Good points Dawgs and WMD -

This doesn't address youth development directly - but there is a huge hole in how USSF has set up the league systems and have stifled the organic growth of professional teams. By not having a real tiered system of leagues and relegation, there is absolutely nothing to play for if you aren't an MLS franchise. There are some really good NASL and USL teams that by all rights should have been able to work their way up to MLS. Instead, MLS tries to undercut successful clubs like Miami, Detroit, Atlanta or NY Cosmos by shutting them out or locating expansion franchises in their cities. This kills the organic growth of teams via player development and more importantly fan base development - and sours local support for new clubs. Atlanta is one of the few cities where this hasn't caused a problem in some of the more recent expansion efforts. Read up on what is going on in Detroit right now with Detroit City FC vs. MLS right now.