Good comments and thoughts about possible steps to consider merger. The Cola. area needs to make the decision to move on this now. Look at the current standings for the state challenge league. Of the eight age divisions, either a St. Giles or GFC team is in first. St. Giles and GFC teams also usually qualify teams for the premier league. This may change a little in the fall when all ages are playing, but still, those two associations clearly dominate the upper levels of SC soccer. It will always be that way until 2 or 3 Cola associations decide to merge. Local clubs can still be in place and playing every year in the classic league and maybe competing at the challenge level as well. Travel would not be near as bad as those that now travel to Greenville 2-3 times a week. Who will merge??? NECSA will never consider a merger because of its social and political environment, and the unwillingness to give up a little power. The best possible combination would be CSC, CRSA and Lexington Soccer Clubs. CSC and LSC have the fields to handle such a merger. There are a lot of people who could contribute to such a merger, starting with Kevin Heise's organizational skills. Has anyone ever figured out how BC and past CRSA teams have had such great successes in the small community of Cayce-West Columbia??? And Dennis Cook for years has put together teams that consistently beat the brains out of area competition. Put the right people together and it will work in Cola. Lets not wait til the growing soccer powers, Aiken and Charleston, have their own respective mergers and leave us in the dust...... er......I mean... mud.
