Charlie Wachs Joins Project 510 From San Jose Earthquakes

I have been following 15 year old [player_tooltip player_id='216007' first='Charlie' last='Wachs']' career with extreme interest over the past couple of years. I think he is one of the best young talents in the country. He has the highest soccer IQ of any young player under the age of 16 I have watched. He always has a plan before he receives the ball. His ability to scan and pick out a pass is exceptional. He rarely takes more than 2 touches and his first touch if it's not a pass is phenomenal. He reminds me a lot of Toni Kroos a true midfield general who is integral on any team he plays for. His athletic profile although improving doesn't jump off the page. He is a late bloomer still developing physically. As of right now he is around 5'4 115 pounds. Recently he made a big decision that would puzzle most people in the soccer world. He decided to leave the very well established San Jose Earthquakes Academy where he was captain and played the majority of the minutes to join a team that views youth development a little differently. Project 510 is the development team of the Oakland Roots of the USL Championship that plays in UPSL, and USL2. Many in the soccer world would consider this move a step backward as he is leaving an MLS Club for a USL Championship club. I'd argue the contrary.   Project 510's philosophy is simple. Field a team of players who are almost all under the age of 20 (with a few exceptions) against teams made up of grown men. Ditching the concept of playing in well established youth leagues like MLSNext and ECNL. If a player sticks out enough in this environment he will be considered to sign a first team contract with the Oakland Roots. Recent graduates of this concept are Ilya Alekseev and Etsgar Cruz. The latter just joined Club America in Liga MX for an undisclosed fee.   I got the chance to watch Wachs play this past weekend against Napa Valley 1839 who are in the new Semi-Professional league aptly named The League. They have been in USL2 and NPSL in the past. Being on the Semi-Professional circuit myself and having played against Napa a handful of times. I can confirm they are a very good side, made up of of ex-pros, and current collegiate players. Wachs held his own against his bigger, stronger, and faster opponents all while being the smallest player on the field by a wide margin. I can already see the difference in his play. He is forced to make faster decisions playing in a sped up more physical game.   I had the opportunity to talk to Charlie and his father Keely Wachs about their decision and this is what they had to say.   Question 1 (Charlie only): You just made a big decision in your life and career by leaving a very well established San Jose Earthquakes Academy where you were starting, captain, playing most of the minutes and your team was ranked highly compared to other MLS Academies according to various media sources to join a lesser known side in Project 510. Why?    It was a hard decision because I love my teammates at the Quakes and I had great relationships with the coaching staff top to bottom.  We were fortunate to have a lot of success and I grew a lot as a player and leader over the past 2.5 years. For these reasons I am really grateful to them.    The choice to join 510 was based on personal and soccer reasons.  On a personal level, I really love the idea of representing my hometown of Oakland. It also helps that the drive is less taxing on my family.  This pathway was familiar to me because my older brother Eli also played for the Quakes and ultimately with 510 and the Roots. So I knew and respected the coaching staff at 510, and many of the older guys on the roster are like older brothers to me.     On the soccer side, I really wanted the chance to play with bigger, faster, stronger and more experienced players in training/games.  Playing in the UPSL and eventually USL2 is a big step up from MLSNext in my eyes. Jordan Farrell, the Roots Technical Director, and the 510 coaching staff made such a compelling argument about how their environment was ideal for my development.  Their attention to critical detail, identification of specific growth areas, and their use of the Copa facility in Walnut Creek where they use cutting edge technology really set them apart. Also, the training facility in Alameda is amazing - being an Oakland kid I love the Raiders history. Being around the first team guys at the facility is such a great way to learn how to be a pro.   Question 2 (both Charlie & Keely):  Does being off the MLSNext youth circuit worry you as far as his/your exposure?    Charlie: I miss playing with my guys at the Quakes for sure. And admittedly it's sometimes hard to see all of the love on social media. But I've never really been much of a hype guy. I try to focus on getting better and I definitely feel like that's happening at 510.   Keely: There's so many different pathways in this country and our family believes that if you continue to work hard and focus on getting better, great things will come.  We're proud of Charlie's growth mindset - it will serve him well on and off the pitch.   Question 3 (Keely only): Does playing against men worry you as far as your son's injury risk?    Keely: Honestly this was a big question for us, especially because Charlie is not an early developer. Jordan, David and Abdu (Project 510 staff) presented a really thoughtful development plan based on phases of integration that made a lot of sense both in terms of Charlie's technical/tactical development, but also accounted for his physical and emotional well being too. Injuries are a part of the game wherever you are. The development is what is paramount to us and we felt that Project 510 provided the best plan for Charlie moving forward.   Question 4 (Charlie only): It's only been a brief amount of time at your new home but how has it been thus far?   Charlie:  Super good.  From day one, I've felt welcomed by the older guys and the staff.  It's a really strong culture.  It already feels like we've been teammates for years.  I felt like I've gotten a lot stronger from the daily gym plans, and my growth on the field is something I can feel.  The training sessions are really well planned, and some of the most intense environments I've been in, which pushes me and my teammates to get better.  Being a younger and smaller guy has shown me that I need to think faster with my timing and positioning to make up for what I lack in physicality in this present moment in time. They're giving me the tools to unlock that puzzle, and it's now on me to execute.    In conclusion, when this whole process was unfolding I felt that it was a story that had to be told. I think a lot of kids get caught up in being at MLS Academies. And I wanted to show that there are other pathways to consider. With the most recent U-15 National Team training camp announced and seeing Wachs name not on it is an absolute travesty. If he was born and playing in Spain I'm convinced he would be at a top academy like Barcelona and on the national team roster. A player like him is of higher value there. We look for a different kind of player profile here in the USA. Whether it's right or wrong that's above my pay grade. But we can see the success Spain have had in the game recently. It will be very interesting to see where Wachs is in the next 2-3 years.

I have been following 15 year old Charlie Wachs Charlie Wachs M State #24 Nation CA ' career with extreme interest over the past couple of years. I think he is one of the best young talents in the country. He has the highest soccer IQ of any young player under the age of 16 I have watched. He always has a plan before he receives the ball. His ability to scan and pick out a pass is exceptional. He rarely takes more than 2 touches and his first touch if it's not a pass is phenomenal. He reminds me a lot of Toni Kroos a true midfield general who is integral on any team he plays for. His athletic profile although improving doesn't jump off the page. He is a late bloomer still developing physically. As of right now he is around 5'4 115 pounds. Recently he made a big decision that would puzzle most people in the soccer world. He decided to leave the very well established San Jose Earthquakes Academy where he was captain and played the majority of the minutes to join a team that views youth development a little differently. Project 510 is the development team of the Oakland Roots of the USL Championship that plays in UPSL, and USL2. Many in the soccer world would consider this move a step backward as he is leaving an MLS Club for a USL Championship club. I'd argue the contrary.