Does anyone know where the new USAMP fields and if there is progress on them?

I believe the USA/MP site is in Awendaw just past the Sewee Outpost on the left off highway 17N about 5 or 6 minutes past Carolina Park.

I remember that was what David thought but was looking for confirmation and possibly a more specific address. I drove past the area described and was able to identify any fields.

Do you (or anyone) have any idea if the capital improvements on the fields are underway?

I do not. The only new fields in the area I have seen progress on are the CBSCs on Daniel Island.

Guerins Bridge Rd.

USA/MP expansion


Congratulations USA/MP.

Not a bad location and Guerins goes back through the woods, Halfway Creek Rd all the way to Clements Ferry (and miss 41)

Exciting times, looking forward to a game or three at the complex.

I expect CASC will be playing some of their home games there once they are finished in 2019/20. That or build/utilize more fields in Berkley County (the area needs more fields, so good thing).

The reasons being: Town of Mt. Pleasant won't have much field time to offer with all the other MPRD needs and new external demands(like LAX); the rental costs will be high(they have been artificially low due to USAMP subsidies); and I assume a Berkley County org that frivolously sued the town and is offering the same service as MPRD will be last in line for fields.

That sounds harsh but is merely my opinion of the realities the club faces.

Not harsh at all, respect your view on the lawsuit.

Your post though does sound somewhat misinformed or odd with regard to our realities.

The reality is that since 2008 we have operated without MPRD (or USA) fields and have some good space for our membership (although not ideal). Any change occurring with MPRD and easing of access can only help us. The reason being anything is better than zero.

You may not know this we have an existing agreement (signed this summer) with MPRD that includes three fields and one being at Carolina Park.

I am not sure why the reference or assignment to Berkeley County is so relevant here. Our club office is centered in Park West, Mount Pleasant (Charleston County) and many of our fields are in Charleston County (that includes properties owned by the City and CCSD)

Back to the post, I'm hoping this new facility is included in one of the Leagues we participate in, and if it is, I'm sure using festival day formats, we will see some games there. Similarly I'd expect to see USA/MP play some of their games at Trident Academy.

We do have a desire to add fields (particularly larger ones) so stay tuned on that.

Looks like fieldwork has begun again on the Daniel Island fields the CBSC will use for some of the 2019 games in the Fall. It will be nice to have some additional fields the club and town can use. I was afraid any more of a delay would push the project back to 2020.

That’s awesome. How many fields are they building?

Last plans I saw showed 5.

I drove by Guerins Bridge road site for USAMP and it didn't look like any work had been done. Does anyone know if the plans to build fields there have been scrapped?

Meant to note that there is a for sale sign on the lot as well

http://www.usamountpleasant.com/new-field-development-expansion-announced

Is this no longer accurate? Does this mean they plan to continue to use the same fields they are using now?

I'm not sure. I heard USAMP leased the land but that was last summer. Maybe you can sell the land with a lease intact?

The "Executive Director" of USAMP told the Town of Mt. P they needed to extend the sweetheart deal on Mt P fields through June 2019 and that they were starting to build out the site last June(2018).

Maybe that is not the current site and it hasn't been announced. I don't see any evidence of work.

Also not sure how long after initial seeding you have to wait to play on a field. A quick look on the interwebs said anywhere from 6-12 months, but that seems to be geared toward northern states.

USAMP request to be granted a variance to remove 3 live oaks from the Awendaw property was declined. In USAMPs words "Without the variances the project [will] not be able to proceed, leaving USA-MP without fields to continue to practice and competition"

Sounds like the competition for MPRD fields will continue to be robust, and due to this high demand, very expensive.

I hope the club communicates the increase in fees prior to the May evaluations.

So with patriots going away, does that mean they only have Carolina park?

They don't "have" Carolina Park. All fields will be open for lease/rental renewal to the awaiting market demands once the current contract is up. Everyone will be fight for those fields.

https://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/zoning-planning/bza.php

BZA-01-19-00308
BZA-01-19-00309

Make for a good read

Application letter dated 01/24/2019...………….hmm

Anyone know what the reason was for the 9+ month delay from the securing of the lease until the submission of the application?

And the boards is dead again 🤦🏻‍♂️😂😂😂😂

What does that mean?

Even if they started work today, I don't see how this complex would be ready by the fall.

In the letter, Matt (from USAMP) states- "This soccer complex is necessary to replace the fields that USAMP currently uses at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant that the town has elected to not renew our lease."

What is/was the deal for the Patriot's Point fields? I knew they had a preferential agreement with the town, but I thought that was all it was. Not an exclusive lease.

They had a 1 year "non-exclusive" contract with the town for use of some of the fields at Patriots Point and Carolina Park at a "below market" rate. I believe that CASC and a local lacrosse club were given similar contract rates for some fields. The fields will be available for any group to rent and rates will increase for next year (starts July 1 if I recall).

This was the second such 1 year contract and the town was reluctant to do it but USAMP said couldnt afford the fee increase in addition to the capital costs of building out the fields, which would begin last June. The town relented but, in order to be fair, they had to make the lower fees available to all groups that had requested fields(only CASC and lax).

The contract was never going to be up for renewal. I believe what Matt was reluctant to say is that USAMP can't afford the increase in field costs and therefore won't go into another contract with the town for the upcoming year.

http://www.usamountpleasant.com/new-field-development-expansion-update-march-20-2019

Tough to square USAMP propaganda with the facts, but wanted to share it anyway.

By propaganda, I mean "marketing"

Does this mean they are just doing 3 fields or did they get approval for the 4?

USAMP did not get approval to remove the 3 trees they told the zoning board they needed to remove in order for the lot to work. That could have been hyperbole, given the source.

So they must now go with another field layout that can still fit 4 fields (seems unlikely given other grand trees on lot); go with 3 fields; or scrap the plan(seems unlikely since they just told parents they were moving forward with plan).

Using the original design picture as part of the update seems a bit deceitful, but I'm sure it helps the marketing.

Have any folks know what the status of the fields is?

Drove by the proposed USAMP field location in Awendaw again this week and still see no evidence of progress. Mr. Tunesi do you know if the fields will be ready by this fall for the leagues you participate in? I'd imagine these fields are necessary for CPL games to make up for the loss of so much Carolina Park and Patriots Point field access? Will this cause issues determining locations and scheduling for local games? Will this cause additional issues since so many out of town teams played in Mount Pleasant as "neutral" locations?

Sorry, I have no idea what USA/MP plans are. Or for that matter what will happen for CPL games if there are no good alternatives in MP.

I can say that we will make any fields under our control available for any competition we participate in including CPL.

I am not particularly concerned for CPL South local competition since that is mainly 7v7 and 9v9 and we have ample space for those games and I'd prefer Trident most days anyway. Actually I'd prefer it if we moved more to our sites and will put that request in.

There were upwards of 150 games played by CPL teams on PP and CP in just spring of last year. On top of the plaued at Trident last spring, those Trident fields will get tons of use. Have you planned for additional maintenance of the grounds? Maybe lights? I hope it works out for the kids and parents.

And those 150 games don't include USAMP games. Its just non-USAMP teams. Add in USAMP that's a tremendous amount of games.

We do contract with TruGreen for our grass maintenance and very happy with the results. Thanks for raising that and offering my endorsement for their services for anyone that needs it.
And certainly will not want to overuse that one site.

We only hosted 15 games at Longpoint, one game on Trident #2, and none at any of our other sites (including Awendaw). So pretty sure we can host a few more games than we did in the spring.

I am comfortable taking more on our properties but will not suggest here that we will manage the entire shift or load of 150. I suspect USA/MP will have other alternatives as needed for their games, as we are making plans for expansion.

Our plans (projections) look like considerable growth in 2019 and we need to factor that in any and all our plans and will include new space.

No way we will put lights in at Trident. And why is that even an issue here in regard to CPL. We would not entertain or host any evening games for CPL that will require lights. Training always takes priority at our sites midweek evenings.

You should reach out to USA/MP to ask more about their plans.

As always, thanks for the insight. I just wanted to gauge your understanding of the demand for fields for CPL and see if you knew what the solution will be.

Regarding lights, I was wondering if the games could be played into the night at Trident if needed. Sounds like no.

Best of luck with the new children in your care at Cainhoy next season. They are what is important and the reason some are concerned about the lack of transparency and decency amomg some in leadership positions local youth soccer clubs.

No worries, I'm constantly in worry mode about fields and have been ever since we started.

I think I have made the point on here before and I'll reiterate it again as a parent and long-time participant in youth soccer on all sides.

Game location is not nearly as big of an issue as training. Key to keeping parents (actually just about everyone) happy in the lowcountry is less travel at 5.30 pm across 1-2 bridges and why most of our East Cooper teams would prefer a postage stamp size of grass in central MP than an acre in Awendaw or Summerville.

Mount Pleasant field rental availability for fall 2019:

Mon - Thu - 2 fields
Friday - 6 fields
Saturday - 6 fields
Sunday - 6 fields

I believe those will be split between at least 5 groups: LowLax, USAMP, CASC, CBSC and maybe a rugby group?

Ouch

Which Mt Pleasant fields?

All

Carolina Park and Patriots Point included

We received our assignment yesterday at a high (complex) level.
Detailed exact field allocations will follow after MPRD completes its programming registration and scheduling (as appropriate and necessary).

Cainhoy Athletic thanks MPRD and the town for its consideration and accommodation to our 700+ town resident members and we look forward to continued growth and utilzing both Carolina Park and CW Flowers (Patriots) for a portion of our activities and programming this fall.

Is it at a high level(no details) or a low level(complex/with details)?

Does your secured field usage fall in line with the availability mentioned?

When will MPRD complete its programming and registration? August? September? What if their needs continue to grow in line with trends? Are there guarantees any field space will open?

Thank you for fulfilling the need of a low cost, volunteer-based youth soccer org in MP in the absence of MPRD.

David I assumed you are secure with your Trident fields and that your Mt P field needs are only for games? You have the church field in Awendaw as well, right?

Enough detail to show evenings available and the complex (but not the exact field #). It appears to be inline with what was stated earlier in this thread. Enough at any rate to plan our fall training activities once we are through team forming activities. For us, this is an improvement over fall 2018

I imagine, like any municipality or government agency, MPRD will always have the right (duty) to limit space should their programmimg exceed reserved areas. This is is not any different than CCSD, BCSD, City of Charleston or any other adminitrative unit we work with (rent from). Similarly if one of our private landlords sold or found a profitable new use for the fields we have, we would similarly be in trouble. As would most other soccer clubs that do not own (outright) the land on which the lines are painted. Why I worry everyday about fields, and suspect most (all) other club admins do as well (if honest).

I have no idea when MPRD will finish their program registration and scheduling but shouldn't impact us unless we see that massive growth. But even then, if we lost everything, we'd only be back to where we were last year.

That last line is a bit odd, thanks for the gratitude, but probably only right that I correct that we provide a quality, affordable program to several communities, and like I stated before, not all are volunteers.

The guy that cuts the grass, technical directors, premier program coaches, and even a few of our junior academy ones (where we can't find qualified vols) receive varying degrees of comp. Unfortunatley not enough qualified volunteers to fill all the important parts.

Sorry, yes Trident is secure for years as are our other primary spaces.
We do also have field access in Awendaw that is rarely used but we are looking to revisit that.

We used to share it with OCA soccer (for training) and when we did, it was better mantained through regualr use, but we let it sit for a while. May pick it up again for 11v11.

Hearing that USAMP fields wont be ready for fall. Can anyone confirm and/or know where they will play?

Here is why they won't have Carolina Park and Patriots Point fields:

https://www.moultrienews.com/news/mount-...b6db2fadb2.html

Not exactly related, but on the facility subject. Today Cainhoy Athletic signed a long term agreement to continue our partnership with Mount Pleasant Futsal and continued/expanded access to the indoor and Park West facilities we have enjoyed for the last few years.

This will provide small sided turf, grass and indoor facilities year round and allow us to expand our micro academy program to include off-season training, clinics, and skills development for our youngest players under the direction of owner/operator, CASC USSF C licensed JA technical director, and State 2A champion coach, Andre Berenzon (Oceanside boys varsity soccer) and his staff.

Our East Cooper Micro and Junior Academy players can expect the very best of technical direction and skill development for years to come thanks to this new landmark deal and club milestone.

I had heard Andre put much-needed turf down in the sideyard of the hoops court. It tended to get muddy.

Does Andre follow a coaching curriculum for his JA coaches? How do you measure "the very best" training?

You note his USSF C license. What are the levels of your other coaches? Do they get ongoing coach training under the supervision of your DOC? What are her/his qualifications? Who is your DOC?

Will all the USAMP and Cainhoy CPL home games be played at the Trident Fields or behind the Baptist Church or are the JIYSC fields the home venue for all Charleston clubs now that CP and PP are not available?

Unless I misread the article, it looks like they are at Patriots point, the church, and the fields by OCA no?

The article states CASC is also renting PP

I guess worst case, both CASC and USA could use the cbsc fields since they won’t be using them....too soon?

Lol,,,, that was actually pretty funny... what are they building there? Offices?

You mean the MUSC fields? Or do you mean the five new fields in DI or the 7 fields in Summerville?

Thankfully CBSC didn't fall on their face in a neighboring town and have to scrap those their "complex" plans. Too soon?

You misread it.

And I'm guessing that the reason USAMP team fees are more than every clubs team+club fees combined is to rob Peter to pay Paul on that Awendaw debacle. Those poor parents.

My understanding is that USAMP has 1 field to use at PP 3 days a week. That's only 3 teams unless you cram multiple teams on a field. Same at CP. No weekend time anywhere unless Trident or maybe Cario, if CCSD wants to deal with the headache that MPRD finally rid themselves of.

Oh yes the church pasture too. You can play there. I'd recommend taping the kids ankles though.

Again, do you feel better now SCSoccerFan123D? For all the adults on this forum, the stuff spewed by the poster who has to wake up every morning obsessing about USA/MP is complete and utter garage. I’m sure you already knew that!

To SCSoccerfan.. All I can I say is I hope you get some help, if your waiting around to cheer on the day USA/MP fails. I’d suggest another obsession because that day isn’t coming anytime soon. Be glad this forum is anonymous, your child actually stands a chance of being accepted back into the club when you come crawling back in the future, which is a real shame we could share the same sidelines!

USAMP is full of great parents and kids that deserve better than the decision makers at the top. I'd ask the parents not to believe me but to ask questions. For instance ask the club leadership what they have been doing with their fees since last June when the executive director told the TOMPSC rec committee they where breaking ground on the Awendaw fields in June. They just needed the 1 year extension to finish the fields. Expect similar lies and double speak in their answer to those and other answers, but ask. Its your money and you are their customer.

The folks who run the club look out for their own interest. Their interest is in maintaining power and money at all cost, even if it means backroom deals to keep 2nd graders from playing each other. My children won't ever play at a club with leadership like that and there are other better choices.

BTW If you ever hear a person say/type a form of the word "spew" than you know where the unhinged person is. You should stick to your voodoo references. Sure, you're the stable one.

There are going to be multiple teams sharing fields (at least that is what some parents have been told). Not great, but if it is the 7v7 age group teams it isn't terrible either. Works well for end of practice scrimmage, etc.

So I would assume that would be 6 teams.

Currently, USA/MP has assigned coaches for 17 7v7 teams (9 boys and 8 girls). Also another 12 9v9 teams (6 and 6).

Is there a possibility of multiple clubs training next to each other on the same night?

Why not? These clubs all get along so well.

The silence on this thread from the otherwise vocal USAMP coices speaks volumes about the lack of a plan B for the Awendebacle.

That will be better than tryouts! You get to compare trainings and pick your best option for upcoming season.

For sure. Parents and kids will be able to see the clubs "Show their work". Thanks again to Coach Reed Maltbie for that mantra.

That’s right John!

Are we playing a name guessing game or will we attend to the concerns presented in the thread?

Don't forget to use "spew".

No guessing needed, just as there is no need to respond to your message board rumors beyond the clear statement that USA/MP will have game and training space for their teams next year.

Hmm. "Clear statements".

In May of 2018 there were some "clear statements" made at the TOMPSC Rec meetings by the Executive Director of USAMP. Here are a couple, as quoted from those meeting minutes from over a year ago, when he was pleading for TOMPSC to extend a contract until this upcoming June because there was not enough money to build the Awendaw complex AND pay higher field rental rates:

"[The Executive Director] said they are schedule to break ground sometime in June...they anticipate everything would be prepared a year from now. He said everything is a go and moving forward..."

"[the Executive Director] said that ultimately right now and the reason this is a critical extension [of the USAMP contract with TOMPSC] because [USAMP] need to be able to finish the complex. [The Executive director] said they are about to start and they will finish, and they will have a complex...”

As we now know, no ground was broken in Awendaw last June, or 2018 altogether.

The request for a zoning variance to remove the live oaks necessary to build 4 fields was not even filed with the Charleston County Zoning Review Board until January 28, 2019.

Additionally, in the application filed with the County, the Executive Director states "Reducing the number or dimensions of the fields would result in a non-compliance and make the project unviable." Evidently true to that statement, no ground has been broken to build even the 3 fields that the lot permits.

At no point did USAMP communicate these delays and possible lack of "viability" to parents at the club that pay their fees and expected to have the Awendaw fields to utilize next year.

So, whenever heads of USAMP try to bully; Or intimidate; or Or lie; Or sneak around from club to club to keep 2nd graders from playing games together in order to keep their "business" afloat, let’s be "clear". USAMP directors are not the ones that get to suggest to others they should be ashamed. And, for certain, they are not the ones that makes clear statements. Judging from documented history like above, perhaps not even truthful ones.

Parents (and coaches): this can all seem confusing and that's the last thing you need more of in your life. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Get specific answers. You are the customers. No youth club is perfect, but you have options. See the list of teams in the "tryouts" thread for the Charleston area. Find out the philosophy of the club and the plan for your child & your money before you accept any offers. Best of luck to all of your children.

Again a clear statement... USA/MP will have game & training space for their teams next year.

They haven’t lied or misled their membership as you’d like to suggest.

They aren’t the reason for your clubs short comings either.

Best of luck on your season in the CPDL!

USAMP misled/misleads its members. As they have misled the Town of Mount Pleasant. As they have misled the County of Charleston. Saying they haven't is at best... misleading.

Here's the facts & timeline on the example given in the prior post:

At the March 4th, 2019 Charleston County Zoning Board meeting, the County denied the variance to remove the Grand Trees that the USAMP executive director said was required for the Awendaw complex to proceed. To view the denial, as some already have, click this link:

https://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/zoning-planning/bza.php

then scroll down to the drop-down box below "Meeting Minutes" and select "March 2019". Then scroll down to “CASE# is BZA-01-19-00308”. The final sentence is the denial.

Just two weeks later, on March 20th, the club put out an update to their field plans in which they told members:

"We are pleased to announce that our Club cleared its final hurdles with the Charleston County Board of Zoning Appeals last week to allow us to break ground on our field complex at Guerin’s Bridge Road, and we are excited to move forward with a planned opening of fall 2019!"

The link to that update is on their site, here:

http://www.usamountpleasant.com/new-field-development-expansion-update-march-20-2019

Judge for yourselves parents/coaches if you think that equates to misleading members. Were “final hurdles” cleared? What was “pleasing” about an outcome that denied the variance request to remove the trees when this meant, according to the executive director "the project would not be able to proceed, leaving USA-MP without fields to continue practice and competition"? They even put their field update under a picture of the denied field plans.

There are plenty of great parents and kids at all the local clubs, including USAMP. We are all 1 or 2 degrees of separation in this small community. Don't be afraid to stand up and ask questions of your club directors. If you are ignored, then ask parents at your club and other clubs about their experiences. You can still choose to stay at your club without fear of reprisal. Or you can just move to another club among the many local options.

Best of luck!

Did you read the information that you posted from the board? Confirmation Bias much?

It looks like they requested to trim and or remove some trees. The removal was denied and the trimming was approved. Then they asked to build a parking area and that was approved. So....it looks like they have a green light from the board to press forward no?

I could be wrong Chuck, but I think one of the issues was that the three trees that could not be removed prevented the property from providing the the four field layout that was desired. It may have reduced the useable operating space to three fields. If so, the survey team would have gone back to determine the best arrangement of the space. It would then be up to USA/MP to determine if that was a viable layout that would meet their needs and if that would affect the value of the lease agreement.

Hot off the press, I just heard from someone who heard from someone else who heard from someone else who lives next to a family who has a cousin who plays for USA/MP that the picture used in the press release to announce the fields and follow up message includes a picture of a pond at the end of one of the fields. Rumor has it that a pond will not be required in the sites water management plan afterall. I can’t believe USA/MP have lied to us all! It’s unreal, I’m sure SCSoccerfan is already well on his way to digging up this conspiracy and will join me in calling for a area wide ban on all things USA/MP!

Ok.. back to reality.. the complex is moving ahead and will be opening this fall according to the parent meeting I attended at tryouts. I really hope despite all the hard feelings SCSoccerfanjohn will be there for the ribbon cutting. Actually I take that back as if he attends it will most likely be in the tree line waiting for ...

I was presenting the executive director's quotes to County of Charleston and TOMPSC though they were the truth. If they were not, then my evidence is only of the lies told to TOMPSC and County of Charleston.

Best of luck to all the kids!

Just saw that cbsc 04 and 05 yellow teams were both relegated from pmsl to the open league. I didn’t even know that was possible. I don’t think field space is the issue.

You did not know about relegation to the open league or that CBSC had second teams in 04 and 05?

I guess I’ve never known a team that was relegated from the pmsl. Clearly it is possible though.

SCSCL>PMSL>Open

For example, the GPS 05 Maroon Girls just got promoted to PMSL from Open. Congrats Ladies!

Yup,,, I guess for all the talk about other club’s leagues AND field space AND coaches licenses AND training methods AND #individualdevelopment, I would have thought the cbscs team would have moved forward... not backward.

Honestly, it was just an observation, and the board was dead, so I thought I would share.

Seems a disjointed list of yours, but I'll bite: How would USAMP not having fields for this fall help CBSC teams move forward last year?

And what would the USAMP executive director sneaking around to create leagues so local 2nd graders can't play games have to do with two teams getting relegated?

Lastly, and most importantly, team success doesn't equal individual development. That's actually kind of the point.

Thanks for waking up the board.

Ok.
1. The usamp field situation doesn’t help the cbsc teams that didn’t move forward this year, but clearly neither does having fields on Daniel Island, SSC, Shipyard or the soccer dome (or whatever they call it now),,,,, ironically the only people I ever hear discuss usamps fields on this board or in the community are CBSC parents. Kind of like when gps first came to the area,,, the SSC people were quick to point out gps had to lease fields... over and over and over again.

2. The usamp director is a decent guy, pretty well liked, but if he had the power to persuade clubs in the Greenville and Spartanburg and Beaufort and Myrtle beach and Augusta and Columbia to form a league so that some 2nd graders in Charleston couldn’t play against other 2nd graders,,,, then he needs to get out of the youth soccer business and head to state house... we have some roads to fix.

3. No, I guess clearly #individualdevelopment does not lead to team success.

No comment on #s 1 and 2, but just to be clear, placements for next year as assigned by SCYSA, without cherry picking teams (traditional Coastal clubs only - leagues arranged from weakest to strongest):

Open League
GPS NASA - 5 teams
Cainhoy 4 teams
CBSC - 3 teams
GPS Coastal - 3 teams
JIYSC - 3 teams
Beach - 2 teams
Charleston Utd - 2 teams
Renegades - 2 teams
USA/MP - 1 team
WSC 1 team
Charleston City - 0 team
Coast FA - 0 teams
KOSA - 0 teams


PMSL
GPS NASA - 9 teams
Cainhoy 6 teams
USA/MP - 5 teams
GPS Coastal - 3 teams
JIYSC - 5 teams
Charleston Utd - 3 teams
Beach - 2 teams
CBSC - 2 teams
Coast FA - 2 teams
KOSA - 0 teams
Charleston City - 1 team
Renegades - 0 teams
WSC 0 teams


Challenge
CBSC - 12 teams
Coast FA - 6 teams
Cainhoy 5 teams
GPS Coastal - 5 teams
Beach - 4 teams
USA/MP - 4 teams
JIYSC - 3 teams
Charleston City - 1 team
Charleston Utd - 1 team
GPS NASA - 1 team
KOSA - 0 teams
Renegades - 0 teams
WSC 0 teams

Piedmont
Coast FA - 1 team
GPS Coastal - 1 team
JIYSC - 1 team


*USA/MP may have had their top teams outside of the state leagues (i.e. NPL), if so, they would likely be better reflected here. I do not know if the same is true for any other clubs.

Looks to me like CBSC overall did fairly well, particularly relative to your club and they have only been in existence for one year. Of course it is a moot point as GPS will not play in any of these leagues next year, and will instead go to a leagues that is club placed instead of one that is performance based.

Well, if you aren't cherry picking teams... We certainly cant exclude teams either. Gps didn't play their top teams in the Challenge League (except the 05's since there was no 05 piedmont on the Spring)...

Of course you will see many more CBSC teams in the Challenge league next year. They played their top teams in the PMSL against other clubs 3rd teams in what was a very watered down league. So naturally they would move up, well except for those 04's and 05's.

The irony is that when all the teams pull out for the SCCL, that challenge may be the same teams from the PMSL last year. Look at the the Challenge list for the 06 boys next year--6 of the 7 teams will be in the SCCL. Each other age group will be more than half leaving.

But we can compare CBSC to Gps
03's finished 1st in Piedmont.. 2nd in state cup
04's finished 3rd in Piedmont...3rd in state cup
05's finished 5th in Piedmont (Fall). Tied for 1st in
Challenge (Spring) and 2nd in state cup
06's finished 3rd in Piedmont... 3rd in state cup
07's finished first in Carolina Premier.

I honestly do think that CBSC has some good things going on and will probably improve in time (as long as their first team is able to stay around),,,,,, but I just dont understand the motivation of many CBSC members on this board or in the community. In the past year there have been entire pages devoted to criticizing USMAP, Cainhoy, GPS and even DISA a little for tons of things. (lack of field space, prices, coaches licenses, focusing on team development vs. individual, and even outright implied that usamp was being dishonest).

I just simply pointed out the CBSC had 2 of their 2nd teams move backward instead of forward.

I think that CBSC spent a little more time improving their own product instead of discrediting clubs that have been working successfully in this area for years, it might be better for everyone.

Fair enough, although they were not the only club with teams to move backwards. Speaking only for myself, my criticism has less to do with any specific club. I simply responded to what I thought was an unfair comment and showed the entirety of the placements. Every metric that has shown CBSC in a positive light is always discredited here (League results, tournament results, rankings, etc...). Sure, each may be flawed, but they are more objective measurements than the tired League X > League Y because that's the one my sons club chose, and of course they would choose the better league.

My criticism has always been about what I believe is a negative overall league structure for the state by dividing a very limited resource into two separate leagues, one of which is purely exclusionary with absolutely no tangible qualifications. As parents, we will see things through the eyes of our sons or daughters lens. I work with parents of kids at USA/MP, Chas Utd, GPS, and JIYSC and I listen to what they say. Parents of daughters want more competition. The team pool at the younger ages is too small.

I have yet to meet a parent that doesn't want CBSC in their league, or at least the opportunity play against them (maybe shut a few of us up :-)', but perhaps they are being untruthful. Time will tell how CBSC does. I would say on the whole, they are happy with their retention rate, but would feel better if they were not so isolated. It is up to CBSC management to determine why they have been excluded and if a viable working solution can be made. I would say it is unreasonable of any CBSC parent to expect solutions to come from outside their own organization.

well said.. I get it.. I cant really speak about the league. But I have heard from a few different people who in the local soccer scene and they have said that early on, the battery was unwilling to work with the local clubs. I think the perception is that the battery assumed because they were the "pro" club in the area that they would hold some sway. I dont have a clue if that is reality or not, but I do know that is the perception of the cbsc. I know trying to cherry pick kids from other clubs to go to the Dallas cup during their own season rubbed many clubs the wrong way. Whether the clubs should have been upset,,,, I cant speak to, but I can see why that wouldn't go over well.

I do wonder about the first teams attendance. I wonder if they have lost or gained fans by starting their own youth club.

Mysonsdad remember the board was quiet. You fired up the discussion. You seem to be your own worst enemy.

Haha. Touché

Pro Stadium today... let see if there is even a pro team next year!

https://www.postandcourier.com/business/...c4bbe3e2c4.html

USA/MP had all their top boys teams in the NPL, if they didn’t you would have needed an extra row: USYSA National League - USA/MP - 5, everyone else 0.

Meh. I thought that was already sold. Is there any new news or just anger and old stats about a booster club most kids dont play for? I wonder if this means some mean-spirited back room deal feel through for the executive director or that angry former board director.

Old stats?

A clarification, the NPL is NOT the USYSA National League. That row was not added because there are no traditional Coastal teams in that tier. And no, you cannot assume that all of those teams would have been in the National league (certainly not based on their NPL performance). The NPL is outside the USYSA umbrella. That said, those USA/MP teams would likely be in the Piedmont or Challenge, possibly National.

For those that view the forums but don't post, the USYSA umbrella looks like (from top to bottom):

National League
Regional League (here the Piedmont made up of teams from SC, GA, and NC)
Challenge (SC teams only)
PMSL (SC teams only)
Open (SC teams only)

This system is based on a promotion/relegation system as teams can earn they way up, or down, based on performance. All SCYSA member clubs can enroll teams in this league system. The admission and pro/rel criteria is publicly shared through SCYSA website.

USClubSoccer, has a similar pyramid here in the SC area (they do not have similar leagues to SCCL throughout the country though).

ECNL
NPL
SCCL Premier I
SCCL Premier II

This league structure is very different. The ECNL, NPL, and SCCL are club based with each club applying for admission. The criteria for admission varies at level and is not publicly shared. For example, every NPL age group is represented by the same 13 clubs. (My guess is GPS Carolina will take a slot from the merging of DSC and Lake Norman, but I do not know for sure if that is how their enrollment and that merger will play out).

There are several arguments of the relative strength of each format and league. Here in SC, the USClub leagues are arguably stronger. In Texas, for example, the state league is arguably stronger.

Which system is better is a whole different debate and would largely depend on what club you are at. Here in SC for example, USA/MP is in the NPL, SCFCU and CESA are in the ECNL. DSC had teams in both of those. GPS Charleston is anticipated to be in the NPL this coming season. So, for parents of kids at these clubs, there is a clear opportunity for high level play at every age group.

The downside to this structure is that the top teams at some clubs will not have an opportunity to advance. So for clubs like Cainhoy, DISA, Coast (unless their players are eligible to play at Wilmington), GPS Lexington, CFC, Bulls, Lakelands, and Augusta Arsenal, the best their players can aspire to is the SCCL Premier I. Those clubs in the NPL/ECNL will be represented there as well, but it will be there 'B' teams.

There are pros and cons to each, and how you view them will largely depend on what team and club your child plays for. The pros and cons for the clubs (and their directors are not likely to mirror the pros and cons of parents - nor should they).

Hope this helps

My statement was to imply that should USA/MP have been playing in the USYSA structure last year with their top teams they would have had 5 teams in the USYSA National league.

These are facts that can not be twisted or disputed for all our causal readers:

USA/MP in 2017-2018 were 1 of 2 clubs in the US that had a boys team in every age group of USYSA National League. It is my understanding that they were granted entrance for 2018-2019 back into the USYSA National League in every age group. They turned that opportunity down for the NPL league. Regardless if that’s true, based on the rules, there is no disputing their 03s and 04s were automatic qualifiers; so at a minimum as opposed to using language “Possibly in Nationals league” as Shamrock does above, I can say with certainty that they had at least 2 spots.

FACT: USA/MP had 2 spots in USYSA National League at a minimum.

Additionally they won every State Cup in South Carolina on the boys side except U19. That’s U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 & U18. Meaning their top teams for 2018-2019 had automatic bids to the Piedmont league.

FACT: All USA/MP top teams would have been playing in the Piedmont league, not challenge had they been in the USYSA umbrella.

This past year in the NPL their 05s & 00/01s won their NPL league and qualified for the ENPL championship. Additionally their 03s won a bid based on finishing tied for second in their NPL league. That leaves only their 04s & 02s outside of qualifying. The 06 (u13 ) age group doesn’t have advancement. As the 04s were an automatic bid to National League, based on Shamrocks comment above ( you can’t assume based on their NPL results.. ) that argument doesn’t hold water in this discussion. USYSA National League spots are earned in the previous year of play.

First, thank you for for elaborating on USA/MPs status. I appreciate you correcting that USA/MP would not have been in the USYSA National League in all five age groups as you previously stated (er...implied). They may have earned five spots, but for sure, two, which in itself is certainly laudable. And that is just their boys.

I am also glad that you corroborated what I wrote as essentially true and are merely concerned with the phrasing. I don't think I took a dig at USA/MP or any other club, but if you felt the need to be defensive or just clarity, so be it.

I didn't want to read through the entire thread. Can someone update me on the USAMP field situation for this year. Where are the training?

Not sure but I saw the CPL field listing and I only see Old Church.

https://events.gotsport.com/events/fields.aspx?eventid=74118&FieldID=169039

It's getting cold waiting in this tree line...

Hello SoccerinLC.