The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Alexi LalasDespite shake-ups and national publicity about its downfall, high school soccer remains one of the most popular avenues in the United States for consumption of the world’s game. The scholastic endeavor hosts thousands of players every year, but the vast majority of top elite players in the country are not suiting up for their schools.
In 2011, U.S. Soccer Federation began implementing a 10-month schedule in the Development Academy with clubs in California and Texas, which meant that players were forced to pick between Academy and high school.
The next season, USSF followed suit with the rest of the nation.
Among the wide score of players that left high school soccer was a select few that were granted a waiver to continue participating in both for reasons that ranged from scholarships to academics. One of the most noteworthy waiver users was U.S. U18 Men’s National Team defender Suliaman Dainkeh who played for South Lakes (Reston, Virginia) as well as D.C. United Academy this fall.
USSF spokesman Neil Buethe told TopDrawerSoccer.com that USSF is currently assessing whether to continue on with the waiver program for the 2013-2014 season.
