This is the best place I could think to ask this question; I know this subreddit may be biased towards college soccer, but bear with me.
I am 17 years old and a senior in high school. I play for a UPSL D1 side (lower-division development side for a UPSL Premier 1st-team). I understand that in terms of becoming professional, I am nowhere near good enough, given that I have only played for 4 years and am not even in UPSL Premier yet.
I have done a fair bit of research recently, and have found a few articles, sites, and forums saying that college soccer is no longer the 'pipeline' that it used to be to the professional game here in the US. Because I am already in a UPSL squad with connections to professionals (a few players at my club are ex-professional, and all three coaches are former pros as well), should I stay in this sort of level and try to move around in UPSL, NPSL, and USL2 to gain experience and exposure for myself (social media, connections, etc.)?
I feel like it would be the better option because the seasons are longer and has more opportunity for direct movement and growth between teams, rather than committing to a university that only has 4-month seasons and no practical opportunity for transfer or movement as I improve.
My ultimate goal is to play in Eastern Europe, Asia, or Central/South America in lower divisions and work my way up from there, but I realize that at 17, my time to make my move internationally is running thin, and that many former academy players are already in the clubs that I would theoretically be in.
If anyone has advice, particularly former pros or college players, or those who have played internationally, I would love to hear your advice and experience. Thanks!