exposure for college will be as great or better than any local Academy?

NOT EVEN CLOSE compare Smithtown & Albertson and tell me which program sends more kids onto play college soccer.

This really deserves the "dream on sucker" comment!!!

The real dream is any Smithtown player going to Albutson-Sucker!

Really? Come to an academy practice.....

This really deserves the "dream on sucker" comment!!!


Red Bulls is an MLS Academy these other two clubs are location driven. Let's hope NY gets an MLS team for the future.

Listen, this parent is a bit of a dreamer. While Smithtown has a solid team, the notion that coaches of top flight D1 schools with so many games to watch are going to single out a Smithtown match over a Red Bulls Academy Team match is silly. It's the product of a wishful thinking mindset steeped in ignorance. For better or worse, the academy structure has created a dymanimc whereby players for acedemy teams are getting the preferential looks, plain and simple. There are just so many hours in tthe day to see a game or games with so many potential recruits from all different parts of the Country. If this parent actually believes that Smithtown is getting the looks, then he needs to come out from his Alic and Wonderland world and start to grasp reality of the current male youth soccer landscape.

I am not involved with Smithtown but have to say they are one of the best clubs in this area, so called academy clubs included.

The so called academy clubs carry 25, only 18 go to any game and as a rule no more than 15 ever see the field. Tell me how the other 10 ever get seen by any colleges?
Playing in a premier league team is as good a shot as you get to be seen by college scouts. Be aware that many if not most scholarships from D1 schools go to international players.
It is in the boys best interest to play for premier teams and play school ball. Fun is the goal at 15, along with learn team play in competetive leagues.
I know a sophmore at Georgetown with a full ride never played in the so called academies

Celtics had a great weekend, 2 NERP wins in Fort Ann, as well as a very hard fought game in horrible weather for State cup against "Albertson Academy". Close game Celtics win in PK's

No, my son played on an academy team and played a total of 8 minutes the entire season last year. In the 4 minutes he did play in one game, a college scout picked him out for his tremendous skill and determination (I guess the elite academy trainers I had coughed up so much $$ for had somehow missed what the scout had seen). He specifically indicated to my son that it was very lucky that he sat around all season and didn't play any competitive soccer all year (except the 8 minutes). The scout told him it would have been a huge mistake on his and his parents part if he was allowed to actually play significant minutes on any team - riding the bench was the key to his success. Additionally not having fun the entire season was a lesser but still important piece in his development. He was given a full D1 scholarship and now is the top scorer on his top ten level D1 college team.