SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP CESA Press Release: Establishing a Columbia Program

[Preface: I received this earlier this afternoon from CESA.]

For immediate release 11/14/05

Carolina Elite Soccer Academy (CESA) announced that they will establish a program in the Columbia area beginning in the spring of 2006. Jim Heilich, who has been a CESA staff member since the club’s inception and former Columbia Soccer Club Director Eddie Crosby will help to implement this new program. Chris Christian, who led the Columbia Soccer Club Under 13 Boys to the Challenge Cup State Championship last season, will also join Heilich and Crosby as a member of the CESA staff. CESA has offered training in the Columbia area over the past year and is now committed to forming recreation, academy and select teams based in Columbia.

CESA is in the process of hiring other high profile coaches from the Columbia area. Co-Executive Director Andrew Hyslop said, “ We have had a great deal of interest from players, parents and coaches in the Columbia area and Pearse and I feel sure that when we provide top quality coaching and a solid infrastructure our program will be well received in Columbia.”

Please contact Andrew Hyslop at 864-329-1113 for additional information regarding CESA and immediate plans for the Columbia area.

This gets better everyday. Almost like a soap opera without the good looking women .

The funny thing is that after reading all the comments on this board today about CESA in Columbia I was actually going to make a joke about CESA opening a satellite office in Columbia.

I'm sure this will stir things up in the state...

Someone needs to help Striker out. He will either be upset that the evil red machine is moving into his backyard or be extemely happy that a merger seems possible.

Regardless, I think Shearer may need to get him some Newcastles.

floored.... I was just floored.... in my wildest thoughts this one never came in...

So is this the "Emprire Strikes Back"?

I have read 2004striker and I have commented on the needs for the cola area.... I will however say that at this point without any other info available...THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING... Call it gut reaction or whatever but this cannot be good for the sport in the state.

Diluted talent is bad, concentrated talent means no visibility (politics, wink-wink, nudge-nudge). Monopolies are frowned upon in everything and it should be here. I have seen first hand what CESA has done and I applaud their success, but I cannot believe this will fly with the locals. Where would they practice (where DO they practice)? Why would anyone provide them with fields... there must be a million questions.

Chico, I know the decision you made.... you have in the past posted what I believe to be objective threads.... Can you provide me with rationale as to why this would be good for the state and all the players not the top 18 at each age group.

In exploring a move to CESA for my kid,and practicing in Cola 2 days with 1 in Greenville, I had several concerns.1) the level of training he would recieve. Not from a coaching standpoint, but from the players he would train with. Would there be enough older ,higher level kids to work with? 2) With only training with the full team once a week, would the coach get enough looks at you to have you as a main player in his rotation.. Out of sight,out of mind.......

This move by CESA looks like it would address some of these questions, but how long will it take before a CESA team based in Cola would be equal to the other Cesa teams or CSC or NECSA for that matter?

YES, YES!! There is a Santa Claus!! And he still wears RED! Given the DOC mindsets of all the area clubs and now CSC without Eddie to lead the way to quality soccer in Cola., this is the only and best solution. CESA will bring its organization, and desire to provide avenues for all players to attain their best, with this new club. I asked Bridge people when they 1st began if they might be interested to establish alliances with other state clubs and grow in that manner. But I received no response. CESA has evidently seen the Cola. environment as one that lacked an organized effort to go in any definitive direction. But they also saw the tremendous potential to create excellent teams at all levels in the Cola. area. I wish them well. I can now sleep easier at night, knowing that soon, all will be well in Cola. area soccer. And all of my fellow posters will no longer have to put up with my 'dream merger' rants. I will now get back to the Red Neck League, and my other 'dream' of creating an RNL alliance in the upstate.

I'm sure that CESA is not doing this blindly. If you look at the coaching staff they are starting to put together, they are pretty confident that they will be able to get the kids. You are essentially talking about a new club in the Columbia area that is going to take players away from the other clubs, especially CSC. My guess is that this will force the hand of the other clubs to do something to keep players from going to CESA.

I would love to see more details of this though? Fields, teams, ages?