching credentials, facilities, schedule and training program.

2. Those standards should be determined at the national staff level. Hopefully such clubs can receive some assistance from US Soccer and/or corporate sponsors to help maintain and improve the standards.


B. On a program for players aged 6-12 that is heavy on technical development and light on competition:

1. This would be an important aspect of the criteria for clubs to be considered part of the Elite layer.
2. The employment of coaches uniquely able to teach technical excellence is a vital aspect for this aspect of player development to be accomplished.
3. The creation of a free play environment where players are able to come to a safe, supervised facility and simply play with age-appropriate counterparts for the sheer love of the game is also vital. Our society is no longer given (in much of the country) to children spontaneously getting together to play anything (except maybe video games). Changing family structure and schedules, and increasing security concerns make it necessary to simulate a neighborhood environment. Naturally some families and children will take to this more than others, but that is always the case.
4. The technical training of players at this age and free play are not mutually exclusive. There can be enough of both to satisfy a player’s needs.

C. On a monthly regional ODP camp for players aged 13-15

1. I mentioned 48 players per region, which would be 3-4 teams of players depending on the format. What might make sense is for players to have a couple of training sessions on Saturdays and then an intraregional match on Sundays (group split 4 ways per age group).
2. An ODP Interregional could still be held once or twice per year, with 3 tiers of teams competing against other regionals per age group over a long weekend.
3. An international trip for the first tier of reach regional age groups can still be held on one of the designate spring regional weekends (extended), with the 2nd and 3rd tiers having their normal regional gathering. Similarly, players can still make arrangements through credible oragnizations to augment their club experience with visits to clubs located overseas.
4. State ODP teams can also gather on the designated regional weekends, having training with and competing against one another based on geography. A Regional ODP league competition could even be arranged, so long as it doesn’t include too many matches.
5. National staff coaches can split assignments in a staggered schedule to ensure top-level involvement and program uniformity in the regional weekends.
6. New (as suggested by a National Staff Coach): The State Associations may be looked at to lead the way with facility development that could serve the regional gatherings and their own training and competition.
7. Players who are not with clubs in the newly-created Elite club tier should not be excluded from state or regional ODP involvement, but over time, the coordinated calendar and training programs should steer the best and most ambitious players to those clubs. If other clubs in a particular region wish to follow suit by raising their standards and participating in a player-friendly competitive structure, then that could be a further benefit of these reforms.

D. On MLS taking the lead for developing elite players U16 and older:

1. This would not negate the existence of ODP for these ages, rather ODP would simply leave the very top layer of players (16 rosters of 16-20 players nationally) to the professional clubs. This still leaves more than enough playing talent for the monthly regional and state weekends mentioned for the U13-U15s (meaning U16 through U18 players not with the MLS teams could still do this).
2. For U16 and U17 ages particularly, college eligibility should be protected closely.
3. For U18 and U19 teams, players should have the option of signing a professional contract. Now that MLS is apparently allowing teams to sign their own players rather than having to wait for the draft, this promotion should be able to work more fluidly (and thus will promote involvement in the MLS youth teams – WHICH MUST become free to the players rather than pay-to-play.
4. I’m learning that the continued involvement of college coaches in ODP is in question (re the NCAA). This should help both ODP and the U17 level of the MLS youth teams to become attractive venues for college recruiters (and thus discourage dropoffs in participation).
5. When all the MLS clubs have fully viable rosters from ages U16 to U19, there won’t need to be a national residency in Bradenton anymore (there would still be a U17 National Team holding camps and competing in events). This of course is still a long way off.
6. Either as a transition or a more permanent Ameri-centric arrangement, an emerging player development center like Brad Friedel's Premier Soccer Academies or Shattuck-St. Marys Academy, could become the youth development arm for one or more of the MLS teams. With some of the clubs needing to start at an absolute square one, it would only make sense for them to contract with an organization that has already laid much of the groundwork for an academy (PSA opens in Cleveland in fall, 2007) and has already entered into the international transfer system.


In conclusion: The response I've received tells me these subjects are very much on the minds of the people involved with the elite youth games. There are a number of ideas out there regarding to what to do, just as there are a number of individuals and organizations with a lot at stake over what ends up happening. I'm especially encouraged at the apparent interest of new US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati in these topics.

We'll try to closely track developments, promote the best ideas, expose obstruction and highlight the ongoing efforts by many entities to improve the way we develop players.