SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP How much are monthly club/ training fees for each club in SC?

You're right; my numbers are purely hypothetical...I'm just saying it's at least as valid to assume there are more examples out there beyond that one poster's experience as it is to assume there aren't.

I think you're right in that the key to getting recruited is being seen. If a coach is looking at a player who is running circles around the competition, I seriously doubt he's going to accept or reject him simply based on his club pedigree; the question is, without the kind of exposure high level club play provides, how does that player get seen?

The exceptions, I think, are the ones fortunate enough to, through pure luck, a little push from an influential party, or strategic design, find themselves in front of the right person at the right time--and in that fortunate moment, all that hard work, developed talent, and winning attitude has a chance to get noticed. The club/tournament environment drastically increases the odds of that moment happening, no doubt--and it takes both the quality of player and the opportunity to show it to make things happen.

I guess I've just worked most of my life with young people trying to make things happen without all the advantages, and I've seen some of them make it pretty big, even against the odds, just like I've seen plenty with all the advantages end up going nowhere. I'd rather tell them how much harder they're going to have to work to get where they want to be than tell them they've got a marginally north of zero chance of getting there at all.

When it comes to causality...and this just occurred to me as I was typing...is it possible that part--just part, mind you, and perhaps a small part--of the reason you don't see those players who don't get a chance to play high-level club getting recruited could be because many of them, no matter how talented they may be, are convinced that there's no use for them to try?

These coaches have admitted that the two or so players are better technically than those that made the team, it was there size. This has happened from u11-u15... So they have already been pigeon-holed and we all know that in most cases size eventually equals out. Maybe SC players aren't good enough because many of the coaches think they can make players out of some of the bigger, faster (and many many times) less dedicated players.

To tell the truth, I could give example after example where in my sons age group( because I have seen them all play for years) where the all the smaller players are moved down and it doesn't matter if they are better soccer players, even if they demonstrate so in games.


1. All things being equal I would pick the bigger kid
2. All things being equal I would pick the faster kid

However, things are never CETERIS PARIBUS


What's that guys name from Argentina who is what 5'4"? His coach, I forget his name (who was the best also), who was 5'3", maybe.

Wayne, for the life of me, I forget his name... he use to play hockey... but they said he was too small to survive.

Coach:

I think you're exactly right. In an ideal world every kid with the talent and desire would be able to play at whatever level he/she wanted, including college and beyond. I think the problem is more one of logistics than bias. The simple fact is that the college coaches have to harvest the richest fields. For better or worse those fields are found in high level club soccer. They simply don't have the time or resources to spend in other places. My advice to guys and gals who, for whatever reason are not playing that level of club soccer, is to be very aggressive in their marketing of themselves. Send video to coaches - get respected soccer people to send letters of reference and, most importantly, attend camps at schools in which you are interested. Assume that you aren't going to be "discovered" and put yourself in front of those by whom you want to be seen. Finally, I want to reiterate that these kids should not assume that they can't afford high level club. Talk to the clubs and find out what financial assistance is available. They may be pleasantly surprised.

just look at the lack of success of forwards (big/fast but no ball skills) for the usmnt. crazy

...who was the girl that played for Anson at UNC... what was she???? oh yea 4'9"

63, i think you got just a little carried away there (i know; the box is soapy and slippery/slidey).

i don't think he said all that. i believe what happy is basically saying is for people to not immediately assume they cannot afford a particular level of soccer based on the cost. before making any decisions, they should at least take the time to talk to a club's officials to see if there may be help available. i don't think he was suggesting there's a pile of money out there for anyone and everyone who needs it.

Belligerent aptly clarified the meaning of my suggestion. There will always be factors that conspire against some (many) kids that will prevent them pursuing their soccer dreams. I don't pretend to have a solution to all, or even most, of those situations. I only meant to suggest that finances will not always be the impediment they may at first seem to be. It's worth asking about.

My sister played high school sports in the late 50s and early 60s..She was under five feet tall..She won at everything she did..softball,basketball,volleyball and even bowling..We had five shelves that where six feet long that housed all of her accomplishments..What was her secret?
She had the ability to fail.She was never afraid to put it all on the line and come up short..
Most people don't have that and that is what "IT" is..
Money was never an issue back then..Everyone played rec and school sports..

I was not really meaning to direct my comments specifically at Happy Daddy as much as "financial assistance" as administered by clubs. Sometimes I get the feeling clubs use that as a "crutch" as if to say - see we don't exclude anyone. The reality is in this country youth from really poor backgrounds are "not encouraged" to seek soccer as their primary sport. In other - much poorer - countries it is their primary sport. Why? Because in those countries it doesn't cost hundreds or thousands of dollars a season to play. Until we find a way in this country to quit using the "financial assistance" type excuses and truly attract the best athletes, soccer in the U.S. will struggle to compete with other countries on the world stage. Just my opinion!