Interesting youth soccer scouting thread

[Fk_Pitt]

I used to get stuff like this on my timeline all the time but this one popped up and I thought I’d share. It’s a 14 year old American boy, and when I clicked on it I wondered if it was some phenom like Christian. Then I watched the video and questioned what I was looking at. In any event, a scout jumped in and gave his evaluation based on 73 seconds and all hell broke loose. Soccer Dads started slamming this guy.

Now I don’t know if this guy has an ego problem and wants to flex. Lots of guys like that in soccer. But it’s an interesting read. There’s also something very creepy about evaluating young kids on social media. But it’s kinda what rivals does. Lol.

 

[121rum]

Cavan Sullivan is legit, there's reasons legit scouts are drooling over him, that Oscar guy is a clown.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Cavan Sullivan is legit, there's reasons legit scouts are drooling over him, that Oscar guy is a clown.

Yeah sounds like he has a high opinion of himself and wants to show random people on twitter that he has a job in soccer. Weird. Additionally it sounds like he rates like rivals based on pro projections. But, how do you rank a kid on pro projections when he’s 14? The guy cites that he gets knocked off the ball. Well yeah he’s barely hit puberty.

 

[121rum]

Yeah sounds like he has a high opinion of himself and wants to show random people on twitter that he has a job in soccer. Weird. Additionally it sounds like he rates like rivals based on pro projections. But, how do you rank a kid on pro projections when he’s 14? The guy cites that he gets knocked off the ball. Well yeah he’s barely hit puberty.

I'm also pretty sure in this clip sullivan is playing against guys 2 years older then him

 

[mike412]

Reminded me of the scouting report a talent evaluator for 20th Century Fox did on Fred Astaire when he was sent to see him performing on stage in NYC:

“Can’t sing. Can’t act. Can dance a little.”

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I'm also pretty sure in this clip sullivan is playing against guys 2 years older then him

Yeah. Not sure if you all have access to the whole thread but they talk about it.

 

[pittdan77]

Trying to evaluate a kid that will play club and prep for another three or four years is kind of dumb and borderline creepy. Imagine if someone did that for Olivia Babcock at that age and said she'd never amount to much because she started playing the sport so late.

 

[121rum]

Trying to evaluate a kid that will play club and prep for another three or four years is kind of dumb and borderline creepy. Imagine if someone did that for Olivia Babcock at that age and said she'd never amount to much because she started playing the sport so late.

What age do scouting services start looking at football and basketball recruits?

 

[pittdan77]

What age do scouting services start looking at football and basketball recruits?

I have no idea with basketball but you don't see many evaluations on football players prior to the summer before their junior year, if then. Unless the kid is "old" for their class and physically mature, I wouldn't bother with even doing a Hudl video until after their Junior season. The main difference is that there isn't really club football. These other sports all have some level of juniors and that's where I think you see this stuff the most.

I will say that there are "recruiting services" that seem to be aggressively going after younger and younger kids. From where I sit, most of them just take the videos you record yourself and piece them together and put their name on it and hand it back to you. I know Nike run tournaments record each game and for $100 bucks or so, will provide you with a highlight tape after the tournament. I've been approached about these things for my kid and I don't see any meaningful value to doing a highlight tape of my freshman VB player who plays on a decent hybrid club team but is still putting pieces of her game together and hasn't even started a varsity VB game yet. Even if she was a super talented girl that age who was starting to get some sniffs, I'd pull back on the reigns because she isn't done growing and still has a way to go before she is physically mature. Maybe look at camp invites but she has more than a year before she can even have any official 1-on-1 contact with a coach.

 

[Pitt79]

But, how do you rank a kid on pro projections when he’s 14? The guy cites that he gets knocked off the ball. Well yeah he’s barely hit puberty.

Aren't there a decent number of kids that have played in MLS in the 15–16-year-old range?

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Aren't there a decent number of kids that have played in MLS in the 15–16-year-old range?

Probably but I don’t really know. I’ve never really followed male youth soccer that closely or the MLS at all.

I did just see an article on espn that MLS has pulled out of the US Open Cup and will enter their MLS Next teams.

 

[Pitt79]

Probably but I don’t really know. I’ve never really followed male youth soccer that closely or the MLS at all.

I did just see an article on espn that MLS has pulled out of the US Open Cup and will enter their MLS Next teams.

There are a number of really young kids that have played in MLS, I even think someone broke Freddy Adu's record under 14. Cade Cowell, you probably know him, he's played for USAMNT, he joined MLS and played at 15-16 years old.

 

[Pitt79]

Who are the 10 youngest players ever signed to an MLS contract? | MLSSoccer.com

If you're good enough, you're old enough. And MLS has plenty of talent for which that aphorism rings true. Six weeks after Real Salt Lake made homegrown forward Axel Kei the youngest signing in MLS history at 14 years and 15 days old, there's a new record-holder atop the list:

www.mlssoccer.com

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/top-10-youngest-debutants-in-mls-history

There's a 13 year old signed to USL

https://www.si.com/soccer/2023/08/09/13-year-old-soccer-phenom-becomes-youngest-pro-in-american-sports-history

 

[pitt90seven]

imagine if twitter was around when Freddy Adu was the hot new thing.