Great comment Meredith. When Michael Young started with Hanna nine years ago, we didn't have much and Mauldin, Hillcrest, and Greenwood would just thump us. He didn't dare schedule big non-region opponents or it would have been more of the same. We worked every year to be better than the year before. He took them to camps, we got involved with the local club, and we kept over twenty middle schoolers a year on JV. In other words it was a yearlong commitment to improve. And you are right, if you put this much work in and create some excitement, pretty soon the really lopsided scores stop happening.
A good example this year is Laurens. They added a JV this year and already they look stronger. Are they ready to schedule Fort Mill? No, but baby steps make progress.
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It never feels good to get beat decisively. I remember scheduling Dutch Fork my first year (five years ago) and getting thrashed by Bo Sylvia 12 - 0. He did not start possession until 5 minutes to go in the game. I did not want Bo to take it easy on our program and the lesson was well-learned by the student. However, I am a passionate competitor and desired to compete at the top level. Sometimes you have to see where great programs are, what they did to get there in order for your girls to have an opportunity to compete at that level. Our HS soccer program is getting better every year because of the 13 years worth of work I and many others have put into this community. Are we there, who knows? I do know we are not getting beat 12-0 anymore (Thank goodness). 
