I guess I’m old. I played with and against some of the best players this country has produced to now. Tony Meola, Tab Ramos, John Harkes were all my summer camp counselors at Walt and Gene Chyzowych’s All American and Bob Reasso’s Rutgers soccer camps. Bob Bradley, then the Princeton coach would stop in at All America. Steve Studley, Claudio Reyna, Gregg Berhalter (currently US coach) were high school competitors. Timo Likowski was a neighbor as was Johan Neeskens of the original Cosmos. Rick Davis would run clinics with my club team. Tim Howard signed his MLS contract in my buddy’s car. Alexi Lalas dated another buddy’s sister while at Rutgers. Soccer was just everywhere.
My travel team teammates played at various places including Manhattan. Travel just didn’t matter as long as you did it.
High School teams were equal or more important. As with football, Catholic schools recruited, but other than St. Benedict’s who dominated, public high school was on par. The only club team that really mattered was Manny Schellscheidt’s Union Lancers. Manny left to coach Seton Hall right around the time I enrolled at Syracuse. I was lightly recruited but I don’t remember anyone ever asking about my club team. I made SU’s team as a walk on, but my course load kept me from playing (and my heart wasn’t in it anymore). Syracuse did a terrible job of recruiting NJ.