ok, back to normal. just wrote a stupid sentence. enough of these paragraphs. and thanks for all the frank soccer discussion. it's pretty impressive how the club system has monetized the sport that takes the least amount of equipment and field space and turned into an industry. my younger son might eventually get sucked into that world-- he's quite good, but so far things have worked out for both my kids. the best players in HP occasionally join expensive clubs in high school, but quite a few just stay and play for the town travel team. you can enter this world somewhat with basketball, but it's not as monetized and intense as soccer (read "play your hearts out", a mark rec? great book). part of the success of HP is also because we live in a town/area with a large hispanic population. people play tons of pickup soccer in our parks and turf and field, parents play with their kids, and so my kids, especially my younger son, do not play soccer like white American people. it might be hard to train that.
while i've got more experience in the economics of youth soccer, this issue is by no means limited to soccer. travel baseball, volleyball, basketball, among many others, have very similar models in the u.s.
there's a whole different thread of discussion we can have about whether this model, in soccer specifically, inhibits our ability to be as good at the national team level as we might be. missing out on the kids who can't afford the pay to play model is a reality today. how that impacts the usmnt (and uswnt) is an interesting question.
With regard to the USMNT, I think we should create a system of shady local coaches and reps who did super young talent from low income areas and have those dudes funnel the talent to top high school and collage programs in exchange for under the table payments. It works for basketball.
“Play Their Hearts Out” is a tremendous book. And yes, I did recommend it.
I’m specifically keeping my kid away from softball (unless she asks) to play because I’ve seen how it dominated my sisters life. They spend 3-4 weekends a month for 7-8 months a year on the road at softball tournaments. Fuck. That.
method man and stugotz from the lebatard show played lacrosse against each other in high school. it's good radio:http://awfulannouncing.com/espn/method-man-blunt-dan-le-batard-lacrosse-stugotz.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Yup. The purpose of signing up was to pre-empt bad decisions on Wednesday night, do something healthy in front of the feasting, and sling $25 to the volunteer Fire Department. I’m about to undo anything good I just did tenfold.
10k turkey trot in steady rain w a couple of pals followed by Bloodys at casa de Dtrain. Glad we did it. Smoking a bird on a big green egg that has been brining for about 18 hours. Dinner at neighbor’s which is nice. No clean up. Happy Thanksgiving all.
xmas gift idea:
ReplyDeleteMexican authorities seized a massive, marijuana-firing bazooka near the Arizona border. bit.ly/2zMqGOy
ok, back to normal. just wrote a stupid sentence. enough of these paragraphs. and thanks for all the frank soccer discussion. it's pretty impressive how the club system has monetized the sport that takes the least amount of equipment and field space and turned into an industry. my younger son might eventually get sucked into that world-- he's quite good, but so far things have worked out for both my kids. the best players in HP occasionally join expensive clubs in high school, but quite a few just stay and play for the town travel team. you can enter this world somewhat with basketball, but it's not as monetized and intense as soccer (read "play your hearts out", a mark rec? great book). part of the success of HP is also because we live in a town/area with a large hispanic population. people play tons of pickup soccer in our parks and turf and field, parents play with their kids, and so my kids, especially my younger son, do not play soccer like white American people. it might be hard to train that.
ReplyDeletewhile i've got more experience in the economics of youth soccer, this issue is by no means limited to soccer. travel baseball, volleyball, basketball, among many others, have very similar models in the u.s.
ReplyDeletethere's a whole different thread of discussion we can have about whether this model, in soccer specifically, inhibits our ability to be as good at the national team level as we might be. missing out on the kids who can't afford the pay to play model is a reality today. how that impacts the usmnt (and uswnt) is an interesting question.
I blame Tom Emanski and his back to back to back AAU championships for helping to monetize youth sports.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the USMNT, I think we should create a system of shady local coaches and reps who did super young talent from low income areas and have those dudes funnel the talent to top high school and collage programs in exchange for under the table payments. It works for basketball.
ReplyDelete“Play Their Hearts Out” is a tremendous book. And yes, I did recommend it.
ReplyDeleteI’m specifically keeping my kid away from softball (unless she asks) to play because I’ve seen how it dominated my sisters life. They spend 3-4 weekends a month for 7-8 months a year on the road at softball tournaments. Fuck. That.
Brockmire is fantastic.
I want to join a collage program. I’m pretty good with a glue stick.
ReplyDeleteyou're gonna want to get trained by good collage program before you use that glue stick. you might clump.
ReplyDeleteMarls has been clumping his glue stick for almost 30 years.
ReplyDeleteMarls can do stuff with his toes that most of us wouldn't do with our hands. He's no clumper!
ReplyDeleteRootsy - what happened b/w you and his toes in Unit M 20 yrs ago do not need to be divulged.
ReplyDeletemethod man and stugotz from the lebatard show played lacrosse against each other in high school. it's good radio:http://awfulannouncing.com/espn/method-man-blunt-dan-le-batard-lacrosse-stugotz.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
ReplyDeletehappy day, turkeys
ReplyDeleteIt is 29 degrees and I’m about to run a 5K for a good cause. Seemed like a good idea a couple weeks ago. There are some regrets now.
ReplyDeletei just ran about a 5k. the cause was i'm gonna stuff my face and get drunk so i wanted to balance my gluttony with a modicum of healthy.
ReplyDeleteYup. The purpose of signing up was to pre-empt bad decisions on Wednesday night, do something healthy in front of the feasting, and sling $25 to the volunteer Fire Department. I’m about to undo anything good I just did tenfold.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Fallon singing a Prince song with the Roots is beyond sad.
ReplyDelete10k turkey trot in steady rain w a couple of pals followed by Bloodys at casa de Dtrain. Glad we did it. Smoking a bird on a big green egg that has been brining for about 18 hours. Dinner at neighbor’s which is nice. No clean up.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving all.
I want to get my wife a meal delivery plan for Xmas....just a 2 or 3 day per weeker. Any experience in this here?
ReplyDeletemove to the new post and i'll tell ya, danimal
ReplyDelete