With "an expanded operating budget, the addition of youth national teams for each age group from 14-20 and more rigorous standards for coaching licenses, U.S. soccer aims to improve the country's ability to develop world class players," according to Jeff Carlisle of ESPN FC. Player and coaching development initiatives "were announced at a roundtable with reporters after Sunday's MLS Cup final," with U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati, U.S. men's national team coach and USSF Technical Dir Jurgen Klinsmann, U.S. U-20 men's national team coach and USSF Youth Technical Dir Tab Ramos and USSF Secretary General & CEO Dan Flynn in attendance. Although all of the programs "will be instituted on the men's side," Gulati "indicated that corresponding initiatives on the women's side would be announced in January." Most of the programs "focus on longer-term youth development objectives, and are ones that Klinsmann has discussed previously in broad strokes, and is now ready to implement." USSF's youth programs "will get an external audit ... to enhance the ability of clubs and national teams to better identify and evaluate talent." The USSF also will "create a national coaching education center in partnership" with Sporting KC. In addition, the USSF will "launch a digital coaching center," which "will begin operation in January." The USSF "plans to collaborate with the NCAA to make changes to the college market, and is also investigating the possibility of developing training facilities in key markets, including a national training center" (ESPNFC.com, 12/8).
BRING IN THE SUBS: In N.Y., Billy Witz reports the USSF "is considering building its own facilities ... or more modest satellites in different parts of the country." The organization "currently rents fields and offices" in Carson, Calif., from the Galaxy's parent company, AEG, and "lacks dormitories." Gulati said that the USSF, which budgeted $53.4M "in operating costs for the current fiscal year that ends in March," has planned for an additional 50% next year. Klinsmann: “Obviously, with all the initiatives, we want to push the envelope." Meanwhile, USSF has brought in former MLS Exec VP/Competition & Game Operations Nelson Rodriguez "as a counselor for players who are deciding whether to play in college, sign with MLS, or head overseas." The move is considered "an olive branch to MLS" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/9). SI.com's Brian Straus wrote if '14 was about whether Klinsmann "could lead the senior U.S. national team through a World Cup, then 2015 will be the year he begins to make his mark" as USSF Technical Dir. The focus "now turns toward the future" (SI.com, 12/8).
