SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Eddie Crosby

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." [Edmund Burke]

I've sat back long enough disengaged on this whole "let's bash Eddie Crosby" thing. I have never met the guy, but for several years I've noted that through his leadership CSC seemed to be the only Columbia-area club focused on increasing the level of services provided to youth soccer players at a club rather than just a team level.

This guy led the second most successful club in the state for approximately 2.5 years. He was forced to compete against municipal-backed organizations (NECSA, MPSC, etc.) which were established by the government and funded on a facilities level through tax dollars. It appears to me to be revisionist history at best, and hypocrisy at worst, for people who have been on this message board for years who have been silent about the guy to come out of the woodwork when he resigns to trash him. I at least understand about the teenagers expressing their hurt; they haven't learned yet that anyone who accepts a leadership position must advocate for the organization until the day they resign -- than in fact it is through resignation that a leader can make the only criticism of that organization.

To those that hope he'll get on and "explain" -- are you smoking crack? That would be the lowest integrity thing the guy could do. A leader of an organization should never criticize a past organization publicly; it's not just petty and wrongheaded, but it's a betrayal of those left in the organization. Let me be clear about this: deciding to resign from an organization is not a betrayal, it's a choice -- but criticizing that organization publicly after leaving is absolutely a betrayal.

Here's a rough chronology of Eddie Crosby/CSC-related events:

03/2003: CSC posts the DOC job.
04/2003: Eddie Crosby selected as CSC DOC.
02/2004: Eddie Crosby attempts to open Columbia merger/partnership discussions.
11/2004: 6 CSC challenge teams in semifinals in state challenge cup, second to CESA.
05/2005: CSC wins a challenge title; only club other than MPSC and CESA to do so.
11/2005: Eddie Crosby resigns as CSC DOC.
11/2005: 4 CSC challenge teams in semifinals in state challenge cup, tied for second with NECSA.
11/2005: CSC announces to its membership Eddie is leaving.
11/2005: CESA announces Columbia program; Eddie Crosby joins CESA's staff.
11/2005: CSC and NECSA announce initial merger discussions.

In looking back on message threads, you can go back years to people talking about Columbia clubs needing to merge to compete againt SGU and GFC. But talk is all that has ever come of it, despite the formation of CESA, the formation of Bridge, and so on. Crosby agitated for change through open discussion and meetings and got nowhere. Then Crosby resigns. A week or two later, lo and behold, the two major area soccer clubs in the Columbia area announce that they have begun initial talks about the possibility of merging. I believe that this guy did more to help the youth of Columbia in resigning than anyone else has in years: the announcement that he will help CESA with a Columbia program is of direct benefit to Columbia area players as is the announcement that the two major clubs in the Columbia area will finally begin seriously pursuing a merger to bring additional services to players.

Finally, to those that believe I'm praising this guy because I'm biased toward CESA; go back for several years and read what I've said about CSC and Eddie Crosby. My defense and praise of this guy, both today and in the past several years, are not based on anything to do with CESA, but on what he's done and tried to do for youth soccer players in Columbia.

Eddie has moved on.CSC has moved on. I'm afraid your spirited defense of Eddie will just lead to more posts slamming him.Lets talk about the merger and CESA moving to Cola.

BDad11: I respect and appreciate your perspective; but I think you're dead wrong. I honestly considered what you're saying -- and it's why I kept my silence for days about this -- but the truth is that it seems to me that over the last 24-36 hours the pace of attacks has increased while the majority of those that think well of this guy sit back and don't respond because it's ugly. It certainly would be easier -- and feel better -- to sit back and shut up -- but it doesn't seem as if it's the right thing to do.

The Web is a long-lived medium; I've been surprised to find posts from SCSoccer.com from years ago when doing a Google search.

I try (and don't always succeed) to live my life simply by the adage "Do unto others as you'd want them to do unto you." If I were Mr. Crosby, I wouldn't want those that thought I did well to sit by and say nothing while folks crawled out of the woodwork to criticize me. At the very least, I'd want facts and truth to be out there.

In my experience, people coaching youth soccer aren't in it for the money but are in it because they love working with kids and they love soccer. Bluntly, I don't want to see the best people who could be helping young soccer players run off by the hypercritical few that tend to pop up in any group.

If I'm wrong in defending him and I should simply keep my silence then I apologize; but I honestly don't think I'm wrong.

What purpose to those of you who have been critical of Eddie and his leadership at CSC possibly hope to accomplish? Did you protest during his tenure at CSC? If you did not then, now is not the time. You will not change anything now. You will continue to display in this open forum your inability to accept change and possible progress in the Cola. area soccer scene.You need to consider the state of CSC soccer before Eddie, in which there was very little leadership and definitely no direction. You should now look to the future of CSC soccer and the possibilities of good things to come with a proposed merger with NECSA. That is where your focus should be now.

In the end though.. it's just a bunch of "talking heads" ..I can't recall anyone critizing Crosby..that has made known their actual name and affiliation(if any).

I'm curious myself what the known soccer figures that post on this board think about the matter.. but you aren't going to see Heise or any coaches/administrators post about this.

So..whatever soccerfool6948 or OMGIkickedaGoal73423 thinks..doesn't really matter. We'll all just have to wait and see what Eddie Crosby does..

I think some people need to read what they agreed to when they signed up to use this board....

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this BB to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law.

People should read this, and Heise needs to start revolking priveledges on here.

Chico, I don't think you're wrong in defending Eddie. In fact I appreciate you doing so. I just fear that the bashers would use this to continue on. So far they haven't. Maybe they have run out of ammunition.

I will only say in closing that Eddie is one of the best people I've met. I've seen first hand how he tried his very best to develop the character of the boys he coached as well as their soccer ability.What certain people write about alleged "problems " in the youth Academy will not change my perception of him.Good luck to Eddie and good luck to CSC in their future endeavors.

I must take more time reading the posts than others. I never saw any criticism of Eddie's knowledge, skills or ability. The criticism I read and profess is of the training that was promised to the academy players that wasn't delivered. The academy was Eddie's concept and he didn't provide the resources or commitment. A DOC is the last point of responsibility, the buck stops there.

It's not ammunition, just recitation of events as witnessed by people who were there. By the way, my moniker is my name, unlike board names as imsobad, tweedledum or tweedledumber. I don't hide from anyone.

My affiliation is former club volunteer and parent. You know, one of the persons who pays the fees that pays the coaches.

Seriously, the situation can't be that simple Mr. D Hunter. I find it pretty hard to believe that ONE man in an ORGANIZATION (head hancho or not) is solely responsible for such grave inequities. Also, since you are admittedly a former VOLUNTEER and PARENT I think your scope of the entire situation is limited at best(as is mine as a complete outsider). Which is why I throw mud at no one (save 2004Stroke) And it would stand to reason..that no officials from CSC are "throwing mud" as well. Perhaps you could take a cue from your peers.