- You need to grow up … too grown up, and you’re no fun.
- You need to show some class … too much class, and you’re a snob.
- You’re filthy rich … too little money, and you’re a loser.
- You’re an academic dropout … too much academics, and you’ve got no real world experience.
- … ad infinitum
You see our culture relentlessly pushes you to the middle – to fit in and be ordinary. And we have seductive, enlightened sounding terms like “well-rounded” and “balanced” that seduce you into being ordinary.
If that weren’t enough, we have a powerful human instinct (survival), backed by millions of years of evolution that tells us to be risk-averse. It tells you fitting in and being part of the crowd is good.
Like a herd of wildebeest, for god’s sake don’t venture out on your own! Predators may be close!
From the cavemen days to Galileo to Martin Luther King Jr., many followed their passion, their dream, their work, and paid the ultimate price, or nearly did. But as time marched on, the threat of death on a particular individual has subsided.
However, a threat remains. It ranges from social stigma as outlined above, to losing your job.
Want to thwart creativity and support the status quo? This is the cultural instrument that does it.
And the results are the same. The extraordinary, the remarkable, the people who forge the future have conquered this human-created force. They say “fuck you”! They choose to follow that inner muse that tells them it’s ok to follow a path not defined by others, to do work they believe matters.
The rest? The “well-rounded”, ordinary people?
They too can accomplish remarkable things, but are too scared.
So instead, they become staunch supporters of the well-oiled machinery of mediocrity.
Gary,
Now you really are taking on the American Culture. This push toward mediocrity is so pervasive in most aspects of our daily lives. And this problem much to Dr Loco’s dismay adheres to no economic , social, religious or ethnic boundaries. I would even say that today most people in the USA that we consider exceptional are only marginally less mediocre than the rest of the population. I am going to take a little bit of time to organize some additional thoughts before posting more. As always, thanks for sharing and starting a needed conversation.
Economic , social, religious and ethnic boundaries are the foundations of the American culture.
It’s not easy fitting in because I operate at the boundaries.
Aside, I saw a little kid wearing this t-shirt and started laughing. “Made in America with Mexican parts”. I think millions of Americans feel this way.
More like Chinese parts
Yep.
The problem is ‘general culture’, not ‘soccer culture’.
Imagine a new American culture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxRlPGV9mKg&feature=relmfu
Wow…lots to talk about here. I will start with this: Passion
I see kids come through our program (U8-U10) that already or could have the “passion” for soccer. But they are already “good enough” vs their peers, and they “need” to be “well rounded” so they are also playing basketball, football, etc. The parents don’t want them to focus too early, and then want them to have all different sporting options available to them as they grow up.
I also see kids that continue playing soccer (through high school) that have ZERO passion to play the game, they are just out there because their parents wanted them to play a sport and american football was too “rough”. So…they end up being “just good enough”….right in the middle.
I would say that most of the players that I see that have the most “passion” for the game and end up being the best players I have coached in high school age….AND their PARENTS are passionate about the game and instilled that to their kids. If we have apathetic parents….it is very difficult for the younger kids to get the play time and instruction they need to be truly great….it is tough for little johnny at age 9 to “make” his parents take him to the fields 4 days a week, or let him focus on one sport, or play soccer in the backyard. For me, I did not become a soccer-only player until age 14…..
Yep SDW.
Again, the situation you describe applies generally to ‘American culture’. Little johnny’s are like this.
But there are demographics (huge population), where this is not the case. Tons of little jose’s where soccer is life.
Agreed….there are pockets in the US where “soccer in life”.
However, many of us (mysefl included) live and coach where the population is not large enough to have enough of those “like minded” players. Therefore, on a team of say 16 – 18 players, maybe I have a couple that really “have it” and “want it”. They are top notch, Div 1 type capable players, only play soccer, and that is what they do. They want and NEED to improve and continue to learn.
So the challenge is…how do I coach this team? Do I coach to these top handful of exceptional players, only for the others to fall by the wayside, not understand, and ultimately not keep up. Do I coach to the overall talent I have, therefore, leaving those top players wanting more, and not challenging them appropriately.
I know how I coach in these scenarios…but I think that this is a coaching challenge in many, many areas….and many coaches get it wrong.
There is not enough talent in many small communities to really have a full team of exceptional talent. I find many times those exceptional talented players move on to bigger clubs driving 60 – 120 minutes each way.
Basically, finding the right solution for the not highly populated areas is quite a challenge as well.
Tough questions, but I believe I understand them well.
When we started in 2004 and for years, our team composition was like that. We also didn’t have cream of the crop or 100% committed players. Our club was shit, our facilities shit, everything was total shit. By comparison to other clubs – never mind the super clubs – we were pound-for-pound ridiculously outmatched.
Anyways, I’ll leave the stories for later. But in short, we were ‘successful’.
To answer your questions, I guess the first thing to ask is:
“What’s your objective(s)?”
For us, it’s always been winning by playing the right way.
To do that, you have to be very detailed with all your players (from the best to worst). And at the end of the year, you must make ‘cuts’ and recruit talent. Otherwise the team’s progress, along with your best player’s development, stalls.
It’s also critical to form powerful bonds with your best players, and offer them training/product that is better than the competition. Your team doesn’t have to be the best, but you must be the best.
“It’s also critical to form powerful bonds with your best players, and offer them training/product that is better than the competition.”
I have recently discovered this to be extremely true. In professional clubs, the best young talent are given the most attention and best training opportunities.
Train them the best so they can leave you but treat them the best so they won’t.
Thank you and Great comments….sounds like the path I may have as well (but our facilities are very good and right next to my house….that was by plan !).
The way we are organized, I have the U8 – 10 players….and this is “open registration”….no tryouts, no cuts. I get what signs up and pays the fee. So I get some OUTSTANDING players…and some that are total crap.
My objectives have previously been: develop player techincal capability and play the right way. Winning would take of itself (and it generally did)…it was not a focus.
However, I am re-examining what my team objectives really should be now….been thinking alot about them. But within the club I am in (the only one around), I have to live within that context or try to change it. Baby steps for sure…but taking them–started the change conversation this week about what our focus should be at Academy Level.
SDW, an experienced coach once told me that as a coach you have choices and a reputation. You might not like those choices but you can choose not to coach a bad club, bad team, bad players, bad parents. Your philosophy and beliefs are more important. As a coach you must have pride and integrity otherwise your reputation will suffer.
Forming those bonds with the best players I think is key…fully agreed.
Read “First Bfreak all the Rules”. It is a leadership / management book. Key focus: ” they treat every employee as an individual; they don’t try to fix weaknesses, but instead focus on strengths and talent; and they find ways to measure, count, and reward outcomes.”
Key takeaway for me as a leader: We need to spend more time with our top employees…get more out of them. We tend to spend too much time with our bottom employees trying to “fix them”. Overall…spending more of my time with the top talent is better OVERALL to the organization.
I think that the same applies to coaching sports….
“There is not enough talent in many small communities to really have a full team of exceptional talent. I find many times those exceptional talented players move on to bigger clubs”
SDW, I have similar problems. I just focus on creating a stable team. Form a strong bond with the best players but usually these are the most difficult. If you have to, let the top and bottom players go to create a stable and balanced team. Focus on developing the remaining players the best possible. Perhaps you might have to play without a full roster. Ultimately these players are being developed for better teams and you must let them go eventually.
Good points…thanks. In my club, the top players end up playing 60 – 90 minutes away at the “larger clubs” by the time they are high school age. The really exceptional players move out by U13. While this causes lots of discussion with the Club leadership…I am totally good with this. I would love to keep them…but they are getting a better environment (hopefully !!).
Thanks
Gary, if you are talking about individuals and individual achievement, then I could not agree with you more. Your post reminds me of George Bernard Shaw’s statement that only the “unreasonable man” can make progress in this world, or something to that effect.
With institutions, however, it is different. Institutional change comes slowly and painfully. Even Jesus and Martin Luther didn’t do it in a day, and later on those institutions splintered into sub-groups, anyway. As for your efforts at provoking institutional change, I agree you need to be focused, like the entrepreneur you are, but the message must also be focused. If you try to change too much at once, you change nothing. In technology marketing, we used to call that the “boil the ocean” strategy.
Is our/your priority to change the US soccer culture? If so, then to what, specifically? Even this is too broad a goal, I think. Is the goal to implant the Barcelona approach, specifically, in the US? Or is the goal to implant a possession soccer culture in the US, recognizing that it may need to permutate into something unexpected if it is to take hold?
For example, I see your lessons to parents and coaches about how to recognize, value, and teach possession soccer as something that Kephern can take in the DC area and apply it to his business model, which has a unique culture that makes sense for his area. Someone in the Midwest might take your ideas and implement them in a way that is viable and sustainable within that culture and get some results. Etc., etc. Eventually, there may emerge a possession soccer melting pot, and then someday it might even start to gel around a more distinct soccer identity at the national level.
I am just trying to be practical. You know: think global, act local.
As always Alberto, I love your posts!
I’m in this for the long haul.
Currently this is the way I view my efforts (simplified here):
There is a huge vacuum when it comes to education in gold standard football, not specific to but exceptionally notable, in this country.
The goal here is to educate. If there are willing students who learn, they in turn can educate others. This viral spreading is a goal.
As I see it there are two critical components, each of which is virtually useless without the other.
1) Guiding philosophy (as in this post).
2) Practical (as in previous post, and later to come curriculum)
One of the things I love about this blog is the questions big and small that you put out for discussion are the same ones that I have been wrestling with as I evolve as a coach.
Curiously, I was thinking about this very subject while I happened to be listening to a seemingly unrelated subject on a radio show: Vincent Van Gogh. The guest, an author who spent 10 years researching his book on Van Gogh, explained the following, which I think is relevant to this discussion:
“The people who knew him considered him a strange boy and later in life he alienated his fellow artists. He had trouble finding a place in any of the art schools so he was forced by his own personality in creating his own kind of art.”
It was Van Gogh’s “inability to do what was academically appropriate and necessary to get through art school (which he tried several times to do) that drove him to create; he had such a bursting need to express himself. Someone else, a less determined personality, would have said, ‘I’m just not an artist’, and gone off and done something else, but he was so determined that he just persisted and created these new (art) forms, new ways of painting, new ways of applying paint, ways of combining color, new ways of using line, that were his own. Instead of resigning himself to the fact that he was not an artist because he couldn’t do it (like they wanted him to), he just redefined art in a way …and in some ways no one has ever done (art) better… Art that today is so widely loved, surely the most loved art in the western canon.”
Great post! For a person to accomplish something extraordinary they must come up with something unique and of value. This is creativity and it’s being educated directly out of us. I think Sir Ken Robinson frames this argument very well: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiG9CE55wbtY&v=iG9CE55wbtY&gl=US
Be it educational development or player development our concept of human growth potential is flawed.
I’m starting to see how many of the themes in your writing are not just applicable to, but stem from problems far outside the realm of player development.
I am not sure if the intent of Gary’s post was a comment on their difficulties of trying to introduce a new youth soccer developmental model or the difficulty of finding youth soccer players that have the passion, drive, and dedication that it takes to be a world class soccer player.
If it is the latter, I highly recommend Daniel Coyle’s, The Talent Code and specifically Part II, “Ignition” that discusses how someone gets motivated enough to expand the incredible energy and time it takes to be world class in something. His blog on developing talent always has interesting posts also.
People tend to forget that Barcelona’s great developmental model and success were not a forgone conclusion. As expressed in these excerpts from Marti Perarnau’s excellent book, “Senda de Campeones”:
The Beer That Changed Everything
April 15, 1972. Final of the Youth Catalan Cup for the 1971-21 season. This is not some minor competition, but a major event. The match was between the two strongest youth systems in Catalonia, FC Barcelona (trained by Josep Minguella) and Club de Futbol Damm, sponsored by and named for a Beer producer. The expectations were at their maximum because it had been many years since the Barca youth team had won the trophy.
But the title went to Damm, who won 3-2, and such a defeat was considered a catastrophe. Agusti Montal, the president of Barcelona FC, angry at being beaten by a Beer producer, decided to take drastic measures and he hired Laureano Ruiz.
Laureano arrived at Barca in the summer of 1972 with an idea. During the next five seasons, the Barca U-19 team won both the Catalan and Spanish championships. Up to that time, Barca had only won two Spanish titles, in 1951 and 1959. There had seemingly been a curse, but Laureano arrived and it disappeared, winning five titles in a row. Laureano, from the beginning, applied his particular method of work and training and his idea of play. After his second season, he took over all the Barca youth teams, from the youngest to U-19, who were all trained to play the same, and in 1974 he was named head of the whole Barca youth system. However, more than capturing a lot of youth titles, the real historical relevance was the idea that had arrived with him, that had been planted, and that would change the history of Barca.
However, the seedling idea that Laureano Ruiz planted at the beginning of the 1970’s initially found rocky ground. When Ruiz arrived at Barcelona in 1972, he found a model that only looked for tall and strong players, and in fact, he had to tear a poster from the clutches of the technical secretary that said, “If you come to offer me a youth player that is less than 1.80 meters (5’11”) turn around and leave”. “That’s what they did. I chose small players with talent, but, my lord, what a fight. The coaches thought the players had to be big and strong. I always have believed more in my instinct…Within a few days of establishing this, team’s youth coaches came to me and said, “Your players never run. What are you doing? They have to run to be strong and have condition!” I told them, “If we dedicate our time to running, when are we going to learn to play?” Because if they didn’t know how to play, how were they going to be able to control the ball?
Rondos in Barca? Laureano implanted them, pioneer of position and passing game and it was he who prioritized the technical quality of the player, his speed of reaction and above all other factors, his intelligence to learn and comprehend how to play. In the 70’s, coaches all over the world thought that it was essential to start with a lot of physical training to produce strong youngsters that at 17 years old, they could turn into soccer players. Laureano Ruiz argued with them and he told them that no, it was the reverse: that first they had to make soccer players and only after having done that, do physical training. They called him a rebel or revolutionary.
Awash in difficulties, victim of stereotypes and clichés, and lack of sporting successes, at first Barca did not appreciate his vision. Afflicted by historical urgency and stressed at all times, it prioritized the short term more than the investment in long term seeds. But the seedling idea did not fall on totally barren ground and much of its fundamentals still persisted twenty years later, when the nuclear idea burst forth. Clothed in the charisma of Johan Cruyff, the idea arrived, blossomed and was injected into the DNA of Barca’s fans in an irreversible form, totally reversing the Camp Nou fan base’s early reaction to the concept of play, which initially was greeted with skepticism, uncertainty and animosity. But the incessant successes gave wing to the idea that became deeply entrenched in the Barca youth system and survived three Dutch coaches and the worst seasons of the post-Cruyff era. Twenty years after, Pep Guardiola closed the circle and glamorized the update of the idea. The fundamentals are now rooted in the academy and even in the fan base, where they applaud a pass from the back, they applaud the lateral passes or the participation of the keeper as a field player. The success appears to have even installed the philosophy in the boardrooms of the club where, in the same manner, the members appear convinced that there is no better option for players than from the Barca youth system. The academy has become to be a deciding factor, an institutional banner and a structural investment.
In the beginning it was an idea. The idea converted itself into a model and the model became an institution: La Masia. An institution within the club, a renowned institution and hailed universally after the nomination of three of its sons as finalists for the Balon de Oro 2010. This has been the evolution from what started only as an idea. It started as an idea and nothing more. But can an idea be so powerful? Yes, because it about an idea that revolutionized Barca for the ages. Give me an idea and I’ll move the soccer world.
good point and write out!…the fear to fail is a dangerous thing it makes one miss the thrill to try.
It’s always nice to learn that people like Cruyff and Guardiola are just spokepersons to sell the product. That the real people are the ones behind the scenes changing up the structure. I almost feel like those two get the most credit even though they didn’t do much to really add to it.
R10,
How wrong you are. Both Cruyff and Guardiola were instrumental in moving Barca further down the road to where they are now. In fact, Cruyff was probably the most intrumental in getting what was still a seedling idea to be fully accepted and implemented in the Barca DNA (Cruyff was the first first team manager to insist on trying to use Barca academy products on the first team). Guardiola, as a player, and then as a manager, continued to develop the Barca idea (it is not a static system but has continued to evolve) to its present glory. Both Cruyff and Guardiola are brilliant soccer minds who deserve all the credit they have received. However, that is not to see say that there were not many other people all along the way who weren’t also critical to Barca’s development.
Hincha,
The excerpt from “Senda de Campeones” seems to mirror what I read and posted about from “La Roja”. That is — it took someone with a vision, something dramatically different to provide the catalyst for change. Kind of like key inventions such as the light bulb, car, and stubborn ideas by a once small struggling company named Apple. Most inventions are made by small business; not corporate giants. That’s why we can’t rely on USSF or Gulatti to implement anything beyond putting out soccer training manuals and expecting us to compete against Spain or Germany.
The spark that gets us to next level will be on the pitch, the sweat and knowledge and vision and passion of a Laureano , Cruyff or Michels who have the cojones to do it differently.
A coach or club somewhere in USA needs to take the leap away from power mongers who pretend to teach “Barca style” but revert back to kick and chase with man-child players. TO build their club brand, they preach Barca passing but recruit big, tall, strong players like werewolves and vampires to a pound of liver. They think more linebackers and LaBron James types are the answer when in fact they are completely the wrong answer!
The intent of the post was neither. 🙂
This post is but a philosophical building block. General philosophy / worldview.
It’s critical to everything we do, understanding the gold standard, and understanding others who are not the gold standard.
And it’s critical to communicate that this is what having “a philosophy” actually means.
The following types of things are not a philosophy:
“Technique and brains are more important than big, strong, and fast.”
“Development should be focus, not winning.”
That is way too superficial fortune-cookie stuff which can be interpreted and executed incorrectly.
For instance my fortune-cookie philosophy agrees with most of the general American community’s fortune-cookie. Yet, we are in total opposition! Why?
The reason is a chasm in interpretation of what that fortune cookie phrase actually means.
It is general life philosophy which guides the interpretation and execution of soccer philosophy.
That’s the point.
“The people who knew him considered him a strange boy and later in life he alienated his fellow artists. He had trouble finding a place in any of the art schools so he was forced by his own personality in creating his own kind of art.”
Normal is easy, the normal is the best chance of success, and the normal (or the mediocre) is the tried and true route. This is true in almost any endeavor from business to music to science to you name it. Soccer too. Normal is not the route to excellence, to making a mark on the world and creating lasting value. The best you can do is make incremental progress, rather than carve out something memorable and lasting. You can execute the normal vey well, and competently. For most people, this is what excellence looks like, its not, but most people will never even scratch the surface of true excellence. The ordinary excellence is the excellence that you learn in school. They aren’t brave enough to even contemplate it. So they attack true excellence whenever it rears its thorny head.
The status quo is easier in the here and now, and the rest of the herd views anyone challenging the system as a threat, as living proof that there is another path to success. The different is attacked because it reminds the normal how ordinary they are. The herd of ordinary folk wishes to believe that their choice to follow the well-trodden path is the best (only) way to go. Soccer is full of the ordinary, full of the winners of youth tournaments, high school state champs, NCAA titles and MLS championships following the well-defined ordinary path. Each time it’s done the normal way only reaffirms their legion of ordinary status quo believers.
In 10 and 20 years no one remembers the normal they just fade into the woodwork like old nostalgia. The biggest problem for the United States is that the rest of the World is competing in Soccer. Around the World there are innovators who are making their mark, and making positive changes in how the game is played. People who believe there is a right and wrong way to play the game. People who win in ways that are far beyond the ordinary will be remembered. The Magical Magyars of Hungary, Total Football, Sacchi’s Milan, and now Gaurdiola’s Barça will all be remembered for more than victory, but for lifting the game up to an art form. Each of them challenged the ordinary by not following convention and playing the game in a new way that the ordinary couldn’t even contemplate and comprehend. A thing of beauty was created by each, which the ordinary view as an affront.
In soccer, the United States can’t simply declare that the championship of the USA is a world championship, like baseball or gridiron football, not anymore; TV and Internet have put an end to that ruse. First the ordinary need to be exposed for what they are, and then the environment for change needs to be created. Every day parents are better educated now than every before. Perhaps now, with the forces present in the World, the time is right to light a fire in the United States that will incinerate the ordinary and ignite soccer in the USA to be excellent for the first time.
There is theory for how new ideas spread call “Diffusion of Innovation”. Early adopters and enthusiasts start things off, but there is a problem of overcoming inertia in getting ideas to spread to the mainstream. The Internet and the general information explosion have offered a way of overcoming this problem. New ideas can now leap unobstructed across the “gap” as its called. On the other hand, the forces of the status quo will fight back. The rank and file youth clubs who thrive in the environment of mediocrity see their business model under attack. Other forces will fight change, ESPN, Fox Soccer, NCAA soccer, MLS all have their business model based on the current mediocre status quo. In England it’s the FA and the EPL (World’s greatest league) have the same problem. In each case, their business model is threatened by reality whether it’s La Liga, Spain or You.
Is the time right? There are other things going on that will help things along. Gridiron football is in crisis with concussions, and the general sleaziness of NCAA sports coming into the light of day. Parents will increasingly turn their kids away from danger toward other sports including soccer. Business books are focused on developing talent rather than just assuming that its purely inborn. The economic crisis is having us ask hard questions about how we do business and measure value. More and more the immigrant population is holding on to soccer rather than simply assimilating to traditional American sports. They will less and less accept the traditional route to success offered by American soccer and demand true quality.
The time is right. Be brave and different. Innovate and resist the lure of the ordinary.
Listen to me Bill,
Whenever you craft such a piece of art, consider sending it via email so I can give it its own post.
Exceptional contribution!
Gary and Kephern,
Thanks for the praise, its really appreciated… the thoughts were percolating in the back of my mind for days last week and the weekend offered some time to put them to paper. It shows the virtue of patience. I find the blog uplifting although I must admit flipping between optimism and pessimism over the prospects for improving the game here. Part of the inspiration came from watching a bunch of TED lectures on my plane rides last week. Some of these are incredibly inspirational and full of ideas that can be applied to business, science and soccer.
Gary,
Saw the note about the story about Barça USA in the Daily Mail. It seems to be a perfect example of how the internet breaks down barriers. Who would have ever believed that your experience could be pushing buttons in the UK just a few years ago! but you are! It might be interesting to hear how the Daily Mail got “turned on” to your story. What was the chain of connections that led them to you.
You’ve been able to form a community of like-minded people and get your message out. Any idea how many readers you have from outside the USA? The change is possible, people are hungry. Barça and Spain provide the best marketing possible, and you show that it can be done. Now its just a matter of time.
In any case, this is some cool shit!
Man Bill,
what a post! Dang, i’m going to share what you just wrote and share it with my teams…also thanks again to 3four3, me and the guys from my club are talking everyday about the issues brought up, and really giving us the extra details us to become better everyday
BillR, love it! Very inspirational. I too am worn between optimism and pessimism. My mind drives me crazy sometimes. I feel bipolar too often but today you just set me straight. Thanks again.
I will echo the praise for this post.
When I first read it, I assumed that this was copied from a research paper or article from a prominent journalist. I was looking for the citation truthfully !! Truly outstanding.
I have shared this with my coaches and DOC….and it wraps up so many ideas I have in my head as well. I am trying to move mountains….but need to continue to push.
“The superior man bends his attention to what is radical” — Confucius
Go forth and be bold gentlemen.
Bingo! Brian/Surf U12-White
Gary,
This is of subject but it would be helpful to me to have some context to your program you have there:
1) How wide a geographical area specifically do your players come from? What is the population of the area that you draw players from?
2) How much does it cost a player to play for your team?
3) Do you have sponsors?
4) How do players afford to go Spain every year plus 2-3 (or more?) out of state tournaments?
5) How do identify players for the teams? Do you have tryouts or do you have another talent identification method?
6) What was your turnover of players from year 1 to now year 3 on a team?
7) Do you have to spend any time on individual technique with these players or are they coming pretty much fully formed and it is just a matter of polishing?
8) Are you planning to keep adding a team every year as your boys get older? If so, are you going to add coaches? From where?
9) How is your club governed? A non-profit? Does it have a board of directors?
These questions are important because they add some context to the decisions you are making and would help identify areas where you are dealing with different circumstances than other people might be.
Hincha,
I understand.
Since it’s off-topic, I will place this in my list of to-do posts.
But I want to warn everybody to be extremely cautious that you’re not looking for rationalizations as to why we’re able to “play this way”, and you can’t.
The worst thing one can do is think:
“Oh that’s why! They have x or y, and I don’t and won’t.”
Horse shit! And I will also explain in due time why that’s crap.
But again, the information is important. So I will provide it.
Hincha, I’m sure Gary will answer the rest but our top teams in SoCal operate in the geographical area of LA, Orange, Riverside,San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and San Diego Counties. The population is on the order of 10 -15 Million people. With our mutiple leagues there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 10000 plus competitive teams from U8 thru U19 from the Mexican border to Santa Barbara. This does not include recreational programs that dwarf the competitive programs. The competition is fierce for the best players and parents have been known to drive 2 hours plus each way. Youth soccer in Southern California is probably unlike anywhere in the US.
If you’re talking a technical or functional skill, most people are average. Soccer is no different.
What’s average, above, or in 99th percentile differs by country and league. At MLS, you probably have mostly 2nd standard deviation players if compared to La Liga, EPL, Bundesliga, or Serie A.
So far US born players aren’t in the 99th percentile. I’d put the likes of Dempsey and Bradley around 90th percentile territory. Donovan is a USA based player on different scale.
I think a question for youth soccer, USDA, USSF, NPSL, PDL, college, NASL – is how do we shift the curve? How do we make tomorrow’s average player equivalent to yesterday’s above average player? How do we raise the bar for everyone?
USA may be at a cross-roads where many do not pass. It was easy for us to go from literally remedial AYSO soccer in 1980s to the 90th percentile now ranked in upper 1/5th of FIFA, but the last 10% is always the hardest and some never get there.
I’m not sure if open heart surgery is needed or the patient needs counseling or we just need some sage guidance? We can use the 2014 and 2018 World Cups as a future point of reference. Going back last four or so WC’s I’m not sure I see a difference in terms of results, but we do have a tad better talent. I’d rather see a marked improvement in talent. The results should come.
Yes Kana, skilled surgeons are what’s needed.
I don’t think shifting the mean will get you that last 10%.
We’ve been shifting the mean for decades, the most recent example that is shifting the mean is the Development Academy. It’s good, but all it’s really accomplishing is deepening our pool of mediocre players (by international standards).
Meaning, instead of one Wondolowski, Omar Gonzalez, Altidore, et al, we’ll have many more of that level.
We will not break that ceiling without proper player selection and coaching. We need specialists! That’s primordial. And then there’s ‘the list’: http://blog.3four3.com/2011/10/24/things-that-are-wrong-with-us-soccer/
Gary,
Totally agree about player selection. I posted about that a few times. selection is crucial. Crap in; crap out. Our USDA clubs are too far removed from the “so what” of 5, 10 years from now that many coaches chose players fostor the here and now. It still resonates what you said in a prior post. You think about how you as a coach develop a player and where he’ll be at 18 (or words along that line). I also love the tidbits I posted about how Barce stick rigdly to a player profile / characteristics (size not one of them) that fit best within its playing style / philosophy. Does any youth club even in USA have a playing philosophy or is it the “cash is king” philosophy?