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Joined: Apr 2005
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Ok, just for the heck of it, because I'm in a generous mood (even after goalstop called me creepy) I'll ask... harry, you say you've "seen several programs initiated..." What happened to them? Were they initiated, then terminated, or did they continue to flourish and turn into yearly (or weekly, monthly, bi-annually, etc) events?
This is your opportunity to showcase these efforts without me claiming you're just grandstanding (not that I would ever do that). I have opened the door...now, shine!
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Joined: Feb 2007
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corner kick
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corner kick
Joined: Feb 2007
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Quote:
Ok, just for the heck of it, because I'm in a generous mood (even after goalstop called me creepy) I'll ask... harry, you say you've "seen several programs initiated..." What happened to them? Were they initiated, then terminated, or did they continue to flourish and turn into yearly (or weekly, monthly, bi-annually, etc) events?
This is your opportunity to showcase these efforts without me claiming you're just grandstanding (not that I would ever do that). I have opened the door...now, shine!
I don't know all the details of these programs/partnerships and I'm sure there are programs that I don't know of, but here goes.
There was a group of Hispanic kids that one of the directors coached recently in two age groups. I believe they were called the outreach program. I don't know what their fee structure was, or where they are now, but the effort was there. There has been a long-standing relationship with Salvation Army and there are teams in the recreation and academy in house leagues. I believe most of the staff has gone in years past to community centers on MLK Day (and several other times of the year) and hosted free clinics. I think someone else mentioned CESA ALFA. I don't know the details of those teams, other than they are largely, if not wholly, Hispanic and that they exist.
As I said, I'm sure there are programs that I am missing and I don't know the details of the above named programs; but to suggest that there is no effort made to make it easier or possible for communities outside of the mainstream to participate in CESA is simpley misinformed.
Knowing the two in charge of CESA, I'll bet if you had a good idea as to how to get more kids involved they would certainly welcome your phone call. If you were uncomfortable with calling, you could PM me and I could call one of them for you.
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Joined: Jun 2010
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Joined: Jun 2010
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Harry, sorry nice try.but your wrong. CESA has an extremely low minority customer base in their challenge and premier programs. And I've witnessed it for the last 8 years. Bottom line is if you can't afford their fees, they don't want you. And their not out looking for the youth athlete in these low income areas. All that you need to do is drive out to MESA on any Saturday and you can probably count on one hand how many minorities are competing. Also you say when you were involved in CESA and you don't even know the names of the programs. Cmon!
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Joined: Apr 2009
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The whole question revolves around the fact that clubs exist becasue people with money are willing to pay to see thier kids win, I mean grow as players.
Without the paying base there is no club, and if clubs can field very good teams with all paying players then why would they give away for free what they can get paid for. Sure they run lower cost rec programs and broaden the base that way, but as you move up the scale in level of play you move up in income potential.
For example I know one club where the season dues for premier are about $500 higher then the next lower level. They practice on average once a week more than the next lower level. Are the cost for the club for that team to play at the higher level that much higher or are parents just paying for "better" coaching because they play at a "higher" level?
CESA is no different than most other clubs they exist to make money by providing a product. Soccer parents exist without clubs, Clubs do not exist without soccer parents!
I would provide this observation- Discoveries won a national championship with about as many minorities on one team as I remember seeing play at the upper level here in SC. Anyone think they went looking for all those players or was it a matter of they were what the local club had to work with?
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Goal
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Goal
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Let me see if I'm getting the cultural part of this conversation straight. We're trying to figure out why the clubs in this country don't do more to attract greater numbers of Hispanic players so that we as Americans can share our immense knowledge of and passion for the game with them?
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SE  Excellent observation!!
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 218
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 218 |
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Harry, sorry nice try.but your wrong. CESA has an extremely low minority customer base in their challenge and premier programs. And I've witnessed it for the last 8 years. Bottom line is if you can't afford their fees, they don't want you. And their not out looking for the youth athlete in these low income areas. All that you need to do is drive out to MESA on any Saturday and you can probably count on one hand how many minorities are competing. Also you say when you were involved in CESA and you don't even know the names of the programs. Cmon!
I don't understand where I'm wrong. I said that the programs existed and that there is an effort to get more kids from diverse backgrounds involved in CESA. You're saying that's not true? I guess you're saying that CESA ALFA doesn't exist? I guess you're saying nobody went to the Phylis Wheatly Center? You're saying there's no scholarship money?
Are you also saying that when you were involved in CESA, when your daughter or her older brother played, you knew the details of every program in the club? You must have attended some meetings that I didn't.
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 218
corner kick
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 218 |
Quote:
Let me see if I'm getting the cultural part of this conversation straight. We're trying to figure out why the clubs in this country don't do more to attract greater numbers of Hispanic players so that we as Americans can share our immense knowledge of and passion for the game with them?
I thought the point of this was that some people are saying that if you can't pay, you're not welcomed to play. Others were saying that you were. We were all just assuming that it's only minorities that can't pay.
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goal
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Yeah, delta, I think you've missed something along the way. I don't believe the purpose of "outreach" programs is to attract more Hispanic (or black, or poor, or different combinations of all three) players. I believe it (usually) is, in part, to simply "reach" out to those who would not otherwise be involved in soccer, whether they be low-income, Hispanic, or whatever. You do seem to be making a lot of assumptions. I don't even think the outreach is specifically for low-income; there are plenty of people of all income levels who know next to nothing about soccer who could benefit from getting involved in the sport.
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 351
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Joined: Mar 2007
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Quote:
I would provide this observation- Discoveries won a national championship with about as many minorities on one team as I remember seeing play at the upper level here in SC. Anyone think they went looking for all those players or was it a matter of they were what the local club had to work with?
Taking nothing away from the DSC National Championship team, but I seem to remember that one player was from Charleston and another from Tennessee. This hardly qualifies as working with what they had.
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