SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP "Bridge" collapses in South Carolina???

The 8:00 pm deadline has passed for Bridge FA to register a U16 and U18 US Soccer Academy roster. Have any obituary notices beens posted yet? Please post your information.

Here is the official notice.
The Bridge FA has looked beyond the local and state scene and provided an opportunity for it's players to grow, develop, and prosper.

Don't ever count Bridge out. The best is yet to come

Anyone know a dollar figure, over and above club dues, to participate in this academy? This is a huge step for S.C. Soccer but I'm sure it also comes with a huge price.

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"Words taken form the Bridge, FA website,"Bridge FA is proud to announce that we have been selected to join US Soccer’s Development Academy. BFA is the only club in South Carolina and 64 clubs across the US chosen to take part in the inaugural year of US Soccer’s revolutionary program."


It may have been the only one chosen, but it was not the only one that was approached. I understand that another club was approached and chose not to participate for whatever reason. The Bridge FA website makes it look like the the Bridge FA was the only club considered when it may be that they were not even the first club considered.

Doesn't really matter. The fact is the Bridge apparently will be the only club offering this type of opportunity to the kids of south carolina. Got to be a positive thing don't you think??

Is the 90 Gold still together?

Bridge has U16 and U18 teams currently scheduled to play in the SC Challenge League this fall. Will these teams be withdrawing from this league in order to participate in the USSF Academy?

And a U17

The ages for these teams will run calendar year like ODP..so current teams would have to be split by birth dates

Participating U16 and U18 players of teams in the National Academy program are only allowed to play High School soccer. Paticipation in any other leagues, tournaments or ODP programs is prohibited. There can be no competition for a State Cup title by National Academy teams/clubs.

The cost to participate is estimated to be $3,600 per year. Teams will play roughly 36 games during the course of the twelve month period with 20 or so games being played within a clubs own respective region of competition. The point of the program appears to be an effort to standardize training and to elevate tactical skill across a larger group of players than currently participate in the Bradenton residency program.

Many of the top clubs in the Premier league appear to be waiting to see how the first year of the Academy goes. The fact that a club like CASL decided to join the Academy as one of the first 11 programs to be named makes it a program worthy of attention for the development of our players.

That is $3,600 per team, correct? What does that entail? Registration, officials, league fees, officials, uniforms, field fees, travel, etc.?

If so, that's not a bad gig, but if it omits ANY of the above, then so much for identifying the BEST players and opting for the best RICH players.

I wonder if US Soccer will ever identify the holistic athlete to participate in soccer rather than just the country club kids?

Bridge players are not your country club group. They have families who if you can would greatly appreciate your financial support in making this happen for one of those players. They are just a group of players who love the sport. It is a great opportunity and one that I'm glad Bridge decided to pursue. Yes, the gold team has gone to U16 and U18 Academy but they will reunite next year with more to offer. So let's stop beating them down and unite to lift them up for a new venture that will be sweeping the nation.

The pioneers have always taken the arrows.(And always will.)

That's $3,600 per player, not per team. By my calculations, it's comparbale to playing club ball during the Fall, Spring and Summer inclusive of camps, tournaments, uniforms, registration fee, etc.

Training requirements are for there to be a minimum of three practices per week with limits placed on the number of games per day at one.

When the program was introduced in early June it was presented to coaches in attendance as a "Free Play" program, but now seems to have morphed into a "pay to play" program. Clubs such as CASL certainly have earned the right to be classified as one of the top clubs in the country. The reason many leading clubs have decided to take a wait and see posiition is simply becasue the standard of acceptance appears to be very broad as of today.

Time and participating club performance will determine how beneficial the program is to the participating player and in achieving what is supposed to be a program that will broaden the "net" to reach players who may otherwise be overlooked through current Premier level play.

Clubs participating that do not live up to the standards of the Academy will be rejected and/or passed over during the annual renewal of clubs to participate as I understand it.

"Paticipation in any other leagues, tournaments or ODP programs is prohibitted."

Bridge's U16 team is scheduled to play this weekend in the South Charlotte tournament. Does this mean they will have to drop out?

U-16 Bridge team will be playing in Charlotte tournament.