The Soccer up America State of The Union Address:

We as a family simply got tired of all the “Perceived Unfairness” (Discrimination and I am not talking about racism); obstacles to success; and roadblocks to access and participation within the U.S. Soccer System.  I have personally listened to parents and coaches talk about a failing soccer system and all the travel, injuries, time and money being spent and for what?  They openly speak about the fact that their children are still as lacking in their technical skills today as when they started playing soccer 6-8 and as long as over 10 years ago.  That is a disgrace because every child can learn all the International skills by the age of 8 and this lack of training focus is the real reason why U.S. Soccer will continue to implode. 

I realized that we (the system) all have forgotten about the kids and families.  So, I decided to fix or for the lack of a better word improve and hopefully change the game that I absolutely adore. I decided to work to take the game to its true glory; full potential and place it on the right track needed for global dominance.  I started the company this year (2018); after successfully helping my daughter obtain a D-1 soccer scholarship by MYSELF while her club was off thinking about winning Club Championships so they can increase their size and earn more revenues while competing against and taking over all the other clubs.  All, I kept thinking was that they can’t see the forest for the trees with all that jockeying and in-fighting along with what seems to be like endless discussions, meetings, conferences and seminars.  They keep talking and all I can hear is NOISE.  They could not filter through all of their own noise to deliver a long term National cost effective solution with more, new and improved player pathways and access to soccer for all children and families.

It seemed and/or appeared to me that no one even cared about what I thought because I was a parent and I was an outsider who never played the game. They knew everything and I knew nothing, but they did not know me nor my background and success at building systems and identifying solutions that resolved issues and challenges which began as an Cadet Officer in R.O.T.C. and ended with my service as a U.S. Army Major at age 31. They never even cared to ask.

In fact, I knew a Coach that even today after years of my observing the game, whenever I start to speak after years of listening to him speak and Coach, all he still does, is say, “Let me stop you right there”.  And I never get to say anything! So then he would speak and I would try to tell him to let me talk to no avail!  So now I have a huge amount of data, information opinions and vision to download. When did Americans develop such a prideful elitist attitude and perspective that is absolutely killing the game and has resulted in a climate of the “Haves and the Have Nots” and the “Relevant and Non Relevant,” people and “Yes” I said people. Both Race and Class Based Socio-economic Perceived Unfairness is rampant within the American culture and poor populations with financial concerns including obstacles to learning and participation the game are now starting to resonate at the national level to the point that our men’s team cannot connect with the lower class or general population and that is a recipe for disaster.

So now after working for myself for over 20 years, I set out to help my own children and once realized that I could do that by myself and with my children in REC (the lowest level of soccer); at a significantly reduced cost or on scholarship and zero travel, I was done with travel tryouts and advanced soccer. I was through trying to “Fit” in as I was round peg and the system was a square hole. I was through trying to ask for permission and for help while offering my system for free. I made calls for over a year and waited for the phone to ring – which it never did.

For many of our members Advanced Try-outs are simply great technical training.  Today my children attend ALL Club and High School Try-outs to see just where they stand in their progression against other kids and for feedback from the “Established” Adult Coaching professionals. They tossed their egos and are now focused on the bigger picture – training for YEARS to someday make the U.S. Team at age 26-28 and before that even possibly play Professional Soccer and/or earn a college scholarship. Besides playing High School soccer and REC, Pick-up games at the local park is just as or even more rewarding for them as kids/developing soccer players as there are no adult coaches screaming out instructions to them from the sidelines and no referees on the field either – just like soccer is played in the Barrios of Brazil. In fact, we the parents walk the track and look at them while they play against players of all ages, but without fear of censorship or even injury. They play because of their own passion for the game and when Sundays and Thursdays roll around, they ask if they can go back out to the park so that they can play again and even when injured.

  • They never accept offers to play advanced club soccer, because they now also “Get it”.  They are not fooling themselves as they can see with their own eyes that they are not ready to be called the best the game has to offer, but then neither are our current advanced players.  The U.S. system is good at developing the solid player, but is flawed and limited in it’s ability to develop the best player in the game as only the player can go even further when fueled with burning desire and passion for the “Beautiful Game”.  Let me give this example, in all other sports everyone who follows sports know who are the up and coming players because the players all sort that out in the Hood during daily pick-up and/or sandlot games.  I have never heard of such a thing in U.S. Soccer.  ECNL is lost in the landscape of the socio-economically challenged community.  Most people with talented and athletic kids have never even heard of it.  That’s how big soccer has grown to be in the U.S. as it is less than a blip on the radar screen!  For soccer to reach its full potential as a sport it must become inclusion focused or just simply inclusive.
  • But all is not lost. Soccer is still growing and being introduced to all of our children, due to increasing financial revenue streams from television and the web along with the imploding marketing nightmares faced over recent years by other sports and especially the NFL.
  • Because of the Internet and the vast landscape which is known as “Social Media”, players no longer need systemic chaos or permission from anyone to do what they are now passionate about doing and now they are happy; full of joy and are at peace within themselves.  That’s why we created this company.  We created it for you and more importantly your children!  They have seen the International game; know that they are not yet ready and are now looking to us to deliver the focus necessary for developing such talents and skills.
  • For them, the curtain/veil has been opened and the U.S. Soccer system (Wizard of Oz) is not a threat to them any longer. They don’t need systemic validation, because our “Standardization” of the game now gives them a clear and viable   to success at all levels.  They simply want to be better and to show what they then could in comparison to others in the game and can do on the field against the best that any system whether it be Club or High School has to offer and later on down the line, of course they plan to play advanced soccer, but with truly advanced players and only when they have earned the true right to do so.