Hey everyone, Neil Crawford here, founder of Anytime Soccer Training. In this episode of The Inside Scoop, I’m diving into one of the most talked-about — and misunderstood — issues in American youth soccer: pay-to-play.

I recently watched a YouTube video titled “The Real (Optimistic) Truth About Pay-to-Play in America” and had a thoughtful exchange with the host. It sparked this episode because, while the video raised some valid points, many people miss a critical nuance when comparing the U.S. system to countries like England, Germany, or Brazil.

Yes, soccer is more expensive for families here. But what often gets overlooked is that we’re demanding and paying for a very different product — more training, more paid coaches, more structure.

In many other countries, most kids play under volunteers with minimal costs and far fewer services. So while it’s true that players abroad might pay less, they’re also getting less — at least until they enter elite academies, which only a tiny percentage of kids ever do.

In this episode, I break that down and explain why I think the U.S. system is flawed — but not always in the way it’s portrayed.

Here is the video: https://youtu.be/ThOcraYEhro?si=8EoW5UnWIsbwjPLu

Let's get better together.