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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659
world cup
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world cup
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659 |
Chass, Agrre with everything that you say. I admire programs such as yours (Barnwell also comes to mind) where dedicated coaches operate in under-funded or "disadvantaged" circumstances, when compared to more soccer-rich communities. My hat is off to you. When you guys make a run, everyone gets behind you, pulling hard for the underdog. PS - I drove right by your school on Thursday while working the Summerville, Moncks Corner, Goose Creek and North Charleston Wal-Marts. (I also got to see "Pepsi Bruce" from Pinewood Prep.) 
Kids play sports because they find it fun. Eliminate the fun and soon you eliminate the kid.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,256 Likes: 2
Coach
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Coach
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,256 Likes: 2 |
And we appreciate the pulling! It's great fun, trying to beat the odds sometimes, and the best part is the players really appreciate what they get out of the effort. Hope you enjoyed your trip through the Corner!
I've got good news and bad news...
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 317
Corner Kick
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Corner Kick
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 317 |
Quote:
Jb,
Are you still in the same uniforms that you got five years ago? Who pays for uniforms, equipment, referees and coach's salary at your school?
The supplement I did not think of. Good point. We have 2 paid positions and it is just below the JV head coach in the district. The boys and girls each get 1 paid position. Now I can defer some of my money to an assistant, which I will do this year.
As for everything else, we have to pay for it. It is difficult to cover the officials with small crowds due to district home games starting at 3 and tickets at $3. The cost of officials is over $160 plus SRO is $105. I have bought my 3rd set of uniforms. This set was over $3600 which I raised plus transportation to Irmo twice, BC, and three entry fees to Irmo tournaments. There are schools in the district that have the same 1 uniform that they started with. 2 other schools have only added a white uniform.
My fundraisers are hosting a soccer camp, car wash, selling candy, and hosting a tournament (which I do give T's away for the teams that participate). The only cost to my players are 3 practice t-shirts which I try to help cover some of the cost on.
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659
world cup
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world cup
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659 |
JB,
That's tremendous. If our district still has MS soccer in 2010, please send your tournament invitations to Gold Hill, Fort Mill and Springfield Middle Schools. I'll strongly encourage those teams to attend.
Kids play sports because they find it fun. Eliminate the fun and soon you eliminate the kid.
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 855
brace
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OP
brace
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 855 |
Quote:
Well according to one of their middle school websites, they have way too many expenses in the other sports. Do other middle schools have:
7th and 8th grade Volleyball
7th grade basketball (Boys and Girls)
8th grade Basketball (Boys and Girls)
7th grade Football
8th grade Football
Softball
Track
Wrestling
Baseball
Soccer (Boys and Girls)
Dance (it is listed on the athletics page)
See why it costs so much to run middle school athletics in Fort Mill.
Wow great response! A little more background on what was/is proposed. They (admin types) want to cut soccer, softball, and baseball becasue they were the last three sports added. They would still keep ALL other sports, including the multiple 7th grade teams for the other sports!
A few points I see wrong here is that:
Since soccer,Baseball,Softball were made up of 7/8 on one team why can not the other sports be 7/8 this alone would consolidate 8 teams (football, volleyball, girl&boys Basketball) into 4 thus saving the four spring sports for a whole lot more kids than would be cut by the smaller team in the fall/winter.
Why is it the school decided to cut these sports even though they are the lowest cost sports (I have seen the budget) offered for the largest number of players? While some might say football makes some money the reality is that at the middle school level it is just not true, cost of equipment and uniforms when coupled with security and refs is not covering the cost every year (it does some but not others when new uniforms are needed). My question is really about the bias shown toward FB and BB even thought they cost more to run (BB is very expensive when you add security/refs/gym cost and realize there are maybe 10 on a team and only 5 play at a time) and do not forget dance and cheer costs must be split between FB and boys BB!
Telling the kids who play these spring sports "sorry your cancelled because there is no money!" while they have to watch everyone else play sends a signal that thier sport is not important, and thus neither are they, as athletes. If we are going to have sports at the school should'nt they be the ones that are most played by youths?
Perhaps most disturbing about this whole thing was that the Senior leadership team (the one making the recomendation to school board) made this recomemdation with out ANY input from parents, in fact the parents were never informed (offically) concerning this possibility. I belive they were going to try and do this "under the cover of darkness" because of the amount of heat that would (and now is  ) be generated! In my book if there is no money for spring sports then maybe there is not enough money to be "wasting it" on sports period, afterall it is middle school and I do not think any scholarships will be lost without middle school sports.
AS for the whole club vs JV vs Middle school thing, well to me that is not part of the argument in this case. Why do we need the other sports, let them go play club ball too. I think people confuse quality of play with the chance to play. Many kids just want a chance to play because they love thier sport be it rec or club level. Also there are a few "rec" players who discover they have the ability to play at club player level.
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 61
throw in
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throw in
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 61 |
Coach JB....I stick by my statement that I told you after our game with your guys in the Irmo JV Tournament. I was very impressed with your team.
As for budget discussion, it is a tough time in South Carolina right for those in Education. I also the head football coach at a middle school that feeds into White Knoll High. Luckily, they have not cut our program, but if things don't get better, I can see that easily happening. I would hate to see MS Soccer or other sports get cut, but that is where we are with the economy.
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 317
Corner Kick
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Corner Kick
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 317 |
I understand that football is the money maker, or at least is suppose to be. My big arguements were questioning why those same Ft Mill middle schools listed all of those teams in the fall (7th and 8th football, basketball, and cheer) but were possibly wanting to cut to spring sports and the statement that MS soccer does not prepare the kids for high school soccer.
Back in April I asked Heise how well having a B-Team has helped his program and he said that he had a B-team 6 or 7 years and went on to say that roughly 75% of his current Varsity players played at least one year of B-Team soccer. 85% of his JV has played at least one year of B-Team. He said that it absolutely had helped his program and feared where he would be without it.
But again I do understand the budget issues going on everywhere.
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 61
throw in
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throw in
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 61 |
Well, I will say that atleast 5 guys from the 2008 WK Boys B-team soccer team either started or played significant roles on my JV squad this past season. So, I agree that middle school programs are VERY important in the development of the kids.
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659
world cup
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world cup
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659 |
Spring sports face ax The (Rock Hill) Herald June 3, 2009 by Shawn Cetrone http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/1383291.htmlPage 1 of my morning paper. 
Kids play sports because they find it fun. Eliminate the fun and soon you eliminate the kid.
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 907
Brace
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Brace
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 907 |
Hurst,
Anything us locals can do to make sure these programs continue? Private funding by parents?
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