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1. Fields

2. Organization - getting a group of busy people on the same page at the same time is a huge challenge.

3. Money - club soccer is too expensive. Kids are left out as a result. I know, all clubs offer scholarships, but we all know of players that were scared off by the cost of playing. All of the clubs are non-profit, but one way or another money must change hands to pay for overhead, coaches, equipment, etc. Look at most clubs and there is some form of indirect government subsidy for them, usually in the form of public fields or grants.

A lot of good is done at our soccer clubs. While we sometimes talk of profits and pay, I believe that all of the clubs I've seen are sustained by a passion for the game.

I can't help but wonder if the club soccer system is sustainable in its current form. I'm not advocating mergers as a solution. While mergers may be appropriate in some circumstances, it seems that a merger spawns new clubs within a couple of years.

Club soccer is relatively young in this country, and as soccer grows I wonder if we will eventually move to a different way of developing our young players.



Wonderful LE.