The director of a sports scholarship consultancy has hailed the progression of the US college system for women’s soccer, saying the UK has ‘nowhere near the same kind of structure.’
David Fletcher, the founder and director of Athleticademix, explained that the UK has a long way to go to match the progression of US women’s college soccer. He estimates that around 80-85% of his client base are women’s footballers.
Fletcher said: “With women’s football in particular, there is just nowhere near the same kind of structure or competitive level across the board.
“There are some that have done very well in developing the women’s programmes at university here in England and Wales, but it sort of pales in significance to the US where they have several hundred.
“It largely comes down to funding, which is probably the most obvious factor.”
US colleges have approximately 1,700 women’s football programmes. The 1972 ‘Title Nine’ order, which established equality among the sexes in federally-funded US education programmes, has seen US soccer develop a structural foundation that continues to eclipse the UK structure.
Fletcher has worked with a number of young UK stars including former Tottenham academy player Izzy Lane and current England Under 19 international Emily Brough, who attends Clemson University, South Carolina.
Fletcher spent his university life in the US college system, having had a four-year college soccer career at Florida Southern College. The former graduate assistant coach at St John’s University spoke of the failures of the UK university sports structures.
He said: “We’ve obviously got some of the world’s best universities, academically.
“But where it does fall short is probably marrying up the two in allowing athletes to pursue their sports to the next level, and also maintain the kind of degree studies at the right standard and not have to compromise on either.”
According to Fletcher, for women that want to play football at the next level, opportunities in the UK are limited.
