By Timothy M. Colvin
Regarding the March 2 article, “Is academy soccer the better choice for talented players?”:
As a former Lynnwood High School boys soccer coach and current Everett Community College men’s soccer coach, I feel it important to weigh in on this issue. Simply put, this is the beginning of the end for high school soccer, in my opinion. With the rise of “pay to play” leagues growing almost at the same rate as the development of housing, this problem will likely increase to the point that it kills high school soccer and possibly other sports, should they take notice and adopt the same practices.
This issue of “my program or nothing” speaks to the bloated egos that these coaches seem to have and also speaks to the notion that they have no willingness to engage in coaching at the high school level where (as far as I know) the game is an extension of the classroom, where relationships are built, life skills are learned and hopefully a component of future college education is developed. These programs and coaches seek to make robots capable of receiving the paltry five-figure sums that soccer salaries tend to bring, but lose sight of the bigger picture and that of basic human development and development of the “student athlete.”
The only positive that I see is that high school soccer coaches must now actually coach and develop talent where they have historically relied on these talented kids to carry their respective programs with little work on their part. It also may provide for the diamond in the rough to shine. A kid who may otherwise have been cut may now have an opportunity to grow not only as a player but as the complete student athlete.
These coaches and programs are essentially breeding grounds and places of employment for former high school athletes who tried in vain to make it on the professional level and now find themselves attempting to figure out a way to use their name and at the same time earn a paycheck. I am saddened by the fact that we are so intent now on making our kids into adults, too quickly taking away the right that they have to walk the halls of their respective school and be admired for the efforts that they put forth on a Friday night in front of their peers.
The path through high school athletics to the collegiate and pro ranks has worked for many years and should be honored because we as high school coaches have honored our players’ wishes to be engaged in these programs while the same time representing their schools. I guess it comes down to that all important life lesson regarding the balance of priorities, which we as high school soccer coaches teach every single day on and off the field!
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