We are training the wrong kids. Period.
Youth soccer is a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. and those who run it (US Soccer, Youth Soccer Club Directors, MLS / NASL / USL pro teams, & independent player development organizations like Coerver) INTENTIONALLY target the parents and players who can most AFFORD the RISING COSTS of training and “opportunities” they offer.
There are over 9,000 soccer clubs in the United States, training about 1.5 million “competitive” soccer players – 1.5 million potential professional soccer players… for only 2,000 pro league spots… that earn an average of $11,000 annually.
The highest paying athletic team in the world is FC Barcelona and has an average salary of $8,680,569 a year, with each player earning about $166,934 a WEEK! Second in line is AC Milan, from Italian professional league Serie A. It’s interesting to note that the New York Yankees and AC Milan have nearly identical payrolls, but the AC Milan players have higher individual salaries than the Yankees players.
In reality, a minute (that’s maɪˈnjuːt) percentage of people need all of that sugar in one drink, and few people can even burn up all of those empty calories. You’d HAVE to be a very active athlete to justify drinking any kind of “sports drink“, because you’re drinking 140 calories that are going right into storage (turning into fat) if you’re not.
Everyone is conceived – not born, but conceived: when the sperm meets the egg – with the potential for greatness. Few people ever actually achieve their full potential though, so what you end up with in any field or profession is not the “best of the best”, but instead, the “best of what is left”.