Ed. note: This is the second in a four-part series examining the pay-to-play model in U.S. soccer and how it has taken hold of the game here. You can read the first part here.
NCAA Eligibility
NCAA Amateur eligibility rules often confuse youth soccer clubs that may try to promote youth players abroad and parents who are increasingly approached by scouts or agents trying to promote these players abroad. American culture dictates that youth athletes should pursue a college degree after high school. The role of college is drastically different for soccer players than for America’s two premier sports, football and basketball, in regards to player development. College is the best option for football and basketball players after high school, because it gives them the opportunity to be surrounded by the premier players their age from all over the world and taught by first-class coaches. College can hinder the growth and development for American soccer players because the best players in the world between the ages of 18 and 22 are playing over seas in professional environments where world-class coaches help develop them.
