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Message: [QUOTE="ZooCougar, post: 1801906, member: 296"] Yeah well maybe if you bothered to educate yourself on the issue you'd see that 20 academies in a nation of 340 million is barely a drop in the bucket. And more than just DC United are pay to play. Pay to play is just the symptom according to this article. [URL="http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/the91stminute/2016/06/pay-to-play-is-a-symptom-not-the-problem-itself/"]Pay-to-play is a symptom, not the problem itself | The 91st Minute | Soccer Blog | Videos | Pop-Culture[/URL] In order to get lucky enough to get recruited into a Pro Academy in the US, even if it is a scholarship program, you have to navigate a gauntlet of pay to play setups. The article above suggests that all of these pay to play outfits are operating on "subsistence", however what the article doesn't account for, is exorbitant league and tournament fees. The better the league and the tournament, the more expensive the fees. It's simply a fact. Most Academies in the US aren't linked to Pro Clubs so the very best programs are in fact the most expensive. So basically, the best players can participate only if they get a scholarship and if their parents have the time and money to commit. So basically, we don't have a true organic system where the cream always rises to the top. Secondly, there is a huge base of talent that rarely gets looked at in our Hispanic communities. There's also probably some real talent sitting on High School teams with kids who can't get access to these big leagues around our big cities. Lastly, in other countries, Federations mandate that clubs at all levels get a piece of the sale fee when players are sold professionally. Even if the Academy or Club isn't professional. There is an active lawsuit going on at the moment, because the US Clubs believe that the USSF is not complying with FIFA Regulations on this. Say what you want about FIFA, but this soccer form of trickle down economics is proven to work around the world. These lower level clubs and academies actually have some incentive to provide scholarships to exceptional talent AND scout the full population. [/QUOTE]

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