SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Midlands Soccer [Moved from Thread with **** in Name]

Moved this to a new thread to focus on what 2004striker wants to talk about.

[2004striker] OK, OK, enough of this CESA Lovefest!! I too applaud the merger and acknowledge your accomplishments in one year, and Mark, as you may have surmised from all of my rants about a Cola merger, I only am pleading for the same in Cola. It is what Cola needs to keep up with you fine folks at CESA. And in the long run a merger here would make SC a stronger, more vibrant soccer state on the regional and national scene. But, for the sake of my personal sanity, can we move on past this Lovefest?
We in the midlands now need to hear from the respective area club officials -CRSA/CSC/LSC/NECSA- who have the power or position to discuss, review and consider a merger. But, my hopes have been dashed like Prancer too many times before with sounds of silence about the merger issue. The afore-mentioned midlands clubs clearly know what the future holds for them. As I have asked too many times before, do you want to field average, convenient teams that may, on occasional odd years, merely challenge for state championships or do you want to field consistent yearly teams that win those championships and go on to regional challenges? Midlands clubs, there is an open goal for a shot, but do you even make an attempt?

You and I have discussed the idea of a Columbia-area merger on this message board as have others for a very long time. The reasoning had nothing to do with a single upstate club; instead it had to do with the fact that no one in the midstate was offering a full range of services for youth soccer players -- in particular, highly ambitious and talented players.

There are sure to be people who disagree that this is needed -- and quite a few of them have also posted on this message board saying that what the midstate, in particular the Columbia area, now has is fine.

Look -- when my daughter fell in love with soccer and wanted to train instead of sleeping and eating -- I agitated for a while at my daughter's midstate soccer club to take it from a "volunteer" club [USSF lingo] to a "professional" club with higher aspirations. Most people either didn't care or actively didn't want it. I looked around the Columbia area; couldn't find anything that I thought was as serious as she wanted to be. But it wasn't rocket science -- when she was 12 years old (she's 14 now) she began pestering me about taking her to the upstate.

I know that there are teams in the midlands that are wonderful; but the problem is finding a club that is wonderful. You're right; that's not going to happen without a merger. But I don't believe that most parents want a merger. And I don't see any leadership out there, with the exception of Crosby at CSC, who have expressed an interest. While I disagree with his perspective, I have to respect Heise on this board who has prefaced most discussions of this type with something along the lines [I'm paraphrasing] that he's 90% focused on HS soccer in any case. Were that everyone was so honest with respect to intent.

So I think that your choices are to get with CSC and give them your own personal time and energy to build a midlands-dominant soccer club or to use your personal time and energy to get with an upstate-dominant soccer club and help them provide broader and deeper services for all SC players. I chose the latter...and honestly, I chose it before it became a bit more obvious (e.g., before any mergers). But I fully respect anyone who chooses another path.

2004striker, the reason that I think some people attack you about this merger thing is that they see it as "barking at the moon" -- the moon doesn't care. I care -- you care -- but most people don't. I don't like it, but I completely understand that for casual soccer players, what the Columbia area has now meets their most of their needs.

One last note -- and I'm trying to state fact here, not engage in a lovefest. But those CESA teams -- a lot of them have a lot of players from 20 miles, 30 miles, and up to 100 miles away. At one point there was a girl flying in each weekend from California to play on a team. For most of the season, CESA offered two practices a week for Columbia players IN COLUMBIA and the people training were incredibly highly qualified in every sense of the word. Last time I said this on the message board a lot of people told me that this wouldn't produce high-quality teams. I disagree. But regardless, there's yet another option for highly ambitious players in the midlands that aren't lucky enough to find that one really serious team in their gender and age bracket that is five minutes from their home.

With this past weekends disappointing results for Cola, I'm still not sure enough happened for there to be a hue and cry for merger among the 4 clubs.CSC has already expressed an interest in merging , so nothing changes there. Lexington and Congaree seem to be more aligned for feeder programs to the high school teams, so nothing changes there.As for NECSA, I can't speak for them , but I imagine they feel pretty good about this past weekend.The Ambush certainly did nothing to embarass themselves and the younger team made the finals and Premier league and seem to be not that far off from CESA at this point. So, I might be wrong, but I don't see any great clamor happening at NECSA for a merger.So what now for Cola.? Maybe another year like this one might turn some heads, but I don't know at this point what the answer is.

Why is a merger needed? If the "best teams" in the Midlands selected the "best players" in the Columbia area we wouldn't be having this discussion. It's time for the top players in the older age groups from NECSA, LSC, CRSA, and CSC to tryout at CSC since it has the best infrastructure (facilities, coaches, organization). Period!

But, it's also important for the coaches and directors at CSC to know what kind of talent is trying out and to select the best players. Not whose parent is going to make the best team manager. Not who might be the player that can show up every weekend for tournaments. Not whose high school coach I have to work with in the spring. Not who has the potential in two years to be at this level.

The coach(es) of these teams need to be held somewhat accountable for their results this weekend. Quite simply, you're not going to beat the CESA or MPSC teams with a lesser pool of players and that it what I witnessed with the NECSA and CSC teams competing this weekend.

Always Right

Why does CSC automatically get the best players? You said that the best players in each age group should all tryout for the same team. Did you not see results from this past weekend? We will start at the top, the CSC 18s were the best team in Columbia and have been pulling players from a few areas, ie Northeast, Downtown, Sumter, etc. But that team is now done. At the u17 age group, CSC has been the best in the area for a few years now. They got one, maybe two players from NECSA and another from Congaree and did not even make it as far as last year. NECSA with a weaker team went to the semis and lost in overtime to a better CSC in the 3rd place game. Right now, you can not say that one is better than the other because CSC has lost its Premier League spot. At the u16 level, only CSC fields a team, but has at least 3 players coming from the northeast side of town. They also lost in the semis. At the u15 level, CESA thumped CSC 4-1, while NECSA lost to CESA in overtime and were minutes from PKs. If we take it one more step, only NECSA fields a u14 team. So technically, from your earlier statement, the best players in the Columbia area should be on the following teams--u15 NECSA, u16 NECSA, u17 CSC, u18 CSC/NECSA. at next years 18 level, you could essentially make a case for either team. Mainly because of coaching. Tripp Miller has an excellent track record for producing quality teams and the u17 team is just another notch. In my view, this would have the best players trying out for the best teams, as you stated.

I am not on here trying to promote one club over another. I believe CSC might be a step above everyone when talking about infrastructure. CSC does have great facilities. However, the organization you point out as a strong point is actually not as strong as you believe in my opinion. Eddie is terribly unorganized at times. Everything looks good on paper, but does not flow like one would expect. However, the biggest problem with CSC right now is that it is still viewed as an extension of Irmo HS and the surrounding high schools.

Good Point. Or Points. Where did Crosby coach before CSC? Lower where would you send your kids?

L4A I agree with your statement. My comments stemmed from the things currently in place at CSC. I still feel like NECSA needs to put forth their best effort by seeing their players tryout at CSC if the Columbia area wants a "true super team". I've seen some of those "quality" teams produced by NECSA and none have ever taken it all the way. I'm not saying that the current DOC of CSC is fit for that position, seems a little out of league, especially with some of the personnel moves. But, maybe with some guidance from peers or more experienced coaches that can develop as well.

Well two things here for me. First CSC DID NOT have the best talent in COLA. They had a good portion of it but some kids on that team are WAY WAY over their heads. SECOND Those Irmo kids are so pampered in HS that when they habe to have discipline they "bug" out. I can see fault with the DOC but at the same time some of those kids at that age are just hell to deal with.

With that being said can anyone answer my earlier question?

Sheare, Coach Crosby got his first head coaching job on my u-11 soccer team, that was about 8 years ago.

Shearer, my semi-lucid friend,:
I have to agree for the very first time ever, with just 1 thing you said; that CSC U17 did not have all the best talent in Cola area. NECSA has maybe 3,4 who would helped that team tremendously; especially with some goal scoring. So why are you opposed to a merger to get all these guys together? There were also, only 4 Irmo boys on the team, so it definitely is not a feeder for Irmo High. A merger would put the best together. Thats what it will take to compete with CESA from this point on. But, its all about commitment.