Development Academy

[soccercoach]

Heard many are turning down the offer to play with the Development Academy. Friend of mine called to say his son received an offer to join (and turned it down) after not being on the original list or the alternate list....so there was at least 6+ turn downs at the U16 level. Wonder why? Travel? Understanding of what the program is? Staff?

[reccos]

1. Many players that were on the current U16 DA team (and deserved to make the team again this year ) were first offered a spot on the U17 USYS team, that way the current members can pay the $1500 in fees and still get pulled up for a number of games in the DA. OE can then attract new players by saying the DA is free. OE thought the current members would fall for this. . . . . when they didn't they were then offered a spot on the DA and most didn't take it they went elsewhere.

2. Mike Cullina isn't anywhere near the trainer Roby Stahl is - big mistake.

3. DA is free - - - not- - - the cost of travel is unbelievable. OE will probably incorporate their fees in the cost of the travel and you have no say in how you travel so the cost is not-negotable. You are told how you travel, where you stay etc. You are told to write a check to the boys administrator (parent) and then he makes all arrangements so your not even sure this is the true cost. Not handled properly at all.

4. OE doesn't tell the parents/players things until they already have you sucked in . . . . i.e. Roby Stahl leaving, USSDA expenses, OE merging with Team Ohio, etc. etc.

This in my opinion is why players didn't stay with the DA.

[sports7729]

1. Many players that were on the current U16 DA team (and deserved to make the team again this year ) were first offered a spot on the U17 USYS team, that way the current members can pay the $1500 in fees and still get pulled up for a number of games in the DA. OE can then attract new players by saying the DA is free. OE thought the current members would fall for this. . . . . when they didn't they were then offered a spot on the DA and most didn't take it they went elsewhere.

2. Mike Cullina isn't anywhere near the trainer Roby Stahl is - big mistake.

3. DA is free - - - not- - - the cost of travel is unbelievable. OE will probably incorporate their fees in the cost of the travel and you have no say in how you travel so the cost is not-negotable. You are told how you travel, where you stay etc. You are told to write a check to the boys administrator (parent) and then he makes all arrangements so your not even sure this is the true cost. Not handled properly at all.

4. OE doesn't tell the parents/players things until they already have you sucked in . . . . i.e. Roby Stahl leaving, USSDA expenses, OE merging with Team Ohio, etc. etc.

This in my opinion is why players didn't stay with the DA.

Good info. I was not aware of #1.

I had heard about #2....Mike Cullina left Hammer because they wanted him to train (to justify his existence) and he wanted to be an administrator. Not cut out of the same mold as Tim and Doug. His days are numbered. Bad hire.


#3 - Once the travel schedule was discussed it became very clear that the expenses would be large.

#4 - was not aware.

Thanks.

[sports7729]

Do you know this to be fact or is it just hearsay? Who or what are your sources of this information? I am asking because I am curious. I am much better connected with the girl’s side of soccer in this city and, with some exceptions, am not as well informed about the boy's side of things. I agree that Roby Stahl is very good but I have not heard much that is negative about Cullina. Thanks

First, this is not hearsay. My sources are very reliable. Ask a Hammer coach/ trainer how much Mike Cullina trained teams. I know the answer but you should ask. He added website improvements, emphasis on spreadsheets, power point presentations, and dvd creations but very little "roll up your sleeves" and train teams/young coaches. If you are the top guy (licensing, pay, etc...) in a top club, you got to train! Bottom line - square peg in a round hole for Hammer. Hammer trainers train, Mike wants to wear the sun glasses and watch.

[Hurricane62]

I have never seen Cullina train, so I have no idea if he is good or not. The only way I can judge his training is by results. By what I can tell the boys side of the Classics did not do well in state cup under him. This may not have been his fault as I do not know what kind of talent he had to work with. If I were a parent of one of his teams I would expect results for the kind of money he was being paid. Time will tell what he can do with OE. He jumped ship or was forced out by the Classics pretty quickly. Makes you wonder what that club learned in a short time, or what he learned about them.

I would think Tim would have Cullina on a short leash. I can't imagine Tim letting Cullina hang around to long without producing. If it's true Cullina don't like to train he won't be long for OE.

[reccos]

I can tell you. I've seen him train and I'm not impressed at all.

[Hugesoccerfan]

Ohio Elite is not even fielding a U16 team this year aside from the DA one.

[kyrbaco]

They aren't fielding a U17 team either from what I understand.

[acmilan13]

I understand they were attempting to combine the 16's/17's to put together a non-DA team to compete in MRL but they did not have even have a good enough turnout to form a combined team.

[WHITE SHOES 07]

Slow down. Now that we've all had time to talk to our sources at OE and most of the news coming out of the club is all negative, I'll try this approach.
The problem starts with the U-18 team and as OE's web site states they currently have 6 players playing up that would qualify for the current U-16 team. The U-18 team never had enough age appropriate players. Take those 6 players and add another 10 or so of the current team they would be at least a .500 team in the DA not to mention that they would have dominated the Ohio South Leagues. I've heard that only 4 current U-16 players were offered spots on the team for next year. I also heard that the fees and travel are a little expensive but take a look at the DA web site and it states that over 80 colleges attended the last DA Showcase. How about waiting to see if and when the OE U-18 players start making college commitments and then decide if the cost was worth it. By the way the U-18 team seems to be winning a few games and not losing any players to any other clubs. If the U-16 team were winning games would players still be leaving ?

[037542niner]

How is 80 coaches at the DA showcase any different then the Jefferson Cup, Disney, Raleigh shootout, GIT? All tournaments/showcases that take top level teams outside of the DA.

[WHITE SHOES 07]

Not much of a diffrence at all as long as you attend all of them. Within the DA the chances of playing top notch competition is greater. The DA Showcase in is all at the same venue ( ie: Home Depot Center ) not spread out across a city or state as in some of the other tournaments. OE is strong on the girls side and the boys side should catch up within the next few years. From what I've heard the U-16 team had a difficult year. 6 new players, 3 diffrent coaches, a new style of play and a new league. My hats off to the boys who continued show up, work hard and play through troubled times.

[kyrbaco]

First off, the DA can only take 18 players to a game with a minimum of 20 on a roster. So how much exposure is a player going to get when he is told he can't go to a showcase because he was not one of the 18 picked?

Whiteshoes, your statement of "the U18 team seems to be winning a few games and not losing any players to any other clubs. . . . If the U16 team were winning games would players still be leaving?" What about the couple of players on the U18 team (2 or 3) who quit before the season was over bec they weren't getting any playing time? Also the U18s are coached by Tim Lesiak but the U16s are coached by Mike Cullina. The training is not there for the U16s.

[Hugesoccerfan]

1. Many players that were on the current U16 DA team (and deserved to make the team again this year ) were first offered a spot on the U17 USYS team, that way the current members can pay the $1500 in fees and still get pulled up for a number of games in the DA. OE can then attract new players by saying the DA is free. OE thought the current members would fall for this. . . . . when they didn't they were then offered a spot on the DA and most didn't take it they went elsewhere.

2. Mike Cullina isn't anywhere near the trainer Roby Stahl is - big mistake.

3. DA is free - - - not- - - the cost of travel is unbelievable. OE will probably incorporate their fees in the cost of the travel and you have no say in how you travel so the cost is not-negotable. You are told how you travel, where you stay etc. You are told to write a check to the boys administrator (parent) and then he makes all arrangements so your not even sure this is the true cost. Not handled properly at all.

4. OE doesn't tell the parents/players things until they already have you sucked in . . . . i.e. Roby Stahl leaving, USSDA expenses, OE merging with Team Ohio, etc. etc.

This in my opinion is why players didn't stay with the DA.


My son decided to go the the DA tryouts and confirmed what you are saying. He knew some kids offered spots and was amazed at who they picked up but knew kids that were on the Academy team last year that were NOT offered spots that were vastly better players. Makes you wonder what is going on. Either the evaluation is way off or they are counting on kids that are in the club to come back and pay dues and picking up new kids for the DA this year to attract numbers. Anyway, after seeing what was going on, my son has no interest at all in the club.

[farpostrun]

The single biggest mistake OE made here was firing Stahl. Dosent matter who they brought in to replace him, his training is top dollar and kids are loyal to him. Now hes head coach of the PDL team expect HS players to move that direction rather than the DA route. ( I personally think DA is excellent but only provides opportunities for a few select players ) and there are many great young players here in town who are not involved in it.

[acmilan13]

In my opinion, the DA is a good concept but it needs some work. It does not involve the 64 best clubs in the country when the strongest club from Ohio South is not even a member. As for the college coaches, I know everyone thinks that the DA matches & showcases are the only events that coaches attend for recruiting purposes but don't be mistaken (I even saw one myself at a "regular" tournament) . Seriously though, if college coaches only attended the DA events then think of all the clubs and players they would be bypassing for their programs. They will recruit at all premier matches and events. If there happens to be a marquee matchup in the DA the same weekend as a premier tournament, then you will probably see the head coach at one and the assistant at another. Guess what? It does not matter who is there watching you because the recruiting process involves the coach seeing you play more than once and will involve more than one coach evaluating you as well. If an assistant is seeing you the first time around he/she will make a recommendation to the head coach that he/she needs to see you play. Back to the DA though, it could be a great concept if they work out the kinks. For right now, I personally like how the MRL operates as long as it can remain strong and until the DA structure is revised.

[soccerwatcher]

Don't plan on seeing any teams from Central Ohio getting into the Development Academy - the Crew wants any good players all to themselves so seems to have "blackballed" any other central ohio teams getting in. That's why I believe TO created an affiliation with Ohio Elite. Don't kid yourself there is money involved between Nike clubs and Adidas clubs too.

[CSA]

I my opinion if you want the best 64 or 80 or whatever the number is then there should not be two teams from columbus getting in or two teams from cinci or cleveland or whatever. If you do that then all you are doing is recreating the bad system we already have in place. The goal of the DA is to get the best players playing together if you limit the teams getting in then the best players must move to the clubs that are in. Otherwise you weaken a good system. If you can't make the Crew team or the OE team then guess what you just are not good enough to play in the DA go home work on your game and try again the next year no shame in that.

The DA should be exclusive.

[soccerwatcher]

I my opinion if you want the best 64 or 80 or whatever the number is then there should not be two teams from columbus getting in or two teams from cinci or cleveland or whatever. If you do that then all you are doing is recreating the bad system we already have in place. The goal of the DA is to get the best players playing together if you limit the teams getting in then the best players must move to the clubs that are in. Otherwise you weaken a good system. If you can't make the Crew team or the OE team then guess what you just are not good enough to play in the DA go home work on your game and try again the next year no shame in that.

The DA should be exclusive.

Do you honestly think the Crew Academy has the best players in Central Ohio - far from it - they had to go to PSA who dominated the starting line-up and most are from other countries (at U16 age group anyway). the kids that do play came from Team Ohio. Worthington United makes up the difference and they were never able to compete at u16 AT A HIGH LEVEL.