Among top youth clubs around the country, the concept of Major League Soccer and other professional clubs getting involved in youth player development has sometimes been a sore spot.

This is because while those clubs can emulate their European and South American counterparts in developing players and then cashing in on their work via the international transfer market once the players are of age, youth clubs on a pay to play model have difficulty doing the same.

Whatever the particulars of U.S. child labor law, FIFA statutes or other possible restrictions on those clubs, Reyna made clear to us he is bullish on the increasing tendency of MLS clubs to sign “home-grown” youth players.

Here is what he had to say to us at the U.S. Soccer Summit last month at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

Hopefully as this trend continues, U.S. Soccer will help come up with a way to graft the youth clubs into the process and encourage the various entities to work together and share the benefits of their labors, all for the sake of maximizing potential opportunities for our young players.

Tomorrow: The problem with winning

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