SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP BFA & MPSC

Here is a good reason for local clubs to join forces with Bridge, FA. In this weekend's U13/U14 Challange semi-finals, we have 5 BFA teams still playing, 1 from MPSC and 1 from CUSC.

I keep waiting for "You WILL be assimilated...resistance is futile."

I really think BFA and MPSC need to work out their differences and work together before CESA comes to town in the fall!!

Here is s chance for people to voice their concerns to MPSC.

As required by the by-laws of the MPSC Booster Club, the Club’s annual meeting will take place Tuesday June 5th at 7:00 p.m. at the Jones Center (Egypt Road). During this meeting, elections for board members will be held. If anyone is interested in becoming a board member and would like their name to be placed on the slate of candidates, please send your name to Jayne Ahlstrom at ahlstrjb@musc.edu. (We are especially seeking replacements for both the treasurer and the secretary positions on the Executive Board.)

This meeting at MPSC is for a "booster" club. Does it have anything to do with coaching, or club mergers? Or is it about volunteers and fundraising?

Challenge tryouts are over at BFA and CUSC/MPSC. Of course, they are after the same players.

I encourage anyone trying to decide between the two, to:
1. Check out the coaching staff at BFA vs MPSC. At MPSC (with the exception of two or three) the coaching is mediocre at best. I will add a disclaimer here that there are one or two that I'm not familiar with. On top of that MPSC has the same coach in several instances for TWO teams. (I consider Patrick Olalere and Andy Grist to be CUSC and Dusty Huddock is available at all clubs)

2. Talk to the parents of BFA that have left the smaller clubs and get their opinion. Ask which club helped more with player development

3. Check out the MPSC philosophy of not allowing their coaches to coach during games.

4. Read BFA's philosophy that is on their website.

5. If you tried out at your small club AND tried out at BFA, something is telling you to give BFA a try.

It's pretty clear, the best coaching and training for player development is at the U13-18 is at BFA.

I've been a MPSC parent for 13 years and fought the BFA pull. This year, we're going with the Bridge.

The trend towards not wanting coaches to talk to the players during games was one of MPSC's most frustrating "policies." Growing up, my coaches ALWAYS spoke to us on field, giving us warnings about being offsides, telling us to turn around, etc. at moments when it would not affect our game play. It taught us and reminded us to be more aware of the field around us and also caught our mistakes before they affected the game sometimes. As a result, as a coach myself, I've done the same, especially with the younger players who need to be able to identify the mistakes they're making as they're being made, not after the game when they've forgotten what exactly they're doing.

I've heard coaches explicitly told to sit down and let the players play and don't talk to them unless you're subbing in and out and it was one of the most jawdropping "requests" I've ever heard from a DOC. Every player I knew growing up always thought the coaches who did so didn't know the game and were disrespecting their players by not being involved and it went against everything I learned as a player.

I can't say anything about Bridge, but I do know that MPSC does have some very good coaches on staff that may just not be allowed to coach as they should want to. Additionally, I have to say that if you have a chance to play with Andy Grist on a team, then you should take the chance and go for it. He is an excellent coach and really understood how to use the talents of his girls in game plans, making superb use of Danielle Jordan, Julie Bolt, Lisa Frawley, and the Brothers sisters and the whole team to take the Fusion to state championships and the regionals multiple times. He will (or used to be) very demanding about physical conditioning, so the older you are under him, be more prepared to be asked to run three consecutive miles at quick pace.

Good points clan..
The bottom line should be where does your child WANT to play
also you need to know where this team will practice? JI,SSC or Daniel Island or will practices move from place to place.Lastly I would talk to a player's parent that was on last year's team and get their take on how things went and how the team performed over all..The bottom line is the development of your child as a soccer player and being on the best team may not always be in everyone's best interest. If you find yourself on the best team but you are not playing...where's the development? Good luck to everyone and I hope you find what you are looking for

kitten, we agree with your coaching philosphy. Andy is great and that's why I listed that I consider him a CUSC coach. He's my kind of coach!
Good point about the coaches not being allowed to coach to their potential. Still, if they are good coaches, but not allowed to coach, they are ineffective.

Kitten,
MPSC might of went overboard with the non coaching policy..I really do not know anything about it..other than maybe the positive side is that players are in more control of the game and the decisions they make will sooner or later decide what calliber player they will be..I am sure it can be frustrating not to correct while the game is in progress..I agree that you will NOT find a better soccer coach for girls in this area better than Andrew Grist..He gets the most of his players and he knows how to make adjustments during the game to find a way to win..My daughter grew so much as a player by spending just one season training with him..If I could make it happen he would coach my daughter every season

CHT - my children want to play at BFA because they are frustrated at what MPSC offers. I was frustrated long before they were and now they are asking to move.
They want better training, to play soccer with and against higher level players.
MPSC fields are more convenient. We are willing to make the sacrifice and effort to travel to other fields to obtain their goals. We have worked out carpool options.
We don't expect to not be playing.