Will this ever happen? Timing?

Do not have any proof but have heard 2010..

the girls side in sc cant compete. i think players would go to a club that started it like they do a region team but i dont think they would be competitive in all age groups on the girls side.

too few players on the girls side to support both r3pl and ussf academy. one would have to give for the other to be successful.

not enough talent.not to say girls in sc are not good players but it is hard enough as we can see to even support 2 teams at each age in region play and be descent as a state.dont have the numbers or that level of talent to pull from.

Logic would tell you that it will happen. A lot of the elite clubs are playing something called "Red Bull", which appears to be the precursor to a girls Academy.

My guess is at some point in the near future however USSF will want to assert control, just as they did with the boys.

Whether this is next year, or the year after, or the year after, I don't know. But my guess is within the next 2-3 years.

Red Bull isn't a SC initiative, nor is R3PL play. At some point USSF will want to roll out a national plan to better develop girls at the highest level of play.

Whether or not SC has a "franchise", I wouldn't know. But I wouldn't think the girls are behind the boys are they?

In other words, I would think SC could support a girls Academy program. And while CESA is the logical place...
I would argue that Columbia makes more sense if you're wanting to pool kids from around the state.

would it be like region play where the majority of the sc teams on the girls side pull up the rear or close to it in league play.what would that benefit be other than a ego boost for a club or team.

One of the claims in the merger of the Charotte Soccer Club and SCSA is the precusor of the girl's acadmey at the new Charlotte Soccer Academy. The combined club would have both the USSF boys and new girls academy- one projection was 2010, but as early as 2009. The Red Bull league gives them a quick start on the 30 or so teams that might be the begining of the academy, with a bunch of others added

One of the things that I'd say differentiated Academy from R3PL play....is that its player focused, not team focused.

By that I mean.....how does a kid play R3PL? The team that they're on has to earn their way there. The team....has to win state, or whatever. Different states have different criteria. In SC....State Cup winner and Finalist get the 2 R3 slots.

So a great player who plays on the 3rd or 4th best team...is shut out of playing at the highest level. R3 rewards teams, not players.

Academy is mercenary. Kids tryout and the top 18 or 20 or whatever...are selected. Lets leave politics out of it for now. Politics exist for rostering under the current Club/R3 scenario too.

In Academy, the best kids in an area play. In R3, the best teams play. To me there is a philosophical distinction.

Now, practically......probably 80% of the best players are on the best team already. Thats why they're the best team. And in an area like Greenville or Charleston, CESA and Bridge already provides that. Not sure.....that Academy has brought that many new kids into Bridge, or that it would for CESA.

To me, Columbia is the place for Academy in SC. Its the only place in the state.....where 80-90% of the soccer players would be within 90 minutes or so of each other.

If the purpose is to pool the best players and then train them relentlessly.....not sure it works in our state dealing on the periphery.

if academy is started on the girls side does the club get to run it? when they have tryouts im sure some politics plays a part on who is picked.(what club has academy picks their players deserving or not)i cant see a club leaving their players off.i would assume the better players are picked but i bet some are taken because of affiliation.

Of course they are. No different than ODP.

I'll go back to a comment a friend of mine repeated.....he was told by a Texas coach that the top dozen or so kids on a regional level are already known. They're no brainers for a team. Its the next 30 kids where there is debate.

So if your kid is one of the top dozen or so players they'll be on the team regardless of prior club affiliation.

Marcus....you think Sean or Ben wouldn't have loved to have seen your daughter wearing Blue?

check your pm for my response big daddy.

firsttouch could answer this.
how much difference is the travel with red bull versus region.i know games may be farther away but is it as frequent.

The Red Bull league play is usually replacing a tournament that you would attend. At CASL , playing the Red Bull League rather than the regular Showcase tournament. Last year there were Red Bull league games at the Disney Showcase. There are 3 events, 2 after the girl's season ends in March and May. If the team opts out of other tournaments, the travel is about the same (except the one event is in Vegas).

Why? Does participating in this league really make that much of a difference? And to what end?

We as a state need to focus on the 98% not the top 2%!!

Why does life have to be an "either - or" proposition?

The existence of Honors programs (or remedial, for that matter) in school doesn't preclude quality educational programs for the 98%.

I think we focus.

If the audience is the top 5% of players.....focus your program accordingly.

If the audience is entry level players......focus your program accordingly.

If your audience is the solid center......focus your program accordingly.

ODP.....USSF Academy....Red Bull League.....are not for the mainstream.

Rec or PMSL level of play.....is not for the serious, high level player.

We need to get better at all of it.

big daddy - you're doing a good job as chico's replacement. keep up the good job.

Nah, I can only dream. Chico was the, uh...man. Thank you for not making any "Hurst" comparisons.....

Are you saying that the students in an honors class do not get more attention than say someone in a 'remedial' class?

There are schools in this state that brag about their academic records and neglect that close to 50% of their students that enter 9th grade don't graduate!

Soccer specific: I believe that the present negative perception of BFA is largely a result of one coach pursuing one program that arguably benefits the 'elite' few while neglecting the majority.

I'm saying that you teach remedial kids one way and have one set of expectations for them. You teach Honors kids a different way and with different expectations.

In the world according to Big Daddy.....all kids are treated equally, respecting their individual talents and aspirations.

Regarding Bridge, as an interested outsider I thought the very existence of the BFA was for the Elite few. I never, ever thought that they were in the business to have B teams or classic teams. I thought that Summerville and James Island would serve the "masses", while Bridge offered a clean sheet of paper for the top players of the lower part of the State.

Sounds like a textbook illustration of focus to me. I have no idea why the concept is allegedly struggling.

Daddy,

Is there enough money in the kitty to support a DOC of an elite soccer club, if you limit that club to fielding only premier/challenge teams?

I don't think the concept worked at the Charlotte Soccer Club, and I don't think it would work at any other "super club" either. You need the large base at the bottom to cover some of the bigger expenses at the top.

Would it work at CESA?

Well, the beauty of the concept is that you don't need a separate DOC. The Academy programs don't have separate DOC's...they have highly qualified coaches.

I don't have the inside track on Bridge so I can't comment on that. But you don't need to have another overhead set for this. Lexus may have its own brand management.....but it still flows up into Toyota.

Daddy,

Don't you need to apply in order to be granted an Academy Program? These programs are generally not awarded to small clubs that provide only elite soccer. The "visionaries" of these clubs are generally experienced DOC's who need to be compensated for their efforts.

You seem to be advocating that Bridge FA stick to servicing only the top of the market, and I question how they can do that and still have the resources to fund an Academy Program.

Maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps the Academy Programs are all self-funding with the burden falling solely on the shoulders of the parents whose kids are participating?

Hurst,
Yes, the clubs have to be accepted into the academy program.How can a smaller elite club fund this program..Good question..I feel sure that the parents pay their part..Maybe there are sponorships that we know nothing about..Businesses that donate money do not always want their name on a jersey..Bridge does not have as big operating costs due to no large facility that it has to managed and keep up..They probably save some money where a large club would have a greater expense in up keep of facilities

It would be great for US soccer to have a Women's Development Academy program.