SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP CASC: Premier program expansion

This may once have been true, even though the numbers of player commitments used in their marketing are deceiving. Now, judging from U12 and below, it has already ceased to be the case. Moving forward there look to be even greater issues.

When Mount Pleasant Soccer Booster Club, now dba USAMP, acted as a local branch of South Carolina United(they were doing usiness as SCUMP then) and acted as a partner to the Battery Academy, they were able to draw in talents from a wide swath of the coastal area. Later they enjoyed a partnership with Tormenta FC, likely to help get DPL status, for what that is worth. Since those relationships were terminated, and the market welcomed new competition in the form of GPS and CBSC, USAMP has begun a struggle to remain dominant.

For various reasons, last year GPS(NASA, Coastal and JIYSC), Cainhoy and CBSC took many players from the USAMP teams. USAMP can tell you how many, but my guess is they lost 1/4 of their club. That puts a huge financial onus on the remaining players to cover the overhead through fee increases, fundraising and USAMP tournament participation. If rumors are true, there has also been a reduction in coaches pay or increased demand on coaches. This is likely fueling the practice of coaches coaching 3(!) teams and directors also coaching 2 teams. No wonder it is so hard to make schedules; there seems to be no coherent curriculum; a parent can't get anyone to respond to calls/emails. Directors don't have time to direct.

This in the face of its struggles to find field space. With the loss of the Old Village Baptist church fields and the expiration of the contract for Patriots Point fields and Carolina Park fields (5 groups including USAMP will share just 2 fields Mon-Thurs on new contract) there was already going to be a problem. The reduction of planned fields in the neighboring town of Awendaw from 4 to 3 seems to have made the huge delays in action on the part of the club's executives even more devastating as those fields are nearing the drop-dead date(if not already past) for breaking ground if they want to use them in the fall.

You surely aren’t implying NPL is home to second and third tier teams beyond DA clubs whose second team is in the NPL. Which is the same set up your saying the new USL league will follow. If second teams behind ECNL aren’t accepted into the NPL, why would the NPL ever entertain second teams behind USL Pro- here’s a heads up.. they won’t .

Sowing seeds of rumors on this forum does not make them true scsoccerfan. If nothing else I hope it makes you feel better.

USA/MPs teams remain the standard in the LC. Maybe one day the Battery will have teams that can compete, it’s just as likely that the Battery closes shop before that day arrives.

It’s a sad day when all the youth clubs in Charleston are at such odds with the pro club. To suggest it’s to be expected when a pro team enters the youth market is to overlook all the examples where successful pro club presidents and directors are employed. It can be done and supported by the local community. Something the staff at the Battery have demonstrated an inability to accomplish.

If your looking for something misleading... see the number of people the Battery report to the league as their home attendance.

ALL the youth clubs are odds at with the Battery? Are you sure about that? Are you suggesting that every single CPL club voted against their participation?

Are they all rumors? At the very least, some of the field issues USA/MP faces are documented in town and county minutes.

I think GPS has a comparable product right now, at least from u14 boys and younger. Several top USA/MP boys were at GPS evals. CBSC Fleet girls and Cainhoy girls at u9-u12 compare favorably as well.

USA/MP has some strong history worthy of praise, but that doesn’t mean the future or even current landscape will/does mirror the past. GPS in the LC is only a few years old. CBSC is one year old. The environment that USA/MP once led as “the standard” no longer exists. And the landscape will probably look very different 3-5 years from now. Mergers, leagues, changes will happen. We will see how each organization adjusts.

Random thought....ENPL playoffs won't be around once Boys ECNL reaches certain amount of teams. At that point NPL will become a second tier and playoffs wont be mixed. As of now conference standard in Mid-Atlantic and Southeast compared to the NPL is already way higher.

Agree 100% with ShamrockRovers.

The part that I wasn't sure about, I mentioned to ask USAMP (the number of players lost).

The field information is a known via town & county documentation or visible to the eye.

Perhaps USAMP should start sowing the seeds of grass instead of misrepresenting fact as rumor.

Current and former heads of the USAMP organization can't fathom a local soccer pyramid without hem atop it and their actions suggest they are more frightened than their words admit.

Out of curiosity, this is the second time I’ve read a comment that says something to the affect of USA needing or being led by Tormenta players. I didn’t correct it before and should have. Looking at the 03 and 02 girls teams that’s simply not true. Iirc the 03 girls side won state cup and played very well if not won Their bracket in NPL this year with little help from Tormenta. The 02s did well I think 3rd or 4th in NPL bracket and won state cup last year iirc. Again, with little help from Tormenta in fact the only issue they had to overcome was missing a GK and having to use a younger keeper. In regards to USA losing players to gps, I think you have that backwards, USA gained a few from gps and scufc and I’d bet you’ll see a bunch more move over at tryouts.

As for why the two leagues are intertwined. Both controlled by us club, one is a club centric meaning field requirements as well as multiple competitive teams across age groups. The other has no field requirements and easier with fewer competitive teams. ECNL at scufc required teams for each age group U13+ whereas NPL can be team specific.

I think as kids get older,,, the better kids tend to migrate together. In the past years, the best kids from the North area have tended to end up at usamp. That being said, Gps has certainly stopped a little of that. There are kids that have started at usamp that are now at gps and kids from goose creek/ Summerville that are now at usamp.

Gps had certainly closed the gap, but anyone who thinks that usamp isn’t the standard In the low country is just not realistic. Their top teams are strong in every age group. How can anyone dispute their results?

My apologies, I do note that I said the USAMP coaching pay issues were a rumor. Are they just that? If it is not true, I apologize and will reconsider sources next time.

Mysonsdad, you did a splendid job tap dancing around the fact that GPS is able to keep its players from going to USAMP.

For the record, Mount Pleasant Soccer Booster Club, using whatever name, did a good job of taking advantage of low field costs and relationship with other clubs in the past. My comment about the deceptive nature of the commitment numbers have more to do with double counting names with South Carolina United and making it seem as though the impetus for the kids to come to play for Mount Pleasant Soccer Booster Club was not actually because of its relationship with the Battery Academy during those years. That effect is wearing off.

It is indeed rich hearing a USAMP supporter suggesting that someone at another club should feel shame. Trying to keep 2nd graders from being able to play other second graders unless they wear a certain color shirt. What a disgusting act.