The Future of the US Women's Program

The latest news out of U.S. Soccer related to the WNT is the hiring of Tom Semranni to be the next head coach of the USWNT.  I don't know enough about Semranni to offer an opinion on him as a coach, but I do see that he has done a fine job with the Australian WNT, and has a long resume.  He comes into a tough job on the heels of a pretty successful tenure of Pia Sundhage, so good luck to him.

I saw a brief interview with him last night with Max Bretos in the pregame to the Houston-Chicago MLS playoff match.  Bretos asked the question about Semranni's goals with youth development for the women's program.  Semranni's answer was a fairly pat non-answer, full of the usual platitudes of wanting to reach down into the youth ranks and help develop young ladies in the game.  Blah, Blah, blah.

Semranni may have goals and aspirations along those lines, but right now there is no USSF direct sponsorship of development program.  USSF and Sunil Gulati have made it a priority to establish and operate a Development Academy for boys and are now in the planning stages for introducing a U13/14 program to supplement the already existing U16 and U18 programs.  I believe that the Development Academy has done some wonderful things for the development of young men in our country and I am looking forward to the future.

But the same commitment is not there for the girls side.  Yes, there is something called the Elite Clubs National League which has the following Mission Statement.

The Elite Clubs National League, Inc. (“ECNL”) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit member-based organization founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of the female youth soccer players in the United States through: (i) improving the competitive environment through creation of a true nationally-based competitive league with multiple flights; (ii) improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players for the U.S. Soccer youth national teams through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competition; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs.

What is missing from that Mission Statement is any affiliation with USSF.  Kudos to the founder of the ECNL for recognizing the need for systemic development of young female players, whether it is for the national teams, colleges, foreign clubs or a (as yet defined) domestic league.

However, I think it is tragic that the most successful soccer program in the United States, i..e. the WNT, does not have the imprimatur of USSF for a systematic development program for girls.  The WNT has actual World Cup Titles, Olympic Gold Medals and a string of success.  The U.S. may have been able to ride the power of Title IX for a few decades, but the rest of the world is catching up.  Mexico, Japan, Canada, Germany, and probably a dozen other nations are pouring money in the development of the women's game and the U.S. will not be able to maintain its superiority for long if it does not move to catch up.

Many of the Boys Development Academy Programs no doubt have in the infrastructure in place to initiate a girls program at the U16 and U18 levels without much effort. In terms of logistics, how hard is it to have the boys and girls teams travel together  for matches (leaving aside the normal teenage hormonal problems associated with that).  Talent identification for the youth national teams and ultimate the senior WNT and colleges and subsequently, a professional league, should not be haphazard or left to chance.  If the USSF is serious about truly supporting the growth of the women's game in this country, it must be seen to be making a real effort to bring a girls Development Academy in to being.

The founders of the ECNL are to be commended for the effort, 52 clubs in three years is no easy feat, so they have laid the groundwork.  I don't want those efforts to be totally supplanted, but USSF would do wise to bring those founders into the USSF fold and allow them, with full USSF sanctioning to truly bring about a girls development academy.

Youth Soccer Development--The Development Academy Growing Pains

The great Alecko Eskandarian has a wonderful column on SI.com Youth soccer's dilemma: Development academies vs. high schools, in which he covers the problem with the recent change by the U.S. Soccer Development Academy to shift to a mandatory 10 month schedule.  Let's start with what is good about the Development Academy:

Development academies have done wonders helping to identify and nurture the accompanying demand for talent. The 10-month schedule is an initiative that would put the talented youth players on par with the curriculum and schedule of those in Europe and South America. In most of those powerhouse nations, the academy system is the focal point for the development of future national teamers.

There is no argument that the development pipeline for professional players, at the MLS and NASL/USL-Pro levels, will improve as the Academy becomes fully integrated into the national player development scheme.  The recent USSF announcement of a U14 development academy program for boys will also spur that effort forward.

But as Eskandarian points out the change to a 10 month calendar does put a kink is the system for players, who must now choose between an academy team and their high school team.  Now I questioned whether the rule was simply too harsh, after all there are many other aspects to playing for one's high school than simply the quality of play on the field, there are social, communal and even personal goals attained by a young man who chooses to play for his high school.  So, USSF heard some of the complaints and responded:

U.S. Soccer added a rule allowing academy teams to have a certain number of exemptions for players to remain on their academy team while playing high school, as long as that team fills its roster with a minimum amount of full-time players. Then the question arises, if all the top players will be used as exemptions, then what's the point of expanding to a 10-month season? It would completely defeat the purpose.

That is a good question and as Eskandarian pointed out, the player himself has to take responsibility for his own development.  So, he may have to balance the need for personal social goals in his school against his goals to be the best soccer player he can be.  

But one of the interesting side effects of MLS affiliated academy teams is how much they have come to dominate the playing landscape where they are based.  This is not to say that the MLS affiliated sides are wiping the floor with everyone every game, but they tend to rise to the top.  As they should, because MLS teams offer opportunities that other sides do not, access to professional players on a regular basis, the opportunity to play in reserve league matches, generally better training facilities, nutritional and medical facilities, and coaching infrastructure.  So looking at that, Eskandarian posited this alteration to the mandatory 10 month calendar for all Development Academy teams:  

It should be a priority for every MLS academy to meet the standard of offering fully funded residency-based programs that offer housing and education along with everything soccer-related. This takes a massive financial commitment, but only then can the U.S. say it's producing a youth development system on par with the top youth programs in the world. 

Once in place, I think it should only be mandatory for MLS academy teams to compete in a 10-month season -- and not non-MLS academies. The best prospects should be funneled toward MLS academies. In turn, MLS academies should offer the best facilities, coaches, training and environment. The notion that a player has been identified as a future pro prospect and will be headed to a professional team's residency program will then be completely justifiable on all ends. 

Those who would rather play high school or attend a private school could play for a non-MLS academy team instead. This would also prevent non-MLS academy teams from going to drastic measures to remain in the Development Academy league. These non-MLS academy teams can decide whether they want to offer training and exhibitions during the high school season to fulfill a 10-month schedule or stay on the seven-month schedule.

I fully concur with the residency program for MLS academies.  Yes, it is a big financial commitment, but it must be done if the MLS and U.S. is to compete on the same level as Europe and South America.  I have an additional suggestion.  When the MLS firs team squad travels to away matches, the Academy team does as well and plays on the same day as the First Team.

But it is the second tier that matters.  The top players will always get identified and yes, it will be helpful to be identified earlier.  But is is that second tier of players, boys who may blossom later.  These are the players who will largely populate most of the Academy teams and ultimately the college ranks.  

I referee high school soccer and I can see the physical differences in some boys who are 14 15 years old.  They have the soccer brain, you can see it in the manner in which they play.  But sometimes they put on weight and look out of proper shape.  Then the next year or two they put on the height. Some players put on a lot of height and then are awkward with their body.  Some have their physical abilities, but not the right mental training to grow as players, but with time and training they do.  These players become Division I college players and might be professionals later.  

the truth of the matter is, for every Lionel Messi who was clearly gifted at a young age, there are dozens of players who won't bloom until their late teens.  A Development system that can nurture both types of players is needed and like it or not, it will have to mean some tiering in the system.  Eskandarian's idea is a great start, and I would like to see it implemented, sooner rather than later.  

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Hey Sunil Gulati, what about a Girls Development Academy?

From U.S. Soccer, the Development Academy will be adding a U13/U14 program beginning next year.  From the U.S. Soccer report:

“We started the Development Academy to improve player development on all levels, and adding a competitive structure to the U-13/14 age group is an important next step in this long-term process,” said Development Academy Director of Scouting Tony Lepore. “The U-13/14 age group is at a very crucial stage in their development. Applying the overall philosophy of the Academy to the U-13/14 age group will allow us to continue to shift the focus of the young elite player to meaningful training and competition.” 

The clubs selected for the U-13/14 age group will follow a model that increases training to four times a week, with fewer but meaningful matches, and the schedule structure will be regionalized to limit the amount of travel. 

“I am very excited to see this important next step in the process of developing young players in this country,” said U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “Just as with the players on the National Team, these young players need to get increased training and play in the most meaningful games they can. Being in the Academy also gives them more time to practice on their own, which gives them another chance to be creative and have fun. All these elements are critical for players at this age group.”

I like this move, a great deal, for the young players.  However......

This country is neglecting half of the population.  Instead of or at least in addition to a U14 division for the boys, I would like to see U.S. Soccer start and develop a program for U18 and U16 girls.  There are two things that we have learned from the U.S. WNT's experience in the past two years:  The U.S. Women, while good, are not the dominant force they once were.  The U.S. Women typically rely on a common core of players over a very long term, so there is less turnover to bring in quality young players.  I have nothing against players like Christie Rampone or Abby Wambach, who are performing at a very high level well into their 30's.  But could a little more competition be good for the American women?  Of course, and while the women's game at the college level is quality, imagine the quality of players that could be developed with a Development Academy set up for women.

Just as the men's college game is improving because the Development Academy is pushing quality players into college programs (after all, very few players will go from Academy teams to MLS or NASL or USL-Pro set ups), the women's college game will improve as well.  And of course, national team programs, from the senior teams to the youth national teams, will benefit.

So why don't we have a Development Academy for girls? Sunil?  Can you answer that question?

What about you?  What are you thoughts about the lack of a Development Academy for girls sponsored by U.S. Soccer?