OT: Soccer Bills Sign 8

[HoosierPal]

SLU announced the results of the early signing date for soccer.  McGinty signed 8, with 4 locals, including his son.  TrollPants, you still out there? I trust you will criticize these local lads.  I'm disappointed there are no foreigners.

The way the bios read for a Hawkins and Kidd, they didn't play four years in HS, but played club soccer instead.  Is that a new trend?

Sean Armistead • F • Cypress, Texas (Cypress Ranch HS | Texans SC Houston)
Ben Barkley • MF/F • Tulsa, Okla. (Bishop Kelley HS | Tulsa United)
Reed Hawkins • D • Granite City, Ill. (Granite City HS | St. Louis Scott Gallagher Metro)
Ben Huels • F • Waterloo, Ill. (Waterloo HS | St. Louis Scott Gallagher Metro)
Matteo Kidd • MF • St. Louis, Mo. (Chaminade | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
Sean McGinty • D • St. Louis, Mo. (Kirkwood HS | Lou Fusz SC)
Andrew van Nispen • D • West Chicago, Ill. (Wheaton Academy | Chicago Magic, FC United)
Patrick Wilkinson • MF/D • Overland Park, Kan. (Shawnee Mission South HS | Sporting KC Academy | Swope Park Rangers)

http://www.slubillikens.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27200&ATCLID=211446046

[Tilkowsky]

On 2/2/2017 at 1:27 PM, HoosierPal said:

SLU announced the results of the early signing date for soccer.  McGinty signed 8, with 4 locals, including his son.  TrollPants, you still out there? I trust you will criticize these local lads.  I'm disappointed there are no foreigners.

The way the bios read for a Hawkins and Kidd, they didn't play four years in HS, but played club soccer instead.  Is that a new trend?

Sean Armistead • F • Cypress, Texas (Cypress Ranch HS | Texans SC Houston)
Ben Barkley • MF/F • Tulsa, Okla. (Bishop Kelley HS | Tulsa United)
Reed Hawkins • D • Granite City, Ill. (Granite City HS | St. Louis Scott Gallagher Metro)
Ben Huels • F • Waterloo, Ill. (Waterloo HS | St. Louis Scott Gallagher Metro)
Matteo Kidd • MF • St. Louis, Mo. (Chaminade | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
Sean McGinty • D • St. Louis, Mo. (Kirkwood HS | Lou Fusz SC)
Andrew van Nispen • D • West Chicago, Ill. (Wheaton Academy | Chicago Magic, FC United)
Patrick Wilkinson • MF/D • Overland Park, Kan. (Shawnee Mission South HS | Sporting KC Academy | Swope Park Rangers)

http://www.slubillikens.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27200&ATCLID=211446046

Let's hope Sean McGinty is a better soccer player than his dad is a coach.

Just shows how bad soccer at SLU is no one responded to this thread.

How many more years is SLU going to let Mike McGinty to be mediocre?

I guess four more years until his son graduates?

Just goes to show that results don't matter for the soccer program.

[Glorydays2013]

Well SLU is being honored today for being A10 champs...

[prebilliken]

On 2/2/2017 at 1:27 PM, HoosierPal said:

The way the bios read for a Hawkins and Kidd, they didn't play four years in HS, but played club soccer instead.  Is that a new trend?

Nope, not a new trend. I have a bit of experience here having played club ball at a reasonably high level (humblebrag), this could be a number of things: 

-Many states have "commitment clauses" that don't allow amateur athletes to compete in educationally-affiliated and club sports at the same time that are enforced by the respective High School level organizing bodies within those states. For many sports this doesn't present any conflict because high school and club events take place in different seasons, for example: basketball where the school season is in the winter and AAU season is in the summer. Soccer is odd though, it doesn't have a traditional season attachment here in the states like it does overseas, some states play it in the fall, some in spring, so if your seasons conflict, you are likely to choose the team that you believe gets you more college exposure, which is often club soccer. 

-Or, it is likely that he was such a nationally competitive recruit, his HS team didn't offer him the exposure that his club team did, so he dedicated his time there. In some cases: Prep Schools on the coasts, or high schools that are athletic powerhouses, your HS team can offer a lot of exposure, but this isn't always the case. 

There is a long and tired conversation among soccer fans in the states about the prep system vs the academy system and what needs to happen at the youth training level to make us more competitive internationally. Frankly, I just want the fugging Bills to be good at soccer again. Our fall from grace is inexcusable at best. 

[Tilkowsky]

So how are they being honored?

 

is there a parade?

I am assuming regular season A-10 Champs.

What does that say about the conference when the Champs have a.500 overall record.

Is it that way in the ACC?

I Congratulate prebilliken for at least being honest enough to admit the Billikens are terrible.

HoosierPal - Why do you want more foreigners? That experiment was not very successful - was it?

[Glorydays2013]

A lot of players for go their junior and senior year in high school to play Academy. Some players travel up to 3 hours to play for their Academy team which can be similar to what AAU is to basketball 

[Zink]

1 hour ago, prebilliken said:

Nope, not a new trend. I have a bit of experience here having played club ball at a reasonably high level (humblebrag), this could be a number of things: 

-Many states have "commitment clauses" that don't allow amateur athletes to compete in educationally-affiliated and club sports at the same time that are enforced by the respective High School level organizing bodies within those states. For many sports this doesn't present any conflict because high school and club events take place in different seasons, for example: basketball where the school season is in the winter and AAU season is in the summer. Soccer is odd though, it doesn't have a traditional season attachment here in the states like it does overseas, some states play it in the fall, some in spring, so if your seasons conflict, you are likely to choose the team that you believe gets you more college exposure, which is often club soccer. 

-Or, it is likely that he was such a nationally competitive recruit, his HS team didn't offer him the exposure that his club team did, so he dedicated his time there. In some cases: Prep Schools on the coasts, or high schools that are athletic powerhouses, your HS team can offer a lot of exposure, but this isn't always the case. 

There is a long and tired conversation among soccer fans in the states about the prep system vs the academy system and what needs to happen at the youth training level to make us more competitive internationally. Frankly, I just want the fugging Bills to be good at soccer again. Our fall from grace is inexcusable at best. 

While what you said was true in the past, within the past five or so years, the top-tier clubs require their players to only play for them (regardless of how good/bad their high school team is). It was a joint initiative between MLS and the USSF to get high school age kids in a more European/Pro-style environment, as the commitment is essentially year round. In STL, that means kids who play for SLSG (I think that is what they currently go by) can not play for their HS, period. This is true for something like 75-100 Developmental Academies, as recognized by USSF. And each MLS club has indirect control over players from within their "footprint", which is why a guy like Josh Sargent, who plays for SLSG, qualifies for a homegrown contract with Kansas City. 

[prebilliken]

23 hours ago, Zink said:

While what you said was true in the past, within the past five or so years, the top-tier clubs require their players to only play for them (regardless of how good/bad their high school team is). It was a joint initiative between MLS and the USSF to get high school age kids in a more European/Pro-style environment, as the commitment is essentially year round. In STL, that means kids who play for SLSG (I think that is what they currently go by) can not play for their HS, period. This is true for something like 75-100 Developmental Academies, as recognized by USSF. And each MLS club has indirect control over players from within their "footprint", which is why a guy like Josh Sargent, who plays for SLSG, qualifies for a homegrown contract with Kansas City. 

Gotchya. I appreciate the insight.