There are different avenues that provide the highest likelihood/help for going pro. Theres a specific type of max exposure pathway at every age. Young players should seek academies. Teens and maybe younger 20s, if youre not playing for a top top D1/2 college, then you should seek that jump into USL 2 or USL 1.
There are positive and negatives to all the options listed. Playing MLS Next, may make it more difficult to play overseas because of the requirement for solidarity payments; but if you are at an academy the training is free. UPSL gives your player the opportunity to play vs older more mature players. ECNL is brutal because of the amount of travel required, and cost. College is a pathway, but you find more foreign academy graduates occupying those spots. It's most important that the player is playing, and developing. With social media platforms; if you have quality, someone will see it, someone will be willing to look at you.
@@jstep17yt yes. But the amount of the scholarship, or even playing for free at an academy does not equate to the amount of the solidarity payment required. They are charging as much as 5%per year. Why would a team in Portugal pay 180k for your kid, when they can simply sign someone from Portugal for free? There are a number of cases of American players not being signed due to this - simply Google it.
There are different avenues that provide the highest likelihood/help for going pro. Theres a specific type of max exposure pathway at every age. Young players should seek academies. Teens and maybe younger 20s, if youre not playing for a top top D1/2 college, then you should seek that jump into USL 2 or USL 1.
There are positive and negatives to all the options listed. Playing MLS Next, may make it more difficult to play overseas because of the requirement for solidarity payments; but if you are at an academy the training is free. UPSL gives your player the opportunity to play vs older more mature players. ECNL is brutal because of the amount of travel required, and cost. College is a pathway, but you find more foreign academy graduates occupying those spots. It's most important that the player is playing, and developing. With social media platforms; if you have quality, someone will see it, someone will be willing to look at you.
Unless you play for an MLS academy or on a "scholarship" at an MLS affiliate you pay tuition.
@@jstep17yt yes. But the amount of the scholarship, or even playing for free at an academy does not equate to the amount of the solidarity payment required. They are charging as much as 5%per year. Why would a team in Portugal pay 180k for your kid, when they can simply sign someone from Portugal for free? There are a number of cases of American players not being signed due to this - simply Google it.