By: Jason Kutney
The term is thrown around so frequently nowadays. We read about it in magazines. We see dvd’s that brag of contributions to it. We hear about MLS clubs who invest millions in it. But what exactly is “youth development”?
There is the common misconception that good soccer teams develop the best players. While it can be said that these teams contribute to team development or the development of a winning mentality, many of these teams “cherry-pick”, recruit, or purchase their players from other institutions who invest significantly in that player’s development. While these bigger clubs can boast of bigger trophies, can they claim responsibility for the development of their contributing players? In most cases, they cannot.
Team development is the organization of a group of players for the purpose of competing in matches. In this scenario, players are placed on a playing field, the ball is dropped, and scenarios are acted out in order to establish performance guidelines. This result-oriented mentality induces a win-at-all-cost thought process. At the professional level, such is expected and enforced. The results dictate the employment of players and coaches, such as results would dictate the livelihood of a defense attorney in criminal trials. However, just as that legal professional established his or her base of knowledge in the classroom rather than in the courtroom, top soccer players must spend time in the “classroom” as well.
Player Development is the soccer classroom. It is the establishment of proper habits through a structured regimen. It is the art of creating a mature skill-set through building block skill learning. Player Development is what crafted Wayne Rooney out of the Everton Youth Academy in Liverpool, England and generated over $50,000,000 by way of his sale to Manchester United. The time, energy, sweat, and passion of various trainers poured into the benefit of each and every child in a system, so as to provide the best opportunities for each specific player to shine. That is Youth Development.
The country is now overwhelmed by “showcase tournaments” – two or three day events where players from around the country flock in order to play as many games as the fields, lighting, and clock will allow in front of as many college coaches as can afford to be there. The plan for families is to get their child on the best teams – those who attend the best showcase tournaments - for the chance of being spotted by the college coaches waiting to invest thousands of dollars in their child. But for those teams who draw the most college coaches, there is one constant: at the end of the day, nobody cares about that team – its all about The Player.
Youth Development is therefore, the proper development of that particular youth player for the purpose of a brighter future. Until a player reaches the age of 15 or 16, all resources must be invested into the establishment of vast skill-sets and consistency of performance. Those years are not to be wasted on figuring out how to win trophies. They are not for win-loss disparity. They are for player development.
As soccer offerings expand in almost all areas of the United States, please remain mindful of where your time, dollars, and energies are spent. We, at The Riverhounds Academy, believe passionately in our role as active Youth Development providers. We engage a staff of proven professional players who can relate to young players and demonstrate the precise body movements that make up proper habits. With a superior staff to player ratio, The Academy accepts tighter cost margins for the promotion of the end result: better players. And while we certainly do not claim to be all-knowing soccer gods, we can attest to the demands of the player at every stage of development – from childhood to adulthood. We have collectively represented our states, regions, and nations at the youth level, and have played at the highest levels around the US and overseas. We speak and teach from experience.
On behalf of The Riverhounds Academy, we thank you for your commitment to the program and for the faith you place in us as role models, trainers, teachers, and friends. Over the next few years, we commit our resources to you and promise to offer amenities and opportunities that only a professional franchise can offer. And most importantly, we offer our ears, to hear your feedback, requests, and questions. Youth Development is a family commitment – welcome to the Riverhounds family!