SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP U-13 Boys Challenge

Are those playing in Charlotte playing U-12 or U-13? CESA has a strong U-12 team as well. I think the super-clubs have made the decision to have all play in their age group. I could be wrong...

Good Luck and Cheers.

I was talking about the CESA Red team of U-12's that are playing up U-13.

The boys playing in Charlotte are U-12's playing on the Charlotte Soccer Club Blue.

Gotcha. I think the super clubs will have entire teams comprised of the same age players, with no players playing out of their age group team - but realize that these teams may be playing in a division with older competition. Have the Cesa Red U-12 team and Bridge Red U-12 team played recently? That would seem to be the marquee match up in the younger group.

Only if they are both playing up in the U-13 league....or if they met at a tournament.

The U-12 league in South Carolina is missing the big boys from the upper state and the big boys from the lower state.

Bridge FA refers to their teams as Gold or Red

CESA refers to their teams as Premier or Challenge (or Classic, if that is the case)

The following is the case ONLY for the U13 Boys Challenge Division:

Bridge FA has 1 true U-13 team; Bridge FA 92 Boys Gold
Bridge FA has 1 true U-12 team; Bridge FA 92 Boys Red

CESA has 2 true U-13 teams; CESA 92 Boys Premier and CESA 92 Boys Challenge
CESA has 1 true U-12 team; CESA 93 Boys Premier

A little confusing, yes.

In the Fall, the Bridge FA 92 Boys Red team beat the CESA 93 Boys Premier team 3-1.

Team stats from the Fall can be found here: http://www.hotstat.com/past_seasons.cfm?id=528&seasonID=573

Keep in mind (someone please correct me if I am wrong) that South Carolina does not offer 11v11 for the U-12 age group.

So, those two true U-12 teams had the option of either playing 8v8 (where neither team had much competition prior to the Fall) or moving up to 11v11 with the U-13 age bracket.

The Bridge FA 92 Boys Red team finished 6th out of 13 teams, while the CESA 93 Boys Premier team finished in 9th place (1 spot ahead of the CESA 92 Boys Challenge team).

It seems pretty clear they both made wise decisions to move up.

Belligerent,

Both CESA and Bridge U-12B teams gained valuable experience and had "successful" seasons. Saying it is "pretty clear" that they both made "wise" decisions is up for debate. The consequences of your decision basically watered-down the state U-12 league.

Consider this. If both CESA and Bridge had a pool of 20-24 competitive boys in this age group, they each could have entered two U-12B teams in the 8v8 state league. That would be four competitive teams to go along with league leaders Tega Cay and Aiken. Result would be six competitive teams in this age bracket.

Given this, how can you measure what result would be better, in order to conclude that you made a "wise" decision:

Finishing first in a competitive U-12 league or finishing sixth while playing up a year in a U-13 league?

Sounds like one could argue that it is a wash?

I think younger teams playing in older divisions helps with the development of the players and teams - as long as they are competitive (nobody wants them to lose interest), as these two team appear to have been. The true test of this is when they play against teams comprised of their true age-group. However, my sense is the physical develepment bubble season for the boys is in the 13 year old spring season - kids get bigger and stonger. In addition to competitiveness, safety should be a consideration when the boys are playing against young men. This decision should include the player, parents, and coaches - but there's no arguing the physical differences between players that will be evident this season. The U-13 league is competitive, and has some great players and teams. And may I add there is little of the bad blood between teams that I've seen in other age groups? Here's to a great season. Good Luck to all and Cheers.

Belligerent...CESA has 3 U13 teams...Premier, Challenge and Classic.

Both CESA 93 Premier and the Bridge FA 92 Red will be playing in the Concorde Fire tournament 11v11 U12 the weekend of the 25th. Should be some great matches with teams from Atlanta, Tennessee and Mississippi in the same grouping as Bridge and CESA.