The United States uses a “pay-to-play” model in girls youth soccer. This means that for a child to want to venture into the sport, their family has to be financially equipped to take on the venture. Parents spend thousands of dollars per year to support their children’s interests. This model not only harms the families financially but could be hindering the improvement of the sport itself.
Issues with “Pay-to-Play”
The most obvious issue with this model of play is that not every aspiring player gets the same opportunity. The more expensive clubs have more tournaments with bigger names and possibly even more scouts. In contrast, less expensive clubs are typically more underfunded and do not include fancy tournaments or scouting opportunities. More economically fortunate families can support more games and tournaments for their children, while lower-income households, most of the time, can not afford it. This situation creates a system where young talent goes unnoticed and unsupported.
The fact that so many USWNT stars got their start through AYSO ( a soccer organization that offers the sport for a fraction of the cost that private club orgs do) goes to show how if we got rid of our ‘pay to play’ system, we’d be even stronger.
