Respectfully returned, I don't think it's a straw man at all, if you listen to a lot of the things that have been said by folks from this area.
Take Bridge, for example. (Just one example, and I have nothing against Bridge or its concept.) Seems the idea behind its formation was to create an opportunity to form an elite series of teams to be highly competitive under its banner. However, to listen to the talk, apparently there have not been enough athletes flocking to the banner to make it as dominant as some hoped. The complaint I often hear is that the other area clubs, by "stubbornly" and "egotistically" insisting on continuing their own competitive-team offerings, are not supporting the concept of a unified dominant team. Nor are Bridge supporters the only ones to vocalize such things.
My point is, if the majority of stakeholders want to unify under a large competitive banner, it will happen naturally, through choice--it shouldn't be necessary to ask other clubs to shut down their offerings in order to make it happen. And even if clubs in the area actually want to effectively merge and combine their resources--instead of, as someone mentioned earlier, the attitude of "we need to unite under one banner--MY banner," then I still don't see the sin in still having a separate entity offering opportunities for competitive soccer for any who, for whatever reason, don't choose the large club as the best fit for them.
So--I agree with what you say; you're looking at the situation from the perspective of what people SHOULD be asking for. What I've heard people ACTUALLY asking for, though, is for the Lowcountry's versions of Foothills, CFC, LCSC and CRSA to stop insisting on offering competitive teams, because every talented athlete that goes to those types of clubs is effectively robbing from the talent pool of our potential CESA-style juggernaut.
All I'm saying is, offer the opportunity, yes...but don't begrudge those who choose to make other choices as well. Athletes come to CESA and CUFC because they believe those are their BEST choices to get what they want and need--not because someone convinced CFC and LCSC to stop offering alternative competitive-level teams.
And that's the way it should be.
