Mark Leys

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@DavidBakhtiari F
WI plus West MI

[Aakash Gupta @aakashgupta]

In Germany, a talented 14-year-old earns his club money. In America, his parents pay the club $15,000 a year.

That single inversion explains why "we will not" is the most accurate line ever written about US soccer.

FIFA built a global system for this. Training compensation and solidarity payments send a cut of every transfer fee back to the clubs that developed the player, from age 12 onward. Develop one future pro and your academy gets paid for a decade. Barcelona's La Masia, Ajax, every Bundesliga academy runs on this logic. The kid is the asset.

US Soccer refuses to enforce those rules. When Seattle's Crossfire Premier claimed its $60,000 share of DeAndre Yedlin's transfer to Tottenham, it got nothing. Claims on the Dempsey and Bradley transfers died partly because the federation couldn't even produce the youth training records.

So American clubs earn zero dollars when a kid turns pro. They earn when a kid enrolls. Which makes the parent the customer, and the product is whatever keeps the parent writing checks: travel tournaments, hotel weekends, $500 showcase events, private training at $100 an hour. Elite pathways run $8,000 to $20,000 a year. A comparable academy spot in Italy costs about 120 euros.

Follow the incentive one level deeper and it gets darker. A club dependent on fees can't cut its weakest paying players, so rosters optimize for retention over development. The scouting pool shrinks to families who can afford the cliff, which appears around age 11, exactly when development matters most. The country runs a talent filter sorted by household income instead of ability.

Every four years someone proposes fixing this. The proposal always requires the people profiting from the $15,000 model to vote themselves out of business.

They will not.

[Paul Spacey ⚽️ @PaulSpacey]

https://t.co/x9E06LGrxP

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@BrewersMagicNum 109 now

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@RGIII @NFL @OuttaPocketRG3 @BuffaloBills Cooks catch

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@PGPackersNews Fans?

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@NFLHitman33 I love your insight! I’m Stoked 9 is fine! 🤘🏼👍🏼🧀

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@Peter_Bukowski Obviously he’s in bed with fan duel 🤣🤷🏻‍♂️

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@AndyHermanNFL Did @waynelarrivee say so? ??

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@ESPNMilwaukee #12

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@dannykanell It’s totally absurd. Every sport. Every age…unfortunately some clubs prohibit their players from playing in their respective high school team. Such a shame kids don’t have the experience to play for their school and classmates.

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@FinishLineHelp I received an email that says my package was delivered, however there is nothing on my door step and my ring camera shows nothing was delivered. Could you please let me know what can be done?

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@PackerRanter Hoping it was Dan Campbell

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

It’s such a privilege to watch your kid pour so much into something he loves. Forever thankful for the relationships formed around this game. I’ll miss watching this team take the field with one another. The past 4 years delivered so many memories. Thank you @BoysMVSoccer

[Metea Boys Soccer @BoysMVSoccer]

Varsity’s season ends in the regional final 2-1 vs. Plainfield Central. The boys played fantastic and beyond proud of them. Congrats to Plainfield Central and good luck going forward. Carlos Sanchez with the goal from Michael Birkner. @MeteaBoosters @MeteaAthletics

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@jjones9 @CBSSports 🤣🤣🤣sounds legit

[Naperville Community Television (NCTV17) @NCTV17]

Metea Valley boys soccer welcomed Naperville Central for an matchup that needed extra time to decide the winner! @MeteaAthletics @meteavalley @BoysMVSoccer @MeteaBoosters @NCHSRedhawks @redhwkboysoccer
https://t.co/fWNBKxGwVp

[Naperville Community Television (NCTV17) @NCTV17]

Seniors Cade Valek from Waubonsie Valley and Cam Leys from Metea Valley are playing both football and boys soccer this fall! @MeteaAthletics @meteavalley @MeteaBoosters @athleticswvhs @FOOTBALLWVHS @WVHS_Boosters @BoysMVSoccer @WVBoysSoccer @MeteaFootball
https://t.co/GijSr32VoH

[Metea Boys Soccer @BoysMVSoccer]

Takes a special person to manage playing for two teams in one season. Proud of what you give to MV athletics Cam! ⁦@MeteaAthletics⁩ ⁦@MeteaBoosters⁩ https://t.co/cYwXtdP0LW

[Mark Leys @MDLeys]

@freezesports1 Mike McKenzie