Why open leagues matter in youth soccer

By Benjamin Ziemer

president

Norcal Premier League

Ahh....What a mess things have become since the simpler times 10 years ago, when US Youth Soccer Association could do whatever it wanted, in whatever manner it wanted, and no one had a choice but to take it.

Of course, the USL offered the Y league in those days but that was limited to 6-8 “elite” clubs in Northern California during Spring and Summer.

Now, on the boy’s side we have:

• US Developmental Academy,
• Western Collegiate Developmental Association
• Far West Regional League,
• Norcal Premier League
• CYSA State League which divides our top older boys clubs into five competitions - rarely or never do they all meet.

And on the girl’s side we have:

• Elite Club National League
• Norcal Premier,
• CYSA State League
• Far West Regional League

Rarely or never do they all meet, and nearly all of them, except Norcal, are closed leagues that deny many talented young soccer players the chance to reach their potential. What’s more, these closed, or gated soccer communities, violate the spirit of the game and the principles of the world’s top soccer governing bodies.

"We must strenuously protect the pyramid structure of our sport against any potential breakaway groups, or elitist closed leagues with no chance of promotion or relegation,’’ says Uefa.

 
  The European governing body adds that "we remain totally committed to the European model of sport, a model characterised by promotion and relegation, the solidarity principle, as well as open competitions and opportunity for all. This is what sport – and especially football – is all about. We have to protect this model because sport is not simply a business like any other and we cannot allow it to be treated as such. We will continue to defend the specificity of sport and are convinced that our arguments will prevail for the good of football.

Of course, not meeting in competition is not a bad idea for those, "elite clubs" awarded the "golden ticket" to an ECNL, US Developmental Academy or WCDA competition - all closed competitions. For these clubs and their directors enjoy a membership not enjoyed by their competitors - many of whom have teams which are their equal on the field - whose players they want and often get - due to their membership in a closed league. Its a nice place to be – if you get in – unless you can’t afford the money “necessary” to travel to compete against the other “elite” players in “elite” clubs.

Unfair - of course!

Anti sport - entirely!

Heaven forbid our federation or their numerous nationally sanctioned providers of soccer following Italy, Holland, Germany, Spain or Belgium’s example (there are probably others but I only have first hand experience in these) where a club’s youth and senior teams earn their place in the competitions by competing year after year - earning their spot.

Of course, if being unfair and anti sport was not enough having an awarded, cushy spot year after year probably harms their players development.

For while Bayern Munich’s, Ajax Amsterdam’s or FC Barca’s youth and adults must earn their place in the competition run by their federation, we have chosen the English example of "awarding" a spot due to name, a few standards or some connections.

We have adopted the concept of directing our “limited” number of "elite" players into "elite" Academy programs, where the players are never exposed to promotion and relegation - which, of course, is one of the final steps towards professional soccer. Our older youth players do not enter the fire, in their later teen years, to begin hardening into the material necessary to compete in the professional ranks.

No, they attend showcases and compete in a league where last place -  is awarded with a place - the following year at the same level. Meanwhile, the other club’s teams who have beaten or at least closely competed with these teams for years must look in from the outside and try to keep their players from leaving – due to their lack of membership in these closed league.

Why this model?  Because coaches need to focus on development not winning they say - during a time where learning to win and developing the will to win, is recognized world wide (except England) as an important component of  the final years of youth development. Can you not try to win and develop players as well? Do coaches have to be protected from themselves? 

So whilst other top countries youth players compete at the level their teams performance has earned or in the case of truly elite players - play against men at the professional level regardless of age - our "top" (those who can afford it or live close enough to a club awarded a spot) youth players compete against other "top" players in a country club league structure.

So whilst other clubs world wide (26,000 in Germany alone) are forced to develop, to learn, to progress, to lift their level, to fight for their league spots and to earn their stripes......our “elite” clubs are handed "golden tickets" to the closed competition provided by our federation - US Developmental Academy League -  or others - ECNL, WCDA or Y League.

If a club wants to lift its level, to rise to the challenge, to reach the “elite” level they cannot for they will “divide” our talent - so they must remain below or outside looking in and recommend their best players go to the “elite” club next door – not necessarily because they are better – but because some are in and  they are not.

In his address to the 31st UEFA Annual Congress in Dusseldorf, Former UEFA President Lennart Johanasen said it best as he indentified as the greatest challenge facing UEFA - preserving the pyramid structure of football:

"We must strenuously protect the pyramid structure of our sport against any potential breakaway groups, or elitist closed leagues with no chance of promotion or relegation. This last point is key to the universal popularity of our game. The dreamer in all of us wants to believe that we too, one day can see our club, however big or small, in a UEFA Champions League final. It is also this dream that drives the fans to the matches on a weekly basis, and keeps our game healthy and vibrant. This is the base of our football pyramid that supports the top tiers. We must do everything we can to make sure that we protect it........We must be prepared to stand united against the greed of individuals and clubs who see football as only a business for turning over a profit."

Where are the custodians of our sport?


"What we are witnessing may be quite simply the death of the cherished, though rather flimsily based, assumption that sport can remain permanently superior to the society it serves. If that belief is indeed shown to be a delusion, we are all in trouble ... Without idealism, sport does not exist. Romance and honesty and fair play are not quaint outmoded concepts but the basic apparatus of its survival. If sport ceases to be a slightly fantastic metaphor for life (one that accommodates wild notions of heroes and heroines, triumph and disaster) and becomes just another sleazy part of it, sport is a waste of time"
Hugh McIlvanney, from ’McIlvanney on Football’

“This new showcase division, which chairmen of top clubs felt would be a licence to print money, ended up as an autonomous league with no obligations to anyone except its members, not the apex of the true pyramid that would have been best for the domestic game.” Alex Flynn on the EPL