Nice posts. It's refreshing to see some quality soccer talk on this board. Keep the ideas and posts coming -- this is interesting reading!
As for the above post, yes I did work with CMSA in 1993 and 1994 and true I was in the midst of building the Brookland-Cayce soccer program from it's very foundation, but the intent of the association and those involved from an administrative standpoint were quite noble, but it just could not maintain momentum from a facilities standpoint and ultimately lost steam.
I am a staunch supporter of not alienating or abandoning the local/community clubs as my primary goal in building the BCHS program was the formation of a club in "our area" to offer quality soccer without having to drive to Irmo or Northeast for training and play. This formula worked for us in Cayce-West Columbia and the downtown area (Dreher/Flora/Cardinal Newman/Heathwood Hall/Hammond, etc.) Now we are trying to re-establish that base and extend further.
With this stated however, I would certainly support a QUALITY Columbia club that emphasized training the top-tier of players and let the local clubs keep their average players to work with. In reality, you'd look at having probably one elite team per Columbia in each age group and the ones that didn't make that particular team could continue work with their current clubs or such.
I think a super-club would have to be very careful to work with (not alienate or supercede) the established local clubs to gain favor in the area, but it would certainly be worth trying and promoting.
I'd like to hear some other area coaches take on this thought?
