For many years, soccer aficionados in the United States, including the leadership of the United States Soccer Federation, the sports national governing body, have grappled with the issue of player development.
 
In a country as large as the United States, and with the sport of soccer growing on so many grassroots levels, the task of identifying the best players across America's 50 states has been a problem, which has been confounding the games experts.
 
In 1999, United Soccer Leagues (USL) - the largest system of national soccer leagues in America - introduced a program to help solve the dilemma of identifying America's top young players. The Super Y-League (SYL), a North American youth soccer league for elite level players, began year five in 2004 in an effort to help U.S. Soccer in its quest to put a bead on the top youth players who are best bets to play on the professional level and, possibly, become members of the U.S. National Team.
 
"This is the final piece to the puzzle of what we have long envisioned as a complete system to help players work their way toward higher levels of play," said Francisco Marcos, president and founder of the United Soccer Leagues for the past 18 years. "The Super Y-League is in concert with what we are trying to accomplish at all levels of soccer in the United States - that is, make American players better equipped to move into the national arena," Marcos added.
 
Over the past four seasons, the major youth clubs, professional and amateur teams in the United States and Canada have contributed their ideas on providing a league for North America's top youth players. The pilot season in 1999 began with 16 teams in two major regions of the United States. Currently there are over 680 of the top youth teams competing in week in - week out league competition in the 2004 season.  With many new changes on the way in 2005, the Super Y-League structure will provide the highest-level competition across the country, and provide new opportunities for the growth of the game.

 

“There are many changes being made in the current youth soccer landscape,” said Super Y-League Director, Matt Weibe. “The serious competitive clubs are now focusing more on competition, player identification and programs in the Super Y-League and US Club Soccer over those in larger national youth soccer organizations, because that is what they need to build the next level of the game in this country.” 
 
Many professional teams from Major League Soccer, the A-League and the USL Pro Soccer League, have initiated youth development programs for the elite level players in their area.  The major amateur clubs in the Premier Development League and the top women’s league in the world, the W-League, have developed their youth teams in the Super Y-League.
 
"The developments over the past few years with professional teams creating opportunities for advanced level player development and the focus of stronger league competition from the major youth clubs have opened many new doors for American soccer," said Weibe. 
 
"Youth programs of first division clubs are something that must be established to advance soccer in this country. The only answer to make soccer stronger that will prevail over any other is the direction that professional soccer takes with youth development. The Super Y-League has proved that it is capable of being the catalyst and competitive outlet for these programs. I expect that the soccer leadership in the U.S. will now focus efforts to move forward with more professional teams creating youth development programs and that the SYL will become the definitive playing ground for the elite level player." 
 
Another important aspect of the Super Y-League has been the approval of the Olympic Development Program that it will offer to provide opportunities for players to be identified for U.S. National Team Programs.  In addition to the ODP system that the league has created, the introduction of other player identification and development programs known as Player Development Opportunity (PDO) programs also are being created within the league.
 
"There has always been one route for ODP in this country.  This has been through the state association try-out system that US Youth Soccer has offered.  The Super Y-League will offer an ODP system that puts the responsibility into the clubs for playing an active part in identifying players for National Team Programs.  The efforts of US Club Soccer and their ID2 player identification program will also aid the development of player identification and support the Super Y-League’s ODP system.  It is our belief that this system is more complete and it will greatly improve the identification of players for US Soccer."