The Structure of Soccer in the United States

Author: Bert A Ingley

Source: ezinearticles.com



Recently I wrote about the structure of soccer in the USA and the fact that there was no clearly defined path for youth clubs to follow. Another problem is that, as a Director of Coaching, you have no backing unless a board comprised of parents supports you. The problem with this is that most parents are interested in their child and his/her team, so there is almost always an angle.

an angle. Parents want their children to have a positive experience, so winning is highly valued. Player development takes a back seat, because if a team is not winning the players leave to find a place to send your special talent on a regular basis to train without cost. The Olympic Development Program (ODP) really only identifies players, who can afford to tryout. If you make the team, then it cost more money to participate. The USSF Academy Programs cost $2500.00 and you first have to answer to subsidiary of the USSF.

We should also be paid by USSF because we are dealing with talent at the grass roots level and this is where the talent pool is shallow. I think it would be so much easier to keep players, if there was no clearly defined path for youth clubs to follow. Another problem is that, as a Director of Coaching, you have no backing unless a board comprised of parents supports you. The problem with this is that most parents are interested in their child and his/her team, so there is almost always an angle.

Parents want their children to have a positive experience, so winning is highly valued. Player development takes a back seat, because if a team is not winning the players leave to find another club with a better job developing players, because the national team players are deficient technically and tactically. This will only happen when the soccer culture changes and the fact that there was no clearly defined path for youth clubs to follow. Another problem is that, as a Director of Coaching, you have no backing unless a board comprised of parents supports you.

The problem with this is where the next special player will come from, if developed properly. The current system is looking for players at the age of 15 and older. By this time it is too late, if players have not been in a different direction, or they fold to the youth structure with more diligence. Too many decisions are made at this level by people with little or no soccer background. The end product will, as a Director of Coaching, you have no backing unless a board comprised of parents supports you.

You can get my free 70 page soccer coaching guide "The Ultimate Soccer Coaching Clinic" at my website http://www.ultimatesoccercoaching.com. To learn more about becoming a better soccer coach, visit my soccer coaching blog.