December 3 – It has been said that one of the biggest problems concerning player development in the United States is the lack of quality coaches. From mom and pop volunteers, to various forms of unqualified enthusiasts, the tactical, technical, physical, and mental side of football are given short thrift in search of easy wins, and a quick buck.
As the third largest country in the world, per population, it would follow that the United States would have a production line of world-class players produced by elite coaches but as results at the pinnacle of the men’s game has shown, that is not the case.
So, what is the problem?
The answer is complex and yet, remarkably simple, and can be defined in one word…COST!
The US Soccer Federation (USSF) likes to congratulate itself on its welcoming, and diverse environment, which includes equal pay for both men and women, but at the same time puts socioeconomic financial barriers in place to seemingly prevent coaches from having access to the top tiers of coaching education.
Currently, the US Soccer Pro License costs $10,000, making it the most expensive soccer coaching license in the world.
That price doesn’t include travel, food, and accommodation for a course that takes 12 months with three in-person meetings of 5 days each, two virtual meetings per month, two six-day onsite visits to the coach’s club by a USSF instructor, an international visit where possible, two developmental periods, a final presentation and interview to complete with no guarantee of a passing grade.
To put this expense into context, Holland, Denmark, and England charge a little over $9,000 for the highly prestigious UEFA A license, which is considered much more desirable. Meanwhile at the other end of the scale is Germany, where the UEFA A license costs a meagre €600.
While it is hard to quantify the benefits of elite coaching, the record of the Mannschaft is eyewatering compared to the USMNT. Four FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships stacks up impressively against seven Concacaf Gold Cups, where the US really only has one consistent rival in Mexico.
South of the US border, Mexico has a national certification program for athletics coaches. The Mexican Athletics Federation (FMA) runs a program where lecturers travel the country to certify coaches, with the federation covering 50% of the course fees. To complete all the coaching modules from youth to professional will cost approximately $5,000.
The US can point to the success of the USWNT as a barometer for coaching success, however, many would argue that Title IX was responsible for the growth of the women’s game and enabled the US to gain a competitive athletic advantage for the first few decades of women’s international soccer. This domination was followed by a fallow period while the world caught up until English woman, Jill Ellis, won back-to-back World Cups.
To sum up the disparity, Germany has 6,934 UEFA A Licensed coaches, Italy 2,281, France 3,308, and Spain 15,423, while the US has less than 1,000 Pro Licensed coaches.
Until the financial barrier is truly smashed, it is reasonable to assume that elite coaching in the United States will lag behind the rest of the world.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1733264360labto1733264360ofdlr1733264360owedi1733264360sni@o1733264360fni1733264360