SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP GFC and St. Giles Merge!

I do not know of any valid reason why the Cola. area clubs would merge. The majority of them just want their own little, neat club to remain intact, and not lose their individual autonomy. They don't want to compete with the big boys and probably could care less about improving their successes on the field. If there is any desire to merge and be progressive in their approach to soccer success it would have to come from CSC. But if the smaller clubs dont desire to improve and attempt to keep up with the upstate, then CSC will have a hard time on its own against the big merger.

4Soccer what is you grand plan? What would solve the "merger" problem in Columbia? I am not picking a fight. You all always saying BLAH BLAH BLUH but what is you idea. You constantly try to urge people to "merge'" or make "super Clubs" yet you give no insight on how to make this happen. Remember I am just trying to pick your brain.Which might be a small task after all! Jsut kidding!

Attached you guys will notice a letter I sent out to all Club Presidents and DoC's in the Columbia Metro Area! I want you all to know that we (CSC) would love to make this happen...the offer and on the table and hopefully we can get the ball rolling "together" here in Columbia?

....Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen,

As you are well aware of by now St. Giles United Soccer Club and Greenville Futbol Club are well on their way to merging the two clubs into one super club. However, there are ways, that we in Columbia could unite our resources without taking away from anyone else. I feel at this time that Columbia Soccer Club has taken some steps to be just a slight bit ahead of the top clubs in Columbia and maybe in South Carolina compared to SGU and GFC. I'm not saying that Lexington, NECSA, Congaree and others are not, but I feel that CSC has taken some huge steps to provide the Columbia-Metro area kids an opportunity to play at the next level. Our coaching staff is maintains a minimum USSF C license or higher with most staff members carrying B and A or equivalent. We currently own our facilities with a 6 field complex, lights, paved parking, restroom and dining facilities. Also, we have received grant money to acquire two additional lite regulation fields along with two U10 fields as well. I know that all of you have great facilities as well! I know what great things you have to offer and I'm not disputing this, but if we shared resources: coaching, training, facilities, etc...the greater Columbia area would surely benefit? Please don't miss understand me. I'm not asking you to merge under CSC and drop your club affiliation. I'm asking you to consider our options. (What are those you may ask...?) I am proposing that we continue training the U11-14 at your various clubs for now. However, U15 and above would unite and play under one banner (which ever we decide) to compete at the regional and national level. While doing this our top coaches would be in charge of training/coaching the elite teams, while keeping their other club commitments as well. There are tons of options to work off this and this is only one idea! I'm sure you have your own and that is great, too!!! I think we all want to hear those! So, are we interested?
Sure, in the past we've all had a team here or there to challenge the upstate as well as a regional/national competitor. However, the time has come for us to put the KIDS first in our decision making. We can always work out logistics, money, training, etc...but we need to act on this to continue our development of the midlands youth. Together we can make this possible. I'm not doing this for personal gain, professional gain or any other alternative motives. Like all of you, I'm here for the kids and the advancement and development of our youth players to challenge and compete on a state, region and national level. As long as well keep this in mind and hire people with our same goals and vision... we will always keep our focus on the KIDS!

I have been in discussion with Kevin Demers from US Club Soccer and I'm very excited about our options to take our situation to the next level. He would like to meet with all of us. The sooner the better. He is working on a presentation and meeting for us to guide us (as a unbias professional) through this process. He has worked with Club soccer for numerous years and been in dealings with the likes of Concorde Fire, CASL, Charlotte and others. He, like us, is in it for the best interest of the kids. Attached is his email if you would like to contact him personally.

I look forward to hearing from all of you very soon. Please respond either way in regards to whether or not you would like to meet and your feelings regarding the meeting.

Respectfully Yours in the Game,

Eddie Crosby

ecrosby -
What is Kevin Demers email. Thanks.

My post for Lowcountry dated 12/12/2003 in a thread about club superiority:

I will attempt a grand solution for the Lowcountry.
We have a natural leader for a consolidation in our National Champion Professional team - Charleston Battery. The Charleston Battery could sponsor 1 (possibly 2) teams in each age group ( and sex) at the highest level of state wide competition available. They could hire the coaches, sponsor the uniforms, and provide some fields for just these limited # of teams. Their base of operations on Daniel Island is quickly becoming the center of the greater Charleston metropolitan area ( geographically speaking).
Since the Battery has no geographical territory to speak of, it could argue that its player selection would be unbiased.
The local clubs could continue to run their own recreational leagues, in house programs, and possibly sponsor a team at the classic level (not challenge) or American Cup level if there was the player demand. There would have to be operating agreements between all the clubs and the Battery
that the elite players would be fed to the Battery.
In exchange, the Battery would provide pro players and coaches to help in develop training sessions on a broader level.

problems to overcome:
1- Pride, Ego, Turf - whatever you want to call it.
2- If successful, they do not have field capacity at their training facility for a large # of teams.
More fields in this area would be needed. Possibly teams could rotate practice time and game field availability based upon this magical harmonious relationship between the feeder clubs.
3- Historical opposition to this type of idea is that Battery did not want to risk alienating possible season ticket holders when the kid gets "cut". In fact, I think the contrary would happen. Battery would have more exposure and everyone would aspire to be part of a "Battery" Team.

Isn't this vaguely similar to how International clubs run youth programs?

*******************************************************
This is very similar to ecrosby's for midlands. If the idea seems so simple - why can't it happen?

I feel Eddie Crosby is working in the right direction here. If a plan along those lines can be worked out in the midstate, it could stop the trend of losing fine local players to the upstate club(s) by giving them a local option to compete regionally/nationally.

Mark , my concern is that GFC and St Giles now have stand out players on there teams. When we start having C and D teams in Classics its going to be a challenge to keep the C and D players playing soccer at the older age groups.

The merger won't be all good or bad.
I admit that by reading this forum Columbia and Charleston are'nt excited about the merger.
Greenvile is differnt from Columbia. Without the river and Fort J. it's a lot easier to get to practice in Greenville than in Columbia from a logistical standpoint.

I don't think were going to see a great improvemnet at the older age groups since the kids tend to go the better team now regradless of which club it is. I may be wrong on this point What do you think?

SCDAD - ever heard of a bridge? you columbia folks always talk about the river being such a devisive feature. why? doesn't make since to me. we have players from James Island and even North Charleston and such playing for MPSC - and it's a lot bigger bridge to cross!

Talon: I think that scdad is from Greenville and was just trying to be nice to Columbia folks. My home is in the Columbia area; and you're preaching to the choir when you talk about Columbia and distance to me. Amen!

scdad: I'm with you on the immediate impact to the older groups -- but I do think that there will be a longer-term positive impact as the development pipeline is well-managed -- if the combined club really focuses on this.

In terms of keeping C and D players interested, I would think that this is a function of the "importance" that the club places on the C and D teams. This is one of the reasons I'm so fanatical about coaching staffs -- because I would think that you'd have to make sure you had the best possible programs and coaches feasible to attract the best players on the C and D teams because they'd be getting more out of it than they could somewhere else.

Swimmer 1,

You might have the "best/most realistic" idea yet. If you can get the Battery involved you would have an immediate advantage! With the Daniel Island complex you are way ahead of the game with facilities etc and added to that the Battery players helping out would really give something back to the kids! I really don't see how the Battery could turn down the community that supports them! Good luck and keep this board informed.