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Ditto.

fair enough.

i basically came to the conclusion that happy was stating happy's opinion alone. not what happy thought other people were thinking. just what happy was thinking. that's why i said "fair enough."

Belligerent,
You're spot on. Not one coach or director at CUFC does not want to add soccer balls to their website and they will go to lengths to do that. CUFC has coaches that recruit and they will continue to do so. To say otherwise is ludicrous.

Does anyone ever consider that maybe players from out of town might actually contact CESA and that all these out of towners were not recruited by CESA coaches. Also, of the 8 finalists CESA had in the finals, 5 of them were coached by coaches that have other full time jobs. Wonder where they found the time.

I can not see to many coaches living off training fees alone as far as the recruiting issue..I feel that players and or parents look elsewhere when they feel their needs are not being served..Looking for greener pastures..So when they go calling and make a team it looks like the club is recruiting..Do clubs contact players? If they do then I would bet they all do..

All clubs recruit. The simplest and easily recognizable form of this is the marketing by mass mailer for tryouts.

I do not believe the SCYSA has distinctly defined what allowable recruiting is, only what illegal recruiting is. I believe they have other rules in place so when read in it's entirety, what is allowable can be interpretted. Any time 2 different people can interpret the same thing, often times it's not the same result.

Here is an excerpt from the SCYSA Aministrative manual that deals with recruiting:

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IV. RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING RECRUITING
1. A player may only be recruited after the completion of his/her State Cup competition until such time the player is registered or rostered by the South Carolina Youth Soccer State Registrar/designee for the next seasonal year. (State Cup competition includes: State Cup, Region Cup, and National Cup).
2. Unethical recruiting is defined as any intentional act whereby coaches or parents contact a player, outside of their club, who is registered or rostered by the South Carolina Youth Soccer State Registrar/designee on another South Carolina Youth Soccer team to entice that player to join their team before his/her State Cup competition is completed. (State Cup competition includes: State Cup, Region Cup, and National Cup).
3. All South Carolina Youth Soccer rules pertaining to recruiting shall be strictly observed by the coaches and parents.
4. It is unethical for a player to be recruited or enticed from the Olympic Development Program (ODP) setting, either by his/her ODP coach or any other coaches or parent during the seasonal year. (Refer to # 2)
5. When discussing the advantages of their organization, the coaches have an ethical obligation to be forthright and
refrain from making derogatory remarks regarding other coaches, teams, and organizations.
6. It is unethical for any coach to make a statement to a prospective athlete which cannot be fulfilled; illegal to promise any kind of compensation or inducement for play; and immoral to deliver same.
7. Allegations of illegal or unethical recruiting are very serious and should be based on concrete facts rather than hearsay and innuendo. While documentation of recruiting violations is essential, the use of videotape and other electronic equipment is discouraged.
8. Any such allegations of illegal or unethical recruiting must be submitted, in writing, to the appropriate District Commissioner with all supporting evidence to prove such activity.

V. PENALTIES / VIOLATIONS
Any coaches, players, parents or administrators found guilty of violating the intent, the spirit, or rules of the South Carolina Youth Soccer Code of Ethics and Conduct, may be subject to probation, suspension and fines. Anyone found guilty of unethical recruiting may be subject to a minimum one year suspension from all South Carolina Youth Soccer Activities. (All activities shall include being a spectator with the exception of when their child is playing).
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It's interesting to me that parents are not allowed to recruit, but the penalty is to suspend them from all activities except being a spectator when their child is playing. Not sure how that would be enforced and how much of a penalty it really is.

I know this horse is, if not dead, badly wounded! But, one last whack from me:

I know that CUFC's leadership discourages contacting players who have been at other clubs. That is not to say that it never happens, only that it is discouraged and his manifestly an exceptional event. I understand that CESA, on the other hand, encourages its coaches to recruit players from other clubs. (If I am wrong about that, correct me).

I agree that many (probably most, in fact) players who go to CESA from outside of its geographic area do so of their own volition and not because they were recruited, and I've never said differently.

I have never accused CESA of violating the recruiting rules. I have said that, in my opinion, recruiting at ODP events violates the spirit of an ambiguous rule.

What I am saying is that there is a culture at CESA that encourages activity in pursuit of championships that I don't care for. I freely acknowledge that it works - look at all the soccer balls. It isn't illegal or immoral. Generally, it probably isn't even fair to call it unseemly. Heck (didn't want to offend loc dog), its pretty darn common around the country. Maybe the best way to describe what I perceive to be the difference between the philosophies of the two clubs, in this context, is this: CESA's goal is win championships and works backwards from there. CUFC takes its players and tries to make them as good as it can, and if that results in championships - wonderful.

BTW - some of you folks need to stop taking this stuff so personally. I really don't understand the defensiveness. No one has substantively disputed my characterization of CESA, only some have suggested "yeah, well CUFC does it too." Either way, you CESA folks know what goes on and know that it works, I would expect you to be proud, not defensive.

Happy , I have no dog in the fight (yet), but being in a succesful team may be clouding what you see.

True or False?
CESA holds a spring showcase where some ODP teams play. The showcase is to show of CESA to all.... therefore TRUE recruiting (at least subliminally)is there thus you are correct

True or False?
Bridge coach approaches ODP players and invites them play for his team and has his parents add to the "pressure"... TRUE recruiting exists and again you are correct

True or false?
CUFC coach (who apparently missed the meeting where the leadership discouraged conatcting players) tells his high school players that they need to play for CUFC. The implication here is no CUFC no HS next year... Again True - so how is this any different than the first 2

All 3 are factual, all 3 happened and CUFC is in it with the big boys. You may not see it but everyone else does... that maybe why the CESA folks do not see it either.