Homegrown player signings are great. We all want the local kids to succeed, and it doesn’t get much better than watching a guy you’ve seen develop over the years play for your favorite pro team (see point #1). But there’s more to it than that. Here are five reasons (in no particular order) why it’s an all-around smart move to sign more Development Academy players.
1. Fans love local players.
Like I said above, it’s fun to see a player with local ties signed to your team. Especially if that player is someone like Kort Ford, who went through the Rapids Development Academy and then played at DU.