RE to “Rich Kids Are Crap Athletes and other Stupid Arguments.”

I came across a blog Post by a youth soccer coach.  (Rich kids are crap athletes and other stupid arguments « A Coaching Life.) In general I enjoy and agree with his arguments, however the arguments need a little refinement. Below is my response. For all my friends who love the game of soccer, coaches and players alike please add your thoughts and arguments to this post.

While I in general agree with this post I think there are some points that can be refined. The economic model of professional soccer in this country does lag behind Europe. Consequently the better athletes in the US do filter towards the higher profile sports. This is not to say “All” the best athletes chose baseball, basketball and football over soccer. It is to say athletes who excel at two sports, Soccer and basketball for example,  look at opportunities before and after college and which sport will provide them a secure economic future. I don’t think Steve Nash or Kobi Bryant ever regretted choosing the NBA over the MLS. Where you are right on the money is to say; the best athlete who is the best soccer player and who is at best an average basketball player will choose the MLS over the NBA. For all we know Landon Donavan is a above average basketball player but again doubtful he ever saw an economic future as an athlete in the NBA.

Also I would be cautious in saying other countries have a larger number of young players working harder than the US youth players and that is why they have international and club success. A few years ago in my sports business management class at the University of Minnesota we talked about this subject. The professor brought up a fact (true or not I do not know) that the US has more youth players between 13 and 16 years old dropping out of soccer than countries like Germany have youth players playing in their entire system. A sad fact if true. But the point is the US does have a very large pool of very hard working youth players chasing their dream to choose from. The mechanism in the United States both economically and socially for identifying the American born Messi, Kaka Rooney or Klose are very different than the ones that exist in Europe or South America. Once the US works out sustainable business model for soccer that reaches down to the grass roots level through the professional level the United States will become one of the great powers in world soccer.