Claudio Reyna and Youth soccer

[DCHeather]

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/story/ ... -arch-bell

"We need to make changes," Reyna said. "We need to improve as a nation and we need everyone to be developing in the same way."

That sentiment came from Reyna before the U.S. U-23's failure to qualify for the London Olympics. In light of what happened to Caleb Porter's squad against Canada and El Salvador, it rings even more true today. Simply put, if the U.S. wants to ensure that future embarrassments are prevented, a technical overhaul is needed and Reyna is the man leading that charge.

"I think the winning aspect is what has caused some really ugly youth soccer," Reyna said. "Now we're trying to play more out of the back and through the midfield. When I grew up, you played a lot of games but there was less training. The training has to be better and there has to be more of it."

There are plenty of cautionary tales that speak to Reyna's point. For example, Jamie Watson did plenty of winning as a young player. Growing up in the Dallas area, he was usually the best player on the field and earned himself a spot on the U.S. team that reached the quarterfinals of the 2003 U-17 World Cup. Interest in Watson soon cropped up from PSV Eindhoven, but ultimately his lack of technique crippled his chances of joining the Dutch side.

"It wasn't until I was playing with the U-17s that I learned how to keep possession," said Watson, who currently plays for Orlando City SC in USL Pro. "I didn't know anything about working the ball. Kids should be learning that at age 10, not at 16. Claudio is fixing a problem that's been overlooked for the longest time. It will be great for these kids because it will become the new normal."

Anybody have any experience with the youth set-up back in the day on whether Reyna's and Watson's statements are accurate?

I kinda like that Reyna is pushing Futsal into equation as well. Played it a few times in a rec league, and thought it was a lot more enjoyable than the normal 11v11 games outdoors. And I think he's correct that kids would find it more pleasurable doing that while trying to learn new skills instead of regular training or 11v11 games (where in some youth levels...I'm thinking 9-11 year olds...you hardly ever see the ball sometimes).

[Clevelandmo]

Oh please, I am so tired of people giving Reyna, and Klinsmann, credit for all this. The development academies and their pursuit of quality training, less games, and a consistent style for the nation's top players started back in 2007. It was well thought out and based upon the success of Bradenton (Donovan, Beasley, etc) and what the world's top soccer nations do. So this was all being implemented back when Reyna was trying to dribble the ball, rather than pass, out of the back, only to be dispossessed and help get us eliminated from the 2006 WC.

Pushing futsal is not Reyna's idea either. It's been big in Cleveland for years. Lots of kids play it in the winter, and a lot of coaches push it. So if it's big here in the midwest, I'm willing to bet it's been big on the coasts for even longer. Locally here I do know of some highly regarded coaches that recommend against it because they think indoor soccer is better, but what they really mean is they dont want to loose your money to futsal. So for that reason I'm glad Reyna, as the director of US youth soccer, is advocating futsal. It exposes these coaches real motives.

The thing I see getting popular now and that my kids play a lot is street soccer. More creative than futsal and usually only played 2 v 2 or 3v 3 with no goalie (really small goals).

Heather as far as 11 v 11 for 9 and 10 yr olds, I doubt anyone is doing that anymore. We've been involved with youth soccer for years 12 years and small sided games have always been the norm. U8 through U10 plays 6 v 6, U11 - U12 plays 8 v 8, and U13 & above plays 11 v 11. It works really well, the young players see plenty of the ball while still getting exposed to the basic positions of defense, midfield, and forward. Also, in areas where you play indoor soccer, you typically see 5 v 5 or 6 v 6 at all ages.

One change that has been implemented since Klinsmann and Reyna have been in charge is that Development Academy players can no longer play soccer for their high school. Some of the Academy Divisions had already implemented that rule, but it has only just become mandatory across all the academies. I think this is a terrible change for so many reasons. It's a mistake to take choices away from players as young as 14 yrs old. It's a mistake to de-couple soccer from academic performance at such a young age, especially when you are trying to make DA soccer available to poor kids. As the article said, only 1% of the academy players will ever play for a national side. No high school soccer means no opportunities for need based scholarships to good private school for poor players. So by doing this they are taking the opportunity for a good education away from some players. The fact that they have had to implement a grandfather clause for current academy players on scholarships at private schools only demonstrates how bad the rule is; and gives private school's an even greater advantage over public schools than they already had. Furthermore, it's wrong to take away all the meaning and pride that comes from representing your school and your community. It's very similar to representing your country and now you run the risk of not developing that sense of pride in our future players. I could go on, but I'll stop with that.

[Clevelandmo]

Street soccer. You might want to mute your audio. I know you will find this shocking, but Nike even markets shoes specifically for street soccer.

[DCHeather]

I know Futsal has been around for awhile. It just wasn't around when I was a youngster, at least not for us youngins in the burbs. It's good that they don't do 11v11 for kids anymore. It was horrible when I played, especially if you were playing the midfield on the sides or goalie...hardly ever saw the ball. Backyard soccer with the neighborhood kids was a lot better. Just glad kids today have a lot better options for the game.