Why is youth soccer so expensive

There is no doubt that academies are by far the most expensive and most problematic level of youth soccer in America today. There are two main elite leagues in the United States, the first being the U.

Development Academy DA , a league ran in conjunction with the U. Development Academy DA :. The end goal is to create a more streamlined process of identifying young American talent and then funnel them into the U. Youth National Team system.

More so, the hope is that this will translate into future success on the international level. Develop Academy competition begins at the U level and runs through U and as the age group increases, the number of teams per age group decreases. As a result, the number of spots on the roster also decreases. The explanation for this, according to U. This has been one of the many of the critiques of the academy. Another point of critique is the ban on high school soccer. If an athlete were to be a member of a DA team, that athlete could not also play for their school.

When the league was founded for boys in , the athlete had the option to compete for their high school team. However, in , the federation mandated that athletes could no longer do so.

Anson Dorrance, Tony DiCicco, and Julie Foudy are just some of the high profile figures who have spoken out against the policy. She has to remind them that they have to wait for their dad to get his bonus check at the end of the month.

The boys also save up their allowances to buy their own gear. AIA changes course, allows parents to attend high school away games. While costs may be an issue for some families, Dr. Allison Perrin, a geriatrician, said her family is fortunate enough to hire a private soccer trainer for her year-old son, Sam.

He plays club soccer for Excel Soccer Academy in Central Phoenix and has one-on-one clinics two or three times a week. Teammates, parents and other community members are just as important for teaching teamwork, character-building and accountability. However, he said building well-rounded athletes starts with lowering the costs of club soccer to help more kids get involved for the long-term. He said cheaper fees can be achieved in two ways if a soccer club is a registered nonprofit and accesses grants and corporate sponsorships.

Sponsors have their names on banners hung at every game. He also refers players and their families to these businesses whenever possible.

Legg said that bringing awareness to the economic disparities is the first step to fixing them, and several organizations are already doing that work. To keep acknowledging and working toward finding a solution at not only the local level but also the national level, Legg said these organizations will continue to need funding.

Mann said parents also have power to close the economic gap so more kids can play. Facebook groups are a useful tool for sharing information about league finances and finding used equipment at a low cost or for free.

The costs are yet another financial burden, but Mann and her husband will figure out how to get him there. All rights reserved. Skip to content. Vaccine Tracker. Monsoon TEP Solar Dashboard.

Weather Alert Email Signup. UA Sports. AZ Weekend. Business Directory. Noon Notebook. TV Schedule. Fox About Us. Soccer in America is at a crucial tipping point. The USSF and its major professional teams must take the step to subsidize youth development and create a system where players of all socioeconomic backgrounds can afford to play at a competitive level.

Such a system would provide economic opportunity for underserved talent, bolster soccer participation on a national scale, improve the capabilities and success of the U. The failure to turn American soccer into the cost-accessible game that it has always been in the rest of the world not only eliminates opportunities for countless talented youth players across the country but also hinders the success of the sport as a whole and removes an excellent possibility for economic profit.

We thank Theo for all of his contributions to ESI this summer and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors! Colleges were forced to provide equal opportunities for women to play sports, which has inevitably lead to increased funding and increased participation in college sports among women. This has given the USWNT a large advantage over the many other countries who have not passed or have only recently passed similar laws.

August 23,