CrispyChicken wrote:
This is not how the development of elite soccer players works. NCAA soccer is a backup plan for those not good enough to progress through academies to first team contracts. "College experience" is a bad thing.
Furthermore, how many of the elite soccer players are even playing high school soccer? Are there now two soccer tracks in the U.S.: the academic track, high school to college; and the sports track, academy/club to professional or other advanced club situation?[/quote]
Yes.
The US Soccer Developmental Academy, which really pushed the development of male players in this country forward, prohibited its players from playing in high school. This affected many of the best players in the country. If you were in the USSDA, the goal was to be a professional soccer player. But if that didn't work out, you might get a scholarship to play in college, or maybe you wouldn't get money but at least you'd get a spot on a college team.
So there were/are definitely two tracks, or tiers, of male soccer players in ages 14-18.