SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer Poverty, Affluence, and Soccer Success

But football and basketball are the opportunities for fame and fortune for many kids, soccer isn't. Thats what seperates soccer from the rest

BCSD,

Have you ever seen the budget for a competitive youth soccer club? What do you think the largest line item expense is?

BCSD,

Perhaps the dimensions of a field and its upkeep are more difficult to finance than a basketball court. As well, recreation departments probably are thinking year round sports and that gym keeps kids busy 12 months of the year.

This is a subject near and dear to my heart. Let me throw out a hypothetical.....

If there could be a self sustaining non-profit established with the expressed purpose of providing direct support to disadvantaged youth in South Carolina, how would you envision the support being provided. Cash distributions? Paying all expenses associated with the player to the club/volunteers (the child could in general easily travel with a team member if a contribution were made to cover meals/partial hotel/gas, etc.)? Sponser a team or teams? In other words if you had some monies available to try and help a youth or group of youths how do you maximize the impact. The floor is open for comments.

OK folks this is a bump. The above question is for real. How do we enable the program mentioned above to be effective?

I could see the non-profit providing funding to any player (with need) regardless of club, but that the non-profit would have guidelines for the player and the club—such as guidelines that would minimize costs. That would require some effort by the clubs to contribute as well. If the non-profit entered into these agreements with surrounding clubs first, that would possibly encourage other clubs to do the same. Clubs might have ideas for these guidelines already since many give scholarships to players with needs. With the right PR and cooperation among clubs, this seems doable.