Changing the US Men’s Soccer Status Quo
I gave up on watching the US Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) years ago. Not for any other reason than I lost interest in a team that continued to be unimpressive. The Women’s National team has been and continues to be my National team, but that’s for another time.
Taylor Twellman, a former national team player, highlighted a problem decades in the making in his rant on ESPN following the recent USMNT failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup saying, “If this failure does not wake up everyone from US Soccer to Major League Soccer, from the pay to play, to broadcasters to everything then we’re all insane…because that should’ve never happened with the billion dollars plus that is going into Major League Soccer and Youth Development.”
Soccer is not an equal opportunity sport in this country. As Tom Farrey, executive director of Aspen’s Sports & Society program said, “Sports in America have separated into sport-haves and have-nots.” There is incredible inequality in the current pay to play system in schools and programs across the country. Kids who live in low-income and marginalized neighborhoods do not get the same opportunity of high quality coaching, equipment, facilities and play simply because of their family’s income. As a result, our country is missing out on growing, developing and identifying some of the best talent.
When compared to other major sports in the US, soccer is the only sport with a clear correlation between higher income and higher participation rates. In other words, if you make more money there’s a greater chance your kid will have a chance to play.
It’s difficult to find a consistent average of annual cost for club soccer fees, but most sources say it’s anywhere from $1,000 — $3,000 per year. That amount affords kids access to trained, experienced coaches, quality gear and facilities. I don’t think it’s too difficult to surmise, given the growing income inequality in our country, that many families simply cannot afford this cost. And the irony is that many of those players who are excluded are from communities and cultures where soccer is not just a sport, it is life. Soccer is not life in the United States, but in countries like Mexico, Columbia, Somalia, Rwanda and so many others it is truly in the blood.
What are the options for those who can’t afford the price of entry to play club soccer in the US? One option is recreational soccer, which typically costs more like $300 a year — still out of the reach for many low-income families but it also usually involves a well-meaning, but inexperienced parent volunteer coach.
So, imagine you have a child who shows a natural ability for the game and loves to play. You start them out at 4 years old and a volunteer parent coach seems to be a great fit to teach your youngster the basics. But fast-forward 4–6 years. Your talented 8–10 year old now knows more than their coach and either gives up because of boredom or doesn’t continue to improve. Unless you have an extra $1,000 — $3,000 a year, you’ll never know what your child’s potential could’ve been.
I’m not talking about just playing in the pros — we know that is a slim chance in any sport. I’m talking about giving a child the opportunity to see how far their talents can take them. And the amount of money a family makes should not dictate that possibility.
Now imagine that we have a system where kids from any socio-economic background can receive coaching from experienced, trained coaches. A system where any child can experience the thrill of playing in a championship game, or college recruiters are not limited in their selection of only the most affluent players, but instead the most talented players, period. In this imaginary world the USMNT doesn’t fail to qualify for the World Cup because the pool of players we have to draw from is so much deeper.
It may look as if I have just laid out a scenario that seems impossible given where we are currently. But what you may not know is that there are clubs, teams and associations in this country that are attempting to right this wrong. One is Portland Community Football Club (PCFC) in Oregon. PCFC is in its fifth year of operation and averages about 75 players per year. The mission is to provide high quality, affordable soccer to all youth in the Portland Metro Area. PCFC operates just like any other club with bi-weekly practices, weekend games, tournament participation and more.
The difference is the annual cost ranges from $120 — $300 depending on the playing level. Free uniforms are provided for every player, plus cleats and shinguards for anyone in need. Scholarships are awarded through a simple process and proof of income is not required. The entirely all volunteer coaching staff is required to have playing experience and at least one year of coaching experience.
PCFC provides support, training and financial assistance to ensure coaches become licensed. The club has over 80 percent of players living in low-income communities of color. Some have never played on an organized team and others chose to leave their existing team because the quality of PCFC and the cost was better. The goal is to compete with the clubs in the Portland area that charge $2,000 or more a year. But PCFC’s funding doesn’t come entirely from the parents. It also comes from grants, donations, fundraisers and sponsorships.
PCFC has found a way to provide high quality soccer to anyone who wants to play. But they are not the only ones thinking differently about access to soccer. There are thousands of programs around the country working in their own communities. Other good examples are South Bronx United, South Texas Youth Soccer Association, Youth Leadership Council Kicks, Kensington Soccer Club, Soccer in the Streets. Urban Soccer Leadership Academy and two of PCFC’s greatest partners, La Amistad Soccer Club and Street Soccer USA.
Despite the incredible work that these groups and others are doing, inequality in American soccer continues to grow. Some may argue that there has been improvement on a larger scale with the creation of the US Development Academy (DA) and every Major League Soccer team now having their own DA.
This is supposed to provide a pathway for young players to receive elite training and upward mobility towards professional play. But low-income players will most likely not have a chance to reach this level because they have been excluded from the clubs which feed into these elite academies. And if we look beyond just reaching the ultimate professional level and focus on players using their skills to earn college scholarships we run directly into the same problem. If a player doesn’t have the money to play at an elite club it is far less likely they will be seen by college recruiters.
It’s time to begin a new discussion that focuses on realistic solutions that not only address why the USMNT won’t be playing in Russia this coming summer, but also the larger societal issue of inequality to access high quality soccer. And we don’t need to reinvent the wheel to find those solutions. A good place to look is Germany. Following a disastrous European Championship loss in 2000, the German Football Association (DFB) decided to make a major overhaul to their youth development system. They developed the Extended Talent Promotion Program where DFB and the professional soccer clubs spent an annual $55 million on this new system, an annual figure that has now doubled.
This program dedicated enormous amounts of time, money and resources to train coaches and develop players. But unlike the US Development Academy, this program was designed to reach every corner of the country and, with the financial backing of the professional clubs and DFB, they were able to make it accessible to all.
Families were closer to high quality training and competition due to the 52 training centers built and nearly 400 regional coaching bases. According to the DFB, within the first year of the program they had 387 training camps nationwide and nearly 1,200 full-time coaches.
Two of the factors that increase costs for participating at the club level in the US is paying for qualified coaches and traveling to tournaments and league play. Germany is a much smaller country than the US, and there is also a deep cultural connection to the sport. But the popularity of soccer is rising in in the US and if we want to compete on the international stage on the men’s side, there are some lessons to be learned from the German solution.
What can an individual do to change the US men’s soccer paradigm? First, do some research on local, affordable programs that may need some support. That support can come in a lot of different forms, such as donations, administrative, coaching, legal, and so many others. If you’re currently part of the expensive pay-to-play system, start asking questions about the scholarship process at your current club. Think about a family living on minimum wage, could the family afford to participate in the club, even with a scholarship? Take a look around at your child’s team and if you notice that most of the other kids are white and living in affluent neighborhoods, start talking with other parents about this issue.
The bottom line is that soccer is one of the most beautiful team sports played around the world, and every child, regardless of their family’s socio-economic status, deserves to play.
Kaig Lightner is the founder and Director of Coaching for Portland Community Football Club in Oregon, which he founded in 2012. Kaig has been working with and coaching youth for over 20 years. On May 1, 2017 he came out as transgender to the club, which resulted in a viral video seen around the world.