When it comes to developing young talent, soccer is the sport that has always placed a heavy premium on investing on facilities, time, and having a developmental program which could help bring out the best from their players.

In Europe, this has been the norm for club teams, where kids of all ages train in their academies, with the hopes of making it to their senior team someday. Now, FC Dallas of Major League Soccer is following suit, and has begun to incorporate the youth academy model of some of the most successful teams in the world.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has noticed the steps the MLS team is doing, and acknowledged them for it. He also said, via Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer, that he hopes it can also happen in basketball, by removing the AAU system and replacing it with soccer’s system instead.

Article Continues Below
More Dallas Mavericks News
Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell (1) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) during the second half at the American Airlines Center.
Mavericks rumors: The Chris Paul reason D’Angelo Russell is such a priorityJackson Stone ·
Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell (1) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) during the second half at the American Airlines Center.
Mavericks rumors: Dallas the ‘overwhelming favorite’ to sign D’Angelo RussellPreston Byers ·
mavericks, mavericks free agency, dennis schroder
1 sneaky good player Dallas Mavericks must sign in 2025 NBA free agencyGarrett Kerman ·
NBA great Kevin Garnett is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Kevin Garnett’s hyped reaction to looming Bronny James-Cooper Flagg showdownAbdullah Imran ·
Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) dribbles the ball against the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center.
Will Cooper Flagg be Mavericks’ point guard until Kyrie Irving returns from injury?Joey Mistretta ·
Mavericks Luka Doncic on left, Mavericks Cooper Flagg on right, stop light in the middle on red.
Why the Cooper Flagg-Luka Doncic comparisons must come to an endJoey Mistretta ·

“I think [FC Dallas] is doing it right. That is our future. We have to get AAU out of the mix,” Cuban said via email.

“I have been pushing for it for 10 years, but the NBA hadn’t come around to it yet. The idea is to get kids and families excited about basketball and the Mavs, and to help kids of all skill levels get better training without some of the extraneous interference.”

It may sound easy to put in place, but it’s definitely not that simple. Huge amounts of money will need to be invested first, and it will take a number of experienced coaches and staff members to run an academy.

For now, Mark Cuban could only feel envious of what FC Dallas has done, but his intentions may also turn to reality if he studies the model well.