SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP New Fort Mill Club - Tega Cay Soccer Club

FMDad, I believe and trust JF in the short time I have been exposed to the local soccer team. At same time want to make sure it is a win-win situation for both family and club. Maybe that is Utopia but it would be nice!

If we are to follow FM dads suggestion, from the outside looking in, it looks like Pantuosco is the best option. He is A licensed and has the more impessive playing career, for what that means. I don't know much about Jim other than what was posted on this website, but his playing resume and licensing is not really close to what Pantuosco offers.

Do note Jim is the director, and may /may not coach your child's team. I'd go with him, also, but the person hands-on with the kids is the one who counts.

In regards to DSC, yes we do have a healthy relationship with WU, but they do not factor into who we hire as coaches or any other decisions we make. It is to our advantage to have former WU player's as coaches, but we also have other coaches from the community. We are not directly affiliated with WU and are not bound to any of their suggestions. We have an active board that makes decisions like any other soccer board on who to hire. Discoveries has been around for many, many years and it's goal is not to have 20 or 30 teams. We are a non profit organization and our mission is to serve the boys and girls in our area. If you check our fees against NS or TC we are the lowest because we are not here to supply high paying jobs to trainers or coaches, but to provide kids a place to play soccer at the next level. We field competitive challenge and classic teams for that reason and we have had our share of successes and failures like any other club.
I agree with the statements that the area may not be able to support 3 clubs and the talent pool is diluted, but it is also true that the area is growing. We have tried to keep our distance with NS and continued to do what we have been doing sucessfully for years. Clubs shouldn't be so concerned with what their neighbor is doing, but what it do better. We have been concentrating on that and have built up the club to our heighest membership level ever.
To add to the posts about Northwestern and Fort Mill HS, don't forget, these kids got their start here at DSC, and we always have most of the Northwestern varsity boys, like we do this year.
All three clubs have talented DOC's and coaches; one doesn't have a monopoly over the other. However, a parent's decision on which club to take his player to can be based on the club's philosophy, which can vary from club to club. We are about development, and want to bring the player to the highest level he can achieve through hard work and committment, not about having the biggest club in the area.

Very well written and informative. Problem we are facing is getting some unbiased feedback and maybe what you would do being new to an area. Overall we have been very impressed with our welcoming and inputs given. It would be nice to hear direct comments from parents and players.

The new club being started for selfish reasons? I think not. Let me enlighted you. It is a Board that is taking NO compensation and a DOC that will get a minimal check for his services if there is money left in the budget. Sound selfish? Lets compare that to a DOC that always get a check, turns in all and any receipts and tries to have a Mandatory team camp. Oh by the way make your check out to him because it is his personal soccer camp.

The new club was started so players would have a place to play in their community and stay in SC. They have top knotch coaches and a Board that cares - nothing more.

Import - if you moved to Tega Cay the one thing that must have impress you was the commmunity. It is a great community with a lot to offer.

Nobody caers. Well, amlost nobody caers.

pilgrim

I was just on the Northside web site and see where the DOC wants kids in his club to attend camp run by him. It sounds as though he makes his camp mandatory. We are just lining his pockets even more. I plan on addressing this practice in the next few weeks. I have a real problem with this. I just can't believe that we pay these people to coach or be a trainer during the year and then pay them again for the same coaching. It just doesn't make sense to me. In my opinion it is more valuable to get other coaching whenever possible. I am sure the coaching level is much higher at Clemson, Winthrop, South Carolina, etc. soccer camps. I am a strong believer in supporting our local college's soccer camps and soccer program. Both my son's have gone to the Winthrop and Clemson camps in the past and they were both excellent. We will be doing the same again this summer as well as trying the Northside camp.

Be wary of self-promoters. Be very wary. We had to deal with that here as well and it got ugly.

Jones, that has been one of the biggest complaints. What is it that they can teach them at camp that they can't teach them thru the season? I realize that it is a lot of practices in one week that is great for the team but it is also great for a player to get different aspects of the game from different coaches.