Terry Foster: This Is A Big Week For Youth Soccer

By Terry Foster
@TerryFoster971

Andy Wagstaff and Kevin Garner have been involved in youth soccer ever since they were kids, playing the game they love in England and later in the United States.

They've seen the sport grow as top administrators with the Liverpool Football International Academy at Ultimate Soccer in Pontiac. Just a few weeks ago they headed the Force Football Club where my daughter Celine has played all but one year since the age of nine and my son Brandon has played the last four years.

Now their sport is changing, just as the BCS is changing in college football. The haves and have nots are being separated as the bigger clubs get stronger and the weaker clubs try to find their footing. Just a few weeks ago Wagstaff and Garner headed the Force Football Club, but have connected with the British to compete with bigger names and bigger clubs in Metro Detroit as a member of the Liverpool Football Club International Academy.

Other clubs are merging or expanding also. WAZA East, Nova and the Gators Orange merged into The Nationals, now a power house of 240 teams and 2,900 players. The powerful Novi Jaguars joined CW3. And more mergers are expected.

Change is coming from the top as US Soccer has made several changes that challenge smaller clubs. Next season players will play with and against players born in the same year. In other words U-14 player designations will all be born in 2002. Before that the birth year ran from September to August rather than January to December.
The other big change is more stringent training requirement for coaches which might lop off those who cannot afford to pay for the extra training.

"This year is a very uncertain year with the birth year," Wagstaff said. "There are some clubs that won't be big enough or strong enough and they might disappear. Some of the bigger clubs are going to gain in strength. We looked at our model and we are very success, but we won't stand still. We want to go to that next level that puts us over the edge. We've got everything in place. What is the reason we can't put very successful players together and form teams that can be very successful? We feel that having the Liverpool brand will be successful for us."

Liverpool now has 21 academies worldwide including seven in the United States. The club shares it's playing philosophies and helps train coaches locally to carry that out. The club was founded in 1892 and has won five European Cups, seven FA Cups and a record eight Premier League Cups.

This is a case of name brand for Garner. He believes in his club and its style of developing players. But the former Force Club lost players to Vardar, the Wolves and Hawks because parents believe they are getting better training. Garner believes it is names that draw people.

"Why do people buy the I-phone," Garner said. "Most people buy it because it is simply the I-phone. It is about name identity. You can't fight this. I would have had teams that would beat a team four or five nil and they still might go and play for another team. I know we are playing the right way and doing things the right way. Once we get players in the door our retention rate is pretty good."

This is a big week for youth soccer. Tryouts across metro Detroit take place this weekend and players are visiting clubs and practicing with them to see if there is a fit.

Yeah I will put a plug-in for Garner and Wagstaff. If you want your kids to develop into good soccer players and good people this is the club for you. If you simply want to see your kids win soccer games, you might want to go elsewhere.

Celine has lost a lot of games during her career. She's won a bunch also. But she is prepared to play college soccer if she wants.

(Foster can be reached at Terry.Foster@cbsradio.com.)