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Honestly, I can't answer the first question because I've never been a part of a team that did that. When I played with Ashley Hall, we had a decently rounded team and didn't need to. I would surmise, however, that any technically good players would see this tactic and either use it to try to shine on their own when playing weaker teams and be happy or choose not to play for the team at all, thus further shrinking the pool.

Players without the tactical and technical experience of a high level player I can imagine would just be happy to know they only lost 1-0 to a team that normally beats teams by multiple goals. For one game, in my opinion, I could easily put up with that strategy if we 'knew' we didn't have the manpower to stand toe to toe and just wanted to minimize the damage. I'd rather be proud we didn't lose by 5-10 goals then worry about how we had to, legally, play to make sure we didn't get too embarrassed because some teams, no matter what they do, will lose by a lot anyway.

As for the second question, to a degree, yes, I believe it could. When I played, our sweet little geometry teacher was the coach, and while a great man, he was not a soccer coach. The skill of the team depended 85-90% on the challenge players from the Fury and other high level teams. While this can work somewhat (see Wando) it requires a coach who has learned enough about the game to do okay and a constant source of those players to maintain a level of play. That's easy when you have 2500 students and a central club. Not so much when you have 42 students per class, cost as much as colleges, and pull students from all over who may or may not have access to a good club.

I think they would have to get someone who was somewhat well known in the soccer community to get people to make a leap of faith and then he or she would have to have the coaching skill and personality to help turn mediocre players into good ones that can help support and play alongside the great ones. Demonstrating over a few years that he or she has that sort of talent in coaching and a slowly progressing win-loss record might serve to entice those players who elect not to play, to do so. It would take years though.

I do, however, want to note that there's also the point that those players who 'really' want the competition either move to BE or Wando or whatever school is nearest them. For one, it's a lot cheaper, and secondly, they're guaranteed a good team. I know a lot of, if not all, the girls I played with growing up, never played for Ashley Hall and eventually just stopped playing altogether.

That said, I think there's sort of a split between the players that are aiming for college and go to where they can get a little extra reputation, the players that don't care enough that eventually quit entirely, and (in the past) the players who were good enough, but not aiming for any specific college ball, but ended up as walk-ons or playing for a lower division team because they managed to shine on a team.

That was a well thought out and genuine reply and I appreciate it. It did bring up a few other questions though.

My first question deals with the what you brought up as the inherent advantages of a school like Wando that has 2500 kids versus a SCISA school like Ashley Hall. You made reference to Ashley Hall not having an established soccer coach and that most of the skill level came from players that play on club teams. How then do you account for a school like Hilton Head Prep that has half the girls in it's upperschool that Ashley Hall has, and is now on their 3rd coach in 5 years, but they still manage to be the class of SCISA year in and year out? There are no high level club teams on Hilton Head as the best players go to Charleston, Savannah and even Atlanta to play on clubs. They also have to split the private school talent with Hilton Head Christian and the public school talent with Hilton Head High (which won the 3A state title last year) and Bluffton High which is rated in the 3A state poll this year.

I also disagree with the premise that the "true" soccer players want to leave a great academic institution like Ashley Hall to go play at soccer powers like Wando and Bishop England because of their reputation. If that were the case, I don't think you would be seeing the kids transferring out of Wando and enrolling at Pinewood the way they have. Pinewood has turned into a soccer power in all of South Carolina in just a year or two. The transfer of a few kids from Wando has turned Pinewood into one of the top 5 teams in all of South Carolina public or private. I think kids would much rather transfer from a Wando or Summerville or Berkeley to a Pinewood or Ashley Hall or Porter Gaud than the other way around.

I can only speak as someone who transferred out of Ashley Hall and I did it for a few reasons.
One, girls are catty and when you coop too many of them up for too long, things get nasty.

Two, BE and Wando are a hell of a lot cheaper and the education is just as good (AP/Honours at Wando); a 19k per year price tag doesn't tend to be enticing to people other than those who can afford it. They just don't have the 'Ivy League' Name Recognition. I had a lot more AP opportunities at Wando than I would have had at Ashley Hall and I started part-time at CofC through Wando's scheduling my senior year.

Three, when you add state or national class soccer to the others, it's almost an easy choice.

Ashley Hall can be really great if you're in the niche social circle and/or willing to put up with certain things in order to have the Ivy Name Recognition--which you can now get at Academic Magnet as well. It wasn't for me and it won't be for a lot of other girls as they go through the system. When that's the case, it's an easy choice to move.

And while I can't speak of today's situations, I do know that HHP was for a long time the only premier high school soccer team in the area. When we played them HHC was not at all impressive and I don't remember hearing anything about HHH. It's easier to maintain a status quo and players than it is to build something up. Additionally, I believe Beaufort County's population has had somewhat of a spike in the past years, so adding population can automatically increase the probability of having a wider pool of athletes for all of the schools. I also think, perhaps incorrectly, that because HH was a resort island, the population was naturally more inclined to have a little more cash and be more willing to pay for a private school. When the population increases, you get more of a middle ground who are happy with public schools as well as an increase in the quality of the public schools.

As for transfers to Pinewood, it's easier to transfer there than to Ashley Hall or Porter because their price tag is under 10k per year compared to 18-19k (more than my entire college education combined) at Ashley Hall and Porter-Gaud. That fact also limits the number and type of people who can apply and be accepted to any school, again limiting player pools.

Personally, I would never have considered Pinewood an option because of the daily drive from Mt. Pleasant when I had BE and Wando with excellent honors/AP systems right there. For those that are willing and have the money, more power to them. I don't like driving ;-).

At any rate, locational demographics are different no matter where you are and no one can really say anything about 'why' for sure without an intensive study.

Who transferred out of Wando to go to Pinewood?

Yeah, if you can get a scholarship and don't mind the drive up to S'ville every day, it's a great alternative and you get the name recognition.

Two were from Stratford and two from Summerville..

Porter Gaud 5 @ Northwood Academy 0

SCISA Sports Fan, I'm guessing except this year.