The Value of Experience I #AskASoccerPro Mini-Blog

Make sure to check out the full-length #AskASoccerPro episode here, and the PS Clip, 'The Value of Experience', below!

Since I am about to officially be a free agent, it’s a good time to talk about player value. Like soccer, I believe that player value is subjective.

If I were a CEO of a company, who had the goal of running a profitable organization based on the acquisition and sale of soccer players, and building a business and culture surrounding that, I would have to quantify what experience is. 

I would take into account, number of teams played for, number of coaches played for, number of teammates, culture and philosophy of the players, number of countries played in, and here in the United States, I would also consider participation in the player’s association. 

The player’s association is a big one, due to the convoluted nature of the rules here in the US. Those who are participating in the player’s association are at a definite advantage to those who are not because they understand the intricacies and nuances of the league, something key to success and longevity.

For instance, 2 of the 4 of the players in the league over 35, Michael Parkhurst and Chris Wondolowski have been union reps at some point. The staying power of players that become educated on the league and rules is pretty evident from this point.