I agree completely that SC players need to have an opportunity to be competitive at the highest level. I fully support what the "super-clubs" are doing to make that happen. (Plus, I love watching them play when they are on an adjacent field to my classic team.)
However, in my opinion, what these clubs have done is create another informal tier in the soccer club hierarchy. There is now classic, challenge, CESA / Bridge and premier. To progress from classic to premier, a player needs to go through one of the two big teams.
I'm a parent of a good player in a town without a challenge team. We've discussed the possibility of spending a few hours a week in the car to have him play on a challenge team. But, looking at the results, if that team is not CESA or Bridge, it makes it very hard to justify the cost. And even if he was good enough to make the roster of CESA or Bridge, that's way too far for us.
My question concerning the mission statements of SCYSA, SCSCL and the clubs is one of ownership of the process for making South Carolina competitive at the next level. It appears that two clubs have taken it upon themselves to make this happen. And that's great. But, does it make the ODP (and therefore SCYSA) irrelevant? And does that hurt the goal of providing a league within SC where any team can start the season knowing they have a shot of finishing in better than third place?
