🇺🇸 Big Clubs Aren’t the Goal: Rethinking the Culture of Youth Soccer in America

Player Development | Mindset | Culture

In American youth soccer, the conversation too often revolves around what club you play for instead of what kind of player you’re becoming.

Parents chase badges. Players chase status. Clubs chase numbers.Somewhere along the way, we’ve mistaken exposure for development.

In the culture that we have established, we see it differently. The goal isn’t to get into a “big” club. The goal is to build a player who doesn’t need one to be successful. I had a ref come up to me after a match recently and said, “good luck keeping these players together.”

Not knowing how far each and every one of these players have come and the environment that they are currently in. Since we aren’t known as an “academy” people on the outside make an assumption that good players don’t belong there. It is unfortunate that a badge really allows people to make judgment on where players deserve to be.

1. The Badge Isn’t the Benchmark

Across the U.S., players and families jump from club to club every year, hoping a bigger name will open bigger doors. But here’s the truth: a logo doesn’t develop you, people do.The environment matters far more than the name on the jersey.

If a player trains with passion, accountability, and purpose, they’ll grow. Whether that’s at a national level academy or a small-town pitch. If a player is surrounded by politics, false promises, or disconnection, no badge can fix that.

Development doesn’t happen because you wear the badge. It happens because you earn it.

2. The Illusion of “Better Opportunities”

Parents often believe that joining a bigger or “top” club guarantees exposure, college looks, or professional attention. But college coaches don’t recruit logos. They recruit players who perform, compete, and understand the game on top of being a good person.

Chasing exposure without mastering fundamentals is like showing up to an exam without studying. The players who truly stand out are the ones who build consistency, not connections.

The truth is simple… recruitment and success come from growth, not geography.And players still have to do the work.

We’ve all seen clubs promote their “college pathways” and boast 100% success rates for players moving on to college soccer. But what’s often overlooked is that many of those players had already committed before joining that club.

Celebrating players who move on, whether that’s college, trade school, or any other form of personal development, is something to be proud of. Every path forward matters.

But the real focus should always be on developing better people throughout the process, not just chasing commitments or producing highlight reels. Because no matter where your next level is, it will always demand preparation, maturity, and consistency.

3. Development Over Destination

We teach our players to take pride in their process.Every training session, every decision, every piece of feedback. It all matters. Because development is not instant. It’s daily.

Too many young players believe their path is only legitimate if it runs through a big youth club.That’s false. The best players are built through time, repetition, accountability, and love for the game. Not marketing.

4. Our Standard

We’ve built a culture around doing things the right way.We care about growth, education, and professionalism.  Not the logo on your jersey.

Players who come through Kemp Soccer Development understand that we’re building long-term ballers and better people. We prepare them to thrive anywhere. Whether that be college, professional, or just life itself.  Because they understand how to work, how to lead, and how to think. Not about bragging about the patch that is on their sleeve or the badge that is on their shirt

That’s the difference between chasing opportunity and creating it.

Closing Thought...

Big clubs may look impressive, but they’re not the finish line. If your identity depends on the crest on your chest, you’ll always be chasing.

But when you focus on mastering your craft, being coachable, and raising your standard every day, you’ll attract the right opportunities naturally.

Our standard doesn’t force us to chase the system.We redefine it.