In Europe clubs have scouts out looking for talented youth. When found they are brought in for a trial, if good enough they stick around until they find someone better than them or they make it. So relentless selective pressure and specific training to develop a professional player.

In the U.S. almost everyone is developed by the hit or miss means that kids who aren't good enough to get into professional clubs in Europe go through.

My kids are in 9th and 6th grade, have done club soccer and school soccer for years yet are missing some basic skills. Neither one had ever done a heading or chest trapping drill until my son did one with his HS team this year. On my daughter's teams almost no one can trap a ball that comes at them in the air from more than about 10 feet away.

my two cents... years ago I was a screaming soccer dad. I helped melt the ice caps by hammering my z28 to get my son to where ever and what ever he had to go. I would never do that again...wasteful stupid. Since i have noticed too many overcoddled rich kids being promoted in the soccer cirlces...non of this surprises me.

My coaching mentor, Mike Barr, and current technical director is quoted in this article: http://www.delcotimes.com/...011/SPORTS/171019906

In it, he makes the same point you make, which is also one that has permeated conventional wisdom for some time.

My question is: Why do we assume these "inner-city", or "underprivileged", basically "not white" kids (c'mon let's all be adult and say it) want to play soccer. Last I checked, these kids find their way to football and basketball. Go to any inner city basketball hoop and there will be 50 kids ballin'. Many times, there's a full soccer field right next to it...and it's empty.

This is a nature and nurture debate. If daddy played football and thought soccer players were "foot fags", guess what, junior is playing football, too.

I don't dispute that youth soccer is ridiculously and unnecessarily expensive. But I also know that youth and high school teams in my area cover the costs for these underprivileged players who can't afford to play. When they get to the college level, that's where they need more help from US soccer. I can assure you, though, that all these BMW-driving soccer parents who we lament, dig deep into their pockets to subsidize talented "underprivileged" players who make their kid's team better and good enough to play at Dallas Cup, Jeff Cup, and in the elite state leagues.

I've seen it. I know of a team that has two kids who are picked up twice a week from over 90 minutes away for training by parents of other kids on the team. The cost for these players (uniforms, travel, fees, etc.) to the tune of thousands of dollars are fully paid by the team. Why? These kids are twins and they can put the ball in the net like you've never seen.

This support will stop when the club team breaks up and everyone goes to college. It's at that point US Soccer needs to identify and support these players. It's not at the club level.