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Post by loJic on Jul 21, 2014 15:24:47 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 7:25:59 GMT -6
This is encouraging. Let's see if the NCAA really puts the student athlete first. Not only would this benefit the game, but the individual player as well.
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Post by 2015gradparent on Jul 22, 2014 8:16:20 GMT -6
Good thoughts and ideas. The only problem I see is; when will the prospective student athlete get recruited...? As of right now the MAJOR COLLEGE SHOWCASES are played in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, and March. IMO the college coaches and tournament directors will need to change the format to late spring and early summer showcases; which isn't a bad idea now. These so-called ID Camps (and some showcases) are just money grabber and party events for most unless the player is a DA player. That said, we will need to see less summer ID Camps and more Showcases in the summer (for the serious coach)...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2014 9:26:58 GMT -6
I'd love to see this implemented. Two things though.
First, I'd like to see maybe a 30 game season. The spring season, given the colder weather up north would probably need to be a little shorter than the fall.
Second, I'm curious as to how this would impact the summer PDL and NPSL seasons for the college players. Obviously, players competing in post season wouldn't be available for their secondary (summer PDL/NPSL) seasons until said teams were already a month (5-8 games) into their season.
An ideal number of games for 18-22 year old players imo is around 35-40 per year. Now, many players are getting that many now. When you factor in 18-22 fall college games, 3-6 spring games and 12-18 summer games assuming they are playing PDL/NPSL.
Problem is they should be spread out more evenly over a 9-10 month period.
This is a win/win for college soccer. The student athletes can manage their studies better. And the competitive season being spread out allows for better individual performance and development.
With MLS starting to develop affiliations with lower league clubs, I feel it is time for the NCAA to step up if they are truly committed to soccer. (Probably aren't.)
With more and more competitive venues outside of college soccer opening up, they will have to compete for the better players. To do that, the college game needs serious reforming.
I'm all for a young person pursuing higher education. But if the financial side doesn't make sense in terms of scholarship money...a player can pursue their education and a soccer career without actually choosing to play college soccer.
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Post by loJic on Jul 24, 2014 10:05:39 GMT -6
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warrior16
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Post by warrior16 on Jul 24, 2014 10:37:41 GMT -6
I'd love to see this implemented. Two things though. First, I'd like to see maybe a 30 game season. The spring season, given the colder weather up north would probably need to be a little shorter than the fall. Second, I'm curious as to how this would impact the summer PDL and NPSL seasons for the college players. Obviously, players competing in post season wouldn't be available for their secondary (summer PDL/NPSL) seasons until said teams were already a month (5-8 games) into their season. An ideal number of games for 18-22 year old players imo is around 35-40 per year. Now, many players are getting that many now. When you factor in 18-22 fall college games, 3-6 spring games and 12-18 summer games assuming they are playing PDL/NPSL. Problem is they should be spread out more evenly over a 9-10 month period. This is a win/win for college soccer. The student athletes can manage their studies better. And the competitive season being spread out allows for better individual performance and development. With MLS starting to develop affiliations with lower league clubs, I feel it is time for the NCAA to step up if they are truly committed to soccer. (Probably aren't.) With more and more competitive venues outside of college soccer opening up, they will have to compete for the better players. To do that, the college game needs serious reforming. I'm all for a young person pursuing higher education. But if the financial side doesn't make sense in terms of scholarship money...a player can pursue their education and a soccer career without actually choosing to play college soccer. Like you said, Hall, it's completely possible for a college kid to get an education and play soccer in college without actually playing for his college team. In many cases, it's more convenient for a kid to do that, as he'll have a more regular schedule and won't be distracted from his studies by long road trips, tournaments, etc. (ideally as a student-athlete he could handle such things, but it is still difficult to manage sometimes). Extending the season to a year-round schedule creates a more professional-style environment and the kids can manage their classes much easier. It also allows their coaches to develop them year-round at a crucial time in their training. (Diego Forlan and Franck Ribery didn't "bloom" until their early 20s, and almost didn't make it as footballers. Look where they are now.)
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Post by loJic on Jul 24, 2014 10:50:57 GMT -6
(Diego Forlan and Franck Ribery didn't "bloom" until their early 20s, and almost didn't make it as footballers. Look where they are now.) Drogba was 24/25 when he started to bloom.
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warrior16
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Post by warrior16 on Jul 24, 2014 12:04:24 GMT -6
(Diego Forlan and Franck Ribery didn't "bloom" until their early 20s, and almost didn't make it as footballers. Look where they are now.) Drogba was 24/25 when he started to bloom. There you go. And he became one of the best players in the world for a few years. Certainly the best African player in a very long time, maybe ever.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2014 18:31:17 GMT -6
I remember reading Ribery was playing in the French third tier at 23. Laurent Koscielny was in the 3rd tier at age 23. Now one of the best centerbacks in the EPL. (At 16 it was said he had no delusions of playing professionally...he had no access to a professional academy where he lived.)
Let's say a talented player from outside the big DA markets is talented...but for whatever reason is overlooked.
Say he goes off to a d2 or juco program for a year or two. Does well but obviously not on national team or MLS radar.
What if he goes and tries out for an NASL or USL Pro team and makes the cut. is that a better environment for his development? I would say in most cases, yes. (Given the current collegiate system.)
Now, the kid still wants to get his degree. What to do now? Online classes? Enroll in a school where the minor league team is located? Yeah, player salaries are paltry in the minor leagues. That said, most scholarships where soccer is concerned rarely cover more than 50% of the total bill.
So, all that has to be taken into consideration. Get 10K a year in scholarship money and pay the other 5-10K on tuition. Or get paid 15-20K and spend (whatever the amount is) on online courses.
When I say 'online courses' I don't mean Phoenix either.
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