SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer Sword Fight

Here's the answer: No one likes to be insulted, especially from the back row of the stadium. I really don't know ANY high school coaches who want a parent "coaching" (I always ask at the parent meeting how many of my parents played professional soccer. It kind of sets the tone.) or criticizing period. We work our tails off to provide an experience for a group of girls that is positive, a learning experience, and rewarding.

Just like in life, Richie Rich, and some other characters, got the silver spoon. Or their parents got or earned a silver fork and gave it to their kids. I earned my fork, and gave it to my kids. My daughter plays club, not premier, but was on the borderline for a scholarship to Clemson, so...She learned something about soccer, somewhere. Who cares where.

The guys at CESA are world class soccer guys in my opinion. I respect every one of them. I would respect the coaches at CASA, or NASA or wherever. I respect coaches, period.

And there lies the rub. To be a respected person, you must be respectful. Respectful means your child is not better than mine, nor mine better than yours. Neither am I better than you or you better than me. Start there, and then be polite. And like Mom always said, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything.

Be respectful. Don't hide behind monikers, etc. Just be respectful. Coaches earn respect, and you owe them respect.

Another prickly point about implying that the quality of a team is based on its number of premier players is not so much on behalf of the coaches but for the players as well. The implication comes across that the premier players are the only ones valuable enough to be counted in an assessment of the team. High school soccer is not a "pay to play" sport in most schools; as ROH alluded, all of our players have varying paths to arrive at a point of self-respect and achievement. Some of our best athletes who put all of themselves into the game aren't the ones who have had the opportunities to become a "premier" player. The last thing most of us want to see is for those players to start feeling devalued because they don't have that label. Personally, I've always thought we damage our potential to develop soccer in this country by marketing it as an "elite" sport; players should be able to come out and represent their schools with pride no matter how many or how few outside opportunities they have access to without being directly (and unfavorably) compared to people who have had those chances. In the final analysis, it's all about performance as a team, not pedigree.

A couple of years ago, my club's U18 Classic girls shared a practice facility with the U18 Challenge team. Out of four scrimmages, the Classic team won three...the last one by a 4-1 margin. The difference, I think, was in effort, heart, and not setting too much stock in labels.

Great point, Chass. I never miss a chance to point out to our little Blue Ridge players who on the other team is a PREMIER player. Funny how that works out sometimes in the games.

I have a kid who could have played premier, but we goofed her up big time. We were the Co-Presidents of the PTSA at school, and ran the After Prom to try to get all the kids home safely. It ran from 2-4:30 am, and our 10th grade daughter was required to come with us because that's how we do things. We cleaned up, got home around 6, ate a little and went to bed (my wife and I). Our respectful daughter stayed up because she had to be at the Premier tryout scrimmage at 8. Amazingly, she looked tired and lethargic and wasn't chosen. Played Challenge, they won 20 games, tied 7, lost one (to the Premier team at State), and she scored on the Premier team in the State Cup. The Premier team rarely scored that year in their intrastate games and could have used another scorer, but you know...

We would rather have a Premier daughter who listens to us, and knows what the terms "Respect" and "Class" are, than anything else. She played challenge for Chris Nichols (Christ Church) and he is a perfect person and coach. And we have two of those Premier daughters. Life is great.

ROH

I also never miss a chance to point out to my Barnwell girls the teams that we play that have those "Premier" players. It seems our team is sometimes looked down upon because we are from that small town with a small town club and the girls play classic ball. The good thing is they are really U-17 but played U-18 and more than held their own by only losing I believe only one game to a U-18 challenge team until State Cup and then missed the Championship game on goal differential.

I like not having those premier players because for one I dont have to deal with the ego's that sometimes come with some of those players and my girls play hard to show that they can beat those premier players!

"this is the song that never ends..."

What do the club guys do? Are you REALLY getting your money's worth?
Thanks for asking CJ,
In my daughters case, she played for CESA, she received a full soccer scholarship all soccer money, no academic money although she has a 3.92 GPA. So yes I got my monies worth.

I am sorry you are bored and want to stir things up for your entertainment, but you will not get my participation on one of your threads again.
Sorry you feel that way CJ, I post things on this forum that most people agree with but do not post out of fear of repercussions to there daughters that play soccer.

I don't know, but it is NOT fair to be so smug when speaking to or about coaches like Roseberry, Chass, Jonathan (when he was in Easley) and all the others that know WAY more soccer than you.

CJ, Really
You know nothing about my soccer knowledge, one thing I do know, I have coached a premier soccer team and was undefeated.

ROH,
Im really suprised that the guys at CESA wouldn't give your daughter another tryout. The DOC's of CESA are aware of all the top talent in the state

For any other coaches on this board if I come across as smug or disrespectful I apologize in advance.

Totally agree HOBO.

Sweetfeet how much did that undefeated Premier coaching experiance cost ya? ha ha . And was it worth it? never mind I know the answer to that.