u/Inevitable-Bar505

Curious to hear from parents/kids who went through the MLS academy process long term, especially from U13/U14 through graduation.
How difficult was it to actually survive and make it all the way through the academy?
A few things I’d love insight on:
How often did roster cuts/change happen?

How political was it vs performance?

How hard was balancing school/travel/training?

Biggest pros and cons of the experience?

Was it worth it overall?

Anything you would do differently as a parent?

How much pressure/stress did your kid feel?

Where did your child ultimately end up? MLS, college, USL, burnout, different sport,

Just trying to better understand the long-term reality of the pathway from people who actually lived it.