By Graham Ramsay
For over a generation, soccer - from bottom to top - has hiccupped its way into all sorts of shapes and structures, mainly based on expediency and pending revolt. Nowhere on this earth has soccer seen so many hybrids of organizations. As that soccer guru, Don King, proudly states, “Only in America!” We have O.D.P., leagues that disappear in the night, traveling or nomadic leagues. Now, we are looking at competing regional leagues. Obviously, there is a need. Should USYSA fill it or should they sit in the van while it’s driven by outside forces? They have become passengers as competing groups fight for this ground.
In typical fashion, the regions are trying to figure it out. They want to keep the top teams and their squads laden with ODP players. They are the prizes that all these leagues, such as the Y-league, US Club, and the governing body, USYSA, and its respective regions want. For example, in Region 1, they have the President’s League as their answer to the competition, with inducements to stay in the system with the prize to the regional finals if the President’s League is won. If the regions lose these top teams, the sponsorship will start to look in other directions as well. Remember, Nike and Adidas only want high visibility and often bring pressure to bear in these matters. For example, look at how many clubs have contracts with these manufacturers. These clubs were selected for part political and part commercial aims.
With little thought, the regions reacted to the pressure of these new entities with the creation of the President’s League. The lack of consultation or thinking of the consequences has left some serious questions, and possible damage, to several of the premier youth leagues in the U.S. Look at the girl’s side, all the top teams are leaving leagues like WAGS to go into these regional competitions. There is no long term planning or thinking whatsoever - just a band-aid reaction and a post-“9/11” mentality of waiting for the next disaster to hit.
The social-economic factor may also be a powerful element as the leading teams and its ODP players come, for the most part, from middle-class America. Yet, we know possibly the best talent is in blue collar America, where many immigrants play in more leagues than US Soccer knew existed. You only have to spend a weekend in any city and these secret leagues show up, and, literally, hundreds of players from all over the planet “live” for the passion of soccer. This is the womb of real talent. The present system financially excludes this crop of potential players. The drivers of the Chevy understand this opportunity and are acting on upon it. They know if players come through the Y-league / ODP route into the national teams, that will change the dynamics. Already these parents are calculating the comparative costs and opportunities. The ground is already changing …
So what can USYSA do? It needs to do what other countries do, go out and learn to develop structure that is club based, rather than community run. For players five to nine years of age, let the children play 4 vs. 4. Let them play means, “LET THEM PLAY.” Real clubs are where the passion is, whereas community-based groups are great organizers, but have a different purpose. They are a great starting place, but to become good at anything, you need to be around people who share this love. It’s a special relationship that only clubs can offer.
Up to now, organizations have used the term “club” without understanding what a “club” really is. Take the club I am associated with – Bethesda Soccer Club. Yes, our geography is correct. We are based, for the most part, in the metro D.C. area. Yes, we specialize in only one sport – soccer. However, can we really reply, “yes” to the last part? “Club?” Are we really a club or more like AARP, who fake the relationship? Once a member, you can do whatever you like under its flag.
Then, you mix these so-called clubs into the disjointed world of leagues, quasi-leagues, cups on top of cups, and more than a thousand tournaments. It’s a real topsy-turvy jumble from bottom to top of the sport. Due to our marginal interest in real league play, the result is a weak club base. Everywhere else on this planet, leagues and clubs dominate, as they tend to be nurturing environments. Compare that to the high number of cups and tournaments our youngsters play, especially by their early teens. No wonder the drop out rate is more than 70% by the age of 13. If winning and losing are the main measuring stick, things get old pretty quick. If this message is promoted, there are lots more losers than winners. Children are smart. They get out and escape to the fastest growing sport in the U.S. – skateboarding. I wonder why?
Here the tail wags the soccer body. Short-term attitudes are fostered. For the vast majority of youngsters, it is a one-way trip. They start competitively far too early and escape before they are even teenagers. Consequently, little or none of this accrued knowledge sees the light of day. They leave and a new crop of infants follows the same bumpy road. And the Chevy moves on …
The outcrop of the past twenty years is that clubs are not clubs; and most leagues are not leagues. (There are exceptions like NCSL and WAGS.) The club team uses its title flag of convenience in order to play in these leagues. It’s an umbrella arrangement to allow these various teams to play at select levels. Once in the club, it’s every coach for themselves. Teams rarely interact; coaches rarely meet; and so knowledge never finds a home. Wholesale pride in the club has minimal meaning because of this pragmatic disconnect. It’s difficult to have a relationship with other people or another team in the club because you hardly know them. Yet, good clubs are about positive human “glue” – friendships and helping each other. The sharing of experiences is a vital learning element that energizes players and coaches. At the top pro clubs, they do it everyday. They know the importance of ideas, discussions, and the special camaraderie that only real clubs can offer. It’s a full-time process.
How often does a club develop a philosophy on issues of selecting teams into the club and appointing coaches? Luckily, the values of the vast majority of coaches are good to excellent; however, there are some greedy coaches out there plying their egotistical trade of winning at any cost. Sadly, they care more about their egos than the players or club they are supposed to represent. Without a club code of conduct or a strong philosophy, every game is a potential mess. These yellow beards do tend to do a lot of club surfing from season to season, and from team to team. As they are kicked out of one club, they search for some unsuspecting club whose is unaware of their past “crimes.” It’s amazing how they survive; but then again, turnover within a club is so great; few people have any collective memory. Rumor has it that several of these rogue coaches have had more clubs than Tiger Woods!
At both the state and national levels, we have a tendency to be in survival mode, rather than develop real strategies and long-term solutions. Hence, we keep reliving these same problems – telling ourselves things could be worse. The game needs real leadership at both levels, as there is much at stake. Therefore, if we do not address these issues in a more substantial manner, more outside forces will dictate our future. The choice is still ours – at the moment. Will we drive the Chevy or hand over the keys to those eager, willing hands of USYSA’s competitors?
Graham Ramsay © 2003