TFC TV: Academy Update

[Fushida]

http://torontofc.neulion.com/tfc/console.jsp?catid=2&id=395

Talking with Stuart Neely about prep for the Dallas Cup..

[Dozitwin]

I was just watching. Something interesting that I've noticed. Neely is titled as the academy head coach, I thought that Dasovic was the Academy head coach. Anyone know what that's about?

[T_Mizz]

Sounds good but still no word on the U-14s we were promised

[akoto]

http://toronto.fc.mlsnet.com/t280/youth/academy/staff/

[rocker]

love to see the kiddies being indoctrinated into TFC. maybe they won't run off to Europe.. TFC will be their dream.

[T_Mizz]

^We can only hope
I think that the rules for signing the academy kids, reserve league, and dev spots need to be changed before this becomes a viable option for getting young players

[Damien]

i think you can sign 1 academy player per year... which is balls.

[T_Mizz]

^absolute testicles you need to be able to take lots of kids in on dev contracts and have them play in the reserves until they're ready

[Damien]

the good thing is, we're developing canadian players to a higher standard.

every cloud has a silver lining.

[T_Mizz]

True look at the U-17 team: 4 academy players on it and as the academy gets more established there will be even more kids on the U-17 and u-20 teams

[hrvat87]

Nick Dasovic-Head coach of Senior academy team that plays in the CSL...Stuart Neely-Head Coach of academy of CSL RESERVE league

[hrvat87]

Both Nick and stuart are very nice as im manager of Toronto Croatia

[jloome]

I can quite easily see this slowly replacing the CSA over the next decade or so.

[Toronto Ruffrider]

i think you can sign 1 academy player per year... which is balls.

I think it's only one academy player for every three years if I'm not mistaken. Either way, I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out the logic behind this rule.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

i think Damiiano is right, its one per year then the rest are up for grabs by the rest of the league (and in our case White craps and Limpact)

[rocker]

I think it's only one academy player for every three years if I'm not mistaken. Either way, I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out the logic behind this rule.

i think the "logic" (and I'm just trying to figure it out myself) is that MLS doesn't want one team to capitalize on a greater youth soccer population. So if 300000 kids are playing soccer around LA and 10000 are playing soccer around Columbus, then LA has an advantage based on population base alone.

Another reason might be that they don't want teams spending too much on development (MLS always wants to contain costs). Some teams could spend more than the other, which again is unequal. Given that the benefits are long-term, and they have this "free" college draft every year, they probably figure they can just outsource development to the NCAA. They also want to keep the college draft as a big time MLS event.

while I praise MLS for trying to ensure equality between teams (unfair advantages only hurt the game) I think sometimes that they overdo it in every single way. Why have 10 rules that encourage parity when you just need one? (salary cap?).

Personally I think a case could be made that the academies can help 1) lower salaries, since you might be able to get a useful player who will contribute more at a lower price than Generation Adidas; 2) assure teams that a young player will fit in, since they see him every day -- unlike a college player that is risky; 3) provide a better scouting system, where teams would know each other's academy kids more closely than a bunch of college kids spread out over the US. I also think it would be hard for any team to capitalize on a bigger academy cuz you just couldn't populate a team with 11 kids and expect to win. The pressure of competition will always make it a side project, but a useful one. Also, as long as a team can't hoard players forever with lots of $$$, then kids could move on if they wanted. An academy kid at LA could quit LA and take a position with KC if he wanted.

[Toronto Ruffrider]

i think the "logic" (and I'm just trying to figure it out myself) is that MLS doesn't want one team to capitalize on a greater youth soccer population. So if 300000 kids are playing soccer around LA and 10000 are playing soccer around Columbus, then LA has an advantage based on population base alone.

Another reason might be that they don't want teams spending too much on development (MLS always wants to contain costs). Some teams could spend more than the other, which again is unequal. Given that the benefits are long-term, and they have this "free" college draft every year, they probably figure they can just outsource development to the NCAA. They also want to keep the college draft as a big time MLS event.

while I praise MLS for trying to ensure equality between teams (unfair advantages only hurt the game) I think sometimes that they overdo it in every single way. Why have 10 rules that encourage parity when you just need one? (salary cap?).

Personally I think a case could be made that the academies can help 1) lower salaries, since you might be able to get a useful player who will contribute more at a lower price than Generation Adidas; 2) assure teams that a young player will fit in, since they see him every day -- unlike a college player that is risky; 3) provide a better scouting system, where teams would know each other's academy kids more closely than a bunch of college kids spread out over the US. I also think it would be hard for any team to capitalize on a bigger academy cuz you just couldn't populate a team with 11 kids and expect to win. The pressure of competition will always make it a side project, but a useful one. Also, as long as a team can't hoard players forever with lots of $$$, then kids could move on if they wanted. An academy kid at LA could quit LA and take a position with KC if he wanted.

Those are some very plausible arguments. Still, I'm glad you put the word "logic" in quotation marks. One of the main goals of MLS is to develop the game of football in the U.S., and that includes improving the stock of domestic players. The draft adds little to the development of players IMO, but academies will have a measurable impact on the local talent pool. Even if teams don't improve equally through academies, they will nonetheless improve across the board, and that will result in more attractive football in MLS and greater fan appeal overall.

Btw, academies don't necessarily have to be terribly expensive. If clubs can develop players and then transfer them to European clubs, the payout could be quite lucrative. Imagine if TFC developed a player along the lines of Maurice Edu. Throw in a European club that's hungry for talent and the academy pays for itself!

[T_Mizz]

^True and this would all inevitably end up accomplishing their second mandate which is to improve the level of soccer in the US, and we all know how Americans love "Mission Accomplished":D

[NF-FC]

I think it's only one academy player for every three years if I'm not mistaken. Either way, I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out the logic behind this rule.

You are correct, it's every 3 years. This is why i kinda don't want Vancouver in MLS, it would stifle their great youth programs.

[T_Mizz]

I found this on the MLS site under Rules and Regulations but I can't decypher it like WTF is a Home-Grown Player?

(M) HOME GROWN PLAYERS
Eligible players must have resided with their parents in a team's "Home Territory" for at least one year prior to placement on a team's Home Grown Player list, subject to the Non-Home Territory exception. Pursuant to all rules regarding qualification as a Home Grown Player, these players may be added to a team's roster Senior or Developmental roster. At this time teams may add up to two players per year from their Home Grown Player list subject to MLS Competition Committee rules.

[rocker]

what's there not to understand? live with your parents for at least a year in the home territory and you're a Home Grown Player. :)

this is actually the first time I've noticed that. I guess this is for non-college players and guys who are not discovery claims (discovery claims would be on players not residing in the home territory).

[T_Mizz]

so if you live in the LA for a year you can be signed by the Galaxy? how isn't that like an academy signing?

[quietone]

hey there folks...Nick is with the 1st team staff now and Stuart is Academy Head Coach

[hodgkiss]

i think dasovic was added last year as the reserve team coach and assistant coach to tfc. with the reserve division gone, i guess he will split time with the academy and the 1st team. he may also fill some of the scouting duties too.

[quietone]

No he is only with the first team not the Academy.

[T_Mizz]

It was somewhat strange last year as Dasovic was the Academy "Head Coach" but Jason Bent was the "U-18 Coach" and Stuart Neely was the "U-16 Coach", what's that they say about too many cooks?

[quietone]

It is all good news; shows internally getting things fixed IMO. The club is trying hard to make a difference.