I really think that everyone has gone a little overboard with the whole superclub thing. If you look at the number of championships that GFC and St. Giles won before the merger into CESA, it did not differ greatly from the results after the merger. Those 2 clubs dominated soccer in SC before the merger so it only made since that they dominate after. What it did do was merge the kids from GFC/St. Giles that were not winning state to give them a better chance to win. What they did last year by sweeping the regional teams was amazing, but remember a lot of the games went into OT or were very close even after the merger.
Now, Bridge comes along and they are a superpower. The 2 teams that won this year for Bridge were already state championship contenders from the past. They are now playing under the Bridge banner, but still have a lot of the same players from before. The U16 team that won actually used to be under the Summerville banner and was the state champ for 2 years I believe. The u17 team played under OSSOC, then MP and now Bridge. The u17 team was actually state champions at u14 and the runner up the last 2 years.
To say that the superclubs CESA and Bridge created these teams is crazy. There may have been a little more cooperation down at the coast since Bridge was somewhat neutral as far as the politics go, but the basis for these teams existed. I did recognize a good player from a very mediocre Summerville team playing with the Bridge U17 team and that is why Bridge was formed since that player may not have ever gone to MP.
Having watched the teams in the u15-u18 boys from the time that they were in some cases u10's, the competing teams have not changed but the banner the team plays under has.
What the superclubs offer is more resources, more good coaches (becuase of resources - $$$) and possibly in the long run better facilities.
Regardless of whether its Bridge or CESA or any team/club. You have to look at the needs of the player, the dedication and drive of that player and weigh that into any decision about club selection. Even with the "Superclub", you need to do your homework on the coach that might possibly coach your child should they make the superteam. It really might not be a match. A decision to travel very far for a team should also be taken seriously (I drove my kids over an hour to practice for 5 years). I wouldn't trade those 5 years for anything for many reasons, but the player has to want to commit the time. By the time you add drive time, a practice might be 4-5 hours a night. Multiply that by 3 and that is a large commitment of time. Homework has to be done in the car, social life put on hold 3 of 5 days a week. I am not a big believer of practicing with another group and then playing with the team on weekends because soccer is truly a team game and practicing together only makes you better, but some people are able to make it work.
Bottom line, make sure that the club/team that the player and the parents pick is a good match for everyone involved. A bad decision affects everybody on the team, not just you.
