Soccerfan - Thanks. I agree with you, and with the general consensus that seems to have developed in this thread.
Club soccer at the higher levels can be expensive, primarily as a function of travel expenses. Bearing that expense makes sense for some, but by no means all, families. My post to which you replied was in response to Reccos' intimation that if a player ends up playing for a SC college, his having spent the extra money to play in the most competitive and expensive traveling programs was, by definition, unnecessary. That simply isn't accurate. All SC colleges recruit nationally and internationally. Our kids are competing for spots against kids from all over the country and, on occasion, the world. College coaches want players who have successfully competed against the best players and teams available - because that's who they will be competing against in college.
If I understood Reccos correctly, he/she was suggesting that a kid could just as well play his club soccer only in SC and have just as good a chance to play for a SC college. That may happen, but only very rarely.
Finally, in my experience, our club, Columbia United/South Carolina United, will make every effort to allow kids to play at the highest level their ability and desire allows. That is not to say that no one falls through the cracks - they no doubt do - but no one should assume they are financially excluded without first talking long and hard with club officials about help that may be available. I assume that to be the case at other clubs as well.
