LPAF and soccer Taxi-
Using population numbers and statistics to try and justify a lack of quality in the lower and midstate clubs in absolutely bullocks, or shall I say, B.S.
Yes, the upstate has more children. Does that necessarily mean that more kinds are playing soccer? Its not numbers, its quality. You can have a billion kids playing soccer, but if they aren't commited to being better, then it doesnt matter if you are comparing them to a smaller city more dedicated players.
Another thing to take into consideration, probably more important than my last fact, is that players from the lowerstate and midstate travel to the upstate to play with St. Giles and GFC. Are they part of the upstate population? No, but they are looking for quality clubs. It is understood all over the state that places like Charleston and Columbia don't have the best clubs; therefore, better (or smarter) player from those areas choose to play for the upstate. Your excuses are ridiculous. Population is a poor excuse for having poor clubs. If the local clubs were more organized, then these players wouldn't have to travel 1-4 hours to play. But they do, and its not because of a mere population gap.
If you do research and tell me that there are more kids, ages 11-18 playing classic competitive soccer in the upstate who actually live there compared to the lower state, then I would back down. But there aren't such statistics, because the only people who would use them are lowerstate and midstate people who can't accept that people from their own areas are leaving to play for the upstate clubs. Lame excuses, folks. Lame.
