One of the things that I'd say differentiated Academy from R3PL play....is that its player focused, not team focused.
By that I mean.....how does a kid play R3PL? The team that they're on has to earn their way there. The team....has to win state, or whatever. Different states have different criteria. In SC....State Cup winner and Finalist get the 2 R3 slots.
So a great player who plays on the 3rd or 4th best team...is shut out of playing at the highest level. R3 rewards teams, not players.
Academy is mercenary. Kids tryout and the top 18 or 20 or whatever...are selected. Lets leave politics out of it for now. Politics exist for rostering under the current Club/R3 scenario too.
In Academy, the best kids in an area play. In R3, the best teams play. To me there is a philosophical distinction.
Now, practically......probably 80% of the best players are on the best team already. Thats why they're the best team. And in an area like Greenville or Charleston, CESA and Bridge already provides that. Not sure.....that Academy has brought that many new kids into Bridge, or that it would for CESA.
To me, Columbia is the place for Academy in SC. Its the only place in the state.....where 80-90% of the soccer players would be within 90 minutes or so of each other.
If the purpose is to pool the best players and then train them relentlessly.....not sure it works in our state dealing on the periphery.