The U.S. Soccer Federation needs to understand that its first-year academy development program, designed to groom promising young talent for international competition, is dividing people in the Southland who love the sport.
Each of the six club programs based in Southern California that was chosen to participate in the eight-month academy season has barred its players from simultaneously playing high school soccer, forcing dozens of elite players to abandon their high school coaches, teammates and friends.
Chance Myers, who played four years of high school soccer at Thousand Oaks and was the No. 1 player taken last Friday in the Major League Soccer draft, observed, "I wasn't put in that situation, but I'm positive all the kids who have to make that choice aren't happy."
A story last week detailing the dilemma faced by players such as Chris Cummings of Encino Crespi produced strong reactions via e-mails. Cummings made the decision not to play for the Celts in his senior year under pressure from his club team.
"The real problem is the vast majority of kids that are getting lured into these academy programs that don't have anywhere near the talent or opportunity Cummings does," wrote Dave Verso, the father of two sons playing soccer. "They are getting fed dreams of being professionals and getting seen so they will get Division I scholarships that in reality are very scarce.
"It was originally sold as free but is actually very expensive due to extensive travel requirements. Rather than getting free training in a first-class professional environment like youth players in Europe, they instead are just missing out on what, for most, is a great experience to play with their friends and display their talent in front of people from their community."
A father of an Orange County player lamented that his son, a sophomore, won't be following in the path of his older brother because he'll have to choose to play for his club team next season.
"This will be his last year of high school soccer," he wrote. "It is sad that unlike his brother, who is now on a Division I men's soccer team, he will not get the chance to earn four varsity letters."
U.S. Soccer insists that it encourages players to play high school soccer as well, but having the academy program in the middle of the winter soccer season in Southern California has left players with few options. Club soccer is considered a higher caliber of training and offers more exposure to college scouts than high school.
