@JacobBrownDOC Thank you for sharing. Curious, how many players do you normally field for each U8 team and how many coaches are assigned to each?

@AngrySoccerGuy Tricky one. The US team is unquestionably more talented than recent history, but the game has also gotten far better around the world. Watching videos of football from the 1970s/80s and today is like watching two different sports.

@usmntonly @calebturner23 Diego will tell his grandkids about that one day.

@herculezg @SebiSalazarFUT @CrisAlexESPN @elbetOe Deep dive into Greg’s shoe collection.

@NILvsNLI @J_hunt1123 I’ve seen the same. Many children raised in the US believe college and a great job is their birthright and don’t understand what a great opportunity it is to study, work and live in the US.

@CoachDSMJ So true. There are so many coaches putting in long hours the right way. They change kids lives every day AND develop great players. I fear we get so hung up on deficiencies in the system that we forget all the good that is happening.

@AngrySoccerGuy It’s situational. We are removed enough from large clubs (1.5 hrs min) that only the hugely dedicated kid chooses to train & play there. Plus, they get to play with their friends and grow to compete/beat strong teams. Still, your point is absolutely valid.

@Wendi_Irlbeck Chocolate!

@THEChrisKessell Success to me is overachieving our baseline. We aim to grow beyond what is typical by working beyond what is typical, (and strive to have fun while we do it.)

@THEChrisKessell Watching a bunch of our small club’s teams compete at a regional NC tournament, including my daughters. Always fun to play and beat larger club opponents ;) After those games (by far the best), Leeds, Arsenal and AC Milan.

@JacobBrownDOC I think we can ask what competent coach at ANY level wants their players thinking about the "other game." It does seem very juvenile.

@TexasCoachMike Hey Michael. Fellow youth coach (NC). Your young guys seem so skilled on the ball. What do you attribute this to? Do you have a large pool to draw from or start them very young on skill development? Thanks in advance for any input.

@_ToddBeane Hi Todd. Interested to know if Spanish youth players are able play on teams more locally and without the layers of travel, cost and credentials (gatekeepers) common in the US system? If so, is it a "local league" or something else?

@herculezg Is Uruguay this good or is Mexico this bad?

@herculezg I’m sure there are USMNT coaches watching Uruguay tonight thinking that game in KC is going to be a steep mountain to climb. If we needed more evidence.

@jimshapiro “Lovely work Tim!” “Tim is on fire!” “Did everyone see how Tim made that run?” “You just made my day with that!”

@DanPoche In our smaller community, parents come initially for the character building and joy, and end up staying for the rich community & skill development. In smaller markets where there is no access to ECNL, etc, sometimes a more beautiful thing is actually allowed to flourish.

@cwponton More or less I think it’s too late. Even in our small community, the entire MS team is made up of boys or girls with 2 or more years experience in club soccer as their primary sport. Hard to catch up unless you are a phenomenal athelete.

@worldsoccertalk @Greg_Beswick In our small community we are developing solid players from U10-U12 at $350 season and U13-U18 at roughly $550 season. This is with many experienced volunteer coaches & a soccer community that pours into these kids. The lower cost and development has led to great retention.