SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP USSF Academy-Year 3

As the Academy gets ready to start year 2 it looks to be solidifying its position as the inside track for boys soccer at the highest level.

Year 2 also saw the addition of several key/core Clubs ala Texas. What will year 3 bring?

The only Academy ball in SC is offered at Bridge. Will there be a second Academy in SC and if so, who?

CESA would be a logical choice. But no more so than in the past two years and they have passed. Would year 3 be different?

What about CUFC? Very aggressive club with plenty of fields and good proximity to a top college program? Plus, central to the rest of the state.

Thoughts?

When do you think they will open this up to the ladies?

No offense.....but I'd prefer this thread stay focussed on boys. I opened up another one for girls....good topic as well.

After reading a little about the Academy on the Bridge website I noticed the kids in this can only play on high school or National Teams outside of the Academy. So are they allowed to participate in ODP?

Nope. My understanding is that they can not participate in ODP nor are they to participate in Region Premier leagues as well.

I'm interested to hear if either CUFC or CESA are pursuing an Academy program for next year. Any scuttlebutt?

At one time I thought Rock Hill/Discoveries/Winthrop would have been an interesting choice given the proximity to Charlotte and the Manchester complex. But when USSF put an Academy at South Charlotte that pretty well killed that.

Metro Charlotte is sufficiently served with 2 Academy programs. But I think.....Columbia and Greenville and York County kids are getting overlooked. YC kids can do Academy out of Charlotte......but then they miss high school, becasue the NC Academy programs are accomodating NC high school.

A SC Academy that respects SC high school would be interesting. Bridge has a great program but it doesn't work for us up here.

It all boils down to egos! Coaches, players, parents ...

I am all for changing the culture of soccer in SC but as long as we continue to make decisions for the wrong reasons we will continue to put forth a product that is inferior to the power houses of Region III.

Don't understand your post at all.

For boys.....USSF Academy is apparently being perceived as the primary means of player identification and development.

In South Carolina its not available unless you drive to Charleston 3-4x per week, or......cross the border into Charlotte and sacrifice your high school career.