Soccerboy,
Their are many SC players who would perform as well as any of the top players from the states you've mentioned if they were picked up and put on those teams.
No question, SC is at a numerical disadvantage but to conclude the top players don't have the ability to be competitive with players in those states is selling our players short.
The mind is a very powerful thing and I'm sure we can all agree that in virtually every case a top player is just that because he/she gets to the ball sooner, finishes the shot with fewer touches, defends with more urgency, makes the follow-up run after the pass, creates space and just plain wants to win more than the other guy.
We have plenty of players who have every bit of the technical ability and tactical awareness of top players around the country. The one thing SC players have to understand is they MUST do the extraordinary things to win and to get noticed because they are coming from a state known for having a smaller pool of talent.
I believe desire & always finding a way to take your game to another level is the answer to improving the outcome at every age level. Keep it simple and focus on the issues that cause the failure to advance and you'll see huge improvement across the board.
