Development Academy Likely to Offer Fall Program

The concept of a U-14 age group for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy has been discussed over the past year, but for the first time now appears to be inevitable.

While the specifics have much to be determined, the concept received unanimous support in a conference call on Wednesday, January 28 with the Federation and representatives from the Development Academy clubs in our Conference (OESA, Crew Jr., Carmel, Gallagher, Sockers, Chicago Magic, Metro, Empire, Vardar, Wolves, Chicago Fire, etc...). The Northeast has already started their own U-14 League through US Club Soccer this spring.

Again, the specifics (schedule, travel, etc...) will be determined over the next couple months, but the general principles I expect the League to utilize are: a limited travel schedule as compared to the U-16 and U-18 and therefore lower expenses; no "National Championship"; National and Regional Showcases in conjunction with National Team programming; and, withdraw from all US Youth competition, including ODP, MRL and State Cup as the older age groups do.

Two things are of particular interest to me.

First, as a former State Director of Coaching it is now clear to me that on the boy's side ODP as we know it is for the most part done. Until now the end was gradual, but the introduction of the U-14 age group will change the program from one of identification perhaps back to its origin of development. There are still many, many quality players around the country that either have chosen not to participate in the DA or otherwise don't have the opportunity, but the number of kids brought into National teams program through USYS ODP will drop significantly.

The second thing that jumps out is the conflict between club and high school. The Development Academy utilizes calendar year in determining the roster versus the August 1-July 31 year. Thus, the U-14's in 2009-2010 will be players born in 1995 and younger, the majority of whom will be high school freshmen in the fall. This would only affect U-14 players that are freshmen in high school as the U-16 and U-18 teams will continue to schedule after the high school season concludes. There is no expectation that this will move forward to include older players in future years.

The debate about players forgoing high school is one that has been discussed ad nausea. However, until now the debate has been limited to the girl's side of the game. The Chairman of one prominent area club indicated that offering such a program is irresponsible. I can only assume then that his club will not be applying to the Federation for Development Academy status, since it will offer a program that forces players to choose and one in which Academy members will field a team largely comprised of high school freshmen during the high school season.

I welcome the opportunity. It's one thing for a high school senior or junior to participate in high school athletics, but I can think of no value for a high school freshman. If he is good enough to play on the varsity then his physical, emotional and social health is placed at risk. If not, he plays on a JV or Freshman team. And while there are many fine high school coaches, there are very few JV or Freshmen coaches who can provide kids the proper environment. Even the best coaches would struggle to coach the best kids when the range of talent is so large.

But what about playing for your school and in front of all those fans? First of all, he'll have 3 more years to play for his school. Secondly, when is the last time you went to watch a JV or Freshman soccer game that your relative or BFF wasn't playing in. While some high schools will attempt to punish kids "for not supporting the program", even the most selfish coach should recognize that in the long run his/her program will be better off for a freshman participating in club soccer during his freshman year.

The Development Academy itself is a very good program that continues to improve in year number two. Most Technical people have openly questioned why if it's about development do we wait until 16 years old to provide such a program. Quite frankly, logistics and costs are the primary reason and now that the League is on firm footing it appears that they are now comfortable and capable of expanding into the age group that in my opinion will most benefit from principles of the League.

Call me irresponsible, but I say it's about time.

Young Players Choose Off-Season Activities Wisely...

As we move into the off-season portion of the year I thought it was time to address what activities players should be participating in to help their individual development. There are a variety of choices both soccer related and otherwise. I was reading a health magazine recently that featured an article, "Eat this, not that". With that inspiration in mind I will share my thoughts on the off-season in a "Do this, not that" format for ages U8-U12.

Do this...

Play a number of different sports and get a number of different experiences. It is true that sports and other athletic activities add to the overall motor development of young players. These functions include running, hand/eye coordination, balance, etc... It is very important at the formative ages that players develop these skills through a broad range of athletic activities. Whether it be basketball, volleyball, dance or whatever, getting away from soccer to get a different motor demand is important to individual development.

Not that...

Specialize in soccer from an early age. For all of the reasons I mentioned above it is important to experience different things. All soccer all the time can lead to deficiency in some motor skills and can also lead to unnecessary burnout. Have fun with whatever you do as it will develop a love for sports and athletics. You can decide which sport is your passion later.

Do this...

If you are going to play soccer in the off-season I highly recommend that it is done without a focus on results. I think your time can be best spent at a individual skills camp or clinic so that the player can further deepen their technical ability. Indoor or 3v3 teams should be relatively unorganized where there is no coaching and where players play in all positions on the field. There should be no strict guidelines or tactics employed. One of our parents had it exactly right. The team played 7v7, so he made colored chips to match positions. For example, yellow were forwards, green were midfielders and red were defenders. Before each game the players drew a chip to find their position for that half of the game. It was repeated at halftime. There was no coaching during the game. The players were left to sort it out for themselves. Brilliant!

Not that...

You guessed it. No organized teams. No specific positions. No focus on winning. Let the players own the game. I have seen the opposite approach destroy team chemistry both among players and parents. I have also seen this create rivalries among teammates. It happens when parent's put together indoor and 3v3 teams using the players from our existing teams. When certain players are excluded or dropped in order to stack teams for results resentment is the by product. Parents will always claim the best intention. This type of thing is born by a parent's ego getting in the way of kids having fun and developing as players. When the players return to their normal team in the fall or spring it has undermined the coaches ability to develop a team. Worse yet, it has created a less the harmonious atmosphere among the players and parents. Bad news. Beware.

Do this...

Rest. Players need time away from soccer. They need to rest their bodies. We have seen an increase in injuries in young players over the years. Some of these injuries are related to growing, but some are related to overuse. This doesn't even consider the long term damage it could be doing. We set our schedule in a very calculated way. Our younger players do less and we slowly raise the demand over years. We try to limit the number of games these players play in a year. My recommendation is as follows:

U8 - 25-30 games per year

U9/U10 - 30-40 games per year

U11/U12 - 35-45 games per year

Not that...

Play year round. As I mentioned above, the players need not only a physical break from the game, but also a mental break. We want the players to come back fresh physically with an excitement to be back with their team. Playing for their team, an indoor team, 3v3 and adding something like ODP leaves the players exhausted. In this state they are unable to develop or play to the level they are capable. Let them be kids.

I bring you this information from experience of watching players along the developmental process. The reality is that kids who are U8-U12 have almost the sole goal of pleasing their parents, teachers and coaches. They are not mature enough to say "no I don't want to do that." For that reason it is critical that you put your trust in a coach that understands the process and has experience dealing with young players. Soon enough these young players will mature and start to resist. The notion that the more you play the better you will be is absolutely untrue. During the formative years it is more important to seek a non-intrusive environment that gives the kids freedom to experiment. Let the player lead the way in developing a passion for a sport. Let them own the game.

Update from Los Angeles - Saturday, December 6

2-0! A great start to the Showcase with both teams winning their opening game. While most coaches and scouts (and obviously us) expect it of our U-18's, the quality of the U-16's was a pleasant surprise to those outside our organization. It wasn't just that we won, which we did only once in thirty games last year, we are talented and will only continue to improve.

Going into the weekend our first goal was to not have to take anyone to the hospital. Sounds obvious enough, but after the disaster that was the Houston trip it isn't. I never got around to blogging about Houston, but the cliff notes version - 12 kids missed school, 2 ended up in the hospital, 2 spent the entire flight in the lavatory all with a stomach bug. In fact, if we don't get sick, we probably hold our 1-0 lead and get our first win or at least a point while there. We just found out that 8ish Columbus Crew kids (same flight to and from Houston) were sick the next week as well. But I digress...

The trip started well. We treat the boys as adults and they behave like it. They were great on the plane and in the airports. I gave the boys meal money in Dallas and they scattered. We arrived at LAX just after 11PM local time and were to the hotel by about 1:30AM or 4:30 in the east.

It amazes me how we have to convince kids to eat meals. They simply don't understand how much fuel they burn, not just in the games, but with the travel. Of course, when you control playing time, it becomes a little easier to convince kids to do the right thing.

U-16 Game v. Southern Central Premier (CT) - Win 2-1
The win was important on a couple levels.

• The elephant in the room is our record from last year and the perception of our program. We went a long way in changing that yesterday. You hear all the time about how "it's not about the result", who are we kidding? Results are a bi-product or development and ability.
• Confidence. The last thing I told our boys before the game is to be confident in their abilities. We know we have some talent. Out of the group we took to Houston not a single player was on the full Development Academy roster last year. The inexperience is both good and bad. Good because they don't have last year's history, bad because they don't have the experience of the speed of the game at this level and how to manage themselves.
• Game Management. Learning how to play 80 minutes without a sub isn't easy. The fitness level, or lack thereof, of kids coming out of high school is always shocking, but more importantly, kids at all levels are used to running themselves out and then getting a short break with a sub. (In the DA if you come out you are done for the day.) We turned a game that was well in-hand with a half hour left into a bit of a mess in the last 10 minutes trying to kill off the game. The U-18's dealt with this a lot last year, turning wins into ties with regularity. So, for the U-16's to hold on for the win was really good for them moving forward.
• We made early goals from Tommy Rogers and A.J. Combs hold up for victory number one on the short season.

U-18 Game v. Southern Central Premier (CT) - Win 2-0
With the exception of a few mistakes early, the game was really never in question. This is a talented group, but more importantly one that holds itself accountable. Tim is with the girls in Raleigh for the Red Bull so Marc, Jared Micklos and I have the group. Because of their experience last year and the way Tim has been able to sort them out based upon the opponent they are very flexible in the adjustments we are able to make.

• I thought the goal from Tyler Huerkamp was the best of the season until Dylan Hoop's ridiculous goal. It has to be a nominated for the Best of the Year. We were unfortunate not to get a few more, but at the end of the day 2-0 was a fair result.
• The U-18's are now 2-0-1 on the season. We don't shy away from the fact that a birth in the playoffs is the goal for the season. Seven points in 3 games is what we expected and quite frankly, short of a couple shocking decisions by the referee in Houston we should have all 9.
• Defensively, we are starting find our way. As the USMNT scout and us discussed after the game, these boys are the best on their high school teams so putting it back together where they are surrounded by equally talented players takes some time.
• We still need to evolve in the attack. The boys are used to doing everything on their own. When we get them back it takes some time to integrate back into team play. Our possession on the day really did leave some to be desired.

We are off to Santa Monica!!

Crew Bring MLS Cup to Ohio

Congratulations to the Columbus Crew for their first ever MLS Cup Championship. The Title is a testament to patience and perseverance by the staff and front office. The Crew, who was the best team during the 2008 regular season, reversed a three-year run of finishing out of the play-offs (finishing last in the Eastern Conference in 2005 and 2006 and only ahead of expansion Toronto in 2007).

Marc Sabin and I had a chance to work with Sigi Schmid and Brian Bliss last spring as they trained our Ohio-South ODP team. They were gracious hosts who interacted with us and the boys throughout. I appreciated the time they spent talking with the boys and especially the time Coach Bliss spent talking with Marc and I.

While we compete on the field, I truly want the MLS franchises and especially the Columbus Crew to be successful. The future of our USMNT and the game as a whole depends on it.

The MLS franchises within the USSDA has been a source of great discussion. Many, including the Crew, are fully funded programs that provide a great benefit to their players and advantage to them on the field. Some in the league find it unfair. I say more power to them. Besides, we are only talking about 40-50 players. Its the dozen or so top level players in Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton that are not part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy that are missing the opportunity. If those players wanted to travel to Columbus three days/week for the training and are good enough to make the full roster, they should. The direct impact on our program is relatively minimal. Indirectly, the competition will only make us better. Those that don't or can't join the Crew should be part of our program here at Ohio Elite Soccer Academy.

While we work to eliminate the pay for play model in this country its about time the professional franchises take the lead on player development and many have. While the impact of the USSDA has yet to really impact the MLS, its good for the game that one which has committed to youth development is successful with their full team.

CONGRATULATIONS CREW!!

Congratulations Omid & Erin

November 22, 2008

Cincinnati Enquirer Has it Mostly Right...

A few weeks ago I spent some time talking to Dustin Dow of the Cincinnati Enquirer for an article he was doing about recruiting. Later he and a photographer came out to a training session to talk to some players and take some photos. Sunday the stories were published and Ohio Elite played a prominent role as several of our players and I were quoted. I have to say I was a little disappointed that they chose the day after St. Ursula and Fenwick won their respective OHSAA State Championships. For St Ursula it was their second consecutive title. It seemed like the subject of recruiting stole the headlines from what should have been the story. I am proud to say that Ohio Elite players played a major role on both high school teams. Congrats to both teams.

Several issues came up in the stories that I think need to be addressed and clarified.

1. Fees
This was the biggest inaccuracy in the article. Our fees vary according to age and level of each team. What I told the author was that our academy older age teams pay fees in the neighborhood of $1,500.00 per year. Those fees go to Ohio Elite to pay expenses incurred by that players participation in our club. These include coaching, registration/administration, tournament entry fees, etc. I told him all in I thought a player would pay $5,000.00 including fees, uniforms and travel to events in a given year. If you look around the region this number will be consistent with the other top clubs like Carmel, St. Louis Scott Gallagher, Michigan Hawks, Ohio Premier and Eclipse Select. Our fee structure is also competitive with local soccer clubs.

2. Income vs. Expenses
First it is important to note that the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy Board of Directors is made up volunteers who are in no way shape or form compensated for their work. Although they work behind the scenes, they have and always will act as the fiduciaries of the financial side of the organization and have full authority over financial matters. Funds must be collected and spent on behalf of Ohio Elite. The Board of Directors and Tim Lesiak go through a detailed budget development and approval process. This often requires that an initial budget is established that would then be adjusted to reflect current market conditions.

The financial numbers are a matter of public record as Ohio Elite is a 501 (c) 3 (non-profit) organization. I did not discuss these figures nor the salary figures with the author. Tax returns for most non-profits, which include soccer clubs, are available on the Internet. One of the articles was quoted as saying that in 2006 Ohio Elite had an income of $801,978.00 and expenses of $675,889.00. That disclosure suggested that Ohio Elite generated significant profitability in 2006. I will deal with the income side first. The article stated that this income was generated by player fees. This is not completely true. In fact, the income stated includes player fees, fundraising income, tournament income, camp income, spirit wear income and sponsorship income. Fundraising was significant in 2006 Ohio Elite to generate funding for the OE Training Center. The OE Training Center has been developed at a cost of over $600,000.00. The funding for the facility has come from a combination of contributions, fundraising, sponsorships, surplus in operating dollars and some bank debt. Obviously, Ohio Elite is very proud of this facility. It will be used by Ohio Elite and it's members for many years to come.

As for expenses and salary information, Ohio Elite is a business. Ohio Elite is not in the business of making money and building significant cash reserves. However, it does operate in a manner to build financial flexibility to ensure the long term success and viability.

The Mission Statement of the organization clearly outlines the goal.

Ohio Elite Soccer Academy Mission Statement
"To create an elite training and competition environment for boys and girls that strives to reach the highest level of success through first achieving excellence: providing a life enriching experience in an academy atmosphere that seeks to develop the complete player on and off the field of competition."

To achieve this goal, Ohio Elite must invest in and develop first class facilities and a professional staff that can provide the necessary direction and leadership to the club and it's players. Our number one draw is our professional set up. Tim, Mike and myself are all involved in every aspect of the day-to-day operation of Ohio Elite. That includes budgeting, registration/administration, facility development, program development, fundraising, team administration, advertising/marketing, website development, etc. I compare it to being the Executive Director of a non-profit organization with the type of budget described above. It is a multi-faceted full-time job that often requires us to be accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

3. High School vs. Club
Although I have addressed this in a past blog I feel I must again touch on our position on playing club soccer vs. playing high school soccer in the fall season. In my mind there are a lot of reasons for a player to play for their club in the fall season. There are also a lot of reasons to play for your school. We have four players playing in our fall team this fall that will go on to play NCAA DI soccer on significant scholarship money that have been cut by their high school team. Although I find it hard to believe that they were not good enough to play for their school that is the coach's decision. We have players playing in the fall that have had very bad high school soccer experiences for whatever reason. We have players playing in the fall who are returning from serious injuries. We have players that made the individual decision that playing club was what was best for them. If we did not have a fall program those players would not be playing soccer for that period of time. We have the program because the players asked for it. I challenge anyone to find one of our players that was coerced or threatened in order to get them to play for the club in the fall. They don't exist. If they do exist, I encourage you to contact our Board of Directors directly to discuss this. As confirmation, feel free to ask our players that chose the fall team alternative about their experience. Reality is that less than 5% of our players chose to play on the Fall Team.

There have been those who have come out in support of one or the other. All I have to say is I don't support club soccer over high school or vice versa. I support our players and their needs. Most of all I support our players right to make a choice that they think is in their best interest.

In closing, I thought and we thought as an organization it was important to clarify a few things that were either misquoted or left room for misconception. When we started Ohio Elite seven years ago we set out for the financial/business side to run parallel with the soccer side. The Board of Directors was charged with guiding the financial/business side while the Directors of Coaching were charged with leading the soccer side. Along the way we have found that the two often curve and intersect; however, we have experienced success in both areas. A balanced budget and watching our player develop and move on to the next level is our measuring stick. There are many challenges ahead, but rest assured Ohio Elite will continue to "always be on the offensive" when it comes to tackling those challenges. As always we remain grateful to the outstanding families that make up Ohio Elite and have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us throughout the years. Your investment in your sons and daughters will always be held with great regard by every member of the Ohio Elite staff and Board of Directors.

U.S. Soccer Development Academy Conference Call

As we enter year number two of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy the Federation continues to adapt to "our world" as youth soccer professionals. One of the positive additions to the League is the monthly conference calls with clubs and the DA leadership. All areas are covered: administrative, technical, and referees.

Here are some highlights from the October 22, 2009 call:

• A U14 schedule has been developed in the Northeast by the clubs. U.S. Soccer supports this practice, but does not have an official position yet. Clubs are encouraged to put together a U14 spring season as part of their current Development Academy schedule. U.S. Soccer will help support player registration in the near future and is strongly considering bringing the U14's into either the Spring or Summer Showcase. This serves two purposes: (1) a precursor to formalizing a regional league (limited travel) for the U14 age group in 2009-2010. (2) provide a forum for scouting of the U14 age group for the National team program


• Demosphere is hosting all the league schedules and player profiles. Each player will be able to login and update their profile in real time for college coaches


• Teams should have received their shipment of Gatorade and Nike balls


• The Development Academy has become the number one focus for finding National pool players. The other ODP programs will continue to operate and be scouted by USMNT staff, but most players are expected to be identified through the DA


• U.S. Soccer strongly supports positive sideline behavior by players and coaches and expects clubs to respond accordingly


• Referee evaluations is an important step in the League for this year and has gone well through the first few weeks of the season