Rob Jachym is currently the Head Boys Soccer Coach at Wethersfield High School in Connecticut and coaches boys teams for FSA United. Jachym was a high school All-American and a college All-American for the University of Hartford. Following graduation he was drafted by the Columbus Crew and also played for New England Revolution. His greatest success as a professional player came with Western Mass Pioneers, where he lead the team to the USL D-3 title in 1999 and in 2003 he was named USL Most Valuable player. During his time as head coach at Wethersfield High School, he has lead the team to four state championships.
Soccer Banter: What are your thoughts on the Development Academy moving to a 10-month season?
Rob Jachym: I don't think the 10-month academy season all together is a bad thing, but I do have some reservations. If a club was going to invest in its players and take care of all their expenses (like MLS teams do and some Developmental clubs) then I think it would be a great idea. You lose out on the intangibles of playing in front of your peers, kids you grew up with, etc...but in return you don't have to pay in upwards of $2,000-$3,000 (those figures may be higher). Also, not all high school programs and coaches are created equal. If a player comes from a town where the high school team is run like a recreation program, again, the academy is probably the correct choice for the serious player.
However, I still believe that high school soccer can offer many top players a role that they may never get with their academy teams. You can have a player that is in the middle of the pack on an academy team with a small role. That same player can have a much larger role, with more responsibilities, including having a leadership role (captain) and that could lead to all sorts of positive development. If you’re the third forward on the totem pole at your academy team, you may never have a large role in your team's overall success. That same player on his high school team may rarely come off the field.
I'm still a firm believer that the game is still the best teacher and that far too many academy kids are riding the pine because of the limited substitution rules.
Soccer Banter: What are your thoughts on the Development Academy moving to a 10-month season?
Rob Jachym: I don't think the 10-month academy season all together is a bad thing, but I do have some reservations. If a club was going to invest in its players and take care of all their expenses (like MLS teams do and some Developmental clubs) then I think it would be a great idea. You lose out on the intangibles of playing in front of your peers, kids you grew up with, etc...but in return you don't have to pay in upwards of $2,000-$3,000 (those figures may be higher). Also, not all high school programs and coaches are created equal. If a player comes from a town where the high school team is run like a recreation program, again, the academy is probably the correct choice for the serious player.
However, I still believe that high school soccer can offer many top players a role that they may never get with their academy teams. You can have a player that is in the middle of the pack on an academy team with a small role. That same player can have a much larger role, with more responsibilities, including having a leadership role (captain) and that could lead to all sorts of positive development. If you’re the third forward on the totem pole at your academy team, you may never have a large role in your team's overall success. That same player on his high school team may rarely come off the field.
I'm still a firm believer that the game is still the best teacher and that far too many academy kids are riding the pine because of the limited substitution rules.
SB: Looking back on your soccer career, how did high school soccer fit into your development?
RJ: I'm a product of the Connecticut soccer system: played travel, ODP, high school soccer/basketball, and Premier (in it's infancy), and I wouldn't trade the experiences I had for anything. Some of my best memories are of high school games, and not just in soccer, but basketball as well. There's something about playing for your town and having the community support you and in turn trying to make that community proud by performing well.
SB: What will you tell your current or future high school players that are faced with the decision of high school vs academy soccer?
RJ: I would never say that the Academy is bad, that's not the case, but some clubs definitely do it better than others. I still believe that if you are good enough, it doesn't matter where you play, people will find out about you. Many of the state's top players attend private schools that are too far away from Academy teams and will never play for them. Those same players year after year are going to top soccer schools. For example, I have one playing for me now, a Ghanaian boy named Isaac from Hotchkiss that is getting recruited by many top schools.
RJ: I'm a product of the Connecticut soccer system: played travel, ODP, high school soccer/basketball, and Premier (in it's infancy), and I wouldn't trade the experiences I had for anything. Some of my best memories are of high school games, and not just in soccer, but basketball as well. There's something about playing for your town and having the community support you and in turn trying to make that community proud by performing well.
SB: What will you tell your current or future high school players that are faced with the decision of high school vs academy soccer?
RJ: I would never say that the Academy is bad, that's not the case, but some clubs definitely do it better than others. I still believe that if you are good enough, it doesn't matter where you play, people will find out about you. Many of the state's top players attend private schools that are too far away from Academy teams and will never play for them. Those same players year after year are going to top soccer schools. For example, I have one playing for me now, a Ghanaian boy named Isaac from Hotchkiss that is getting recruited by many top schools.
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