>>It's high school....and the Player of the Year award has to be measured according to what is done at the high school level.<<
Agreed. It's just easier if the player is more skilled. But I'd agree that while a correlation exists, it is not indicative of a causal relationship.
>>Does the best player in the state have to play R3 Premier and/or ODP?<<
Doesn't have to. But it sure seems to help. The reason is that the player who does this is pushing herself to compete against increasingly higher level of players. Thus, a player who wants to offensively take on 3 players in high school has a better chance if they're used to taking on 1-2 very talented players in RIIIPL or ODP.
There's always a player with a lot of speed, or a big leg, or some other single characteristic that sets them apart when their young. However, as a player gets older they run into situations in which there are other fast, or strong, or whatever players. It's difficult (not impossible, but difficult) to be the best player unless you've continually subjected yourself to the most challenging environments possible.
>>I agree that the player being considered the best in the state should be receiving a lot of mail from D1 programs, but if Blakely, Julie and Lindsey had decided to play their collegiate soccer at Tufts, Carnegie Mellon and RPI, should we have taken their award away because they didn't go on to prove themselves at the highest level? Or does the fact that they did go to D1 programs validate their award? <<
Again, let's not confuse correlation with causation. It is correlatable that larger universities, with larger student bodies, and larger scholarship funds, are going to capture a larger percentage of our top athletes. But it is not causal -- the best soccer player in the world can decide to go play intramural at a division 3 school.
If I have a bias in terms of soccer players, it's a bias toward versatility and toward players that elevate the play of all around them. In basketball, I'd take Kobe Bryant over Steve Nash -- but there are only five players in basketball -- in soccer I'd take Steve Nash every time because my leverage is greater with eleven players. But what the heck do I know...
P.S. I've successfully largely avoided this "best player" thread for a year (last year and this year.) I'll go back to that behavior now -- I just had to get on and respond when I saw cat's note -- just rang too true.
P.S.S. I believe that Sheets is one of the better players in the state. I'd guess that any placement of Sheets was strategic, not tactical or competitive. Very good player and like almost every very good player I see, she's truly versatile and truly unselfish.
