Shearer, You are indeed a drunken fool, but at least you drink the best brown ale in the world-'Newcastle'. I cannot concur with your delusional thought that HS soccer is more important to the kids in Cola. College coaches don't go to high school games and the real serious soccer kid wants to play in college at some level. You never have the all better players on your HS team and a really competitive club and club team can make you a great high school player. Consider Tomek and his play at Concorde Fire. Consider Troy Lesesne and his play at Congaree & NECSA. Consider Spenser Lewis at St. Giles and CSC. Many high schools are composed of rec players and classic players and others from other various sports, just playing between football or basketball. And your solution is to "take top 5/6 players from each school team and have them play together at CSC/NECSA??? Now, how do you propose to 'take them'? It is still a crime, I think, to kidnap kids and take them to another location. And is Tripp or Eddie gonna ask the top 5/6 kids politely to come with our team? The kids will only choose what their parents will allow them to choose. With a merged club the choice is made for them. That is when you truly will field the best teams.
So.......this is my final plea to the Cola. area soccer DOCs, club boards, parents, kids and friends of the 'beautiful game': let us please give it serious consideration. You cannot imagine the benefits to our soccer kids and those to come if we can here, today, begin serious discussions of a merger in Cola. Some of the benefits are these: 1)A central club would provide more of a sense of community in Cola. 2) More resources (fields/facilities) for all soccer kids to utilize 3)A collective pool of the best coaches in the whole area and eventually the state 4) A large club that can reach out to some kids who need an affordable sport in their lives (and it can be made affordable with sponsors, benefactors, etc.) 5) With some 20 fields within a relatively small radius a new club could offer large tournaments on par with the Atlanta Cup. Showcase and final games can be played at Memorial or Stone stadiums. 6)This would also be a boon to the Cola. economy and maybe open up avenues for grants or other city assistance with tournaments. 7) Develop elite teams alongside fun rec teams that foster the game of soccer and put Columbia on the regional and national soccer map. 8)Keep CESA from ever sweeping all the state championships again! 9) A merger would allow me to get off this addictive forum that has taken over my daily life. Thanx a lot, Kyle! and 10) Most importantly, a merger would allow us proud parents to call one club our collective home. It can be done-it takes hard work as all things in life do- and one day I can sit on the sidelines as a grandpa and say that it sure is grand!
