A Workable National D3?

[Alex D]

Yes an expanded PDL with higher off-field standards plus a lengthier season would be ideal. Say 6 month season? But this will discount NCAA players unless something is sorted there. NCAA won't make any deals so the league would simply have to satisfy whatever requirements NCAA would state.

I'd rather see a U19 league because of this. Since most of the players would be in high school they would be locally based year round making a longer season possible, which means more revenue to run the club. It also means that the clubs would be able to keep and train their own players during the off season.

My gripe with the PDL (one of them at least) is that despite the name of the league, they are not actually doing any development work by trotting out a bunch of 22 year old NCAA players for a 3 month 16 game season. The real work is being done in the US district academy leagues.

We need to build an academy system where the top level (U19) is treated with a similar level of presentation and professionalism as CHL hockey games.

[Macksam]

I'd rather see a U19 league because of this. Since most of the players would be in high school they would be locally based year round making a longer season possible, which means more revenue to run the club. It also means that the clubs would be able to keep and train their own players during the off season.

My gripe with the PDL (one of them at least) is that despite the name of the league, they are not actually doing any development work by trotting out a bunch of 22 year old NCAA players for a 3 month 16 game season. The real work is being done in the US district academy leagues.

We need to build an academy system where the top level (U19) is treated with a similar level of presentation and professionalism as CHL hockey games.

I'm sure a u23 will have its fair share of teens.

[DigzTFC]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/opin...r.html?cmp=rss

Last year, the CSA commissioned a study to look at the feasibility of such a league and those findings are currently before the CSA board. Today, Montagliani laid this problem out bare.

"Creating this is imperative to ensure what happened on Tuesday doesn't repeat itself. We need to fill in the vacuum under the MLS level with a division two-type league," he said.

Montagliani added he wants that discussion to begin in the next 60 days.

[ted]

...they are not actually doing any development work by trotting out a bunch of 22 year old NCAA players for a 3 month 16 game season.

And while we are on the subject, just what exactly is so great about the NCAA (and CIS) season anyway? It's not like they play much more than that?

IMO it is time to move on from using the collegiate model for pro soccer development. Real clubs in countries that regularly appear in the World Cup do not let players go to college and play for 1/3 to 1/2 of a real season and pretend this is development. They take kids who are High School age and plug them into the club system and start paying them as professionals by the time they are college age.

Why not run a league from April through October? If college kids make the team great, but they have to work around the full-time job that should be football from March 1 to October 31. I am all for kids getting a college education but the old model of having to attend courses from September through April is less and less relevant. Modern flexible college programs could easily fit around the life of a young, full-time footballer.

[ClaytonA]

And while we are on the subject, just what exactly is so great about the NCAA (and CIS) season anyway? It's not like they play much more than that?

IMO it is time to move on from using the collegiate model for pro soccer development. Real clubs in countries that regularly appear in the World Cup do not let players go to college and play for 1/3 to 1/2 of a real season and pretend this is development. They take kids who are High School age and plug them into the club system and start paying them as professionals by the time they are college age.

Why not run a league from April through October? If college kids make the team great, but they have to work around the full-time job that should be football from March 1 to October 31. I am all for kids getting a college education but the old model of having to attend courses from September through April is less and less relevant. Modern flexible college programs could easily fit around the life of a young, full-time footballer.

Exactly and from a wider perspective maybe it facilitates people who aren't interested in a university education except for sports. People may be able to go to trade school and handle apprenticeships while following their soccer dream without the risk and expense of trying in Europe, no?

Also, this league would be much better than the mish-mash we currently have for talent/player identification. In BC this is one of the reasons they set up the BCSPL (however much I disagree with the price tag and requirements that just to be considered for provincial teams etc you have to play BCSPL-too onerous and monopolistic turf fighting continues...). Totally agree all teams should be part of a club system (maybe seperate from recreational soccer) that includes youth teams.

[ThiKu]

Re: the BCSPL "price tag." It's no different than when kids were playing Metro then SYL or Metro and an academy such as TSS. People see "$2500!" and flip out. I've seen a cost break down and there is little to no difference. Some BCSPL teams are actually cheaper than when kids were in Metro&SYL.

[Alex D]

And while we are on the subject, just what exactly is so great about the NCAA (and CIS) season anyway? It's not like they play much more than that?

IMO it is time to move on from using the collegiate model for pro soccer development. Real clubs in countries that regularly appear in the World Cup do not let players go to college and play for 1/3 to 1/2 of a real season and pretend this is development. They take kids who are High School age and plug them into the club system and start paying them as professionals by the time they are college age.

Why not run a league from April through October? If college kids make the team great, but they have to work around the full-time job that should be football from March 1 to October 31. I am all for kids getting a college education but the old model of having to attend courses from September through April is less and less relevant. Modern flexible college programs could easily fit around the life of a young, full-time footballer.

The problem is that the vast majority of players will never be good enough to make it in pro soccer. They will be good enough to get a free education however. This doesn't exist in most of the world so all of the players are funneled through the pro clubs. You cant blame the players who go the NCAA route as it is probably the best for them in the long run, it's just not the best for their football.

[youllneverwalkalone]

I wouldn't pit the NCAA and development against one another. We have 37 Canadian seniors in Div 1 this year. Maybe 3 or 4 will be in MLS camps next year. Most of the kids who are not, won't be national team players. But a couple of them might be. Like Josh Simpson, who was never draft by MLS. A lot of these kids are as talented or more so than the div. 2 Croatia/Denmark/Singapore players we follow abroad.

[Alex D]

I wouldn't pit the NCAA and development against one another. We have 37 Canadian seniors in Div 1 this year. Maybe 3 or 4 will be in MLS camps next year. Most of the kids who are not, won't be national team players. But a couple of them might be. Like Josh Simpson, who was never draft by MLS. A lot of these kids are as talented or more so than the div. 2 Croatia/Denmark/Singapore players we follow abroad.

We have seen numerous Canadians blossom latter in their careers after attending NCAA programs. Just imagine how good they would be if they were in a proper academy set up from an early age.