After Outstanding Season DeLaSalle’s Mukwelle Akale Has A Decision To Make
DeLaSalle’s 2-1 loss to Washburn in Thursday night’s Class 1A Section 3A Quarterfinal was a disappointing cap to an impressive season. DeLaSalle finished the regular season with a record of 14-1, the best the school has ever done and earned a ranking of 5th in the state. Seeing the end of their most promising chance at a State Championship disappointed the players, especially the graduating seniors, but for one talented freshman this may have been his last chance as well.
Mukwelle Akale started his first year of high school soccer in an amazing fashion. In his first game he scored five goals and assisted on two more. Mukwelle’s performance continued throughout the rest of the season and eventually landed him as the leading scorer in all of Minnesota High School Boys Soccer with 38 goals. DeLaSalle head coach Collin Aswegan attributes Mukwelle’s success to his abilities with the ball; “He’s better with the ball than without. His pace with the ball at his feet is ridiculous. It’s like the ball is stuck to his foot.”
In addition to leading on the stat sheet, Mukwelle is also finding a way to be an influence on his teammates as well despite only being in 9th grade. “He leads more by example,” said Coach Aswegan, “he isn’t as much of a vocal leader as our captains are, but our players look to him for leadership on the field.” When DeLaSalle would find itself in a tight spot Mukwelle was often the player that bailed the team out by either using his ball skills or his vision to find his teammates.
Mukwelle isn’t just getting attention in the State High School League. His play has earned him invitations to participate in U14 US national team camps, a place where Coach Aswegan thinks he belongs, “His game is at the national level.”
In order for Mukwelle to continue to playing at a higher level, this could be his final year of high school soccer. The reality that his club soccer team, Minnesota Thunder Academy (MTA), will switch to a 10-month program this coming season leaves Mukwelle with a decision. MTA is part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy who have chosen to extend their season and therefore will not allow players to participate in high school athletics. If he chooses to stay with MTA Mukwelle will no longer be eligible to play for DeLaSalle. While this may present a tough choice for Mukwelle and his family, the choice is pretty obvious for his high school coach, “He needs to be with talented players. When he is with the team he is always pushing us, but we aren’t really pushing him.”
Losing your leading scorer after one season is not an ideal situation for any coach, but as an MTA coach Aswegan knows what the program could do for Mukwelle, “Next year will be tough regardless of his decision, with the players that are graduating, but MTA gives their players a chance to get as good as they can be.” Not everyone shares Aswegan’s opinion on the possibility of losing several players to the MTA program and think that the league will suffer from it, but Aswegan is hopeful, “losing players to the academies will hurt statistics, but we will get other players.”
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I wonder what the extra two months will allow the MTA coaches to get done that they can’t get done in eight with their players.
Remember, it’s not MTA’s decision. If they want to be part of the highly successful USSF Development Academy this is what they have to do.
With that said, I am not necessarily a proponent of the new longer season and these players not playing high school soccer. There are many things they will miss out on even if the quality of soccer is in general, poor.
“There are many things they will miss out on even if the quality of soccer is in general, poor.”
Feminitos perhaps?
This can be solved very easily.
High School Soccer rules need a dramatic change to allow players to play on their regular club and travelling teams for the fall. Its ridiculous to think that a player can not play another sport nor anothe club during fall season.
And its not only about changing the high school rules to allow players to play extra sports/clubs. The whole high school soccer ruling system is obsolete and against protecting talent.
Examples?
1. The absence of expelling players of the game (2 minute break with a yellow card? give me a break…) ,
2. Playing into hard surfaces (turf).
3. Countdown clocks (what are we playingm, basketball???) and more.
4. 2 month seasons.
I could go on forever….
We have an old and obsolete soccer ruling system in Minnesota, probabbly written a long time ago. Lets make it modern and designed to not only keep talented players in the system, but also to use the high school network to promote and grow the sport we all adore.
Sincerely,
“Highly successful” USSF Development Academy? Give me a break BQ! Other than that one Canadian kid from White Bear Lake, and I believe he was a coach’s son, who has come out of Shattuck? And where are the data on the program as a whole? How many years? How many enrollees? How many professionals? How many div-1 players? Men’s soccer in this country is a wreck. I agree with Klinsmann 100%. This barring kids from playing in high school is just another symptom of the mess it’s in.
If Klinsmann would come here and watch one of these painful high school scud missle ball games I think he would change his mind pretty quickly.
@David L.
The Academy is barely got off the ground and you’re already smashed it into the ground. This academy is not just for this MTA club, it’s another way to expose MN players to higher quality of soccer that’s being played out there. As a TC local for 30 yrs it’s nice to see this as a different oppportunity. I do hope that even a kid from white bear can participate in it. FACT! MTA as a club has the more college soccer signee than any other club in MN, I believe all are signed letter of intent representing their high school.
Growth will not take place where Skepticism is practiced
@David L
BTW if you are referring to a kid named Bunbury? Does came from canada but grew up in Prior Lake, not White Bear Lake. Played for Apple Valley before moving on to Shattuck than Akron univerity,Now playing for Sporting KC. Fact checked
I’m with BQ, Please find out facts before just spitting things out