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A letter to US Soccer about Youth Soccer Player Development

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Dear US Soccer,

While we you appreicate your efforts in trying to imrove our national team by hiring Klinsmann, we feel that your attempt is only treating the symptom, not the cause.  I'm glad to see you reacted to the poor performance and general malaise of the recent national team efforts.  Bob Bradley was a good coach, but his time ran out.  So, we tip out hats to you for recognizing that.

However, your approach is reactionary.  When will you take the proactive approach and solve the real issue of why our national team has underperformed - which is lack of player development of the youth?

Here is a punch list of items we'd love to see addressed:

1.  Turn focus from just winning at the youth level to development

2.  Have the best coaches coaching the youngest age groups

3.  More education for our youth and our youth's parents.  For example, in the US, all we see is the premier league, which is better than nothing.  But I prefer not to watch pinball.  Instead, why not make the Brazilian or Spanish leagues more accessible?  For example, everyone knows about Rooney, but how many of our youth and youth coaches know about Neymar?  In case you don't, have a look at the following link.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDPEfZMGjC0.  Make sure to watch it all, but you'll know when you see Neymar's goal.  Unbelievable.  How many of our player's in the states could pull that off? 

4.  Stop spending money on infrastructure.  We have enough fields, soccer specific stadiums, etc.  We should instead spend money on player development.  For example, I just got from a trip to Brazil, and over there the infrastructure is average at best.  However, the product or the players and games are fantastic.  Here in the states, we have the best infrastructure - stadiums, training fields, balls, uniforms, etc.  While that is good, our end product - MLS, US National team - is average at best. 

That's it for now, but there will be more to come. 

Yours in soccer,

ZoomReports