Soccer Shake-Up Prompts Online Debate LIVE Thursday On Patch

The U.S. Soccer Development Academy announced a change earlier this month that would alter the landscape of high school soccer programs across the nation.

Students would have to choose between club play or school teams, no longer both.

The academy, backed by the U.S. National team, announced it is moving to a 10-month training schedule this fall. The decision means players who want to be in the U.S. Soccer structure will not be able to play at the high school level--there won't be time.

Find out what it means 

Patch will host an online debate with our high school soccer coaches Thursday, 4 p.m., February 16.

Parkway District's Soccer Coach John Theobald will be online, LIVE, during the event on Patch.

We've also gathered other area coaches and representatives from Scott Gallagher Soccer. We encourage you to participate too, it's easy.

• Log in to Patch.com 
• choose "Missouri" 
• then choose "Creve Coeur" 
• Click on the story entitled "LIVE SOCCER CHAT" that will be posted Thursday, before 4 p.m.

In a statement announcing the change, the Academy said: 

Moving to a 10-month season means players can focus on training together three or four times per week and play meaningful games on the weekend nearly year-round. Fewer games and an extended season will allow for the addition of a substantial number of extra training sessions, which are the primary vehicle for player development.

U.S. National Team officials say the switch will help the U.S. develop talent in the way many other countries do, but some say it goes too far.

Chaminade College Prep Boys Coach Mike Gauvain told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the plan goes too far.

“If they were going to target the top 60 or 80 or even 100 top kids in an age group and work to develop them, maybe that’s something I could understand,” Gauvain said. “But the scope of this is just too big. The Academy system has something like 72 teams nationwide; there’s just no way there are that many elite-level players out there for a system like this.” 

Creve Coeur Patch will be hosting the event.

Would you like to be a panelist for the LIVE event? Creve Coeur Patch will be hosting the event. Email Creve Coeur Editor Gregg.Palermo@patch.com