What's The Impact of Pay To Play Model In US?

Pay To Play Is harmful to American Soccer

The "pay-to-play" model in American youth soccer refers to a system in which young players and their families are required to pay fees to participate in organized soccer programs, typically through clubs or academies. This model has been scrutinized lately from a number of notable players like Alex Morgan on the development of soccer in the United States. We tend to side with Alex on this. Look at the pro’s and con’s of the pay for play model.

Positive Impacts:

1. Access to Resources: Pay-to-play clubs often provide resources and coaching that can help young players develop their skills. These clubs may have well-maintained facilities, experienced coaches, and access to tournaments and competitions that can be beneficial for player development.

2. Structured Development: Pay-to-play clubs can offer structured and organized development pathways, with teams at different skill levels. This can help players progress and improve their abilities.

3. Competition: Pay-to-play programs often feature competitive leagues and tournaments, which can help players test their skills and improve by playing against strong opponents.

Negative Impacts:

1. Barriers to Entry: The most significant drawback of the pay-to-play model is that it creates financial barriers for many young players and their families. The cost of participation, including club fees, travel, equipment, and other expenses, can be prohibitive for some.

2. Limited Diversity: The pay-to-play model often results in a lack of diversity in the sport, as it disproportionately affects lower-income communities. This can limit the talent pool and overall diversity in soccer.

3. Talent Development Gap: Many talented players may be excluded from the system due to financial constraints, limiting the talent pool from which top players can be identified and developed.

4. Pressure on Young Athletes: The financial investment required in the pay-to-play model can put a lot of pressure on young athletes and their families. There is a risk of focusing more on financial commitment than player development.

5. Inequality: The model can reinforce inequality within youth soccer, as players from affluent families may have access to better coaching and resources, creating disparities in opportunities.

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the need to address the issues associated with the pay-to-play model in American soccer. Efforts are being made to reduce financial barriers, increase accessibility, and create pathways for talented players from all backgrounds to participate and succeed in the sport. Initiatives such as scholarship programs, grassroots development, and community-based soccer have aimed to make the sport more inclusive.

It's important to note that the impact of the pay-to-play model can vary depending on the specific club, region, and age group. Overall, addressing the challenges associated with this model is a priority for those looking to promote soccer development in the United States like Team Give & Go, who is trying to make the sport more accessible to a wider range of young players.

The Importance of Diversity In Soccer

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, with millions of people playing and watching it every day. It is a sport that brings people together, regardless of their race, gender, religion, or nationality. However, despite its universal appeal, soccer has struggled with issues of diversity and inclusivity, particularly at the youth level in America.

The importance of diversity in soccer cannot be overstated. Diversity brings different perspectives, experiences, and skills to the game, making it more exciting, dynamic, and innovative.

It also helps to break down barriers and stereotypes, promoting acceptance and understanding among players and fans alike.

One of the key benefits of diversity in soccer is the ability to tap into a wider range of talent. By embracing players from different backgrounds, teams can access a wealth of skills and abilities that might otherwise be overlooked. This not only makes the game more competitive but also helps to create a more level playing field, where players are judged on their merits rather than their race, gender, or nationality.

In addition, diversity in soccer opens up new markets and audiences, helping to grow the sport and reach new fans around the world. By showcasing players from different backgrounds, soccer can become a truly global sport, appealing to people of all ages, races, and cultures.

However, despite the many benefits of diversity, soccer still faces significant challenges in promoting inclusivity and equality. Issues of racism, sexism, and homophobia continue to plague the sport, both on and off the field. In order to truly embrace diversity, soccer must work to address these issues head-on, through education, training, and policy changes.

Overall, the importance of diversity in soccer cannot be overstated. By embracing players from all backgrounds and promoting inclusivity and equality, soccer can become a truly global sport, appealing to people of all ages, races, and cultures. It is up to all of us - players, fans, coaches, and administrators - to work together to make this vision a reality.

Nine Steps to Marketing Your Student Athlete

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soccer player

It may sound cliché, but we have all heard that it is not what you know, but who you know.  While many of us Generation X parents are likely tired of hearing this within the workforce, unfortunately, the same logic applies true to sports and we must embrace this concept if our student youth athletes want to expand their careers beyond high school.

By the end of this article, it is my hope, that as parents, we are all more knowledgeable of things we can do to assist our student athletes with their marketability within this competitive sports arena.

Some reading this may think that marketing youth athletes is too premature and unnecessary.  But guess what, our student athletes will be just one of hundreds and in some cases thousands applying for soccer scholarships or trying to get noticed for their chance on a professional team.  If we as parents, and our student athletes cannot speak on their accomplishments, nobody else will.  Let’s face it, coaches deal with hundreds of athletes at any given time. They don’t have the time or desire to promote every athlete that plays for them. Let’s be honest, coaches also have their favorites and if your athlete is not trending to the top, they will likely get overlooked in the discussions.

Think of it this way, on the job, we must have that five second elevator speech on who we are, what we do and how our contributions have impacted the organizations we work for. Our goal, at Team Give & Go, is to help you think about that elevator speech for your student athlete.  May be a little longer than five seconds, but the concept remains the same.  So, let’s begin….

1.    Don’t be afraid to let the coaches and scouts know how amazing your student athlete is. Caveat….they must be able to back it up on the field, because actions still speak louder than words.

2.    Ensure your student athlete is excelling in the classroom.  You’ll notice that I reference student athlete throughout this article.  They are students first, athletes, second.  The combination of good grades and skills on the soccer field will make them highly marketable for any college or university.

3.    Have your student athlete craft a summary of their accomplishments and accomplishments of their teams. Knowing team statistics, goals, assists, shut-outs, will help make your student athlete more marketable.  Also, list any honors received while on the team or participating in the club.

4.    Capture video.  If you’re like me, you’re often too involved in the game to think about capturing video, but content is the best form of self-promotion, particularly now that social media sites like IG and Twitter have become the self-promotion platforms. If you’re unable to do it yourself, identify someone who enjoys capturing video and ask them to assist you. 

5.    Get recommendation letters from coaches, camps that they have attended and parents of teammates.  This provides first hand testimony from someone other than you.  You might find that other teammate parents may be hesitate to provide a note promoting your child. If this is the case, don’t worry, most teams have at least 15 players and I’m sure there is one who understands the ocean is large and there is enough space for us all to swim. 

6.    Utilize the video content that you gather (as noted in #3) and put together a short video compilation that showcases your student athlete.  This can become a quick reference when reaching out to recruiters and coaches.

7.    Understand and align on you and your student athlete’s end goal.  Make sure the goal is coming from the player and not the parent.  Aligning on what you’re really trying to accomplish will help craft your approach, keeping your specific objectives in mind. Knowing what to ask for and when to ask for it will be key.

8.    Don’t oversell. Be confident, but be truthful. Again, action speaks louder than words. If you over sell, and your student athlete can’t live up to the expectations, you will likely damage your integrity and your positioning of your student athlete.

9.    Create a brand for your student athlete and be consistent. What does your student athlete represent? Hard work, superiority, offense, defense, all-around, balance?  Understand the key attributes of your student athlete and use those attributes consistently in your messaging and content.

 When in doubt, reach out to Team Give & Go at tlynn@teamgiveandgo.com  for more information and assistance with marketing your student athlete.  We’re all in this together with an end goal of building a world of diverse and dynamic soccer players.

Author: T. Lynn Jones