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

One thing that you all need to consider when there is so much talk about mergers is money. Like it or not, the money is what makes things run. Sure, people will volunteer their time, but classic coaches get paid and DOC's can make a good bit of money. As with any merger, a combination of two clubs can result in some coaches losing their job or a DOC that gets the short end of the stick. DOC's can make a decent salary, and if you combine two decent size clubs, what do you do with the coaching staffs? Also, lets not forget that there are egos involved. Take 1 DOC and add another DOC and then who gets control? For now, the CESA merger between the DOC's work because Tormey is in charge of the Rec program, and Hyslop is in charge of the Classic program. We'll see if that will work in the long run. You would need a situation similar to that in order to get two solid clubs to merge. We all can talk about what is best from a competitive standpoint, but let's not forget that there is money involved.

When Has CSC said we will give up being CSC and we will do whats best for soccer? NEVER It is always Come to CSC we can make it the best. Yes they are willing to work together BUT at the same time it is self serving!!!! COME ON I I don't agree w/ Talon it is not a pipedream but if you think it wil happen that easily your hitting the pipe!!!!(crack get it)

Oh, poor Shearer.............
First you are into too much brown ale and now its crack?? Since you are always 'cracking' on my rants for a merger, what do you think needs to be done to help midlands soccer improve....and don't say that it is OK the way it is cause it ain't.

No it is not ok but what you fail to realize is that the attitude toward "classic" soccer is second to HS soccer in the Columbia. Now with that being siad can Columbia compete IF all the players were in one spot.....OF COURSE. Do I have an answer for this OF COURSE NOT. There are so many details in this idea.

What I meant above is that if you ask kids in Columbia .....The majority would say they would rather win a HS State Championship that an SCYSA title. The emphasis is more on the HS game in our area. That won't change any time soon.

Now you are going to battle me with the kids can't get better w/o a good club atmosphere. Right and wrong. Look you can have the CASL's ATL Fire Dallas Texans etc and that's great and all and more power to them but the bottom line is this kids get better by playing the game PERIOD. Yes they get better by playing at a higher level but that doesn't mean that we must have ONE club in Cola. Has it worked for CESA....So far YES. But it will not work in Cola.

Our best bet is to take the top 5/6 from each HS in Cola let them play at CSC/NECSA and hope they can challenge for a title. That would serve everybody. How do you decide ....I don't know. I know at NECSA Tripp would be the canidate for the top team and has a great track record for winning and MANAGING the top talent. Now CSC has the best facilities but I think this year proved that some of the CSC coaches have yet to master the MANAGING aspect of that level of soccer. Not a knock but it takes time to get to that level.

On a side note IF Bert is on at CSC like their website claims he WAS A MASTER OF THE ELITE Teams!!! Those Patriot teams he had were outstanding!!!!Now I don't know if he can coach that age group anymore w/ NCAA rules etc but that is who I would tab as the next ELITE team coach in Cola. Just my thoughts

Enjoy the one and only BROWN ALE!@!!!

2004 Striker it will happen just give it a couple of years. Maybe not soon enough for your family?
Columbians can't stand for Greenville to stay ahead on anything for longer than that and vica versa.

2 threads going on one topic sounds pretty important.

Shearer, You are indeed a drunken fool, but at least you drink the best brown ale in the world-'Newcastle'. I cannot concur with your delusional thought that HS soccer is more important to the kids in Cola. College coaches don't go to high school games and the real serious soccer kid wants to play in college at some level. You never have the all better players on your HS team and a really competitive club and club team can make you a great high school player. Consider Tomek and his play at Concorde Fire. Consider Troy Lesesne and his play at Congaree & NECSA. Consider Spenser Lewis at St. Giles and CSC. Many high schools are composed of rec players and classic players and others from other various sports, just playing between football or basketball. And your solution is to "take top 5/6 players from each school team and have them play together at CSC/NECSA??? Now, how do you propose to 'take them'? It is still a crime, I think, to kidnap kids and take them to another location. And is Tripp or Eddie gonna ask the top 5/6 kids politely to come with our team? The kids will only choose what their parents will allow them to choose. With a merged club the choice is made for them. That is when you truly will field the best teams.
So.......this is my final plea to the Cola. area soccer DOCs, club boards, parents, kids and friends of the 'beautiful game': let us please give it serious consideration. You cannot imagine the benefits to our soccer kids and those to come if we can here, today, begin serious discussions of a merger in Cola. Some of the benefits are these: 1)A central club would provide more of a sense of community in Cola. 2) More resources (fields/facilities) for all soccer kids to utilize 3)A collective pool of the best coaches in the whole area and eventually the state 4) A large club that can reach out to some kids who need an affordable sport in their lives (and it can be made affordable with sponsors, benefactors, etc.) 5) With some 20 fields within a relatively small radius a new club could offer large tournaments on par with the Atlanta Cup. Showcase and final games can be played at Memorial or Stone stadiums. 6)This would also be a boon to the Cola. economy and maybe open up avenues for grants or other city assistance with tournaments. 7) Develop elite teams alongside fun rec teams that foster the game of soccer and put Columbia on the regional and national soccer map. 8)Keep CESA from ever sweeping all the state championships again! 9) A merger would allow me to get off this addictive forum that has taken over my daily life. Thanx a lot, Kyle! and 10) Most importantly, a merger would allow us proud parents to call one club our collective home. It can be done-it takes hard work as all things in life do- and one day I can sit on the sidelines as a grandpa and say that it sure is grand!

i think Shearer nailed the whole idea when he said that high school soccer is more important that club soccer in the eyes of alot of players in the Columbia area. First of all, we have one club, Congaree, that solely concentrates its efforts at being a feeder program for B-C and the surrounding downtown schools. i am not saying this is a bad thing, but this does not exist in Greenville or Charleston. Secondly, I have heard numerous CSC kids say they can not wait for high school season and that they play club only to stay playing soccer. NECSA does not allow, or strongly discourages, their 13s and 14s from playing JV soccer. However, that is exactly the opposite at CSC. LSC seems to be the same as Congaree, a feeder program for the Lexington area schools. The decent Lexington players eventually make their way over to another club, whether that is NECSA or CSC. Just look at the coaching staffs of CSC adn you notice that nearly all are affliated with a high school in the area. Now take a look at clubs in other parts of the state. Only a handful of coaches at CESA coach high school soccer. And really none of the high level coaches there coach high school.

I truly believe that the 2 biggest reasons preventing a merger is kids attitudes toward club and high school and also presence of high school in certain clubs. I know Tripp despises most high school soccer, so why would he consider a merger with a club who is still extremely active in high school soccer? (ie Dick, Christian, Savitz, Frederick, etc. etc.)

OK I am DONE w/ you 2004 you can rant and rave forever for all I care.

Do me a favor and the nexttime you are around HS aged kids just ask them. Ask David Simpson ask Kyle Hughes ask Zach Prince ask any body that is worth a salt and they would rather win HS than SCYSA. Come on I'm then on drinking.....well better off thatn your crack pipe

Peace out!!!!

One benefiet CESA recieved was going to county council with a single voice to ask for money. Probably won't get what we asked for but will get some. Smaller clubs I dont see it happening.
Striker is right you will need to keep the fields
both clubs have.

High School is'nt better just cheaper, I mean less expensive, than club.
I know of at least one coach who coaches club just to build up his high school program. Not just a Columbia thing.

NO NO NO I didn't say BETTER I said that the kids value a HS Championship more than an SCYSA Championship IN COLUMBIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not that HS is bettter than club or anyhting like that. I SAID The kids value HS more in the COLA area!!!!!!! Read before you post.