SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP BridgeFA/ US Soccer Academy Information

Here we go........this email was sent around today.

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Bridge FA Tryouts for US Soccer Development Academy
We will have TRY-OUTS to supplement the existing teams at James Island Soccer Club Sunday, August 26th from 6:00pm-8:00pm

Coaching Staff for Bridge FA Academy teams:

Clark Brisson
USSF A License, National Youth License, Former Asst. Coach U of New Haven, coach of (2) US Club National Championship Teams with Bridge FA 90 Gold
U16 Boys:
Jeff Hoerner – USSF B, Former Head Coach St. Thomas Univ., Former Assistant Coach Florida Atlantic & Univ. of Buffalo
Dante Johnson- NCSAA Advanced Regional Diploma, Current Club Trainer Citadel Men’s Program

U18 Boys:
Collin Phillips- USSF C, Former Charleston Battery Player, Trinidad & Tobago U20 National Player
Kevin Jackson – Former Charleston Battery Player, MLS Draft Selection, Lehigh U Asst. College Coach, USSF Licensed Coach

Academy Details:
- For the U18 and U16 teams, the core of the Academy teams will be fielded from current Bridge FA players. All players welcome.
- Minimum roster size is 20
- Age group based on calendar year (Jan1-Dec31). U16 players will have a 1991 or 1992 birth year and U18 will be a 1989 or 1990 birth year.
- Training will be 3 days per week
- Every player must start 30% of the games. Each game is limited to 7 substitutions with no re-entry.
- Play starts October 6-7 and will not conflict with HS Soccer. Teams will compete in three different types of game weekends: individual conference games, travel partner weekends and showcase weekends to provide them with the optimum balance of playing rhythm, economy of travel and exposure to scouts.
-30 game schedule
- 8 conference winners receive all expenses paid trip to LA, CA for National Championships at the Home Depot Center
- Program Costs: $975 plus travel to games. Bridge FA has sponsorships to assist with costs associated with travel.
- For further information on the Academy teams, please contact: Clark Brisson, Executive Director, clarkbrisson@netzero.net or 843-270-0596

Bridge FA is proud to announce that we have been selected to join US Soccer’s Development Academy. Bridge FA is one of 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. The Development Academy concept is a comprehensive program designed to improve the development of elite players by providing improved competition, training for players, coaches, and referees as well as scouting by the US National Team and coaches. U15/U16 and U17/18 boys’ teams will be competing in regional conference play, showcase weekends and travel partner weekends. Please visit www.ussoccer.com for more details regarding the US Academy Program.

If you received the e-mail, you can take some satisfaction that you have been requested to attend. I don't think it was a broadcast e-mail, but rather a targeted one.

Bridge FA made a bold move to apply to play in this league. Every top club wants its players to have the greatest soccer experience possible and whilst developing their skills. The shows the commitment from Bridge FA to offer its players the best soccer available. The club took a risk, but it shows that the club is not about money, but offering serious soccer players the avenue to be seen and develop by playing with the best in the country. If you're a serious soccer player looking for the maximum exposure, the academy is the way to go. National team coaches looking at you first hand, playing against the tops clubs in the country. This program enhances a soccer player resume ten fold. This is where top college coaches would be looking for players in the future.
I wish the girls had this opportunity to play. This is where I would want my kids to play. Good luck to the Bridge and I hope they get the financial support from the public

I think we agree on some points. It was and is a bold and risky move for the club to take. Some of this also still has to play out though, particularly the exposure to top college coaches.

Dealing with the exposure to college coaches. Are the top programs in the state of SC going to be traveling to Va, OH, CA, TX and other places to watch 1 or 2 games over the weekend? How many SC players are really seeking to go out of state to play collegiate soccer?

As for exposure to national team coaches, how many national team players has SC produced? Is the academy program really going to help further that, from the SC perspective?

I don't mean any of this to slight the efforts or people involved in any way. But, what is really going to change to "develop" SC players into national team players or major college level players? The core group of players, and the core group of trainers, have not recently produced state champion teams in the age groups involved with the academy program.

If you look at the progression of levels of play in this country, US Soccer has taken a step with the development of the Academy program to essentially replace the ODP process for identifying national team players. With that said, it's somewhat shortsighted to believe that any one team/club in this state has all the players with the potential for national team play. In looking at the age groups involved 1990 and 1991, SC enjoyed tremendous strides in the ODP Region Pools this year. However, to my knowledge, none of these region pool players are part of the academy program at Bridge FA. Maybe in time that will be the case.

While I see tremendous benefit in this program, I still see a place for recreation, classic, challenge, and RIII play in the development of players. To essentially shun the other programs discredits the benefits of those programs.

If this is the future of the top level of soccer in the nation, then in my opinion the best place for this program would be at the SCYSA level. Only then will the top players thoughout the state be able to unite and play representing the entire state of SC and their local clubs.

I wish Bridge FA well with this endeavor, and I hope I'm totally wrong, but I don't think Bridge FA is mature and stable enough as a club, with the organizational structure necessary to be able to sustain this program.

I wonder what impact this will have on MPSC (particularly at the current U-16 level)? The BFA team at that age is not particularly strong. Do you low-country folks expect to see some MPSC players "defect" to BFA for the opportunity to participate in the Academy? What will that do to MPSC's ability to compete in the R3PL? Inquiring minds want to know.

First of all, I could not find any info on the US Academy Program at the link provided. Secondly, if this is the opportunity that its made out to be, why wouldn't it draw the best players statewide--affecting all clubs and not just Mt. Pleasant?

i still think it will be like anything else and the price will stop some of the top talent from joining in.maybe not in places like texas but in sc it would..

Shame on Bridge FA for asking their boys to participate in this Academy.

Shame on the other top level clubs like Chicago Magic, PDA Socrates, CASL, DC United, Atlanta Fire, Virginia Rush, Ohio Elite SA and others, as well.

Who was it that said, "If you do what you always have done, you'll get what you always have gotten." Tony Robbins, I think.......................Heck shame on him too.

It's possible that it could draw kids from outside the low country but I would expect the training location (presumably the greater Charleston area) to be an impediment to midlands and upstate participation.

Given that CESA and CUFC decided to take a pass on it, I am assuming that there was no big outcry from the kids or parents to participate. that doesn't mean that there won't be some individuals, for reasons of their own, who try out. But, I will be very surprised if many (or even any) of the CESA or CUFC players in these age groups try out. MPSC, on the other hand, being in the neighborhood, seems vulnerable to losing some players.

The reason why SC is second rate in so many areas is because of attitude we are satisfied with good enough. Education, sports.
From the email Bridge FA is trying to reach out to all players that would like to have that experience of playing against the top players in the country, whilst developing in a professional environment.
If any one can say that ODP is working to produce national level players in SC you all are joking. If you keep doing the same thing you can only expect the same results.
There is still a need for challenge; classic etc. Bridge FA still has challenge level teams from what I see on the website. Why have your kids play if you think that they cannot be as good as kids from Texas or CA.
As far as recruiting, top colleges in this area goes all over the country and even international to add to the squads.
Most of the top clubs in NC is playing in the league, I wonder why? NC traditionally have better soccer than SC and they are looking to give there kids greater exposure. So what is wrong with the Bridge FA seeking to offer better services to the talented kids we have in SC.