SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Mt. Pleasant's Fight

Apathy will kill this movement fast.

Please show your support and attend the October 1st meeting. There absolutely needs to be an over flow crowd there, as an indicator to the Rec Committee and Town Council that there is support in the community.

What many in Mt. P don't realize is that the Town, through the Rec department controls MPSC. We have been told on many occasions that MPSC functions as a booster club and will be told when and where they can spend money. The DOC and other coaches are paid by MPSC, not the Town, eventhough the Town considers them part time employees. A few years ago, MPSC wanted to hire a nationally known soccer person to be DOC. When the Rec Dept director found out he lectured the MPSC board; reminding them that "no soccer coach" is going to make more money than the head of the Rec Dept. (Keep in mind that this person was to be paid for from MPSC resources, not Town funds) Soccer brings in infinitely more revenue to the Town both in fees and economic impact than any of the other sports could ever dream of, yet they benefit very little from this support. Why would a town the size of Mt P consider building new baseball fields when it doesn't use the fields it has?? New facilities do not neccessarily mean better performance but they will go a long way to advancing the club. The fact that the Rec Comm of Town Council has agreed to meet with MPSC is huge. When they realize that the Rec Dept staff has been less than forthcoming in providing accurate information about the satisfaction of MPSC parents, hopefully things will begin to change. Even if you don't wish to speak come out for the meeting. A large crowd will speak volumes!!

I know MPSC is lining up the speakers and petitions have been circulating. I'll be there.

Large # of soccer parents = large # of registered voters.

A politician's #1 job is to get re-elected. A not so subtle hint to the board that the Mt. P soccer voting bloc is a large one and can/will influence future elections....

In Case you did not get the info before the Town forced the Club to take it down from thier own website.

The Soccer Community has failed to keep up with fields that are on par with our participation. Its participants need to speak up to their town.

FACILITIES INVENTORY

Fall Soccer Fields
1 Trident Our original Hungryneck soccer field
5 Patriot’s Point Lighted
*TMP proposing expansion of bathrooms and storage, no shelter.
1 Park West Multipurpose Lighted
1/2 Park West 9 Track-Lighted. Monday and Wednesday use only. (55 x 80 small)
1/2 Cario half-Lighted. Monday, Wednesday, weekends 2-6:00
1/2 Long Point-Monday and Wednesday use only *Usage conditional to HOA of Long Point Development
1/2 James B Edwards
9/23/08 football just notified soccer they do not need this unlighted field
Total 7 Lighted Fields, 2 Half size fields
4295 Youth Participants in 2007 Fall & Spring Seasons
$ 163,210.00 in Registration fees paid to TMP in 2007

Baseball/ Soft ball
4 R.L. Jones Center(4 Lighted fields/1 lighted batting tunnel)
*TMP relocating batting tunnels and adding 2 new shelters
(This facility is annexed to a school with an ample overhang for shelter and parent pick-up in inclement weather and is directly next to a recreation department building for child pick-up)
3 Sloan (3 Lighted fields and batting tunnel) * TMP adding a shelter
4 Park West(4 Lighted Fields) * TMP adding track and batting cage
1 Whipple road(1 Lighted baseball field)
1 Cario(1 Lighted Field)
1 Whitesides(1 Lighted field)
3 Duffy(3 Lighted fields/ lighted batting tunnel)
*TMP adding shelters
1 James B Edwards *Usage conditional to Chas County Schools
2 Speights Street/Reid Field
1 Wando South(1 Lighted field/batting tunnel) *TMP upgrading lighting
Total 18 Lighted, 3 Unlighted Fields
2314 Youth Participants in 2007 Fall & Spring Seasons
$ 87,932.00 in Registration fees paid to TMP in 2007

Football
1 R.L. Jones Center(1 Lighted field)
1 Park West Football(1 Lighted field)
1 Park West 9 Track(1 Lighted) Tuesday, Thursday, weekends
*Permanent football goal post in place
1 James B Edwards 9/23/08 football just notified soccer they do not need this unlighted field
1 Town Hall(1 Lighted field)
1 Moultrie Middle School (1 Lighted field)
1 Laing Middle School
1 Old Wando-Santos asking soccer to fund $5,000. for lights though Football is using field
1/2 Long Point-Thursday and weekends
1/2 Whipple (Lighted field)
1/2 Cario half-(50 x 75 lighted field) Tuesday, Thursday, weekends till 2:00
1 Cario FB-(1 Lighted field)
1 Whitesides-(1 Lighted field)
Total 8-1/2 Lighted, 3-1/2 Unlighted
1048 Youth Participants in 2007
$ 39,824.00 in Registration fees paid to TMP in 2007


Adult and Youth Soccer Participation Numbers Program
5,365 Soccer registrations totaling $ 203,870.00 in 2008

Present situation:
Currently Mount Pleasant Soccer field usage is maxed out. Teams are practicing 4 to a field Monday thru Thursday. Training for Micro soccer has been reduced to games only due to overcrowding at fields. This further hurts the development of soccer and the MTP player base.

Select teams are limited to two sessions of 1 hour and 15 minute training with no field change over times. The lack of changeover time creates an impossible transition situation. We have 13 year olds scheduled for training at 7:30 to 9:00pm. Other clubs in our region train their players three times a week for 1- 1/2 to 2 hours outside of game days. Currently, player to space/field ratio is a detriment to the Mount Pleasant soccer players training and future development.


Dedicated facilities not only allow for better training and scheduling scenarios but also for better field maintenance. Dedication limits the year round usage of the venue and allows the field to “recover” in off months.

Soccer is a dual sex sport from Micro soccer to adult league. Female participation in soccer far out numbers the female participation numbers in softball, football and baseball. Equality in field count is not being given to programs supporting females.

Our ability to compete with other regions clubs is hurt by the lack of facilities. Currently, Greenville is expanding their facilities to include a 16 field complex in addition to their existing 6 field MESA complex. Richland County has passed a 50 million dollar recreation bill for improvements and new facilities on top of their current 11 and 5 field sites.. Rock Hill has built Manchester Meadows a Premier Soccer Park.

The Soccer Community has failed to keep up with fields that are on par with our participation. Its participants need to speak up to their town.

Mount Pleasant Grassroots Soccer

Primary Goal: To create a well equipped and lighted rectangular field training facility to maximize development potential of all Town of Mount Pleasant soccer participants.

What we need:
• Field Complex with 16 lighted 100 x 80 fields This facility could meet multiple rectangular field sports needs without compromising its effectiveness for the sport of soccer.(For example: Football and Lacrosse)
• Kicking walls incorporated as part of storage areas
• 4 synthetic turf small sided game fields which could serve as 2 of the 16 fields request
• Minimum of 6 restrooms stalls for women and 4 for men per 6 playing fields.
• Concession Stand shell with storage area.
• Soccer specific equipment storage area.
• Second story meeting room/field overview area with roll up doors as part of the concession stand building
• Walking trails and other amenities that facilitate general public enjoyment.
• Maintenance of Patriot’s Point Complex as the secondary soccer facility with the addition of 10 more restroom stalls and a 20 x 50 covered shelter with second story meeting/field viewing room.
• Maintenance of Old Wando practice field and Trident academy soccer fields as soccer specific fields.

Community Climate:
• We believe Mt. Pleasant residents are aware that our land availability is a diminishing resource and that if land and recreation facilities are not procured and developed in the next 5 years the opportunity to have a high quality recreation program with adequate field space for program growth will be limited.
• We believe MTP residents would support a bond to create and update MTP recreation facilities for ALL sports.
• Upon completion of a new complex, we are willing to promote a win/win scenario of giving up usage of Park West, Cario and Long Point fields to help address the recognized needs of other sports.
• We believe MTP residents also want their volunteer parent organizations to have input into the creation and design of these facilities with the recreation department.
• The Mayor just announced a committee to review and give comments to the
Towns comprehensive plan. We would like a similar committee, with members appointed by Town Council to review the Recreation Needs Assessment. We encourage all Booster Clubs to petition the formation and participation of its members on this proposed committee.
• We believe the soccer community of Mount Pleasant is in need of additional fields in one location.
• We believe the creation of such a facility could allow us to increase participation in our fundraising events and provide additional ATAX revenue to create and maintain such a facility.

Recreation Committee Meeting is scheduled for Oct 1st at Town Hall, 6:30 PM.

Please be sure to encourage the maximum attendance.
It all starts with you.

Thanks for posting this info. Well done!

Excellant write up.
I am going to send it to all of the Council members.

The Town forces the Club to take something off their website? Huh?

This just exemplifies the screwed up situation of Mt. Pleasant soccer that will always exist, regardless of fields, unless the club privatizes and consolidates. Ask Town Council or the Soccer Club about the relationship with one another and every answer will vary. It's a complete joke down there and a fight that will never be won or end.

A worthwhile fight for MPSC. Best of Luck!