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MLS Comment: New Adidas Deal Is Huge For The Future Of MLS
Goal.com's Nick Rosano looks at how the new sponsorship agreement between MLS and Adidas can further enhance youth development by MLS teams.
Sep 3, 2010 6:32:00 PM
By Nicholas Rosano
Lost among the hullabaloo surrounding Bob Bradley's rehiring as the head coach of the US national team was a piece of news that could have just as profound an impact on the future of soccer in the United States.
On the same day as Bradley's contract renewal, Major League Soccer and sportswear giant Adidas reached a contract renewal of their own, signing an eight-year sponsorship deal thought to be worth more than $200 million. The figure is a significant upgrade on the deal it replaced, signed in 2004, that provided $150 million over 10 years.
Not only does the agreement represent confidence in the future of MLS from one of the world's biggest sportswear companies, but it puts much of its focus specifically on youth development, an area of the US game that is essential for sustained growth that up until the past year or two has been lagging. If the money is used correctly, this deal will have a much bigger long term impact on the future of soccer in the United States than the rehiring of Bob Bradley ever could.
With more and more clubs taking advantage of the MLS homegrown player rule and adding academy players to their rosters, there couldn't be a better time to inject more cash into the system. More resources for youth academies and a reserve league will help increase the quality of players coming through the academy, and with the reinstatement of a reserve league looking more and more likely, give these players significantly more playing time.
An increased emphasis on academies and youth development is also another step towards giving MLS teams more autonomy in a single-entity system that has largely restricted their behavior over the first 15 years of the league. While this does very little in terms of changing the system overall (and it could be argued that the agreement would actually strengthen it), what it does do is give the teams more opportunities to develop players along their own lines, form their own identity, and establish stronger connections with the local community.
Simply put, if the clubs can devote more resources to improving their training facilities and upgrading their academies, they will have more autonomy in deciding how to develop players and which academy players they sign. With much of the promising young talent still in the college system and waiting to go pro, clubs have no say in shaping the development of players before they sign pro contracts. If clubs have a say in developing players from the age of 15 or 16, those players will integrate much better into the first team when they do go pro and smaller market teams can more feasibly build a competitive squad around a successful youth program without having to spend like a big market team.
Not only will increased investment in the youth academies of MLS teams help those teams on the field, it will make them more visible in their own communities. By devoting more resources to academies that develop locally-based players, the league and the clubs can generate an increased interest in soccer in the local communities. The attraction of having players from the surrounding area mixing it up with the best in MLS is certainly an appealing one to fans who would otherwise not be inclined to follow the local team.
Furthermore, more local players and connections will foster the growth of a unique identity grounded in the community that the club represents. Some of the biggest clubs around the world, such as Barcelona and Celtic, are clubs that despite having developed as international brands, have always been local-standard bearers. This is not to say that MLS clubs will reach that level of fame any time in the near future, but having a big base of local support will increase attendances an ultimately make MLS teams stronger and possibly more autonomous.
One point of contention in this deal, and with the growth of the academy system in general, is the relegation of college soccer as a mechanism for youth development. As the standard of training facilities improves (and it will, especially with this deal), it will become more and more apparent that the short college season and limited opportunities for development will not suit many players looking to make a professional career for themselves.
While skipping out on college soccer could help the development of many youngsters as soccer players, there is always the issue of young players missing out on a crucial part of their development as people, continued education. That's not to say every academy player out there should also get a college degree, but with the significant amount of money Adidas is pumping into youth development, some must be earmarked to help players finish their high school studies and pursue higher education should they so desire. Doing so will give players the tools they need to succeed off the pitch, when their soccer career ends and would definitely be a boon for players who wish to get into the coaching or administrative sides of the game after they hang up their boots.
Aside from the college game, it is not all smooth sailing from here on out for MLS and the academy system. It still remains to be seen whether MLS could have gotten a better deal elsewhere (say, from Nike, which sponsors the US national team) and exactly how the money will be earmarked. Still, it is important to look at the agreement for what it is: a major commitment to the continued growth of MLS as a league, the development of young American talent, and the popularity of the domestic game.
Nick Rosano is a NorCal-based contributor for Goal.com. Follow him on Twitter @nicholasrosano for more MLS insight and the occasional moment of hilarity
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
On the same day as Bradley's contract renewal, Major League Soccer and sportswear giant Adidas reached a contract renewal of their own, signing an eight-year sponsorship deal thought to be worth more than $200 million. The figure is a significant upgrade on the deal it replaced, signed in 2004, that provided $150 million over 10 years.
Not only does the agreement represent confidence in the future of MLS from one of the world's biggest sportswear companies, but it puts much of its focus specifically on youth development, an area of the US game that is essential for sustained growth that up until the past year or two has been lagging. If the money is used correctly, this deal will have a much bigger long term impact on the future of soccer in the United States than the rehiring of Bob Bradley ever could.
With more and more clubs taking advantage of the MLS homegrown player rule and adding academy players to their rosters, there couldn't be a better time to inject more cash into the system. More resources for youth academies and a reserve league will help increase the quality of players coming through the academy, and with the reinstatement of a reserve league looking more and more likely, give these players significantly more playing time.
An increased emphasis on academies and youth development is also another step towards giving MLS teams more autonomy in a single-entity system that has largely restricted their behavior over the first 15 years of the league. While this does very little in terms of changing the system overall (and it could be argued that the agreement would actually strengthen it), what it does do is give the teams more opportunities to develop players along their own lines, form their own identity, and establish stronger connections with the local community.
Simply put, if the clubs can devote more resources to improving their training facilities and upgrading their academies, they will have more autonomy in deciding how to develop players and which academy players they sign. With much of the promising young talent still in the college system and waiting to go pro, clubs have no say in shaping the development of players before they sign pro contracts. If clubs have a say in developing players from the age of 15 or 16, those players will integrate much better into the first team when they do go pro and smaller market teams can more feasibly build a competitive squad around a successful youth program without having to spend like a big market team.
Not only will increased investment in the youth academies of MLS teams help those teams on the field, it will make them more visible in their own communities. By devoting more resources to academies that develop locally-based players, the league and the clubs can generate an increased interest in soccer in the local communities. The attraction of having players from the surrounding area mixing it up with the best in MLS is certainly an appealing one to fans who would otherwise not be inclined to follow the local team.
Furthermore, more local players and connections will foster the growth of a unique identity grounded in the community that the club represents. Some of the biggest clubs around the world, such as Barcelona and Celtic, are clubs that despite having developed as international brands, have always been local-standard bearers. This is not to say that MLS clubs will reach that level of fame any time in the near future, but having a big base of local support will increase attendances an ultimately make MLS teams stronger and possibly more autonomous.
One point of contention in this deal, and with the growth of the academy system in general, is the relegation of college soccer as a mechanism for youth development. As the standard of training facilities improves (and it will, especially with this deal), it will become more and more apparent that the short college season and limited opportunities for development will not suit many players looking to make a professional career for themselves.
While skipping out on college soccer could help the development of many youngsters as soccer players, there is always the issue of young players missing out on a crucial part of their development as people, continued education. That's not to say every academy player out there should also get a college degree, but with the significant amount of money Adidas is pumping into youth development, some must be earmarked to help players finish their high school studies and pursue higher education should they so desire. Doing so will give players the tools they need to succeed off the pitch, when their soccer career ends and would definitely be a boon for players who wish to get into the coaching or administrative sides of the game after they hang up their boots.
Aside from the college game, it is not all smooth sailing from here on out for MLS and the academy system. It still remains to be seen whether MLS could have gotten a better deal elsewhere (say, from Nike, which sponsors the US national team) and exactly how the money will be earmarked. Still, it is important to look at the agreement for what it is: a major commitment to the continued growth of MLS as a league, the development of young American talent, and the popularity of the domestic game.
Nick Rosano is a NorCal-based contributor for Goal.com. Follow him on Twitter @nicholasrosano for more MLS insight and the occasional moment of hilarity
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
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