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By Roger Chesley The Virginian-Pilot June 2, 2012 Some of my happiest days as a teenager took place on the basketballcourt and on the track. Classes, homework and exams were piled high. Discipline - and myparents' expectations - helped me earn above-average grades. But when it came to sports, I could let loose. Running and jumping were fun and cathartic. Performing before acrowd taught me how to cope "on stage." My teammates andI learned how to work together and deal with winning and losing; Igot a full share of the latter. When one season ended, you could join another squad if you weregood enough. My senior year, I also competed in the long jump, highjump and triple jump on the track team. I got a chance to minglewith a new set of teammates - and a new crop of opponents fromother schools. Those were great experiences. So I'm puzzled by the creeping specialization some coaches andorganizations want to impose at the high school level. Theyproclaim that young players must pledge fealty to one sportyear-round. This week, The Pilot's Lee Tolliver reported on an ongoingcontroversy: The U.S. Development Academy won't allow itsparticipants to play high school soccer. The organization, which identifies and assists elite youth soccerplayers, is moving to a 10-month season for boys. The associationtries to produce the next generation of players for the nationalteam. Some 4,000 boys compete in the 78-team academy. I'm giving the new edict a red card. The rule asks kids as young as 15 to judge whether they want to putall their eggs in the soccer basket. They would have to forgo othersports and school activities. They and their parents would have topay $4,000 to play on the academy teams - with no guaranteedpayoff. We've seen such obsessive practices before. Above-average youthbasketball players, for example, get roped into the sport nearlyyear-round, playing on the AAU circuit, travel teams or at prepschools. But star athletes aren't prevented from playing on theirschool teams. Plus, prowess in basketball can lead to scholarships at collegesaround the country. The NBA, the top b-ball league in the world,provides financial security for the best of the best. Soccer doesn't enjoy that lofty status in the United States. Sure,scholarships are available. But on the pro level, soccer has neverpenetrated our widespread consciousness and enthusiasm the wayfootball, basketball and baseball have. The United States also lags on the global stage. The men's team isranked 29th, according to FIFA, far behind No. 1 Spain and No. 2Germany. The National Federation of State High School Associations serves 50state high school athletic-activity associations and the Districtof Columbia. In April, the organization's executive director andpresident co-wrote an editorial critical of the new soccer edict. "U.S. Soccer's desire is to prepare players to compete againstthe best clubs and international teams around the world," theywrote. "It is preposterous, however, to think that havingthese elite players for another two to three months is the answerand will close the gap between the United States and soccer powersfrom other nations." I agree. NFHS officials told me nearly 400,000 boys play high school soccerin the United States, making it the fifth-most popular sport. Forty years ago, it was ranked 10th. The U.S. Development Academy rule probably will hurt high schoolteams. It will force students to commit to soccer at a very youngage. The rule likely won't provide the payoff that academyofficials desire. And it will limit the aspirations - andexperiences - of multisport athletes. Those are misguided goals. Roger Chesley, 757-446-2329, roger.chesley@pilotonline.com , pilotonline.com/chesley. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as China LED Globe Light Bulbs , Outdoor LED Flood Light Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit LED Flood Lighting today!
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