4soccer: What a great post. I�ve never read a post that has so much with which I disagree and at the same time so much with which I agree. Let�s start with the disagreement � that�s usually more fun. After hearing for years how much facilities matter, I absolutely don�t believe it any more. I can give you two anecdotal reasons for this � the best facilities in the state are arguably Lexington�s soccer complex � and Lexington is for the most part a bleak and balkanized collection of four (4!) clubs of which the �classic� clubs continue scrabbling toward mediocrity. GFC�s facilities are not at all impressive � and yet they continue to produce outstanding teams.
I think it�s great that CSC is building more fields, lighting them, paving, and the like. But that�s icing on the cake. CSC is the best hope for Columbia area soccer because it merged with CFC and now has by far the best coaching staff in the area � people like Savitz, Fredericks, Crosby, and so on. You could have stone fields and great coaches and you�d still draw players.
I hope the folks at CSC (and I�m not affiliated with CSC in any way � I�m just someone who would like to see SC not be ranked #40 out of #50 or so in terms of US soccer) make sure to spend more money and time recruiting more great coaches rather than focus solely (or even primarily) on facility improvements. Because what CSC needs the most right now is depth � the ability to field more than a few teams capable of winning state championships � rather than the ability to field just a handful of very good teams. And from my experience, players are drawn to coaches/teams � not to facilities.
