They can be found in the lunchroom, walking around the hallways, or blending in with other students in the classroom. However, the athletes labeled ‘game-changers’ by Tom Braun, head coach of the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams at South Forsyth, will not be found on the high school soccer field in the spring.
“We have three boys right now walking around the building who would definitely help my program,” Braun said.
Over the past three years, elite high school boys have forgone competing for their high school’s soccer teams and instead have committed to the year-round U.S. Development Academy, a league of elite soccer club teams and academies across the country that focus on high intensity training and competition. Some coaches believe that the shift has started to change the quality of play in boy’s GHSA soccer, and with the developmental academy expanding to involve girls teams, coaches are concerned that the quality of high school soccer is declining.
The Development Academy is sponsored by U.S. Soccer. The 10-month long program begins in September and finishes its championship season in July. The league was founded in 2007 and currently has 96 total clubs. There are seven boys clubs in Georgia: AFC Lightning, Atlanta United FC, Georgia United, Concorde Fire, North Atlanta Soccer Association, Southern Soccer Academy, and the United Futbol Academy
In fall 2017, the Development Academy will launch a girls program that mirrors the scheduling and intensity of the boys’ Development Academy. The girls’ program will add 74 clubs across the country. In Georgia, three girls teams will compete in the Southeast division: NHT Tophat in Marietta, Concorde Fire in Atlanta, and the United Futbol Academy in Cumming.
“Your top 40-60 players in the state of Georgia are not playing high school soccer anymore,” Lassiter girls coach Robbie Galvin said. “So, that is definitely going to hinder the talent in some areas and on some teams.”
Galvin, also a club soccer coach, understands both sides, but pointed out that the Development Academy prohibits high school participation. Academy players and teams must have written permission from the Development Academy staff to play in any outside competitions, including other clubs, high school teams, tournaments, the Olympic Development Program, or All-Star events.
“Not playing for your high school or club team is the sacrifice that everyone is willing to make to be able to play a higher level of soccer,” said Sam Morton, a goalie for Atlanta United’s academy team. “I think anyone that plays academy would agree with that.”
The Development Academy justifies the specialization as a means of establishing the proper training-to-game ratio and so that the instructional coaches and the U.S. Soccer technical advisors can monitor player development, according to Thomas Caughlin of U.S. Soccer, who referred questions to the academy’s FAQ page.
A dilemma for top players
Girls across metro Atlanta are debating whether 2017 will be their final high school soccer season. For many girls, high school play allows a more laid-back environment that encourages school spirit.
Troy Garner, the director of coaching at Tophat, said that high school soccer contributes negatively to the technical and tactical development of competitive, high-level soccer players.
“Your speed of play regresses, you don’t have to make any complicated or tactical decisions, and some of the games are even called at halftime due to mercy rule(s) because it is such a mismatch of opponents,” Garner said. “A lot of time the girls lose their sharpness, they lose their fitness, and they lose their overall competitiveness.”
Garner also said that players are turning away from high school soccer not just because of the the Development Academy, but also because of the potential for injuries, the quality of competition and the visibility of players to college recruiters.
Morton of Atlanta United said that the Development Academy has been crucial to his college recruitment. Morton signed to play soccer for Princeton and attributes his college recruiting success to the fact that there are more college scouts at the Development Academy games and the coaches have more connections to college coaches.
“Club soccer is for travel and college exposure,” said Caroline Nabb, a junior at Johnson High School, who is considering transitioning to only club soccer. “High school, not so much. Many people play club and not high school so that club can be their main priority.”
That said, many players enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of high school soccer and the chance to play with lifelong friends, said Courtney O’Malley, a junior at South Forsyth.
“Although I love my club team and club coach, I find the high school season as a nice break from the intensity of club,” O’Malley said. “Playing your sport and representing your school in a competitive region is a great experience.”
Challenges for clubs
Anson Dorrance, the University of North Carolina women’s soccer coach, fears that the launch of the Development Academy girls program could divide the player talent pool between it and the current club-soccer system in place, the Elite Clubs National League.
“From my perspective, it’s actually causing all kinds of strife within the player-development community on the girls’ side,” said Dorrance, who has won 22 NCAA titles with the Tar Heels. “The development academies basically, in effect, undermine a lot of the clubs that are ECNL clubs by recruiting girls to join. … They’re using the same player pool.”
By dividing the player pool into two club structures, collegiate coaches will have to travel to more tournaments and showcases to see potential recruits.
“The majority of the great players are playing in the ECNL currently, so the trouble with the Development Academy coming in is that it is going to split the market,” Dorrance said. “Even though I think eventually the top players will gravitate towards the Development Academy, I think there will be more players not involved in the Development Academy that are elite players than the player pool now.”
Dorrance hopes that the ECNL and development academies can find a way to create a hybrid player-development platform where the two are married in a community-minded way.
High school participation grows
For high school coaches such as Braun of South Forsyth, the loss of talent means that he’ll coach athletes at a different talent level. The Georgia High School Association reports an increase in soccer participation rates for boys and girls, so players leaving for the Development Academy may be replaced by boys and girls who would be cut from teams under the old system.
“You’re not going to get your best players representing your schools,” Braun said.
As Braun watches his three potential ‘game changers’ walk the halls of South Forsyth, he begins to prepare for his teams’ 2017 season, the last season he will have all of his girls still competing. He already expects to lose two girls come fall 2017.
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