>>[lowcountryboil1] Cesa is all about winning state even more than development, that why players only have to attend one practice per week if they live outside the Greenville araea. I believe they think talent will prevail over teamwork which is a shame.
Can't say it has not worked for them in most cases.
Drink the CESA Kool Aid. <<

>>[CUnitedParent] Andrew and Pearce
Recruit
South Carolina
Everyday<<

>>[lowcountryboil1] I think parents pushing there kids to drive up to 6 hours in a day on Hwy 26 or 85 is nuts, both these are are nasty roads They are living on the edge for soccer.<<

Sigh...

The purpose of this note isn't to argue, but to help anyone who hasn't made their mind up yet about their kid and youth soccer in South Carolina. I do want to share a few personal facts from a situation I found myself in a few years ago.

At age 13, my kid had played with two completely different teams that won South Carolina Challenge Cup youth championships, both on fields that were less than 5 minutes from my home. However, in the fall after her team winning its second championship, it was clear that her level of commitment was different from the other kids. A lot of kids had left, the others simply weren't as committed as she was (and by committed, I mean training/practicing hours each day, 7 days a week.) She was frustrated and wasn't having fun.

She knew about GFC, primarily because she knew about some of the players up there on the U17 and U18 teams that she idolized. She asked if we'd take her to train. We talked to her coach, who completely understood and supported it and wrote a letter to Andrew Hyslop, who was the DOC there. Andrew invited her up and let her work with the U17 and U18 teams. This kid, who was less than 5 feet tall and less than 100 pounds, was thrust in the middle of a situation that was probably more challenging than a lot of us can imagine.

She loved it. She had met a group of kids that were every bit as passionate about soccer as she was. Kids that watched it on TV. Kids that practiced when they didn't have to. Kids that were flat out better than she was...not just bigger (every kid was bigger than her then) but flat out better.

She begged us to take her there repeatedly. She began practicing with some college players that fall which Andrew helped arrange. That spring, she was playing games against D1 colleges at age 13. GFC let her go up there and do double training - 3-4 hours in a row with first a boys team and then her team or an older team. She had previously had trouble getting boys teams to let her train with them. Not there. (Note: By the way, also not at Aiken that summer, where Justin Rhodes' Fire boys team welcomed her and let her do double workouts with the U18 boys and then a summer girls team.)

GFC merged with SGU to form CESA. She still loved it. As she turned 14 she begged us to take her there 3 times a week. She would go and do double-practices each time - again, 3-4 hours in a row. When she wasn't there, she was practicing at home - by herself or with anyone who would have her. During the seasons, CESA had Columbia practices in addition to Greenville - so on her fourth day she'd practice in Columbia.

As she got older, she went to Greenville less and practiced in Columbia more - I can remember her senior year in high school she was only going up once a week - but was practicing in CESA- and non-CESA practices still at least four times a week.

Look - I absolutely understand parents who think it's crazy to drive 100+ miles one way for a soccer practice. I was one of those until my kid was 13. But it really depends upon your kid. I can tell you that the way my kid talked me into it was that she was willing to work harder than anyone I knew - to me, if she was willing to invest the time and energy then I thought if I could that I should try to support her.

But I'm thankful that the options of GFC and later CESA existed for my kid. I like lots of options for parents - because there are all sorts of kids out there. I think people who perceive that South Carolina club soccer is a win/lose situation are short-sighted. And I respectfully think people who believe that CESA's success is due to recruiting are...well, wrong.