June 5, 2012
Club soccer certainly has its positives — the high level of competition and the interest of college recruiters being two of the biggest.
But so does high school soccer.
In the spring of 2013, many top Gwinnett boys players will have to choose one or the other.
The U.S. Soccer Development Academy switched to a 10-month schedule for 2012-2013, so the two Georgia clubs with Academy teams, Concorde Fire and Georgia United, will play a heavy travel schedule that continues through the high school soccer season. In years past, those teams took a break for high school soccer and played a five-month schedule against Academy teams from other states.
The top local boys players — maybe the top 30 or so — can't play for both Academy and high school teams in 2013. So they'll have to make a tough decision instead.
"It puts (the high-school kids) in a tough spot," outgoing Collins Hill boys soccer coach Drew Prentice said.
Prentice, who is taking over as director of coaching for the Dacula Soccer Club, had more Academy players than most the past few seasons. His 2012 Class AAAAA state championship team had five Academy players on it.
It's too bad the Academy players may have to miss out on the best parts of high school soccer. You get to represent your school. You get to play in front of all your friends and classmates. You get to play in front of large crowds, instead of Academy matches on fields with a few parents in lawn chairs along the sidelines.
"The atmosphere, there's no comparison (between high school and Academy)," Prentice said. "In high school, you play in front of your friends. People you see in the grocery store or the hallways at school stop and tell you 'Good game.' ... Academy is a very good program but there are also some very good characteristics of high school soccer, too."
Anyone who saw this year's AAAAA boys playoffs can tell you that.
The Collins Hill-Brookwood semifinal was played in front of a large crowd at Brookwood, then a few nights later another large crowd of roughly 4,000 people watched as the Eagles beat Centennial 3-1 for the state championship. As soon as that match ended, hundreds of high school and younger students from the Collins Hill cluster stormed the field to celebrate with the players. It was quite the scene, but unfortunately some kids might miss out on it next year.
It will be interesting to see which players choose the Academy route and which stick with their high school team. Some younger players, eager for a college scholarship and/or a look from the U.S. National Team coaches, will stick with the Academy route. Some seniors, who are already committed to a college, may return to their high school team.
What would you choose in this situation? High school or Academy?
Comments
Michael Buckelew 11 months, 2 weeks ago
That's definitely a tough choice for the kids. When I was a manager/trainer at Parkview during the unbeaten streak in the 1990s, a couple thousand people showing up was just what happened. A powerful rival like Brookwood would fill the stands. So these kids who choose academy will definitely miss out on that atmosphere.
However, the academies expanding their schedule is a good thing for the sport and for the kids wanting to play past high school. The reason other countries beat the U.S. so much in the men's game is academies. They're the travel ball equivalent for soccer overseas, and travel ball is what lets the best of the best in many youth sports compete against each other instead of their neighbors.
So the high school game will definitely take a hit just as college baseball and basketball do when players go straight to the pros. But this means the top-tier youngsters will become better players and more kids in high school will get the chance to play. It also means we will see better talent in the college and pro ranks. If you got the chance to see any of the MLS vs. NASL matchups in the Open Cup, you can see the difference talent makes. It's almost like FBS vs. FCS in college football.
If I were a soccer player in high school and scouts were telling me I would benefit from an academy, I'd do that. Then I would tell all my friends, family and neighbors when they could see me play.
b06gda 11 months, 1 week ago
Collins Hill actually has 6 academy players that could return for the 2013 season, but I doubt any will. Anyhow, their representation is the exception rather than the rule. I don't think HS soccer, Collins hill notwithstanding, will take the hit most think it will. Most schools in Gwinnett won't be affected this season, and we're really only talking about 80 players total spread across at least double the amount schools. Most schools will be unaffected, some, by a player or 2 at most. By and large, you will see what you've seen over the years, save for the rare playoff match up featuring several academy players. The HS game will be fine, as they are plenty of high level players left to go around.
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